Prior to recent reports of a former California police officer names Joseph James DeAngelo being identified as the Golden State Killer, investigators believed he may have fled to Australia a year after the murders ended in the U.S. and resumed terrorizing a different country.
The Golden State Killer went on a decades-long killing spree murdering 12 and raping at least 45 women in Northern California between 1976 to 1986, and nobody was caught or identified for 40 years.
Australia's notorious criminal "Mr. Cruel" surfaced in 1987 and raped three girls under the age of 14 and killed 13-year-old Karmein Chan in Melbourne.
Many believed the two killers were the same person, according to an investigation led by true crime writer Michelle McNamara.
Mr. Cruel and the Golden State Killer shared the same M.O. in their heinous acts. They were both described as having long hair, breaking into homes wearing masks, and informing terrified residents they would rob them.
But there were also notable differences between the elusive killers.
Mr. Cruel abducted three of his victims, unlike the Golden State. Mr. Cruel raped younger girls – mostly under the age of 14, while the other targeted single women. However, the Golden State Killer's youngest victim was 13-years-old.
Australian authorities issued a statement addressing the possible link between the two murderers as the same person, who would be around 70-years-old.
Victoria Police is aware of the matter regarding the Golden State Killer in the U.S. This was reviewed in relation to the outstanding Mr. Cruel investigations in Victoria and any connection has been ruled out.
The cold case could finally be coming to a close. Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, has been apprehended as the possible suspect as the Golden State Killer after discarded DNA evidence linked him to past crimes, according to Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten.
In a press conference, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert described the suspect as being "very surprised" during his arrest.
For over 40 years, countless victims have waited for justice. We all knew as part of this team that we were looking for a needle in a haystack, but we all knew the needle was there. We found the needle in the haystack and it was right here in Sacramento. The answer was always going to be in the DNA.
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