The Green River Killer

My documentary, "Original Sin: The Green River Killer," aims to re-examine the historical Green River case through a modern lens. It's a fitting approach, given how much the original investigation was hampered by the technological limitations of the 1980s. I want to use the tools of today to revisit the evidence and the story, offering a new perspective on a case that has haunted King County, Washington, for decades.

The case began in July 1982, with the discovery of a teenage runaway's body in the Green River. Her death, caused by strangulation, was initially treated as an isolated incident. However, as more bodies surfaced in and around the river, a horrifying pattern emerged: all the victims were young women, many of them involved in sex work, who had disappeared from the Pacific Highway South area, known as "The Strip." The community was gripped by fear as the list of victims grew at an alarming rate.

The police formed the Green River Task Force to tackle the overwhelming number of murders. But they were essentially hunting a ghost. The forensic science of the time was rudimentary; DNA analysis was not a standard tool, and CCTV was almost nonexistent. The killer was careful and meticulous, choosing remote dump sites where rain and exposure would wash away evidence. He preyed on a vulnerable population whose disappearances often went unreported for long periods, giving him a chilling advantage.

Despite these challenges, a significant lead came from a survivor, Rebecca Garde Guay, who escaped an attack in November 1982. Her description of the attacker—a man who showed her his ID from Kenworth Trucking Company and drove a maroon pickup truck with a white canopy—matched a man named Gary Ridgway. Ridgway was interviewed and took a polygraph test, but his calm demeanor allowed him to pass, and the case against him stalled.

By 1987, the lack of progress led to the disbanding of the full task force, and the case went cold. The community believed the murders had stopped, but in reality, Ridgway continued to kill for many more years, albeit at a slower pace.

This documentary aims to honor the tireless work of the original investigators by revisiting their struggles with modern technology. I plan to use AI to clean up grainy archival photos and to create 3D reconstructions of scenes like the dump sites based on historical data. This approach will help me provide a fresh, compelling perspective on this tragic story, shedding new light on old evidence and showing how technology can help us re-examine even the most difficult cases. As I explore the ways AI can illuminate previously indistinct, dark corners, I will be evolving my understanding of ethical filmmaking in light of these new incredibly flexible tools. I am committed to building an ethical framework which will be applied to all my true crime investigations: only existing images will be either cleaned, colorized, or animated. Only actual evidence, as presented in court, will be depicted.

I am actively searching for a community of like-minded individuals—filmmakers, journalists, and researchers—who share my interest in how these technological developments can contribute to the rich narrative history of true crime. In the spirit of Truman Capote's "nonfiction novel," I believe these new tools can help us move beyond a simple recounting of facts. The goal is to explore the psychological and social factors surrounding the crimes, creating a more vivid, detailed, and humanized narrative that honors the victims and deepens our understanding of the case. By adhering to a strict ethical code, I hope to provide a fresh perspective while upholding the highest standards of integrity and respect for those whose lives were so tragically affected.