Defending Gary

Reviews / Votes

"...both sober and titillating." (The Seattle Times, June 2,2006) Defense attorney Prothero joins Smith (The Search for the GreenRiver Killer) to give us a detailed account of the trial andconviction of Gary Ridgway in the Green River killings aroundSeattle, which occurred over approximately 30 years, ending in the1990s. In late 2001 police arrested Ridgway, a longtime suspect inthe case. Prothero became his lead defense attorney shortlyafterward. Originally he was skeptical about Ridgway's guilt, butphysical evidence, including DNA analysis, proved that Ridgway hadkilled at least 48 women, mainly prostitutes, and may have murderedas many as 71 between 1982 and 1989. Prothero's tactic changed fromproving Ridgway's innocence to sparing him from the death penalty.The authors present the story in a well-paced, straightforwardmanner and provide sturdy insight into this complex case.Particularly interesting are details about the infighting amongmembers of the Ridgway defense team. Also good is the discussion onhow Seattle and Washington state politics shaped the trial. InNovember 2003, Ridgway was convicted of murder and sentenced tolife in prison. Recommended for public and academiclibraries. --Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Lib., Parkersbur(Library Journal, March 15, 2006) After a two-decade investigation, Gary Ridgway, America's "mostprolific serial killer," was arrested in November 2001. Protherobecame one of his attorneys. A Seattle-area DNA expert who emergesas an affable and humble family man, Prothero argued successfullyagainst the death penalty for Ridgway. Aided by veteran journalistSmith (The Search for the Green River Killer), Protheroprobes the psyche of a monster who appeared to be a devotedhusband, son and brother. Did Ridgway's mother corrupt him as ateenager when she washed his genitals after he wet the bed, or didyears of inhaling paint fumes on the job impair his judgment?Prothero, who confronted the banality of evil when his miserlyclient explained that he killed some of his prostitute victims justto get his $20 back, concludes that Ridgway killed between 48 and71 prostitutes to gain power and control over women and authorityfigures. The bird's-eye view into the legal wrangling is sometimesobscured by repetitious and unwieldy text, and it's clear thatProthero and Smith aren't in the same league as Norman Mailer,Mikal Gilmore and Ann Rule, who famously humanized Gary Gilmore andTed Bundy. And unlike in Rule's Green River, Running Red,the victims here are ciphers. (June) (PublishersWeekly, January 16, 2006) "...Prothero had something unique--almost daily contactwith Ridgway, which gives his book its power and relevancy over theothers." (King County Journal, 2006) "Prothero offers his perspective on what remains a troublingcase. He knows as much as anyone about the "nasty, tricky littleman..." (Associated Press, 2006)"Defending Gary belongs on every bookshelf of every personinterested in serial murder and death penalty cases from thedefense perspective." --Ann Burgess, R.N., D.N.Sc., professor of psychiatric mentalhealth nursing, Boston College, Connell School of Nursing andcoauthor, Sexual Homicides: Patterns and Motives "An extraordinary account of the most infamous serial killer inAmerican history, 'The Green River Killer.' This isdefinitely not your average true crime book. The book is afirst-person account, well written, and with authors who provideinteresting details of defending Gary Ridgway. The interrogation ofRidgway should be fascinating to law enforcement and anyoneinterested in serial killers. It certainly was to me. I highlyrecommend it." --Steve Egger, author, Killers Among Us: An Examination ofSerial Murder and Its Investigation