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The murder of Wendy Lee Coffield is widely recognized as the first confirmed killing attributed to Gary Ridgway. Her death marked the beginning of what would later become known as the Green River Killer case. At the time, the crime was not immediately linked to a serial offender, allowing Ridgway to continue undetected.
Ridgway targeted Coffield in an area known for prostitution activity. After gaining her trust, he murdered her and disposed of her body in the river.
Initially treated as an isolated case, the investigation did not immediately connect her death to others. Later cases would reveal a pattern.