Cold Case: A Wolf in Sheedog's Clothing, Pt 1
I bring you this column out of my pure fascination with cold cases, forensics, police work, and all things mysterious. As an active duty police officer, I hold an interest in all cases especially those that bring justice to light in the end. This case, however, is a little more special than those I've written about in the past. This case is more than just a murder solved by advancements in technology or ironing out an error in an investigation. This is the story of more than 100 burglaries, 50 rapes, and 13 murders, carried out by one depraved man whom eluded identification and capture for decades.
With a significant advantage over the officers and investigators looking for him, this wasn't the average serial killer. This is the story of the Golden State Killer.
Cold Case Resolutions #6: A Wolf in Sheepdog's Clothing Part 1
A common theme in films and books involving espionage, secret agents, and heists, the twist of a double agent adds plenty of excitement. The spy who has turned on his homeland to steal secrets for the enemy, or the double crosser in the heist crew who makes off with the entire score, both are a fun way to immediately put the protagonist on the back foot, chasing down someone they once trusted. While this makes for clear motivations and an easily digestible story, in the real world, this can be truly heartbreaking, and downright terrifying. Imagine now, the protagonist is Justice, and the double agent is a member of law enforcement. Upholding and enforcing the law while on the job, and flouting it in the most perverse ways possible as a hobby. Utilizing his intelligence and knowledge of investigations to deprive authorities of what they needed to stop him, taunting them and his victims while striking fear in the public, this former police officer remained a free man for over 40 years.
In May 1973, Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, Joseph James DeAngelo began working for the Exeter Police Department in Exeter California, assigned to a burglary unit. Prior to employment DeAngelo had obtained an Associates Degree in Police Science, a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice, attended additional law enforcement training and college courses, as well as 32 weeks of internship with Roseville Police Department making himself a prime candidate for any department. He was described by his colleagues as knowledgeable in a variety of subjects and well trained as a policeman. He was ambitious and highly professional, nearly overqualified for that particular agency. He stood out from other officers as he never joked, always remaining serious. During his time in the burglary unit in Exeter, burglaries were on the rise in Visalia, a town only 15 miles away. Personal items were being stolen or vandalized, while money and expensive items were left alone. The burglar wasn't trying to make money from the crimes, but was trying to psychologically harm the victims. The offender was nicknamed the Visalia Ransacker and is believed to be responsible for over 100 burglaries and the murder of Claude Snelling. Snelling was shot dead after he stopped the Ransacker from kidnapping his daughter, making The Visalia Ransacker a murderer. The Ransacker would evade officers repeatedly, even shooting out a detective's flashlight and fleeing into the darkness after the detective attempted to apprehend him in a backyard in December of 1975. The burglaries would come to a halt after this altercation. DeAngelo left Exeter in August of 1976 and headed North.
In the same month DeAngelo began working for the Auburn Police Department in the greater Sacramento area. In July of that year, the first of a string of 50 rapes occurred in that area. The man responsible was nicknamed the East Area Rapist and started with a pattern of attacking lone women in their homes in areas which allowed for a quick escape. The Rapist was extremely calculating, as Police found out many of the victims suffered break-ins or saw a prowler on their property on occasions before the attack. The East Area Rapist would seemingly conduct his own stakeouts, watching his victims, finding entry and exit points, planning exactly how to carry out his crimes before he struck. After some time, vulnerable, unsuspecting women weren't enough to satisfy his sick desires. He graduated to breaking into homes occupied by couples. He would hold them at gunpoint, forcing the woman to bind and gag the male. At times he placed a pile of dishes on the males back, threatening to kill them both if he heard the dishes rattle. The rapist was nearly caught on several occasions but always got away, going as far as shooting a man pursuing him to evade capture. He shot and killed a couple who fled from him after a confrontation in the street, in an area where several of his rapes occurred, making the East Area Rapist a double murderer. In July of 1979 the last of these incidents took place, and the East Area Rapist would disappear. After three years of service with Auburn Police Department, DeAngelo was charged with shoplifting from a hardware store in August of 1979 making off with dog repellent and a hammer. He was officially fired in October and moved to Southern California the same month.
On October 1st 1979, an attack occurred in Goleta California, in a similar fashion to those carried out by the East Area Rapist, however this one was unsuccessful. After a man broke into their home and tied them up, Robert Offerman and Debra Manning were able to create enough commotion to draw their neighbor's attention. The intruder quickly left, never to be identified. Skipping ahead to December 30th, a couple was found murdered in their Goleta home and the female had been raped. The couple was bound using an uncommon knot which was also used in some of the East Area Rapists attacks, leading detectives to believe the rapist was now active in the Santa Barbara area. From March 1980 through July 1981 this attacker, later named the Original Night Stalker, would murder three more couples and a lone woman, with each of the women being raped before the Stalker vanished. The Stalker finally seemed satiated his murders and took his longest break to date, not striking again for five years. May 4th 1986, in Irvine California,18-year-old Janelle Cruz was alone at home while her family was away on vacation. This made her too easy of a target for the Stalker to pass up, and as with previous attacks, he entered the home, raped her, and bludgeoned her to death. The Original Night Stalker, now retired from his brutal ways, was responsible for 10 murders in between Santa Barbara, Orange, and Ventura Counties. Meanwhile, not much is known about Joseph DeAngelo in the 1980's, however from 1990 to 2017 he worked as a mechanic for a supermarket distribution center in Roseville, back where he began his training.
Over the years more than 8,000 suspects were named, but neither the Visalia Ransacker, The East Area Rapist, or the Original Night Stalker were identified, and Joesph DeAngelo was never suspected. In 2001 however, DNA evidence would provide the first major break in these cases in decades.
To be continued in the next Cold Case Resolutions installment…

Officer Brendan Rodela, Contributing Editor | Officer
Brendan Rodela is a Deputy for the Lincoln County (NM) Sheriff's Office. He holds a degree in Criminal Justice and is a certified instructor with specialized training in Domestic Violence and Interactions with Persons with Mental Impairments.