In a significant breakthrough, the King County Sheriff's Office has identified one of the two sets of human remains found in Auburn, Washington, back in 1985 as Lori Anne Ratzpotnik, a 15-year-old who had been reported missing in 1982. The remains, previously referred to as Bones 17, were finally connected to Ratzpotnik after investigators collaborated with Parabon NanoLabs and used forensic genetic genealogy testing to develop a new DNA profile.

The notorious Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, confessed to the murders of Ratzpotnik and 46 other women and girls in 2003. He led officials to the location where the bodies were found in 2002. Ridgway, who had terrorized Washington state in the early 1980s, was apprehended in 2001 and pleaded guilty to all his crimes in King County to avoid the death penalty.

Ratzpotnik's identity remained a mystery until recently, when her mother provided a saliva sample for DNA comparison testing. The University of North Texas confirmed that the remains discovered as Bones 17 indeed belonged to Ratzpotnik. The young girl had run away from her home in Lewis County, located approximately 75 miles away from Auburn.

The victims of the prolific Green River Killer were initially discovered in 1982, marking the start of Ridgway's reign of terror. To this day, two victims remain unidentified, as Ridgway could not provide any significant information to assist in their identification. The King County authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information related to these cases or any other crimes connected to the Green River Killer.

Additionally, there are three women—Kassee Ann Lee, Kelly Kay McGinnis, and Patricia Ann Osborn—who were reported missing in the early 1980s and are still unaccounted for. Although Ridgway was not charged in their disappearances, they are listed on the official Green River Homicides list.

Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, is currently serving life imprisonment without parole at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. The heinous crimes committed by Ridgway shocked the nation and left families grieving for their loved ones for decades. The identification of Lori Anne Ratzpotnik serves as a reminder that justice, albeit delayed, can eventually prevail.

Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the missing women or the Green River case to contact them to help bring closure to the remaining unsolved mysteries and provide comfort to the victims' families who have long awaited answers.