The reason why so many people (inside law enforcement and outside of it) have argued for decades - long before DNA ever connected them - that the Visalia Ransacker, East Area Rapist and Original Night Stalker were the same individual, was that Jospeh James DeAngelo Jr could not stop himself acting in a certain way when carrying out his crimes.
We are talking well over 200 crimes, and repeatedly the same traits kept coming up. Prowling, removing screens off windows or prying sliding doors. Leaving multiple pre-planned escape routes for himself. Using weapons stolen from one attack to attack victims in another attack. Phoning victims both before and after assaulting them. Stealing coins, blue chip stamps and other items of very little value, while leaving very expensive items and large amounts of cash untouched. Stealing photographs of the females involved, or one ear-ring from a pair (just to inflict emotional damage)
Breaking into houses before attacking to learn the victims habits, names, where they slept in the house.
Wearing size 9 tennis shoes to assist with his ability to scale fences and use canals to travel undetected through upper-class neighborhoods at night.
Always attempting to flee when things didn't go according to plan, but never hesitating to shoot when cornered.
Leaving tiny scratch marks in the same spot on window screens (purportedly so he could work out if there was a dog in the house, who woud hear a noise that would go unnoticed by any people inside)
Talking to imaginary accomplices or pretending to use the phone in the residence yet when the police tried to trace the calls he placed, no calls had been made.
Using ligatures (torn towels and shoe-laces) with decorative knots that were tied so tightly they cut off circulation to the victims hands. Even when he was murdering he would remove the ligatures after killing the victims, but he was simply unable to stop using them as they were such a massive part of the thrill for him.
I could go on and on but suffice to say, a recent TV series on the case stated that there were FIFTY similarities in MO between EAR and the VR. Unique idiosyncrasies that you might find 3-4 of in any two random criminals, but to have 50 line up perfectly in one criminal who began raping very soon after another suddenly stopped committing burglaries...
Don't get me wrong, every single day for the past 7 years or so - up until a couple of days ago - I have seen many people argue that the VR and EAR were not linked, based largely on one witness description of a person who was identified years ago and was ruled out as not being the VR.
But for so many of us, we always KNEW the three series of crimes were linked.
The Zodiac on the other hand is some bumbling idiot who shot a taxi driver and cut some of his shirt off and bragged about it like he'd committed the crime of the century... and wrote lots of letters that were mostly gibberish.
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr was a prolific burglar, rapist and murderer. But in every single case he left telling clues because he had a compulsion he could not control that forced him to act in a certain way when carrying out his crimes. People are now trying to link him to all kinds of crimes, all across the country (and even in Australia)
But all this talk of him being Zodiac, Mr Cruel (I have even seen people suggest he might be the LISK!!) is just nonsense.
Using my behavioral psychology skills, I completely agree with your conclusion that the VR, GSK, and ONS are DeAngelo.
I knew it by Chapter 2 or maybe sooner of MIchelle McNamara's book. She didn't hesitate to give every bit of info she could find, and it is a massive case of connecting compulsive, idiosyncratic behaviors.
You are right, sadly. Zodiac was a conundrum to people because OF the letters, and the murders were sad, of course, but his crime history as we know it are like ONE DAY of criminal activity for DeAngelo. However, could he have started killing in this way? A " disguise" of sorts, the Zodiac? " I AM THE ZODIAC".
Kind of like being a well known personality who turns into a maniacal serial killer later.. IDK.
I have wondered if DeAngelo traveled outside the USA and killed.. maybe went to the poorer parts of Mexico and killed there after the 80's. I don't mean to be rude, but due to the vast number of homicides in Central America, he would not be that noticed, and also the technology we have for crime- solving and getting help to a potential crimescene doesn't exist in the rural areas.
My only drawback with this is that he didn't seem attracted to non- Caucasians.
( Again, apologies, as this makes me sick to say).
As far as going to Australia, I wonder what his ruse for leaving home would be? How would he justify phone calls home? How would he pay for the costs of travel and would he stay at hotels? Just so much we don't know.,, yet.
He worked for 27 years at a grocery chain, and only retired last year..
Worked to age 71, as a manager for 27 years, at a legit. job, for what reason??? I definitely wonder about this quirk as well!!!
