Joseph DeAngelo

Joseph DeAngelo is a former police officer who became known as the Golden State Killer. Between the 1970s and early 1980s, he committed a series of burglaries, rapes, and murders across California. He remained anonymous for decades, but in 2018, DNA evidence led to his arrest. DeAngelo, now in his late seventies, pleaded guilty to multiple crimes to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison. His case highlighted advances in forensic science, especially DNA analysis, which helped solve cold cases decades old.