Deangelo to be tried in Sacramento
A press conference held this morning in an Orange County District Attorney’s office confirmed that new updates have been made in the case of Joseph Deangelo, better known as The Golden State Killer.
Six district attorneys, including Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, gathered together to announce progressions of the case to the public.
The conference began with reference to Deangelo being a human predator and his path through the counties of Tulare up to Sacramento.
It was revealed very early that Deangelo’s trial will be held in Sacramento County. Twenty-six felony charges were filed against Deangelo Tuesday morning, the first charge being the murder of Visalia resident Claude Snelling.
The remaining charges filed were a collection of crimes committed throughout the state, not just in Sacramento.
Fifteen minutes into the conference, Ward took to the podium to address the crowd.
“There is one count in the amended complaint filed this morning that reflects crimes occurring in Tulare County,” Ward said. “It correlates to a murder that occurred in the city of Visalia in the fall of 1975.”
Ward explained the investigation has gone on for over 40 years and that he and Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar fully support and agree with the decision to move forward with the case in Sacramento.
“Going forward our thoughts and our prayers are with the families impacted by these crimes across the state as we transition into what will now be the prosecution of this case,” Ward said as a finish to his speech.
During the open questions portion of the conference, Ward was asked a question in regards to having one of his own prosecutors at the trial in Sacramento.
“I do plan on our office being actively engaged,” responded Ward. “What that looks like on a day-to-day basis and the details I’m sure will be something that we will have to work out.”
Deangelo’s arraignment for the felony complaints will be Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Sacramento. The timeline of the trial proceedings are yet unknown, as Deangelo has the right to a fair trial and has not yet entered a plea.