An arrest has finally been made in the decades-long investigation into the Golden State Killer, an alleged rapist and murderer who terrorized communities in at least 10 counties across California in the 70s and 80s. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, a former police officer, was arrested Tuesday night and booked on two counts of murder Wednesday in Sacramento County. DeAngelo is believed to the serial killer and rapist who eluded multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, for decades. Known interchangeably as the East Area Rapist and the Golden State Killer, the suspect was tied to the more than 45 rapes, 12 murders and various burglaries using the most innovative DNA technology available. A vigorous multi-agency investigation into the alleged crimes was reignited in 2016 after a push by Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who said at a news conference Wednesday she was motivated to find closure for the East Area Rapist’s victims before the 40th anniversary of his first attack. “The answer has always been in Sacramento,” she said. “We all knew as part of this team that we were looking for a needle in a haystack, but we knew the needle was there.” Schubert said it was only in the last six days that evidence began conclusively pointing investigators to DeAngelo. Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones said after initiating some surveillance, police obtained a discarded DNA sample from DeAngelo and he was apprehended in “a perfectly executed arrest.” Police believe he is connected to some 175 crimes overall between 1976 and 1986. Here is everything we know so far about Joseph James DeAngelo, the alleged Golden State Killer: Who is Joseph James DeAngelo? DeAngelo had been living in a suburban neighborhood of Sacramento called Citrus Heights. It is unclear whether or not he lived alone, but police confirmed he has adult children and said family members have so far been cooperative in their investigation. A neighbor, Kevin Tapia, 36, who grew up next door to DeAngelo, told the Associated Press he used to hear DeAngelo cursing to himself in his backyard, and that he was “a weird guy” who kept to himself. In pictures from a local reporter’s Twitter account, DeAngelo’s Sacramento home on Canyon Oak Rd. can be seen. DeAngelo appeared to be living a regular retiree’s life, with a boat, a motorcycle and a Volvo, as well as one other car on his property. When was he a police officer? DeAngelo was a police officer in two different California counties in the 1970s. He first worked for the Exeter, Calif. police department and then for the Auburn, Calif. police department. He was employed as a police officer during the time that some of the Golden State Killer crimes occurred, though it is not known if he was on duty as a police officer when any of the crimes were committed. The Auburn police department fired DeAngelo after he was arrested for stealing a hammer and a can of dog repellant from a store. Jones said police will look into whether a hammer or dog repellant was used in any of the crimes DeAngelo is accused of committing. He said authorities do not have a clear picture of where DeAngelo went after being fired from Auburn. Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Contact us at letters@time.com.<doc-sep>After six days of surveillance and the analysis of a discarded DNA sample, police in Sacramento arrested a 72-year-old ex-cop Wednesday as the suspected Golden State Killer in a series of rapes and murders that terrorized California communities in the 1970s and 1980s. Joseph James DeAngelo, who had worked for two California police departments, was charged with two counts of murder under a warrant from the Ventura County sheriff's department, according to jail records. The elusive, masked killer is blamed for 12 murders, 45 rapes and the ransacking of more than 100 area homes. DeAngelo was under surveillance for six days as police sought to learn his pattern of movement to see how he might react if confronted, Sacramento county Sheriff Scott Jones told reporters. Officers then developed a plan to arrest him outside rather than in his car or in his home. "He was very surprised," Jones said. Initially, DeAngelo appeared to be searching his mind to implement a long-standing plan to stave off apprehension, but had no time to execute it. "It happened almost instantaneously," Jones said. Over the years, as a series of horrendous crimes erupted across 10 counties, the perpetrator was variously dubbed the Golden State Killer, East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker and Visalia Ransacker, but it was not clear whether they were related. New DNA techniques, plus beefed-up DNA databases, only recently allowed investigators to tie the various cases together and lead them to their suspect. "For over 40 years, countless victims have waited for justice," Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said at the news conference Wednesday. "We all knew as part of this team that we were looking for a needle in a haystick, but we all knew the needle was there," she said. "We found the needle in the haystack and it was right here in Sacramento. The answer was always going to be in the DNA." The authorities credited the passion and persistence of investigators — and the rigorous use of DNA expertise. "This was a true convergence of emerging technology and and dogged determination by detectives," Jones said. "When we got general information, he looked like he might be our guy, (then) we got a discarded DNA sample that gave us more confidence that