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How Investigators Identified the Golden State Killer Through a Family Tree

October 16, 2026 by True Crime
Dark blue editorial illustration of a sample vial on a desk, with a branching family-tree graphic of anonymous human silhouettes extending toward an open, brightly lit doorway.

Investigators did not identify Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. through a family-tree search alone. Preserved crime-scene DNA produced genetic leads, genealogical research narrowed the field, and a direct forensic comparison linked him to the crimes.

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