In search of the Golden State Killer
On Friday, August 21, 2020, a Sacramento judge sentenced Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., known as "The Golden State Killer," to multiple life sentences for a string of rapes and murders DeAngelo admitted he committed across California in the 1970s and 1980s. Authorities called DeAngelo "the most prolific serial predator in the nation." The sentencing took place after three days of powerful impact statements from dozens of survivors of his crimes and family members of the 13 people he murdered.
Serial Killer Suspect ID'd
On April 25, 2018, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones announced the arrest of 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer who later confessed to being the elusive serial killer who committed 13 murders, over 50 rapes, and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970s and 1980s.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert told reporters in 2018 that DNA helped solve the case. She said the "answer was always going to be in the DNA" and the confirming connection came in the slayings of Brian and Katie Maggiore.
Citizen Sleuth
The late true-crime writer Michelle McNamara was determined to identify the man dubbed the "Golden State Killer," who had stymied investigators for over 40 years.
McNamara was a writer married to the comedian Patton Oswalt, but she had interests outside of Hollywood.
True-Crime Writer
Michelle McNamara was fascinated by high-profile and unsolved murder cases, and in 2006, she started the blog True Crime Diary to chronicle her investigations into cold cases.
McNamara was obsessed with a criminal who had committed over 50 rapes and 13 murders across California between 1975 and 1986 before he vanished. In 2013, while working on a story, she dubbed the suspect "The Golden State Killer."
She had been on the hunt for the killer and was relentless in her search for answers until her death on April 21, 2016. Her book about the case, "I'll be Gone in the Dark," was published in January 2018.
The Masked Man
The case that fascinated Michelle McNamara most was that of the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker, EARONS for short – an unidentified masked man who terrorized California from the mid-1970s to 1986. Based on his prolific crimes, McNamara rebranded him "The Golden State Killer."
The Suspect's M.O.
It is believed that the Golden State Killer started as a prowler, stalking around quiet neighborhoods to choose his victims. He would often break into houses when no one was home, scouting out the layout and leaving a window or door unlocked so that he would be able to enter later. He sometimes even left tools – such as shoelaces or rope – that he would later use to tie up his victims.
The Suspect's M.O.
The Golden State Killer would surprise his victims by waking them in their bedrooms. At first, he only attacked women who were alone, but in time he escalated to attacking couples. He would often have a woman tie up her male partner, then bring the woman into another room and tie her up. He would often stack dishes on the back of the male while he raped the woman in the other room – threatening to kill them both if he heard the dishes move.
Northern California Rapes
The rapes started in the Sacramento area in 1976, but within a couple of years the Golden State Killer moved south – committing assaults in nearby Stockton, Modesto, San Jose and Contra Costa County, pictured in this aerial photograph from the time.
The First Murders
It is now known that the Golden State Killer committed a murder in 1978 – shooting Brian and Katie Maggiore outside their home near Sacramento. The attack was far outside of his usual MO, and investigators think they may have surprised the offender – and possibly recognized him – as he was prowling the neighborhood. Soon, he would disappear from the area, but his killings would become far more frequent.
Another Double Murder
In July 1981, a realtor walked into a home in Santa Barbara County and discovered the bodies of Cheri Domingo and her boyfriend. Greg Sanchez. Domingo had been bound and bludgeoned; Sanchez had been shot and beaten.
Connecting the Cases
Authorities would later connect the Domingo and Sanchez murders to a string of murders across Southern California:
- In December 1979, Dr. Robert Offerman and his girlfriend, Debra Manning, were murdered in the Santa Barbara County city of Goleta.
- In March 1980, Lyman and Charlene Smith had been found dead in Ventura.
- Five months later, Keith and Patrice Harrington had been killed down the coast in Dana Point.
- And in February 1981, Manuela Witthuhn was found bludgeoned to death in Irvine.
Last-Known Victim
For five years there was no further activity -- until 18-year-old Janelle Cruz was found dead in her home just a few blocks away from Witthuhn's in Irvine, Calif. Cruz was the Golden State Killer's youngest, and last-known murder victim. After 1986, he seemed to have vanished.
Unmasking a Serial Killer
Over the years, investigators have compiled many sketches of possible suspects – from suspicious people seen nearby crime scenes to elements reported by victims of what they could see through his mask.
Unmasking a Serial Killer
There is a wide variety in the sketches, but most seem to think that the attacker was a white man of average height and slim athletic build, who was in his early 20s when the rapes began.
Unmasking a Serial Killer
This final set of sketches was released by the FBI on the 40th anniversary of the Golden State Killer's first attack in June 2016.