Marie was last seen on S216th and Pacific Highway South where her boyfriend/pimp witnessed Marie getting into a truck with a primer spot up by the tailgate. 9 May 1967 - 11 Mar 1988. She was outgoing, trusting and loved to dance. But Ms. Gaspar was hardly alone. "I'm saying, stop moving and I'll let you go. They came by again while she was out. One by one, detectives began to stitch together the extent of what Mr. Ridgway had done. In 2003 the case was finally solved with the arrest of Gary Ridgway. They sat in the living room, masked and at a distance, as the outline of Mesa Verdes distinctive peaks darkened through the window. Top $76,000-a-year New Jersey boarding school admits 'more should have been done' to stop bullying of boy, 17, who took his own life after being falsely accused of rape by cruel peers Marta Reeves Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? to target victims of opportunity (women walking home, hitchhiking, etc.). and bring you home again. According to this newspaper article in the Tacoma News Tribune, Coffield was partially clothed. It lies 260 yards east of Kent Des Moines Road. Shortly afterwards, she was positively identified by her mother. She was walking towards the Kmart where she planned to shop for clothes. They were somebodys daughter, said Detective Fae Brooks, who worked with Mr. Reichert on the Green River Task Force, formed to investigate the murders, and is herself a survivor of childhood sexual assault. (He believes that he took at least three victims before Coffield, going back as early as the 1970s.) It was not believed that the Green River Killer murdered Wilcox, but the opinion of the investigators has been recently challenged. Some time before dark, she and her husband returned to their small town in southwest Colorado, just outside Mesa Verde National Park. Linda Rule Aug. 12, 1982 - Body of Debra Bonner, 23, found in Green River. Because the first victims were in or near the Green River, the killer became known as the Green River Killer. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Wendy Coffield (6887254)? It was suspected that they were all murdered by the same person and dumped from the same location near the 25000 block of Frager Road. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Quickly, Ainsworth swam toward the riverbank where the truck stood earlier. She worried that her daughter, only 14 years old, had been kidnapped, or worse. The next day, Ms. Gaspars parents and sister came to visit from Phoenix. In July 1982, the first body had been found floating in the Green River in King County, Washington. Denise Darcel Bush According to the police, she had a history of prostitution. (Seattle: The Seattle Times, 1989), 128. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? After loosing her job at the at the Dairy Queen in South Tacoma and failing a test to join the Navy, Dub decided to work on getting her GED. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Lisa L. Yates Coffield is believed to be the first victim of serial killer Gary Ridgway, who claimed the lives of at least 49 women between 1982 and 1998. In King County, Wash., among the verdant evergreen forests outside of Seattle, Gary Ridgway, 33, was starting to enact violent fantasies toward women. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. The wondering became an obsession. During Gary Ridgways sentencing hearing Shawndas sister, Sharse Woods-Summers, made a victim impact statement. He has been a suspect for a long time, but before now, detectives had not found adequate evidence to build a case against him. I remember telling her, Be a little girl for a while. Shed drive around looking for Wendy, once even tracking her footsteps through the snow. Patricia Yellowrobe And, unbeknownst to her family, Marie was also a sex worker. Roberta Hays 4. Photos taken over the past three decades tell part of the story of serial killer Gary Ridgway's crimes against Norhtwest women and girls. She was planning to do a painting job with her friendCynthia Hinds. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Ridgway targeted the desperate and the vulnerable, primarily sex workers or runaways, because he thought nobody would notice their absences and because he hated them, later stating in interviews that he wanted to kill as many prostitutes as possible. But he would occasionally venture away from his M.O. I baked her a chocolate cake. Ridgway was also expected to "provide complete, truthful and candid information concerning the crimes he had committed in King County." Ridgway was eventually captured and convicted of his 49 confirmed victims, but he would later go on to confess to upwards of 80 murders. Within a month, four other bodies were found on the riverbank: Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Cynthia Jean Hinds. But those communities have long since dissolved. She had shown advanced signs of decomposition. Ms. Gaspar described Wendys deep-set blue eyes and the first glimpses of a girl