Thank God for technology and forensics. It is helping solve murder cases of over 4 decades ago.
A 72 year old man was arrested this year April 2018 for crimes he committed between 1974 and 1986. Nicknamed the Golden state killer among other names, Joseph James DeAngelo born in 1941 has been identified as the long time “wanted” serial killer & rapist, who eluded the law and justice for over 40 years. With over 13 known counts of brutal murders, 50 rapes and 100 burglaries you would wonder why it took so long to find him. The astonishing discovery is this man was a police officer with a degree of criminology, police science and many more. He knew how investigations were carried out, he always wore a face mask and he was smart enough to clear his tracks and leave no evidence except his signature mark which was tying his victims and killing them the same way. His targets were women who lived alone and couples, he would stalk them, phone threatening to kill them and cussing them by calling them whores or bitches.

You would think such a man was an alienated loner, living alone in an isolated place with no family or relatives, on the contrary he was raised in a stable home by his parents along with his three siblings. He married at 1974 and had three daughters with his wife before they divorced. The same year he married he joined the police academy and started his killing and raping hobby. It begs the question, didn’t the wife notice anything strange about her husband, how can a married man be killing and raping people and going back home to his wife and she doesn’t notice anything at all i.e. blood on the shirt, bruises on him, or any strange behaviour. Was DeAngelo that professional or the wife did realise her husband was doing something very wrong but she was threatened or afraid to report him with no solid evidence and that’s why she left him?

To crack the investigation that's been ongoing for 40 years, police zeroed in on DeAngelo by using genealogical websites to identify potential relatives of the killer based on DNA collected at a crime scene. The crime scene DNA was entered into private DNA testing and analysis databases that are intended, in part, to find relatives and assess ancestry. Once a distance relative was matched to that DNA, detectives were able to close in on DeAngelo based on his age, employment and close proximity to the location of many of the killer’s crimes. DNA found from a piece of trash found outside DeAngelo’s house matched with the wanted killer’s DNA and that was enough to issue a warrant for his arrest and his house was searched and more evidence obtained.

The day Joseph DeAngelo was arrested, he was at home where he lived with his daughter and grand daughter. He was shocked, not expecting his crimes of 40 years ago to bring cops banging on his front door. He probably thought he would get away with it forever and die unexposed, if not for technology always advancing he would have died unexposed. Can you imagine how shocked and pained his family were, having their old man arrested for 13 murders, 50 rapes and over 100 burglaries? They probably had mixed emotions or thought it was some sort of a mistake and they got the wrong man. Picture the ex-wife finding out she was married to a serial killer/rapist, sharing a bed with him after his raping spree and worse bearing his children.
What about the children? Identity crisis! Knowing you are the seed of such a monstrous devil, how will the community treat them now? They will no longer be seen or known for who they are but who they father is. (Choose carefully with wisdom and knowledge whom you have children with). What about DeAngelo’s parents, can you imagine how the mother feels knowing she carried a devil 9 months in her womb and brought to earth a wicked man who violated and abused so many women, took away so many innocent lives by so traumatizing and devastating so many families. (Women pray for the fruits of your womb and raise your children well because how they turn out may not only affect you but the community you live in and even the whole world in general. What about DeAngelo’s grand kids who thought their grandpa was the sweetest?

Some people say someone’s past doesn’t matter but am sure after reading this they are corrected. Some people have a very dark past that can’t and shouldn’t be ignored. When you see these old men, you see a fragile, innocent, sweet and friendly grandpa not knowing how much blood they have on their hands or how much evil they did during the days of their youth. If I had the authority I would pass a law that says every couple engaged to marry must first go to the police with their DNA sample to be matched with wanted criminals DNA. That way you can be certain you are not marrying a wanted criminal who has evaded the law.

What made such a handsome and intelligent man who is very much human to become such an evil cold blooded animal? One of his siblings said as a kid DeAngelo witnessed his 7 year old sister being raped by 2 men that disturbed him psychologically. Then his very first love (Bonnie Colwell) whom he engaged and planned to marry left him for another man. Their engagement was even published on the newspaper but the lady decided love don’t pay the bills, the richer the better so she left him for a rich accountant and did not care about how much DeAngelo loved her. Her wedding was published on the newspaper and those who knew of her engagement to DeAngelo now knew she kicked him to the curb.
DeAngelo must have felt betrayed, humiliated and angry and an angry man is like a hungry lion. This lady wasted 2 years of his time and emotions. She agreed to marry him and he thought the search for the one was over but Bonnie made it clear that she didn’t love him when she left him and put him back in the dating field not considering the fact that she was the ONLY woman DeAngelo wanted. Did his broken heart, feeling betrayed, humiliated and robbed of the woman he loves turn DeAngelo into a monster who hates women and believes they are no good they deserve to be violated, abused and brutally murdered? It may be so because some of his victims stated that he would shout "I hate you bonnie" after raping them. So is ex fiancée, Bonnie Colwell the reason DeAngelo went wacko and gaga?

What made him stop his sinful life? Did he get delivered from the killing demon at church? Fear from being caught or he just got lost interest and got lazy to keep up with the demanding killing side job? Did he find a new hobby or may be having children gave him a change of heart and value for human life? Can we say we are happy and satisfied that DeAngelo got what he deserves for his crimes? No! Although he has been arrested I would say he got away with his crimes. He lived free 40 years after his crimes, he has already lived his life to the fullest. He shouldn’t have had the privilege to marry, have children or grandchildren because that’s something he robbed his victims of. They died young and never got the chance to live long enough to have any of that.
Some of his victims were mothers, they died leaving their children motherless and their families deprived of their presence, love and affection. It hurts so much to lose a loved one through accidents or illness but if they are innocent murder victims the pain is multiplied. DeAngelo got away with his crimes and lived his life to the fullest. He is now an old man in a wheel chair with nothing left to live for. He probably doesn’t even mind the lethal injection.

The good thing is all the victims and their families can now find closure knowing the killer and rapist has been identified and is behind bars. DeAngelo’s only regret of being caught is not jail time or death sentence but being exposed. His family, children and grand children, friends and neighbours now know him for who he really is and thinking of him as a sweet old man has come to an end. They will forever know him as an evil serial killer and rapist! He committed all his crimes covering his face with a mask because he did not want his family and victims knowing the devil he is but now he has been unmasked to the whole world, his family will no longer cherish and honour the memory of him but they will forever be disgusted by it, fact that DeAngelo knows that serves as punishment. No tears should be shed at his funeral, he doesn’t deserve anyone’s tears.