WA WA - Kristi Vorak, 13, Tacoma, 31 Oct 1982

[alb1on]

I am now fairly confident with the accuracy of the Ancestry message having done a bit more research. Without going into personal details (beyond the name of the poster which I gave in #17 and which came from the public tree on Ancestry), I am confident that person is a very close relative of Kristi and so in the best position possible to know the details of her disappearance.

 

[wendybtn]

Just reading that she was in a foster home makes me wonder how bad her life was before that time.

 

[alb1on]

Just reading that she was in a foster home makes me wonder how bad her life was before that time.

Faith Home was a home for unmarried mothers, not a foster home. Whilst I cannot rule out that it took other categories and cannot prove conclusively that the message on Ancestry was correct, I can definitely confirm that the Ancestry message and the included comment about her running away from Faith Home came from a very close relative.

 

[wendybtn]

Faith Home was a home for unmarried mothers, not a foster home. Whilst I cannot rule out that it took other categories and cannot prove conclusively that the message on Ancestry was correct, I can definitely confirm that the Ancestry message and the included comment about her running away from Faith Home came from a very close relative.

Whether a foster home or a home for unmarried mothers, to be placed in one at age 13, to me, implies a hard life prior to that time.

 

[alb1on]

Whether a foster home or a home for unmarried mothers, to be placed in one at age 13, to me, implies a hard life prior to that time.

I agree and am not trying to be pedantic. My interest in confirmation of the precise details lies in the difference in possible motives and outcomes that arise from whether or not she had given birth. If she had it opens up a raft of possibilities which do not arise in other circumstances.

 

[theshadow45]

Bumping, today is Kristi’s birthday.

 

[theshadow45]

Kristi has been missing for 40 years today.

 

[R2D21211]

I'm her niece. I've been independently investigating this. Where she disappeared from was in the killing grounds of the green river killer. I'm going to get in touch with the detective on the case to see what they can release to me.

 

[deanguy]

I live in Tacoma and this one is on my mind every time I go to the mall-

 

[Richard]

Missing for over 40 years:​

Kristi Lynn Vorak​

Left and Center: Kristi circa, 1982 Right: Age Progressed to age 43

Missing Since: October 31, 1982

Missing From: Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington

Classification: Endangered Missing

Date Of Birth: October 21, 1969

Age: 13 years old

Height and Weight: 5’3″ and 110 pounds

Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Brown hair, Hazel eyes, Kristi’s middle finger on her left hand is an inch shorter than average due to a birth defect

NCMEC Number: 837648

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Details of Disappearance

Kristi was last seen in Tacoma, Washington on October 31st 1982. She was last seen during the night of Halloween and might have been seen later in the evening at a bus depot in the area of Seattle, Washington. This report has not been confirmed. She has never been seen or heard from since. Investigators believe she met with foul play. All though Kristi didn’t have a history with prostitution or running away.

She lived with a foster family at the time of her 1982 disappearance and investigators initially believed she had runaway. Her name was added to the list of possible victims of the Green River Killer in May of 1993. Investigators believe that Vorak was a victim of the Green River killings. The killer, Gary Ridgeway, was charged and convicted with killing 49 of his 71 confessed victims. His 48 confirmed victims include 46 identified murdered women and 2 unidentified Jane does whom were also victims of his. He is also considered a suspect in several other women’s disappearances.

He has been looked at in relation to the disappearances of Louise Marie Sanders, Kase Ann Lee, Darci Renae Warde, Patricia Ann LeBlanc, Keli Kay McGinness, Patricia Anne Osborn, and Deborah Wims. Investigators have also looked at him for the disappearances of Andria Bailey and Cora Christmas McGuirk. Police have no reason to believe that Bailey was a victim of the killings since she vanished in the 1970s.

Ridgeway’s victims were usually sex workers or prostitutes. He also had victims that were teenaged runaways. He stated he picked prostitutes since they were easy to gain the trust of and most of them he “hated”. It should be noted that Ridgeway remained an unidentified killer until 2001 when he was arrested and charged with aggravated murder in the slayings of 4 women.