growing into a magnetic young woman. Thats when we knew that we had a serial killer, Mr. Reichert said. At some point Gail began working as a sex worker. According to Smith and Guillen's book, The Search for the Green River Killer, the man standing then asked Ainsworth if he found anything, to which Ainsworth replied, "Just this old singletree." Within a month, four other bodies were found on the riverbank: Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Cynthia Jean Hinds. The body of Wendy Lee Coffield, 16, of Puyallup, was found floating in the Green River on July 15, 1982. She remembered the presiding fear. A number of sources refer to the bridge as "Peck Bridge". I didnt know what to make of any of it.. She was going through those rebellious ages, said Ms. Gaspar, who was at a loss for what had caused the sudden change, aside from a new, more freewheeling set of friends. Its something that only you can experience within yourself., In early 2021, Ms. Gaspar received Wendys ashes, which she scattered near her home in Colorado. Body found in Green River July 15, 1982, near Kent. On November 30, 2001, a suspect, Gary Leon Ridgway, 52, a longtime resident of the area, will be arrested. When the police recovered Coffield's remains from the water, they had no idea that this was just the beginning of a nightmare that would stretch on for more than a decade. Kimi Kai Pitsor Roberta Hays A young black woman's face was floating just beneath the surface of the water, her body swaying beneath her with the current. No farewell words were spoken
Try again later. They were young, mostly teenagers or in their early 20s. and only God knows why. After giving birth to a healthy baby boy, she put him up for adoption and married a man named Kenneth Mathews, 24, in 1977. Wendy Lee Coffield was 16 years old and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area. She had run away a few times before when she was living with her father and brother near the Lake Washington Ship Canal in north Seattle. We use cookies to deliver personalized advertisements, improve your online experience, and to analyze our site's performance. The victim was Wendy Lee Coffield, a 16-year-old girl from Puyallup. Learn more about managing a memorial . Failed to delete flower. Two boys riding their bicycles across a bridge spotted the tennis shoes first of fully clothed body. A mother lost her daughter 40 years ago. Evergreen Cemetery. There is little information readily available on 17 year old Delores Williams. While they were cycling home, they noticed that an object was stuck against an old post in the river. It was a huge dark cloud over this community, he said. Police investigated and later identified this young woman as Wendy Lee Coffield. you were gone before I knew it,
She wanted to be a dancer. Within a half hour, he noticed a man with two children on bicycles. They were both held down by rocks in the water. Enjoy yourself. She began to feel isolated and started running away from home when she was 14. She had been killed by ligature strangulation. As is the case for many young women, Wendy Lee Coffield began acting out pretty much the moment she hit puberty. Deborah Bonner, victim of the Green River Killer. Moreover, six months prior to Coffield's discovery, the body of her friend Leanne Wilcox was found several miles from the river in an empty lot. The teenage girl was a runaway who had recently escaped from a juvenile detention center in Pierce County. However, after wading out to take a closer look, they saw human hair and a jacket. W ENDY Lee Coffield a 16-year old runaway from Pierce County Wash. disppeared on July 8 1982. Wrecking crew finds body of Patricia Ann Yellow Robe, 38, Seattle. She sometimes said that it would be better for the baby if her mother adopted Shaunt. Kent is a small city that is situated to the south of SeaTac. It was believed that she had been murdered within 24 hours of her discovery. A vegan activist tried to ruin a chef's pub by posting fake one-star reviews on Tripadvisor despite having never visited the restaurant.. Joss Beechim-Horton runs the Manor House Inn in Callington . Coffield was strangled to death with her own pants and dumped in the water. Murder Victim. Please take a look at the photographs below. The medical examiner's office determined that the young girl had been strangled to death and then thrown into the Green River, where she remained in the water for several days. She was remembered by friends as an extremely generous girl who didnt have a malicious bone in her body. She was last seen on March 3rd, 1983, on Pacific Highway South. From there, the genealogists quickly pieced together the family tree, filling in distant cousins and eventually drawing a line connecting the mother and father, or the smoking gun couple, as Ms. Binder calls them. JOSHUA GUNTHER COMPTON and MASON WALKER JONES, JUANITA DENEA NICOLE RENEE CASTLEBERRY-BESS, LILIANA CASAS-RIOS, KATHRINNE RIOS, and THANNYA RIOS, JESSICA NICOLE and MACKENZIE DAWN SULLIVAN