The Latest: Serial killing suspect in court in wheelchair

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The Latest on a decades-old serial killing and rape case in California (all times local):

2:05 p.m.

The man accused of being the Golden State Killer did not enter a plea during his first court appearance.

James Joseph DeAngelo, 72, who authorities suspect is the so-called Golden State Killer responsible for at least a dozen murders and 50 rapes in the 1970s and 80s, makes his first appearance, Friday, April 27, 2018, in Sacramento County Superior Court in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Joseph James DeAngelo was arraigned Friday in Sacramento County Superior Court on two counts of murder.

He was handcuffed in a wheelchair and five police officers surrounded him as he listened to the judge with his eyes barely open.

A court official read the details of the charges that DeAngelo is facing and a judge asked if he had a lawyer.

In a frail voice, DeAngelo responded, “I have a lawyer.” An attorney from the public defender’s office was with him in court.

DeAngelo appeared in a wheelchair and was wearing an orange jumpsuit.

He has been denied bail.

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1:50 p.m.

The man accused of being the Golden State Killer has been brought into a courtroom in a wheelchair, wearing an orange jumpsuit.

Joseph James DeAngelo is appearing in Sacramento County Court Friday to be arraigned on two counts of murder.

About 80 reporters and photographers were at the court hearing.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones has said DeAngelo was in a psychiatric ward of the county jail and has said little. Jones says there’s been “quiet reflection” and mumbling.

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12:10 p.m.

The Sacramento County sheriff says a man suspected of being one of California’s most elusive serial killers is on suicide watch and talking to himself.

Sheriff Scott Jones said Friday that Joseph James DeAngelo was in a psychiatric ward of the county jail and has said little. Jones says there’s been “quiet reflection” and mumbling.

Jones says investigators are sifting through every item, receipt and piece of paper from DeAngelo’s home. They’re searching for any possible clues to tie him to more than 170 crimes authorities believe he may have committed.

Investigators suspect DeAngelo is the Golden State Killer, responsible for the deaths of at least a dozen people and rapes of 50 women from 1976 to 1986.

Jones declined to discuss the DNA method used to identify DeAngelo.

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10:15 a.m.

A genealogical website that police used to track down a man they believe is the Golden State Killer says it had no idea its service was involved in the hunt for one of California’s most elusive serial killers.

GEDmatch said in a statement Friday on its website that it was never contacted by law enforcement or anyone else about the case or the DNA profile that was used.

The Florida-based company pools DNA profiles that people upload and share publicly.

GEDmatch says it has always informed users that its databases can be used for purposes other than genealogical research.

A lead investigator on the Golden State Killer case told the Mercury News that authorities used GEDmatch to find a relative of suspect Joseph James DeAngelo, who was arrested Tuesday.

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7:30 a.m.

One of the main investigators who helped capture a California serial rapist and killer who eluded law enforcement for four decades says his team used a public DNA matching website.

Lead investigator Paul Holes tells the Mercury News in San Jose, California, that one of his team’s biggest tools was GEDMatch, a Florida-based website that pools DNA profiles that people upload and share publicly.

GEDMatch is a free site where users who have DNA profiles from commercial companies such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe can expand their search for relatives.

Major companies, such as 23andMe and Ancestry, do not allow law enforcement to access their genetic data unless they get a court order.

Holes says officials did not need a court order to access GEDMatch’s large database of genetic blueprints.

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12:00 a.m.

Privacy concerns are being raised over investigators’ use of a genealogical website to find the California man they say is a serial killer and rapist.

Joseph DeAngelo was arrested Tuesday after investigators say they matched crime-scene DNA using genetic material stored by a distant relative on a website.

Authorities say it’s an innovative technique that broke open the long-cold case of the Golden State Killer, who slew at least a dozen people and raped 50 women from 1976 to 1986.

But Steve Mercer of the Maryland public defender’s office says it pinpoints a problem: There aren’t strong privacy laws to keep police from trolling such databases.

Mercer says right now, people who submit DNA to be tested to find their ancestors can unwittingly become “genetic informants” on family members.

