Warrants in Golden State Killer case raise possibility of storage locker filled with 'trophies'

The FBI has released these evidence photos from crimes suspected to have been commited by the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer. Citrus Heights residents Joesph DeAngelo has been charged with murder in one off the cases and is suspected to have killed up many more. less The FBI has released these evidence photos from crimes suspected to have been commited by the East Area Rapist, also known as the Golden State Killer. Citrus Heights residents Joesph DeAngelo has been charged ... more Photo: FBI Photo: FBI Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Warrants in Golden State Killer case raise possibility of storage locker filled with 'trophies' 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

The 123 pages of arrest and search warrants about the man police believe to be the Golden State Killer present a mind-numbing account of his alleged crimes. Recounted in stark detail are just a portion of the hundreds of residential burglaries, more than 50 brutal sexual assaults, and 12 murders Joseph James DeAngelo is suspected of committing.

It's a case law enforcement have been building for decades, beginning with the 1974 burglaries perpetrated by the Visalia Ransacker. In April, detectives announced the arrest of DeAngelo, a 72-year-old resident of Citrus Heights. He has been charged with 12 murders in four counties; he's also a suspect, but hasn't been charged, in a 13th in Tulare County.

DeAngelo has yet to enter a plea; he is expected back in court on July 12.

On Friday, a Sacramento County Superior Court ruled that some of the case's search and arrest records could be released to the public, although large portions were redacted to protect victims and witnesses.

Here are some of the new mysteries about the case that the unsealed records have surfaced:

Did DeAngelo keep a diary and follow media coverage of the Golden State Killer over the years?

A lengthy portion of the search warrant requests permission to search every aspect of DeAngelo’s digital life, from phones and computers to memory sticks and Wi-Fi connections. In the over 30 years since the last known Golden State Killer crime, police believe their suspect continued to follow developments in the case. And if he did, there would be an online paper trail, even if he deleted his search history.

“He would have accessed updated attempts to identify him as the case remained the subject of law enforcement bulletins, media stories and television documentaries,” the warrant reads.

In addition, the warrant states that investigators think DeAngelo might have kept diaries.

“Serial killers and rapists often keep journals or diaries of their criminal activity,” it reads. “Your affiant [the sworn officer filing the search warrant and affidavit] believes that DeAngelo could have downloaded this journal to computer format.”

Did the killer keep trophies from his alleged victims?

The Golden State Killer was a prolific thief, as the pages of stolen items in the search warrant attest. He took dozens of rings — many of them personalized or one-of-a-kind — ID cards, snapshots, house and car keys, and even one wooden bowl. The litany of odds and ends were never found, and investigators think DeAngelo could be in possession of them still.

So-called trophies aren’t uncommon among serial killers. Jerry Brudos, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein all kept trophies to keep the twisted fantasy alive long after the murder was committed.

“Without the souvenir, some serial killers may not even be sure that they had acted upon their fantasy,” Peter Vronsky writes in “Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters.” “Others use the souvenir to perpetuate the pleasure and excitement they sparked during the murder.”

Cold-case investigator Paul Holes, who was a key player in the arrest of DeAngelo, has also floated the idea of the suspect using trophies to relive his crimes years later.

So is there a hidden storage unit somewhere?

Law enforcement believes there might be.

“Based on my training and experience, your affiant is aware that suspects will frequently use storage facilities/units to store items take during the course of their criminal activity,” records indicate.

DeAngelo "accumulated a considerable amount of personal property from his victims, much of this property taken as trophies,” it continues. "It is your affiant’s belief the suspect would maintain the stolen items over the years; thereby, keeping them in an offsite location like a storage unit.”

What is the redacted item the suspect wore at multiple crime scenes?



One persistent redaction involves the suspect description. Nearly everything the Golden State Killer wore is mentioned in the arrest warrants; shoes, jackets, pants, gloves, T-shirts and even types of underwear are readily described. But one item — and it's often a fairly lengthy description — is consistently blacked out.



"The suspect wore [redacted], a heavy coat, tan leather gloves and possible fatigue type pants," reads one description.



"She indicated the suspect was wearing [redacted] and a nylon type jacket," reads another.

The most likely candidate for the redacted item is a mask, which the Golden State Killer wore for nearly all of his crimes. He used a variety of purchased and homemade masks, which would account for some descriptions being longer than others.

FBI evidence photos show several types of masks, one a brightly patterned red-and-black ski mask and another a burlap sack with an eye slit cut out.

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For now, the list of items found in DeAngelo's Citrus Heights home remains sealed by a judge. Any revelations from the executed search warrant will likely be revealed when the case goes to trial.