Trial George Russell Jr.: 1991 - Petty Thief Turned Murderer

George Russell, Jr., was a charming reprobate. But by the time he was 31, his Jekyll-Hyde existence would evolve from a lying, petty thief to a sadistic serial killer. This slender, smart, and sure guy would become a woman-hating murderer seeking sexual satisfaction by degrading and abusing them—dead or alive.

Since moving to the wealthy Seattle suburb as a child, one of only a handful of African Americans on the island, Russell had brushes with the law: stealing from high school lockers, marijuana use, truancy. But he ingratiated himself with police by running errands for them, working as an informant, listening to cops' personal problems. The local police station became Russell's second home; the police his substitute family. Eventually, Russell's escalating crime, pathological lying, and in-your-face toying with the law destroyed that bond.