I can't even fathom how someone who has performed such murderous acts can remain unmoved while the families of his victims talk about how they feel. The criminal described is Gary Leon Ridgway, also known as "The Green River Killer," and he's performed some of the most atrocious acts that I've ever heard of. This video states that Ridgway pleaded guilty to murdering 48 women in the US. Further research suggests that the number of victims has risen since this video was made. According to the "Gary Ridgway Biography" on Bio, "Ridgway told investigators he killed as many as 60 women along Route 99 in south King County, Washington."
Ridgway was born in Salt Lake City, Utah where he lived for most of his life. Throughout the course of his life he was married three times. His biography referenced above explains, "Ridgway's slayings began in 1982, when young runaways and prostitutes began disappearing from state Route 99 in south King County, Washington. He brought many of them to his home and strangled them, then left them in woodsy, remote sites. The first few bodies turned up along the now-notorious Green River." Despite Ridgway's marriages and his practice of religion, he still sought frequent business with prostitutes.
This video reveals part of his sentencing after Ridgway pled guilty to 48 counts of murder. I could not fight back the tears, when the elderly man took the podium and finally broke Ridgway into showing some kind of emotion. The message to take away from this video lies within the old man's heroic act of forgiveness. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to forgive someone like Ridgway for taking away a loved one in such a horrific manner. Forgiveness is indeed a very powerful thing.
Tell us what you think in the comments below after watching the video.