But then she met 27 year old Robert L. Martin, a known drug dealing pimp in the Tacoma area. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Photo filed July 15, 1982. Her nude body had been found slumped over a log in the Green River. The 16-year-old was found floating underneath this bridge. Over the next several months, at least 10 more women went missing from the Seattle area. Their daughter was born later that year. Soon after, the two men left in the old pick-up truck and Ainsworth continued to float down the river. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Denise had traveled up to Seattle sometime in the fall of 1982 with her boyfriend. By 1984, the number of dead or missing women . She was just another kid that ran away that they didnt care about, she said. The officer disbelievingly walked into the shallow river and reached out toward the ghostly form. The youngest of three children, Deborah- who typically went by the nickname Dub- grew up in an impoverished environment. For years the Green River Killer case will have the largest number of unsolved murders attributed to one individual in the history of the United States. In 1980 she married a man named Dennis Christensen. On July 15, 1982, two teenage boys discovered the body of Wendy Lee Coffield, age 16, floating the Green River between Kent and Tukwila. Carrie Ann Rois But it seemed absurd that her daughter could be the victim of a serial killer. Delores Lavern Williams When her husband answered the door, the two men introduced themselves as detectives from the King County Sheriffs Office in Seattle and asked to speak with Ms. Gaspar. But that may be at the request of her family. Yvonne Shelly Antosh April 2003: Ridgway was charged with three additional murders (Wendy Lee Coffield, Debra Lynn Bonner and Debra Estes). Growing up Opal was a pure hearted, loving child who named the dolls and stuffed animals kept on her bed. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. She wanted to be a dancer. Call (collect if necessary): 206-263-2130, Call between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. to arrange to speak with a detective. Marie was popular around customers for being so friendly. Failed to delete flower. The girl had a pair of blue pants knotted around her neck. Wrecking crew finds body of Patricia Ann Yellow Robe, 38, Seattle. Within the space of six months, six bodies had been discovered in or near the river. At her funeral, her family played her favorite song, Love Begins with One Hello.. In the fall of 2019, the King County Sheriffs Office contacted Colleen Fitzpatrick, a co-founder, along with Margaret Press, of the DNA Doe Project. Good mother., Like Wendy and Dub, 17 year old Cynthia Hinds dropped out of high school after falling in with the wrong crowd. Wendy went to live with her mother, Virginia Coffield. Crime Scene Location in Kent, Washington, United States. Back at home, Wendys parents attempted to implement punishments, but Wendy was too strong-willed, short-tempered, and impulsive for them to make a difference. Try again later. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 21 year old Carol Ann Christensen was last seen leaving Barn Door Tavern on Pacific Avenue South on May 3rd, 1983. Kimi Kai Pitsor It is doubtful that her family knew what she was doing for money. On August 15, 1982, Robert Ainsworth, 41, stepped into his rubber raft and began his descent south down the Green River toward the outer edge of Seattle's city limits. Hair styles are only a best guess. Wendy was a runaway who had a history of prostitution. Constance Naon She had to see for herself. Terri adored her baby boy but she dropped out of school and never had the chance to go back. Shirley Marie Sherrill And that was over and over again. (Photo by Kurt Smith, copyright MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107), Members of an Explorer Search & Rescue unit comb a field north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In early September, the Doe Project uploaded the DNA kit to the public genetics databases GEDMatch and later FamilyTreeDNA. TM & 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. Shed open the paper to read about the latest victim count and wonder: Who can do this and not get caught? They were human beings., That summer, Wendy Stephens disappeared for the better part of a month. Debra Lynn Bonner, 23, July 25, 1982, last seen south of Sea-Tac Airport. The police detectives at the scene quickly realized that there was a serial killer on the loose. Your email address will not be published. Her remains were found July 15, 1982. We were aware of the lifestyle Sandra lived but she was still a part of our family. Denise Darcel Bush The discovery of the body behind a meat packing plant was the first. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Wendy Lee Coffield I found on Findagrave.com. Ridgway targeted the desperate and the vulnerable, primarily sex workers or runaways, because he thought nobody would notice their absences and because he hated them, later stating in interviews that he wanted to kill as many prostitutes as possible. But he would occasionally venture away from his M.O. ). What mother had been missing them for decades? Carol Ann Christensen Shawnda Leea Summers Andrea Childers was only 19 the last time she saw her grandmother in 1983. Some time before dark, she and her husband returned to their small town in southwest Colorado, just outside Mesa Verde National Park. One week later her body . Not a whiner. She recalled sitting with a young Wendy in her high chair and teaching her to enunciate new words. According to Smith and Guillen's book, The Search for the Green River Killer, the man standing then asked Ainsworth if he found anything, to which Ainsworth replied, "Just this old singletree." Try again. Details of the Washington State County where the killer roamed unabated are revealed. Just days later, they discovered three more victims in or near the river: Cynthia Hinds, 17; Opal Mills, 16; and Marcia Chapman, 31. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Two boys riding their bicycles across a bridge spotted the tennis shoes first of fully clothed body. He claimed self-defense and was released, the charges dropped. Wendy Lee Coffield was 16 years old and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area. DNA analysis, however, didnt turn out to be the solution investigators had hoped. By August of 1982 she was living in a motel with her boyfriend and was supporting the both of them as a sex worker. Verify and try again. Her body was found in the Green River under the Peck Bridge. Murder Victim. Tracy Winston Martina T. Authorlee And what of the countless women who had just disappeared in those years, whose families would always wonder whether their daughters ended up in Mr. Ridgways truck? Following her parents divorce in 1979, Wendys behavior only got worse with her mother describing her as, wild in a lot of ways but I dont think it was a harmful kind of wild. I find that very ironic, in reference to Ridgways plea deal that would spare him from the death penalty in exchange for confessing and disclosing the locations of victims bodies. Sandra D. Major We received a letter from her in 1982 with a Seattle postmark but no return address. Tracy Winston 17 year old Marie Malvar moved out of her family home by 1983 and, working as a waitress in the restaurant her father owned, still saw her family quite often. She was walking towards the Kmart where she planned to shop for clothes. Maybe both. Kimi-Kai whose name translated to golden sea at dawn in Hawaiian was described by her mother as an adventurous girl who loved unicorns and anything purple. Terry Renee Milligan Wendy was 16 years old and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area. Gary Ridgwaypled guilty to the homicides of the 49people listed below. Family newspaper obituaries and a missing persons report from 1983 served as confirmation, and the Doe Project notified the Sheriffs Office that it had a name. One friend reported that Wendy was in Washington, but was unsure if it was Washington State or Washington, D.C. I was really afraid for her, Ms. Gaspar said, because she was so gregarious and because she had become so undependable. She also suffered bouts of epileptic seizures that were controlled with medication. Everett, Snohomish County, Washington, USA . Shortly afterwards, she was positively identified by her mother. Formerly known as Jane Doe B-16 or Bones 16, Sandra was eventually identified in 2012 after one of her cousins saw a television show about the Green River Killer and submitted DNA to the King County Sheriffs Office. Tina Marie Thompson By 1984, the number of dead or missing women reached 49, becoming the nations largest unsolved serial-murder case. All Rights Reserved, Slender Man stabbing, Waukesha, Wisconsin, Update: Police Release Dead Serial Killers Account of Murder of Samantha Koenig. You can set your cookie preferences below. Gail Matthews Women, many of them just girls, really, started disappearing in 1982. During the search, a detective made another macabre discovery. She was better educated than either of usShe had luminous eyes, a love of learning and ambitions beyond working the street for her boyfriend-pimp, says her family.. She too had been strangled to death. The victim was Wendy Lee Coffield, a 16-year-old girl from Puyallup. She was one of the brightest, happiest little kids, her father Robert Rule recalled. The extracted DNA sample went through several rounds of sequencing and bioinformatic cleanup. Soliciting sex made it possible to live a lifestyle of traveling and being able to purchase heroinWhile Dub would go to the streets looking for business, Carl would spend time lurking in the taverns in Tacoma., The couple lived out of various motels as they traveled up and down the West Coast working the circuit. But what Ms. Gaspar remembered most is the time they spent outside, some of her fondest memories with her daughter. