Suspected Golden State Killer’s first love Bonnie is revealed

The woman who broke suspected Golden State Killer Joe DeAngelo’s heart and may have spurred him on his decade-long murder and rape spree is a blogger who spent years documenting her Italian travels online, DailyMail.com can reveal.

And instead of settling down with a suspected mass murderer, she married a successful accountant who went on to be a partner in a multi-million-dollar firm.

But while Bonnie Ueltzel went into great detail for all to read on her blog OldBroadAbroad.com now she has gone to ground and is hiding out.

 

The killer’s heartbreaker: Bonnie Ueltzel (pictured) broke Golden State Killer Joe DeAngelo’s heart

Moved on: Ueltzel married a successful accountant who went on to be a partner in a multi-million-dollar firm

Moved on: Ueltzel married a successful accountant who went on to be a partner in a multi-million-dollar firm

DeAngelo is suspected of committing 12 murders and at least 50 rapes, between 1976-1986

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

Ueltzel — then Bonnie Jean Colwell — was engaged to DeAngelo in the early 1970s but she broke it off and both went on to marry other people.

But she clearly preyed on his mind. During at least one of his series of attacks, the killer lay down next to his victim after raping her and sobbed: ‘I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, Bonnie.’

DeAngelo, 72, an ex-cop who went on to work in a grocery warehouse for nearly three decades, was arraigned in court in Sacramento, California, on Friday. He was brought into court in a wheelchair.

He is believed to be responsible for at least 12 murders and more than 50 rapes in California between 1975 and 1986.

Now divorced and recently retired, he was quietly living in a single-story home in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights until Tuesday’s arrest.

Police have now finished combing through the beige-colored house, removing boxes of evidence, guns, cars a motorcycle and a boat, among other items.

Years before DeAngelo is suspected of starting his reign of terror, he met Bonnie Colwell when they were both students at Sierra College in Rocklin, California, 20 miles from Sacramento.

Ueltzel (pictured left) was engaged to DeAngelo in the early 1970s but she broke it off

Ueltzel (pictured left) was engaged to DeAngelo in the early 1970s but she broke it off

The couple announced their engagement in a notice in the Bonnie’s hometown newspaper, the Auburn Journal.  Ueltzel is seen in a recent picture

The couple announced their engagement in a notice in the Bonnie’s hometown newspaper, the Auburn Journal.  Ueltzel is seen in a recent picture

Ueltzel clearly preyed on his mind. During at least one of his series of attacks, the killer lay down next to his victim after raping her and sobbed: ‘I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, Bonnie'

Ueltzel clearly preyed on his mind. During at least one of his series of attacks, the killer lay down next to his victim after raping her and sobbed: ‘I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, Bonnie’

The couple announced their engagement in a notice in the Bonnie’s hometown newspaper, the Auburn Journal that said ‘No definite date has been set for the wedding.’

It went on to describe the suspect of one of the largest crime sprees in California history as working for Sierra Crane and Hoist Co, adding: ‘He is affiliated with the Vet’s Club, AGS, President’s Honor Roll and the International Diving Association, N.A.U.I.’

‘We always thought there was a Bonnie significant in his life, it could be a mother, a wife, a girlfriend, a childhood crush,’ Paul Holes, an investigator who has been looking into the case for years, told The Mercury News.

‘Most certainly if he’s making the statement, “I hate you, Bonnie,” while he’s attacking another female, he is what we call an anger retaliatory rapist. Instead of directing his anger at what’s making him angry, he’s directing it sideways on to someone else to be able to satisfy that anger,’ Holes said.

‘I do believe that’s what happened here. I don’t know what made him that way, but you’ve got to think Bonnie dumped him, he’s not happy about that, he still had feeling for her, who knows? But something along those lines must have happened.’

DailyMail.com could not contact Ueltzel, 67, who is said to be in hiding. She was not at her $400,000, three-bedroom condo in the Campus Commons area of Sacramento that she bought in 2016. Messages left for her went unanswered.

