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Photo: Sacramento Sheriff’s Department
Police arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, in connection with crimes attributed to the East Area Rapist, over 30 years since he allegedly committed 12 murders and 45 rapes from 1976 to 1986.
Police arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, in connection with crimes attributed to the East Area Rapist, over 30 years since he allegedly committed 12 murders and 45 rapes from 1976 to 1986.
Photo: Sacramento Sheriff’s Department
Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert announces the arrest of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert announces the arrest of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law
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Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Sacramento sheriff Scott Jones speaks about the arrest of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Sacramento sheriff Scott Jones speaks about the arrest of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Bruce Harrington, whose brother and sister-in-law were allegedly killed in Dana Point, California by the East Area Rapist, speaks during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Bruce Harrington, whose brother and sister-in-law were allegedly killed in Dana Point, California by the East Area Rapist, speaks during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Law enforcement authorities process evidence at the home of suspected "East Area Rapist" Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, in Citrus Heights, Calif., on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. (Randall Benton/Sacramento Bee/TNS)
Law enforcement authorities process evidence at the home of suspected "East Area Rapist" Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, in Citrus Heights, Calif., on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. (Randall Benton/Sacramento Bee/TNS)
Photo: Randall Benton, TNS
FBI investigators stand in front of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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FBI investigators stand in front of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
A view of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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A view of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
FBI agents and other law enforcement officials search the home of 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo in Citrus Heights, Calif., in a bid to solve a decades-old case, on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. (Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee/TNS)
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FBI agents and other law enforcement officials search the home of 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo in Citrus Heights, Calif., in a bid to solve a decades-old case, on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. (Hector
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Photo: Hector Amezcua, TNS
A view of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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A view of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
A car is backed out of the garage of a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970's and 1980s.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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A car is backed out of the garage of a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office
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Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
Kevin Tapia and his daughter Quinn, watch as authorities search in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970's and 1980s.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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Kevin Tapia and his daughter Quinn, watch as authorities search in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's
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Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
A view of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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A view of the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
An FBI investigator enters the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s.
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An FBI investigator enters the home of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24, 2018 in Citrus Heights, California. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law
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Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
A car is backed out of the garage of a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970's and 1980s.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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A car is backed out of the garage of a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office
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Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
Authorities huddle outside a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970's and 1980's. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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Authorities huddle outside a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make
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Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press
FBI agents set up a crime scene Wednesday morning at the Citrus Heights home of Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, who was booked into Sacramento County Jail on two counts of murder. DeAngelo is reportedly suspected of being the East Area rapist, who committed 12 murders and 45 rapes in the ’70s and ’80s.
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FBI agents set up a crime scene Wednesday morning at the Citrus Heights home of Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, who was booked into Sacramento County Jail on two counts of murder. DeAngelo is reportedly suspected of
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Photo: Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle / Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle
In an undated photo released by the FBI, documents related to the decades-long investigation into a serial killer and rapist, known variously as the Golden State Killer, the East Area Rapist or the Original Night Stalker, who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s. Joseph James DeAngelo was reportedly arrested and charged with two counts of murder in relation to the case on April 25, 2018. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via The New York Times) -- FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY --
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In an undated photo released by the FBI, documents related to the decades-long investigation into a serial killer and rapist, known variously as the Golden State Killer, the East Area Rapist or the Original
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Photo: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION;Federal Bureau Of Investigation / New York Times
Joseph DeAngelo has been charged in the 1978 murders of Brian Maggiore and wife Katie Maggiore, shown above. DeAngelo is suspected of being the "East Area Rapist," also known as the "Golden State Killer."
Joseph DeAngelo has been charged in the 1978 murders of Brian Maggiore and wife Katie Maggiore, shown above. DeAngelo is suspected of being the "East Area Rapist," also known as the "Golden State Killer."
Photo: Courtesy FBI
The East Area Rapist often wore ski masks like the ones shown here in evidence at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25, 2018.
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The East Area Rapist often wore ski masks like the ones shown here in evidence at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25,
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Photo: Courtesy FBI
A ring stolen by the East Area Rapist from one of his victims. He was known for taking items of sentimental, rather than monetary, value. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25, 2018.
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A ring stolen by the East Area Rapist from one of his victims. He was known for taking items of sentimental, rather than monetary, value. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on
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Photo: Courtesy FBI
An FBI photo showing evidence at the scene of one of the East Area Rapist’s attacks. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25, 2018.
An FBI photo showing evidence at the scene of one of the East Area Rapist’s attacks. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25, 2018.
