The brother of the youngest known sexual assault victim of the Golden State Killer may have worked for the ex-wife of the man who raped his sister, according to the arrest on Tuesday of Joseph James DeAngelo as the prime suspect in those cases.
Margaret Wardlow, who was just 13 years old when she was raped in 1977, shared that detail and more about her attack by the Golden State Killer, the name attributed to the person thought to be behind 12 murders and as many as 50 rapes, including Wardlow’s, with Inside Edition.
DeAngelo, a 72-year-old former police officer, appeared in Sacramento County Superior for the first time on Friday and was arraigned on two counts of murder, after being arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of being the previously unidentified serial rapist and killer.
Wardlow also spoke to Inside Edition about her feelings on potentially confronting her suspected attacker in an interview airing on Friday.
The brother of Margaret Wardlow, the youngest sexual assault victim of the Golden State Killer, may have worked for the ex-wife of the man who raped his sister, according to DNA that led to the arrest of 72-year-old former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo on Tuesday; DeAngelo is seen here at his arraignment in Sacramento County Superior Court on Friday
In a bizarre coincidence, when Wardlow found out that DeAngelo was the man accused of raping her, she discovered that her brother used to work for DeAngelo’s ex-wife, Sharon Huddle.
Her brother has a process serving business in Sacramento and DeAngelo’s former wife, an attorney, was one of his clients.
DeAngelo was identified as the suspected Golden State Killer after DNA from a crimescene was entered into a private DNA database called GEDmatch.
From there, it’s believed a family member match to the Golden State Killer’s DNA was identified. That person had voluntarily submitted his own DNA in hopes of finding unknown relatives.
Margaret Warldow (pictured) now looks forward to the potential opportunity to confront the man who attacked her, all those years ago
DeAngelo did not enter a plea during his arraignment on Friday, was denied bail and is being held in a psychiatric ward of the county jail, Sheriff Scott Jones
After a likely family match was pinpointed, investigators then used additional information that had obtained over the past four decades to close in on DeAngelo as their suspect.
Warldow now looks forward to the potential opportunity to confront the man who attacked her, all those years ago.
‘I’d love to tell him, “I wasn’t afraid of you then. I’m not afraid of you now. All those years you were at large I was never afraid of you! Ever!”” she said.
Despite her bravery, the memory of her rape has remained clear in her mind for the past 41 years.
‘I remember being woken up with a flashlight in my face,’ she said.
‘I’d love to tell him, “I wasn’t afraid of you then. I’m not afraid of you now. All those years you were at large I was never afraid of you! Ever!”” Wardlow said
‘In a very harsh whisper, he would say, “Do you want to die? Do you want me to kill your mother? Do you want me to slit her throat?”‘ Wardlow said.
‘I answered him immediately, “I don’t care,” and he’d say, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”‘
Even during her rapist’s attack on her, Wardlow refused to show any fear, she said.
The arresting officer told Wardlow about the moment DeAngelo was taken into custody.
She said: ‘I spoke to the arresting officer who said, “This guy never saw them coming. He didn’t have a clue. He couldn’t have been more surprised when they put the cuffs on him.”‘
Investigators are now thoroughly searching every inch of DeAngelo’s home, searching for any possible evidence to connect him to the more than 170 crimes he is suspected of committing
DeAngelo did not enter a plea, was denied bail and is being held in a psychiatric ward of the county jail, Sheriff Scott Jones told ABC, where he has been in ‘quiet reflection,’ saying little aside from mumbling.
Investigators are now thoroughly searching every inch of DeAngelo’s home, searching for any possible evidence to connect him to the more than 170 crimes he is suspected of committing, Jones said.
DeAngelo is suspected of committing 12 murders and at least 50 rapes, between 1976 and 1986, alone.
Investigators trying to hunt down the so-called Golden State Killer also used information from genetic websites a year ago and misidentified an elderly Oregon man as a possible suspect, the Associated Press reported.
This time, however, investigator Paul Holes has said he is ‘100 percent sure’ they have the ‘Golden State Killer.’
The Golden State Killer reportedly shouted ‘I hate you, Bonnie! I hate you, Bonnie!’ during one terrifying attack in the 1970s.
DeAngelo was found to have been previoulsy engaged to a woman named Bonnie Lee Colwell, according to an engagement announcement that appeared in a local California newspaper. Colwell was described as a lab assistant at Sierra College.
Warldow’s full interview with Inside Edition airs on Friday at 7pm Eastern.
For stations and times in your area, check local listings.
DeAngelo is suspected of committing 12 murders and at least 50 rapes, between 1976-1986