Law enforcement could have found the East Area Rapist - Golden State Killer years ago in 1979 when this criminal moved from northern California to Goleta in southern California.
They could have used DMV records to identify him. All of those of those women who were raped and the women and men who were murdered there was due to the arrogance of law enforcement.
The DNA detection means to identify the East Area Rapist - Golden State Killer had to await the development of DNA genealogy technology.
It's shameful; yet, law enforcement pats themselves on their backs in self-congratulations.
It is time for the NYTimes to report the missed opportunities to identify this criminal before he raped and killed again and again in southern California.
14
I read with some concern that the killers DNA was linked to that of distant family members who had provided DNA to various unnamed databases with the intent of perhaps finding relatives. I am happy that the police were able to access these databases. The 'privacy' rights of rapists and killers should not trump the rights of their victims to have justice served.
19
Society tries to punish people like this but in comparison to the harm that they do no punishment seems enough. People like this one behave normally except when they are committing these crimes. Most people who know them are shocked when they are arrested. They are very smart about leaving no clues that might lead law enforcement to them. They are monsters but only they and their victims experience them being that way. They have no empathy nor conscience. Behavioral analyses can describe the commonalities amongst such people but many of the commonalities can be shared by people who have never and are unlikely to behave criminally. This kind of thing is a problem nobody knows how to resolve before the terrible outcomes have happened.
6
Many thanks to Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert and law enforcement agencies for doing such a fine job.
3
I'm glad a killer was caught, but which genealogy site is out there freely handing out DNA samples to the police?!??
In our jubilation, let's not forget that our civil rights are slowly being eroded, daily, by poorly-understood technology and by the unchecked firms that employ it, and that the fat and happy masses spoon-fed a diet of reality TV are in no hurry to understand the foundations of a free society, let alone to stand up and fight to reclaim those lost civil rights!
"Golly, my DNA is being handed out online? Well, so long as I get my coupons…!"
2
If I knew that my DNA profile was used to find a savage, sadistic criminal I would be ecstatic. Too many are worried about their "privacy", while at the same time posting their life stories on Facebook.
30
How is it that cops don't have to have their DNA on file along with their fingerprints? Seems like they'd be very interested in being able to prove that they are NOT the 'real killer'.
13
I hope when my daughter goes to college, someone brave is standing by if something happens to her and she cannot speak for herself. I hope you and your son can be those people, for those young women.
7
It is hugely ironic that it would appear he was brought down by one of the commercial DNA outfits. One thing I read was it seemed he quit offending when forensic DNA became available. The test was from a relative. So now one of the hazards of these tests besides perhaps being denied employment and insurance is being caught for crimes. Even in Canada there is life insurance and extra insurance such as travel medical..imperative when Canucks head south!
3
Is this fiend going to die of old age in prison?
2
In the glow of relief this monster has been arrested, we ought not forget this man was born this way and was like this as a boy, then a teen at puberty and then as a young man. He is still a psychopath rapist killer as an old man and will die that way. Nor ought we forget there are hundreds of men out there just like him.
6
Lord only knows how this would have ended if he'd been in his backyard with a cell phone.
3
I would like to know how the authorities were able to identify DeAngelo and gain his DNA. I saw a 4 part documentary on the Golden State Killer 3 weeks ago. In the documentary, I was struck repeatedly by his behavior when under extreme stress. At one point, GSK was followed onto the street after he had run across someone's back yard. The witness, a young man, observed GSK running in one direction and then turning around and running in a different direction, and then repeating his behavior in full view of the witness, it was like he was stuck in a repeating loop. The witness broke the loop by charging GSK, and then GSK shot the witness and fled. I have witnessed this behavior before, in myself. I am autistic (Asperger's Syndrome) and when under stress would do things like that until something intervened and broke the loop. So, I sent an email to the task force for GSK, and observed that if GSK had been in the military, as he was, GSK might have been diagnosed with a Personality Disorder. I do not know if my email was instrumental in catching GSK, but there is a $50,000 reward.
3
Apparently they got him off of a partial hit on one of his relatives who had sent in their DNA sample to Ancestry.com. The police apparently had a warrant and would routinely check these databases, and then 6 days ago they got a partial hit. After some investigation, the suspect stood out like a sore thumb. They tailed him, and got his DNA off of a item that the suspect has voluntarily discarded. Then they got the warrants and put the animal in jail where he belongs.
7
This man like many predatory humans did not reveal his secrets and did not attract suspicion when he was committing these crimes. If he had applied for a job as a police officer in any large department he would have undergone psychological tests to eliminate potentially dangerous people on the job. If this man took such tests, they did not uncover his criminal personality. Even when he committed a crime which cost him his job, there was no suspicion that he might have been committing any other crimes. He seems to have been an odd duck but nobody suspected that he was a very dangerous person. He represents the unknown monsters among us who we cannot tell are perceiving us as objects for his demented cravings. Is it something about how we live these days or have people like this always lived among us but were too clever to be uncovered?
4
I lived in Sacramento's East Area during the time of his crimes. No one was unaffected by the fear he struck in families. There have been numerous articles about his crimes since then; now he gets caught and lives less than a few miles from where I live now.
One of the young women he raped was the daughter of my mother's friend and coworker. Another one of the young women he raped was the best friend of our next door neighbor. It was always so close to home which made it even more frightening.
There are hundreds of unanswered questions here like how no one in Auburn PD suspected him, how Sac Sheriffs came to suspect him to begin with, why he stopped (did he?) his crime spree in the late 80s, did his children/wife ever know/suspect?, why did it take Sacramento Sheriffs so long to close this case. Hoping some psychiatrist will someday explain why DeAngelo just stopped committing his crimes.
He lived in plain sight in my community for decades, unharmed. Glad he's caught, but I do not feel safer in Sacramento.
45
i keep expecting this story to be updated with some investigative brilliance that brought the two series of crimes together and introducing somehow thereby showing how the unsuspected culprit fit into them, but the story remains lacking.
especially perplexing and unaddressed is why that other series of cases which (now determined to be related) was not solved based on the DNA evidence even before these cases were linked.
5
From the start the investigation was suspicious that it was a cop or someone in security. There we are.
Grateful to all who never gave up searching for this monster!
8
So many possible answers to this question!
"How (and when) did they get this guy's DNA?"
One commenter speculates that a relative submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com. Another commenter speculates that authorities became suspicious of him for some other reason and then checked his DNA left on a discarded soda can or cigarette butt. Those two speculations aren't mutually exclusive, of course: it's possible that authorities became suspicious of this guy because of some relative's Ancestry.com test results.
The fact remains that these possible explanations are all speculations. The authorities know the answer to this question, but they haven't yet told us.
Yet another commenter reports that authorities have announced that they will soon answer that question. Good to hear that; we're all waiting with bated breath for that answer.
3
They probably just ran the dna they had from the crime scenes on a site like ancestry's and it gave them some cousins' names. From there not hard to narrow it down after a few interviews.
3
There are a number of comments related to serial killer statistics in the U.S.
Radford University and Florida Gulf Coast University maintain a Serial Killer Database
http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Serial%20Killer%20Information%20Center/Pr...
1
The rapes began the year he changed jobs from one police force to another in 1976. What were the events of that transfer? It is also worth interviewing his colleagues between 1976 and 1986 to see what they knew or suspected and what, if anything, was done about it. Next, did this start in 1976 when he was 20 years old, or were the rapes rarer and/or more widely spread geographically for a year or two prior to 1976? Finally, what happened when the killing stopped in 1986? Did it really stop or did the strategy change?
7
In 1976 he was 30, if he's 72 today
1
One thing that has struck me:
I know a man in his 70’s who, though a few years older, looks very similar to DeAngelo. Pictures of this acquaintance taken when he was in his 20’s look very similar to the sketch artist drawings. Descriptions and drawings were accurate, but the young man’s somewhat handsome looks were not those of a perp.
Well-deserved relief for the victims and their families, but hard to imagine the horror with which his own family must now live. They didn’t choose to be born, certainly not to a monster.
3
He was a police officer, yes? How was his DNA not in the system??
5
He was fired decades ago, before the use of DNA. Oi.
5
What fabulous police work,these investigators worked
tirelessly to find this horrible man and bring justice to
the victims. When law enforcement is being criticized
in today's political climate,we should acknowledge a
job well done.
3
The issue is obviously: Everybody in the nation and territories
ought to be DNAed.
This alleged monstrosity got away for years and years.
Crime detection ought to include the most advanced technologies.
Of course I worry about a police state, but Huxley and Orwell and the opponent's including Right and Left, are "obsolete."
Okay, I cannot deny that my radical stance will be a loser, until it is not.
Murder and rape are the enemy, and it is immoral to ourselves
for indulging this behavior.
To get a driver's license and so forth, privacy is not a priority.
Remember when cashing a check, the stores took pictures and/or
fingerprints.
Well, I do, and relinquished my so-called privacy, and didn't even get lollipop.
Hey, mandatory DNA is to protect everybody, and objectors to
doing it are nutty if not obsessive if not apathetic to ... erasing murderous criminality.
But if you disagree, I understand that ... criminality against you and family are ... not your priority, or perhaps every value is indeed
"relativistic."
Yes, I am certainly being provocative.
may be the first tip came from this man's family itself... (he has children, grandchildren etc..) and then they matched up the genes..?? it's also plausible there was info from his cop days that was buried...till
1
This would have been the era just after the Manson tribe had been in the news endlessly. California had a reason to fear - it was "well-known" that many of the Manson Kids had escaped to the country-side - and I believe the Hillside Strangler and the Green RIver Killer were raging at this time. The people of Sacramento must have felt isolated and powerless; there was no Vincent Bugliosi to bring a spotlight on their community. And one wonders how much spotlight and notoriety does any community want?
The fact that this killer 'hid in plain sight' does not surprise me at all. He had all the necessary attributes to do just that - white, male, mid-20's when he started?, the ability to become an authority figure in small communities; I suspect there will be many who tell us, "He was just a regular guy; always helpful and polite( or mean and surly) but a regular guy; just like you and me..."
2
FYI: Green River Killer was in Washington state.
1
What on earth is making anyone believe that McNamara's fiction writing had anything to do with this arrest? What's the connection? She's dead so out of some twisted sense of honor we have to pretend that she played a part in this? I read her book and do not see how anything in it might have directed the real detectives to DeAngelo's door.
2
Exactly. I applaud her obsession and her putting pressure on people to solve the case, but that's about it.
One can only imagine what this Police Officer did in his time as a Soldier in Vietnam .
13
I wonder why he ended his crime spree. What has he been doing for the past 30+ years?
6
Or did he?
1
They found more crimes after this in the Bay Area and Southern California. Maybe he didn't stop for a very long time, because he was addicted to rape and killing.
Police officers do not commit more crimes than the general public. Neither do they commit fewer. The only difference is police officers rarely have to pay for their crimes.
8
The MacDonald's worker reminds me of the story, almost surely apocryphal, of the high school student being driven to a soccer practice by his father in a BMW. They stop at a full-serve gas station to fill up. As the attendant approaches the car the kid says, "Hey, that's Mr. Jones, my math teacher," upon which the dad roars away before filling his car.
"I don't want my BMW ever to be touched by a teacher," the dad fumes.
John, I don't understand. Can you explain?
2
I am sorry. You have every reason not to understand. I was watching the accompanying video to the GSK article, and the topic had switched to a video about striking Arizona teachers. I commented, thinking the teacher strike was the topic at-hand. My bad.
1
While it's good he has been identified & apprehended, this case is a disgrace to law enforcement. Why isn't there more focus on the fact that over 40 years had elapsed before he was found. If it took 40 years to find & identify Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, or Sirhan Sirhan, I don't think we would be applauding it but demanding answers as to why it took so long. They just killed one person each,this guy, allegedly twelve.
9
The Sacramento Bee reports that he was dismissed from the Auburn police department after shoplifting dog repellent. Given that many people - including investigators - believed that he might be in law enforcement, it's stunning that it took so long to identify him. It was a different time - pre-computer, pre-internet, so information was not shared so readily, but his dismissal should have raised at least one red flag somewhere over these past 40 years.
15
As Edgar Bowen pointed out, we have to remember that today's "Senior Citizens" were once vibrant, healthy, athletic, well-trained, well educated and motivated members of the ambitious Baby Boomer Generation. The genes, hormones, DNA and Human Genome material are still all there.
A tremendous amount of Senior Citizen men in the suggested age group resemble this man. I see them every day in my errands around the city and town.
Mr. Bowen asked what the world was coming to when these Senior individuals can roam about the countryside looting, pillaging, raping and murdering the populace at large. The answer is that "the world" or society or civilization or culture has not changed since the first incarnations of "humans" roamed the Earth. All of us have these traits, predilections, inclinations, mores and morals, or lack of said correct moral behavior.
Asking what the world is coming to pre-supposes that we had abandoned or evolved from the base or baser instincts and inclinations of our predecessors. Our past is always with us and we have evolved steadily and constantly and with intent to be who we are today. If anything the entire aspect of late 20th Century and early 21st Century society and culture encourages the continued & continuous perpetration of these heinous crimes. The perpetrators do not even see them as crimes; for the perpetrators their behaviour upon their fellow citizens is merely an act of everyday life.
We are not safe, secure, or protected.
2
When will the media have the guts to ask real questions? This hole think smells. How long did they have the DNA evidence? Why was their suddenly a match after all these years?
Whenever it comes to criminal police and the blue wall it seems they are always allowed to write their own narrative.
7
Hey Ms. Schubert is running for reelection and needs some positive press rather than the press that she has been getting by barricading her offices to keep the Stephon Clark protesters at bay.
1
Seems like just finished a whole repeatedly played series of ‘Golden State killer’ on the forensics channel 202; wasn’t real well done production, but struggled to pay attention because that’s kind of my stomping grounds and I really don’t remember hearing about this guy (also a reason for my “forced“ watching of that show)d
1
He was active until 1986---the year that DNA was first used to try a criminal case. Being an ex-cop, he must have crapped his pants when he became aware of this.
17
For decades, the FBI has said there are more than 200 serial killers walking American streets coast to coast. Sleep well. More importantly, raise better sons and don't be reluctant to turn them in when they act like degenerate sociopaths.
33
So my chance of meeting one of these killers is one in 1.6 million?
I'll take my chances and not worry about them
5
How did he become a suspect? That's the missing link and the most interesting question in most detective stories. Then the other interesting question is how did they find proof -- but we know that the answer to that is DNA.
12
Next on the list (I hope): The Zodiac Killer.
7
I believe he was arrested in Montreal a few years back?? Not sure on that one.