Photo: Courtesy FBI
An FBI photo showing evidence at the scene of one of the East Area Rapist’s attacks. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25, 2018.
An FBI photo showing evidence at the scene of one of the East Area Rapist’s attacks. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested in connection with the case on April 25, 2018.
Photo: Courtesy FBI
Sgt. Paul Belli of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department speaks to the media during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Law enforcement agencies announced a national campaign to identify and apprehend the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who committed his first crime 40 years ago.
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Sgt. Paul Belli of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department speaks to the media during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.
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Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle
A poster marking the locations of crimes committed by the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sits on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.
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A poster marking the locations of crimes committed by the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sits on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in
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Photo: Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle
District attorney Anne Marie Schubert speaks to a journalist while standing in front of a sketch of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, after a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Law enforcement agencies announced a national campaign to identify and apprehend the East Area Rapist who committed his first crime 40 years ago.
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District attorney Anne Marie Schubert speaks to a journalist while standing in front of a sketch of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, after a news conference at the Sacramento County
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Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle
Sketches of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sit on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.
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Sketches of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sit on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15,
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Photo: Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle
A sketch of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sit on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.
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A sketch of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sit on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15,
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Photo: Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle
Sgt. Paul Belli of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department gestures toward sketches while speaking to the media at a news conference at the sheriff's department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Law enforcement agencies announced a national campaign to identify and apprehend the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who committed his first crime 40 years ago.
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Sgt. Paul Belli of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department gestures toward sketches while speaking to the media at a news conference at the sheriff's department in Sacramento, California, on Wednesday, June
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Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle
Police arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, in connection with crimes attributed to the East Area Rapist, over 30 years since he allegedly committed 12 murders and 45 rapes from 1976 to 1986.
Police arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, in connection with crimes attributed to the East Area Rapist, over 30 years since he allegedly committed 12 murders and 45 rapes from 1976 to 1986.
Photo: Sacramento Sheriff’s Department
Click ahead to see all the nicknames and origins behind the Golden State Killer.
Click ahead to see all the nicknames and origins behind the Golden State Killer.
Photo: The Chronicle
Sketches of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sit on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department on June 15, 2016. Although there have been a number of sketches made during the Golden State Killer's reign of terror from 1976 -1986, the FBI focused primarily on these three sketches when they reopened the case in 2016. The serial killer gained several monikers based on the regions in which he committed crimes.
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Sketches of the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, sit on display during a news conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department on June 15, 2016. Although there have been a number
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Photo: Connor Radnovich, The Chronicle
East Area Rapist
During the period of 1976 to 1979, a serial rapist and murderer known as the "East Area Rapist" first started his criminal activities in the eastern part of Sacramento County. From May 1976 until the summer of 1977, he mainly preyed on victims in Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, Carmichael and Orangevale.
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East Area Rapist
During the period of 1976 to 1979, a serial rapist and murderer known as the "East Area Rapist" first started his criminal activities in the eastern part of Sacramento County. From May 1976
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Photo: FBI Sacramento
Original Night Stalker
From October 1979 to May 1986, he added the nickname "Original Night Stalker." During this period, he raped and murdered victims in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and Orange County. This nickname is a play on serial killer Richard Ramirez’s nickname, "The Night Stalker," since in both cases the crimes committed by these men were similar in scope.
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Original Night Stalker
From October 1979 to May 1986, he added the nickname "Original Night Stalker." During this period, he raped and murdered victims in Santa Barbara County, Ventura County and Orange
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Photo: Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle
The Diamond Knot KillerBy March 13, 1980, the serial murderer gained a new nickname, "Diamond Knot Killer," for the murders of Charlene and Lyman Smith in Ventura, Calif. The nickname came from the unusual decorative knot he used to bind his victims.
According to Los Angeles Magazine, people have tried to decipher the significance of the knot and tried to see if it explained anything about the murderer's background, but investigators have said they couldn't derive any specific background on him based on the detail alone.
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The Diamond Knot Killer
By March 13, 1980, the serial murderer gained a new nickname, "Diamond Knot Killer," for the murders of Charlene and Lyman Smith in Ventura, Calif. The nickname came from the unusual
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Photo: WikiCommons
Golden State Killer Author Michelle McNamara coined the moniker "Golden State Killer" during the course of her investigation of the case. Her book on the subject, "I’ll Be Gone in the Dark," was published in February 2018. McNamara died in her sleep on April 2016. She was married to actor Patton Oswalt and is seen here in this 2011 file image.
