"We're hoping there may be (other) physical evidence around the scenes that may contain DNA," said Robert Keppel, former King County detective and consultant to the old Green River task force. If DNA or other forensic evidence could be matched to even one set of bones or a crime scene where other remains were found it; it would tie several cases together, Keppel said.

It will be difficult to solve most Green River cases because the skeletal remains found are not likely to have a killer's DNA. Only 6 bodies were found containing more than skeletal remains.

Many crime scenes were frequently used for illegal dumping, making the evaluation of evidence difficult. "In some cases we have bones, and some cases we have unidentified bones, and we have 10,000 pieces of evidence to go through," King County sheriff Urquhart said. "What we're going to do now is ramp up this task force and go over each and every case."

Investigators will begin with crime scenes with the best chance of evidence. These would be the bodies with the least decomposition and scenes that had not been disturbed. Police will look for physical evidence of partially clothed victims because hairs or fibers could yield new leads.

Ridgway's ex wife told police he kept visqueen, rolls of protective plastic covering that comes in rolls, in the bed of his truck. Visqueen was covering one victim's near North Bend, and near the remains of another in Tukwila.

Investigators say there is no DNA or circumstantial evidence to tie Deborah Lynn Bonner and Wendy Lee Coffield to Ridgway. Being found in the same river location isn't enough.

Copyright Kari Sable 1994-2006

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