'I forgive you,' some families tell Ridgway; others wish him 'long, suffering, cruel death'

Many family members of victims of the Green River killer spoke in King County Superior Court yesterday. Here is what they had to say to the man who took away their loved one.

Sherry Garrett, sister of victim Cynthia Hinds:

"Today is not about Gary Ridgway; it is about my sister, Cynthia Jean Hinds, and the other 47 women." She spoke of breaking free from Ridgway's legacy. "I am here to take back everything you kept, pieces of my soul, parts of my heart, and my destiny. The future is ahead, and I need them. I am taking back my yesterdays."

Kathy Mills, mother of Opal Mills:

"Even if you may say you're sorry, Mr. Ridgway, it won't bring back Opal. You have held us in bondage all these years because we have hated you — we wanted to see you die — but it's all going to be over now. That is, provided we can forgive you. Gary Leon Ridgway, I forgive you. I forgive you. You can't hold me anymore. ... My life now is lived to one day be with little Opal."

Carol Estes, mother of Debra Estes:

Debra "had just turned 15 years old, and she was just an immature teenager trying to find her way in life before it was snuffed out by Gary Ridgway. I will never forgive him for that. He's destroyed my life, he's destroyed my daughter's life. There isn't any life for me anymore. ... He's going to go to hell, and that's where he belongs."

Sarah King, daughter of Carol Christensen:

"I was only 5 when my mother died and my dad told me I would never see her again. The one thing I want you to know is that there was a daughter at home. I was that daughter at home, waiting for my mommy to come home. And I've had to grow up the last 20 years, and this has been my life. I didn't have a life before this, I was so young. I grew up, I've had to defend my mother. She wasn't a prostitute. She was a mother. She was a wife. She was a sister. And we miss her."

Michelle Blair, sister of Gisele Lovvorn:

"Gisele was only 17 years old. She was murdered by that animal sitting over there who we have to call a man. He does not deserve to live, or breathe. But he doesn't deserve to die. Dying would be too easy for him." Her sister was a "wonderful, caring and loving young girl" who had been mixed up and had run away. "It is impossible to put into words how much her murder has devastated and destroyed our family. ... We miss her every day, and we'll never stop."

Nancy Gabbert, mother of Sandra Gabbert:

Nancy told the court her daughter's murder destroyed her family, including Sandra's sister, who was plagued by depression, eventually committing suicide 10 years after Sandra's remains were found. "Gary Ridgway is an evil creature who I would condemn to many, many long years of anguish and despair. He doesn't deserve a quick, painless, humane death."

Tim Meehan, brother of Mary Meehan:

"I can only hope that someday, someone gets the opportunity to choke you unconscious 48 times, so you can live through the horror that you put our daughters, our sisters, our mothers through. ... May God have no mercy on your soul."

Helen Dexter, mother of Constance Naon:

Constance was murdered two weeks before her 21st birthday. "I don't know how to describe the pain inside. There's no words for it." Helen described anger not only at Ridgway, but at the media, the prosecutors and investigators. "I believe that had the investigations gone right in the last 20 years, many of us would not be in this court today."

Vicky Ware, sister of Kelly Ware:

"She was a beautiful sister and loved very much, and what it did to my parents and family was terrible. He's an animal. I don't wish for him to die. I wish for him to have a long, suffering, cruel death. Hopefully terminal cancer. ... This will not be the last time I will see you, because I will see you in hell."

Robert Rule, father of Linda Rule:

"Mr. Ridgway, there are people here who hate you. I'm not one of them. I forgive you for what you've done. You've made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and that is what God says to do, and that is forgive, and he doesn't say to forgive just certain people, he says forgive all. So you are forgiven. My daughter was 16 at the time you killed her. My wife and I were separated, and she had to live on the street. She did things I may not have been proud of, but she was still a little girl. She was still my daughter."

Deanna Brewer, sister of Shirley Sherrill:

"You stole my best friend, my sister. You've denied my children the opportunity to know their aunt. ... My sister was somebody. She was loved. She ran track. She was on a drill team. She belonged to Camp Fire. She loved to dance. All these things you stopped. She had dreams. You stopped those, too."

Sharse Woods-Summer, sister of Shawnda Summers:

"You manipulated the system to save your own life. After today, I will not give this parasite a thought. I'm talking about you. It's time to change the laws. We have to stand up to elected officials."

Letter read on behalf of family of Kimi-Kai Pitsor:

"There will always be a sense of loss because of her untimely death, and wishes for her to be an aunt, a mother, a sister ... and confidant. Wishes are part of being human, and I wish for you peace."

Jose Malvar Jr., brother of Marie Malvar:

"Somebody is going to have the glory to take you out in prison. You are a loser. You are a coward. You are an animal. You are a nobody. ... If I could do what I want to do right now, you'd be gone right now. ... I'm angry; I will always be angry. I will never have my sister in my life. You broke my family apart. For 20 years, a lot of birthdays and a lot of Christmases were broken apart."

Kandice Watt, sister of Roberta "Bobbie Jo" Hayes:

"You chose to murder young girls to satisfy your own sick desires using another human being. That just shows how much of a coward you are. Just as you chose to forget your victims, we freely choose to give you no further consideration. You don't matter to us in any way. You don't matter."

Mertie Winston, mother of Tracy Winston:

"You took her life at her most fragile point. I am hopeful that she didn't look at you when she died. You took away from us a really wonderful person, and we'll never be the same."

Daryle Imburgia, son of Delise Plager:

"I was around 2 when my mother went missing. I never got to be with her, my sisters never got to be with her, we don't have any memories of her, her grandchildren will never meet her, and that's all because of you. I just think it's amazing that you stare back at me and don't have any feelings at all."

Joan Mackie, mother of Cindy Smith:

"A few months ago, a detective came to my door to say that Ridgway had confessed that he was with my daughter, that he didn't remember my daughter's face and that he put a door on my daughter's body. Well, Mr. Ridgway, maybe you will remember my daughter Cindy when the door slams in your face in prison."

Letter from mother of Patricia Barczak, read by friend Diane Soriano:

"There is absolutely nothing I could say to you, Gary Ridgway, absolutely nothing I could say, that could affect the sick and evil mind you have. ... Patty was the baby in my family. ... She was a loving and outgoing girl. She loved life, puppies, kittens, and she loved people who were down and out. ... I and my family will never forget her laughter and smile."

Rona Walsh, sister of Patricia Yellow Robe:

"When we grew up, our grandmother was blind, and we used to be her eyes. That's the kind of person my sister was, Gary. ... I want to tell the other families that I know what it's like to be driving, or to go into a store, and to suddenly break down crying."