Angela Girdner

*This article includes details of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and/or rape. Discretion is advised.*

## Angela Girdner

### Cause of death

Unknown

**Angela Marie Girdner** (February 28, 1967 - c. July 1983), known as **Oregon 1** or **Tualatin 1** while unidentified, was a teenager who is suspected to have been murdered by Gary Ridgway in Portland or Tualatin, Oregon in approximately July 1983. If Ridgway murdered her, she would be his thirty-third known murder victim.

She was identified in December 2009.

## Background

### Birth, Upbringing and Hobbies

Angela was born on February 28, 1967, in Oregon, likely in Portland. She seems to have had a stable and happy upbringing, as she often went boating with her father and enjoyed camping.

She had numerous interests growing up, including cooking, cake decorating, art, music, and ballet. She had received her GED and was enrolled and ready to attend a community college. She loved children, and was also a well-known babysitter, being the most requested one in the area. Angela was a very skilled swimmer in school, as she began diving at an early age. She joined her school's swim team.

She had dreams of becoming a model, learning all the tricks and techniques established models used to style their hair and wear makeup. She shared these tricks with her friends.

When Angela was fifteen, she began working with law enforcement in Portland to help end human trafficking. Details surrounding the work she did are unknown. She was described by her family as a loving, loyal, fearless, fragile, sensitive, and grateful person.

### Later Life

In 1983, Angela, for reasons unknown, began taking drugs. This is believed to have led to problems in Angela's life, the details of which are unknown.

## Disappearance

In July 1983, Angela ran away from her home. The reasons why are unknown, but she may have been involved in sex work after running away, though it was never confirmed. It's also unknown if she ever left Oregon.

## Discovery

Angela's remains were discovered on April 22, 1985, in Tualatin, Oregon, approximately sixteen miles away from Portland. Her cause of death couldn't be determined, but her case was deemed a homicide.

## Aftermath

### Initial Aftermath

Angela was reported missing by her family on an unknown date. However, her case wouldn't be known to the public until her identification.

During subsequent searches of the area, more remains would be found. Both of the remains were believed to be those of teenage girls, so police believed both cases were connected.

After June 1985, police began to suspect the girls were victims of the Green River Killer after the partial remains of Denise Bush and Shirley Sherrill, two Green River victims, were discovered only a mile away.

Police had no evidence to confirm this without the girl's names, meaning they weren't added to the list of suspected victims. Both girls remained unidentified.

### Identification of Tammie Liles

#### 1988 identification

In 1988, a girl named Tammie Liles' family contacted law enforcement to report their daughter missing, as they hadn't heard from her since 1983. Police took a report and, upon obtaining Tammie's dental records, were able to make a positive identification of Tammie's remains in March 1988.

Unfortunately, Angela's identity remained a mystery, as, even if they had the same killer, the girls didn't know each other before their disappearances.

#### 2024 identification

In January 2024, Othram announced Tammy had additionally been identified as Jane Doe B-20, a confirmed victim of Ridgway. Tammie is now considered a confirmed victim, but it's unknown if Angela is.

### Identification of Killer

The Green River Killer was identified in 2001 as Gary Ridgway, and took a plea deal where he confessed to most of the victims murders. When asked about Angela, still unidentified, and Tammie's murders, he denied killing them, unknowingly leading police to Tammie's unidentified partial remains. He was convicted of the murders of forty-nine women, including Tammie while still known as Jane Doe B-20, but not Angela.

### Identification

At an unknown point of time, Angela's remains were lost. This meant her DNA was unable to be obtained. The only evidence police had to identify her at the time were her remains' partial dental records.

At an unknown point, likely in 2009, Angela's remains were found. Police were able to obtain full dental records. This eventually led to Angela's positive identification in December 2009.

The discovery of Angela's identity gave a reason as to why Ridgway denied killing her. Angela was last seen alive in Portland, Oregon, and if he confessed to the murders, he could face the death penalty. It's believed he denied murdering Tammie to even further distance himself from Angela.

Ridgway is now confirmed to have murdered Tammie, but investigators have not commented on Angela's status as a victim. Her murder officially remains unsolved.

## Sources

* Gary Ridgway on Wikipedia
* Angela Girdner at *Find a Grave*
* Green River Killings (archived)
* The Doe Network (archived)
* *Albany Democrat-Herald* (subscription required)