Ep. 40:When Murder Fades from Memory: The Forgotten Serial Killer Gary Gene Grant

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Link to book by Cloyd Steiger: Seattle’s Forgotten Serial Killer: Gary Gene Grant

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467143622

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You've heard of Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, but Seattle hides darker secrets in its rainy past. Meet Gary Gene Grant, a serial killer who terrorized the quiet suburb of Renton, Washington before the term "serial killer" even existed, yet somehow faded from public memory.
Growing up in a Seattle suburb during this decade, I was shocked to disc ver this forgotten chapter of Pacific Northwest crime history. Grant's reign of terror began in 1969 when 19-year-old culinary student Carol Erickson was stabbed while walking home along the Cedar River. Nearly a year later, 17-year-old Joanne Zuloff met the same fate. But Grant's most heinous act came in April 1971 when he lured two six-year-old boys, Scott Andrews and Bradley Lyons, into the woods, where they were brutally murdered.
What makes this case particularly fascinating is how thoroughly it disappeared from collective memory despite its horrific nature. While Vietnam War coverage and Manson Family trials dominated headlines, Grant's murders slipped into obscurity. Yet for the victims' families, the pain never faded. Through meticulous police work—following the trail of a hunting knife, matching tennis shoe prints, and carefully preserving evidence—investigators finally brought Grant to justice, resulting in four consecutive life sentences.
Today, the physical landscapes where these murders occurred have transformed completely—peaceful walking paths, coffee stands, and high-end condominiums mask the horrors that once took place. But through the dedicated work of retired homicide detective Cloyd Steiger, this forgotten case has been brought back to light, reminding us that some monsters hide not just in the shadows, but in the gaps of our collective memory.
Dive into this chilling hometown case with us, and remember that behind every forgotten killer are victims who deserve to be remembered.

Sources:

Cloud Steiger
Publication Date: 27th January 2020
https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467143622
https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/50-years-after-4-murders-rocked-a-community-and-a-courtroom-seattles-forgotten-serial-killer-explores-the-case-of-gary-gene-grant/

By Cloyd Steiger
August 16, 2020

Editor’s note: This is an edited, condensed excerpt from “Seattle’s Forgotten Serial Killer: Gary Gene Grant,” by Cloyd Steiger (History Press, 2020).

Books are available for purchase locally wherever books are sold, and at arcadiapublishing.com.
By HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
03:05 18 Aug 2020, updated 03:55 18 Aug 2020
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8637453/How-Seattles-Forgotten-Serial-Killer-1960s-70s-slipped-net.html

Chapters

1. Introduction to Gary Gene Grant case (00:00:00)

2. Hometown connections to Seattle (00:08:05)

3. Grant's troubled upbringing (00:12:02)

4. First victim: Carol Erickson (00:17:08)

5. Second victim: Joanne Zuloff (00:25:23)

6. The murder of two six-year-old boys (00:34:15)

7. False confession by John Chance (00:38:37)

8. The breakthrough: Tracing the murder weapon (00:42:52)

9. Grant's arrest and illegal recording issue (00:47:12)