bakgrund
Golden State-mördaren
Wikipedia (en)
The Golden State Killer is a serial killer, rapist, and burglar who committed at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 to 1986. He is believed to be responsible for three crime sprees throughout California, each of which spawned a different nickname in the press before it became evident that they were committed by the same person. In the Sacramento area he was known as the East Area Rapist, and was linked by modus operandi (MO) to additional attacks in Contra Costa County, Stockton, and Modesto. He was later known for his southern California crimes as the Original Night Stalker. He is suspected to have begun as a burglar (the Visalia Ransacker) before moving to the Sacramento area, based on a similar MO and circumstantial evidence; however, as of June 2018 no direct link had been revealed.During the investigation, several suspects have been cleared through DNA evidence, alibi, or other investigative methods. In 2001, DNA testing indicated that the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker were the same person and he was known as the "EAR/ONS". The FBI and local law-enforcement agencies held a news conference on June 15, 2016 to announce a renewed nationwide effort, offering a US$50,000 reward for his capture. To heighten awareness that the then-uncaught killer operated throughout California, crime writer Michelle McNamara called him the "Golden State Killer."
Authorities charged 72-year-old Navy veteran and former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo with eight counts of first-degree murder, based upon DNA evidence, on April 24, 2018. This was the first announcement connecting the Visalia Ransacker crimes to the Golden State Killer. Due to California's statute of limitations on pre-2017 rape cases, DeAngelo cannot be charged with late-1970s rapes.
