‘I ADMIT’

Golden State Killer Pleads Guilty to 26 Charges in Rape, Murder Spree

Joseph James DeAngelo agreed to plead guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

The suspected Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, pleaded guilty to the 26 charges against him, including 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of kidnapping during a Sacramento hearing Monday. “The scope of Joseph DeAngelos’ crime spree is simply staggering, encompassing 13 known murders and almost 50 rapes between 1975 and 1986,” one prosecutor said at the Monday hearing. The guilty plea comes as part of a deal in which DeAngelo will be sentenced to life without parole rather than receiving the death penalty. Prosecutors said the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the decision to reach a plea deal, given the potential dangers of bringing an elderly man to court and the potential for further delays in the case because of the pandemic.