15 Notorious Serial Killers With Ties to the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is often associated with forests, mountains, rain, and remote stretches of highway, but the region also has a darker place in American true-crime history. Over the decades, several notorious serial killers have lived in, traveled through, or committed crimes in Washington, Oregon, and the surrounding region.

This slideshow looks at 15 serial killers with ties to the Pacific Northwest, including cases connected to major cities, rural areas, and isolated landscapes that became part of the story. Some were among the most infamous offenders in the country, while others remain closely tied to local history and law enforcement investigations.

Because these cases involve real victims and violent crimes, reader discretion is advised. To create this list, Seattle Travel reviewed information from sources including FBI materials, Washington and Oregon court records, and reporting from regional outlets such as The Seattle Times and The Oregonian.

Ted Bundy (Washington/Oregon)

• One of America’s most infamous serial killers, Bundy began his murder spree in the Pacific Northwest and established a killing ground in Washington that was later dubbed “Bundy’s Graveyard”.
• Victims: Confessed to 30, estimated to have killed more.
• Method: Bludgeoning and strangulation; often lured victims with a fake injury.
• Capture: First arrested in Utah (1975), escaped twice, recaptured in Florida in 1978.
• Sentence: Executed in 1989.

Jake Bird (Washington)

• A transient laborer whose killing spree spanned several states, including Washington.
• Victims: Convicted of 2, confessed to 44.
• Method: Axe or hatchet attacks.
• Capture: Arrested in 1947 in Tacoma; claimed a “hex” would harm those involved in his trial.
• Sentence: Executed in 1949.

Robert Pickton (British Columbia)

• Canadian pig farmer who lured women to his farm in Port Coquitlam, BC.
• Victims: Convicted of 6 murders, charged with 26, claimed to have killed 49.
• Method: Dismemberment, with some victims’ remains reportedly ground up and fed to pigs.
• Capture: Arrested in 2002 after a lengthy police investigation and tips from informants.
• Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole for 25 years; murdered by his cell mate in May 2024.

Jerome Henry “Jerry” Brudos (Oregon)

• Known as the Lust Killer, Brudos terrorized the Willamette Valley in the late 1960s.
• Victims: 4 confirmed murders.
• Method: Strangulation; fascinated with women’s shoes and bodies.
• Capture: Arrested in 1969 after police traced calls made to a potential victim.
• Sentence: Life in prison; died in 2006.

Gary Ridgway (Washington)

• Known as the Green River Killer, Ridgway is one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history.
• Victims: Convicted of 49 murders, confessed to 71, suspected of over 90.
• Method: Strangled vulnerable women, often dumping bodies in wooded areas near the Green River.
• Capture: Arrested in 2001 after DNA evidence linked him to several victims.
• Sentence: Life in prison without parole.

Westley Allan Dodd (Washington)

• A killer known for targeting young boys.
• Victims: 3 confirmed murders.
• Method: Strangulation and stabbing.
• Capture: Arrested in 1989 after attempting to abduct a boy at a Camas, WA movie theater.
• Sentence: Executed in 1993; first U.S. hanging in decades.

Keith Jesperson (Oregon)

• Known as the Happy Face Killer for signing his anonymous confessions with a smiley face.
• Victims: Confessed to 8 murders.
• Method: Strangulation of women, usually transients or vulnerable populations.
• Capture: Arrested in 1995 after turning himself in.
• Sentence: Life in prison.

Randall Woodfield (Oregon/Washington)

• Dubbed the I-5 Killer, he targeted women along the I-5 corridor.
• Victims: Convicted of 1 murder, suspected of as many as 18–44.
• Method: Rape and shooting or stabbing, often during robberies.
• Capture: Arrested in 1981 after multiple survivors identified him.
• Sentence: Life plus 99 years.

Kenneth Bianchi (Washington)

• One of the Hillside Stranglers; later committed separate murders in Bellingham, WA.
• Victims: Convicted of 12 murders (with cousin Angelo Buono in L.A. and solo in WA).
• Method: Strangulation and psychological manipulation.
• Capture: Caught in 1979 after killing two students in Washington.
• Sentence: Life in prison.

Richard Marquette (Oregon)

• A convicted murderer who killed and dismembered women.
• Victims: 3 confirmed.
• Method: Strangulation and dismemberment; disposed body parts in remote areas.
• Capture: Arrested in 1975 after leaving a trail of body parts.
• Sentence: Life in prison.

Robert Lee Yates (Washington)

• A Spokane-area serial killer who targeted vulnerable populations.
• Victims: Convicted of 13 murders, suspected of up to 18.
• Method: Shooting victims in the head, usually in his car.
• Capture: Arrested in 2000 after forensic evidence connected him to several murders.
• Sentence: Death sentence later commuted to life without parole.

George Waterfield Russell Jr. (Washington)

• Known for grotesque post-mortem positioning of victims.
• Victims: 3 confirmed in the Seattle/Bellevue area.
• Method: Beating and strangulation; posed victims in explicit positions.
• Capture: Arrested in 1990 after fingerprints and stolen items linked him to the murders.
• Sentence: Life in prison.

Michael Bruce Ross (Washington State Origin)

• Though he killed on the East Coast, Ross was born in Washington.
• Victims: 8 confirmed.
• Method: Assault and strangulation.
• Capture: Arrested in 1984 after attempting another assault.
• Sentence: Executed in 2005.

Douglas Daniel Clark (Washington State Origin)

• One half of the “Sunset Strip Killers,” with Carol Bundy.
• Victims: 6 confirmed in Los Angeles, though Clark was born in Tacoma, WA.
• Method: Shooting.
• Capture: Caught in 1980 due to Bundy’s confession.
• Sentence: Death row in California.

Dwight Lamon Jones (Washington State Origin)

• While his murders occurred in Arizona, Jones grew up in Washington.
• Victims: 6 confirmed.
• Method: Shooting; targeted professionals involved in his divorce.
• Capture: Killed himself in 2018 after a police standoff.