'Golden State Killer' Joseph DeAngelo jailed for life for dozens of rapes, murders

In delivering the the maximum possible sentence in his power, the judge said the victims 'must be assured that Mr DeAngelo will never, ever walk this earth again'.

Joseph James DeAngelo sits in court during the third day of victim impact statements in California.

Joseph James DeAngelo sits in court during the third day of victim impact statements in California. Source: AAP

Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, has been sentenced to multiple life terms in prison for the series of murders he committed over a 13-year period between 1973 and 1986.

The sentencing on Friday was delivered by Honorary Judge Michael Bowman in the Sacramento Superior Court in California, where victims' families had gathered to hear the sentence.

In delivering his the maximum possible sentence in his power, Mr Bowman said that the "victims must be assured that Mr DeAngelo will never, ever walk this earth again".

"The defendant deserves no mercy," Mr Bowman said.
Joseph James DeAngelo is arraigned in a Sacramento court 27 April 2018.
Joseph James DeAngelo is arraigned in a Sacramento court 27 April 2018. Source: AAP
Mr DeAngelo's crimes were the subject of a book called 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' by Michelle McNamara, which was itself adapted into a recent six-part HBO docu-series.

Ms McNamara had spent years tracking down the Golden State Killer (a nickname she coined), but died in 2016, before Mr DeAngelo was identified as the culprit.

Mr DeAngelo, a former police officer, was identified via investigative genetic genealogy and arrested in 2018, more than three decades after he raped and murdered his last victim in 1986.
During the trial, he admitted committing crimes against 87 individual victims during attacks he perpetrated at 53 separate crime scenes.

"This cold case never went cold for the victims and survivors - it burned them to their very soul. I respectfully hope today resulted in a step forward in their healing process," said Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley.
After he was sentenced, Mr DeAngelo made the following brief statement.

"I've listened to all of your statements, each one of them, and I am really sorry to everyone I've hurt. Thank you, your honour," he said.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP, SBS


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world