I saw the story of this horrendous monster's attacks on HLN TV several weeks ago - an excellent and very scary documentary. I noticed that they ran the well-produced piece several weeks in a row. I had the feeling they were hoping that the repetition would lead someone to recognize this monster. I wonder if that played a role. If so - and in any case - kudos to HLN TV for bringing this to the public's attention. I had not heard of any of this until I saw the program several weeks ago. It was an excellent piece of crime reporting - and very scary!! Thank God the monster has been caught! Bravo to all involved!
8
I’m very moved by the overlooked facts that Mary Hong was the one to put together the fact that all these murders were that of one killer . For a decade, the police didn’t work that out.
Michelle McNamara worked herself to death on this case gone cold for years.. and now authorities are minimizing that?!
More women should be put to work on rape cases as they are the ones actually solving them, and not surrendering. Moreover, if I were just raped by a man, another strange man - police or not- is NOT a person a traumatized victim should be subjected to.
Clearly a tip was given thanks to Michelle’s tireless work & book and the renewed public interest and reward money. Women can clearly identify more profoundly with the trauma of rape, they are relentless & intuitive and have a knack for cracking them- despite others dismissing them. That’s a crime too . Particularly when you consider how many more killers & rapists would have been caught .
20
Here’s the thing, This guy was able to stop. As emergent technology (DNA) threatened his lifestyle (raping. Killing, robbing, terrorism) he just stopped doing it. So much for a brain anomaly causing compulsive behavior. He found something he liked but liked his freedom more so he stopped. We all have things we might like to try but they are ant-Social or destructive so we don’t do them. That means unencumbered by the specter of capture there was no morality, no human recognition — nothing good — and nothing to stop him from doing what he liked to do and he liked to hurt people. Scarier than the guy who can’t help himself (terrifying) is this guy who figures, I’m in the mood for some...and there is no reason not to.
9
How do you he stopped? There are countless unsolved murders.
We will find out more. Literally, a great live catch. Much info will be discovered through interviews.
So how did they catch him?
1
The really interesting part of this story is missing -- it's all history and horror stories.
What about the DNA? What path did it take? Why did it take so long to match the suspect's DNA up with whatever they had from crime scenes? Give us the detective work, NYT, the rest is just backstory.
33
As a victim of a stranger-to-stranger rape myself, I find it so heartwarming to know that you consider victims to be just the boring backstory of a good detective story. (In case it wasn’t obvious, this was sarcasm.) This is real life, man, not a crime novel. Have a bit of compassion!
21
Other commenters have asked this question, but I'll repeat it:
How did authorities get this guy's DNA?
To match DNA found at the crime scene with a suspect's DNA, obviously you need both. Authorities had the crime-scene DNA long ago. When and how did they get this guy's DNA?
23
A story on a different site says they got his DNA from “discarded items” while they were watching him.
4
They gathered his “discarded DNA” - meaning they collected his trash or discarded coffee cup, or other item handled by him.
I bet they found a family connection through DNA. Perhaps a relative that was imprisoned or otherwise in the system. Could even be they found a DNA relation through 23andMe or Ancestry DNA.
I am just speculating but it's plausible. It would account for why the process of having identified him as a suspect through DNA is a secret. They then confirmed that he was the killer by comparing his "abandoned DNA" on a cup or something to DNA at one or more crime scenes.
It will come out eventually.
2
I'm not surprised it was a rogue law enforcement male who is the monster. There is no effort to restrain the union that handcuffs any attempt to bring bad cops to justice. Until bad cops are brought to justice, all cops are tainted.
19
He was a cop for 6 years in 2 different towns. What would a union have to do with this. Where has he been since 1979- his last year as a cop? Did you think any of his police colleagues knew that he was a serial killer and didn't report it?
2
I am so curious what a labor union, assuming that is what you are referring to, has to do with this case. Can you explain?
1
He was fired. There no "the union." The FOP is a national with locals and they by no means represent every jurisdiction in America. In NYC, for example, the force is so large there are five separate Unions for members of every rank -- and none of those unions are part of the FOP: they are all completely independent labor unions. NO police union represents cops who commit crimes on their own time or for acts committed off duty. There is no reason all cops should be tainted because of, 1) the actions of one, or 2). your lack of knowledge about the topic. Cops are all individuals working under individual, unique circumstances. They are no more all "tainted" than all musicians are drug addicts, or all nurses are serial killers, because a few tuned out to be.
2
I have read several stories about this and I still don't know how or why this particular person emerged as a suspect?
20
Same question was posed by a reporter to the arresting authorities during the initial press conference. They answered saying that all that info will be forthcoming shortly.
Hopefully soon, a lot of people are curious about that. They probably want to interrogate him and lock down everything they need for trial before releasing more info.
7
Apparently someone tipped the police off. Then they started watching him.
1
He had stolen items from his victims. Jewelry, coins and amazingly enough a large set of china .
My guess is with the recent coverage of this crime and the photos of the jewelry and china someone recognized it and called the police .
Thank you, investigators, for reopening and solving this case.
7
You ought thank the late journalist/writer Michelle McNamara.
10
She resurrected public interest in the case, not law enforcement working on the case. I doubt she did anything to solve the case.
The idea of justice from beyond the grave was never so sad or bitter-sweet. What a legacy Michelle MacNamara left in her passing.
11
I don't understand your lead sentence. "...long before the term was commonly used." What term? Rape? Murder? Terror? California?
14
I think they mean the expression "Golden State Killer," but it's a terrible sentence that makes no sense on its own.
2
The term “Golden State Killer”. First paragraph fits three related sentences together, building to the term in the third sentence.
I noticed the same thing, John. That's what happens when you eliminate half of your copy editor positions: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/business/media/new-york-times-staff-m.... Not good.
I still don't know how they caught him. If his DNA was on a database for years why now?
8
I just recently finished Michelle's book. I don't believe his DNA was in the database. They kept trying to get a hit for years and nothing was coming back.
Few people recall that the first case resolved by DNA identification was circa 1989-mere 30 years ago . It was a the false accusation of the unfortunate Gary Dotson-a man targeted for accusation because the pregnant girl was terrified of her father and preferred to see an innocnt man go to jail and die there then admit to sex before marriage. When the lady finally tried to admit-ten years later, that Dotson was innocent-millions of American women refused to believe her recantation, and insisted Dotson was guilty. A new "DNA" test proved Dotson was innocent and he is now free-minus over a decade of missing time, because of angry parents and furious disbelieving women: "Women NEVER lie about rape!" the interested females said, except when they have husbands whose love and respect for their wives supports them to tell the truth.
The Dotson disaster is a great case to read to see how alost everybody can have hidden motives and dishonest political agendas, all to support their ideas about rape and women's rights.
Some law enforcement officers are truly honorable people who actually serve their communities. Some are not.
Mainstream media, particularly television news, run major stories when law enforcement officers are killed in the line of duty and I grieve for them and their loved ones. However, too many law enforcement officers get away with murder and other less-than-honorable behavior and the media ignoes it. Frankly, I can't imagine how this monster got away with so many murders, home break-ins and rapes. They "suspected" it might be a policeman and it was not a one-off. Were they actually doing their jobs or were they ignoring evidence because it was one of their own. Good investigative journalism might get to the bottom of it.
Let's be careful who we call "heroes".
25
Let's be careful who we call "heroes".
Whom.
3
Are you suggesting that law enforcement knew that the Golden State Killer was a police officer and refrained from arresting him because of that fact?
A national forensic DNA evidence database is only as useful as the number of DNA samples that exists from suspects to match against. Two separate databases are required, an evidence Db and a suspect Db. In the past when DNA testing was a slow, expensive and labor intensive process it was pointless to try to create a national DNA database when most of the DNA crime samples sat untested in evidence rooms because no suspect had been arrested FOR THE SPECIFIC CRIME to test against. But today DNA technology makes it possible to fully automate the entire process. The roadblock on suspect DNA collection has been the Fourth Amendment and court rulings. But this has been changing recently as courts have made decisions giving police more leeway in collecting and keeping DNA samples from suspects even if a suspect was not prosecuted or convicted. Of course privacy advocates and ACLU have raised objections and fought it.
We as a society need to decide which we value more, our individual DNA privacy or the well being of future sex crime victims.
16
Read the literature written by the actual investigators. They have no DNA from the Sacramento rapes.
1
I'll read the literature if you read the actual article: "The case was cracked in the past week, Sheriff Scott Jones of Sacramento County said on Wednesday, when investigators identified Mr. DeAngelo and were able to match his DNA with the murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith in Ventura County in 1980."
The real story is that this same DA, Anne Marie Schubert, is the same Sacramento DA who will not file charges against the police who murdered Stephon Clark. She is up for re-election on June 5 and the Clark incident made an impact on her re-election numbers. She has taken $13k from the local law enforcement PACs just 48 hours after Stephon Clark’s murder — resulting in no charges pressed against the police. Remember this on June 5 Sacramento when you have the power to vote her out! This long-dead “Golden State Killer” story is smoke and mirrors for her re-election.
28
So many people are asking how did they get a DNA match? Simple, even with no particular suspect in mind. First, LE had a reasonable expectation, since his DNA was not already on a database, that he had never been convicted or charged with a felony, or if so, prior to DNA analysis. They swabbed items of evidence they had containing unknown DNA and almost certainly submitted them to Ancestry.com or any of the other popular DNA websites and hoped that someone in his family had submitted their DNA for analysis. These services provide the consumer with people who have also waived their rights to privacy and have a degree of shared DNA. So instead of a citizen finding a long lost sister or distant cousins, the agency lucked out and found a partial match; i.e., a relative. From there on in, it is a matter of eliminating family members whose age or gender would not conform to their profile. After that they collected DNA from his trash for a specific match. This has been done before and will be done again. So if you have committed a capital crime, you had better pray your grandkids don't get a DNA analysis looking for Indian heritage or racial make-up.
26
Thank you for yorr explanation. This makes a lot of sense.
3
That is an interesting scenario but much more likely is that the police investigators got a tip as to Mr. DeAngelo being a possible suspect and now having turned their attentions toward him watched him closely and obtained DNA from a thrown away can of soda or cigarette butt he had used and then with a DNA match being made from old murder evidence made the arrest
9
They have no DNA from the Sacramento rapes. Notwithstanding what you say, D’Angelo can never be connected to the Sacramento rapes by DNA. The article does not make that clear. It says he was matched to DNA from the Ventura murder and that the case has caused the standardization of rape kits and evidence collection. But the standardization was later. In 1978 they couldn’t analyze DNA and didn’t appreciate its significance. They don’t have any DNA from the rapes.
1
In his mug shot he looks shocked wait till he goes to prison.
7
He will be kept in protective custody.
I watched the press conference. It seemed like all they did was congratulate each other. But it seems like they never knew it was him, didn't know it was him now, and someone else did their work for them. They didn't explain how they caught him because I'm guessing they didn't. They just showed up and went through his garbage. When you see that many cops and FBI jostling for space at the mike it always seems like they really didn't do much of anything. And did they really need to say her book didn't have anything to do with it? Please. I'm guessing someone else who read the book or who'd been reading the blog figured this out. Not the 75 1/2 cops bragging about needles in haystacks.
26
The authorities have still yet to tell us how they found this guy. The rumor is that the $50,000 reward the FBI was offering will be paid out. Meaning, someone turned this guy in, and that will be the extent of the great detective work.
Someone called the FBI and said, hey, the guy you are looking for is James DeAngelo and he lives over in Citrus Heights. I expect law enforcement to take major undeserved credit for their work on this. Just like they did when the Unabomber was turned into the FBI by his own brother.
16
Most of his crimes were committed from 1:00am to 4:00am, so it was fitting that the police descended upon his home at 2:30am. Michelle McNamara the who documented his crimes in "I'll be Gone in the Dark" would have been pleased with that irony. Or was it deliberate?
7
There's the question: did he act alone?
3
Eureka! This commenter has the solution:
"And how many more remain at large? Government knows. ... Yet, we do not screen for good and evil. Why not?"
So let's start screening for good and evil when government workers are hired.
I'd start simply by asking a job applicant: "Are you good or evil?" Sure, most of the "evil" ones will tell you they're "good," but we'd probably get a few that are so surprised by the question that they just blurt out: "I'm evil." And those we wouldn't hire. As for the others, we'll have to come up with some follow-up questions, but this commenter is really on to something here, that's for sure!
3
I am so glad that the surviving victims and the community can breathe a sigh of relief after this horror.
But I must confess: I wish we could make the perpetrator perceive in his mind the horror and fear (not the physical pain) that those victims went through, even if for a second. It's so unfair that he got to live a long life and they were deprived of that. The surviving victims still live with the mind scars of his rapes of them.
Then my rational brain tells me that people like this have a structural brain deficit that predisposes them to these horrific crimes.
But that feeling persists...
98
Will you please tell us what this guy has been doing since 1986? A man accused of this cannot possibly have laid low for 32 years without committing similar crimes, could he?
32
That is exactly what he did, however. This, unfortunately, was a very sophisticated perp. He is an ex-cop who used his knowledge to commit crimes undetected, and saw that DNA was finding criminals like him. It was too late for him to do anything about it - he never left fingerprints but his DNA was everywhere. So he laid low for 30 years and meticulously kept his DNA profile out of any resource, and never got arrested again. Hard to believe it could be true, but BTK disappeared like this, too.
16
Did he just stop, or might he be connected to other rapes/murders?
4
His levels of testosterone also aged and lowered. So, too, those environments he worked in became much less exclusive male enclaves where he could hide his predatory mindset. Women on the job can't do much about males like him they're forced to work with, but they sure do understand they're there and watch their every move.
Everything he did from the age of @18+ was classic male violent predator enamored with the power of hurting the helpless and vulnerable: military with years in Vietnam, then a cop. Far too many males are born this way and begin to act it out the moment they hit puberty. Society has always excused that march to sociopathy as "boys will be boys" and exclusive male environments.
1
This case is similar to the 3/20/18 finding of an ex cop from Southold N.Y Long Island who buried the body of his girlfriend in his basement in 1966. He died in 1980, his name , William broken, His ex wife came forward with the tip to police last month that there was a woman's body buried in the basement. By then there was a new owner to the house who consented to the search. Police use ground pierced radar to locate the body buried b y the ex cop. Google south old skeletal remains found..
3
How in any way shape or form is this similar? Other than they think it might be a policeman who did it? You should read the book and see the horrific ways he tormented people before he killed and or raped them.
5
Similar from the tip, long unsolved crimes, ex cop, modern technology nets.. In order to solve crimes inferential thinking is paramount.
3
The article doesn't say how they caught him. Why did they decide to start observing his movements? How did they get his DNA samples? What led the police to this guy in particular? Were they also zeroing in on others?
22
My thought exactly! I had to read this twice to make sure I didn't miss it. It seems he was caught by DNA matching, but the article says nothing. So after all these murders and rapes there wasn't any fingerprints?? I mean this policeman's fingerprints would be on file. And I know it said he wore gloves, but no DNA was ever captured? And really, perhaps all government employees should be provided to have DNA on file. (I can hear Libertarians screaming now.)
