Golden State Killer Suspect Apprehended: Why Police Are Only Charging Certain Crimes

Former police officer James DeAngelo was arrested for the crimes.

Golden State Killer Suspect Apprehended: Why Police Are Only Charging Certain Crimes

Starting in the mid-1970s, the man who would come to be known as the Golden State Killer terrorized Californians. The attacks started with home invasions and burglaries in Visalia, California. However, they soon escalated. By 1976, the attacker had begun to break into homes and then rape women, sometimes binding their loved ones and forcing them to watch. Soon, the man who had been dubbed the “East Area Rapist” and the “Original Night Stalker” began to slay his victims. He killed couples in their homes in Southern California, ending his crime spree in 1986. Crime writer Michelle McNamara gave him the name the “Golden State Killer,” a nickname that reinforced how he was not limited to a single geographic area — but roamed throughout California.

According to the FBI, the Golden State Killer raped 45 people between the ages of 13 and 41, and killed 12 people. DeAngelo was a police officer at the time that the attacks began; he worked for various Northern California police departments in the 1970’s. He was fired from the Auburn Police Department in 1979 for shoplifting a can of dog repellant and a hammer from a Sacramento drug store. Police were able to apprehend him through the use of a DNA test.

Although DeAngelo is suspected of murdering a dozen people and raping 45, he is currently only being charged with six counts of murder. This includes two counts of murder in Sacramento and four counts of murder in Orange County. A question that has arisen for many Californians is why DeAngelo has not been charged with sexual assault or rape. According to a Orange County criminal defense attorney, the answer may lie in the statue of limitations. This is the period of time that a prosecutor has to file a criminal charge.

The statute of limitations for sexual assault in California is based on when the alleged sexual assault occurred. While California has recently changed its law regarding the statute of limitations for rape cases — eliminating it entirely for all rapes committed after January 1, 2017 — that was not the case for rapes committed before that date. Prosecutors in the Golden State Killer case will have to carefully review (1) the facts of each case and (2) the law in existence at the time that each alleged rape occurred to determine if a charge can be filed.

The statute of limitations plays a critical role in many criminal cases. If a prosecutor fails to bring charges within the required time period, a seasoned Orange County criminal defense attorney can move to have the charges dismissed entirely. In the Golden State Killer case, it appears that prosecutors are focusing on murder charges, at least for the present. There is no statute of limitations on murder in California.

If you have been charged with murder, rape, sexual assault or any other crime, you will need an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney to defend you. The Chambers Law Firm can help. Our team of dedicated professionals is devoted to defending our clients. Contact us today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free consultation with a skilled Orange County criminal defense attorney.

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