Ted Bundy has been stirring up discussion these last few weeks. The release of "The Ted Bundy Tapes" documentary on Netflix followed the new movie trailer about his life, only highlighted his crimes.
Bundy is known for committing his brutal murders in Utah, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, and Washington. His trail of crimes beginning in the Evergreen State. Bundy was targeting university students, more specifically those who attended the University of Washington. Bundy's crimes left the state of Washington in pure shock. Unfortunately, his crimes are not the only ones to leave Washington residents trembling. There have been many other serial killers to lurk the state whose stories are just as intriguing.
Kenneth A. Bianchi.
Kenneth Bianchi, also known as the Hillside Strangler, made a terrifying impact in Washington State. Between October 1977 and February of 1978, Bianchi and his cousin, Angelo Buono, raped and murdered at least ten women in the Los Angeles, California area. They committed these murders by posing as policemen and preying on prostitutes in the area. Soon after, the duo started targeting middle-class women and young girls. The bodies of the victims were typically left on hillsides of the Glendale Highland Park. This is how his nickname was coined.
In October 1979, Bianchi moved to Bellingham, Washington to be with his then-girlfriend, Kelli Boyd. Bianchi got a job as a security guard at a local Fred Meyer where he met his coworker, Karen Mandic. Bianchi had murdered both his coworker and her roommate, Diane Wilder, both who were Western Washington University students. on January 12, 1979, their bodies were found in the backseat of a green Mercury Bobcat.
On Friday, January 26, 1979, Bianchi was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Bianchi received six life sentences and life without parole. Kenneth Bianchi is currently incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington.
Gary L. Ridgway.
Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, tormented the state of Washington for nearly 20 years. His murders began in 1982 when numerous prostitutes and young runaways started vanishing from South King County along state Route 99. Ridgway was known to bring his victims home, where he strangled them. The bodies were typically found in woodsy areas and remote locations. His first few victims were discovered along the Green River.
Ridgway's crimes went unpunished until 2001. With advanced DNA technology, evidence found at the crime scenes were re-examined. Ridgway was a match. In December 2001 he was charged with four counts of aggravated murder. Ridgway eventually pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder. In 2003, Ridgway was sentenced to life in prison. Gary Ridgway is known to have committed more murders than any other serial killer in history.
Robert Yates Jr.
Robert Yates Jr. has murdered numerous women all over the state of Washington. Between 1996 and 1998, Yates is said to have murdered at least thirteen prostitutes. All of which were women working on Spokane's "Skid Row" on East Sprague Avenue. Yates was known to have solicited sex from these workers, do drugs with them, and then killed them. Their bodies were found in rural locations. All of his victims were killed by a gunshot wound to the head. One of his victims, Melody Murfin, was buried outside of his bedroom window.
On April 18, 1999, Yates was arrested for the murder of Jennifer Joseph. In 2000, he was convicted of 13 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. Yates was sentenced to 408 years in prison. In 2008, Yates was sentenced to death. He currently is sitting on death row at Washington State Penitentiary.
Harvey Carignan.
Harvey Carignan, "Harvey the Hammer," murdered his victims with the use of a hammer. These crimes happened in the state of Washington and Minnesota. Carignan's murders began in 1949 when he raped and killed a 57-year-old woman while he was stationed in the military. Due to a law enforcement error, Carignan's sentence was reversed. He served nine years for rape charges and was then released on parole. Once released, Carignan continued his crimes. Leslie Laura Brock, a Bellingham woman, was last seen getting into Carignan's vehicle. She was later found dead from several blows to the head. Another nickname Carignan received was the "The Want-Ad Killer." In 1973, 15-year-old Kathy Sue Miller responded to Carignan's help wanted ad for a service station he was leasing. Carignan sexually assaulted and killed Miller. Her body was later found in Everett, Washington by two boys. Carignan's murder spree continued until 1974, where he was arrested in Minnesota. Carignan is currently serving a 40-year sentence and was supposed to be released in 2017. He still is serving his time.