BUTTS, CHRISTOPHER & KYLEIGH HAMM & AUSTIN BROWN, RYAN PATRICK BELLAR and ZACK JAMES BELLAR, BRYAN, DANIEL, DIANE BARNETT and JAVON NELSON. Everett, Snohomish County, Washington, USA . Linda Rule known to her family as Janie had a background all too familiar among Green River victims. He was hazy on the details, but said he thought he had picked Wendy up near a K.F.C. April 2003: Ridgway was charged with three additional murders (Wendy Lee Coffield, Debra Lynn Bonner and Debra Estes). Things were finally looking up. Just a month earlier, another young girl, identified as Wendy Lee Coffield, was found strangled and floating in the Green River. She loved the band so much that she followed their concerts all over the country. Shirley Marie Sherrill While she was walking in an area where the Green River Killer was known to operate, Carol Ann was not a sex worker; shed just finished having lunch at the Tavern and was planning to return there later that night for her shift as a waitress. Gail Matthews Toys, Gifts, Collectibles, Board Games & Horror Lifestyle Items. Tina Marie Thompson For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Investigators believe she was killed not long after her arrival in Washington. For more details, please read our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Interestingly, when the murders first started, some police officers theorized that they might be related to a "pimp war" or "drug involvement.". By 1982 Debbie decided to leave her family home, stole $250 from her mothers purse and began living in various motels with an older boyfriend/pimp; whether or not he knew she was underage isnt known. AP Gary Leon Ridgway is seen in this 1982 King County Sheriff's booking mugshot, left, and an undated King County Sheriff's booking mugshot. Gary Ridgway admitted to killing of all of these women, but could not supply any significant information that would assist in the identification of these women. 3. She loved writing. Sandra K.Gabbert Drag images here or select from your computer for Wendy Lee Coffield memorial. Her parents, Tom and Carol Estes, still live in the Auburn home where they last saw their teenage daughter. Anthony McNabb, got right to the point: Theyd come with news about Ms. Gaspars daughter, Wendy. I was able to hold it together until toward the end, where my defenses finally started falling apart, she said in an interview, her voice still tinged with disbelief. She too had been strangled to death. During his confession, Ridgway stated that he picked the young girl up on a highway. 17 year old Marie Malvar moved out of her family home by 1983 and, working as a waitress in the restaurant her father owned, still saw her family quite often. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. (Copyright MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107). Around the country, Mr. Ridgways sentencing brought renewed attention to the investigation. Terri was 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. A a registered member of the Blackfeet Tribe of Browning, Montana, Carol moved to Grays Harbor, Washington, in 1969. It was one of those conversations of, Yeah, Mom, I dont know why I do the things I do.. Moments later he found himself surrounded by death. She reportedly dropped out of school because she was bored and was living with her boyfriend out of various motels. Shawnda Leea Summers She was last seen on the Sea-Tac Strip on July 17th, 1982. Wendy Lee Coffield was 16 years of age and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. A support group for parents of runaways only intensified her feeling of alienation. The murderer dubbed the Green River Killer was eventually identified as Gary Leon Ridgway, a boring little man of meager intelligence, whose presence was so painfully average and unremarkable he was able to lure, torture, and kill dozens of young women without anyone noticing or even suspecting him. Formerly known as Jane Doe B-16 or Bones 16, Sandra was eventually identified in 2012 after one of her cousins saw a television show about the Green River Killer and submitted DNA to the King County Sheriffs Office. There was an error deleting this problem. He was older and was all too eager to lean on young Gisele for financial support; resulting her to turn to prostitution. Following her parents divorce in 1979, Wendys behavior only got worse with her mother describing her as, wild in a lot of ways but I dont think it was a harmful kind of wild. and memories a lane,