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Photo: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 25: A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of 72 year-old Joseph James DeAngelo who is believed to be the the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer, who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and 1980s. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 25: A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California. Sacramento district attorney Anne Marie
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Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
A car is backed out of the garage of a home in Citrus Heights (Sacramento County) that was searched in connection with the arrest of a man suspected as the notorious “East Area Rapist.”
A car is backed out of the garage of a home in Citrus Heights (Sacramento County) that was searched in connection with the arrest of a man suspected as the notorious “East Area Rapist.”
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press
Air Force Sgt. Brian Mag
giore and his wife Katie were the first murder victims of the “East Area Rapist.” The couple were slain in 1978.
Air Force Sgt. Brian Mag
giore and his wife Katie were the first murder victims of the “East Area Rapist.” The couple were slain in 1978.
Photo: / Courtesy FBI
Authorities huddle outside a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970's and 1980's. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
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Authorities huddle outside a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office
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Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press
This FBI wanted poster obtained April 25, 2018 shows drawings of a suspect known as the "Golden State Killer". A notorious decades-old mystery over the identity of the "Golden State Killer," believed to have carried out dozens of rapes and multiple murders in California in the 1970s and 1980s, may finally be solved: a suspect has reportedly been arrested. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, is being held in the Sacramento County jail on two counts of murder, the Sacramento Bee reported on April 25, 2018.According to local television stations, DeAngelo was once a policeman. The Golden State Killer, also known as the "East Area Rapist" and "Original Nightstalker," is suspected of carrying out at least 12 murders and 45 rapes in California between 1976 and 1986, according to the FBI. / AFP PHOTO / FBI / Handout / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / FBI/HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS HANDOUT/AFP/Getty Images
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This FBI wanted poster obtained April 25, 2018 shows drawings of a suspect known as the "Golden State Killer". A notorious decades-old mystery over the identity of the "Golden State Killer," believed to have
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Photo: HANDOUT;Handout / AFP / Getty Images
Joseph James DeAngelo
Joseph James DeAngelo
Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
DNA match catches alleged ‘East Area Rapist,’ who murdered 12, raped 45
A onetime cop who’s been living quietly in the Sacramento suburbs was fingered Wednesday as the “East Area Rapist,” with authorities saying DNA helped link him to a string of at least 12 slayings and 45 rapes that terrorized communities in the Bay Area and across California from 1976 to 1986.
Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, a police officer in Placer and Tulare counties at the time some of the crimes were committed, was arrested in what had been one of the most heinous unsolved crime sprees in U.S. history.
He was booked on two counts of murder into Sacramento County Jail at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, and was being held without bail. He stands accused, so far, of shooting a young couple to death near their Rancho Cordova home in 1978 as they walked their dog.
The East Area Rapist — also known as the “Golden State Killer” and the “Original Nightstalker” — was connected to a series of rapes in Danville, Walnut Creek, San Jose, Fremont and San Ramon in 1978 and 1979. In addition to the homicides and rapes, authorities suspect DeAngelo committed more than 150 home break-ins across the state.
Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said she and many others who grew up around the state capital vividly recall the fear the East Area Rapist’s crimes inspired.
“It is fitting that today is National DNA Day,” Schubert said at a news conference, flanked by district attorneys from four other California counties, the Sacramento sheriff and FBI agents. “We found the needle in the haystack, and it was right here in Sacramento.”
Law enforcement agencies from across the state formed a task force in 2016, after Schubert held a news conference to mark the 40-year anniversary of the first known crime. She said the investigation became “more than a professional commitment. It became personal for many of us.”
While not providing specifics on how DeAngelo was caught, Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones said examination of old crime-scene DNA had narrowed the suspects.
“It was detective work from that point forward,” Jones said. “The universe (of suspects) before (DNA evidence) was everyone — everyone in the state and beyond. That reduced the universe to a manageable level.”
Once DeAngelo was identified as a suspect, officials said, detectives monitored his behavior and collected two DNA samples from discarded items. The second sample linked DeAngelo to crime scenes, said Jones, who added that many in law enforcement had speculated the East Area Rapist had ties to law enforcement or the military because of how he carried out crimes.
DeAngelo was a police officer in Exeter (Tulare County) from 1973 to 1976, before joining the force in Auburn (Placer County) until he was fired in 1979, officials said. They said it was likely DeAngelo committed his first rape while still with the Exeter department.
DeAngelo was arrested outside his Citrus Heights home, where law enforcement had set up surveillance for several days. Officials said his DNA matched evidence connected to the East Area Rapist’s first suspected murder victims: Mather Air Force Base Sgt. Brian Maggiore and Katie Maggiore.
