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What is Sacramento, California?
Eastern Sacramento County is where the crimes of the 'East Area Rapist' began in the summer of 1976, with burglaries and rapes in middle-class neighborhoods including Carmichael and Rancho Cordova, according to the AP and NPR. The offender was later linked to murders across California and called the Golden State Killer; Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested at his Citrus Heights home on April 24, 2018. He pleaded guilty in a makeshift courtroom at Sacramento State on June 29, 2020, and was sentenced to life without parole on Aug. 21, 2020.
Key dates
- 1976 — Burglaries and rapes began in the summer of 1976 in middle-class neighborhoods of eastern Sacramento County, giving rise to the name 'East Area Rapist,' AP reported. Associated Press (via NBC Los Angeles)
- 1978-02-02 — Brian and Katie Maggiore were killed in Rancho Cordova, a killing later attributed to the same offender. Associated Press (via NBC Los Angeles)
- 2016-06-15 — The FBI and local agencies announced a $50,000 reward to mark the 40th anniversary of the first known assault in Sacramento County. Associated Press (via NBC Los Angeles)
- 2018-04-24 — Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, a former police officer, was arrested at his home in Citrus Heights after investigators matched his discarded DNA, Sacramento officials announced. NPR (via KPBS)
- 2020-06-29 — DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 kidnapping-related counts at Sacramento State and admitted 161 uncharged crimes barred by the statute of limitations. The State Hornet
- 2020-08-21 — DeAngelo was sentenced to multiple consecutive life terms without parole under a plea deal that avoided the death penalty. PBS NewsHour / Associated Press
Last reviewed 2026-10-18. Statements are attributed to the linked sources; inclusion on this page does not imply wrongdoing.
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DeAngelo committed the majority of his sexual assaults in Sacramento-area communities.
Frequently asked questions
Why was he called the East Area Rapist?+
The name came from where the crimes began: middle-class neighborhoods in the eastern part of Sacramento County, starting in the summer of 1976, according to the Associated Press. NPR reported early attacks in Carmichael and Rancho Cordova on Sacramento's outskirts. Associated Press (via NBC Los Angeles)
Where was the Golden State Killer arrested?+
Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested on April 24, 2018, at his home in Citrus Heights, a Sacramento suburb, and the arrest was announced at a Sacramento press conference. Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, whose 2016 task force revived the case, said, 'The answer has always been in Sacramento.' NPR (via KPBS)
How was the Golden State Killer identified?+
Investigators uploaded the killer's DNA profile to a genealogy database, built family trees to narrow down suspects, then collected DeAngelo's discarded DNA and matched it to crime-scene evidence, Sacramento DA Anne Marie Schubert said. ABC7 reported the profile was linked to the 1980 Ventura County murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith. ABC7 News
Where did DeAngelo plead guilty?+
He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2020, in a makeshift courtroom in the Sacramento State University Union ballroom, set up for social distancing. He admitted 13 murders and 13 kidnapping counts and acknowledged 161 uncharged offenses. The State Hornet
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