Mary Bridgett Meehan Colleen Renee Brockman On July 15, 1982, the body of Wendy Lee Coffield was found in the Green River. She was a murder victim of Gary Leon Ridgway, known as "The Green River Killer" who was responsible for the murders of 49 women in Seattle, Washington, between 1982 and 1984. At some point Curt decided to take the short walk to the Midway Tavern in hopes of getting lucky at a poker game. The Search for the Green River Killer by Smith and Guillen. Green River Killer Gary Ridgway: Photos from the archives. And then all of a sudden youve got two.. Wendy Lee Coffield, 16, July 8, 1982, at state receiving home, Tacoma. As is the case for many young women, Wendy Lee Coffield began acting out pretty much the moment she hit puberty. The persistent sneezing was usually her undoing. On the night of April 10th, 1983, Gail and Curt spent most of their evening at the VIP Tavern, located a few blocks away from their motel. Unlike the other two girls, this one was found in a grassy area less than 30 feet from where the other victims lay in the water. Moreover, six months prior to Coffield's discovery, the body of her friend Leanne Wilcox was found several miles from the river in an empty lot. According to Gallan, the body was on the southern side of the bridge. Your email address will not be published. On July 15, 1982, two teenage boys, who live in nearby Kent, Washington, spot a body in the Green River floating against the Meeker Street Bridge. It was obvious that she had died from asphyxiation. Aug . Photos of the bridge and other related images. Search above to list available cemeteries. It was a trip he had made on many occasions, yet this time it would be different. Before her disappearance, Wendy was, in her mothers words, a magical kid. Born on Oct. 10, 1968, she was the only daughter of Ms. Gaspar and her then-husband, Charles Stephens (who died in 2014). He was a truck painter raised near SeaTac, and a Tyee High School graduate. If you call after hours, please leave voice mail so we can get back in touch with you. Opal Charmaine Mills Anyone can read what you share. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. She loved everybody. Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to Alexandra M. Gonzlez Villanueva, . Please enter your username or email address. And how did they know her name? Debra Lynn Bonner, 23, July 25, 1982, last seen south of Sea-Tac Airport. All kinds of things go through your head, she said. You can set your cookie preferences below. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Immediately they noticed the presence of an unknown but closely related family member. Gary Ridgway, pictured as a sophomore at Tyee High School. Sorry! Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Family newspaper obituaries and a missing persons report from 1983 served as confirmation, and the Doe Project notified the Sheriffs Office that it had a name. Wendy was 16 years old and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area. Take a second to support Fallon Gannon on Patreon! She dropped out of middle school, left her family home by 14 and was an occasional drug user (marijuana and Ritalin) who turned to sex work to financially support herself. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. TM & 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. At the time of her death, the 16-year-old was reportedly living in a foster home. In the fall of 2019, the King County Sheriffs Office contacted Colleen Fitzpatrick, a co-founder, along with Margaret Press, of the DNA Doe Project. Kasee Ann Woods Lee Flowers have been left. Wendy was 16 years old and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area. The medical examiner's office determined that the young girl had been strangled to death and then thrown into the Green River, where she remained in the water for several days. There is little information available on 20 year old Sandra Major. I miss her everyday and it will never stop, Deborah Lynn Bonner was 23 years old when she was last seen on July 25th, 1982. April 2003: Ridgway was charged with three additional murders (Wendy Lee Coffield, Debra Lynn Bonner and Debra Estes). By 1991, the task force was reduced to one person: Detective Jensen. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. April Buttram Horror Writers Wanted! Wendy strayed a bit, as some teenagers do, she said. Call (collect if necessary): 206-263-2130, Call between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. to arrange to speak with a detective. She gave lessons and she was very good, and she taught dance exercise.. Though detectives didnt know it at the time, Ms. Coffields murder was the beginning of a long, nightmarish chapter for King County with Mr. Ridgway, then a nameless specter, at the center. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Colleen Brockman was only 15 years old when she disappeared. And that was over and over again. Resend Activation Email. Now, the detectives said they finally had answers: Wendy Stephens, 14, had been identified as the youngest victim of the serial murderer Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer. Officials remove the body of 16-year-old Wendy Lee Coffield from the Green River on July 15, 1982. 2. . Way too much coffee. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Her body was found in the Green River under the Peck Bridge. