Positive Identification Made: Lori Anne Razpotnik Finally Identified as Green River Killer Victim Bones 17

After nearly forty years, human remains discovered near Seattle in 1985 have been officially identified as those belonging to Lori Anne Razpotnik, a victim of the infamous “Green River Killer”. Previously known only as Bones 17, it took authorities seventeen years to link the remains to a specific victim. However, the victim’s identity remained a mystery until this recent breakthrough.

The King County authorities in Washington State announced on Tuesday that they have positively identified the remains as those of Lori Anne Razpotnik. In 1982, Razpotnik ran away from her family’s home in Lewis County, located south of Seattle. She was last seen alive by her family before disappearing. Her remains were subsequently discovered in December 1985 near another set of remains known as Bones 16, in the city of Auburn. The discovery was made after police were called to investigate a car over an embankment, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation was assigned to the Green River Task Force, but at the time, the remains could not be identified, as stated in the release.

Detectives from the Kentucky State Police (KSP) have recently confirmed the identity of human remains found nearly twenty-five years ago in a lake. The remains, which were wrapped in heavy tire chains, have been identified as belonging to Roger Dale Parham, according to a press release.

A man accused of rape disappeared, leading to a disturbing discovery at a lake. Now, twenty-five years later, a new mystery surrounding the remains has emerged. It wasn’t until November 2001 that a breakthrough occurred in the case, with the arrest of Gary Ridgway after DNA evidence connected him to some of the initial victims in a series of unsolved murders in the Seattle area.

In 2002, Ridgway led investigators to the location where Bones 16 and Bones 17 were found, and he admitted to placing the victims there, as stated by the sheriff’s office. However, the remains of both victims remained unidentified and were included in the 48 counts of aggravated murder to which Ridgway pleaded guilty in 2003, solidifying his position as one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. He later pleaded guilty to a 49th murder charge in 2011.

Bones 16 was positively identified as the remains of Sandra Majors in 2012 through DNA testing. Recently, authorities confirmed the positive identification of Razpotnik with the help of advanced DNA testing conducted by Virginia-based Parabon Nanolabs. This new DNA profile was used to initiate the forensic genetic genealogy process, which involves combining DNA data with traditional genealogy techniques.

The sheriff’s office announced that after thorough research, they determined that the victim was Lori Anne Razpotnik. The University of North Texas lab then conducted DNA comparison testing using a saliva sample provided by Razpotnik’s mother, which ultimately confirmed the match, according to the sheriff’s office.

The King County Sheriff’s Office expressed deep gratitude for the collaborative efforts of Parabon Nanolabs, the University of North Texas, numerous members of the King County Sheriff’s Office, the King County Prosecutor’s Office, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, and others who contributed to the identification of Lori Anne Razpotnik, previously known as Bones 17, according to a statement provided to CNN.

Eric White, spokesperson for the King County Sheriffs Office, confirmed that Ridgway is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary in Washington. Ridgway earned the moniker “Green River Killer” from the river south of Seattle where he began dumping his victims’ bodies in 1982.

All but two of his victims’ bodies were found in the vicinity of Seattle, while the others were discovered in Oregon.