Green River Killer | Religious Cults Info ~ Resources, Answers and Hope

Sunday night, I finished reading the book, “Chasing the Devil” by Sheriff David Reichert, subtitled- “My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer”, (Copyright©2004 by David Reichert, Little, Brown and Company, ISBN 0-316-15632-9 ). In a previous post, I have made comparisons between the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgeway, and Jane Whaley. The post is titled – Does the Green River Run Through Spindale? Click here to read – https://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=5227 . The main comparison in that post was not that Jane Whaley of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) had physically killed people as Ridgeway confessed to doing. My comparison referenced Jane as a “serial relationship killer” and included these questions:

So, does the Green River run through Spindale? Where then does Jane dump her memories of those who did not “walk in God’s ways”, follow her dictates and believe her calling was true? Does she cast those people aside as Ridgeway cast his victims considering them worthless trash? Are the banks of this river littered with the lost years, lost family relationships, hurts, emotions and the anguish of those who have passed through WOFF’s doors? Can she even remember all those who have been vexed by her “religion?” Does she even care that so many have been traumatized by her demands for allegiance resulting in damage to their souls?

That is where I planned to leave the comparison– until I read this book. As I neared the end of the narrative, Sheriff Reichert began to share his thoughts and insight on how a person could become the “machine” that Ridgeway had become — a killing machine, as it were. I will quote the passages which include these insights and then share my thoughts on how they apply to Jane Whaley.

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Yesterday, I was attempting to work from home and was very distracted. On a lark, I had turned on the television and stumbled upon a movie about the Green River Killer. My knowledge of this case had been very limited as I had only heard of it in passing as a reference on Criminal Minds®. So, I ventured a few minutes and became captivated at the struggles of the detectives to catch the individual who would later confess to murdering 71 women. The majority murders were between 1982 and 1984 and took place in the Seattle and Tacoma area. The murderer was given the title of “Green River Killer” because many of the bodies were dumped in the wooded areas along the Green River. The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgeway, was eventually apprehended on November 30, 2001 after a nineteen year search. (see this link for an overview- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Ridgway#Murders )

To consider the magnitude of the grief and loss for the victims, their family and friends was daunting. The community was gripped with fear for many years. I felt certain no movie could fully capture the horror and intensity of the citizens living the area during those years. After the capture of Gary Ridgeway, the authorities struck a deal to not seek the death penalty and allow him to disclose additional dump sites. The purpose was to give the families of victims’ closure from the horror of not knowing the fate of their daughters. Ridgeway was able to lead authorities to additional bodies but, admitted there were so many he had lost count.

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