Almost half a century after committing his crimes, the Golden State Killer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The sentencing of former Californian police officer Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, took place today (21 August) in Sacramento County, after three days of emotional court hearings.
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Judge Michael Bowman read out all 26 counts against DeAngelo, before imposing the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Before he was sentenced, DeAngelo stood and addressed the court.
He said: "I have listened to all your statements, each one of them.
"And I'm truly sorry to everyone I've hurt."
Judge Bowman also added a comment before the sentencing, something he said he doesn't usually do.
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He said he listened to the survivors and watched DeAngelo, he wanted to know: "Are you cabable of comprehending the pain and anguish you have caused?"
In June, the serial killer pleaded guilty to 13 counts of murder and 13 counts of kidnapping committed between 1975 and 1986 as part of a plea deal to spare him from a potential death sentence, Reuters reports.
DeAngelo also admitted to many uncharged offences, including dozens of rapes for which he couldn't be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations having expired.
DeAngelo was branded a 'sick monster', 'subhuman' and 'the devil incarnate' for his crimes, which typically saw him invading his victims' homes, tying them up, raping them and stealing valuables.
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He carried out a number of killings which sparked a huge manhunt at the time, but despite authorities receiving thousands of tips, detectives couldn't crack the case and the Golden State Killer became one of the US's most infamous unsolved serial killer cases.
This all changed in 2018 when authorities identified DeAngelo using DNA testing and arrested the then 72-year-old.
During the latest court hearings, victims and their families appeared at Sacramento County Superior Court to read impactful statements.
Judge Michael Bowman urged the speakers to take their time, stating: "Remember, you waited a long time for this. There is no need to hurry."
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One of the readers was Patti Cosper, who made a statement on behalf of her mother Patricia Murphy, survivor of a brutal rape at the hands of DeAngleo in 1976.
She stuck her middle finger up at the serial killer - also known as the 'East Area Rapist' and the 'Original Night Stalker' - before saying: "He and his knife had complete control over me for the next two hours.
"Did his little penis drive him to be so angry all the time? He truly is an evil monster with no soul."
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In her own statement, Cosper said DeAngleo could 'go straight to hell', adding: "I haven't been able to forgive. I think maybe after Friday, I will."
Kris Pedretti, who was just 15 when she was raped by the culprit, said: "He tormented me. And he told me over and over again he would kill me, and I believed him.
"At three different times that night, I thought I was going to die. I sang 'Jesus Loves Me' in my head as I waited to die.
"The next morning, December 19, I woke up knowing I would never be a child again and, although I was truly grateful to be alive, I also felt that I had died.
"I would ask him, 'Do you feel any remorse for what you did to me? For the people whose lives you sadistically cut short, or to the years of pain for your victims and their families? Do you finally feel humiliated?'"
She later told DeAngleo: "The devil can keep you company in your prison cell as he gnaws away at whatever soul you have left, whatever life you have left."
Featured Image Credit: PA