“Lori Anne Razpotnik Identified as Victim of Green River Killer: DNA Testing Helps Solve Decades-Old Mystery”

Authorities have finally identified another victim of the notorious Green River Killer, more than four decades after she vanished.

The remains of Lori Anne Razpotnik, known as “Bones 17,” were discovered on December 30, 1985, during an investigation into a car that had gone over an embankment. At that time, the remains could not be identified and were named Bones 16 and Bones 17.

In 2002, Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, led investigators to the location where he had placed his victims, including Bones 17, according to a press release. Ridgway was subsequently convicted of 48 counts of murder the following year, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history, as reported by CBS News.

Now 74 years old, Ridgway’s murderous spree spanned Washington State and California in the 1980s and 1990s. He earned the moniker “Green River Killer” due to the discovery of five of his victims in the Green River, and most of his victims were strangled.

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DNA Testing Reveals the Identities of Green River Killer Victims

Thanks to advancements in DNA testing, Sandra Majors was identified as Bones 16 in 2012. However, it took another 11 years before the DNA testing of Bones 17 led to the identification of Lori Anne Razpotnik.

Forensic genetic genealogy testing on Bones 17 was conducted by Parabon Nanolabs, which successfully developed a new DNA profile. Researchers at The University of North Texas then compared this profile with a DNA sample provided by Razpotnik’s mother, Donna Hurley, as stated by the sheriff’s department.

Donna Hurley, speaking to The New York Times, described the overwhelming yet peaceful feeling of finally learning about her daughter’s fate. She had long suspected that her daughter could have been one of Ridgway’s victims, but she was never given any information.

Hurley shared, “It was easier to go on with life thinking that she was alive and well and raising a family and, you know, just being herself.”

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The Crimes of the Green River Killer

death of Rebecca "Becky" Marrero, Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, at the King County Regional Justice Center in Kent., Wash. Ridgway already confessed to killing Marrero as part of a 2003 plea deal that spared him the death penalty.”/>

Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, confessed to the murders of 49 women and girls, according to information provided by the King County Sheriff’s website.

Ridgway’s reign of terror included a series of murders committed in Washington State and California during the 1980s and 1990s. The name “Green River Killer” originated from the discovery of five victims in the Green River, with most of them being strangled.

In 2001, Ridgway was apprehended in King County, Washington. In 2003, he struck a plea deal with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty to all the murders in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. As part of this agreement, he provided crucial information about his crimes and victims.

Currently, Ridgway is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

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Unidentified Victims and Ongoing Investigations

Despite the progress made in identifying victims of the Green River Killer, two remains still remain unidentified and linked to Ridgway, according to the Sheriff’s department.

Furthermore, three women who went missing in the 1980s from the Seattle area, namely Kassee Ann Lee, Kelly Kay McGinnis, and Patricia Ann Osborn, are believed to be potential victims of Ridgway. However, he was never charged in connection with their disappearances.

Authorities are also seeking information about three other women who vanished in the early 1980s, one of whom had ties to one of Ridgway’s known victims.