Virginia Ridley
Encyclopedia
Virginia Ridley was a woman from Ringgold, Georgia
, whose death made headlines when her husband, Alvin, was arrested and charged with imprisoning her for almost three decade
s, then killing
her.
Alvin and Virginia lived on the outskirts of Ringgold in a dilapidated, cockroach
-infested house. He maintained that the reason why no one in Ringgold knew of her existence was because her family's opposition to their marriage led to her decision to live as a hermit
. Virginia's family claimed that Alvin prevented all attempts by them to contact her.
At trial, Ridley maintained he and Virginia were happy and that he never harmed her. He produced what he claimed was her journal, consisting of 10,000 pages. His attorney theorized that Virginia—who suffered from agoraphobia
, hypergraphia
and epilepsy
—died of an epileptic seizure, as had Florence Griffith-Joyner
, whose autopsy
he submitted as evidence. The prosecution maintained that Ridley suffocated her. After the jury deliberated for 2 hours and 14 minutes, he was acquitted.
The case was featured on the A&E
program American Justice
.
Ringgold, Georgia
Ringgold is a city in Catoosa County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Catoosa County...
, whose death made headlines when her husband, Alvin, was arrested and charged with imprisoning her for almost three decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s, then killing
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
her.
Alvin and Virginia lived on the outskirts of Ringgold in a dilapidated, cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
-infested house. He maintained that the reason why no one in Ringgold knew of her existence was because her family's opposition to their marriage led to her decision to live as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
. Virginia's family claimed that Alvin prevented all attempts by them to contact her.
At trial, Ridley maintained he and Virginia were happy and that he never harmed her. He produced what he claimed was her journal, consisting of 10,000 pages. His attorney theorized that Virginia—who suffered from agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
, hypergraphia
Hypergraphia
Hypergraphia is an overwhelming urge to write. It is not itself a disorder, but can be associated with temporal lobe changes in epilepsy and mania in the context of bipolar disorder.-Causes:...
and epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
—died of an epileptic seizure, as had Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Griffith-Joyner , also known as Flo-Jo was an American track and field athlete. She is considered the "fastest woman of all time" based on the fact that she still holds the world record for both the 100 metres and 200 metres, both set in 1988 and never seriously challenged...
, whose autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
he submitted as evidence. The prosecution maintained that Ridley suffocated her. After the jury deliberated for 2 hours and 14 minutes, he was acquitted.
The case was featured on the A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
program American Justice
American Justice
American Justice is an American criminal justice television program on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the Selena Murder of a Star, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, or the Wells Fargo heist, with...
.