(The Center Square) – Infamous serial killer Gary Ridgway has been transferred from the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla to the King County jail in Seattle with no explanation from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Ridgway, often referred to as the “Green River Killer,” murdered 48 women in King County between 1982 and 1998. He pled guilty to the charges in 2003 after being arrested in 2001.
He is serving 49 life sentences after pleading guilty to a 49th charge in 2011.
On Monday morning, Ridgway was transferred from the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla to the King County jail in Seattle. He was booked on institutional hold, according to the King County Adult and Juvenile Detention website.
The Center Square reached out to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to inquire on who made this decision and why, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
The King County Sheriff’s Office did provide comment, but did not provide information related to Ridgway’s hold at the King County jail.
“Since Gary Ridgway’s arrest in 2001 pertaining to the Green River murder investigation, the King County Sheriff’s Office continues to actively investigate potentially related cases,” the office told The Center Square in an email.
Despite being charged in 2003, law enforcement continued to work to identify victims of Ridgway all the way into the current year. In January, the King County Sheriff’s Office identified the last set of remains from the Green River Killer case.
