Current:Home > ScamsRobert Brown|Green River Killer victim identified as Lori Razpotnik 41 years after she went missing -ProfitSphere Academy
Robert Brown|Green River Killer victim identified as Lori Razpotnik 41 years after she went missing
Rekubit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-07 11:58:39
Authorities have Robert Brownidentified a victim of the Green River Killer, more than 40 years after she disappeared.
For more than four decades, the remains of Lori Anne Razpotnik, were known as Bones 17. According to a press release from the King County Sheriff’s Office, Razpotnik was 15 years old when she ran away in 1982 and was never seen again.
Her remains were discovered on December 30, 1985 when employees from Auburn, a city 25 miles south of Seattle were investigating a car that had gone over an embankment and two sets of remains were discovered. The remains could not be identified at the time and were named Bones 16 and Bones 17.
In 2002, the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, led investigators to the location and said he had placed victims there, according to the press release. The following year, Ridgway would be convicted of 48 counts of murder, CBS News reported.
Ridgway, now 74, is one of the most prolific serial killers in the U.S.
Modern day serial killer:Washington man charged in 4 murders lured victims with promises of buried gold: Court docs
DNA testing helped identify Green River Killer victims
With the help of DNA testing, Bones 16 were identified as Sandra Majors in 2012. It would be another 11 years, before Bones 17 would be identified as Razpotnik.
Parabon Nanolabs was contracted to do forensic genetic genealogy testing on Bones 17 and were able to develop a new DNA profile thanks to advances in DNA testing. Razpotnik's mother also submitted a DNA sample, and the two were compared by researchers at The University of North Texas, the sheriff's department said.
Razpotnik’s mother, Donna Hurley, told The New York Times that learning about how her daughter died was “overwhelming, but at the same time it just brought a sense of peace.”
Hurley told the Times that she speculated that her daughter could have been one of Ridgway's victims, but was never told anything.
“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,” Hurley said.
The Green River Killer
Gary Ridgway, pled guilty to the homicides of 49 women and girls, according to a page dedicated to the serial murders on the King County Sherriff's website.
Ridgway, who committed a string of murders in Washington State and California in the 1980s and 1990s, was dubbed the Green River Killer because five of his victims were found in the Green River. Most of his victims were strangled.
He was arrested in 2001 in King County, Washington. In 2003, he agreed to plead guilty to all the murders in the county in exchange for removing the death penalty off the table. As part of the agreement, he provided information on his crimes and victims.
He's currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
New evidence:BTK serial killer Dennis Rader named 'prime suspect' in 2 cold cases in Oklahoma, Missouri
Possible victims still not found or identified
The Sheriff's department says there's still two unidentified victims tied to Ridgway.
Additionally, three other women who have been missing since the 1980s from the Seattle area are thought to be potential victims. They are Kassee Ann Lee, Kelly Kay McGinnis and Patricia Ann Osborn. They remain missing and Ridgway was never charged in their disappearances.
Officials are also still searching for information on three other women who also disappeared in the early 1980's. One of those women was an associate of one of Ridgway's victims.
veryGood! (59196)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Former gym teacher at Christian school charged with carjacking, robbery in Grindr crimes
- ASTRO: Bitcoin has historically halved data
- ASTRO COIN:Blockchain is related to Bitcoin
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Baltimore bridge collapse puts the highly specialized role of ship’s pilot under the spotlight
- Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
- 2024 Masters field: Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods lead loaded group
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Lawmakers in Thailand overwhelmingly approve a bill to legalize same-sex marriage
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Women's March Madness Sweet 16 Friday schedule, picks: South Carolina, Texas in action
- California’s commercial Dungeness crab season will end April 8 to protect whales
- Former gym teacher at Christian school charged with carjacking, robbery in Grindr crimes
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Los Angeles Dodgers 'awesome' Opening Day win was exactly what Shohei Ohtani and Co. needed
- If you in the $935 million Powerball, just how much would you have to pay in taxes? A lot.
- North Carolina military affairs secretary stepping down, with ex-legislator as successor
Recommendation
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse is impacting cruises and could cause up to $10 million in losses for Carnival
I screamed a little bit: Virginia woman wins $3 million with weeks-old Mega Millions ticket
Here's how much you have to make to afford a starter home in the U.S.
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
What to know about Day of Visibility, designed to show the world ‘trans joy’
New Hampshire House takes on artificial intelligence in political advertising
Women's college basketball coaches in the Sweet 16 who have earned tournament bonuses