DeAngelo is seen here at his arraignment in Sacramento County Superior Court on Friday

DeAngelo is seen here at his arraignment in Sacramento County Superior Court on Friday

After breaking off her engagement to DeAngelo, she traded up by marrying Michael Ueltzer, now a partner in EisnerAmper, which describes itself as ‘among the nation’s largest full-service advisory and accounting firms.’

He is considered one of the top forensic accountants in the country. According to EisnerAmper’s website he has given evidence in more than 100 court cases ranging from ‘multibillion dollar Ponzi schemes, financial statement frauds, embezzlement, and complex civil litigation, including breach of contract, anti-trust claims, and organizational disputes.’

They divorced in 2013 after more than 40 years together.

Ueltzel lived in Spello, an ancient town near Assisi, Italy, for many years and blogged about her time there on OldBroadAbroad.

In one post from 2010 she spoke of her difficulty buying a house in Spello because she needed documents proving her maiden name. 

‘My passport and every form of ID that I carry are in my married name. How would I ever prove that I was Bonnie Jean Colwell? It had been nearly 38 years since I had used that name,’ she wrote.

In 2013 after she separated, Bonnie Ueltzel decided to return to the Sacramento area, and moved into a condo, almost certainly not knowing she was living less than a half-hour drive from her former fiancee.

She also could not have known that within a few years of ending her engagement, DeAngelo would allegedly start on his murder and rape spree.

Police have now finished combing through the beige-colored house, removing boxes of evidence, guns, cars a motorcycle and a boat, among other items. Sheriff deputy Kim Mojica is seen on Thursday carrying boxes of evidence taken from DeAngelo's home in Citrus Heights, California

Police have now finished combing through the beige-colored house, removing boxes of evidence, guns, cars a motorcycle and a boat, among other items. Sheriff deputy Kim Mojica is seen on Thursday carrying boxes of evidence taken from DeAngelo’s home in Citrus Heights, California

Joseph James DeAngelo is believed to be responsible for at least 12 murders and more than 50 rapes in California between 1975 and 1986 (victims are seen above)

Joseph James DeAngelo is believed to be responsible for at least 12 murders and more than 50 rapes in California between 1975 and 1986 (victims are seen above)

DeAngelo is seen in his mugshot

DeAngelo is seen in his mugshot

Author Michelle McNamara — actor Patton Oswalt’s wife who died in 2016 — gave the serial criminal the nickname The Golden State Killer for her book on the case, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. He was also known as the Original Night Stalker and the East Area Rapist.

Since DeAngelo’s arrest, police believe he could also be a criminal known as the Visalia Ransacker — who carried out a string of burglaries and one murder in Visalia, California, starting in March 1974.

At the time DeAngelo was a police officer in nearby Exeter.

But in 1976 he moved 250 miles north to the police department in Auburn — Bonnie Ueltzel’s hometown — and on June 18 that year the Golden State Killer’s crime spree began mainly in the Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova areas east of Sacramento.

DeAngelo married divorce attorney Sharon Huddle and before they divorced they had three daughters, Misha, now 36, Sascha, 31, and Tessa, 28. Misha was living with him at the time of his arrest.

DeAngelo was fired from the Auburn Police Department in 1979 for shoplifting. He allegedly stole a can of dog repellant and a hammer from a Sacramento drug store.

In 1978 his attacks moved to Contra Costa County and then from 1979 to 1986 they went further south to Ventura, Santa Barbara and Orange Counties. His last known attack was in May 1986 while DeAngelo’s wife was pregnant with their second child.

But now the long-running case could be coming to an end. DeAngelo’s arrest shocked everyone, including his family. ‘We are as sorry as everyone else, we had no idea,’ his nephew Jeff Riley told DailyMail.com.

