Accused Golden State Killer Will Be Tried In Sacramento

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — The district attorneys for six counties in California participated in a press conference Tuesday, updating the case against accused Golden State Killer and Original Night Stalker Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, of Citrus Heights.

DeAngelo, a former police officer, is charged with murders in Orange County and other jurisdictions around California. He will be tried in Sacramento County, according to the united front of prosecutors.

There will be one single trial for all victims, and that will take place in Sacramento, they said. Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said, "This case forever changed our community."

District attorneys from Sacramento, Contra Costa, Orange, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura took part in the conference. They also announced the filing of 13 additional kidnapping charges against DeAngelo, as part of an amended complaint in Sacramento County that consolidates all the charges against him.

The murder charges include a variety of special circumstance allegations that open DeAngelo to a possible death sentence. The complaint also includes 13 counts of kidnapping to commit robbery.

The alleged crimes span an 11-year period from 1975 to 1986 and occurred in six different counties.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said the decision to try the case jointly in Sacramento County was made based on a variety of factors, including the availability of witnesses and consideration for victims' families and other concerned parties that would need to appear in court.

Ventura County District Attorney Gregory D. Totten said prosecutors from all the affected jurisdictions would be working together closely on the case.

"We are unified and we are committed to delivering justice to the victims of the Golden State Killer and their loved ones who for far too long have had justice elude them," he said.

DeAngelo was arrested back in April, decades after the crimes were committed. He is charged with 13 killings, including four in Orange County.

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton stated that more cold cases may be attached to DeAngelo. He was known as a rapist in the East Bay, with no previously known murders attributed to him. At the time of his arrest, investigators said that they would continue to compare DeAngelo's DNA to unsolved cases.

DeAngelo currently faces 13 murder charges, including a murder charge in Visalia that was added this month. He's also believed to be responsible for more than 50 rapes. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!)

In March, Patch posted a story about the Golden State Killer and the $50,000 reward available in the case. Also See:

• Golden State Killer, Nightstalker Caught Decades Later: Cops
• Golden State Killer: 5 Chilling Theories Once Seen As Crazy
• Joseph James DeAngelo: 5 Things To Know About Golden State Killer
• Golden State Killer: A Timeline Of Terror
• Golden State Killer: DNA From Genealogy Website Cracked Case

FBI Links:

• Reward Announced
• Case Review

-Patch editors Ashley Ludwig and Bea Karnes wrote this story; Mug shot via Sacramento County Sheriff's Office