1
I've read nothing about what led the police to suspect this man. I'm dyeing to know how they found him.
18
What color dye are you using? I'm just curious.
5
Thank you law enforcement, and others, who never gave up. I finished I'll Be Gone In The Dark last week and now, a happy ending! Michelle McNamara can rest in peace and the bad guy can go away. Well done.
6
I understand the power of hindsight, but this paragraph is stunning:
"He was convicted in 1979 for shoplifting a can of dog repellent and a hammer from a store in Sacramento County. The incident led to his dismissal from the Auburn police force. The arrest came amid the rash of rapes in the area."
Why on earth would a police officer be stealing dog repellent and a hammer? He can carry a gun. If I were his boss, I'd wonder why he'd steal them, why he wouldn't pay for them. Could it be that he hoped to not have a record of the purchase? Why would that be? Dog repellent and a hammer?
55
He stole the dog repellent and hammer so if he came upon a family's dog at one of the houses he was burglarizing he could spray the dog repellent which would confuse the dog and then use the hammer to kill the dog to make make sure the dog would not bark while he was walking thru the house.
2
It would be interesting to see photos of what this guy looked like when he was committing his crimes.
9
No they didnt find the needle in the haystack. Someone gave them a tip that showed them where the needle existed. He was not in a DNA database. Someone had to tell them who to look at and follow to collect discarded DNA. My question is why arent they disclosing who gave them the tip and what the tip was?
19
Potential court testimony?
1
It took an investigative journalist to crack this case. It seems that once cases get old or go cold little resources are put into them. Time and time again I have seen cases solved by caring citizens.
9
Is there a case for a DNA swab to be taken for everyone and babies from birth? A DNA match with a crime does not prove guilt but in many cases, will move each case along.
4
That would be much too big brother-like for me and most Americans to stomach and would never pass constitutional muster.
4
There may be issue with a thing called The U.S. Constitution. Does swabbing everyone for DNA violate without consent violate their Constitutional rights? If so, how does a baby give consent?
1
Eventually, society will get weary and angry with the vast number of vicious predators born every generation that destroy lives and cost the decent, hard working citizenry (especially females) a fortune in taxes that go for courts, revolving door prisons and law enforcement. Epigenetics will be able to assess markers for psychopathy so those can be eliminated from the gene pool as we do other birth defects.
2
For the cost of one small bullet, the citizens of California could be completely rid of this monster and spared the thousands of dollars it would cost to keep him incarcerated.
(Something somewhat similar to this just happened here in Oklahoma. A 1999 cold case involving the murders of four people in the small town of Welch has finally been solved and an arrest has been made. The murders/rapes were committed by 3 men, two of whom are deceased. There have been a lot of claims stating that the original investigation was botched and that potential paths of investigation were ignored by authorities at the time.)
3
I remember the East Area Rapist well. I lived in Carmichael at that time, a suburb of Sacramento, and although young and living with my parents, I remember clearly the palpable sense of dread that took over as each hot summer day turned to warm twilight. There was a shiver in every home. Several attacks had occurred fairly close by. And then it simply stopped. Rumors persisted but slowly swept down stream as if carried by the nearby American River. Time had since erased the memories and life led on, however, it all returned again this week, the ghosts of those summer nights peeking in once more and gone again.
82
If you don't write for a living, please consider doing so.
12
Very, very good summary. I also lived with my parents just west of the Carmichael border during these years. The only thing I would add is that we all became accustomed to the sound of low-level night-time helicopter flights during this time, too, as the police tried everything to stop him.
4
Thank you very much.
During the two years this task force re-examined the case files, I wonder if they had DNA testing done on the fingerprint cards for fired police officers during the period he was active and for the relevant jurisdictions. Especially if they suspected the killer had training or applicable knowledge.
6
And how many more remain at large?
Government knows. And the perpetrators may be with government, much like this killer.
Government: two kinds work there. Good and evil.
Simple. The motivation of a law enforcement officer is the same: good and evil.
Oddly, men chose law for the same reasons: good and evil.
They are easy to spot. Very easy.
Yet, we do not screen for good and evil.
Why not?
Simple.
We are a mix ourselves.
And part of us wants what we have.
President Trump.
1
DeAngelo will never be executed in California. Obsessive concern over whether he would die completely painlessly, coupled with activists' extraordinary delaying tactics, ensure that he will survive. But at least we may be spared their candlelight vigils.
6
Thank you to the deceased author who've did all the hard work.
Law Enforcement did not find a "needle in haystack".
Quite the opposite, they let one of their own, with a badge, walk away under extremely suspicious circumstances,
so the ex-cop could rape and kill dozens more for many years, until a brave and determined civilian refused to drop the case.
23
I was a B-52 crew member flying out of Mather AFB, CA, in Rancho Cordova, from 1976-1979. My family and I lived off base and it was a very terrifying time for the families, especially when the husbands were away on missions. The wives started going to one location to stay together and many families bought guns, dogs, and motion sensor lighting. The perpetrator, who even then was thought to be a military or police officer, was very methodical and he appeared to select his locations carefully--corner house with easy egress and less street lighting.
My wife and I continued to discuss the East Area Rapist as the perpetrator was known in Sacramento for nearly 40 years and wonder why he had not been identified/arrested. Amazingly, my wife's book group is reading the book that drew needed interest in the crimes. Like all who lived through this period, we are ecstatic that this sick individual has finally been arrested!
102
This serial rapist killer isn't sick, he is a vicious deviant - same as rabid dogs. It is a mistake for society to dismiss the roughly 20% to 30% of dangerous men as "sick", when they know precisely what they are doing, why and do not care about anyone but themselves and their sexual deviancy.
3
Thank you FBI. Amid horrible news in the press on a daily basis from Washington DC, this is great news for California and America, knowing you guys are doing a stellar job. Appreciate your work and glad you got em.
34
It's a shame to see some of the bias and hatred toward all police officers emerging from some of these posts. Sure, some officers are bad - something that is equally true for corrupt judges, greedy lawyers, dirty politicians, inept doctors, sexually abusive teachers, etc. - but it is neither correct nor fair to paint these entire professions which serve us with this broad strokes, often just to make political points.
15
True enough. On the other hand given that this guy used his position and training while committing crimes it appears we should do a much better job vetting our cops and we should pay them enough so that the job attracts the very best people. Most small towns will hire high school drop outs to be ops if they get a GED...all cops should have a masters degree in law of sociology or psychology and they should submit DNA and finger prints before the wee allowed to work. The evidence of the last 500 years clearly shows that positions of authority attract both good people and scoundrels.
22
George S,
I think the distrust of law enforcement comes from good cops covering for the bad ones. Here are two different cases from New Jersey to illustrate the point.
The first involved a Midland Park woman murdered by her former boyfriend an ex-NYPD cop. The second a woman run off the road and shot to death by her LE ex-husband in front of their young daughter while officers stood by. They never fired a shot to stop him.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/crime/2017/03/22/lawsuit-blames-a...
http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2015/06/eyewitness_to_cops_fatal_sh...
1
George S,
I want to add I saw the videos when they were available. Not once did the police try to help the woman. They were more concerned about their beloved “sarge.” The cops stood by and did not stop him when he walked up to her car and fired the second round of bullets into her. It was a most visual example of the thin blue line. The perp-cop surrendered when he knew she was dead.
Would love to know how much he's collected on his pension so far. Probably over a $1,000,000 by now.
8
He has probably not collected much if anything. He was not eligible to retire at the time of his firing. He had to wait until he reached 50 to receive any portion he was entitled to through the pay into the PERS system if the departments he worked for were PERS. At 6 years the most he would have received would have been 18% of his pay. Given the pay at the time he left police work he was probably receiving around 1500 a month because he worked for a small rural department. that would amount to approximately 230 a month if he qualified to receive retirement and if he didnt withdraw all contributions upon losing his job. So no, it probably isnt over a million if he got any.
16
looks like he had a total of about 9 years LE employment split between two departments.... and was fired for cause from the second...
I can't remember exactly how CA pensions worked back then but when you take into account lack of service credits, type of separation and his age in 1979... I don't think he got much from pension funds.
6
Death, rape and all you are concerned about is money?
5
Total psychopath. Here it is an evidence how science ( DNA sequencing and many other development in forensics) have help to collect data and present evidence to convince somebody after many years. Therefore it is a reason in this moment where this administration it is against real evidence (real data/news) mainly in offices like the EPA we as citizens need to stand for what it is backed and supported for the development of science.
19
My wife knew one of the victims who, along with his girlfriend was slain in Santa Barbara. I can't imagine the terror of that experience nor the helplessness he must have felt.
There can be no punishment harsh enough for such a monster, who took away the innocence we all enjoyed before his shadow cast fear across our State. If we could erase his existence from memory this world would be a better place.
25
"the police surveilled his movements, studied his routines and pounced when he left his house."
Yeah, it was really hard to pounce on a 72 yr old man.
I still am a bit confused - did they have his dna from an old case and they compared it to the GSK dna? or did they have some other reason to suspect him and then gather his dna?
11
what they are not disclosing is who gave them the tip to focus on him. He was not "on their radar" according to the DA and he was not in a DNA database. What they are hiding is how they knew to follow him and get his dna
3
Wondered the same thing. It seems like they collected lots of DNA from at least the later crimes, then got some of his DNA recently. How they came to suspect this guy will probably be revealed at trial.
3
Not beyond the realm of possibility that a 72 year old serial murderer might carry a weapon.
4
What a chilling series on HLN. I predicted a cop, based on his cunning, being one step ahead of the investigators and his attendance at a community meeting to find his next victim. So glad they got him, he was brutal.
22
Law enforcement authorities suspected for decades the killer had military training, law enforcement training or both. Did investigators research fired police officer records for that time period? When DeAngelo was fired from the California police department after his shop lifting incident there were newspaper and media reports of the incident. Thirty years ago he bought a home in the exact area where some of his crimes occurred. I do not understand why the dots could not have been connected between DeAngelo's firing as a police officer and his home address in the same area as the crimes especially given the number of investigators, years of investigations and millions spent. Had all police firings during his crime spree timeline been properly entered into a computer database along with the home addresses of fired police just in the Sacramento area there should have been a hit on DeAngelo. This smells of poor police work and a stark inability or refusal to use computer based technology. Even DeAngelo's long delayed arrest seems not based so much on good police work as it is on DNA evidence and advanced science. The police in multiple counties have some explaining to do in this case. The FBI has a lot of explaining to do. And, there needs to be improved computer based training and analysis of horrific crimes.
20
the arrest was not because he was in a dna database but because of a tip from someone to look at him. Once that happened they started following hiim and then looked at his background of expolice..and ex Navy (the navy are good with knots not the entire military) It really wouldnt have made sense at the time to focus on "fired" police officers because it could have also been an active one. He was active for a period while committing these crimes . I think the police had the idea he could have been a cop and navy vet. But it is a long way from figuring out who.
6
More likely based on a tip after the publicity from the book mentioned in the artical
8
Computers weren't used at the time of his killing spree, nor would any of the data you suggested been entered in any form up until the last 10 years or so. Not to mention, science and DNA discoveries are updated daily. They certainly weren't available in 1978 or previous years.
2
If there is justice at all on this planet, this creature will have a fatal accident before taxpayer money is spent on his trial, which includes taxes paid by the survivors of his atrocities.
Our justice system needs special powers when faced with situations such as this, one such being summary execution when there is absolute proof the accused is the perpetrator.
The horror of life for his surviving victims, and families of victims for the last 40 years must have been unfathomable, and to now see him paraded and getting full legal protection, is the most awful final insult.
I'm an atheist, but if ever there was a time I wished for a Dante kind of hell, for evil such as this, this is the time.
19
“Our justice system needs special powers when faced with situations such as this, one such being summary execution when there is absolute proof the accused is the perpetrator.”
While I understand the anger, your proposed remedy is the absolute last thing we need. The justice system already has ample “special powers.”
8
Maybe if the majority of Americans didn’t engage in the foolishness of cop-hero worship, this suspected killer would have been caught years ago, before he had a chance to harm so very many.
23
Instead we should worship politicians or reality stars?
6
"Instead we should worship politicians or reality stars?"
No, it isn't necessary for you to worship any human being.
4
I'm not surprised the Golden State killer is a former cop. That ought to make people think about some of the people who wear a uniform. I confronted a police officer in a small town Iowa restaurant who was clearly bullying and terrifying his wife and small children. If that's how he behaves in public with his family, how would he behave with someone vulnerable in private?
41
Although the majority of our uniformed peace officers are altruistic, I do sometimes wonder about the mentality of anyone who straps on a gun for work each day. That's just not the norm.
13
Hopefully none of the former offers who worked with him will come to his defense.
10
I didn't understand as to why the suspect's DNA was in the system, and why the police thought to match it against the DNA from the crime scene.
14
it was not in the system or they would have found him earlier. they had to follow him and get discarded dna material. the real solution was the recent publicity which resulted in a tip from the public they are refusing to disclose
5
I read in another article that his DNA was obtained only recently via a "discarded DNA" method, likely a discarded cigarette butt or used disposable cup, while he was under surveillance. So, the authorities did not have his DNA in the system to match to the DNA found at the various crime scenes until the last few weeks. Once they got a DNA match (first, to the Ventura murder/rape), they were able to get a warrant and made the arrest.
3
Just wondering if the time it took to solve this case was due to the thousands of untested rape kits sitting on police force shelves??
28
That's the first thing though about - and hope that action is taken to investigate those kits...who knows how many unsolved cases could be resolved!
6
For anyone interested in this topic, please watch the documentary on HBO called I Am Evidence. It was eye opening and well done.
3
There are no rape kits containing DNA from the Sacramento rapes. They have no DNA from those crimes.
Now that we know "who", we need to find out the "why". What compelled this man to rape, rob and murder? Was it a brain defect detectable by an MRI? Was it the way he was raised? Was he subjected to traumatic violence as a small child? If so, why is he different from many other victims of childhood abuse who DON'T go on to rape and murder? Were there warning signs such as bedwetting, animal abuse and fire-starting? Did his family ever suspect something was very wrong with dad? We need to know what turned this man into a vicious monster, because without question there will be more just like him.
26
Kris,
While I understand your desire to get a handle on this behavior, I believe this person is a sociopath, as defined in the following excerpt, and somewhat explained further in the link provided -
"It’s not easy to spot a psychopath. They can be intelligent, charming, and good at mimicking emotions. They may pretend to be interested in you, but in reality, they probably don’t care.
“They’re skilled actors whose sole mission is to manipulate people for personal gain,” Tompkins says.
Sociopaths are less able to play along. They make it plain that they’re not interested in anyone but themselves. They often blame others and have excuses for their behavior."
