Golden State Killer

FBI sketches of the Golden State Killer (Santa Maria Times, via Newspapers.com™)

The “Golden State Killer” is known to have committed numerous home burglaries, rapes, and at least 13 murders in California from 1974–1986. These crimes, once thought to have been carried out by unconnected perpetrators given various nicknames, remained unsolved for decades. The “Golden State Killer” moniker was created in 2013 to group linked cases under a single name and raise public awareness in the ongoing search for answers.

In 2018, detectives traced the crimes of the Golden State Killer to Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. Though the statute of limitations had passed for the dozens of rape and burglary offenses, DeAngelo was charged with 13 counts of murder and 13 counts of kidnapping. He pled guilty to all charges as part of a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty, and in August 2020 was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Learn more about the Golden State Killer through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about the Golden State Killer

21-year-old Joseph J. DeAngelo U.S. Navy service photo 01 Jun 1967, Thu Auburn Journal (Auburn, California) Newspapers.com"COS Official Killed During Kidnap Try;" Claude Snelling murdered defending daughter from intruder 11 Sep 1975, Thu The Hanford Sentinel (Hanford, California) Newspapers.com"East Area Rapist...Fear Grips Serene Neighborhoods" Golden State Killer "EAR" crimes (excerpt) 10 Nov 1976, Wed The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.comMap of East Area Rapist (Golden State Killer) attacks as of May 1977 15 May 1977, Sun The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.comComposite sketch of "east-area rapist" "Sacramento rapist" 18 May 1977, Wed The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) Newspapers.comHomicide investigators report "no leads or suspects" in murders of Katie and Brian Maggiore 04 Feb 1978, Sat The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.com"Could East Area Rapist Also Be Visalia Ransacker?" Early connections in Golden State Killer crimes 22 Jul 1978, Sat The Hanford Sentinel (Hanford, California) Newspapers.comJoseph DeAngelo fired from police force in 1979 after arrest for shoplifting 31 Oct 1979, Wed Auburn Journal (Auburn, California) Newspapers.comDetectives pursue possible link between East Area Rapist (EAR) attacks and Manning/Offerman murders 26 Feb 1980, Tue The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.comLyman and Charlene Smith found murdered in home; suspects and motive unknown (excerpt) 17 Mar 1980, Mon Ventura County Star (Ventura, California) Newspapers.comPolice investigate murder of 28-year-old Manuela Witthuhn 09 Feb 1981, Mon The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.comSearch for "East Area Rapist" ongoing; article explains attacker's crime spree, MO (excerpt) 15 Jun 1981, Mon The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.comCheri Domingo, Gregory Sanchez murders linked to Offerman/Manning murders, "Night Stalker" suspected 29 Jul 1981, Wed Santa Maria Times (Santa Maria, California) Newspapers.com"Case not closed" Search for "East Area Rapist" (EAR) continues (excerpt) 17 Mar 1988, Thu The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California) Newspapers.com"DNA Proves Serial Killer, Serial Rapist Are Same" East Area Rapist is Original Night Stalker 04 Apr 2001, Wed The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com"Original Night Stalker" "East Area Rapist" ("EARONS") cases linked by DNA, MO, shoe prints 28 Nov 2002, Thu Ventura County Star (Ventura, California) Newspapers.comMore clues in "Original Night Stalker" case; DNA links Domingo/Sanchez murders to killer (excerpt) 06 May 2011, Fri The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.comTrue crime writer Michelle McNamara creates "Golden State Killer" moniker (excerpt) 29 Sep 2013, Sun Ventura County Star (Ventura, California) Newspapers.com"Was Visalia the training ground?" Article discusses theory that EAR/ONS is Visalia Ransacker 25 Mar 2015, Wed Visalia Times-Delta (Visalia, California) Newspapers.com"$50,000 reward offered" in hunt for Golden State Killer aka East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker 16 Jun 2016, Thu The Naples Daily News (Naples, Florida) Newspapers.comFBI sketches of the "Golden State Killer" 26 Apr 2018, Thu Santa Maria Times (Santa Maria, California) Newspapers.com"East Area Rapist suspect arrested after four decades" Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo arrested 26 Apr 2018, Thu Sun-News (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) Newspapers.com"Quiet Life, With Flashes of Rage" Joseph DeAngelo arrested as Golden State Killer suspect (excerpt) 27 Apr 2018, Fri The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.comOp-ed piece discusses role of DNA evidence in capture of Golden State Killer and others 29 Apr 2018, Sun The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) Newspapers.com"Golden State Killer: DeAngelo pleads guilty to murders, rapes" (excerpt) 30 Jun 2020, Tue The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California) Newspapers.com"Golden State Killer DeAngelo is sentenced to life in prison" (excerpt) 22 Aug 2020, Sat The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California) Newspapers.com