November 12. 2003
(Elje Jlorthinò ®bseruer
Teen Sniper Suspect Trial Begins
continued
from Front
face the possibility of the death
penalty if convicted.
Prosecutors in M uham m ad's
trial, which began its fourth week of
testimony Monday in V irginia
Beach, are also trying to convince
a jury that Muhammad exerted such
c o n tro l
o v er
M alvo
that
Muhammad should be held respon
sible forthe shootings that killed 10
and wounded three in the Wash
ington area.
Throughout Muhammad’s trial,
prosecutors have combined em o
tional testimony from victims and
victims' relatives with forensic evi
dence, including DNA linking
Muhammad to a title sight found in
his car. Muhammad is on trial only
for one killing, but the prosecution
needs to prove participation in
multiple killings or terrorizing of the
public to get the death penalty.
It remains unclear who actually
pulled the trigger in each o f the
shootings.
Investigators have testified in
Muhammad’s trial that M alvo's fin
gerprints were on the .223-caliber
rifle used in the sniper killings, and
that his DNA or fingerprints were
found on evidence from several of
the scenes.
But w h ile p ro se c u to rs in
M alvo’s case say Malvo has ad
mitted committing many o f the
sh o o tin g s and la u g h ed and
bragged about the shootings to
interrogators and prison guards,
M uhammad’s prosecutors argue it
doesn’t matter who pulled the trig
ger.
They say Muhammad, who re
ferred to Malvo as his son and
plunged him into a lifestyle o f rigor
and discipline, was the “moving
spirit.” That most o f the evidence
can be traced to Malvo only shows
how carefully Muhammad con
trolled the situation, they contend
Malvo’s defense lawyers argue
that he only confessed to protect
Muhammad, and that Muhammad
was the mastermind of the sniper
attacks.
Seattle Killer Admits to 48 Murders
Green River serial murders worst in U.S. history
(AP)— Gary Ridgway, the former
truck painter suspected of being
the Green River Killer, went into
court last Wednesday and admit
ted to 48 murders. “I killed so many
women I have a hard time keeping
them straight,” he said in a confes
sion read aloud in court.
Ridgway, 54, admitted to the mur
ders — more than any other serial
killer in U.S. history— in a plea deal
that would guarantee he avoids the
death penalty in Washington state.
Istead, Ridgway will receive life in
prison without parole.
“I wanted to kill as many women
as I thought were prostitutes as I
possibly could,” Ridgway also said
in the statement.
However, two of the bodies on
the official list o f Green River vic
tims were found in Oregon, which
has capital punishment, and it was
still unclear whether Ridgway will
plead to those.
1 The remains of scores of women,
mainly runaways and prostitutes,
turned up near ravines, rivers, air
ports and freeways in the 1980s.
O f them, investigators officially
listed 49 women as probable victims
of the Green River Killer, named for
the river south of Seattle where the
first victims were found in 1982. In
many cases, the killer had sex with
his victim and then strangled her.
Ridgway had been a suspect
ev er since 1984, when M arie
Malvar’s boyfriend reported that
he last saw her getting into a pickup
truck identified as Ridgway’s.
But Ridgway told police he
didn’t know Malvar, and a police
investigator who knew him cleared
him as a suspect. Later that year.
sample to DNA taken from the bod
ies of three of the earliest victims.
Ridgway was arrested as he left
work Nov. 30, 2001, and later
pleaded innocent to seven killings.
But facing DNA evidence and the
prospect of the death penalty, he
began cooperating and trading in
formation for his life.
I killed so
many women I
have a hard
time keeping
them straight.
OHSU
Page AS
II here lle tilin i;. Teot liin a
,t* n m l D im liv e ly t in n e lira e t/ie r
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are recruiting healthy volunteers and people
with Parkinson's disease (PD) of all ages to
participate in a study involving a non-invasive
brain stimulation technique. This study may
contribute to improving the quality of life of
those who are suffering from Parkinson's disease.
We are trying to assess the therapeutic value of
this stimulation technique in PD patients as
compared to healthy volunteers. Initial
participation in this study requires volunteers to
attend four visits over the course of a month.
You may also be selected to participate in
additional experiments (up to 12 visits).
Each visit lasts no longer than 3 hours. You will
receive $30.00 in compensation for each visit that
you attend. Complete initial participation in the
first four visits pays $120.00.
If you are interested in helping us with this study,
please contact Ryan Eaton or Brian Coakley at
Oregon Health & Science University.
-G a ry Ridgway,
Green Rlverserlal killer
R idgw ay co n tac ted the K ing
County sh eriffs Green River task
force — ostensibly to offer infor
mation about the case — and
passed a polygraph test.
Detectives continued to suspect
him, however, and in 1987 they
searched his house and took a sa
liva sample. It was 13 years before
DNA technology caught up to their
suspicions and they could link that
Department of Neurology
He confessed to 42 of the 49
listed killings, as well as six not on
the list, the sources have said. He
directed authorities to four sets of
previously undiscovered remains.
Ridgway is still a suspect in the
seven remaining cases on the origi
nal list of 49. His agreement with
prosecutors stipulates
that he will continue co
operating forsix months.
Principal Investigator:
Jau-Shln Lou, MO, PhD (503) 4 9 4 -1 7 6 9
_
—
.s Phone (503) 494-4987
Fax (503)494-1653
Email: eatonr@ohsu.edu or coakleyb@ohsu.edu
( 5 0 3 ) 823-HELP
111 S.W. 2nd Avenue,
Portland, Oregon 97204
CRIME
STOPPERS
Clues Sought in Downtown Murder
Police are looking for help in
solving the murder of Daniel
Aaron Adesan, an 18-year-old
African-American man who was
shot and killed around 3:30 a.m.
on Saturday, Oct. 25 at West
Bumside Street and Northwest
Sixth Avenue.
Investigators are wondering
why Adesan was downtown at
the time and whom he was with.
Daniel Aaron Adesan
Reportedly, after Adesan was shot
and fell to the ground, several
people ran over and went through
his clothing and removed items,
including his identification, which
is still missing.
Police believe there were wit
nesses to the shooting who have
not come forward, including two
African-American males seen run
ning from the area.
.1
>4*
Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f up to $1,000fo r information, reported to Crime
Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in this case, or any unsolved felony crime, any you need not
give your name. Call Crime Stoppers at 503-823-HELP.
Rap Legend’s Death Remains a Mystery
Gunman still at
large one year later
remains a top priority. They
deny reports their hunt for
the gunman has stalled.
“It’s a very active investi
g a tio n ,” D eputy C h ie f
M ichael Collins, a police
spokesman. “W e’re pursuing
several significant leads.”
The city, music industry
notables and family members
have helped keep the killing
in the headlines by offering
tens o f thousands of dollars
(AP) — A year has passed since a
gunman clad in black walked into the
Queens recording studio of Jam Mas
ter Jay and - possibly after greeting the
rap legend with a hug - pumped a bullet
into his head.
Since then. New York City police
say they have pursued "several sig Jason “Jam Master
nificant leads,” including some that Jay" Mizell.
suggest the rap legend died in a dispute over in rewards.
money. But the anniversary of a slaying that
But privately, investigators have complained
shook the music industry passed with the killer that some witnesses have been uncooperative.
still at large.
And with no major breaks, the case has drawn
Homicide detectives in Queens - where the comparisons to the unsolved slayings o f rap
pre-eminent DJ and founding member of Run- superstars Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas and Noto
DMC was killed on Oct. 30,2002 - say the case rious B.I.G. in Los Angeles.
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Liquor License Complaints Heard
An annual liquor license renewal process is
giving interested parties the ability to identify
problems before the city makes renewal recom
mendations to the Oregon LiquorControl Com
mission.
The deadline for making comments to the
Office ofNeighborhtxxl Involvement on all liquor
licenses located north of Bumside is Nov. 15.
Officials said neighbors who do not wish to
formally oppose an outlet’s renewal, can still bring
issues to the city’s attention so it can work with the
licensees to resolve specific problems informally.
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