Joseph James DeAngelo — Golden State Killer

Joseph James DeAngelo was a former police officer who committed at least 13 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 home burglaries across California between 1974 and 1986. Known under evolving names — the "Visalia Ransacker," the "East Area Rapist," and the "Original Night Stalker" — DeAngelo terrorized dozens of California communities for more than a decade before inexplicably going quiet. For over thirty years he was the most wanted unidentified serial criminal in the United States. DeAngelo worked as a police officer in Exeter and Auburn, California during portions of his crime spree, giving him intimate knowledge of how investigations operated. He was meticulous and patient, often surveilling victims' homes for extended periods before striking. He bound victims, threatened their families, and used psychological manipulation to maintain control during prolonged attacks. His law enforcement background was never suspected during the original investigations. The breakthrough came in 2018 when investigators uploaded crime scene DNA to the genealogy website GEDmatch and used family tree research to progressively narrow the suspect pool. DeAngelo was identified as a strong candidate, and DNA collected from items he discarded outside his home — a car door handle and a tissue — confirmed the match beyond doubt. He was arrested at his Citrus Heights home where he had lived as an apparently unremarkable retired grandfather for decades. In June 2020, DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 kidnapping charges and admitted to the rapes, avoiding the death penalty in exchange for life without parole. Victims and survivors delivered devastating impact statements directly to him at sentencing. His case permanently changed law enforcement, making investigative genetic genealogy a standard tool for solving cold cases across the country.