Gary Ridgeway

[Dagenais]

You probably know about this guy. Gary Ridgeway (http://www.talonmarks.com/news/2003/11/19/Opinion/The-Life.Of.Garyridgeway-560355.shtml) confessed to killing 48 women, which is a record for serial killings. The legendary Green River Killer.

48 innocent women (most were whores though).

And he escaped death by not getting the death penalty.

People can kill 1 or 2 people and get sentenced to death. Ridgeway killed 48.

As a resident of Canada I'm glad we don't have a death penalty, but this guy easily deserves it.

So tell me, why didn't he get it?

[phatmonky]

He didn't get it in exchange for telling where the other bodies were. He traded closure for the families for his life.

[Dagenais]

?

He killed 48 people.

[Jake]

I wonder why the courts can even use that as a valid reason to escape the death penalty. Shouldnt the punishment of the case be unnefected by deal making after the crime?

[Shahil]

Did he confess or was it proven?

Also, what about the insanity thing? You can't kill 48 people and not be insane??

[ballroomchic]

Our legal system is kind of messed up. If someone enters the court room with a plea of 'not guilty' when they are, they can have the maximum punishment; in Ridgeway's case, death. However when his lawyer and the D.A. representing the people of Washington State get together and make a plea agreement it's under many circumstances. In this case, because the police wanted to know soo desprataely he made the agreement to tell about not just the murders he committed, but aslo the full compleatly candided truth about all the crimes he has committed, that way he would not have to face the death penalty. It's really bazirre, but that's the way it works.:eek: