Golden State Killer

The Golden State Killer is the name given to an unidentified California serial offender later identified as Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer.

The Golden State Killer is the name given to an unidentified California serial offender later identified as Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer. He was linked to a long series of rapes, burglaries, and murders across California in the 1970s and 1980s, and was convicted in 2020 after pleading guilty to multiple counts. DeAngelo was arrested in April 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Identity and crimes

The Golden State Killer was the unidentified perpetrator behind a major California crime spree later attributed to Joseph James DeAngelo. He was also known as the East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker, and Visalia Ransacker. The offenses included rape, burglary, and murder across multiple counties over more than a decade. Police and prosecutors linked him to at least 13 murders and numerous sexual assaults and burglaries.

Investigation and arrest

Investigators used DNA evidence and genetic genealogy to connect crime-scene material to DeAngelo and his relatives. DeAngelo was identified as the Golden State Killer through DNA and forensic genetic genealogy. He was arrested in April 2018 in Citrus Heights, near Sacramento, after police identified him as the suspect.

Conviction and sentence

DeAngelo pleaded guilty in 2020 to 13 murders and related charges to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He received multiple life sentences without parole and is serving his sentence in California.

Legacy of the case

The case is widely discussed as a landmark example of forensic genetic genealogy in a cold case investigation. It also drew attention for the scale of the crimes and the decades-long effort to identify the offender.