When the young couple were shot in 1978, they were near their Rancho Cordova home, walking their dog. The killer chased them into a backyard, seemingly at random, said Ray Biondi, a retired Sacramento County sheriff’s lieutenant who was then in charge of the homicide division.
At that time, the East Area Rapist was “in full sway,” but had yet to kill anyone, Biondi said. There was no connection until investigators discovered the suspect’s calling cards at the scene: a ski mask and shoelaces he would use to bind people.
Biondi, now 81, said he had nightmares about the case and wondered, “Are we ever going to solve it?” The Maggiore case once had hundreds of suspects, he said.
“That’s great,” Biondi said of the arrest. “I’ll sleep easier for the rest of my life.”
DeAngelo’s DNA, authorities said, was also linked to the 1980 murders of Charlene and Lyman Smith in Ventura County — one of 10 counties in California in which DeAngelo is suspected of committing crimes.
Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten said DeAngelo will face two counts of murder in the killing of the Smiths along with special circumstances that make him eligible for the death penalty: multiple murders, murder during the commission of rape and murder during the commission of burglary.
“It is the culmination of a decades-long unrelenting investigation that was singularly focused on bringing this rapist and killer to justice,” said Totten.
Bruce Harrington, whose brother and sister-in-law, Keith and Patrice Harrington, were killed in 1980 in Dana Point (Orange County), said DeAngelo’s arrest brings “some closure to the anguish that we’ve suffered for 40-odd years.”
Others who’d been waiting on justice were relieved as well. William Oakley and his wife discovered the bodies of their good friends, Robert Offerman and his girlfriend Alexandria Manning, when they came over to their Goleta (Santa Barbara County) home for a game of tennis with the couple in December 1979.
“I was hoping they’d find him,” Oakland said in a phone interview. “They were good friends of mine and I was disappointed that nothing had been done all these years.”
On Wednesday morning, FBI agents and other officers taped off and searched DeAngelo’s Citrus Heights home.
A man who lives four houses away said DeAngelo had lived in the home on Canyon Oak Drive for nearly 30 years with at least one daughter. The neighbor, who declined to give his name, said DeAngelo “seemed nice, but he was very high-strung.”
“He was always talking or yelling,” said the neighbor, who had done window repairs over the years for DeAngelo. “I wouldn’t have expected this at all.”
Penny Ryan, 48, said she nearly dropped her coffee when she saw news of the arrest. She ran out of her house before making her way from Rocklin (Placer County) to DeAngelo’s home. Growing up in the Pocket area of Sacramento, Ryan called the East Area Rapist her childhood “boogeyman.”
“The whole neighborhood was so scared,” she said. “My dad bought a gun and loaded it every night before we went to bed.”
Her father kept the gun under his pillow, she said, and was once accidentally shot in the back when her younger brother jumped on the bed and the gun discharged. Ryan’s father survived.
“All the Ted Bundys and Charles Mansons weren’t as scary as him, because he never got caught,” Ryan said. “To find out he was only 15 minutes away from where I lived is really scary.”
DeAngelo was fired from Auburn’s police force in 1979 after he shoplifted a can of dog repellent and a hammer from a Sacramento drugstore, according to archives of the Auburn Journal. In 1967, the Journal reported, DeAngelo returned home from serving in the U.S. Navy in North Vietnam.
Investigators believe the East Area Rapist went out night after night, targeting multiple houses within a neighborhood to stoke fear among residents. Targets were often single women living in one-story homes. His victims spanned the state.
From 1976 to 1978, the suspect developed one of his most sadistic signatures, authorities said.
If the home he chose for his crime had a couple living inside, he would incapacitate the man first, binding him with strips of towels or shoelaces. He would then balance a stack of dishes from the kitchen on the male victim’s back and warn the couple that, if a plate broke, he would kill both the man and the woman. He would then rape the woman.
From May 1976 to 1977, the East Area Rapist terrorized Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Sacramento, Carmichael and Orangevale. In June and July 1978, attacks were reported in Davis and Modesto before the spree moved on to the Bay Area and continued from 1978 to 1979.
In 1986, the suspect killed victims in Southern California, police said, before disappearing for more than 30 years.
SFGate Senior Producer Katie Dowd contributed to this story.
Sarah Ravani, Melody Gutierrez, Jenna Lyons and Sophie Haigney are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com, jlyons@sfchronicle.com, sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani @JennaJourno @MelodyGutierrez @SophieHaigney