This charming Northwest state isn’t exactly a dangerous place to live, but these 7 monsters from this area have undeniably left a dark stain on our history:
1. Ted Bundy
One of the most famous serial killers of all time, Ted Bundy, was a former University of Washington student and Tacoma man who confessed to murdering at least 30 young women in Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Colorado, and Florida, although the definite overall count is unknown. He was executed via the electric chair in 1989.
2. James (or Jim) Ruzicka
This madman was in and out of juvenile & prison facilities from only 9-years-old. After attacking two Seattle women in 1973, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, or to join a sex offender rehab program at Western State Hospital near Tacoma, which he soon escaped from, and killed two more women. Once they were able to trace the evidence, he had already been arrested in Oregon for raping a 13-year-old girl, to which he explained to the police, "I asked her if she wanted to ball, and she didn't say 'no,' so I figured she wouldn't mind."
3. Gary Ridgway
Dubbed "The Green River Killer" because his first five victims were found by the Green River, the Seattle-area truck painter was initially convicted of 48 murders, although he later confessed it was almost twice that number. He mainly targeted women in his 20-year killing spree and is serving life in prison at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
4. Robert Lee Yates
Yates claimed the lives of over 13 women in Spokane, in addition to others in the Pierce County area in the late 1990s. He is currently sitting on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary.
5. Warren Leslie Forrest
This Clark County Parks employee was convicted of raping and strangling a 19-year-old girl, then burying her on park property. He's also highly suspected in six other similar crimes near Vancouver, WA in the '70s. He was sentenced to life in prison and was sent to the Washington State Penitentiary, though he was eligible for parole in 2014.
6. Kyle Huff
The tragic 2006 Capitol Hill massacre was committed by Huff, a 28-year-old in Seattle who was invited to a post-rave party, left quietly, then returned with a 12-gauge shotgun and a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, killing six people and wounding two. A patrol officer nearby heard the shots and headed straight to the scene, but before the officer was able to tell him to drop his weapon, Huff placed the gun in his mouth and shot himself in the head.
7. Westley Allan Dodd
Known as one of the "most evil killers in history", Dodd's execution in January 1993 was the first legal hanging in the U.S. since 1965. Over a period of 15 years, he sexually abused as many as 175 children of both sexes. He was charged and executed for murdering a 10 & 11-year-old in Vancouver and a 4-year-old from Portland. His last statement in 1993 was, "I was once asked by somebody, I don't remember who, if there was any way sex offenders could be stopped. I said no... I was wrong."
The barbaric actions by these villains will never be forgotten. What other criminals from Washington do you know of?
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