"I'll Be Gone in the Dark" Published (2018)

Entertainment & Media

Michelle McNamara's book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer" was published on February 27, 2018 — just two months before DeAngelo's arrest. Completed posthumously by Paul Haynes and Billy Jensen after McNamara's death in 2016, the book became an instant New York Times bestseller. It was adapted into a six-part HBO documentary series in 2020. The title comes from a threat the Golden State Killer made to one of his victims. The book is widely credited with renewing public pressure to solve the case.

DeAngelo Arrested (April 24, 2018)

Arrests

On April 24, 2018, Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested at his home in Citrus Heights, California. Investigators had used forensic genealogy — uploading crime scene DNA to GEDmatch and building family trees from partial matches — to identify DeAngelo as the suspected Golden State Killer. Confirmatory DNA was obtained from items DeAngelo discarded. The arrest, announced by Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert on April 25, 2018, stunned the public and law enforcement community. DeAngelo was 72 years old and had been living quietly as a retired mechanic for decades.

DeAngelo Pleads Guilty & Sentenced (2020)

Legal Entities

On June 29, 2020, Joseph DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of kidnapping in a deal that spared him the death penalty. In exchange, he admitted to the full scope of his crimes, including the rapes for which the statute of limitations had expired. On August 21, 2020, DeAngelo was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Survivors and victims' family members gave impact statements at the sentencing hearing, which was held at Sacramento State University due to COVID-19 restrictions. It was the largest criminal case ever consolidated in California.

DNA Links EAR to ONS (2001)

Breakthrough

In 2001, the Orange County Crime Lab used newly developed STR DNA profiling to match biological evidence from the East Area Rapist Sacramento cases to crime scenes from the Original Night Stalker murders in Southern California. This was the first definitive proof that one individual was responsible for both the Northern and Southern California crime series — encompassing at least 50 rapes and 13 murders. The revelation transformed the investigation, consolidating cases across multiple jurisdictions and dramatically increasing the importance of catching the unknown offender.

East Area Rapist Attacks (1976-1979)

Crime

From June 1976 to July 1979, the East Area Rapist (EAR) committed at least 50 sexual assaults in the Sacramento area and surrounding communities. The attacker displayed sophisticated counter-forensic awareness: he pre-staged entry and exit routes, disabled porch lights, cut phone lines, and appeared to stalk victims extensively before attacking. Many attacks targeted couples, with the rapist placing dishes on the male victim's back and threatening to kill both if he heard them rattle. The attacks generated massive public fear and one of the largest law enforcement mobilizations in Sacramento history.

Forensic Genealogy Revolution (2018-Present)

Innovation

The Golden State Killer case catalyzed a revolution in forensic genealogy. Following DeAngelo's identification, the technique of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) was rapidly adopted by law enforcement agencies across the country. By 2023, IGG had been used to solve over 500 cold cases, including the identification of numerous serial killers, rapists, and John/Jane Doe victims. The technique has also sparked significant privacy and ethics debates about law enforcement access to consumer DNA databases. Companies like Parabon NanoLabs and organizations like the DNA Doe Project have expanded the use of forensic genealogy.

McNamara Coins "Golden State Killer" (2013)

Entertainment & Media

In February 2013, Michelle McNamara published "In the Footsteps of a Killer" in Los Angeles Magazine, coining the name "Golden State Killer" for the still-unidentified East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker. The name captured the geographic scope of the crimes (spanning from Sacramento to Southern California) and helped unify public understanding of the case. The article renewed media and public interest in the cold case and the name was subsequently adopted by law enforcement and media outlets.

Original Night Stalker Murders (1979-1986)

Crime

From October 1979 to May 1986, the offender later known as the Original Night Stalker committed at least 13 murders in Southern California, including couples in their homes in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Orange, and other counties. The murders escalated from the Sacramento-area rapes, with the killer now targeting and killing both victims. The connection to the East Area Rapist was not established until 2001, when DNA from the rape cases was matched to DNA from the Southern California murder scenes — finally proving one person was responsible for the entire crime series.

Visalia Ransacker Spree (1974-1975)

Crime

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.