Joseph James DeAngelo Has Entered a Plea of GUILTY

Joseph James DeAngelo, Jr. has officially admitted responsibility for 76 crimes committed by the Golden State Killer:

Count 1: Guilty of the murder of Claude Snelling
Count 1 (cont): Admitted to the attempted kidnapping of Beth Snelling
Count 1 (cont): Admitted to the attempted murder of Bill McGowen
Count 2: Guilty of the murder of Katie Maggiore
Count 3: Guilty of the murder of Brian Maggiore
Count 4: Guilty of the murder of Debra Manning
Count 5: Guilty of the murder of Robert Offerman
Count 6: Guilty of the murder of Cheri Domingo
Count 7: Guilty of the murder of Greg Sanchez
Count 8: Guilty of the murder of Charlene Smith
Count 9: Guilty of the murder of Lyman Smith
Count 10: Guilty of the murder of Patrice Harrington
Count 11: Guilty of the murder of Keith Harrington
Count 12: Guilty of the murder of Manuela Witthuhn
Count 13: Guilty of the murder of Janelle Cruz
Count 14: Guilty of the EAR Attack #4 of Jane Doe #1
Count 15: Guilty of the EAR Attack #16 of Jane Doe #2 and John Doe #1
Count 16: Guilty of the EAR Attack #17 of Jane Doe #3 and John Doe #2
Count 17: Guilty of the EAR Attack #18 of Jane Doe #4 and John Doe #3
Count 18: Guilty of the EAR Attack #20 of Jane Doe #5 and John Doe #4
Count 19: Guilty of the EAR Attack #21 of Jane Doe #6 and John Doe #5
Count 20: Guilty of the EAR Attack #22 of Jane Doe #7 and John Doe #6
Count 21: Guilty of the EAR Attack #24 of Jane Doe #8 and John Doe #7
Count 22: Guilty of the EAR Attack #25 of Jane Doe #9 and John Doe #8
Count 23: Guilty of the EAR Attack #37 of Jane Doe #10 and John Doe #9
Count 24: Guilty of the EAR Attack #38 of Jane Doe #11 and John Doe #10
Count 25: Guilty of EAR Attack #39 of Jane Doe #12 and John Doe #11
Count 26: Guilty of the EAR Attack #46 of Jane Doe #13 and John Doe #12
Count 28: Admitted to the EAR Attack #1 of Jane Doe #14
Counts 29 and 30: Admitted to the EAR Attack #2 of Jane Doe #15 and Jane Doe #16
Counts 31, 32, and 33: Admitted to the EAR Attack #3 of Jane Doe #17, Jane Doe #18, and Jane Doe #19
Counts 34 and 35: Admitted to EAR Attack #5 on Jane Doe #20 and John Doe #13
Count 36: Admitted to EAR Attack #6 on Jane Doe #21
Count 37: Admitted to EAR Attack #7 on Jane Doe #22
Count 38: Admitted to EAR Attack #9 on Jane Doe #23
Count 39: Admitted to EAR Attack #10 on Jane Doe #24
Count 40: Admitted to EAR Attack #11 on Jane Doe #25
Count 41: Admitted to EAR Attack #12 on Jane Doe #26
Counts 42 and 43: Admitted to EAR Attack #13 on Jane Doe #27 and Jane Doe #28
Count 44: Admitted to EAR Attack #14 on Jane Doe #29
Count 45: Admitted to EAR Attack #15 on Jane Doe #30
Counts 46 and 47: Admitted to EAR Attack #19 on Jane Doe #31 and John Doe #14
Counts 48 and 49: Admitted to EAR Attack #26 on Jane Doe #32 and John Doe #15
Counts 50 and 51: Admitted to EAR Attack #27 on Jane Doe #33 and Jane Doe #34
Count 52: Admitted to EAR Attack #28 on Jane Doe #35
Counts 53 and 54: Admitted to EAR Attack #29 on Jane Doe #36 and Jane Doe #37
Counts 55 and 56: Admitted to EAR Attack #23 on Jane Doe #38 and John Doe #16
Counts 57 and 58: Admitted to EAR Attack #30 on Jane Doe #39 and John Doe #17
Counts 59 and 60: Admitted to EAR Attack #32 on Jane Doe #40 and John Doe #18
Count 61: Admitted to EAR Attack #33 on Jane Doe #41
Counts 62 and 63: Admitted to EAR Attack #34 on Jane Doe #42 and John Doe #19
Counts 64 and 65: Admitted to EAR Attack #35 on Jane Doe #43 and John Doe #20
Count 66: Admitted to EAR Attack #36 on Jane Doe #44
Count 67: Admitted to EAR Attack #40 on Jane Doe #45
Counts 68 and 69: Admitted to EAR Attack #41 on Jane Doe #46 and John Doe #21
Count 70: Admitted to the EAR Attack #42 of Jane Doe #47
Count 71: Admitted to the EAR Attack #45 of Jane Doe #48
Count 72: Admitted to the EAR Attack #47 of Jane Doe #49
Counts 73 and 74: Admitted to the EAR Attack #44 of Jane Doe #50 and John Doe #22

