Golden State Killer reported to plead guilty to nearly 90 charges
Joseph James Deangelo Jr., the man prosecutors say is the prolific and ruthless Golden State Killer, will reportedly plead guilty to 88 charges in exchange for life in prison, the Sacramento Bee reported Monday.
Deangelo, 74, is facing the death penalty if convicted in the murders of 13 individuals in five California counties. But sources told The Bee that Deangelo — barring a change due to his “unpredictable nature” — will plead guilty at a hearing on June 29 in order to receive life in prison instead.
He is currently facing over two dozen charges in the Sacramento Superior Court, which means some 60 more charges would be added. The Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist, is suspected in the violent rapes of over 50 women from 1975-86. Deangelo has already been charged in the murders of Brian and Katie Maggiore, Lyman and Charlene Smith, Keith and Patrice Harrington, Manuela Witthuhn, Janelle Cruz, Claude Snelling, Robert Offerman, Debra Manning, Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez. Investigators believe he is linked to crime scenes around the state, which likely explains the additional charges.
Capital punishment is currently suspended in California due to a 2019 executive order signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The order put a moratorium on executions for the duration of Newsom’s governorship. In order to fully repeal the death penalty, state voters would have to weigh in. Given Deangelo’s age and the death penalty moratorium, it’s highly unlikely he would ever be executed by the state. But the plea bargain would allow for an expedited legal process, something both Deangelo’s public defenders and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office have previously pushed for.
Death penalty trials are long and arduous. Prosecutors told The Bee they have 150 witnesses, many in their 80s or older, and the trial alone could take 10 weeks, not counting any appeals.
In March, CBS13 reported the Sacramento County public defender’s office sent a letter to victims and their families saying they were seeking a way to shorten the process.
“Criminal cases often take many years to resolve by trial,” the letter obtained by CBS13 reads. “The trial process is often very stressful for victims and their families. This particular case is exceedingly complex due to the number of charged crimes and the diverse locations of the charged crimes. We would like to reach a resolution of the case that avoids a trial, satisfies all parties and provides a more immediate resolution of the case.”
Investigators believe the former California police officer may have raped over 50 women. The crime spree, which spanned Sacramento, Contra Costa, Orange, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties, created panic in the Sacramento area as dozens of women were victimized.
The Golden State Killer was known for creating violating, personal connections to victims, including telling one woman he had seen her at the lake. It’s hard to know if the killer really
had links to his victims, however. He broke into victims’ homes before he attacked, giving him ample access to family photos, letters and other identifying details.
The terror did not end with rape, however. In some cases, the rapist called his victims afterward. One woman, at the request of police, kept her phone number for years in the hopes the attacker would call and reveal identifying information.
Decades after the last case went cold, investigators announced DNA led them to a break in the case. Detectives say they submitted the killer’s DNA to an open-source genealogy website called Gedmatch, where it found a match with a relative who also used the service. Detectives were then able to narrow their list of suspects, eventually arresting Deangelo, who once worked as a police officer in Auburn and Exeter.
Deangelo is due next in court on June 29. He has been incarcerated in the Sacramento County Main Jail since his arrest in April 2018.