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CNN Live Event/Special
Green River Murders
Aired November 05, 2003 - 13:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Live to Seattle, Washington now, the story that led our newscast. We've been following it. The judge right now instructing the defendant. We're talking about Gary Leon Ridgway, this man right here, confessing to 48 murders.
JUDGE RICHARD JONES: Those circumstances would not be the basis for you to withdraw your plea of guilty to these 48 charges. Do you understand that, sir?
GARY LEON RIDGWAY, DEFENDANT: Yes.
JONES: Now the prosecutor asked if you wished to waive your right to a jury trial and several other rights. Have you been pressured in anyway to waive or give up your right to proceed to trial?
RIDGWAY: No.
JONES: Have you been pressured any way to give up any of the other rights listed in the plea agreement?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: Were there any threats of any type, at anytime or any force of any type used to get you to plead guilty to these charges?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: From the summary of evidence, it appears to this court that you have spent considerable time with law enforcement authorities and provided information. At anytime in that contact, did any law enforcement officer or authority of any type do or say anything to you that you feel pressured you in any way to decide to plead guilty?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: From the facts in that summary, it appears you provided various facts to law enforcement authorities in exchange for promises from the prosecuting attorney. Have any promises been made to you by the prosecuting attorney that influenced your decision to plead guilty that are not contained or reflected in your plea agreement?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, are you satisfied with the quality of representation that you have received from your lawyers?
RIDGWAY: Yes, I have.
JONES: Do you have any reservation of any type regarding the quality of representation or advice that you have received from your lawyers?
RIDGWAY: No, no, sir.
JONES: Did your lawyers leave the final decision to you to plead guilty and not proceed to trial?
RIDGWAY: Yes.
JONES: And, Mr. Ridgway, is it your desire to plead guilty to the 48 charges of aggravated murder in the first degree, because you believe that you are guilty of each of those offenses?
RIDGWAY: Yes.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, I'm going to ask at this time -- how do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree, as charged in count one for the death of Wendy Lee Caulfield (ph)?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, how do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count two for the death of Deborah Bonner?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, how do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count three for the death of Marsha Chapin?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count four for the death of Cynthia Hines?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: How do you plead to the charge of...
PHILLIPS: Forty-eight times, Gary Leon Ridgway will plead guilty in front of Judge Richard Jones there in Seattle, Washington. America's worst serial killer is what he's been dubbed, and now he has reached a plea agreement, facing life in prison, as he continues to admit that he did it, 48 women, dead.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 5, 2003 - 13:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Live to Seattle, Washington now, the story that led our newscast. We've been following it. The judge right now instructing the defendant. We're talking about Gary Leon Ridgway, this man right here, confessing to 48 murders.
JUDGE RICHARD JONES: Those circumstances would not be the basis for you to withdraw your plea of guilty to these 48 charges. Do you understand that, sir?
GARY LEON RIDGWAY, DEFENDANT: Yes.
JONES: Now the prosecutor asked if you wished to waive your right to a jury trial and several other rights. Have you been pressured in anyway to waive or give up your right to proceed to trial?
RIDGWAY: No.
JONES: Have you been pressured any way to give up any of the other rights listed in the plea agreement?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: Were there any threats of any type, at anytime or any force of any type used to get you to plead guilty to these charges?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: From the summary of evidence, it appears to this court that you have spent considerable time with law enforcement authorities and provided information. At anytime in that contact, did any law enforcement officer or authority of any type do or say anything to you that you feel pressured you in any way to decide to plead guilty?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: From the facts in that summary, it appears you provided various facts to law enforcement authorities in exchange for promises from the prosecuting attorney. Have any promises been made to you by the prosecuting attorney that influenced your decision to plead guilty that are not contained or reflected in your plea agreement?
RIDGWAY: No, sir.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, are you satisfied with the quality of representation that you have received from your lawyers?
RIDGWAY: Yes, I have.
JONES: Do you have any reservation of any type regarding the quality of representation or advice that you have received from your lawyers?
RIDGWAY: No, no, sir.
JONES: Did your lawyers leave the final decision to you to plead guilty and not proceed to trial?
RIDGWAY: Yes.
JONES: And, Mr. Ridgway, is it your desire to plead guilty to the 48 charges of aggravated murder in the first degree, because you believe that you are guilty of each of those offenses?
RIDGWAY: Yes.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, I'm going to ask at this time -- how do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree, as charged in count one for the death of Wendy Lee Caulfield (ph)?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, how do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count two for the death of Deborah Bonner?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: Mr. Ridgway, how do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count three for the death of Marsha Chapin?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count four for the death of Cynthia Hines?
RIDGWAY: Guilty.
JONES: How do you plead to the charge of...
PHILLIPS: Forty-eight times, Gary Leon Ridgway will plead guilty in front of Judge Richard Jones there in Seattle, Washington. America's worst serial killer is what he's been dubbed, and now he has reached a plea agreement, facing life in prison, as he continues to admit that he did it, 48 women, dead.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
