Read the East Area Rapist stories that gripped Sacramento in 1977
Fear pervaded the Sacramento region in 1977, as headline after headline chronicled attacks of the East Area Rapist in local communities.
Forty one years later, Joseph James DeAngelo, a 72-year-old retiree and former police officer living on a quiet street in Citrus Heights, was arrested in connection the crimes.
The first local crime connected to the East Area Rapist occurred in 1976. By January 1977, 11 crimes were attributed to him. Here's a selection of articles, letters and advertisements that appeared in The Sacramento Bee from that year, which saw at least 16 violent attacks.
JAN. 20, 1977
JAN. 25, 1977
FEB. 1, 1977
FEB. 7, 1977
MARCH 8, 1977
MARCH 20, 1977
APRIL 15, 1977
MAY 3, 1977
MAY 17, 1977
MAY 20, 1977
MAY 22, 1977
MAY 23, 1977
MAY 25, 1977
MAY 26, 1977
MAY 27, 1977
MAY 29, 1977
MAY 31, 1977
JUNE 1, 1977
JUNE 7, 1977
JUNE 8, 1977
JUNE 9, 1977
JUNE 17, 1977
AUGUST 17, 1977
OCT. 3, 1977
OCT. 8, 1977
OCT. 21, 1977
OCT. 30, 1977
NOV. 3, 1977
NOV. 9, 1977
NOV. 10, 1977
DEC. 4, 1977
This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Read the East Area Rapist stories that gripped Sacramento in 1977."