The accused Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, made a brief, unscheduled appearance in Sacramento County Superior Court this morning. His attorney, Diane Howard, filed a motion to stop the District Attorney from taking further DNA samples and body photographs of her client. Judge Sweet informed Howard that he needed more time to review her motion, and a new date was set for May 3rd at 8:30 AM.
DeAngelo was handcuffed to a wheelchair, as he was during the April 27th appearance. The hearing was very brief and DeAngelo did not speak.
On April 27th, 2018, Joseph DeAngelo appeared in a Sacramento County courtroom before Judge Michael Sweet for an arraignment hearing. Handcuffed to a wheelchair and appearing to be weak or sedated, DeAngelo’s answers to the judge’s questions were barely audible. His head often drifted to the side as if he was having a hard time holding it up, and he offered little in the way of body language. Attendees noted that he was breathing very deeply.
The judge asked him if Joseph James DeAngelo was his true and correct name. He whispered “yes,” and the judge made him repeat his answer with more volume.
He was then informed that he was appearing before the Sacramento County Superior Court for two reasons — to inform him of the murder charges from Ventura County and from Sacramento County.
He was then asked about the status of his representation. He hesitated before answering, and his answer was barely audible. Judge Sweet asked him if he understood his questions, and DeAngelo repeated “I have a lawyer.” Public Defender Diane Howard accepted the appointment to represent DeAngelo.
Howard acknowledge the receipt of the complaints, and she reserved the right to make later objections to the complaints against DeAngelo. Howard then spent a few moments conferring with DeAngelo in whispers.
The next court date was set for May 14th, 2018 at 8:30 AM.
Below is a video of the arraignment provided by the Sacramento Bee:
On April 25th, 2018, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas charged Joseph DeAngelo with four counts of murder.
The complaint covers the murders of Keith Harrington and Patrice Harrington, both killed in August 1980. The charges include the special circumstances of multiple murders, robbery, rape, and lying in wait.
The complaint also covers the murder of Manuela Witthuhn on or about February 6th, 1981. Special circumstances on this charge include rape, multiple murders, robbery, burglary, and lying in wait.
The fourth case that the complaint covers is the Janelle Cruz homicide, which was on or about May 5th, 1986. Special circumstances include rape, multiple murders, sodomy, and lying in wait.
It was noon on Wednesday, April 25th, 2018. National DNA Day — a fitting backdrop to a press conference centered around the momentous announcement that the Golden State Killer had finally been identified and captured.
“In the last six days, and I emphasize the last six days, that passion, that persistence, and the knowledge finally came to an answer in this building behind us here, our crime lab,” said Anne Marie Schubert, District Attorney of Sacramento County, to a crowd of reporters and cameras.
Less than twelve hours had elapsed since Joseph James DeAngelo had been booked into a Sacramento County jail. Reports had been light and comments to the press had thus far been cagey. While the public understandably wanted details on how this decades-old cold case had been solved, the breakneck pace at which the identification and arrest had transpired meant that very little information had been shared.
At one point during the press conference, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones reminded the public that the case was still an active investigation. Schubert assured those in attendance that most of the details WOULD be brought forth eventually. It was not a tip that had led them to DeAngelo, they clarified. Schubert informed them that “he was identified through DNA technology.”
“We knew we could and should solve it using the most innovative DNA technology available at this time,” Schubert said, later adding that part of the solution to this case was “crime lab employees, DNA analysts who worked tirelessly in the last few days to provide that answer.”
After opening remarks by Anne Marie Schubert, Sheriff Scott Jones took the podium. He explained the identification process in a bit more detail:
“Over the last few days, as information started to point to this individual, we started some surveillance, we were able to get some discarded DNA, and we were able to confirm what we thought we already knew. that we had our man. And yesterday afternoon, in a perfectly executed arrest, my detectives arrested James Joseph DeAngelo, 72 years old, living in Citrus Heights.”
Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten then spoke. He announced that he’d filed capital murder charges for the March 1980 murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith. This involved two counts of first degree murder with three special circumstances: multiple murders, murder during the commission of rape, and murder during the commission of burglary.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas offered a powerful opening remark to his portion of the press conference before discussing case history:
“Joseph James DeAngelo has been called a lot of things by Law Enforcement: he’s been called the East Side Rapist, the Visalia Ransacker, the Original Night Stalker, and the Golden State Killer. Today, it’s our pleasure to call him defendant.”
In the most moving portion of the press conference, Bruce Harrington took the podium. Bruce, brother of Golden State Killer murder victim Keith Harrington, spent over twenty years of his life and over two million dollars of his own money working to reform DNA legislation to help usher in the wider use of forensic DNA and the resolution to cases such as the Golden State Killer case.
“It’s time for all victims to grieve and to take measure one last time,” Harrington said. “To bring closure to the anguish that we’ve all suffered for the last 40 some-odd years. It is time for the victims to begin to heal. So long overdue.”
Bruce Harrington delivered powerful remarks on the power of forensic DNA technology. He discussed his struggle in getting DNA to be used more widely as a forensic tool in California and all of the opposition he faced, primarily from Senator John Burton and other members (past and present) of the Public Safety Committee.
Harrington ended a message to the survivors, friends, and family members — many of whom he’d gotten to know well over the years: “To the entire reservoir of victims out there, my sadness is with you,” Bruce said. “For the fifty-one ladies who were brutally raped… sleep better tonight. He isn’t coming through the window. He’s in jail, and he’s history.”
Dinah Benton, District Attorney for Contra Costa County, delivered remarks about the case and about Paul Holes, whose tireless work in her county as Chief Forensic Services Officer and whose twenty-four years with the Crime Lab help resolve this and other cases.
Sean Reagan, Special Agent in charge of the FBI field office in Sacramento spoke about receiving thousands of tips and about how the media and the public were part of the team that helped solve the case and bring solace to the victims.
Nancy O’Malley, District Attorney of Alameda County discussed the testing of rape kits and clearing the backlog to help bring justice and resolution to these types of cases. She spoke of the work that she’s done to support survivors over the years.
At the conclusion of the prepared remarks, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Shaun Hampton reintroduced Sheriff Jones and DA Schubert for questions. Due to the arrest and the case being a very active situation, very little detail was shared.
Watch the press conference in the video window below:
In addition to the charges in Sacramento County, complaints were also filed against DeAngelo in Ventura County for the murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith.
Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten and Senior Deputy District Attorney Richard Simon allege that on or about March 13th, 1980 through March 16th, 1980, Joseph DeAngelo murdered the Ventura couple. The charges include three special circumstances: multiple murders, murder during the commission of rape, and murder during the commission of burglary.
The complaint and associated documents can be seen here. The documents include the arrest warrant’s sealing order granted by Judge Patricia M. Murphy.
Immediately following the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo in the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer case, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and Major Crimes Bureau Assistant Chief Deputy DA Rod Norgaard filed felony complaints against DeAngelo for the murders of Brian and Katie Maggiore. The crimes, which took place on or about February 2nd, 1978, carry the special circumstance of “multiple murders.”
After decades of investigation, an arrest has finally been made in the East Area Rapist / Golden State Killer case.
On Tuesday, April 24th, 2018, at about 5:30 PM local time, Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested at his home on Canyon Oak Drive by armored police working for the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department.
“In a perfectly executed arrest, my detectives arrested James Joseph DeAngelo, 72 years old, living in Citrus Heights,” Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones stated.
