This memorial website is to honor the memory of Gisele Ann Lovvorn, born 2/26/1965, who was murdered by Gary L. Ridgway, the so-called "Green River killer", at the age of 17. Gisele disappeared from the Pacific Highway South, also known as the Sea-Tac Strip, in Seattle, Washington State, on July 17, 1982.

Although the webmaster/creator of this website is not related in any way to Gisele or her family, she is interested in victims' rights, and wanted Gisele to be remembered for her loving and kind nature, not just as a prostitute and victim of violent crime.

According to research done by the webmaster, Gisele grew up in California. Her childhood was happy, but she grew isolated as a young teenager and began to run away from home when she was about fourteen. She was a devoted fan of the "Grateful Dead" band and followed their concerts all over the country. In Ann Rule's book, GREEN RIVER RUNNING RED, she reports that Gisele had become involved with a taxi driver named James Tindal, who was older than Gisele. They shared a small apartment and he said that Gisele had turned to prostitution to earn enough money to bail him out of jail for theft. Her parents wanted her to come home, and she had actually intended to return to California, but Tindal, whom she had met while she was on the road, somehow persuaded her to stay in Washington State.

Gisele was small, with long, thick blonde hair and blue eyes, and she began working as a street prostitute. It is doubtful that her family knew what she was doing. Her family were notified of her disappearance after she had been missing for several days. Her "boyfriend" had reported her missing and said he tried to find her, but could not. Police were very skeptical of his story, especially when they found out he was also involved with other young teenage girls who had run away from home.

In defense attorney Mark Prothero's book DEFENDING GARY, Ridgway recounted a horrifying story of how he saw Gisele hitchhiking and pulled over to give her a ride. His young son, Matthew, aged 7, was with him at the time. He said that he told his son to wait in the truck for him while he and Gisele went into the woods. After sex, Ridgway told Gisele that he thought he heard his son coming, and she raised her head to look. Then he struck from behind (as usual) by putting her neck in a choke hold. Once she was immobilized and unconscious, he took his black socks, tied them together, and tied them around her neck so tightly they could not be removed (he returned to the scene later to get them because "they were my good dress socks and I didn't want to just leave them there.") Gisele was left in an isolated area in a clump of brush, where she remained for about two months before her body was discovered.

At Ridgway's trial, her sister Michelle gave this moving speech about her sister:

"Gisele was very much loved by her family and has been missed very much every day for the last 20 years. Gisele was only 17 years old when she was murdered by that animal sitting over there who we have to call a man. He does not to live or breathe, but he does not deserve to die. Dying would be too easy for him. It is impossible to put into words how much her murder has devastated and destroyed my family. This will never put an end or closure on her death or murder. I miss her everyday and it will never stop..."

REST IN PEACE GISELE. YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED AND REMEMBERED.

WEBMASTER'S NOTE:

ENTRIES on the guestbook must be appropriate. This site is in memory of a young woman who met a brutal and untimely death. If any offending posts are noted, the offending poster's computer IP address will be noted and authorities contacted, as this constitutes website abuse.