Wow, looks like they just caught the Original Night Stalker/East Bay Rapist/Golden State Killer.

[Kentonio]

They apparently have a 100% DNA match. Alleged to be a former cop called Joseph James DeAngelo who has been arrested and booked in Sacremento County Jail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5656217/Suspected-Golden-State-Killer-responsible-12-homicides-50-rapes-ARRESTED.html

Live thread.

https://www.reddit.com/live/10u13m7afbnb1

[Kentonio]

1. Photo.

[Vinca]

40. The likeness is amazing. How'd his fellow cops miss that???

[Arazi]

44. Willful blindness. The blue shield is a real thing

[mercuryblues]

2. I hope it is him

Sources confirm that the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department is working a significant break in the search for the East Area Rapist.
An arrest in the decadeslong case has been made. The department said it hopes to release further information Wednesday.
Police believe the East Area Rapist or Golden State Killer was responsible for 12 homicides, almost 50 rapes and 120 home burglaries that spanned a decade starting in the late 1970s in Sacramento County.

http://fox40.com/2018/04/24/sources-report-possible-break-in-east-area-rapist-case-wednesday/

Not much more at the link, yet

Patton Oswald's late wife, Michelle McNamara, wrote a book on him. It was published after her death.

“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer” tells his story.
Comedian Patton Oswalt’s late wife, Michelle McNamara, first became obsessed with the tale years ago, writing about the case on her True Crime Diary blog and in several magazine pieces.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/patton-oswalt-late-wife-hunts-killer-posthumous-book-article-1.3853328

[deurbano]

16. I just looked at Patton Oswalt's Twitter feed. Really exciting development, and everyone is giving

much deserved credit to Michelle McNamara for her efforts.

[bettyellen]

32. Just saw a tweet saying his own daughter turned him in- and supplied his DNA for 100% match.....

I’m betting she came across some souvenirs he had saved. Had seen photos of them recently.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. How much do you want to bet he evaded detection because of his police connections?

[dalton99a]

12. +1

[bettyellen]

30. One of his earliest victims was a dispatchers wife.... he was able to observe lots

As a cop but was fired for shop lifting things for his rape kit- dog repellent and a hammer.

[Baitball Blogger]

37. Deplorable.

Last edited Wed Apr 25, 2018, 08:58 PM - Edit history (1)

These kind of events will help tear down the myth that police are always the good guys. Just like the awakening we had with priests.

[whathehell]

42. Yes..and old saying about "good and bad in all" is exceedingly true.

That said, it turns out catholic priests don't molest children in greater numbers than other clergymen, or males in general.

http://www.newsweek.com/priests-commit-no-more-abuse-other-males-70625

[Baitball Blogger]

43. I knew that, without waiting for a report.

It's not the celibacy that's the problem. It's the autocratic, complete expected obedience of church leaders that creates a situation ripe for abuse.

[whathehell]

45. Maybe not.

as your claim that the RC Church is unique in predisposing
it's clergy to pedophilia is refuted by the article..

If the particulars of the Catholic Church make it "ripe for abuse", why has it produced no greater number of pedophile clergy than Judaism or Protestantism?...What would the pedophile producing aspects of their religions be?

As this report and another in The Washington Post conclude, there no fewer ministers and rabbis molesting kids than there are priests.

[Baitball Blogger]

46. Maybe you should reread my response.

I am agreeing with the report.

[ghostsinthemachine]

4. Wow. Guy terrified NORCAL

For decades. Hope they got the right guy!

[bronxiteforever]

5. Wow outstanding if true. He was a monster.

[whathehell]

6. I think you mean The Golden State Killer -- The original Night Stalker

was Richard Ramirez who was sentenced to death but died on death row of Lymphoma in 2013.

[CountAllVotes]

7. +1

That is correct. Ricardo Ramirez was on the loose in Aug. of 1985. It was a frightening hell. He killed people from San Francisco and headed into the Sierras.

He was captured not long after that and was known as "The Night Stalker".