19 thoughts on “Joseph James DeAngelo Has Entered a Plea of GUILTY”

    1. We did not hear a Count 27, nor is there one in the notes we have available. We are reviewing recordings now to find out for sure.

    2. It has been suggested that Count 27 might be the attempted murder of William McGowen (featured on line three as an extension of Count 1 on our list). It was not referred to by any number during the hearing.

  1. What is the difference between admitting to attacks and pleading guilty?

    How come so many victims are listed as Jane/John Doe? Are they unidentified or have their families requested that names were not made public?

    1. In 2018, DeAngelo was charged with 26 crimes (13 homicides and 13 rape crimes that had to be charged as kidnapping with intent to rob). The statute of limitations had expired on rape, so they were unable to add more crimes at that time. When the plea bargain was struck, the prosecutors wanted DeAngelo to admit to crimes that they weren’t originally able to charge him with. He entered a “guilty” plea for the original 26 crimes and an “admission” for the others.

    2. They are using Jane/John Doe because they are sexual offenses. The victims names cannot be disclosed. They can however identify themselves.

  2. what about all the crimes police don’t know about, is he not gonna confess to crimes he committed, surely he’s done more than police know about, why are they not pushing for unsolved crimes to be solved just weird that he’s only pleading guilty to why police know about

    1. What about the Jennifer Armour case that detective Dempsie of Tulare county said that he is a suspect in? What about Donna Jo Richmond – does anybody still believe the BS put out by the Tulare county prosecutor’s office? Especially after claiming DNA cleared Deangelo when the scientists said it did no such thing? Who is lying, Dempsie or the DA’s office? Can you imagine the effect on the Armour, Richmond , or Clifton families? Unfortunately I can. I had to identify Jenny’s body after at least eight days in the Friant-Kern Canal. More than 45 years, I still cannot get that image of my my baby sister, out of my head. Jenny hurt no one. She played the piano and played girls’ softball (catcher) in Huntington Beach- before moving to Visalia. And the cops called her a party girl – what a crock . . .

    1. This was among a group of cases that was not charged. There’s been no public comment on the reason for this particular omission.

  3. I did not hear a charge for the attack/sexual assault JJD committed on April 14, 1978 in the city of Sacramento, his only in the South Sacramento “Pocket” area. This was his last known rape in Sacramento before he moved on to Yolo Co. can anyone on here clarify if this was charged?

    1. This crime is still believed to be the work of the same offender, but it was among a group of crimes that was not charged. It’s been suggested that some victims declined to be involved in the plea process and agreed to let their cases be set aside.

    1. We’ve been unable to get answers to either of these questions. Physically restraining DeAngelo would not seem prejudicial since he is offering a plea. The court must have determined that order could be maintained without binding DeAngelo. If DeAngelo is present for victim impact statements, there may be safety concerns that necessitate a physical restraint.

    2. I think JDD should have been handcuffed with his hands behind his back, gagged and his feet tied, like he did to his victims. Make him sit there in front of his victims as uncomfortable as possible. He wasn’t even handcuffed in today’s Victim Statements. I really don’t get that.

  4. At his age, a “life sentence” won’t be much punishment at all. The only consolation we will get out of this is he’s not going to die a free man like he thought he would and he’ll die knowing he didn’t get away with it like he probably believed he would. A death sentence wouldn’t amount to anything either as there is currently a moratorium on the death penalty in the state of California and even without the moratorium, he would have died of natural causes long before his appeals would be exhausted. Not dying a free man is the only consolation we all get out of this. Resolution at best.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *