Trial George Russell Jr.: 1991

Abandonment was the story of George Russell's life. His college-bound mother left him with a negligent grandmother in Florida when he was six months old. She later remarried. With her dentist husband, she moved to Mercer Island when Russell was in junior high school. His mother and stepfather doted on their own new daughter, but Russell was barely tolerated. Although his gregarious nature earned him many friends at school, he couldn't move beyond shallow popularity to real acceptance among the fickle, indulged white teens of Mercer Island.

As the sense of isolation grew, Russell's crimes became more frequent and serious. At night, he donned dark clothes, usually "borrowed" from pals, and boldly invaded homes as families slept inside. He stole cash, jewelry, and personal mementos. He often stood next to the bed of sleeping women, gazing silently at them. Investigators theorized that the nocturnal burglar plaguing the area gained perverse sexual gratification from his exploits.

From early youth through adolescence, Russell was a one-man crime wave in suburban Seattle. He was incarcerated 24 times, mostly for minor offenses. His intimate knowledge of police procedure and the six-mile-long island helped him allude arrest and avoid conviction for most of his crimes. In a real pinch, he could manipulate people into lying for him, especially the younger, adoring crowd to which he gravitated.

In his 20s, Russell became an affable fixture in the rollicking nightclubs of Bellevue, just east of Mercer Island. He couldn't hold a legitimate job, he carried all his possessions—including a collection of pornographic magazines—in a duffel bag and paper sacks, and his daytime home was the apartment of his latest unsuspecting "best friend." He said he worked as an undercover cop at night. Most who befriended him thought George Russell was a wonderful guy. Those who knew him better thought he showed little emotion, no guilt, and growing hostility toward women. They said he was obsessed with sex. Charming George would hit on anybody.