Joseph James DeAngelo and Visalia Ransacker Spree (1974-1975)
Connection Details
DeAngelo committed over 100 burglaries as the Visalia Ransacker while serving as a police officer in nearby Exeter.
About the Entities
Joseph James DeAngelo
person
Former California police officer who pleaded guilty in 2020 to 13 murders as the Golden State Killer and was sentenced to life without parole after a 2018 arrest based on genetic genealogy.
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Visalia Ransacker Spree (1974-1975)
event
From 1974 to 1975, a burglar dubbed the "Visalia Ransacker" committed over 100 burglaries in Visalia, Tulare County. The burglar ransacked homes in a distinctive pattern, stealing personal items and women's undergarments. In September 1975, journalism professor Claude Snelling was shot and killed when he confronted the Ransacker attempting to kidnap his daughter. A police officer later shot at a fleeing suspect but did not catch him. DeAngelo, then an Exeter PD officer working 15 miles away, was later identified as the Ransacker through DNA and circumstantial evidence.
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Related Connections
DeAngelo committed at least 50 sexual assaults across the Sacramento area from 1976 to 1979.
DeAngelo served as an Exeter police officer from 1973-1976, committing crimes while employed in law enforcement.
DeAngelo committed at least 13 murders in Southern California from 1979 to 1986.
DeAngelo committed the majority of his sexual assaults in Sacramento-area communities.
DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 counts of murder and admitted to the full scope of his crimes.
DeAngelo committed murders across Southern California counties as the Original Night Stalker.
Key Facts
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