Det. Richard Shelby was the first Sacramento detective to make a connection between a series of rapes that began in communities in East Sacramento. Law enforcement failed to stop him before he transformed in to a Southern California serial killer, committing some 53 rapes and 12 homicides from 1976-1986.

After Shelby's retirement, 20 years after the case had gone cold, he was contacted by his old employer, the Sacramento Sheriff's Derpartment. They had learned , through DNA analysis, that the East Area Rapist EAR and The Original Nightstalker ONS were the same person. And, they were re-opening the investigation. Retired West Coast Chief of Special Invesigation for the federal government, Russ Oase contacted Shelby and asked him to write down everything he recalled. Shelby was once again involved in the active investigation, his notes morphing into his instrumental book Hunting A Psychopath:The EAR/ONS Investigation-The Original Investigator Speaks Out, published in 2014.

In 2016 the FB! re-entered the investigation, utilizing advances in DNA technology, offering a 50,000 reward and asking for the public's help in capturing the serial killer.

Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested April 25th, 2018 after a DNA match. DET. RICHARD SHELBY: The Hunt For The Psychopath is Over-Golden State Killer, EAR/ONS Captured!