SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Joseph De Angelo-the man now convicted of thee horrific crimes in the East Area Rapist. He is the Golden State Killer. Beginning August 18, 2020 and ending August 20, 2020, De Angelo heard from his victims and their families. He was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

With the case now closed we have not forgotten the effect the East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer had on everyone who lived through the terror of his crime spree. Everyone has their own story, including me.

I was raised in Sacramento. I was 12 years old living in the Arden area with my parents and six siblings when the East Area Rapist started his reign of terror in 1976. In my family, my older sister was 16 and afraid to babysit for fear the “boogeyman” was coming. My mother slept with an icepick under her pillow. Years later, I learned my father bought a gun.

For those who lived here n Sacramento during this time, life as we knew it changed. For so many, the age of innocence vanished. Doors no longer remained unlocked; children couldn’t play outside after dark. Gun sales skyrocketed. Hardware stores sold out of window locks. Women took self defense classes. The impact the East Area Rapist had on the Sacramento community was overwhelming.

Understanding the magnitude of this case and the fact that the East Area Rapist became prolific and sadistic serial rapist and killer, drove so many in the law enforcement and the pubic safety profession to seek the truth. It was through passion and persistence and DNA that the needle in the haystack was ultimately found.

With he arrest, prosecution and sentencing of Joseph DeAngelo complete, I wanted to give a voice to all those affected by the East Area Rapist, so I asked those who lived in Sacramento in the mid-1970’s to email their stories to our office.

The response was overwhelming. We received several hundred emails from men and women who recounted their experience at different ages and stages of life during that time-as children, teenagers, young adults and parents. Every single response was read with great reverence for the time, thoughtfulness and courage it took for some to revisit that terrifying time,

Some examples of what was shared about how the East Area Rapist changed lives and instilled fear include: a family slept on their roof; a young mother packed her babies into the car and slept in the parking lot of her husband’s work while he worked the night shift; several people nearly shot their spouse or children who entered the house unexpectedly; a 74 year old woman with memory loss still thinks of the East Area Rapist when she “puts the stick in the window”; parents armed their kids with guns and knives; a woman practiced dialing the full police number in the dark as 911 did not exist during that time; a woman piled clean laundry on top of her bed to become invisible and hide while she slept on it; and one woman described the dear she felt battling cancer paled in comparison to her fear of the East Area Rapist. The impact of the East Area Rapist crime spree is undeniable, affecting generations of people who lived in Sacramento.

Although the stories were all unique, consistent theme and patterns emerged. People described intense feelings of vulnerability and fear that impacted their lives. Where they lived, how they raise their children were all impacted by the pervasive fear the East Area Rapist inflicted on Sacramento County. This book provides a platform for people to share their experiences and voice their feelings. As you will see, this was a shared community experience that forever changes Sacramento and the lives of people who lived through it.

To those who lived through the horror, especially to the survivors of his crimes. I hope that his capture and conviction brings you peace. To those who shared their stories, I hope the process was cathartic. TO those who will read these stories, I hope that you remain ever vigilant to the constant struggle between good and evil.

To read or view the electronic book visit www.sacda.org/sacramento-a-community-forever-changed/