Golden State Killer Suspect Pleads Guilty To More Than A Dozen Murders
Source: NPR
Wearing an orange jumpsuit and a clear face shield to protect against coronavirus, former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. pleaded guilty on Monday to 13 counts of first-degree murder. The string of murders in the 1970s and '80s terrorized California, and the suspect who committed them became known as the Golden State Killer.
DeAngelo, 74, sat in a wheelchair as he rasped out "yes" and "I admit" to the charges, after prosecutors described the grisly circumstances of each crime. Otherwise, he hardly spoke and did not look at the victims' families.
"Mr. DeAngelo is acknowledging his guilt for the heinous crimes he has committed," said Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton. "There is really nothing that could give full justice because he has committed horrendous acts and murder up and down the state of California. But at least we can now begin the process after decades to bring some closure to families."
The hearing took place in a makeshift courtroom within a ballroom at Sacramento State University, NPR's Eric Westervelt reports from the scene. The chairs in the gallery were spaced 10 feet apart for social distancing, attorneys wore face shields, and sheriff's deputies wore black face masks.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/29/884809588/golden-state-killer-suspect-pleads-guilty-to-more-than-a-dozen-murders
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)He didn't have to allocute in any substantial way, and didn't have to give a full accounting of all his murders. Of course, this is in the interest of the prosecutors, since they managed to put some other people away for murders committed by DeAngelo (i.e., Donna Richmond).
spike jones
(1,656 posts)Also one of the men charged in the Ahmaud Arbery murder is a former police officer.
gopiscrap
(23,674 posts)Mazeltov Cocktail
(569 posts)More importantly, what kind of police department would employ this criminal. By all reports he worked for two different departments. He was arrested once while in possession of dog repellent and a hammer which are viewed as tools of burglary. He was later hired by a second agency.
The "thin blue line" between cop and criminal keeps getting thinner.
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)He worked for two police departments (Exeter and Auburn), three if you count his earlier internship.
But he never worked as a cop again after the shoplifting arrest. He resigned from the Auburn PD as a result of that arrest and that was the end of his days as a police officer.
He left the Exeter force voluntarily, and started at Auburn shortly thereafter, but that was 1976; the shoplifting arrest was in 1979. Of course, he actually left Exeter because he was caught dead to rights by Visalia detective Bill McGowen in December 1975 and feared identification, since the neighboring departments had occasional collaborations.
RobinA
(9,878 posts)this guy's background.
RhodeIslandOne
(5,042 posts)This is one of the all time true crime stories ever. There's a whole podcast series about him and his crimes called "The Man In The Window".
Basically he was in the Navy, was a cop, got kicked off the force, threatened the Sheriff who fired him, worked a warehouse job until his retirement. Had a wife and kids.