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Coffield's body was found in the Green River in 1982 a week after she went missing. Alma Smith was only 18 years old when she disappeared. The second body was identified as Cheryl Wims, 18, while the first remained a mystery Jane Doe B-10, or Bones 10. In a statement made by Sandras family they said We are grateful to finally know what happened to Sandra after all these years. Green River taskforce photos from Seattle P-I archives Wendy Lee Coffield, 16, disappeared July 8, 1982. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6887254/wendy-lee-coffield. People werent strangers to her. One friend reported that Wendy was in Washington, but was unsure if it was Washington State or Washington, D.C. I was really afraid for her, Ms. Gaspar said, because she was so gregarious and because she had become so undependable. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. July 15, 1982: Children found Wendy Coffield (16 years old), strangled in the Green River Aug. 16: After the bodies of four more young women are found in or near the Green River, King County police set up the biggest police task force since the Ted Bundy murders of the 1970s. Wendy, 16, was a victim of The Green River Killer. She was better educated than either of usShe had luminous eyes, a love of learning and ambitions beyond working the street for her boyfriend-pimp, says her family.. At some point during her young life Denise had a medical procedure involving her brain and her skull had a small hole in the bony process there. Year should not be greater than current year. There was a problem getting your location. She was wearing a beautiful dress and a long gray coat. She was just another kid that ran away that they didnt care about, she said. She was described as cheerful, outgoing and someone who could take care of herself. Theclay reconstructions were done by National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to assist us in identifying the women. But I wasn't going to let her go.". Just a month earlier, another young girl, identified as Wendy Lee Coffield, was found strangled and floating in the Green River. Not enough sleep. Try again later. 3 Unidentified victims. what it meant to lose you,
She was also incredibly stubborn. Maureen Sue Feeney Her family described her as a loving and caring person. Debbie using her street name Betty Lorraine eventually agreed to work with police in hopes of filing charges against her rapist. On August 2nd, 1982, Marcias mother reported her missing. Over time, the combination of advancing technology, science, and determined investigative work advanced the case until an arrest was made in 2001. no one will ever know. Mary was almost eight months pregnant when she went missing near the Western Six Motel on September 15th, 1983. As word of the so-called Green River Killer spread throughout the community, Mr. Reichert said, families began keeping their daughters close. Wendy Lee Coffield Looked like a body. She loved everybody. But then she met 27 year old Robert L. Martin, a known drug dealing pimp in the Tacoma area. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. A few months later, in November of 2001, Mr. Ridgway was arrested when DNA found on three victims was linked to hair and saliva samples obtained from him almost two decades prior. She also showed signs of a struggle, because she had bruises on her arms and legs. Martina T. Authorlee He found a third body, that of a young girl who was partially clothed. Burial Details Unknown Tammie Charlene Liles Flowers have been left. Failed to delete memorial. I find that very ironic, in reference to Ridgways plea deal that would spare him from the death penalty in exchange for confessing and disclosing the locations of victims bodies. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Investigators like Tom Jensen and Fae Brooks, who spent countless hours on their hands and knees, poring over lists of suspects, and brought heartbreaking news to the victims families, are hopeful that technology like forensic genealogy will continue that work. After dropping out of Junior High she enrolled in Kent Continuation School to catch up. She was the first victim found.. Before her disappearance, Wendy was, in her mother's words, a "magical kid." Born on Oct. 10, 1968, she was the only daughter of Ms. Gaspar and her then-husband, Charles Stephens (who died in 2014). GreenRiverKillings. We were aware of the lifestyle Sandra lived but she was still a part of our family. That spring, Mr. Ridgway became a suspect in the Green River case when a tip led detectives to his door. Ainsworth suspected that the men were out for a day's fishing. At the park, just off Des Moines Memorial Drive, detectives followed the man to a swampy area outside the diamond where they found the rest of the remains. SEATTLE (AP) _ In the three years since 16-year-old Wendy Lee Coffield was strangled and dumped in the Green River, her killer has slain as many as 42 other young women and eluded a multimillion-dollar police dragnet.
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