'Golden State Killer' sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to series of rapes and murders

Joseph James DeAngelo looks on during the second day of victim impact statements at the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse on August 19, 2020, in Sacramento, California.
(Image credit: SANTIAGO MEJIA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The "Golden State Killer" is headed to prison for the rest of his life.

Joseph James DeAngelo, the former police officer known as the Golden State Killer, on Friday was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to a series of murders and rapes in California during the 1970s and 1980s, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was finally arrested in 2018 thanks to the use of "innovative DNA technology."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.