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Who is Joseph James DeAngelo?
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., a former California police officer born in 1945, is the man convicted as the Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker. He was arrested on April 24, 2018 after investigators used genetic genealogy, pleaded guilty on June 29, 2020 to 13 murders and 13 kidnapping counts, and was sentenced on August 21, 2020 to life without parole.
Key dates
- 1945-11-08 — DeAngelo was born in Bath, New York. CBS Sacramento (CBS13)
- 1975 — While working as an Exeter police officer, DeAngelo killed Claude Snelling in Visalia during an attempted kidnapping, a crime he later pleaded guilty to. ABC30 Fresno
- 1979 — DeAngelo was fired by the Auburn Police Department after being charged with shoplifting dog repellent and a hammer. CBS Sacramento (CBS13)
- 2018-04-24 — DeAngelo was arrested at his home in Citrus Heights, a Sacramento suburb. ABC7 News (KGO)
- 2020-06-29 — In a hearing held at Sacramento State, DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 kidnapping counts and admitted uncharged crimes in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. ABC30 Fresno
- 2020-08-21 — A Sacramento County judge sentenced DeAngelo to multiple consecutive terms of life without the possibility of parole. ABC30 Fresno
Last reviewed 2026-10-18. Statements are attributed to the linked sources; inclusion on this page does not imply wrongdoing.
Strongest Evidence
Exeter Police Department
DeAngelo served as an Exeter police officer from 1973-1976, committing crimes while employed in law enforcement.
Barbara Rae-Venter
Rae-Venter's forensic genealogy work identified DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer through family tree analysis.
Original Night Stalker Murders (1979-1986)
DeAngelo committed at least 13 murders in Southern California from 1979 to 1986.
East Area Rapist Attacks (1976-1979)
DeAngelo committed at least 50 sexual assaults across the Sacramento area from 1976 to 1979.
Sacramento, California
DeAngelo committed the majority of his sexual assaults in Sacramento-area communities.
Connections (9)
DeAngelo served as an Exeter police officer from 1973-1976, committing crimes while employed in law enforcement.
Rae-Venter's forensic genealogy work identified DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer through family tree analysis.
DeAngelo committed at least 13 murders in Southern California from 1979 to 1986.
DeAngelo committed at least 50 sexual assaults across the Sacramento area from 1976 to 1979.
DeAngelo committed the majority of his sexual assaults in Sacramento-area communities.
DeAngelo committed murders across Southern California counties as the Original Night Stalker.
Holes spent over 20 years investigating the case and was instrumental in identifying DeAngelo through forensic genealogy.
DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 counts of murder and admitted to the full scope of his crimes.
DeAngelo committed over 100 burglaries as the Visalia Ransacker while serving as a police officer in nearby Exeter.
Mutual Connections
Entities that are connected to Joseph James DeAngelo and also to each other.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Golden State Killer?+
The Golden State Killer is Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., a former police officer in Exeter and Auburn, California. He pleaded guilty in June 2020 to 13 murders committed in Tulare, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Orange counties, along with 13 kidnapping counts. He also admitted many uncharged crimes, including rapes, for which the statute of limitations had run out. ABC30 Fresno
Was the Golden State Killer a police officer?+
Yes. DeAngelo worked as a police officer in Exeter, near Visalia, starting in 1973 and later with the Auburn Police Department from 1976. Auburn fired him in 1979 after he was charged with shoplifting dog repellent and a hammer from a Citrus Heights drug store. CBS Sacramento (CBS13)
How was Joseph DeAngelo caught?+
Investigators uploaded a crime-scene DNA profile to the public genealogy site GEDmatch, and genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter built family trees from distant relatives' matches that led to DeAngelo. Investigators then put him under surveillance, collected DNA he discarded, and confirmed a match before arresting him in April 2018. KTVU FOX 2
What sentence did the Golden State Killer get?+
On August 21, 2020, DeAngelo was sentenced to multiple consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The plea deal spared him the death penalty. ABC30 Fresno
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