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The United States was the leading country in producing serial killers during the 1970s. One serial killer who evaded law enforcement for 40 years is Joseph James DeAngelo; by understanding his background and the impact he had on communities throughout, it is clear to see why he stands out among the many other famous serial killers.
Studies show that the majority of serial offenders suffered from some kind of trauma. Even though DeAngelo was an exceptional serial killer, his background also fits this pattern since he had to experience the nightmares of growing up in an abusive household and witnessing his younger sister getting raped. Hoping to move on from the trauma of his upbringing and especially the psychological impact of being unable to protect his sister, he sought employment in the U.S. Navy and in the police force. Nonetheless, the fact that he worked in the police force undoubtedly provided him with the necessary insight to commit his crimes without getting caught.
As the Golden State Killer, DeAngelo started his raping spree in 1976 and, as any other serial offender, committed a magnitude of felonies: more than 12 homicides and 45 rapes over the span of 10 years. Investigators dubbed him as extremely thorough due to the fact that he continuously perfected his methods and was able to keep his identity hidden by concealing his face in a ski mask. He observed his chosen targets over a longer period of time, helping him to find some discrepancy in their schedule. The moment he gained access to their house, he would attack the unsuspecting victims in their bedroom. To ensure compliance, the victim was typically threatened with some kind of weapon and subsequently tied up. If the assault victims were a couple, they were usually separated. DeAngelo eliminated the male partner first and sexually assaulted the female victim multiple times. Afterward, the females were excessively beaten with a blunt instrument until they died.
What made the Golden State Killer special, was never straying from attacking the same specific neighborhoods. Over the period of time when the Golden State Killer was actively raping and murdering people all over California, every single person in these targeted neighborhoods lived in fear. To reestablish some sense of security, communities, as well as residents all over the state, started taking precautions to protect themselves. Rape Crisis Clinics, for example, set up various workshops to teach women self-defense; several of these women were also taught how to handle handguns by their spouses. In addition to fear, many people also experienced a feeling of anger because they were being forced to lock themselves inside and to be overly cautious and hyper-aware of their surroundings. Even after several decades have passed, people still feared that the Golden State Killer might reappear.
Nearly 43 years have passed since the Golden State Killer committed his first assault. In 2018 he was finally caught. During the time that the crimes occurred, detectives gathered several DNA samples from the crime scenes - last year they decided to try a new approach by using genealogy websites. Genealogy websites were created to find distant relatives by uploading one’s own genetic data. In this case, detectives uploaded the unidentified DNA samples and received several hits on distant relatives. Using a combination of forensic science and profiling, they were able to narrow the suspect pool down to one person. Identifying Joseph James DeAngelo as their suspect, they compared his DNA to the unidentified DNA and received a perfect match. He was arrested on April 25, 2018. It is, however, questionable if the investigators’ procedure was legal, as they had to create a fake profile and explicitly confirm that they were using their own DNA.
After over 40 years, one of the most prolific serial rapists and killers has been finally caught. Now the surviving victims and their loved ones can try to put some of the most horrific moments in their life behind them.
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