Three of the women were identified as Opal Mills, Marcia Chapman, and Cynthia Hinds. Their bodies were discovered in the Green River south of Seattle on August 15th 1982. Another presumed victim of his, Carol Christensen, was found slain in the woods nearby in May of 1983. His DNA was matched to the victims found in the river in 2001 and circumstantial evidence linked him to Carols murder.

Ridgway had been a suspect in the cases since 1984, he was questioned that same year regarding their deaths. Witnesses came forward and claimed that Ridgway was with two of the victims before their murders and his pickup truck was the one seen at the location where they were also seen alive. His house was searched in 1987 and he gave police a saliva sample at that time. The saliva sample would ultimately link him to the murders through DNA.

Ridgway’s criminal record dates back to the early 1980s. He was arrested in 1982 for solicitation of prostitution and was originally charged with connection to prostitution in 1980 but that charge was dropped after the prostitute claimed he choked her. Ridgway fought her claim and stated that he choked her in self defense since she was biting him. Another prostitute who was paid by Ridgway for her services in the early 1980s corroborated this and said he attempted to choke her while they had sexual intercourse.

One of Ridgway’s former wives came forward after he was arrested in 2001 and claimed that Ridgway preferred to do sexual activities outdoors and that he would employ a chokehold on her while they were having sex. His residence along with his parents home were searched after his arrest in 2001. Authorities discovered many items of interest which included an envelope that contained bone fragments, numerous bloodstains, tufts of human hair and wigs, costume jewelry, and latex gloves.

Many of his presumed victims were missing wigs and jewelry when their bodies were discovered. Authorities stated that they planned to seek the death penalty against him for his crimes in April of 2002. That same year, investigators attempted to locate all of Ridgway’s vehicles to see if they had any evidence linking him to other crimes. They managed to locate several of his former vehicles and also purchased his pickup truck and camper from their owners.

Ridgway owner the pickup truck during the early 1980s, this was when many of his victims disappeared or when his victims were found murdered. In early August of 2003, Ridgway was moved from a maximum prison cell at King County Jail to an Airway Heights Minimum-Medium Security Level Tank. His lawyers were planning to close a plea bargain in which Ridgway would be spared of the death penalty. He would have to confess to the murders of the other Green River victims.

In August and September of 2003, Ridgway led investigators to the remains of 3 missing girls he killed in the 1980s. On August 16th 2003, investigators found the remains of a 16 year old female in Enumclaw, Washington. They were identified as belonging to Pammy Annette Avent who was killed on October 26th 1983. In September, investigators found the remains of Marie Malvar and April Buttram. Malvar disappeared on April 30th 1983 from Seattle. Buttram disappeared on August 18th 1983.

Ridgway was convicted and pleaded guilty to 48 counts of murder in November of 2003. He is serving 48 life sentences without the possibility of parole. Various investigators believe that Ridgway was responsible for more deaths than he confessed too. He claimed to have killed up to 71 people. He might face the death penalty if investigators find that he committed any murders outside of King County, Washington.

In addition to the murder charges, Ridgway was also charged with tampering with evidence in relation to each victim. He received an additional 10 years for each which adds 480 years to his life sentences. He later said that murdering women was his “career”. Profilers have stayed that Ridgway doesn’t fit the typical type of a serial killer. He was described by neighbors as a family oriented being and didn’t seek attention for his crimes much like other killers.

Investigators believe that Vorak was murdered by Ridgway, he was asked about her case in 2003 but he had no information to provide. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance which remains unsolved.

---

Investigating Agency

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:

Tacoma Police Department 253-798-4721

---

Source Information

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children



LINK:

Kristi Lynn Vorak

Left and Center: Kristi circa, 1982 Right: Age Progressed to age 43 Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance Missing Since: October 31, 1982 Missing From: Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington Classif…

rcccmcc.com

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

*Bump*

Kristi Vorak has twelve NamUs exclusions:

