The Modesto Bee from Modesto, California • A1

PAUL KITAGAKI JR. Golden State Area Rapist Joseph James DeAngelo is wheeled into a makeshift Sacramento Superior courtroom at Sacramento State University on Friday for sentencing on 13 counts of murder and a host of rapes and other crimes. And then it was over. Joseph James DeAngelo the Visalia Ransacker, the East Area Rapist, the Original Night Stalker, the Golden State Killer was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole after making a dramatic statement apologizing to dozens of his victims gathered before him in a makeshift Sacramento Superior Courtroom at Sacramento State. DeAngelo would like to make a brief state- public defender Joe Cress announced, and the defendant rose from the wheelchair he was in, took off his face mask and stood ramrod straight.

listened to all your statements, each one of he said in a firm voice. truly sorry to everyone The remarks were the most words he has spoken since his arrest two years ago, and the only signal of any remorse. Few bought it. said Kris Pedretti, who was 15 when DeAngelo raped her the week before Christ- mas in 1976. was a sham, he was not Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.

too little, too said Victor Hayes, who was victimized when DeAngelo broke into his home and attacked his girlfriend in Sacramento. really was totally shocked he said said Ron Harrington whose younger brother, Keith, and sister-in-law, Patty, were brutally murdered by DeAngelo 40 years ago Thursday. he say DEFENDANT DESERVES NO Immediately after DeAngelo made his state- ment, Sacramento Super- ior Court Judge Michael Bowman sentenced DeAngelo under a plea deal that called for 11 consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus one life term with the possibility of parole and eight years for other enhancements. is the absolutely maximum sentence the court can impose under Bowman said, add- ing, survivors spoke clearly, the defendant deserves no As the judge ended the hearing, the victims stood and applauded loudly. The judge called his acts and said that while he under- stood that prosecutors agreed not to pursue a death penalty trial so that aging victims could live long enough to see DeAn- gelo convicted, that does not mean DeAngelo does not deserve a death penal- ty sentence.

listened to the victims, I cannot help but wonder what you are he said. you capable of compre- hending the pain and anguish Until DeAngelo rose and spoke, he had sat motionless and silent in a wheelchair for most of his court appearance since his arrest in April 2018. He spoke only after Cress and public defender Alice Michel read letters from unnamed DeAngelo relatives who described a difficult abusive child- hood DeAngelo endured and described him as a caring man who helped raise and care for his siblings as a youngster. do not know this person known as the Golden State the letter said. nev- er saw anything that would lead me to believe in that.

uncle Joe was my The letters drew groans and laughter from some in the audience. VICTIMS: NOT After the hearing, pros- ecutors rejected the no- tion that DeAngelo was sorry for anything. is a sociopath, by definition the word was written for said Sacramento District At- torney Anne Marie Schub- ert, who led the cold case task force that finally caught DeAngelo. DeAngelo tried to pull a fast one on all of us, and we were witnesses to said Spitzer, the Orange County D.A. not sure you saw how fast Golden State Killer DeAngelo is sentenced to life in prison BY SAM STANTON AND DARRELL SMITH PAUL KITAGAKI JR.

Victims and their families react at the sentencing of DeAngelo. Before his sentence was announced, DeAngelo apologized to the victims in court. SEE SENTENCED, 3A THE JUDGE SAID WHILE HE UNDERSTOOD WHY THE DEATH PENALTY SOUGHT, THAT MEAN DEANGELO DESERVE IT. VOLUME 143, No. 235 STAY CONNECTED MODBEE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/MODESTOBEE TWITTER.COM/MODBEE NEWS ALL DAY.

YOUR WAY. SATURDAY AUGUST 22 2020 $1.50 LOCAL July job gains will be lost as virus outbreaks mean more restrictions 3A Comics 8A Local 3A Obituaries 4A Puzzles 7A Sports 5A TV 6A CUSTOMER SERVICE To subscribe or report delivery issues, 800-776-4233 or modbee.com/customer-service Hazy sun See 2A Election 2020 CAMPAIGN SEASON IN FULL SWING Takeaways from the Democratic National Convention and looking ahead to the Republican event. Subscribers will find this bonus content at modbee.com/eedition PATRICK SEMANSKY AP The Moc fire near Highways 49 and 120 broke out Thursday afternoon and has grown to 2,500 acres as of Friday morning, according to Cal Fire. Mandatory evacuations had been issued for mul- tiple areas including: Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake, Highway 120 to Boneyard, Second Garrote, and Incense Cedar Trail, and everything west of Second Garrote, Cherokee Trail, and Yosemite Springs. Old Highway 120 has been added as well.

All Jackass Creek Road, Jackass Creek Ridge, and Jackass Ridge access are also under mandatory evac- uation. The SCU Lightning Complex, a series of fires that includes the one burning in Del Puerto Canyon outside of Patterson, grew to 229,968 acres over- night, according to Cal Fire, and firefighters antici- pate more growth today due to high temperatures and low humidity. humidity will be in the teens across the entire a news release from Cal Fire reads. critical rates of spread when fuels, wind, and topography are in alignment and an increase in fire activity after Firefighters have achieved 10 percent contain- ment of the fire, up from 5 percent Thursday. All of the fires are contributing to air quality prob- lems throughout the Northern San Joaquin Valley, though Friday air was not as bad as it has been this week, according to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

The National Weather Service has issued a for the weekend, warning that more dry lightning storms could be coming to the area, poten- tially sparking more fires. A new fire that sparked in Tuolumne County qua- drupled in size overnight and led to several areas being evacuated. And fires outside of Patterson on Stanislaus west side continued to grow. Patty Guerra: Tuolumne County fire grows to 2,800 acres BY PATTY GUERRA Despite recent sniping, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he and President Donald Trump have a good working relationship as the federal government provides aid to fight California wildfires.

His remarks come a day after Trump threatened to withhold federal money because California doing enough to clear its forest floors. now, or no more Fed the Republican president tweeted. Trump has been sending money as the state bat- tles hundreds of lightning-sparked fires, Newsom said Friday, the morning after he made his own public comments criticizing Trump at the Democratic National Convention. He said he want Californians to worry that aid may not materialize. not phone call that I have made to the president where he quickly the Democratic governor said.

may make state- ments publicly, but the working relationship pri- vately is an effective Newsom spoke at a briefing with fire and emer- gency management officials and emergency respon- ders as 12,000 firefighters battled blazes across the state, including two that are among the 10 worst in California history. He said his administration has a memorandum of understanding to clear flammable vegetation in Trump sends Calif. wildfire help despite criticism, Gov. Newsom says BY SOPHIA BOLLAG SEE WILDFIRE AID, 2A.