On Monday, a former police officer who had been terrorizing California for several decades for being a serial burglar and rapist had confessed to his crimes. The ex-cop who went on to kill more than a dozen people over several years while avoiding arrest pleaded guilty to the crimes associated with the Golden State Killer.
Golden State killer admits crime
The suspect, Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., 74 years old, had been mute in court since he was taken into custody in 2018. DeAngelo's silence, however, was broken when he repeatedly mumbled the words "guilty" and "I admit" in a faint and hoarse voice, as reported by AP News.
The criminal's confession is part of a plea deal which would exempt him from the death penalty and instead be given a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Since his arrest, DeAngelo refused to cooperate with authorities, but he revealed he had an alter ego named "Jerry" who forced him to do the crimes that abruptly ended in 1986.
During a police interrogation and left alone in the room in April 2018, DeAngelo muttered to himself: "I did all that," said Thien Ho, the Sacramento County prosecutor.
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The suspect stated that Jerry was the one who made him do the heinous act as he did not have enough strength to push the alter ego away. He added that Jerry was always with him, staying inside his head as they were part of the same body.
DeAngelo revealed he did not want to commit the crimes that he did, saying he had successfully got rid of Jerry and led a happy life. He did, however, regret his actions when he destroyed the lives of other people and accepted that he deserved to pay the price.
Taking responsibility
According to The New York Times, DeAngelo repeatedly pleaded guilty to the crimes charged against him and several that were not. The judge asked the suspect if he understood that he would be receiving 11 consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole, DeAngelo answered with a resounding "yes."
The plea deal was chosen in favor of a jury trial as prosecutors were concerned with public health risks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, the preliminary hearing was set for May but was delayed due to closure of courts and risking the elderly or high-risk individuals who will be attending the hearing.
For four decades, DeAngelo escaped the grasp of the law before officers finally took him into custody in 2018 after using a DNA sample found in the scene of one of the murders linked to the Golden State Killer.
Kris Pedretti, one of the survivors of the attacks DeAngelo committed, also attended the hearing and revealed her satisfaction with the sentence that the judge has given the criminal what he deserved. Pedretti also shared her thoughts that her assailant was faking the alter ego plea.
According to Reuters, the victim was only 15 years old when DeAngelo sexually assaulted her and continued to say, along with other survivors, that there is still hope for victims and that they were not afraid of facing their attacker.
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