#UP4219
Date Body Found: August 21, 1984
State: CA
County: Los Angeles

#UP9927
Date Body Found: March 21, 1984
State: WA
County: King

#UP9929
Date Body Found: January 02, 1986
State: WA
County: King

#UP8419
Date Body Found: January 16, 2001
State: VA
County: Isle of Wight

#UP15630
Date Body Found: July 03, 1984
State: OH
County: Cuyahoga

#UP6629
Date Body Found: February 03, 1991
State: VA
County: Frederick

#UP12683
Date Body Found: June 06, 2014
State: VA
County: Newport News

#UP6661
Date Body Found: February 03, 1991
State: VA
County: Stafford

#UP9978
Date Body Found: October 13, 2010
State: WA
County: Pierce

#UP6796
Date Body Found: November 18, 1985
State: VA
County: Alleghany

#UP6642
Date Body Found: August 07, 1986
State: VA
County: Chesterfield

#UP8493
Date Body Found: December 06, 1993
State: VA
County: Fairfax

 

[Richard]

Kristi Lynn Vorak, age 13, Missing since 31 October 1982​

LINK:

Kristi Lynn Vorak – The Charley Project

 

[theshadow45]

Bumping, today is Kristi’s birthday.

 

[theshadow45]

Kristi has been missing for 41 years today.

 

[Charlot123]

I've read a couple of books about the Green River case and I've read Ridgeway's confessional testimony. From what I've learned about his victims, I really don't think that this MP fits the profile. She just turned 13 when she went missing which is younger than his typical victim. Ridgeway's rage seemed to be triggered by women working in the prostitution industry, so there is no reason to believe that this 13 year-old girl would have ended up being one of his earlier victims IMO.

He chose sex workers because their disappearance went unknown for a long time and few cared for them.
He killed not only because of rage. He had high sex drive and might rape and kill a random woman, too. One of the other reasons for him to kill was that he didn't want to pay for services.

So she could be his victim, too. Not necessarily, of course, but not excluded.

 

[Charlot123]

In my post #17 above I quoted a message from a relative stating that she ran away from Faith Home, Tacoma. Faith Home was a home for unmarried mothers and although 13 may seem young for such a situation, the home had taken girls as young as 11. Information on the home can be found at White Shield Home nominated to Historic Register (historictacoma.org) and following the pdf link to their nomination form which gives a detailed history (it closed in 1987).

If Kristi had given birth this would give a new perspective on both her situation when she went missing and her previous life. It could range from providing a motive to run away, to raising the possibility of post natal depression, to raising questions about the father. Of course, I do not know whether she had given birth or any other details, but it does raise questions which need to be answered.

That's where DNA can help even if it was closed adoption. If Kristi has any living relatives left, today nothing is impossible.

 

[Richard]

Bumping this thread up.

 

[Charlot123]

I believe that there is a possibility Kristi was murdered by GR, but I am somewhat doubtful over that scenario. I mean was Kristi wearing a costume as it was Halloween when she disappeared? Was she trick or treating? I know Kristi is just a couple of years younger than GR's youngest victims and she was fairly grown, but GR preyed on prostitutes. Not young teen girls running around on Halloween night. Besides, there are cops more on the lookout for trouble on Holidays and I think GR would know he was at more of a risk of getting caught and did he ever go out looking for street workers to prey on during other Holidays? I worry LE has looked in the wrong direction for resolving Kristi's disappearance and the perp is still running around. JMO

GRK mostly preyed on young runaway prostitutes, but only because it was the easiest group to target. He hated his mother, he hated his first wife, hated some prostitute that gave him STD during him being in the military but mostly, he hated himself. His murders were those of opportunity. A woman asking for a ride disappeared, and she wasn’t a prostitute. I think it was about opportunity as much as about the profession.

 

[theshadow45]

Today is Kristi’s birthday.

 

[Charlot123]

According to Anne Rule's book on the Green River killer, Gary Ridgeway seemed to have trouble recalling all the names and faces of his victims. They didn't seem like real people to him, it appears. It's possible he doesn't even know for certain how many girls he killed. Although Kristi doesn't fit his normal profile, might he have offered her a ride sometime? I'm thinking at least one of his other victims had no ties to prostitution but was known to hitch hike. If Kristi ever accepted a ride from Gary Ridgeway, unfortunately we know what his intentions were.

Does he have prosopagnosia, which is now a normal diagnosis? Or did it have to do with the situation in his car? He was a necrophile, so he should have had some memory of faces, it would seem.