Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. Arrested In The Golden State Killer Case

California suffered through the horrific acts of one man in the 1970s and 1980s. This criminal, who has since been dubbed the Golden State Killer, has eluded the law and remained at large until today, when authorities have confirmed they have placed an arrest regarding the case.

ARREST MADE IN THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER CASE

On Wednesday morning, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department arrested the 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., a former police officer, on two counts of murder. He is currently being held without bail according to court records.

 

Per the Los Angeles Times‘ report, evidence linking DeAngelo to the Golden State Killer’s crimes was gathered from his Citrus Heights home between Tuesday evening and Wednesday by local and federal authorities. Evidence that was removed from DeAngelo’s single-story property include a boat, a motorcycle and two cars.

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The Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker, is believed to have killed 12 people, raped 45 others and burglarized over 120 different homes spanning the Sacramento, Oakland, Santa Barbara and Orange Counties. Investigators were able to determine in 2001 through DNA testing that the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker were one in the same.

Although his last confirmed crime occurred in 1986, the Golden State Killer’s shadow has continued to loom over Californians. In 2004, the state rallied behind a bill that would require the DNA collection of anyone convicted or even arrested in a felony. The brother of one of the Golden State Killer’s many victims championed the act.

As it has been more than 40 years, the Federal Bureau of Investigation discussed that the man, if he was still alive, would presently be 60 to 75 years of age. The FBI had offered a $50,000 reward for any pertinent information that might have lead to his arrest and conviction.