Tubi's 'Sins of the Father: The Green River Killer' - How many people did Gary Ridgway kill and where is he now?

The latest true crime documentary on Tubi, Sins of the Father: The Green River Killer is based on the infamous serial killer Gary Ridgway, who was convicted in 2003 for murdering 49 women during the 1980s and 90s in Washington. The description of the documentary states:

''Tap into the mind of the ‘Green River Killer’ as his son looks back on his relationship with his father, who killed at least 50 women while masquerading as a normal suburban dad.''

Ridgway is widely regarded as one of the most notorious serial killers in American history. Most of his victims' bodies were found in and around the Green River area in Washington, earning him the moniker the ''Green River Killer''. While he was convicted for 49 murders, he confessed to killing 71 women at one point in the investigation.

Read further ahead to find out what happened to Gary Ridgway, his current whereabouts, and more.

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When was Gary Ridgway arrested?

The first victim of the ''Green River Killer'' was found floating in the river in 1982. Several killings and disappearances occured during the next two years, but the police couldn't find any solid evidence that could be linked to the killer.

Ridgway was questioned by the police in 1982 after he was caught with a s*x worker. Two years later, he appeared on the police's radar again after he was arrested for trying to solicit someone he thought was a s*x worker but turned out to be an undercover cop. However, he was released after a successful polygraph test.

In 1985, Gary Ridgway met a woman named Judith Mawson, whom he married in 1988. After their marriage, the number of killings and disappearances went down.

In a significant development, Gary Ridgway was arrested in November 2001 for the murder of four women after the police found DNA evidence. Subsequently, he decided to take a plea bargain in order to avoid the death penalty. He had earlier confessed to killing 71 girls and women. However, at the time of the interrogation, he said he could only remember 48.

He subsequently pled guilty to murdering 48 women during the 80s and 90s in Washington. In 2003, he was sentenced to 48 consecutive life terms without parole. He also received an additional 10-year sentence for each victim for evidence tampering. Almost 8 years later, he was charged with the murder of Rebecca Marrero, whose skull was found near the West Valley Highway in Washington in 2011. This made the total kill count 49, further increasing his life sentence. Gary Ridgway is currently serving his sentence at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

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Gary Ridgway's early life, family and more

Gary Ridgway was born on February 18, 1949, to Thomas and Mary Ridgway in Salt Lake City, Utah. During his early years, Ridgway allegedly harboured anger and s*xual feelings towards his mother - who was known to be domineering - and also fantazised about murdering her. He was reportedly dyslexic and did not do well in school. At the age of 16, Ridgway took a 6-year-old boy into the woods and stabbed him. The boy managed to survive the attack.

After graduating from Tree High School in 1969, Ridgway married his teenage girlfriend Claudia Kraig before joining the Navy and leaving for Vietnam. Ridgway was allegedly involved with several s*x workers during his time in the army. Meanwhile, Claudia allegedly started seeing other men, and the marriage eventually ended within a year.

A few years later, Gary Ridgway married Marcia Winslow, with whom he had a son in 1975, named Matthew Ridgway. During this time, Ridgway became extremely religious. The couple divorced seven years later, but Matthew reportedly said that his father continued to maintain good relations with him and met him on weekends. They reportedly went camping and played baseball during Matthew's school days.