for over four decades he was a shadow in the night a faceless Predator who stalked his victims leaving a trail of terror pain and mystery known by many names the East area rapist the original nightstalker but the world would come to fear him as the Golden State killer between 1974 and 1986 a ruthless serial Predator terrorized the state of California more than 50 rapes at least 13 murders and countless burglaries the Golden State killer was methodical sadistic and for decades he remained completely Anonymous the terror began in Northern California in the early 1970s a masked Intruder known as the East area rapist would break into homes binding his victims with shoelaces ransacking their belongings and assaulting them in ways too horrific to imagine he stalked his victims before the attacks learning their routines even calling them on the phone sometimes before the attack sometimes long after to remind them that he was still watching in 1979 the attacks took a darker turn the rapist evolved into a killer his crimes became even more violent and by the early 1980s he was known as the original nightstalker claiming victims across Southern California his victims ranged from young couples to single women all targeted within the safety of their own homes the Golden State killer was no ordinary criminal he was a ghost leaving little forensic evidence behind despite extensive investigations the case grew Cole for decades police and FBI profilers struggled to identify this elusive killer with no leads and no suspect the case seemed destined to remain unsolved in 2018 a team of investigators used a groundbreaking approach genetic genealogy by uploading crime scene DNA into a public ancestry database authorities were able to trace family connections leading them to one man Joseph James D'Angelo a former police officer a man who had hidden in plain sight for decades when authorities arrested him at his home in Citrus Heights California the world finally saw the face of the Golden State killer in June 2020 D'Angelo pleaded guilty to 13 murders and dozens of other crimes he avoided the death penalty but was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the victims and their families Justice had been a long time coming though no punishment could undo the horror he inflicted D'Angelo would spend the rest of his Life Behind Bars the Golden State killer case Changed History it revolutionized forensic science proved the power of DNA technology and showed the world that even the most elusive criminals can be caught but the question remains how many others like him are still out there waiting in the dark let us know your thoughts in the comments do you think Justice was truly served thank you for watching if you found this case chilling hit that like button subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss another another Deep dive into the darkest corners of True Crime until next time stay safe and stay aware