In ‘Golden State Killer’ case, judge OKs genetic evidence
The accused “Golden State Killer” is suspected of at least a dozen murders, 46 rapes and more than 100 burglaries between 1974 and 1986. The next step is building a case against Joseph DeAngelo, 72. Here’s the latest in the case:
• • • Prosecutors can collect DNA, fingerprints and body photographs of the former policeman, a judge ruled this week.
Attorneys for DeAngelo had asked the court to block the search, arguing the warrant for the evidence was issued before his arrest. “All we’re asking here is the prosecution follow the rules,” argued David Lynch, one of DeAngelo’s public defenders.
Superior Court Judge Michael Sweet sided with prosecutors, saying courts have repeatedly allowed the collection of such evidence because it’s not a form of testimony. He said it would not harm DeAngelo’s right to protection against self-incrimination under the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment.
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A May 14 hearing has been set in a California court after The Associated Press and other news organizations filed a motion to unseal search and arrest warrants which could provide additional details about the DNA techniques prosecutors used to identify the serial killer suspect.
Those documents, containing legal arguments and case details justifying why investigators want to gather the evidence, are shielded from public view under a court order. Prosecutors have not explained why the documents are sealed.
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Simi Valley, Calif., police want to know whether DeAngelo strangled a mother and her 4-year-old son four decades ago — crimes for which an innocent man spent 29 years in prison.
Police in the suburb near Los Angeles want to check DeAngelo’s DNA profile. They want to know whether he might be linked to the deaths of Rhonda Wicht and her son, Donald. She was beaten, raped and strangled. The boy was smothered in his sleep.