Photo: King County Sheriff's Office
Law enforcement has identified human remains discovered decades ago as one of the victims of the Green River killer. The King County Sheriff's Office revealed Tuesday (December 19) that bones discovered in 1985 belong to Lori Anne Razpotnik, a 15-year-old girl from Lewis County, Washington.
Deputies said Razpotnik ran away from home in 1982, and that was the last time her family ever her again. Thanks to modern DNA technology, scientists with Parabon Nanolabs were able to develop a new DNA profile through the forensic genetic genealogy process, according to a news release.
"King County Detectives contacted Lori Anne’s mother who provided them with a saliva sample," officials wrote. "The University of North Texas did DNA comparison testing which confirmed that they were Lori Anne’s remains."
On December 30, 1985, City of Auburn employees were called to investigate a car that went over an embankment in the 2000 block of Mt. View Drive SW. Investigators with the Green River Task Force discovered potential human remains and later found another set during a separate search.
Officials didn't immediately identify the victims at the time and labeled the remains as Bones 16 and Bones 17. Bones 16 was identified as Sandra Majors through DNA testing in 2012, while Bones 17 was identified as Razpotnik.
"Gary Ridgway led investigators to this location in 2002 and admitted to placing victims there," the sheriff's office noted.
Ridgway, known as the Green River killer, pleaded guilty to murdering Razpotnik, Majors, and 47 other women during a high-profile case in 2003. Prosecutors said he strangled all his victims before dumping their bodies in forests and overgrown areas across King County. He's currently imprisoned at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
Donna Hurley, Razpotnik's mother, told KOMO her feelings after learning the truth about her daughter's disappearance.
"It’s a wound that’s going to take a while to close," she said.