A policeman by day… a predator by night… Brutal psychopath arrested after nearly 40 years!

A brutal psychopath who had terrorized the United States with 13 murders, more than 50 sexual assaults, and over 120 burglary attempts was finally arrested after nearly 40 years.

An unusually large crowd had gathered at a court in Sacramento, California. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Joseph James DeAngelo. But the 74-year-old man sat silently in his wheelchair, showing no emotion.

A woman named Margaret came forward to speak before the judge:

“He is a monstrous psychopath. When I was 13 years old, he sexually assaulted me. He turned my entire youth into a living hell. Do not show him any mercy.”

Next, Jane Carson spoke:

“He has no heart. He threatened to kill my son and sexually assaulted me. How was he able to live an ordinary life like everyone else? I haven't slept peacefully for 42 years. Tonight, I will finally sleep peacefully.”

Another victim, Strauss, said:

“My mother died in 2016. Even a few days before her death, she would suddenly wake up from sleep and check whether the doors and windows of the house were properly locked and whether we were safe. After this man sexually assaulted my mother, she became like a living corpse.”

These four people are only examples. Joseph James DeAngelo destroyed the lives of 87 people like them. Who was he?

Between 1975 and 1986, a series of murders and sexual assaults took place across various parts of California, USA. It is impossible to describe in words the pain of parents who witnessed their mothers being assaulted in front of their children, and parents who saw their young children become victims of sexual abuse.

Police gave the criminal several names, including the Diamond Knot Killer, East Area Rapist, and Golden State Killer, but they could not even get close to catching him. A composite sketch was circulated, and a reward of $50,000 was offered for information about him, but it produced no results.

Even as the officers who had originally investigated the case retired, Paul Holes took up the case in 1994. The murdered victims and survivors of sexual assault were unwilling or unable to speak publicly. What drove Holes forward was his determination that the person responsible for such horrific crimes should not be allowed to roam freely in the same society in which the rest of us live.

However, there was no progress in the case. Then Holes had a sudden idea. Genetic genealogy websites had become popular in the United States. These websites could provide information about a person's ancestors and relatives based on a DNA sample.

Holes immediately uploaded the criminal's DNA data to such a website. The very next day, information about relatives connected to the DNA became available. Since the criminal was believed to be over 70 years old, investigators focused their search accordingly. Within days, they had narrowed down the suspect.

To confirm that he was the culprit, investigators tested DNA obtained from items collected near his home. Finally, after 24 years of waiting, the mystery was solved.

The man was Joseph James DeAngelo.

What made the case even more horrifying was that he had once been a police officer. He was also a Vietnam War veteran. He served as a police officer from 1973 to 1979 and was eventually dismissed for stealing items including dog-repellent spray and a hammer.

Even more disturbing was the fact that Joseph, who had three daughters and grandchildren, appeared to live an ordinary life like everyone else while having destroyed the lives of so many people.

Because he had been a police officer, Joseph knew how to avoid leaving evidence and how to evade investigators. He therefore targeted isolated homes. For different crimes, he wore different masks and shoes. He reportedly used his shoelaces to tie up women's hands before sexually assaulting them. He even knew approximately how long it would take for the police to arrive if someone called from the location where he committed his crimes.

The judges who handled the case sentenced Joseph James DeAngelo to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Although many people demanded the death penalty, one of his victims reportedly left the courtroom in tears, saying that the monster should simply rot in prison.

Reference: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Z3aPVGf3t/