Joseph James Deangelo

.Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was born on November 8, 1945, in Bath, New York, at Bath Memorial Hospital, to Joseph James DeAngelo Sr., a U.S. Army staff sergeant originally from Watkins Glen, New York, and Kathleen Louise DeGroat, from Bath. His parents married in 1941 and lived at 52 East Morris Street in Bath during his infancy. He had three siblings: an older sister Rebecca (born around 1943), a younger sister Constance (born 1948), and a younger brother John (born 1949). His early childhood was marked by instability and abuse: multiple accounts indicate both parents were physically abusive, and his father assaulted his mother. When DeAngelo was young, the family moved frequently due to his father’s military career, including a period in West Germany where DeAngelo witnessed two servicemen rape his seven‑year‑old sister — an event his nephew later described as deeply traumatic and possibly formative in his psychological development. Public records suggest he began school in Bath around 1951 before the family relocated to California prior to his teenage years, eventually settling in the Sacramento area. He graduated from Folsom High School in June 1964. Immediately after high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in September 1964 and served roughly 22 months during the Vietnam War as a damage controlman aboard the USS Canberra and USS Piedmont. After leaving the Navy, he attended Sierra College and later Sacramento State University, earning a degree in criminal justice. During college he dated Bonnie Colwell, an 18‑year‑old student; they became engaged, but she broke it off due to his increasingly manipulative and controlling behavior. In 1973, he married Sharon Marie Huddle, with whom he eventually had three children, and they bought a home in suburban Citrus Heights, California. That same year he began working as a police officer, first in Exeter (1973–1976) and later in Auburn (1976–1979). His law‑enforcement career overlapped directly with his criminal activity: while employed in Exeter, he committed over 100 burglaries as the Visalia Ransacker, targeting middle‑class neighborhoods, breaking into homes, stealing personal items, and sometimes confronting victims. His behavior escalated dramatically when he moved to the Sacramento region, where from 1976 to 1979 he became the East Area Rapist, responsible for at least 51 rapes. His modus operandi included stalking neighborhoods, studying victims’ routines, breaking in at night, binding victims, threatening them, and sometimes making obscene phone calls before or after attacks. He often targeted couples, forcing men to lie face‑down while he assaulted women, and he sometimes placed dishes on the man’s back, threatening to kill both victims if they fell. (Inference based on widely documented EAR patterns; not directly cited in the provided sources.) His crimes escalated further when he moved to Southern California, where from 1979 to 1986 he committed at least 10 murders as the Original Night Stalker, attacking homes in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Orange counties. His violence intensified: he beat victims, raped them, and murdered them, often leaving minimal forensic evidence and demonstrating knowledge of police procedures, likely due to his law‑enforcement background. In 1979, he was arrested for shoplifting dog repellent and a hammer — items later associated with his criminal methods — and he feigned mental illness to avoid consequences. He was fired from the Auburn Police Department after this incident, ending his police career. After losing his job, he drifted between mechanical and warehouse positions, maintaining a quiet suburban life while secretly continuing his crimes until 1986, after which he went dormant. During the decades‑long investigation, DNA evidence eventually revealed that the East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker were the same person, leading to the combined acronym EARONS. The case contributed to the establishment of California’s DNA database. In 2018, forensic genetic genealogy — matching crime‑scene DNA to relatives in public databases — identified DeAngelo as the suspect. He was arrested on April 24, 2018, at his home in Citrus Heights. In June 2020, he pleaded guilty to 13 counts of first‑degree murder and 13 kidnapping charges with special circumstances, along with admissions to 161 uncharged offenses including rapes and burglaries, in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. In August 2020, he was sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms plus additional centuries‑long sentences, effectively ensuring he will die in prison. His marriage ended in divorce in 2019 following his arrest. Today he is incarcerated at California State Prison, Corcoran. His criminal legacy spans at least 13 murders, 51+ rapes, and over 120 burglaries, making him one of the most prolific and elusive serial offenders in U.S. history.