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/sociopath-psychopath-differ...
17
Bedwetting???? You think bedwetting is a sign of a potential serial killer/rapist?
2
why are men, many many men, all over the world, so absolutely messed up?
20
Toxic expectations imposed by hyper masculinity via American culture. Creates a furious anger: they're not getting their "due", their manly due, and so take it violently, usually against women because they're weaker.
It is without question he was allowed to skate and misdirect the police for years because he was the police. Way to go, cops. Good police work!
5
men as in males? It is really unfortunate but, besides a few "witches" all the bad in this world comes from males indeed
6
The propensity to abuse is not exclusive to males.
6
I was in college at UC Davis from 1975-1979, living in a home with 4 other females. We were terrified. Such evil instigated by one deranged individual spread like a cancer. Man's inhumanity towards others never ceases. I am just thankful this is over.
20
- he'll die of old age before the case is adjudicated.
- how many other decades-old serial killing and/or rape cases are still unsolved?
Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?
13
He is 72, not 102. I imagine he will be convicted within a year or so. He could have decades left on this earth. Let’s hope they are all spent behind bars.
3
Actually, he’s known to be a bit of a fitness nut.probably has 15-20 years left in him
A very frightening story, one which reminds me of the film Zodiac, a superb thriller about the San Francisco "Zodiac" killer.
More importantly, reading the many stories gleaned through reader comments, is the pervasive fear this killer created among those living near the crime locations. This type of fear and emotional distress can have disastrous effects on individuals. Plain and simple, it's an example of trauma, and in this situation, a trauma that's discussed, shared and understood simultaneously. A shared event - to a large degree. Not so with the majority of trauma, events that are disguised, not talked about because of family or social inhibitions, or simply too heinous for the brain to process. We're fortunate to be in a time period when the impacts of trauma are gaining recognition. There's a movement afoot in many communities, notably in Vermont where I live through legislation to better understand trauma and "toxic stress". This effort needs all of our support. If trauma were more widely understood, the likelihood of individuals enduring acute symptoms, ultimately growing to treat others with disrespect, even violently, those like the Golden State Killer, would be much diminished. See van der Kolk's "The Body Keeps The Score" for an enlightening read on this.
6
Read Niklos Kristof’s column today to see how our government under Trump is creating the circumstances you fear for hundreds of immigrants kids.
7
Van der Kolk's "The Body Keeps the Score" is indeed the best book on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that I've read so far. It rings true. But Jas, I think you're confusing PTSD sufferers with psychopaths. Psychopaths don't feel empathy for other people. People with PTSD are capable of empathy. Extreme trauma causes PTSD. Psychopaths may be born that way with an identifiable brain scan, according to one neuroscientist I read who self-identified as a psychopath, or they may become that way because no one ever cared about them, so they don't care about anyone and lack empathy.
3
Thank you for the important distinction. I do believe true PTSD can lead to repetitive behaviors, sometimes criminal in nature - empathy notwithstanding. They need much attention.
A lot of unanswered questions in this story. How did the police get his DNA, in the raid of his home? Very poor information on his current status.
12
My thoughts exactly, Sparky. Why would his DNA be on file? What other evidence do they have? Inquiring minds want to know!
4
This is a bizarre story based on one purported fact: the person arrested is supposedly the serial killer and rapist. The story tells us nothing about the events leading to the arrest or the nature of evidence against this particular individual. Why do we even believe this particular individual is the bad guy? It is more a human interest story recapitulating of news events with some updated interviews from victim's relatives. Bizarre for the NYTimes.
6
Why do we believe this individual is the bad guy? His DNA was linked to 6 murders.
2
I substantially support the BLM movement and the sentiments behind it. And the Stephon Clark matter seems, from what I've read and seen, to fit right in line with the problems BLM seeks to address. It's a deathly-serious matter that deserves a bright light.
But people that are trying to depict the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo as somehow being a purposeful distraction by Sacramento law enforcement are just being ridiculous. It's not helpful to the BLM narrative to make silly allegations - Occam's Razor suggests strongly that this is simply a case that just got cracked, due to persistent work by law enforcement.
13
Actually, Occam's razor suggests that someone turned this guy in for the 50 grand reward. Police work whether persistent or not had very little to do with this guy finally getting hauled in...I'm betting based on Occam's razor.
2
Agree, but isn’t Occam’s Razor considered a fallacy when applied to this kind of situation?
The article never explains how they caught him.
17
I agree with Robert. It was frustrating to read so much with so little information about the subject: how they identified the perpetrator after so much time. When and why did the authorities first suspect the suspect, and when did they first obtain a DNA sample from him? What evidence did they use to get the search warrant?
2
They stalked him and collected garbage he discarded for DNA...Doesn’t explain though how they originally identified him as a suspect to stalk
1
The cops are trying to take as much credit as possible ( case probably depended on a tip or the book that just came out or both). They also want to avoid giving info that could cloud their further investigation of this guy. Trying to avoid s bunch of false tips now that we are in the age of Social media trolling
Hopefully, this is not a set up with planted DNA for the lawsuits that are sure to follow.
Thank science for DNA technology that allows the discovery and uncovering of such heinous and despicable crimes that though comes so many decades after, is never too late. Thank the the investigators too for their persistence, and the victims who had the courage to share any information on this terrible person - no punishment can be too severe or so long.
8
I don't blame law enforcement officials when they fail to capture someone like this during a rampage. The criminal usually will not be caught if he or she does not make a mistake by leaving evidence. Especially if the individual does not have a prior history. The police cannot work miracles.
That being said, they should not be taking victory laps when the criminal is arrested 30 years after committing the crimes. It is good that he will pay for the crimes during his few remaining years, but beyond that, the public has not had a threat removed. This creep had finished committing crimes decades ago. He stopped himself.
Law enforcement should keep a very low profile here, thankful to have found him, but uncomfortable that it only occurred so many year after the crimes had stopped.
20
I'm tempted to make an exception to my opposition to the death penalty, but no. It would be too good for him. You see, I think there are things much worse than death for animals like this.
30
The good story is that there is a suspect in custody. I, too, listened to Michelle McNamara's chilling account of the crimes in California, and especially those in Sacramento, my fair city. I am grateful to her for her dogged persistence in investigating this series of terrible crimes. She, too, is one of the GSK's victims.
The bad story is that the Sacramento County District Attorney Schubert has been hard-pressed over the past several weeks regarding the notorious homicide by police of Stephon Clark, an unarmed African American man, and the ensuing and ongoing protests and demonstrations by outraged Sacramentans, also widely covered in the national press. Sheriff Jones finally is facing a challenger this election, and many in the community are glad to have a choice. He claimed that paid protesters were responsible for agitating a deputy who struck a protester with his SUV, and who didn't stop to render aid. Sheriff Jones speculated the deputy wasn't aware that he had hit the 61-year old woman.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2018/04/03/sacramento-sheriff-scott-jon...
My point is, these law enforcement officials are changing the subject here, hoping for a public relations win (DA Schubert is also up for election). Anyone who thinks these big law enforcement, self-congratulatory reveals aren't political needs to catch up on their Law and Order re-runs.
31
Another example of the hiring of an individual for police work in two different communities without any thorough psychological examination, which, at the least, would probably have raised some red flags about the man!
20
I'm no psych expert but i doubt it. Its likely he could have lied enough to avoid revealing those red flags.
4
Article doesn't say. But if he did get such an exam maybe somebody needs to rethink them. And yes, anybody hired for police needs a (valid) prior psych exam.
4
Your post assumes that psychology is an exact science and that such tests are definitive in all cases of current, or more importantly, future potential behaviors. Alas, it is not that case whatsoever. There is a lot of opinion and supposition in assessing such reviews and even face to face interviews. Then toss in to the mix litigation if an applicant is denied employment solely based on the a vague sense that maybe they may be problematic - courts are leery of it, and sometimes with good reason.
2
I read MM's very interesting book and am eager to 1) find out how the police identified him as the suspect and 2) understand how his ex-wife was unaware of what he was doing.
15
The Green River Serial killer, responsible for around 71 murders, all female, had three wives and none of them was aware of his activity. It happens.
9
The Bind Torture and Kill (BTK) killer's wife was also completely unaware that he was a sadistic child killer. He was a county employee and a church deacon. That's how they caught him. He printed something on his church printer and they caught him with that for evidence to go on. BTK told his wife never to set foot in his shed, where he hid trophies of his killings. Obediently, she stayed out.
9
Psychopaths and serial killers are the disgusting microcosm of the human condition caused by natural mutations, often expressed as horror and beauty with equal zeal.
8
Is it nature or nurture?
I wonder if police officers, detectives, or other law enforcement shielded this predator from arrest. It seems unlikely that DeAngelo would have stopped his rampage without the threat of being unmasked.
6
They actually hired a psychic?? Ugh! What is wrong with people??
5
eh, worth a shot--he began his crime spree in the early 70's, and is just now being brought to justice (allegedly)--that's about 45 years.
5
When police are desperate, yes, some of them are willing to hire a psychic. There are people with psychic abilities and use them for good.
Who wouldn't want to help catch a sadistic killer if they could see who it is?
2
An “abandoned DNA sample?” Oh, boy, there’s a story needing to be told...
27
How did it not occur to anyone involved with the arrest in 1979, during a period when the golden state killer (no capital letters for him) was at large, that a hammer and a can of dog repellent could have been something the killer/rapist/sadist would have used?
34
I had the same thought. Dog repellent? Why shoplift it when you are employed?
8
With a purchase, there'd be a sales receipt. Also, a serial rapist killer is already of the manipulative mindset to see what all he can get away with in larger society.
1
"Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspect in the case, is thought to have killed 12 people, raped 45 people and burglarized more than 120 homes in multiple California communities between 1976 and 1986."
And it took 30 years to catch the guy?
Way to go!
11
And wouldn’t have caught him w/o help from a investigative reporter and her husband.
11
I hope the police will at some point tell us what lead them to seek his discarded DNA and how long they suspected that he might be the perp.
17
Interesting he was an ex-cop. As is Russia's worst serial who killed as many as 82 women: Mikhail Popkov , active 1992 - 2010
8
People who are wound too tight sometimes become monsters. The BTK killer in the Midwest was a faithful churchgoer. Rigidity, moral self-righteousness, and the lack of empathy and/or the capacity to live and let live can result in this kind of dead soul, and some people who share these characteristics are attracted to hierarchical systems of authority and power: police, churches, the military.
14
Do they know why this man stopped his killing rampage?
8
Maybe he 'found God' Don't they all? - esp. after they're caught.
Apparently he had his first kid around 1981 so may have had a harder time slipping away to commit his crimes- shortly after he resumed killing in 1986. It became clear that DNA evidence would soon be admissible in court. Those are two theories,anyway
4
Yes, but neither seem to be sufficient to allow DeAngelo overcome his abnormal and malignant compulsion. For a 'normal' criminal they would be good reasons but for someone like this man, maybe not. I wonder what he did for a living after his law enforcement jobs ended, and if he traveled out of state. It would seem the police would be checking unsolved cases nation wide.
2
And just thing of all the other rapists and maybe murderers running around while there's a huge, and I mean huge! backlog of untested rape kits. Most rapists rape many times. Also, please recall many states require rape survivors to pay for testing of rape kits to identify rapists: https://reason.com/archives/2014/10/09/rape-victims-charged-for-forensic.... The message to women? The law doesn't care about you. So yeah they got this guy. Now how about stepping up to the plate and working to make America SAFE for women?
34
Barbara,
Yes, and sometimes if the responding officers have no training on handling rape kits they compromise the evidence. Or they don't have the resources to process kits. Maybe they don't believe the victim so they mothball the kit and it's never tested.
A rape evidence collection examination is very difficult for the rape survivor. It's an invasive and time consuming task. The right rape examiner can make the exam bearable. The wrong one can make it as or more humiliating than the actual assault. Rape often goes unreported because survivors don't want to go through with the exam.
Every police jurisdiction should have a Sexual Assault Response Team. Every hospital should have a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Together SANE-SART nurses, police officers, and advocates are specially trained to assist sexual assault and child sexual assault survivors.
http://www.sane-sart.com/
http://www.endthebacklog.org/backlog/what-rape-kit-backlog
Rape kits must be processed immediately and compared against the DNA database. If this man continued his attacks after the advent of DNA testing, an unprocessed rape kit may have held the answer or at least a piece of the puzzle to finding him sooner. Not processing kits in a timely manner is insulting and unjust to the victims and survivors.
9
State Law agencies like to spend. Cash on offensive weapons , tactical training and surveillance gear at the expense of improving crime labs. They care more about controlling protests and fun stuff like drug enforcement than they care about prosecuting rapes.
5
All police should be required to have their DNA on record. I had to submit fingerprints to the FBI, get a criminal review from the German Federal Criminal ministry and the UK just to teach children in Scotland.
Surely those that carry guns and badges can have such records.
As a matter of fact all gun owners should submit DNA evidence as part of their license.
58
I had to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check to renew my nursing license. No DNA was collected.
3
The Sacremento Police Dept had a public meeting in 1977 regarding the Golden State Killer Case. Given he went on to attack a vocal citizen's wife - it is felt the killer certainly attended this meeting.
It would be interesting to examine press photos and videos from this meeting to see if the arrested was in the audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUtclNbkZo&t=2222s
see 27mins in.
35
A long and thankless task. These are the real good guys with guns.
4
The journalist/writer Michelle McNamara did the heavy lifting, not the cops. At. All.
1
The interesting this about this case is that in 40 years so little was kept alive in the public eye, so many people really know next to nothing about this series of crimes. Everyone knows Zodiac, Ted Bundy, Trailside, etal but perhaps because this guy's crimes were so spread out and over a long period his "ownership" of them was not clear. I've always been interested in true crime literature and I knew little about him myself. I do think the new book helped prod someone finally into coming forward. Also there was a reward-hate to say it but that might have helped, and less to fear from a 72 year old.
6
I just realize, this is the same police department that shot and killed an unarmed black man, 22-year-old Stephon Clark, in the backyard of his own home on March 18. Some good PR and some distraction are very helpful to such a department, especially if it needs a DA to look the other way when it comes to internal investigations.
As the intercept reports:
(The Sacramento DA's) political campaigns have benefitted from the largesse of law enforcement unions and associations. According to an analysis by The Intercept, about one-third of the contributions she received across her two campaigns to be Sacramento County’s district attorney — one of which is currently ongoing — came from law enforcement sources or those close to law enforcement. Just days after Clark was killed, Schubert came under fire for receiving two campaign donations from local law enforcement sources. The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association gave $10,000 to Schubert’s re-election campaign two days after the shooting. Three days later, the Sacramento County Alliance of Law Enforcement made a $3,000 contribution of their own.
9
If everyone's DNA were collected at birth, such crimes would become almost impossible in a generation. If everyone's DNA were collected on their next visit to a doctor, such crimes would become impossible and many old ones would be solved. We could make getting away with these crimes almost impossible, but we dont want to.
Our right to privacy is routinely violated on the Internet, where inquiring about any product brings scads of ads for similar products. But giving a DNA sample gives people the willies. This response does not seem rational except for those who are entertaining the idea of committing crimes or parenting children without having to take responsibility for them.
9
Right to privacy is not an issue for you huh.
7
So, you equate your privacy when buying on the internet to having the government in possession of the genetic code of your being???
Imagine all of the misuse and hacking that would come with your proposal to catch a very small minority of the population!
Welcome to 1984... Big Brother wants YOU!
11
100% guaranteed that employers and health insurers would eventually gain access - regardless whether there are laws on the books or not (inconvenient statutes are ignored or skirted by many|most large companies anyway). And so too would Russian, Bulgarian, Iranian hackers (who would also figure out how to use that info for their benefit).
6
This story emphasizes the need and funds for rape kits, their storage, entering the DNA and other forensic evidence into a computer database, and regular comparisons.
Rapists are rarely first and only time offenders. Like pedophiles they don't just stop.
Money allocated to this is more cost efficient than chasing bad guys based on evidence of one particular crime.
15
In the country, and in many jurisdictions was discovered that Rape-kits collected by the police, were archived and never tested for DNA? Obviously it seems the police has other priorities than the safety of victims of rape.
8
A SUSPECT has been arrested, not yet tried, or convicted.
3
How can anyone call this a law enforcement success? The perpetrator succeeded, decades ago! If it's this guy, whatever is left of his life doesn't pay for even one of these crimes. How could a case like this ever be left to grow cold? I wasn't familiar with it, but I'm horrified. It got some attention now only because someone wrote a book?!
12
Not clear whether D’Angelo has confessed or, if he has, whether he has confessed to both the rapes and the murders. He has not been connected to the rapes by DNA. They don’t have any. Only the murders.
Do you have some inside info that says "They don't have any [DNA]"? How do YOU know?
1
Actually, the article states that rape kits were taken from all his victims - so yes, they do have the DNA of the assailant in the rapes.
That is absolutely not true.
Any self-congrats by law enforcement is shameful & shameless. Success after 40 years failure. Better-late-than-never, but any boast is repugnant.
What did they actually do here that was remarkable, never mind heroic? Apparently they got a tip (which they do not want to talk about) due to book publicity. Given that, the surveillance & dna stuff becomes routine.
However, many people are too easily confused. See their posts.
7
40 year-old case finally with an arrested suspect. Will the zodiac killer be next?
It wasn't "like terrorism." It WAS terrorism. The victims would tell you as much, if they could. The affected communities did with their actions. This categorization of different motivations for what are all heinous crimes results gross overreactions to a few, and comparative, if initially grudging, acceptance of most.
5
I read Michelle McNamara's book a few weeks ago, such an excellent read, a wonderful writer. I am so sorry she isn't here to witness this.
The lack of details on how they finally figured this out is a bit frustrating and I wouldn't be surprised if the revelations about this coup will make them look a tiny bit incompetent that they were stumped for four decades.
If I remember correctly from the book there was a suspicion at some point that the suspect might be a cop, but I don't recall if this was the author's speculation or the investigators'.
5
Sometime in the near future, DNA will be a thing of the past. They will find the perp through Artificial Intelligence and the massive amount of data that is gathered by our smart phones, smart cars, smart homes, and of course all the social media sites. Anyone's ability to hide from anything will be a thing of the past. Good for police work though.
1
Genetic markers are the workhorse of the future, eliminating the violent degenerates as the birth defect they are. With 7.6 billion humans on the planet now, imagine how awfully dangerous it will be and how many degenerate rapists and killers there'll be when humans number 10 to 12 billion?
1
I’m sure I’m going to get flack for this: but wouldn’t the resources of law enforcement not be better spent on some recent more urgent cases? A task force across the state for some case gone cold for 40 years?
It seems law enforcement now pursues with all its might the stories it wants to sell to Hollywood, rather than protect us from imminent dangers,
4
Computer records don't recognize time. They recognize data.
A national database of fingerprints and DNA can help solve crimes new and old.
Catching a repeat offender prevents more crime than a one-off. Don't misunderstand; once a one-off is in the database don't be surprised if he/she is tied to many other crimes.
5
I disagree. Apart from the particularly heinous nature of the crimes, which in my view are enough to justify devoting considerable resources to a case like this until justice is served, catching a perp decades after the end of his crime spree has some deterrent value in the here and now -- it sends the message that leads will be pursued tirelessly, and that law enforcement will always be on your tail. Kudos to the D.A. for reviving the search.
3
Yeah, you're going to get flack for this. There is a reason there is no statute of limitations for such serious crimes as murder.
4
What brought him to their attention in the first place? We're told that he was not a suspect until police received a tip immediately prior to their staking him out and getting the "discarded" DNA.
What was the tip? What made him a suspect at all?
36
It's difficult for me to believe some law enforcement agency did NOT know who the perpetrator was- one of their own. I think they valued the reputation of their police force more than the lives of women.
25
You have zero evidence of that, though, just conspiracy theories.
6
Hard to believe that once they suspected it was a cop that they failed to look into cops fired for committing crimes, especially ones involving the theft of a hammer and doggy tear gas.
10
They never said how they connected the DNA samples to him. Guess I have to wait for a book to come out.
25
No, you have to wait for the trial. There need to be no slip ups in the evidence trail. DNA is a marvellous tool in closing cold cases and until sufficient time has elapsed that a perpetrator has died of old age, they do not get to slip the noose.
I am happy to know that this aberration of a human being has been caught. I have no doubt all the lurid details will be forthcoming all too soon but I won't be bothered to read them. I am only interested that he is tried and convicted based on the evidence.
1
Sadly, he is not an aberration. Witness the number of girls and women kidnapped, tortured, raped and killed every year just in the U.S. Then factor in the rest of world to get an idea how many of them are among us out of the 3.8 billion males.
2
Have read quite a bit about this case and am so happy for the victims that some measure of justice will come to them. As others have noted here, he was caught through "abandoned" DNA that was matched to known DNA of the killer. Someone tipped off the cops; someone knew this was the guy. No doubt that all the talk about this old case is what led to the arrest and the late Michelle McNamara is a huge part of that. Kudos to all the detectives who never let this case go, and worked for years to catch this creep.
46
"After that we locked our doors".
A sad legacy ,so many of our young folks are being raised behind locked doors now.
10
I agree, I grew up with unlocked doors. It wasn’t unusual to come home and find a friend or relative having tea at the kitchen table. Sometimes we found a note, sorry we missed you.
2
We always locked our doors growing up.
2
I have a hard time believing that he stopped committing these crimes back in the 1980s. I wonder if they will turn up evidence that he traveled to other states since then.
31
No end to the pain. No closure. Unimaginable horror.
13
I was a young girl growing up in Fair Oaks during the time this was happening, and the fear and terror that permeated people’s lives in my neighborhood left a lasting impression on me. I grew up never trusting unlocked windows and open screen doors, always checking closets and potential hiding spots.
I figured out where in Citrus Heights this guy lives by Googling the names of some of his neighbors interviewed today. Turns out he lived exactly 2 miles from my house, off a street we passed every day on the way to my school. I started looking at a map of the crime spots...if I’m not mistaken about where he lives, he was SMACK in the middle of many of them. The ones between Sunrise Blvd and Manzanita Ave were literally blocks away from his house.
He was right there, the whole time.
I am eager to learn more about his wife, his family...did they never suspect? I find it hard to believe that his wife didn’t have an inkling and maybe just wanted to not believe it.
269
What would make you think the wife had any clue as to what was happening?
2
Yeah, the Dottie Sandusky club of denial of what is in front of your face. To be married to a cop fired for shoplifting dog repellant -- this is a clue your husband is way way off in the head and behaviour. Apparently wife is a family law/RE law attorney and they separated but never divorced.
https://heavy.com/news/2018/04/joseph-james-deangelo-family-children-wife/
9
I remember the fear you describe quite vividly. My mother, my sister and I lived in Contra Costa Country at the time, the community was on edge. We unfortunately had the experience of an actual middle of the night break in, our mother was violently assaulted, but was miraculously able to fight the guy off. The crime is unsolved to this day. I was 11 years old at the time, but will never forget the experience of that night nor the following experience of our house being swarmed by cops all uttering the words “East Area Rapist”. Nor will I ever forget the following years of intense fear we lived in. The three of us are holding our breath a bit now and feeling uncertain if our crime will be tied to this case and solved, both hopeful and somehow fearful that it might be. Feeling that whiff of fear about it all now, nearly 40 years later certainly brings me back. I for one am incredibly thankful this man is being brought to justice.
13
Question: are all law enforcement types fingerprinted, dna tested and entered into a database ? Or are they somehow exempt. My betting is exempt!
Couple that with mandatory drug testing of all that discharge a firearm on duty at the time of use and we then will finally get a handle on police behavior. And in drugs I mean performance enhancing drugs.
72
They didn't DNA test back in the 70's.
3
DNA profiling wasn't known when he committed those crimes.
1
That's exactly what I was thinking earlier today. Also, anyone who runs for public office should also be part of the dna database. Easy proof of hypocrisy is a deterrent.
1
Now, wait a minute. Isn't fingerprinting standard procedure for becoming a police officer? I thought they had to have the prints on file to allow for elimination from a crime scene. Was it hubris in law enforcement that never considered it possible it could be one of their own?
When I lived in Bakersfield, California there were a string of rapes and murders of prostitutes. This went on for about 3 years in 1985-1988. The Kern county sheriff said he'd get the guy. It turned out to be one of his own deputies. I wonder if they missed his prints too?
58
he left no fingerprints
6
GSK always wore gloves so no fingerprints. But he left DNA because it was not well understood back then what great evidence DNA is
11
It’s my understanding that they never recovered fingerprints at the crime senes. I have to wonder how did he finally become a suspect, was it family DNA?
2
A bit google search turns out that the killer’s daughter was born in Sept, 1981. That was when the spree was stopped.
13
He kept going until the mid 80's.
8
It stopped in 1986, so he continued even after he had children. Unbelievable.
8
After 1981, there was only one case in 1986
1
Note that he was taken without any shots being fired. Can anyone figure out why?
21
Do I detect a hint of regret in your observation that no shots were fired? This is the way it's supposed to be, but all too often isn't. The police are not supposed to act as judge jury and executioner.
I was struck by the wonderment in the American media at the way a Toronto cop apprehended the man who mowed down all those pedestrians with a vehicle, while it's a matter of course in Canada. The difference surely has a lot to do with the difference in the two nations' gun cultures; in the US cops are conditioned to expect everyone to be armed and in a confrontation are more likely to react accordingly.
40
No, there is no regret in Robert's comment. Instead, he is simply saying that a serial murderer can be apprehended without resort to firearms, whereas *a lot* of people guilty of far less, or not at all, are now routinely killed rather than just arrested. And I support his point.
41
a british policeman commented that they don't carry guns because they serve the people and not the state. that's lost in american policing.
1
Yet there’s still no reason to construe from this that sworn peace officers are incapable of lapses in judgement and always scrupulously follow the rules, especially when using deadly force.
5
If anything, it is a good argument to start testing those untouched, tens of 1,000's of rape kits that are sitting on shelves, collecting dust, in police depts. coast to coast.
112
That's statutes of limitation
1
Rape kits are destroyed once the states of limitations time interval is reached
Yes, the most noticeable benefit of DNA analysis has been brought to criminal investigations, although the original goal of scientists should have been different. Ironic...
3
If only she had published the book sooner and lived to see the fruits of her labors. How gratifying that would have been. And people could have enjoyed thanking her.
29
I can get over how long it took to figure out something. I don’t believe that no body new about he DNA sample “when an abandoned DNA sample was collected.” “The answer has always been in Sacramento,” So, that means that the DNA sample was there just no body saw, miss it or just simply was ignore reason. When this type of cases happen the government in charge are for hiding every that leads them or implication. Not everything can be hide forever. I do feel for the victims. Years and years of no answers... how frustrating. In the end is all about politics.
4
No, the 'abandoned' DNA sample was likely a coffee cup, a tissue, something that DeAngelo has recently used that was discarded by him then collected by law enforcement and tested against evidence that they already had.
5
Are you aware that there is no database of the DNA of all people in Calif, or anywhere else? What use were all the samples they had, if they had none of this person?
By "politics" mean you want law enforcement to have DNA of everyone? Yes? No?
Abandoned DNA sample means a cup he held and drank out of that he threw away or something similar. They followed him and saw him drop something, and they retrieved it, I believe, just recently. Someone must have tipped them off about his identity and they surreptitiously collected a sample of his DNA to compare to the killer’s DNA.
4
I remember this is when the Sheriff helicopters first took to the air, searchlights and endless circles, all night long, night after night. A long backdrop of terror and mayhem over years and years.
I am not one for the death penalty, but would make an exception in this case.
15
Then you are for the death penalty as it is only used in exceptional cases.
1
The death penalty is also administered very capriciously.
A great moment, and the Donald must be feelin' pretty good about now. Finally!! Some news to take people's minds off that vexing Mueller investigation.
3
"Keeping guns out of those "whackados" hands is the point of the gun control you hate; background checks, mental health exams, a gun registry to trace crimes to gun owners, etc. That being said"
That being said...
I'm unclear how with all your laws for my safety and well being that the Trailside Killer a previously twice convicted felon had two guns?
And I'm unclear why Dianne Feinstein is so special that just for the asking she can have a CCW permit yet the "common man/woman" in California can ask from now 'till the end of time and no amount of threat upon them or their family will be deemed sufficient for them to acquire one in SF or Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley)
200+ years ago we fought a revolution in the Country to do away with the English Crown and all the "special" privileges they granted unto themselves
200+ years later Dianne has bought that special treatment back
For HERSELF!
How magnanimous of her...
2
She is a public figure and there are crazy people out there. The common person is not a public figure and usually does not attract crazy people that want to kill them.
2
The article doesn’t address what seems like an obvious question — Why did he stop his crime spree when he did? Isn’t it unusual for someone with his sort of sadistic pathological patterns to go back to a “normal” life for decades before being caught? Was he incarcerated at some point and/or did he know he’d left a trail of clues to his identity?
15
Once DNA testing was available for use in solving crimes, he stopped committing them.
2
He was a monster for ten years, and then in 1986 he quit. Why?
5
He aged out, AND he read about DNA. But, I'd bet he didn't actually quite stop. Was just more careful for awhile, then stopped.
20
IF he stopped in the mid-late 80s he would have been in his 40s. Not sure if that is the sole reason but I am curious as well.