DeAngelo is seen in an undated photo when he was in the Navy

DeAngelo pictured in 1962

DeAngelo Jr was arrested on Tuesday night. He is seen left in an undated photo when he was in the Navy, and on the right during his sophomore year at Folsom High School

DeAngelo is seen sitting in a wheelchair, wearing an orange prison uniform in court on Friday

DeAngelo is seen sitting in a wheelchair, wearing an orange prison uniform in court on Friday

DeAngelo was nabbed after police matched DNA from items he discarded with samples found at his many crime scenes. They used a sample from an Internet genealogy site submitted by a distant relative to narrow their search to him, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Sacramento County Chief Deputy Attorney Steve Grippi told the paper they compared crime scene DNA to online ‘open-source’ profiles until they found the relative.

After months of comparisons, cops finally narrowed the DNA down to DeAngelo on Thursday last week and began surveilling him and on Friday got a sample from an item he discarded.

They sent the sample to the county crime lab which found ‘overwhelming evidence’ that after 44 years they had finally got their man.

Still they decided they needed a second match and that was recovered on Monday. 

‘The second sample was astronomical evidence that it was him,’ district attorney Anne Marie Schubert told the paper, adding, ‘There were a whole lot of holy s**t moments.’ 

GOLDEN STATE KILLER’S TWELVE VICTIMS

Brian and Katie Maggiore

February 2, 1978

Brian Maggiore, 21, and his wife Katie, 20, were walking their dog in their Rancho Cordova neighborhood, just outside Sacramento, on February 2, 1978. 

The FBI said the couple were chased down before being shot and killed by the Golden State Killer.

Brian and Katie Maggiore: February 2, 1978

Dr Robert Offerman

Alexandria Manning

Dr Robert Offerman and Alexandria Manning: December 30, 1979

Dr Robert Offerman and Alexandria Manning

December 30, 1979

Dr Robert Offerman, 44, and Alexandria Manning, 35, were killed at a home in Goleta near Santa Barbara. 

Offerman, an osteopathic surgeon, and Manning, a clinical psychologist, had their hands bound with twine. 

Lyman and Charlene Smith

March 13, 1980

Lyman Smith, 43, and his wife Charlene, 33, were bludgeoned to death with a fireplace log in their Ventura County home. 

Smith was an attorney who was just days from being appointed a judge. His wife worked as a court clerk. 

DeAngelo is also charged with murdering Lyman and Charlene Smith at their Ventura County home on March 13, 1980

Patrice and Keith Harrington were killed in their home at Dana Point on August 19, 1980

Lyman and Charlene Smith (left) and Patrice and Keith Harrington (right)  

Patrice and Keith Harrington

August 19, 1980

Patrice Harrington, 28, and her husband Keith, 25, were killed in their home at Dana Point. Police said they were beaten with a blunt instrument.   

Patrice was a pediatric nurse and her husband was a medical student at UC Irvine.  

Manuela Witthuhn

February 5, 1981

Manuela Witthuhn, 28, was raped and beaten to death in her home in Irvine. 

She was home alone at the time because her husband was in the hospital recovering from an illness. 

Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez 

Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez 

Manuela Witthuhn

Janelle Lisa Cruz

Manuela Witthuhn (left) and Janelle Lisa Cruz (right)

Cheri Domingo and Gregory Sanchez

July 27, 1981

Cheri Domingo, 35, and Gregory Sanchez, 27, were house sitting in Goleta when they were murdered in bed. 

Domingo was found with her hands tied and suffering massive head injuries. Sanchez was shot and bludgeoned.

Janelle Lisa Cruz

May 4, 1986

Janelle Cruz, 18, was bludgeoned to death in her family’s home in Irvine. She was home alone at the time and police found her lying across her bed. 

A real estate agent who was selling the family’s home was the first to discover the teen’s body. Blood was found spattered throughout the home and police believe she was beaten with a pipe wrench.  



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk