For my Death Sentencing class at PSU, I have been researching the plea agreement in the Green River Killer case. This is perhaps the only serial killer case in US history that ended in a plea deal for life instead of death. Gary Ridgeway sought the plea deal, offering police a chance to find more of his victims in exchange for a life sentence. In my research, I want to answer (or at least explore) these questions: Should a prosecutor wield such discretion when it comes to sentencing? Is it the function of the courts to solve cases and find missing people (or simply to adjudicate guilt and find dispositions)? When the ABA demands that a prosecutor seek justice, what does it mean? (The term "justice" is surprisingly vague in the ABA guidelines.) Was justice done in this case? Would this plea deal have happened if the victims were wealthy instead of (mostly) prostitutes? If they were college students?
I am anti-death penalty, but I find this case fascinating because it challenges everything I believe, at the same time raising serious questions about our legal system in general. Also, if we are going to have the death penalty, it ought to be reserved for the worst of the worst. Certainly, Ridgeway qualifies. Who is the death penalty for, if not him?
And then I see this page, and I am confronted with even more questions. What does "missing" mean when police and family know you are dead - a victim on the long list of a serial killer? Certainly, the quality and meaning of the word change a little, when the victim is already dead. I plan to explore this in the coming week. Maybe I can find another way to say missing.