Crime Corner: Talking crime, not politics, during campaign stop.
Tekoa’s charming streets were lined with cars as former Rep. Dave Reichert, a former detective turned political hopeful, arrived on his campaign trail seeking to win over local voters and solidify his bid for governor.
Amid election fervor, I attended not to discuss politics, but to talk about the crime that had defined Reichert’s career — the Green River murders.
Meeting Dave was like stepping into a scene from a crime thriller and finding myself face-to-face with a living legend. As a self-professed “crime junkie,” my fascination with the Green River murders, and countless other prolific Washington state murder cases, has led me down numerous rabbit holes of research, analyzing every detail and dissecting every clue. So much so that even now, I focus heavily on three Whitman County cold cases in my free time.
So, when the opportunity arose to meet one of the lead detectives who brought Gary Ridgway, the notorious “Green River Killer,” to justice, it felt as though I was stepping directly into the pages of an Agatha Christie novel.
His role in unraveling one of the most chilling murder mysteries in modern history earned him a place in the pantheon of crime-solving icons. For someone like me, whose passion for writing, investigating and reporting on local crime knows no bounds, meeting Reichert was the equivalent of meeting a rock star.
As we exchanged words, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for the man before me. Here was someone who had navigated the darkest and twistiest corners of human depravity, faced evil in its purest form and uncovered the truth.
I found myself hanging on to every word in Reichert's presence, soaking in the wisdom of a seasoned detective who really had seen it all. His insights into forensic science intricacies and law enforcements inner workings were like gold nuggets for a crime reporter like myself and the ongoing projects I am working on for the Joyce LePage, Kristin David and Dorothy Walker cold cases.
But beyond the thrill of meeting a real-life crime-solving hero, there was a deeper appreciation for the human aspect.
Dave wasn’t just a larger-than-life figure; he was a man who had dedicated his life to serving and protecting his community. His humility, empathy and unwavering commitment to doing what was right transcended the boundaries of fame and notoriety, especially since these qualities were programmed into my brain at Army Basic Training when I enlisted in 2022.
As I left our encounter, my mind buzzing, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity to have crossed paths with someone who had left an indelible mark on Washington’s crime history.
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