2
I lived in those times in that place and he was a pretty scarey guy who went on to become a serial murderer. I am glad he is caught. While you see all the Sheriff's and DA taking a bow there is something they arent telling you. authorities refused to reveal what led to DeAngelo. The reason for that is someone tipped them. They didnt get this on their own. The mass publicity in the last year about this guy is my bet what led to the tip. Whoever provided that is the hero in my book
37
Maybe someone who actively or inadvertently aided and abetted him had a conscience to clear before dying.
1
In 1976, I was a nine year old girl, living in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento, when the East Area Rapist began raping women in their homes. It was terrifying. I remember my mother buying special locks for our windows and sliding glass doors. And I remember going to bed scared every night for years. And then the rapes stopped suddenly, but the fear remained. I feel a huge sense of relief reading that this man has finally been caught.
182
I remember when the young girl Heidi Petersen got kidnapped and killed in Seattle in about 1971. Everyone knew about it. I was in kindergarten and terrified of going to the bus stop and waiting for the school bus. My mom had warned me about white vans and strange cars. (My mom had to work so I was alone at the bus stop on a rural road.) My whole childhood I was nervous walking to a friend's house, afraid of strange cars. Oh, the lingering fear that such horrible killers leave in a community. I feel for all the children whose outdoor adventures were ruined by the fear created by this criminal.
10
First, this is a great day for justice and the start of vindication for the many poor victims.
But as a scientist I'd also like to cheer the advancements that allowed this sick person to be captured. The discovery of DNA and the invention of the methods that allow forensics experts to match evidence to its owner are achievements that were not long ago non-existent. It's not a perfect tool, but along with all the other evidence, this made it possible to catch a serial killer and rapist.
247
DNA is a wonderful tool, but there are now cameras all over the place that would have captured his image, which would have been put on television making his years long crime spree impossible. Apparently the police were suspicious of this guy, but needed a sample of his DNA to confirm it. It was not revealed how they got the DNA. One way would have been to remove his garbage and get DNA from that. Does anyone have objections to taking a DNA sample from every new born, which over decades would create a complete data bank that could be used to solve crimes?
3
How about if each and every police employee in all the USA and its territories provide fingerprints and DNA samples as a condition of employment? Why was this man’s info not matched up sooner?
3
American police get almost no training compared to what is normal in most real democracies. Better trained police would have found this guy long ago since he no doubt made more mistakes if he was so stupid as to steal a hammer and dog repellent during a series of rapes! That alone should have sufficed to put him under surveillance.
3
A family I know was victimized by the "East Side Rapist", for them, I am grateful.
59
FINALLY !!
19
Allow me to answer a few basic questions in the comments. Abandoned DNA: discarded by a suspect, therefore a warrant not needed to attempt a match. Usually obtained by placing a suspect under surveillance, and watching for Him to discard a saliva contaminated object. Examples: Gum, cigarette butt, drink container/straw. Also, any discarded trash around the suspects property, in most states. The DNA match most likely came from the old Semen samples in the Rapes. DNA can last a remarkably long time, if stored properly. I have no insider knowledge of this case, but I would place a huge wager that the Police got a tip about THIS particular suspect, got his DNA surreptitiously, and the case was solved.
Congratulations.
242
Phyllis,
Spot on answer. It will be interesting to learn the back story on this case when the time comes. I'll be curious to know long law enforcement has been looking at this man. Was he on a list of potential suspects during the crime spree? If so, was he ever questioned or surveilled at that time? Did the 2016 FBI $50K reward have any bearing on the arrest?
As this column has stated, we know the system has seen vast improvement in how these types of cases are worked over the last 40 years. This arrest is proof of that improvement. I only hope the victims families can take some small solace that the suspect has been finally apprehended.
Cold case homicide detectives never forget....
4
Actually the DNA samples had to come from murder crime scenes because the rape kit samples were destroyed when the statutes of limitation were reached. My best guess is that some new evidence such as a person who suspected this particular former officer came forward and then he was surveiled and his DNA obtained surreptitiously and when it matched the old murder scene evidence they knew they had their man.
3
Even though law enforcement seems unwilling to fully acknowledge Ms. McNamara's role in solving these horrific crimes, you can be sure that tip came as the result of the publicity she caused to be focused on these long unsolved crimes. It seems that at least some measure of honesty about the role she played in Mr. DeAngelo's apprehension is in order. She wrote about how the need for case control often keeps police from solving these types of crimes. How observant she truly was; her book should be required reading for everyone involved in such investigations.
7
They got the Monster! I am not for the death penalty, but in this case an exception should be made. It is an absolutely chilling case. A former Auburn Police Officer. This man personifies evil!
42
"I am not for the death penalty, but in this case an exception should be made."
Exactly why I am for the death penalty.
Before we get carried away, though, let's remember that forensic science isn't what we see on TV, as we're well instructed by "Inside the Cell," by Erin Murphy.
4
Amazing. I'm reading I'll Be Gone In The Dark. I hope the late author Michelle McNamara somehow knows he's been caught.
52
Good, now throw him to the victims family members and let them tear him apart.
14
If there is anyone who deserves the death penalty......
23
One way to indirectly link DNA is for law enforcement to use DNA from non-medical sources like ancestry.com and 23andme.com. This is legal. If they find something related, like Jane Doe who appears to be a first cousin to the perpetrator, they can then focus their investigation on Jane Doe's family. Your medical information is only protected if it is given to your doctor. There is no confidentiality for anything provided to a company.
23
I would never have a DNA test done through a genealogy service. Aside from the issues Diane states, they are a business and not subject to HIPPA regulations. While the current owners may protect your information, future owners may not. Then there’s the possibility the system could be hacked with your DNA information eventually making its way to insurance companies.
17
Not true...the DNA you provide to those entities is not tested and used in the same way. So said a forensic scientist on HLN this evening.
2
McNamara covered this in her book, neither 23 and Me or Ancestry.com will work w law enforcement and give access to their database.
9
I hope he gets what's coming to him soon.
9
Though I hate to jump on the cop-bashing wagon, and while we must tip our hats to those who caught him, we really do need to understand why so many law enforcement officers are involved in serial killing.
Given they make up such an alarming share of those perpetrating these crimes, additional evaluation and DNA samples may need to be a mandatory part of officer training. We have enough problems with violent police; Let's understand why that is and institute protections to preserve the integrity of our law enforcement institutions.
71
Power and control issues? Inadequacy and rage? For starters.
Patrick,
You've apparently made the conclusion that "so many law enforcement officers are involved in serial killing." I'd be curious to know the facts that support your premise that an "alarming share" of cops are suspects in serial killings. I am not aware of those "facts."
I agree fully that we need to promote accountability and institute protections to improve public trust in law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies across the country need to constantly evaluate their policies, testing and hiring procedures as well as training and disciplinary processes to meet best professional practices.
The facts here are that two California agencies hired a man 45 years ago who became terribly prolific serial murderer and rapist. Those agencies made what turned out to be a terrible mistake in that hiring.
The facts today are that modern law enforcement testing, psychological examinations and initial employment background investigations have little resemblance to those of when this killer was hired.
No modern hiring process, no matter how stringent, is perfect. Unfortunately, mistakes occur now and the wrong person is hired. Despite that, I'm not aware of an "alarming number" of serial killers slipping through the cracks in modern law enforcement. If you are, perhaps you can educate us all.
thank you for expressing your support for law enforcement
So why was this guy's DNA on file anyway? He must've been accused of something . He was a policeman and nobody in the police force matched the victim's drawings to one of their own?
13
It wasn't on file. Law enforcement had staked out his house and, apparently, recovered DNA from something"abandoned" in the trash or recycling.
6
I don't think it was. I think he was a suspect and they made a match with discarded DNA, i.e., a piece if gum, food utensil, etc.
4
It wasn't on file. They went out and got it.
4
What are the details of how he was identified? How long was he a suspect? How did he keep getting polices jobs after being dismissed? There many unanswered questions here which I hope will emerge eventually.
28
It was most likely the hammer and dog repellent for which he was convicted of shoplifting was to be used in his crimes. It is a shame that a detective didn't wonder why a police officer would shoplift these inexpensive items.
24
Do you even read the article? He didn't get another police job after being dismissed. The last police job he had was 1979 when he was convicted of shoplifting and dismissed.
1
It's difficult to imagine how anything resembling justice can be meted out to this old man. He's already enjoyed 40 years of freedom since his murderous crime spree began. Life in prison? Big deal.
I'm glad that the surviving victims and family members have a chance at closure. I do have a hard time understanding why someone would feel blessed that God allowed a monster four decades of freedom before being brought into custody as an old man at the end of his life.
23
I think death is too easy for this guy. Make him listen, 12 hours a day, every day, to the friends and relatives of his victims.
2
In terms of murders and rapes, the monster who was caught makes Charles Manson look like a boy scout. My question is why it took so many decades to catch this guy, when there was DNA? Was there a cover-up by the police? I hope there is an investigation in this huge screw-up.
34
I wonder what the tip was... I read an article last fall which mentioned that the killer stole 14 sets of expensive Noritake Polonaise china from one of the victims. I wonder if this guy's daughter or wife realized the source of their fancy china.
45
Daughter
2
Noritake in the 1970s was not expensive nor was it considered in the same league as, say, Wedgwood or Aynsley. My wedding pattern was a Nortiake, chosen because it was less expensive and we knew friends and family could afford one or two piecers, even a setting.
1
I'm Grateful they finally caught this Evil thing.
The issue that MOST Rapes are NOT investigated probably extended his Rave on society.
My understanding is that Even when DNA is provided. MOST cases with evidence are left in the storeroom with NO effort to find the rapist. Personally, when my step-daughter was raped, the rapist left plenty of evidence. She was treated horribly by local Sheriff dept. While she was still in the hospital, Her boyfriend and small children were held at their house, in the car for 5 hours while they "searched" the house. The rape happened nearby, not in the house. To Top off the cruelty to the victim, the Sheriff took HER cellphone! Her only real security!! Her only ability to call for help during an emergency!
And of course NO ONE was apprehended, NO word back from the Sheriff Dept. NOTHING resolved. I just know the evidence was thrown on the heap of other cases, left disrespectfully without investigation..they have the Perps DNA!! ??
PERHAPS if ALL RAPES were treated with the urgency they deserve, Joseph DeAngelo and other dangerous rapists would have been caught a Long time ago!!
110
LAH- terrible, horrifying, doubly offensive that your step-daughter ( and her family) should suffer thus at the hands of those who promise to protect and serve. Thank you for writing about it. It heightens our awareness that victims of violent crimes should not suffer again, and in such a prolonged way, in the name of evidence gathering.
There should be protocols and procedures in place to treat victims and their families with extra-conscientious care.
2
LAH,
I’m so sorry your step-daughter and family were treated so terribly, like criminals. That sheriff’s department needs to be scrutinized for not only this but other abuses of power. You described the reason many rapes go unreported. Too often rape survivors are re-victimized by those who should be helping them. This is why specially trained professionals should conduct rape exams and investigations.
I hope your step-daughter found follow up care with caring professionals and has found peace within herself.
3
"an abandoned DNA sample was collected."
Why? How?
The reporting does not say.
This should be "up front" in the first sentence.
6
Possibly the story does not say because the police didn't reveal it. Yes?
10
Abandoned DNA sample was collected while the suspect was under surveillance, after police received a tip. Hope that helps...
Yes, Augustus. They didn't divulge everything today during the news conference.
Well done, if way late.
3
“Mr. DeAngelo...was twice employed as a police officer in California: In Exeter from 1973 to 1976, and in Auburn from 1976 to 1979...”
This is highly disturbing. Was he dismissed or did he quit his Exeter police job in 1976? Why did he change departments? What is the time frame between his jobs in Exeter and Auburn? Did he leave the police department in Auburn or was he dismissed? Was he involved in incidents in either or both positions? Did someone in either department know something and keep quiet?
It’s interesting to note his crimes, presumably, ended with the acceptance of DNA evidence at trial. The first U.S. conviction based on DNA evidence was 1987 in Florida. Either he quit knowing he was more likely to be caught or he found a new “hunting” ground. Then again, perhaps there are backlogged DNA kits containing his genetic information that have never been tested.
One thing I know for sure, he’s been free and roaming the streets for far too long.
https://www.forensicmag.com/article/2005/01/evolution-dna-evidence-crime...
http://www.endthebacklog.org/backlog/what-rape-kit-backlog
http://www.sane-sart.com/
27
He was fired for shoplifting a hammer and some bear repellent - he was probably hoping to use it in his crime spree. Abandoned DNA means the cops found something he touched with his hands or mouth, ect. It seems clear to me after reading a bit about this guy’s crimes, that he continued to receive information from police sources about the investigation and used that info to avoid being caught in situations where there where stake outs or other attempts to catch him in the act. He also seemed to have targeted two people who spoke with police at a public meetings about the rapes; indicating he was either at the meeting or had info about what was said at the meetings.
13
He was fired from the Auburn job for shoplifting dog repellant and a hammer.
4
I thought as you did that he was aware of the new DNA technological advances and realized he could place himself at additional risk by continuing to rape. But I am curious what he did instead, to relieve those urges. Neighbors reported his violent temper-perhaps that was an outlet for some of the rage anyway.
2
Pretty sure this guy tried to break in to our apartment in Concord, CA when my wife was home alone on a hot evening with patio door open. We were probably 25 at the time, and had been getting obscene phone calls. A few of the Concord/ walnut Creek attacks had already happened, so we were alert. She heard footsteps in backyard gravel around midnite, dialed 911 and dispatcher stayed on line until patrolman arrived very quickly. He went around back and found 'signature' patio door screen cut and window screen scratched. Could have gone very badly, glad they got him after all this time. Makes me wonder what he has been doing for the last 30 years. Hard to believe he just stopped this perverse behavior.
239
wow that is very frightening, I am so glad your wife was OK.
2
And I am happy for you that you were lucky… I mean he was unlucky in consummating a crime
Were obscene phone calls part of his general MO? How terrifying.
1
I just read Michelle McNamara’s book and she deserves as much credit as the police and politicians in the resolution of this mystery.
76
Ms. McNamara kept the flame alive. Thank goodness for investigative writers like her. And for her supportive husband who believed in her and the work. Impossible not to give them enormous credit.
5
I'm glad to see from reading the comments that I'm not the only one who can't quite piece this together. What we have been told so far is rather peculiar - very light on facts.
20
In the late 70's when this monster was in full-swing operation I was a young woman--with a 6 am to 10 pm active schedule (a 8-hour fast paced job and college curriculum for an accounting degree) and after 11 pm -- many days study for the next test.
I was living in Rancho Cordova--one of the main scenarios of action of ....... the pejorative would be too strong for me to write.
