SACRAMENTO, Calif — Applause broke out in a Sacramento County courtroom Wednesday after a judge ruled to begin preliminary trial in four months in the case against the alleged Golden State Killer, despite defense’s requests to delay another year.
Joseph DeAngelo, 74, was arrested nearly two years ago after DNA evidence linked him to multiple homicides in the 1970s and 1980s. DeAngelo is accused of killing 13 people and has been connected to nearly 50 rapes that took place over a decade throughout Northern California.
The decision to move the preliminary trial to May comes despite efforts by DeAngelo’s defense attorneys to delay the case another year. His attorneys argued it was necessary due to the scope and number of documents in the case.
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But people like Debbie Domingo are happy for the early trial date. Her mother and stepfather, Cherri Domingo and Greg Sanchez, were killed in 1981. DeAngelo is facing charges for their deaths.
She’s become an advocate for those believed to have been victimized by the Golden State Killer.
"That's incredibly good news, good news for us," Domingo said. "That we’re out of a holding pattern and we’re actually going to have some, some activity. Some presenting of evidence, some testimony from witnesses, it’s a good thing to move forward."
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