The man accused of being a serial killer responsible for 12 slayings statewide is now facing four first degree murder charges in Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara County’s District Attorney Joyce Dudley Thursday afternoon announced the new counts against the man believed to the “Golden State Killer.”
The killer is blamed for a more than decade long rampage in at least 10 counties statewide, which led to 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over a hundred burglaries.
DNA evidence led to the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo last month for two Ventura County murders, two Sacramento County slayings, and four Orange County killings.
Dudley says after DeAngelo’s arrest, evidence pointed to him as the person responsible for four unsolved Goleta murders attributed to the Golden State killer.
DeAngelo is now charged with the 1979 slayings of Dr. Robert Offerman and Debra Manning, and the 1981 killings of Cheri Domingo and Greg Sanchez.
She says DA’s from Ventura, Orange, and Sacramento Counties will meet with her in Santa Barbara Friday to discuss issues like whether there will be joint prosecutions, and whether the death penalty will be sought for the 72 year old man.
Dudley says there's no word on when DeAngelo might be brought to Santa Barbara to face the four murder counts stemming from the Goleta killings.