A newly published account from a lead prosecutor reveals that a specific and unusual physical characteristic described by victims became a crucial piece of circumstantial evidence in definitively linking a suspect to a decades-long series of crimes.
Joseph DeAngelo, a former police officer, was eventually identified and arrested in 2018 as the perpetrator behind a terrifying spree of assaults and murders across California in the 1970s and 80s, known by the monikers “Golden State Killer” and “East Area Rapist.” For years, investigators struggled to conclusively prove he was responsible for all the connected crimes.
According to the new account, while genetic genealogy provided a major breakthrough in identifying DeAngelo as a suspect, prosecutors sought additional evidence to corroborate victim testimonies linking him to specific attacks. A consistent detail emerged from survivor accounts: the assailant was described as having an exceptionally small penis.
This specific description became a focal point for investigators. The book details that law enforcement officials were tasked with photographing DeAngelo’s genitalia for comparison. The process reportedly proved difficult due to its extremely diminutive size, with one officer allegedly commenting on the challenge of the task.
The account states that the observed physical characteristic matched the victims’ descriptions with such specificity that it served as powerful corroborating evidence. It is described in the text as being “smaller than the circumference of a dime” with a length comparable to a fingertip.
DeAngelo’s crimes involved breaking into homes at night, often terrorizing and binding couples before assaulting the female victim and, in many cases, committing murder. He evaded capture for decades until advances in forensic genealogy, using DNA from crime scenes matched against public genetic databases, led investigators to his family tree and eventually to him. His identity was confirmed after DNA was collected from discarded personal items.
DeAngelo, who was fired from his police position in the late 1970s, pleaded guilty to numerous charges in 2020 and is now serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.