This undated law enforcement photo provided by the Sacramento County, Calif., Sheriff's Office shows Joseph James DeAngelo. DeAngelo, a suspected California serial killer who committed at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes throughout the state in the 1970s and '80s was identified Wednesday, April 25, 2018, as a former police officer, an official said. (Sacramento County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This undated law enforcement photo provided by the Sacramento County, Calif., Sheriff’s Office shows Joseph James DeAngelo. DeAngelo, a suspected California serial killer who committed at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes throughout the state in the 1970s and ’80s was identified Wednesday, April 25, 2018, as a former police officer, an official said. (Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

John Lopes, a crime scene investigator for the Sacramento Sheriff's office, carries boxes of evidence taken from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo to a sheriff's vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody Tuesday on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

John Lopes, a crime scene investigator for the Sacramento Sheriff’s office, carries boxes of evidence taken from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo to a sheriff’s vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody Tuesday on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

T. Abbott, left, and John Lopes, right, from the Sacramento County Sheriff's crime scene investigation office, conference about boxes of evidence gathered from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custod Tuesday on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

T. Abbott, left, and John Lopes, right, from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s crime scene investigation office, conference about boxes of evidence gathered from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custod Tuesday on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

John Lopes, a crime scene investigator for the Sacramento Sheriff's office picks up bags of evidence taken from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo to be placed in a sheriff's vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody, Tuesday, on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970's and 1980's in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

John Lopes, a crime scene investigator for the Sacramento Sheriff’s office picks up bags of evidence taken from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo to be placed in a sheriff’s vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody, Tuesday, on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970’s and 1980’s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

A car is backed out of the garage of a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970's and 1980s. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

A car is backed out of the garage of a home searched in connection with the arrest of a man on suspicion of murder, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office plans to make a major announcement in the case of a serial killer they say committed at least 12 homicides, 45 rapes and dozens of burglaries across California in the 1970’s and 1980s. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows artist renderings of a serial killer and rapist, also known as the "East Area Rapist" and "Golden State Killer" from 1976 to 1986. A California sheriff said Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer accused of being a serial killer and rapist, was taken by surprise when deputies swooped in and arrested him Tuesday, April 24, 2018, as he stepped out of his home. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows artist renderings of a serial killer and rapist, also known as the “East Area Rapist” and “Golden State Killer” from 1976 to 1986. A California sheriff said Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer accused of being a serial killer and rapist, was taken by surprise when deputies swooped in and arrested him Tuesday, April 24, 2018, as he stepped out of his home. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows part of East Area Rapist Crime reports at the Sheriff's department evidence room in Sacramento, Calif. Volumes of reports about the murder investigation are contained in the evidence room at the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. A California sheriff said Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer accused of being a serial killer and rapist, was taken by surprise when deputies swooped in and arrested him Tuesday, April 24, 2018, as he stepped out of his home. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows part of East Area Rapist Crime reports at the Sheriff’s department evidence room in Sacramento, Calif. Volumes of reports about the murder investigation are contained in the evidence room at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. A California sheriff said Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer accused of being a serial killer and rapist, was taken by surprise when deputies swooped in and arrested him Tuesday, April 24, 2018, as he stepped out of his home. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows a sketch and details of a stolen ring the attacker who became known as the East Area Rapist took from one of his victims. Authorities said the attacker ransacked homes and took coins, jewelry and identification. Joseph James DeAngelo, once sworn to protect the public from crime, was accused Wednesday, April 25, 2018, of living a double life terrorizing suburban neighborhoods at night, becoming one of California's most feared serial killers and rapists in the 1970s and '80s before leaving a cold trail that baffled investigators for more than three decades. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows a sketch and details of a stolen ring the attacker who became known as the East Area Rapist took from one of his victims. Authorities said the attacker ransacked homes and took coins, jewelry and identification. Joseph James DeAngelo, once sworn to protect the public from crime, was accused Wednesday, April 25, 2018, of living a double life terrorizing suburban neighborhoods at night, becoming one of California’s most feared serial killers and rapists in the 1970s and ’80s before leaving a cold trail that baffled investigators for more than three decades. (FBI via AP)