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. My tie said that she was no longer walking on this plane., In Seattle, the investigation stalled for years. Ridgway was long suspected in the killings but not arrested until 2001. CLICK HERE FOR MORE! She was last seen on the Sea-Tac Strip on July 17th, 1982. She was so young and died before she ever really got to live, she said. He agreed to provide complete, truthful and candid information concerning the crimes that he had committed in King County and answer all questions during interviews conducted by the detectives or the prosecuting attorney. Coffield's body was badly decomposed. Within a month, five bodies of young women had been discovered in and along the Green River. Because she was reported missing on July 8th, 1982, it is likely that she had been dead for at least a week. Becky Marrero By 1983, 17 year old Sandra Gabber went from star of her high school basketball team to working in one of the most dangerous corners along the Pac HiWay. Shawnda Leea Summers She left her family home though she called her parents often to check in became pregnant and miscarried twice and was experimenting with drugs, mostly marijuana and LSD. Kelly Kay McGinnis was 18 years of age and was last seen on June 28, 1983 at South 216h Street and Pacific Highway South. Roberta Hays Marcia Faye Chapman We never thought that it would be permanent.. Officials remove the body of 16-year-old Wendy Lee Coffield from the Green River on July 15, 1982. Our outings would be in the mountains, she said. But Ms. Gaspar was hardly alone. [Part 1] The Seattle Times, August 1, 1984, p. B1; Carlton Smith, Wendy Part 3 The Seattle Times, August 3, 1984, p. B1, B2; Don Duncan, Washington: the First One Hundred Years, 1889-1989; Ian Ith, Carlton Smith, and Tomas Guillen, "Ridgway Awaits Charges; Detectives Scour Homes," The Seattle Times December 2, 2001 (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com). Police investigated and later identified this young woman as Wendy Lee Coffield. And how did they know her name? Shirley Marie Sherrill Her brother, Terry, stated She still was a human being and she still had family that cared and loved her just like all the other ones had family that cared and loved them. SEATTLE (AP) _ In the three years since 16-year-old Wendy Lee Coffield was strangled and dumped in the Green River, her killer has slain as many as 42 other young women and eluded a multimillion-dollar police dragnet. As they later learned, the invisible match was Ms. Gaspar, who had uploaded her results to GEDMatch in early 2019, on the slim chance it could lead her to Wendy. One by one, detectives began to stitch together the extent of what Mr. Ridgway had done. She had shown advanced signs of decomposition. They then drove out to his "usual spot", where they had sex in his truck. As is the case for many young women, Wendy Lee Coffield began acting out pretty much the moment she hit puberty. Her parents, Tom and Carol Estes, still live in the Auburn home where they last saw their teenage daughter. Marcia Faye Chapman She was the first victim found.. There is also very little information available on Shawnda Summers. The only one it hurt was herself.. At some unknown point she turned to sex work and, shortly before her disappearance, she became a resident of the Echo Glen Childrens Center, which helps girls involved in prostitution to break the cycle and get out of that lifestyle. He was a truck painter raised near SeaTac, and a Tyee High School graduate. Wendy Lee Coffield Cindy Ann Smith On July 15, 1982, the body of Wendy Lee Coffield was found in the Green River. Patricia Yellowrobe Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Gary Ridgway, pictured as a sophomore at Tyee High School. Evergreen Cemetery. Marcia told kids she was going to store, her mother said in the missing-person report. By 1991, the task force was reduced to one person: Detective Jensen. She was known to be a confident free spirit and was a friendly person with a certain charm that gave people the impression that she didnt take herself all that seriously. Try again later. Gary Ridgway admitted to killing of all of these women, but could not supply any significant information that would assist in the identification of these women. Within a half hour, he noticed a man with two children on bicycles. They struggled financially, often living in many low-income housing units and tents, and would pick blackberries in the fields during the summer in order to afford food. When the police recovered Coffield's remains from the water, they had no idea that this was just the beginning of a nightmare that would stretch on for more than a decade. Stigma complicated matters, according to Dr. Taylor. She was outgoing, trusting and loved to dance. Thus began one of the longest and largest serial murder investigations in United States history. Gisele A. Lovvorn Seconds later he saw another floating corpse of a half nude black woman, partially submerged in the water. Within a month, four other bodies were found on the riverbank: Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Cynthia Jean Hinds. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Toys, Gifts, Collectibles, Board Games & Horror Lifestyle Items. We Want To Finance Your Film. Linda Rule known to her family as Janie had a background all too familiar among Green River victims. 3 Unidentified victims. Thats beyond the realm of possibility, she said. Maureen Sue Feeney Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. You can change your choice at any time by using the Privacy Center link in our footer. But after nearly 40 years of worrying and wondering, Ms. Gaspar now knows what happened to her daughter. She loved writing. Becky Marrero Way too much true crime. Make sure that the file is a photo. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. There were women whose bodies were found but not identified. For more details, please read our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Wendy had run away from home 36 years prior, and Ms. Gaspar had long since stopped waiting for a call. They took a report, filed it. Debra Lorraine Estes They remain missing today, and their cases remain uncharged. And who are these women? Soon after reinforcement arrived at the scene, detectives sealed off the area and began a search for evidence. The two stayed in a small apartment in Washington State. Their kids were still in the process of running, and I was everybodys horror story. As the the landslide of human loss steadily accelerated, police even those who normally hesitated to cooperate with neighboring jurisdictions quickly noticed a horrific pattern appearing in instances that were previously considered simply isolated tragedies. She was also incredibly stubborn. Wendy strayed a bit, as some teenagers do, she said. The Shadow Girls begins with the GRK's very first found victim, Wendy Lee Coffield in July of 1982. Victims Spotlight: Remembering the Victims of the Green River Killer, She was described as cheerful, outgoing and someone who could take care of herself. I was always afraid for her because she was that way.. When she was sexually assaulted by a man in September, 1982. She was good-hearted and all that. Carrie Ann Rois Love Real Life Ghost Hunting Shows? This link united both sides of Wendys family, cementing her parentage. When she returned, she acted like nothing was wrong, nothing had taken place, she hadnt been absent, Ms. Gaspar said. After loosing her job at the at the Dairy Queen in South Tacoma and failing a test to join the Navy, Dub decided to work on getting her GED. Then on July 15, 1982, two boys discovered in the Green River the body of a 16-year-old, Wendy Lee Coffield, whod gone missing a week earlier. We're looking for the current whereabouts of these women, or their true names, or names of associates and relatives and when these women were seen last. After dropping out of Junior High she enrolled in Kent Continuation School to catch up. July 15, 1982: Children found Wendy Coffield (16 years old), strangled in the Green River Aug. 16: After the bodies of four more young women are found in or near the Green River, King County police set up the biggest police task force since the Ted Bundy murders of the 1970s. From the time Debra Estes was a small child she was considered a headstrong, wild girl who was almost impossible to rein in. She gave lessons and she was very good, and she taught dance exercise.. Believing it might be a mannequin, Ainsworth attempted to snag the figure with a pole. Within a month, fourother bodies were found on the riverbank:Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Cynthia Jean Hinds. Along with the circumstances of Wendy's young life, when the 15-year-old girl, desperate for love and safety, tragically encountered a remorseless serial . We're looking for the current whereabouts of these women, or their true names, or names of associates and relatives and when these women were seen last. One of the detectives, Sgt. Cynthia, who often went by Cookie, got a job through a private contractor to paint apartments, and worked with a friend, Opal Mills, another of Ridgways victims. There is little information available on 20 year old Sandra Major. The next day, Ms. Gaspars parents and sister came to visit from Phoenix. Rivers In Time ProjectKing CountySeattle Public UtilitiesSeattle City Light, Wendy Coffield's body being pulled out of the Green River, 1982, Green River, Meeker Street Bridge, Kent, April 15, 2009, Green River Murder Victim Identified;P Probe Inches Along The Seattle Times, August 18, 1982, p. A13; Carlton Smith, Wendy Juvenile in Jeopardy. Gail Matthews Despite the fights Dub was always welcome in their home and she made a point to call and check in a few times a week, always ending the calls with I love you and Tell Dad I love him. They were both held down by rocks in the water. . Hair styles are only a best guess. Mary Exzetta West It is impossible to put into words how much her murder has devastated and destroyed my family.
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