Amateur Sleuth Identifies Golden State Killer—and Now He's Behind Bars

Original Night Stalker

A brief gap in criminal activity occurred when DeAngelo was forced to care for his young cousin. Eventually, the murders resumed. Police believed it was the work of another killer, whom they initially dubbed the Original Night Stalker. DeAngelo's crimes were finally linked by DNA in 2001, years after he had gone totally inactive.

In the Footsteps of a Killer

DeAngelo became known as EAR/ONS, a clunky acronym that was later revamped by McNamara's moniker. She named him the Golden State Killer, a term that was first coined in her 2013 Los Angeles magazine article that started it all: "In the Footsteps of a Killer." Outside of a brief arrest for shoplifting, DeAngelo lived mostly in solitude...