I was kept awake a number of nights--I put wooden on my window.. I remember someone telling me he was going to houses (not apartments) and that released some of my anxiety.
Today I have called the local sheriffs department to thank them. Actually I am intending to bring some flowers or some dessert --if I can find their address. I would like to clarify that (I am not particularly a fan of the police force in this city). I come from Spain --the country with the 3rd lowest amount of homocides world-wide; I am very much against crime. I have seen police forces which seemed to me "nicer" than Sacramento's in some distant places.
It is mind-boggling that I might have seen this man somewhere.
At times I ask myself when I am out and about if anybody around me is a criminal.
It feels "eerie" and surreal.
I hope Michelle McNamara can see it all from above. Thank you, Ms. McNamara. You will go down in history.
If any investigative reporter gets to read this, thank you for your work...
26
Wonder how the police came upon the perp's DNA so as to perform matches with evidence obtained at crime scenes?
Must be good story of police work behind this take down.
5
They were tipped off, collected some trash and had it tested and matched to the DNA in the old case files. Not exactly Sherlock Holmes territory.
2
I remember being a teenager in San Bernardino County in the late 1970s. We slid our windows shut, bracing them with burglar bars--specifically to keep this man out of the house while we slept. I feel disgusted and betrayed to learn that he was a police officer at the time.
307
You should add "unsurprised" in this day and age, given the self-serving primary motives of our over-militarized domestic police forces.
4
Lived in the East Area as a teen/earlly 20s during the time of the East Area Rapist. It was a time of terror for everyone.
I just watched the politically-charged press conference DA Shubert and Sheriff (and failed GOP congressional candidate) Scott Jones gave, complete with the brother of one of the victims promoting his ballot initiative and telling people to go to Walmart to sign it.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, there is no information provided anywhere how long DeAngelo was a suspect, how they got his "current" DNA to match it to what was on file, why they have allowed him to live in Citrus Heights for 20 years, when he became a suspect (and why), etc., etc.
No information at all. Just right wing speeches. Appalling self-congratulatory nonsense for law enforcement who let him live in the area for decades.
337
I just read - they got his DNA from discarded items. They were surveilling him for several days.
They did not know until 6 days ago. And they matched his DNA - about 1 day ago. So they acted quickly.
It is the book of Michelle McNamara - from what I can infer from the readings that activated the case and provided some of the clues.
I would suggest that to honor her memory people buy her book. Believe me, it feels really eearie to know I might have most likely be in a spot where this degenerate monster was present. I was one of his Psychological victims as young woman - Rancho Cordova resident.
--it brings tears to my eyes that Ms McNamara could not live to witness the result of her investigative work--
65
In the real world there's going to be a trial and it's a good idea for the police and prosecution to avoid shooting their mouths off just to satisfy hysterics.
5
He only came on the radar recently due to a tip. They only got his DNA from some of the trash he threw out very recently. Nobody let him live anywhere. He was off the radar until very recently.
3
For law enforcement to have found a DNA match, it means they had to have his DNA on file to compare with the samples found in crime scenes. I'd like to know how/what his DNA was doing already on file -- he must have already been a suspect, either for these or for other crimes??
47
they didnt have his DNA on file. Apparently they got a tip leading them to him. Then then waited for him to throw something away with DNA. It matched. When all is said and done we are going to find out it wasnt the DA or all the Uniforms that made this happen. IT will be all the publicity lately and some real good books by authors) providing good analysis and public attention that led to the tip. The DA will of course want the publicity for her reelection etc. But it was someone out there that pointed him out.
27
It wasn't on file. it was from a discarded sample. This means they had info or suspicions and were watching him and picked up discard that had his DNA on it and they ran it against evidence on file. He was old enough before DNA testing came into acceptance. and unless he a had a recent felony conviction in CA there would be no DNA.
8
No, you are mistaken. The problem was that law enforcement had the killer's DNA, but it did not match anything in the criminal databases. The obtained a sample of DNA from his trash, apparently, and matched it to the killer. He had not been a suspect before the past week or so. Why he suddenly became a suspect is the question they didn't really answer
7
Thank God they finally caught him.
Just what's the world coming to when a senior citizen roams the countryside at will, robbing, raping, and murdering innocent people.
I think the authorities had better check to make sure the old gentleman is not actually a zombie.
7
The last known crime occurred in 1986 when the suspect was not a senior citizen.
15
the crimes were committed many many years ago. pay attention.
17
He wasn't a senior citizen in the 70's and 80's.
13
A hearty congratulation to law enforcement and the FBI. Thank you for protecting us.
14
Protecting us? Hardly. This was an icy cold case.
8
He had been able to live relatively normally for decades. Monsters exist among all of us. My son goes to college and has told me several stories of his fraternity brothers raping women and covering it up, and threatening my son with violence if he blew the whistle. There are monsters crawling around in even the highest echelons of society who have sordid skeletons in their closet.
149
Uh, your son should blow the whistle.
173
you should tell the cops what your son tells you
31
Tell him to step up even if he just does it anonymously.
Future victims are part of your responsibility now.
37
"when an abandoned DNA sample was collected"
What does this mean?
194
It means that an item containing tissue or fluids from which DNA could be isolated was "abandoned" -- placed in trash or recycling -- allowing law enforcement agents to acquire it for testing, without the necessity of a warrant, since "abandoned" property isn't subject to 4th Amendment protections.
Per other news sources, his home has been under surveillance for some time.
20
SE,
Good catch, I missed that remark. They’re probably referring to a backlog of rape kits or other crime scene evidence containing blood. During much of his crime spree, the use of DNA evidence at trial was in its infancy. Usually crime scene evidence is catologed (saved) in case of future breakthroughs. There had to be a reason the police took a second look at this. I’m hoping they’ll share additional details soon.
For more about Rape kit backlogs and forensic science: http://www.endthebacklog.org/backlog/what-rape-kit-backlog
https://www.aafs.org
2
It means they acquired a sample of his DNA from something he used and discarded, like a drinking cup or a cigarette or any number of things. They had him under surveillance and acquired it after he discarded it.
9
I can't wait to hear the arrest details of this case. They had DNA evidence since the first crime was committed by this suspect. What happened to put his guy in their sights? The last rape was 40 years ago. A murder was solved in CT years ago because the murderer was arrested on a domestic dispute 35 yrs after the crime and his fingerprints came up as a match. Hopefully, the victims in this crime spree can rest a little easier.
22
They might have had the DNA 40 years ago, but DNA testing didn't exist back then.
6
>>> They had DNA evidence since the first crime was committed by this suspect.
Well, they might have had material that *could* have yielded DNA. But the first use of DNA in a US court case was in 1987 and the first state supreme court ruling that DNA was admissible came in 1989. The first relevant California Supreme Court opinion was in 1991.
By 1991, there had only been one case thought to be associated with this offender in a decade, and that incident was five years old: A woman was murdered in Irvine, CA, in 1986, the year before the first use of DNA in a US court.
5
Thanks for the reply. I realize DNA testing was not available. My question was anecdotal in that the evidence was always available, what clued the authorities in on this guy's DNA after so many years. Did he get arrested for something else which precipitated a match?
Thank you for this wonderful story. The good guys won!
6
The question most posters seem to be asking is WHY WAS HE IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF POLICE? I know they collected discarded dna, but why were they suspicious of him? I've not come across that answer as yet. Whoever committed these crimes is a monster.
29
"... when an abandoned DNA sample was collected"
What does that mean? It doesn't make sense to say an abandoned DNA sample was collected decades after the crimes were committed. Did they find a DNA sample in old crime scene evidence? Or did they have a DNA sample of this suspect that was finally tested? If it was the suspect's DNA that was finally tested then was it because they had other evidence to now suspect him and they were able to get a sample of his DNA after he drank from a glass of water or such?
34
They had the killer's DNA, but couldn't match it to anyone. This sample from DeAngelo, they retrieved from his trash and that matched the killer's DNA
2
Your last sentence is the answer
1
As a Californian I am so happy they've finally caught this serial killer. Reading Michelle's book, even decades after the crimes occurred, was terrifying. This man ruined so many lives and it's small comfort knowing he'll spend his final days behind bars as punishment. Nothing can bring back the lives lost, the comfort stolen, by this monster.
41
This story could certainly use some more elaboration on the DNA evidence; it's pretty unclear from the article how it was discovered and what it led to.
64
Linda: Might I suggest that the police not reveal just how they got the DNA evidence so as not to put criminals on guard.
1
I read "I'll be Gone in the Dark" a few weeks ago. It has haunted me. This rapist/killer was diabolical. He surveiled his victims before he attacked. He planned his escape routes. One man stood up at a public meeting with the police and said he didn't understand how one man could subdue two people especially with a man in the house. This couple was later attacked in their home. The police figured he followed them home and then planned his attack which happened months later. Such a viscous and prolific criminal.
Congratulations to all who worked for decades to solve these crimes.
41
My guess is that we'll learn that since the book came out, someone close to him or with credibility shared a tip with the police. That is why law enforcement watched his house to access something to test that would have his DNA on it. He has an ex-wife, daughters, siblings and extended family in the area, so it might come out that one of them shared the tip.
60
It would be interesting to compare a younger photo of him with the witness drawings.
41
Dailymail has just that.
5
improperly or incorrectly reported, piles of dna evidence from the string of killings all across california----it was the introduction of dna as a foolproof tracking tool that abruptly ended the killings. somehow, the concept of data mining throughout california escaped the police, and to believe michelle's book had anything to do with this killer's arrest betrays any sense of intellectual purpose.
8
McNamara’s book may have been helpful by keeping the public’s focus on the case. Public awareness can be very helpful in supporting ongoing police work many decades after the crimes.
104
How can you be so certain? The book might have put the police onto the suspect, motivating them to obtain a DNA sample. Don't pretend to have "intellectual purpose" when you don't have all the facts.
28
I didn’t read her book but I’m guessing you didn’t either. And data mining doesn’t work if the data isn’t there.
3
California is way too strange ,especially in that region. Back in the early 1970's I hitched a ride with a guy dressed in a full clown costume and makeup I didn't say anything ,he didn't say anything but I was thinking,strange .We got to a stop light near Fresno and he got out of the car and walked away saying ,you can have it.I drove to LA and left it on the street ,too weird.
81
I know people who have visited California for work and/or conferences and they all say the same thing :)
I have often visited family in Texas and New Mexico but avoided California, those two states were strange enough. I definitely steered clear of Arizona.
3
Ha ha, good story -- I remember lots of strange things from the 70's. Now, let's judge a state of 40 million based on one of your weird 70's experiences, shall we?
5
Best comment I’ve read in months
7
Ex cop? I bet my last dollar that the blue wall of silence played a part in his secret. How about we interview all of his fellow officers and ex partners, do you think any of them knew something wasn't right with this guy but kept it to themselves? There are sociopaths in every walk of life, including law enforcement.
446
I'd bet my house you're wrong. No police department will protect a serial killer.
23
Detectives thought the killer might be a cop, but the leads led to dead ends. They probably at last found a DNA link.
9
This psychopath had a short LE career, getting fired when he committed a misdemeanor; sounds like the department cleans house when they have reason to do so. He was arrested by cops. Psychopaths are skilled manipulators of perception, and knowing that a coworker is a nutjob isn't the same as believing that he's a murderer or rapist.
12
Your report attributes actions to the "suspect" when it should instead refer to actions of the killer, attacker, etc.:
"In one episode in 1978, Brian and Katie Maggiore, a couple living in Rancho Cordova, were walking their dog in their neighborhood at about 9 p.m. After a “violent encounter” with the suspect, they tried to flee …"
"The suspect struck repeatedly in Rancho Cordova …"
26
He hasn't been convicted yet.
4
you've missed the point Mr. Wheeland makes. It is inaccurate to say "the suspect struck repeatedly." The word "suspect" means that we are not sure if he did or not. So, the sentence should read "the killer (or attacker) struck repeatedly." That's the point.
1
which is precisely why you can't say "the suspect" did it.
This is eerily similar to the killer in the move Frequency. One of the story lines of the movie was that of a cold case of the Nightingale killer who raped and killed his victims. I think it was 20-30 years later and it turned out to be an ex-cop.
Great movie and this is not a complete spoiler.
6
Wow! This guy is brutal. Glad the cops got him. I bet he will plead not-guilty but forensics may be his downfall.
12
I lived in that area in those days. This guy was really really elusive and totally dangerous. Many of us started putting guns by our beds and long boards to jam the patio doors from sliding. I thought the guy would have been dead or something by now given his craziness but this is big welcome news
54
I lived in SoCal then, and I remember my dad cutting boards for both sliding glass doors as well as all bedroom window.
24
And now the long road of due process begins...
6
My only interest is seeing the worst punishment that CA can dole out. Shared cell in general prison population.
20
That would be over too quick. 24hr solitary with no one, not even the guards to speak to him for the rest of his life. No tv, no radio, no magazines, no phone, nothing but the four walls.
2
Especially effective for ex-cops.
5
If we had a universal DNA database, this guy would have been caught after his first rape.
11
DNA wasn't even being used until the mid 80s.
16
Considering that the first reported case of using DNA in a criminal case was in 1986, and the first example of a conviction in an American court using DNA evidence was in 1988, catching him after his first rape in the early 1970's would have been quite the accomplishment.
14
In 1976? I don't think so. The science wasn't there. No one had a "DNA database" of any sort, or the ability to start one. The UK was the first country to have one - in 1995.
4
OMG, talk about excellent cold case work.
28
How could a disaster like this ever be left to grow cold?
The guy was handed to them by a tipster. His DNA matched the old DNA from the case files. Hardly creative.
2
The press conference announcing the arrest was WAY too flowery and self-congratulatory and obnoxiously short on details. Sorry, an arrest 40 years after the fact is not exemplary police work, no matter how many times you genuflect to the DA.
309
He seems to have been an ex-policeman. Shouldn't this be referenced in the story?
14
it is
10
Go figure, another between cop/violent felon.
16
Let's see - killed 12 - raped 45 --- and retired to Sacramento for over forty years...
America is Great.
16
Probably on a full pension.
12
He was only a cop for a few years-so no full pension. Agree that this almost feels like too little, too late. He has not aged that well.
He had a total of six years as a cop, all in the 70s. Not much of a pension there.
2
There's an article on the Sacramento Bee site that has an interview with one of this man's neighbors. The neighbor describes his behavior and interactions with him. And other people who live near this man express their shock. Guess there is some truth to the notion that we really don't know who are neighbors are.
184
BTK was the model father and citizen. What makes these sociopaths so effective is their ability to ape human behavior. They are monsters, not humans. I have lost three friends to sociopaths since I moved to California 40 years ago. All beautiful young women. It's not as uncommon as you might think.
That said, I believe in the importance of listening to one's instinct. I lived next door to the Trailside Killer and his last victim worked in our local bank in Glen Park. Every time I saw him, I looked down and walked across the street. Something about him made my skin crawl.
