Sacramento, California

Crime scene

Sacramento and its surrounding suburbs were the primary hunting ground of the East Area Rapist from 1976 to 1979. DeAngelo committed dozens of rapes in the Rancho Cordova, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, and other Sacramento-area neighborhoods. He targeted single-story homes in middle-class subdivisions, often near open fields or waterways that facilitated his escape. The attacks terrorized the community, leading to neighborhood watch groups and a massive but ultimately unsuccessful law enforcement response.

Southern California Crime Scenes

Crime scene

After the East Area Rapist attacks in Sacramento ceased, a series of murders began in Southern California from 1979 to 1986. The killer, dubbed the "Original Night Stalker," committed murders in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, Orange County, and other Southern California locations. The crimes were not linked to the Sacramento rapes until DNA analysis in 2001 proved they were committed by the same person. The shift from rapes to murders and the geographic move south demonstrated an escalation in violence and sophistication.