this was our person" He would not elaborate on the DNA sample or how it was obtained. The case of the Golden State Killer has frustrated police since the 1970s. FBI and California officials last year renewed their search for a suspect in the cases and announced a $50,000 reward for an arrest and conviction. A new task force was also set up to try to crack one of the state's coldest cases. In community after community, the masked rapist, armed with a gun, would break into homes while single women or couples were sleeping. He would tie up the man and pile dishes on his back, then rape the woman while threatening to kill them both if the dishes tumbled. He often took souvenirs, notably coins and jewelry, from his victims, who ranged in age from 13 to 41. The Sacramento Beereports DeAngelo lived there for at least two decades. The newspaper also reports that he was fired from the Auburn Police Department in California in 1979 after being charged with shoplifting. “It is time for the victims to begin to heal,” said Bruce Harrington, whose brother, Keith, and sister-in-law Patrice were killed in 1980. Bruce Harrington helped finance the voter initiative Proposition 69 that expanded the state DNA database to include every convicted felon in Calfiornia. A woman, now living in South Carolina, who was sexually assaulted by a man believed to be the East Area Rapist in 1976 told The Island Packet newspaper Wednesday that two detectives had informed her about the arrest. Jane Carson-Sandler, of Sun City, was the fifth victim of the serial rapist in her Citrus Heights, Calif. home. She said two detectives she has kept in touch with over the years emailed her with news of the arrest. "I just found out this morning," she told the paper. "I'm overwhelmed with joy. I've been crying, sobbing." "I just can't tell you how I feel," she said. "After 42 years — wow!" Contributing: Eric Woomer, ewoomer@visaliatimesdelta.com; Associated Press<doc-sep>A dirty tissue led to the arrest of one of the most-prolific serial killers in U.S. history, according to a newly unsealed search and arrest warrant. After four days of deliberation, a judge unsealed the 100-plus page warrant on Friday for alleged "Golden State Killer" Joseph DeAngelo in connection to at least 57 attacks and 13 murders starting in the mid-1970s. The warrant alleges the possible 13th murder is a professor killed in Tulare County during the time the suspect was known as the "Visalia Ransacker." He has not yet been charged with this murder. DeAngelo was arrested in his driveway in Citrus Heights, California, on April 24 and has been charged with with 12 counts of murder: two in Sacramento County, two in Ventura County, four in Orange County and four in Santa Barbara County. According to the warrant, the initial DNA collected to connect DeAngelo to the murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith in March 1980 was taken off his driver’s side car door handle when he was parked in Hobby Lobby parking lot in Roseville, California, in April 2018. Authorities surveilled DeAngelo driving this vehicle. Additional DNA samples were then taken from DeAngelo’s trash can outside his residence in Citrus Heights on April 23. A piece of tissue was the conclusive DNA factor needed to link him to the these crimes, the warrant shows. The DNA that was derived from the Lyman and Charlene Smith killings case was provided to the task force organized by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the district attorney's office said. Authorities compared the DNA from the Smith double murder to what’s available on genealogy websites to find a family tree for the suspect, sources said. Officials then worked their way down that family tree until they found the 72-year-old DeAngelo. DeAngelo was a police officer in Exeter, California, from 1973 to 1976, officials said. He then served as a police officer in Auburn, California, in 1979 before being fired for stealing a hammer, according to multiple reports. The unsealed warrant shows police seized additional DNA evidence, computers and devices, firearms and four vehicles belonging to DeAngelo -- a 2014 Toyota Camry, 2016 Suzuki motorcycle, white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and a 2017 trailer -- from DeAngelo’s home. Authorities strip searched DeAngelo upon apprehension to make sure he didn’t have a concealed weapon and, once in custody, photographed specific body parts. The heavily redacted affidavit provides victims’ chilling accounts of all of DeAngelo's various aliases: the "Visalia Ransacker," the "East Area Rapist" and the "Original Night Stalker." The details of the sexual assaults are redacted, but all victims provide similar accounts: they remember hearing something in their house, at times being tied up and being told not to move. In most all of the cases, victims reported hang ups or lewd calls, prior burglaries or seeing a prowler prior to the sexual assaults, the warrant shows. Victims provided similar descriptions of the suspect: white male, about 6-feet tall, 20 to 30 years old, an athletic build, dark or leather shoes, and wearing a jacket and gloves. He was reported to carry a knife, gun or tool. Some say he was not wearing pants, just white jockey shorts. The documents also provide a detailed list of items stolen from victims, including rings, silver dollars, $2 bills, money clips, cuff links, antiques spoons, IDs, photos, keys, jewelry, china, cameras, a revolver, a ladies robe, leather bags, gambling chips, gold nuggets, bowls, clock radios, knives, prescriptions and a doctor’s bag with