After years of mystery shrouding her final resting place, the last known remains of a victim attributed to the infamous Green River Killer have been identified, authorities confirmed. King County Sheriff's Office shared that the remains, previously known only as "Bones 20," belonged to Tammie Liles, a 16-year-old girl from Everett who had been missing since the 1980s, as reported by The Seattle Times.
The breakthrough came to light when Othram, a forensic sequencing laboratory, managed after extensive testing to conclusively build a DNA profile which was later confirmed through STR and mitochondrial DNA testing by the University of North Texas. According to KOMO News, Liles had been first identified as Ridgway's victim in 1988 via dental records from remains found in Tigard, Oregon. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place when the identification was solidified through her mother's DNA sample, closing a chapter that had long remained unresolved.
Convicted of the murders of 49 women and teenage girls, serial killer Gary Ridgway is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The victims, strangled and discarded in remote areas across King County, were a harrowing testament to Ridgway's notorious killing spree spanning from the early 1980s to late 1990s. With Liles' identification, the King County Sheriff's Office confirmed that there are no other unidentified remains associated with the Green River case. as KIRO 7 reported.
King County Sheriff Patricia Cole-Tindall acknowledged the collaborative effort leading to the resolution of this case, saying, "The King County Sheriff's Office is immensely grateful for the work of Othram Forensic Sequencing Laboratory, The University of North Texas, the King County Medical Examiner's Office and all others who worked on helping to identify Tammie Liles," a sentiment echoed by local law enforcement and the community alike. This case marks another successful instance where advanced DNA analysis has been able to provide closure to long-grieving families, following recent identifications of other Ridgway victims through similar scientific endeavors.
