A Time magazine writer – prompted by the Virginia Tech shootings – expounds on what motivates mass and serial killers.

KOMO got a good exclusive.

They’ve sat down with Judith Ridgway, the ex-wife of confessed Green River Killer Gary Ridgway.

The interview, spliced with graphical elements, video footage of Ridgway and family photos of him and his wife, aired last night.

It’s on their web site as well this morning. Sounds like there will be a part two tonight, looking at the letters Ridgway has sent his ex-wfie from prison.

This is a good event for those of you who do not own a shredder at home but are inundated with junk mail and other paperwork that could be useful to crooks.

It’s the state’s first shred-a-thon is Saturday.

Goal: Raise awareness about how to prevent identity theft and help the public in “keeping sensitive documents out of the hands of crooks,” according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Where: There are five locations set up in Pierce County.

– Tacoma Police Department, 3701 S. Pine

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They’re picking a jury in the case of State v. Tremayne Jamone Reed.

Reed, 24, is the man accused of shooting Puyallup police officer Gary Shilley in the face last March. The shooting took place outside the South Hill Mall as Shilley investigated a suspicious vehicle.

The veteran officer (seen here) survived but still has not returned to work.

Prosecutors have charged Reed with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in the case.

Deputy prosecutor James Schacht filed paperwork last week announcing his intention to seek

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Somebody had to have seen this one. There’s no way to move this much dirt without raising a hint of suspicion.

Sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight Monday, someone stole 150 yards of soil from Purdy Topsoil & Gravel’s quarry on Burnham Drive Northwest at 112th Street Northwest, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

The suspects used to the on-site conveyor system to move the soil, which amounts to 12 1/2 dump truck loads.

A nearby resident did hear the noise from the equipment and left a message with the company, the department reported.

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Now, Tacoma police are searching for the culprit.

They’ve identified a suspect – a 26-year-old man with a history of prowling other people’s cars – and were seeking a warrant against him.

Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said investigators had probable cause to arrest the man in connection with the break-in of the detective’s car. The News Tribune is not yet naming the man because he’s not been charged in the incident.

The detective’s car was locked and parked outside a business in the North End on April 19. Someone broke out the passenger side window, reached inside

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Jurors in the first-degree murder trial of Verrick Yarbrough were handed the case just before noon Wednesday.

They are tasked with determining whether Yarbrough killed Rhaczio Simms outside Club Friday, an all-ages establishment in downtown Tacoma, last summer. Police and prosecutors have said the shooting, which also injured a girl, was gang motivated.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys made their closing statements Wednesday morning.

Hopefully, you’ve seen today’s story about the cracking of the old, rusty safe from the old Elks Temple for the answer. If you haven’t, the answer is not much of anything – some rusty paper clips, not quite a handful of wood chips and a spider.

This has been an enjoyable story to follow and a nice change of pace.

Yesterday, I learned quite a bit about safes, how they operate and how locksmiths work to get inside. It’s a craft that requires quite a bit of patience.

Jim Haeckel and Patrick Fahey of Robblee’s Total

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