Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., known as the Golden State Killer, exhibited early violent tendencies as a teen in 1960s Rancho Cordova, California, including animal cruelty toward German Shepherds.​
Early Cruelty Incident
As a teenager, DeAngelo and a friend targeted an open garage but retreated when a barking German Shepherd confronted them; enraged after falling and injuring his wrist, he lit and threw a Cherry Bomb M-80 firecracker under the dog, killing it by explosion and fire. A companion urged him not to harm the animal, but DeAngelo proceeded, reflecting a pattern of abusing dogs that prosecutors like Thien Ho link to his serial killer profile.​
Lifelong Pattern
This aversion persisted; post-2018 arrest for murders, a neighbor reported DeAngelo threatening their dog’s life via voicemail for excessive barking, warning of “a load of death” to their home. DeAngelo, a former police officer, committed over 13 murders, 50+ rapes, and hundreds of burglaries from 1974-1986 across California under aliases like Visalia Ransacker and Original Night Stalker.​
Capture and Incarceration
Caught via DNA and genetic genealogy on April 24, 2018, in Citrus Heights, DeAngelo pleaded guilty in June 2020 to 13 murders and other crimes, receiving life without parole in August 2020. He now resides in a Protective Housing Unit in central California, working in the mess hall while fearing assault among similar high-risk inmates.