syringes. In many of the murder cases, the murder weapon was taken from the scene. The documents also show authorities believe DeAngelo followed the case for years, accessing law enforcement bulletins, media stories and documentaries detailing his alleged crimes. The affidavit is organized by the different phases as he moved throughout the state and his crimes worsened, first as the "Visalia Ransaker," including a possible first murder; the "East Area Rapist," including the murders of Brian and Katie Maggiore; multiple rapes committed in Modesto and Davis, California; a series of rapes in the East Bay; and the final phase, a series of rapes and the 10 murders in Southern California. The warrant shows authorities believe the "Visalia Ransaker" committed approximately 120 burglaries between April 1974 and Decemeber 1975. This was during this time DeAngelo was an Exeter police officer. The killer's crime spree almost lasted less than a year, the papers show. In December 1975, a Visalia police officer confronted the suspected "Visalia Ransacker." The suspect removed his mask and begged the officer not to hurt him. The officer described the suspect's voice as juvenile and effeminate. The suspect shot at the officer, wounding him with debris, before escaping. In the late-1970s, when the suspect was known as the "East Area Rapist," many people chased after the suspect, but he always seemed to get away. On Feb. 16, 1977, a boy and his father chased down a man matching the description of the "East Area Rapist" after hearing noises in their backyard. The boy was shot by the suspect, but he survived. The documents also provide details known about the 10 murders in Southern California. Victims were either shot or killed by multiple blows to the head. As the documents allege, the murders began to grow more gruesome. ABC News' Jonah Lustig contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested by Sacramento police Wednesday as the suspected Golden State Killer, accused of a series of rapes and murders that terrorized California communities in the 1970s and 1980s. The break came after FBI and California officials in 2016 renewed their investigation and offered a $50,000 reward for an arrest and conviction. A task force was set up to crack one of the state's coldest cases. "For over 40 years, countless victims have waited for justice," Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said at the news conference Wednesday. "We found the needle in the haystack and it was right here in Sacramento. The answer was always going to be in the DNA." A court hearing was set for Friday. Here is what we know now: Who is this guy? DeAngelo was born in Bath, N.Y., but graduated from Folsom High School in suburban Sacramento in June 1964. He enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War, returning home a decorated vet to earn an associate's degree in police science from Sierra College and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Sacramento State, the The Sacramento Bee reported. He married in 1973 and later divorced. What is he accused of? DeAngelo was charged with eight counts of murder in three California counties. But authorities are trying to link him to 12 murders, 45 rapes and the ransacking of more than 100 area homes. Two murders and most of the sex assaults occurred in the three years he was an Auburn police officer outside Sacramento. He has been connected to no crimes committed after 1986. When and where was he a police officer? DeAngelo worked as a police officer for two California departments in the 1970s, first in Exeter and then Auburn. Some of the crimes were committed while he was an officer. Auburn police department fired DeAngelo in 1979 after he was arrested for stealing a hammer and a can of dog repellant from a store. More:Golden State Killer: Ex-cop Joseph James DeAngelo arrested More:Patton Oswalt and the Golden State Killer suspect What do we know about his life since? The picture is not complete, but DeAngelo had been living in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights with a daughter and granddaughter. He retired last year after working 27 years at a distribution center for Save Mart grocery stores, the chain confirmed. Neighbors said he built remote-controlled model airplanes and spent time working on his house and lawn. Did he threaten his victims? In May 1977, as the frequent attacks gained national attention, the rapist told a victim he would kill two people if his attack reached the media. Less than a year later, after several more assaults, Brian and Katie Maggiore were fatally shot in Rancho Cordova on Feb. 2, 1978, while walking their dog. They were his first known homicides. Police, however, say DeAngelo may have killed the couple because they came upon him as he was breaking into a home. What evidence led police to him? Authorities actually began revisiting the case in 2016, around the time of the 40th anniversary of the first known attack. DeAngelo, however, was unknown to investigators until a week ago. A DNA hit off some old evidence prompted put him directly in their sights. New DNA techniques and more complete DNA databases recently allowed investigators to tie the various cases together, and DeAngelo was the bow. How was he arrested? He was kept under surveillance for six days as police studied his movements to see how he might react if confronted, Sacramento county Sheriff Scott Jones. He was arrested without incident outside his home. "He was very surprised," Jones said. "It happened almost instantaneously." Contributing: Doug Stanglin; The Associated Press