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones discusses the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo for a string of violent crimes in the 1970's and 1980's, at a news conference, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody at his suburban Sacramento home, Tuesday, on suspicion of committing at least 12 slayings and 45 rapes in California.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones discusses the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo for a string of violent crimes in the 1970’s and 1980’s, at a news conference, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody at his suburban Sacramento home, Tuesday, on suspicion of committing at least 12 slayings and 45 rapes in California.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

CORRECTS NAME TO SACRAMENTO SHERIFF SCOTT JONES-In this undated photo released by the FBI shows East Area Rapist Ski Masks in Sacramento, Calif. A California sheriff says a former police officer accused of being a serial killer and rapist was taken by surprise when deputies swooped in and arrested him as he stepped out of his home. Sacramento County Sheriff  Scott Jones said deputies planned to arrest Joseph DeAngelo when he left his home on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. (FBI via AP)

CORRECTS NAME TO SACRAMENTO SHERIFF SCOTT JONES-In this undated photo released by the FBI shows East Area Rapist Ski Masks in Sacramento, Calif. A California sheriff says a former police officer accused of being a serial killer and rapist was taken by surprise when deputies swooped in and arrested him as he stepped out of his home. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said deputies planned to arrest Joseph DeAngelo when he left his home on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows a home invasion ransacking by an attacker who became known as the "East Area Rapist" at an unknown location in California. Authorities said the attacker ransacked the home and took coins, jewelry and identification. Joseph James DeAngelo, once sworn to protect the public from crime, was accused Wednesday, April 25, 2018, of living a double life terrorizing suburban neighborhoods at night, becoming one of California's most feared serial killers and rapists in the 1970s and '80s before leaving a cold trail that baffled investigators for more than three decades. (FBI via AP)

This undated photo released by the FBI shows a home invasion ransacking by an attacker who became known as the “East Area Rapist” at an unknown location in California. Authorities said the attacker ransacked the home and took coins, jewelry and identification. Joseph James DeAngelo, once sworn to protect the public from crime, was accused Wednesday, April 25, 2018, of living a double life terrorizing suburban neighborhoods at night, becoming one of California’s most feared serial killers and rapists in the 1970s and ’80s before leaving a cold trail that baffled investigators for more than three decades. (FBI via AP)

John Lopes, a crime scene investigator for the Sacramento County Sheriff's office, carries boxes of evidence taken from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo to a sheriff's vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody Tuesday on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

John Lopes, a crime scene investigator for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office, carries boxes of evidence taken from the home of murder suspect Joseph DeAngelo to a sheriff’s vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody Tuesday on suspicion of committing multiple homicides and rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in California. Authorities spent the day going through the home for evidence. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Sacramento Sheriff's deputies carry evidence taken from the home of suspect Joseph DeAngelo to a sheriff's vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo was taken into custody, Tuesday, on suspicion of committing multiple slayings and dozens of rapes in the 1970's and 1980's in California. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Sacramento Sheriff’s deputies carry evidence taken from the home of suspect Joseph DeAngelo to a sheriff’s vehicle Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Citrus Heights, Calif. DeAngelo was taken into custody, Tuesday, on suspicion of committing multiple slayings and dozens of rapes in the 1970’s and 1980’s in California. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

In this March 1, 2018, photo, rape survivor Jane Carson-Sandler, of Sun City Hilton Head, S.C. poses for a photo holding a copy of her book about the experience called, "Frozen in Fear." Carson-Sandler was one of may victims of a California serial rapist. (Jay Karr/The Island Packet via AP)

In this March 1, 2018, photo, rape survivor Jane Carson-Sandler, of Sun City Hilton Head, S.C. poses for a photo holding a copy of her book about the experience called, “Frozen in Fear.” Carson-Sandler was one of may victims of a California serial rapist. (Jay Karr/The Island Packet via AP)

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