This is Joseph De Angelo, a 72-year-old retired cop, who had had a wife, and was living with his daughter and granddaughter. Late last month, he was apprehended, with DNA revealing him to be the Golden State Killer, who has held a decades long reign of terror in California.
Credit is being given for Michelle McNamara's book "I'll Be Gone In The Dark"--which I have now GOT to read, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!! McNamara is the late wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, whom I am sure is proud of his wife's accomplishment.
It is too bad, in so many ways, Michelle is no longer with us. I would love to discuss this killer with her, because I bet she and I would be on the same page.
They are out there. The greatest skill a serial killer brings to its--dare I call it?--profession is an ability to hide, to blend in with the mainstream around him--or her. Forget Stanley Tucci, as George Harvey, in "The Lovely Bones." Brilliant as he was, let's face it, if a reclusive guy living alone moves into an affluent child-centric sububrb, claiming he earns enough money to live therein by building dollhouses, well, my suspicions would be aroused. It worked for the movie, but someone like George, in real life, would be spotted instantly.
De Angelo's knowledge of law enforcement gave him skills that perhaps made his reign of terror so long. Serial killers not in law enforcement use invisibility and their seeming unremarkability to come and go, as the Long Island case proves.
As for DeAngelo, I would love to know his back story. Even though he was able to play it straight, with a wife and family--which makes him doubly disgusting--I can guarantee he has deeply embedded women's issues. A man like him living in an all female house would very likely be an object of fear from all concerned. I would not be surprised if there was spousal and child abuse. Not sexual, though, as that might have aided in his being caught.
Just as an artist gets pleasure from painting, guys like this get pleasure from the planning, execution, and mementoes of their crimes. They view what they do as a kind of artistic calling, sick as it is.
Now, I am not telling anyone to fear every person they come into contact with.
But, if you get a bad vibe about someone living in your neighborhood or building, trust that instinct.
Many around DeAngelo thought him weird and strange. They should have gone with their gut instincts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe he would have been caught sooner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment