Golden State Killer (arrest)
Joseph James DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer, was arrested in 2018 through investigative genetic genealogy. The former police officer had committed 13 murders and 50+ rapes across California.
On April 24, 2018, Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was arrested at his home in Citrus Heights, California. Investigators identified him as the Golden State Killer—a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized California from 1974 to 1986.
DeAngelo was identified through investigative genetic genealogy. Investigators uploaded DNA from crime scenes to GEDmatch, a public genealogy database, and identified distant relatives. They then used traditional detective work to narrow the suspect pool.
DeAngelo, a former police officer with the Auburn and Exeter police departments, had committed at least 13 murders, 50+ rapes, and over 100 burglaries across California.
He pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 kidnapping charges in 2020 and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences without parole. The case pioneered the use of genetic genealogy in criminal investigations.
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