Pornography Tied to Green River Killer
by Ed Vitagliano
January 6, 2004
(AgapePress) - The investigation of a man who is the most lethal serial killer in U.S. history has turned up something commonly found in connection with such murderers -- pornography.Gary Ridgway, who has confessed to 48 murders and admits to being the notorious Green River Killer -- named after the river in Washington state where victims' bodies were first found -- was arrested in 2001. He pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty.
Ridgway's murder spree, which targeted women who were usually prostitutes or runaways, began in 1982. In many of the cases, Ridgway had sex with his victims prior to killing them, usually by strangulation.
According to Family News In Focus, a search of Ridgway's home uncovered pornographic magazines, something frequently linked to sex-crimes. The article further stated that, according to the FBI, 81% of sexually-oriented murderers and serial killers listed pornography as their primary sexual interest.
Focus on the Family Chairman Dr. James Dobson interviewed serial killer Ted Bundy before his execution in 1989. Bundy told Dobson that porn helped fuel his own murder spree.
"I've met a lot of men who were motivated to commit violence, just like me. And without exception, every one of them was deeply involved in pornography, without question," he told Dobson.
Ed Vitagliano, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is news editor for AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. This article appeared in the January 2004 issue.
