Friday, June 1st:
*Motions Hearing continues (@ 1:30pm PT) - CA - Katie (20) & Brian (21) Maggiore (Feb. 2, 1978 in Rancho Cordova) - Joseph James DeAngelo (72/32 @ time of crime) (East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer) - arrested (4/24/18) & formally charged (4/27/18) with 2 counts of 1st degree murder with special enhancements for burglary and rape; did not enter plea. Sacramento County. Relative's (Great-great-great grandfather’s) DNA from genealogy website (GEDMatch) cracked East Area Rapist case, DA's office says.
4/27/18 Update: charged in Ventura County of 2 counts of 1st degree murder with special circumstances for being a double homicide in the deaths of Charlene (33) & Lyman (43) Smith on 3/13/80 in Ventura.
5/10/18 Update: charged in Santa Barbara County of the 4 counts of 1st degree murder with special circumstances, where investigators believe he killed Dr. Robert Offerman (44) & Dr. Debra Alexandria Manning (35) in December 30, 1979 and Cheri Domingo (35) & Gregory Sanchez (27) in July 27, 1981, all in Goleta. Each carries a possible sentence of death or life in prison without parole.
5/11/18 Update: charged in Orange County with 4 counts of 1st degree murder with special circumstances. Patrice Harrington (28) & Keith Harrington (24) on 8/19/80 in Dana Point, Manuela Witthuhn (21) on 2/26/81 in Irvine & Janelle Lisa Cruz (18) on 5/4/86 in Irvine.
Total 12 counts of 1st degree murder.
5/2/18: A motion hearing involving a sealed search warrant in the case. The motion asks the court to enjoin the district attorney from taking further DNA, major case prints or body photographs from DeAngelo. Dianne Howard, the attorney of 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo, filed a motion to stop a search warrant. In response, the District Attorney filed an opposition to the defense’s motion. The judge pushed the hearing back to Thursday (5/3/18) morning to have more time to review each motion.
5/4/18: Judge denies defense motion. Rules search warrant seeking photos, DNA of JJD will proceed.
5/14/18: DeAngelo's last hearing was on 5/29 for the judge to decide on various motions from the defense, including one to close coverage of the hearings to the media. DeAngelo's lawyers also are fighting to keep the arrest warrant and search warrant affidavits sealed, despite a motion from The Sacramento Bee and numerous other news organizations to release them. JJD might enter a plea at today’s (5/29) hearing.
5/29/18 Update: Judge will decide on 5/31/18 regarding release of some documents. East Area rapist case will be continued to Thursday (5/31) afternoon @ 1:35pm. No decision yet on whether judge will unseal warrants. Judge expects to release some documents in East Area Rapist case by Friday, with redactions. JJD did not enter a plea on Wednesday 5/29.
5/31/18 Update: Lawyers in the East Area Rapist case. This hearing was closed to the public, held Judge’s chambers. Attorneys Thursday (hearing closed to public, held in Judge's chambers) continued to hash out what information should be redacted from arrest and search warrants that a judge in Sacramento plans to release as early as Friday (6/1).
6/1/18: Another Motions hearing today, June 1st, for Judge's decision on release.
His mayhem touched 10 counties, and he was variously called the East Area Rapist, Original Nightstalker, Diamond Knot Killer and Visalia Ransacker before authorities discovered that the various strings of crimes appeared to be the work of a single man. responsible for 12 homicides, 45 rapes, and 120 home burglaries between 1974 and 1986, when his crimes appeared to mysteriously end. It's also believed the serial killer also possibly killed Claude Snelling (45) on 9/11/75 in Visalia, Tulare County. In 2001, DNA evidence linked the East Area Rapist and Original Nightstalker cases.