[Kentonio]

8. Ramirez committed his crimes in the mid 80's.

This guy was committing offenses from the 70's through to the mid-80's. That's why he became known as 'Original Night Stalker' while Ramirez was just 'Night Stalker'.

[whathehell]

9. I've only heard him called The Golden State Killer, but he's

obviously known as the ONS to some.

[Kentonio]

10. I believe that for a long time they weren't sure all the crimes were connected

So you ended up with all these different names. I believe they now think he's also the criminal known as the Visalia Ransacker as well. This vile creature committed so many disgusting crimes.

[whathehell]

15. That may well be the case...

These people are horrendous and I always wonder what hideous blend of nature and nurture creates them.
My spouse thinks it's mostly unknowable & a waste of time, but I continue to hope that finding the causes will allow us to prevent these monstrous crimes, at least to a large extent.

[Kentonio]

17. I hope that's possible one day.

The only constant link seems to be broken childhoods.

[whathehell]

22. Exactly

but at this point, I'm afraid even the Broken Childhood theory isn't a constant. I saw a documentary on Ken Bianchi, the Hillside Strangler and the shrinks could find nothing of substance in his background. One of them threw up her hands, and said "Who knows?.. Mayby he's just evil".

[Nay]

19. His first name was "EAR" -- East Area Rapist. I just finished the book; what

a monster. So glad he's not getting off scot-free, but sure wish he'd been caught decades ago.

[lunatica]

28. Yeah, the headline confused me at first too

[whathehell]

41. Yes, it was confusing

That said, I'm glad the pos has finally been caught.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

11. Terrific news!!

[mopinko]

13. cops ought to be in a dna data base.

ought to be required for employment.

[Nay]

20. It is now, but there was no such thing back in the 70's. Cops had their

fingerprints taken on fingerprint cards (not computerized), but that's all.

[bullwinkle428]

14. HOLY SHIT!! I watched the HLN miniseries on this guy's reign of terror, and

the scope of his crimes was literally affecting my own sleep after learning about what he managed to pull off.

[argyl]

18. Damned shame this SOB had forty years of freedom before being caught.

[Historic NY]

21. Just so happens today is..............

[link::large|]

[malaise]

23. Perfect

[Kirk Lover]

24. I've been watching this recently on HLN - they are doing a series. Much of this happened when I was

young so I'm learning a lot about this now. I must read this article straight away!

[BigOleDummy]

25. This is what....

.... good cops do. Persevere until they find an answer. NOT shooting unarmed Black Men in the back as they run away from a traffic stop.

[NastyRiffraff]

26. I remember that case

and it's GREAT news that he was finally caught. I hope victims and their families get all the support they need. This will bring back terrible memories.

[grantcart]

27. wow

[Kittycow]

29. He's on suicide watch...

The correctional officers best be on their toes and not let him slip away like they did on the Craigslist Killer and that guy who had Amanda Berry and other girls held hostage in Cleveland for ten years!

[bettyellen]

31. Neighbors noted loud verbal outbursts- same as survivors did. Wow.

There was speculation that was acting to throw people off, I guess not!

[Scurrilous]

33. K&R

[TheFrenchRazor]

34. took 'em long enough. bet he was considered a stand-up guy by the PD. nt

[Demovictory9]

35. Monster! He did some really bad stuff. don't feel sorry for the elderly mug

[Baitball Blogger]

38. I don't know why anyone gives a pass to the elderly anymore.

I grew up in another country and there was a distinct helpless characteristic in the old and feeble. Around here, there's a quality in some I have never seen before. They just expect carte blanche and they get more demanding. In Florida, where we have a great number of retirees, especially from the military, it becomes a formula for trickle down chaos in our communities.

[Hassler]

48. Killer and obviously a Trump voter. Lock. Him. Up.

[Demovictory9]

36. "It's been 40 yearrs and he is old- he should be released on compassionate ground." NO!

first comment I see in daily mail. arrrgh.

[Demsrule86]

39. Amazing. I wonder if he really stopped or changed his MO.

[Hassler]

47. May this give solace to Patton Oswalt and his family.

[Rainbow Droid]

49. Really huge that they caught this monster. He was one of the worst of the worst. Truly sick.