Catching him after his 2nd murder would have prevented another 48+ killings. What would the % decrease in the murder rate be from that (and as they say on the diet and exercise commercials, results not typical)...
Cheers!
...I would argue instead that Gary Ridgeway is the best argument *for* the death penalty, if we can catch and accurately convict the guilty quickly enough.
In the Ridgeway case, the problem is twofold: (1) he wasn't caught until he had killed over 50 women; (2) prosecutors made a deal with him that allowed him to escape execution by agreeing to tell where missing bodies were to be found.
Should Ridgeway have been executed? Absolutely. Is he going to be? No. In light of these facts, my argument stands, I believe: the death penalty for anything less than a mass murderer is unjust. If the Ridgeway case were to be reviewed, his non-execution deal were to be overturned, and he were to be executed, I would withdraw my argument.