### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/8 "2003-11-05T19:18:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by adam yax \*
> \*\*Well, yes. It does refer to his police record, but take out the part of ‘on his record’, and the story still has the ‘this should be in the GBoWR’ feel to it. \*\*
Well he does.
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/9 "2003-11-05T19:20:45Z")
I was responding to
> [@](#):
>
> a confession that gives him more murder convictions \ than any other serial killer in U.S. history
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/10 "2003-11-05T19:24:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by World Eater \*
> \*\*Holy shit, can we start the death penalty argument now? \*\*
Unfortunately, the death penalty was taken off the table for a very good reason… only Ridgeway knew the location of many of the bodies of his victims. By agreeing to the guilty plea arrangement, the prosecution loses the death penalty but gains closure for many of the victims’ families.
Not much to argue about here, as far as I’m concerned. He deserved death, to be sure, but the families of the victims deserve that closure more.
Of course, part of the plea agreement also says that if any other victims are found (other than the 48 he’s admitting to, that is) which can be linked to Ridgeway, he’s open for the death penalty on those. Given that he has a hard time keeping track of them himself, this seems quite possible.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/11 "2003-11-05T19:26:21Z")
Is it the “gives” that you don’t like? You’d prefer that they use “tarnishes, saddles, weights, blackens, burdens, etc” instead?
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/12 "2003-11-05T19:28:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by adam yax \*
> \*\*Well, yes. It does refer to his police record, but take out the part of ‘on his record’, and the story still has the ‘this should be in the GBoWR’ feel to it. \*\*
On the other hand, if you take out the words, “admitted to killing,” it sounds like he’s just really popular in Oregon and Washington State:
“Gary Ridgway has… dozens of women in the Pacific Northwest.”
Aside from showing how much fun selective editing can be, what is that supposed to prove?
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### Author:  [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/13 "2003-11-05T19:28:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by adam yax \*
> \*\* Records usually are things of interest and gives people something to shoot for. \*\*
And quite literally it will.
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/14 "2003-11-05T19:30:13Z")
**Avalonian** , me thinks you’ve missed my point. Ridgeway is scum, don’t get me wrong but the casual approach of CNN to this story is scary. Covering it like they would cover a football game is the problem, mainly because the guy is so horrific.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/15 "2003-11-05T19:32:08Z")
I hope he finds all the bodies. After that length of time, animals and weather probably scattered the remains.
Dude has a very chilling look on his face. I bet he rooms by himself in the Big House.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/16 "2003-11-05T19:35:29Z")
Note that the record is for the number of murder _convictions_, not the number of murders committed. I doubt that many serial killers will be vying for that particular record.
The record for number of murders **committed** in the U.S. is most likely held by Osama bin Laden and his henchmen. (Admittedly in a different category, mass murder rather than serial killing.) If the big O ever comes to trial and is convicted, he’ll blow a piker like Ridgeway out of the water.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/17 "2003-11-05T19:37:34Z")
Regarding **Avalonian’s** entry, he’s also under suspicion regarding two murders in Oregon which does have capital punishment.
Convict him of the 48 and then ship him off to Oregon and don’t plea bargain.
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/18 "2003-11-05T19:40:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by adam yax \*
> \*\ ***Avalonian** , me thinks you’ve missed my point. Ridgeway is scum, don’t get me wrong but the casual approach of CNN to this story is scary. Covering it like they would cover a football game is the problem, mainly because the guy is so horrific. \*\*
No, I get your point. I just don’t think it’s much of a point to make.
CNN reported a fact. It’s what they do. You’re not disputing the fact itself, you’re disputing the way they reported it. You’re certainly welcome to your opinion, while I (and others) are also welcome to tell you that it doesn’t hold much water.
In a case like this, there are far worse things to focus on than CNN’s choice of words. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/19 "2003-11-05T19:52:32Z")
I’m still not seeing any “casual approach of CNN to this story,” particularly not in terms of glorifying Ridgway’s crimes as something worthy of aspiration. Or like a football game.
I think you’re still willfully misinterpreting the meaning of “record” in the article as “world record” instead of “police record.”
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congratulations-on-your-record/211590/20 "2003-11-05T19:55:05Z")
So, if the various media should be obliged to avoid reporting the facts of current cases so as to prevent setting “goals” for up-and-coming nutjobs, what else must be done?
Should we all play “Don’t mention the Whitechapel murders”?
Maybe the whole sorry mess got started the first time someone related the tale of Cain and a listener thought, “Hey, I can top _that_, easy!”
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