A notorious serial killer, responsible for a reign of terror in California spanning over a decade, was finally apprehended due to a distinct detail – the small size of his genitalia. The People vs. the Golden State Killer, a new book by Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, delves into the chilling investigation that led to the capture of Joseph DeAngelo, also known as the Golden State Killer, after years of evading justice.
DeAngelo, now 80 years old, confessed to 13 murders, over 50 rapes, and more than 100 burglaries that plagued California from 1974 to 1986. Once a law enforcement officer, he exploited his insider information to stalk and assault his victims, often breaking into homes under the cover of night and subjecting his victims to horrifying attacks.
The book reveals how investigators meticulously pieced together evidence to connect the elderly suspect arrested in 2018 to the sadistic killer who had eluded authorities for decades. Victims’ accounts, particularly describing the perpetrator’s unusually small genitalia, served as a crucial corroborating detail.
Upon DeAngelo’s arrest at his residence in Citrus Heights, detectives obtained a warrant for a comprehensive medical examination. The author recounts a surreal scene where a police photographer struggled to document DeAngelo’s anatomy, eventually confirming the minute size of his genitalia, matching witness descriptions from the past.
DeAngelo’s capture marked the end of a prolonged pursuit by law enforcement, known by various aliases like the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker. The breakthrough in 2018 came through DNA analysis, linking the killer to the DeAngelo family and culminating in a match with crime scene samples.
After pleading guilty to multiple charges in 2020, DeAngelo avoided the death penalty but received multiple life sentences without parole. The sentencing hearing allowed survivors and victims’ families to share their harrowing experiences, providing closure to those haunted by the killer’s actions for years. DeAngelo now resides in California State Prison in Corcoran, serving his sentence indefinitely.