24
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article209792989.html
1
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article209823959.html
1
Exactly what cracked the case? Has this not been announced yet? If so, I wish it were stated in the first paragraph of all these articles, so we don't have to keep hunting for it.
It's DNA, I've gathered, but what changed so that the ID could finally be made Now?
I also listened for it during the law enforcement live news conference but it just went on and on and on about how diligent, persistent, dedicated, and praiseworthy each of them and those that preceded them have been.
Frankly, it became frustrating waiting for the facts that finally solved the case, and I turned it off.
In the future, law enforcement, please give us the facts of the solution first, then we can choose whether or not to continue to listen.
174
They had DNA evidence for a few of the crime scenes and used it once DNA technology matured, but for decades there were not matches. The DNA evidence cleared the suspects.
15
No, William. They refused to answer ANY reporters' questions about that.
THEY WERE GIVEN A TIP by someone who saw Michelle's book.
THAT is why they surveilled the trash of the ex-cop and got his DNA there.
But if the DA and cops tell the truth, that's super-humiliating (even moreso given it was their teammate who did all the crime!)
45 years of 100% incompetency, and then a journalist solves the crime?
That's why the press conference was all self-congratulations:
DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH.
5
In the future, law enforcement, vet your candidates carefully to make sure they’re not serial rapist material. Thank you.
6
Wow! this is awesome news! The mini-series on him probably was the final thing to help catch him. Bravo!!
9
I think the real story here is Oswalt finishing his late wife's work and publishing it in February. It will be no surprise when we learn that the killer was caught as a result of the book's publishing in some way or another.
78
I remember this case. At first there was a belief he had been or was in the military because of his techniques. If I remember correctly they even investigated some people at a local base. Later it was rumored he was in law enforcement because he knew exactly how to cover his tracks.
I would not be surprised to find he was a suspect decades ago and some people covered for him. Too often that happens with criminal cops.
93
According to the lead investigator on the case for the last 20 years, he was not one of the over 8000 suspects they have had over the years.
Just read the Sacramento Bee story, he was in the Navy and served in Vietnam. He was on two different police forces until he got caught shoplifting as noted in the story. He also had an associate and bachelor's in law enforcement. So it is not surprising he knew what he was doing and how to cover his tracks.
He lived with his daughter and granddaughter which is scary. His neighbor said he was an odd guy who had a temper.
4
So did her work actually help catch him?
10
I recently watched a documentary about the Golden State Killer. I had never heard of him before. The guy was incredibly cruel and depraved. The program ended with his identity still unknown, but offered hope that DNA evidence would eventually bring him to justice. For all of his victims and their families, I hope it finally has.
229
The Sacramento sheriff said the suspect was under surveillance for 6 days and that it was DNA they retrieved that sealed the case.
25
Awful. but I want to know more.. about the why. The guy was between 31 and 41 while he was commiting these crimes. What was the rest of his life? (and how did that help him elude capture?) Did anybody know? Did anybody suspect? I hope that there may be some answers -- altho I don't know if they will have value in preventing such incidents in the future.
45
Congratulations go to the generations of people who stayed after this guy. Anne Marie Schubert was a delight to watch during the press conference Wednesday afternoon. There was also a lot between the lines. Why didn't this happen sooner? Rape kit processing, and DNA processing in general? Lack of coordination - until 2 years ago - among more than a half dozen jurisdictions and counties? Investigators who were blocked? And most of all, how did they match the DNA? But again, congratulations are in order, and the number of women at the mircrophnes bodes well for all of us.
46
"Why didn't this happen sooner? Rape kit processing, and DNA processing in general?"
No, the DNA was collected, only there was no way to narrow its match to a small group of people - including the suspect -, until 6 days ago.
5
The police had the DNA evidence from the crimes but not a sample to mach against from the criminal. The article says they identified him by an "abandoned DNA" sample. Which means they picked up a cup or something he ate from after he threw it away. They suspected it was him likely from a tip. They went after his DNA to test against.
3
There is more to this story.
Wonder if this was another case that might have solved long ago with by testing rape kits?
193
Seriously. No one in this country should ever be without a job as long as there is a DNA test backlog and a VA case backlog.
85
DNA analysis wasn't available the way it is now. It didn't work the way it does now. So there wasn't a way to do this early on. Also he was a non secretor which makes things trickier.
5
You are wrong. The police had the suspects DNA from the crime spree. They had already run it through the data bases they have.
The article says they identified him by an "abandoned DNA" sample. Which means they picked up a cup or something he ate from after he threw it away. They were probably looking at this guy because of prior police work or the work of Michelle McNamara.
47
If there is afterlife, Michelle McNamara is grinning ear-to-ear.
236
I agree Mr. Conroy. I think she may also be completely resting in peace, knowing that the alleged killer was finally caught.
23
I finished her book yesterday, was thinking about it as I exercised this morning and now this. I’m so intrigued to hear more details about him.
21
I remember the "name" East Area Rapist stories from the late 70's early 80's
Living in California at that time, was at times just unreal with the number of serial killers and Whacado's on the loose
The Trailside Killer, the Zodiac, A couple of additional Whackado's done in So Cal. The Green River Killer up in WA. along with Ted Bundy.
This is why people wanted firearms then and now for slime balls like this ex- cop whom they've arrested 40 years too late.
I remember going hiking with my then girlfriend in the Santa Cruz Mountains at the time the Trailside Killer was on the loose in the area.
It was against the law for me in California at that time to have a firearm concealed upon my person when I was hiking.
Dianne Feinstein was able to get a permit for a CCW because she felt threatened by some Whackado group in SF.
In Santa Clara County at that time unless you were Dianne or someone similarly rich or connected you weren't getting one PERIOD!
Go get a restraining order would be the classic reply
How do you get a restraining order against some unknown Whackado who is going to try to attack you on a trail while you're out for a hike with your girlfriend?
You're left with 2 choices be a sheep and let the Left Wing disarm you or worry about the CCW charge.
Crazy world where a law abiding citizen is disarmed but the criminal he just ignores any and all laws...
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Keeping guns out of those "whackados" hands is the point of the gun control you hate; background checks, mental health exams, a gun registry to trace crimes to gun owners, etc. That being said, I'm unclear where the article discussed gun laws and pushed for gun control. Even your story about not being allowed to carry a gun while hiking proves you're still here and the gun laws didn't fail you, it did the opposite of help your argument.
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Swing and a miss! It wasn't the liberal sheep disarming citizens in California, it was the conservatives.
The Mulford Act was a 1967 California bill that repealed a law allowing public carrying of loaded firearms. Named after Republican assemblyman Don Mulford, the bill was crafted in response to members of the Black Panther Party who were conducting armed patrols of Oakland neighborhoods.
As soon as the scary dark skinned people had guns, it was no longer a good idea. Thank your local racist conservative white people for that decision, sheeple.
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Ryan
So the now ex girlfriend but still good friend swears to this day
that "he" passed by us on a hike at Big Basin State Park back in the late spring of 1980
I'm not so sure...
In fact I doubt it but...
We were walking down a trail and this guy was coming up the other way... Single guy jacket and a watch cap what I remember about the cap was it was "tilted" at a funny angle.
I didn't like the idea of some single dude coming down the path at us.. We got off the path about 5-10 feet up the hillside
I never took my eyes off of him...
He walked by and never looked or acknowledged us
He gets about 10 ft. past and turns for a "look see"
My backpack had come off my shoulder and I reached in and grabbed what I was needing at that moment
And me and him had what seemed like a 2 minute stare down but the actual time was likely 2 seconds... He seemed to step either to the side or towards us then did another look around and walked backwards for 2 maybe 3 steps and walked off...
When he was arrested she swore up and down it was the same guy. Again I don't know or more accurately I don't think it was
It was a "strange" encounter but in California especially back then - that was not an unusual occurrence.
You said the Gun Laws didn't fail me - You right I didn't let them! Thank you S&W Model 57
6
Wow! What a monster. I may have to revise my feelings about capital punishment.
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Don't you think that capital punishment would make us descend to Deangelo's base level, that it would degrade our humanity and make all of us murderers in our own right?
Me neither.
12
Years ago, I read Patricia Cornwall's non-fiction book where she tried to solve the case of Jack-the-Ripper. She included ancient photos of the crime scenes, which were incredibly gruesome. During the time of my reading the book, I was walking our two little dogs late one night in upstate NY, and passed a nearby cemetery. Suddenly, I felt engulfed in terror and turned and RAN home with two bewildered dogs. Reading about the secondary trauma that Mr. Oswald's wife experienced (link included in this article) makes so much sense. Immersing one's self in details of acts of evil has to have a very negative impact. We often don't give enough credit to homicide detectives, police officers, coroners, crime reporters, anyone who looks at crime scenes either in person or in photos. They see the worst of humanity. It takes a toll, which often isn't appreciated.
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Thank you for recognizing that. The PTSD, suicide rate, and after 9/11, the cancer rate, and watching their fellow officers suffer line of duty deaths ... all of these things take their toll on the nation's law enforcement officers: probably the most underappreciated profession in America.
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Seems in this case a police officer WAS the worst of humanity.
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He was fired. There are bad apples in every profession. To this day, the FBI calls perpetrators "actors" because of John Wilkes Booth. There are nurses who were serial killers, and doctors and lawyers who were killers. Nathan Leopold, Jr. was on his way to Harvard Law School when he was arrested at age 19 for killing Bobby Franks in Chicago in 1924. While cops kill approximately 3,000 (at maximum) people each year on the job (and mostly perps committing violent crimes at the time), the medical profession (according to JAMA) kills approximately 220,000 through malfeasance and malpractice. Good luck sorting any of this out in advance.
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They've got DNA evidence in this case so there shouldn't be any question whether this is the correct man. I hope it is for the sake of all the victims.
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Just finished reading this book yesterday. Wish Ms. McNamara could have seen this day.
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She has and is rejoicing in Heaven!
2
I know a bit about this serial rape and murder case only from having listened to the podcast Casefile during my daily commute to work. It is a gruesome and horrifying decades long series of the most unspeakable violations of and violence against women and against men. It will be such a testament to the relentless women and men who never gave up on trying to solve this mystery and bring some modicum of justice to the victims and their families who were impacted by this depravity.
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Well said. Casefile did such a good job with that series, that's what sparked my interest in the case.
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I just finished this book! It will be very interesting to hear how he has lived all these years. Did anyone who knew him suspect? Did anyone in all this time every interview him or look at him as possibly the killer.
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No one who knew him ever suspected him. He was never interviewed by police and came up as a suspect only very recently.
3
Thank you, Patton Oswalt, and thanks to Michelle MacNamara for never giving up. You have made the world a better place. No better memorial.
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I lived only blocks away from where he attacked and robbed homes in Sacramento on La Riviera between Watt and Howe Avenues. I was just starting high school that year. We lived near the American River about a half block from the levee. All the kids that lived on our block were River Rats, meaning we played and hung out extensively at the river, and the big open lot behind our houses. We stayed out late in the summer months and rarely checked in with our parents and they did not worry about us. When the EAR started attacking ALL mother’s in the area freaked out and stopped letting us kids stay out late, or be alone, and expected us to start checking in more often. We went from being outdoor kids to being indoor kids and the river was off-limits unless with an adult. This is when I think things changed as far as “playing outside” goes. I used to walk to school everyday from my house about 12 blocks from my house since I was in 1st grade. No more. I felt this shift and I saw less kids out on our blocks playing together in the evenings. End of an era for many. The resulting fear that built up after each attack seemed endless. It’s been a topic discussed in my family off and on for years and we had always wondered if he’d ever be caught. If this is really the EAR and he’s been caught, I am much relieved and all too glad to stop wondering. However, I will always attach him to the disappearance of the way we kids played outdoors.
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The same thing happened in Maryland when the Lyon sisters disappeared in 1974. Their killer was only caught a year or two ago. I'm so sorry that this affected you so much.
17
Dear Anne, I might be living in one of those houses, or very close to them (I live on a street parallel to La Riviera, between Watt and the Glenbrook Park baseball field). When we bought our house in 1985, the previous owners showed us all the blocking devices they had added to the windows and the patio door, and they mentioned that there had been a scare a few years back. I didn’t know what they meant until a few months later, when a neighbor mentioned the East Area Rapist.
It saddened me to read how your childhood was affected by the fear your parents and other adults felt at the time. But you may be happy to know that in the mid-late ‘80s and ‘90s the neighborhood kids went back to playing at the river, and although I’m sure they were not as carefree as you and your River Rats friends were in the ‘70s, they still enjoyed the beauty of the American River. They also went back to walking or bicycling to school (Bancroft Beavers!)
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Thank you for this. I've wondered how we went from kids always playing outside until the call of "Dinner's ready", to my actually being surprised to see a couple of ten year olds playing without an adult..... even though they were just in the front yard.
Your story is a very eloquent example of a sea change in our society.
16
I questioned why CNN was running a series on this monster after all these years the media coverage and FBI reward must have triggered some memories.
I'm so happy for the victims and their families that the monster might have been identified and arrested. Let's hope they have ample evidence to lock him up for the rest of his sorry life.
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law enforcement and the DAs actually went out to publicize the heck of this killer hoping for a tip. MY understanding is that is exactly what happened
18
I think the series was key. He was apprehended about a week after it ended. The investigators in the series revealed very important information for those, like his family and friends, to think about: Like the periods of time he was gone from the Sacramento area and was in Southern California and the connection to a prolific burgler and peeping town in the city of Visalia( south of Sacramento) in the 60's. I wouldn't be surprised if a friend, cop or family member remembered his troubles as a young man trying to perfect his crimes.
1
WOW! Finally. Thank you.
I recall so vividly the pain and anguish on Patton Oswalt's tear stained face when he accepted the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special back in 2016 because his wife, Michelle McNamara, had just passed away and he wanted to share that incredible moment with her. He vowed to continue her work and research on her unfinished book, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark". The fact that someone was finally arrested, and in all likelihood, the killer, is no doubt bittersweet news to him as well as to the many, many victims and their families and loved ones.
A sincere and heartfelt thank you to Ms. McNamara, Mr. Oswalt, and to all law enforcement authorities involved for not forgetting nor giving up on these cases. Finally and hopefully, justice will prevail and will be served.
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miss mc namara & mr. oswalt had nothing to do with the arrest.
1
This must be an incredible moment for Michelle McNamara's family and friends; her work was tremendous. If this is the right person, justice will be served. That's an incredible gift from McNamara to this world.
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I listen to several true crime podcasts and this case has always fascinated me. My mind is blown that they have made a breakthrough after all this time!
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I'm somewhat familiar with this case, and it's one that I legitimately never expected to be solved. I hope this brings some closure for victims and their families who have waited decades for answers.
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