CALIFORNIA - After decades of waiting, almost all of the victims of the "Golden State Killer" called him a monster when they took the stand against him.
On behalf of victim Cathy Roger, Detective Carol Daly, who is one of the initial detectives which were assigned to the case in Sacramento shared that the nightmare has ended and he will be forever alone in the dark.
Aside from being known as the "Golden State Killer," Joseph James DeAngelo was also known as the Original Night Stalker, East Area Rapist, and Visalia rapist over the course of his crimes which happened across California.
After charged with raping more than 50 women and murdering 13 people, DeAngelo pleaded guilty last year to raping more than 50 women and murdering people during the 1970s and 1980s. He also admitted to crimes that he has not been charged with as a part of a plea deal, CNN reported.
Victims and their family members took the stand one by one as they share the disgusting detail and horror that they had experienced.
A woman, who was 7 years old during the incident, shared that her mother was asleep when DeAngelo raped her and threatened not to make any sound to avoid getting caught.
She also mentioned that the former police officer threatened to cut her ear off and she could sense the evilness around.
She compared DeAngelo to "Hannibal Lecter" a fictional character who is a cannibalistic kind of serial killer. She emphasized that DeAngelo was proof that monsters were real as she met the boogeyman.
Others shared the numbness that they had experienced for months after they were tightly bound during the said sexual attacks.
Forty years after the said incidents, victims shared their lifelong scars. Other victims also testified and showed that the damage done by DeAngelo was not a hindrance for them to find their real happiness.
On behalf of her sister Phyllis, Karen Veilleux emphasized that may DeAngelo rot in hell.
Another woman also punctuated her "subhuman" statement with a middle finger.
In order to avoid the death penalty, DeAngelo made his plea.
A man who spoke on behalf of his mother said that their effort was just futile after the plea made by DeAngelo.
Justice After Decades
Despite avoiding the supposed death penalty, DeAngelo will likely serve 11 consecutive terms without parole with 15 concurrent life sentences and there will be additional time for his weapon charges.
Victims who came from one of the six counties that brought charges against him unanimously voted to accept the guilty plea.
According to CBS, Todd Spitzer, District Attorney of the Orange County shared during the filing of the plea deal that it will never bring their loved ones back or even restore the sense of security that they once felt but lost. But after 40 years of uncertainty, dozens of victims and the whole nation heard that he finally admitted the terror that he is the only responsible for.
The crimes committed by DeAngelo occurred during the 1970s and the 80s.
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