Following Arrest of Suspect, TV Documentaries Revisit Case of the Golden State Killer
In the wake of this week’s stunning news that 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested as the suspected “Golden State Killer” responsible for a long series of murders and rapes in California decades ago, some TV networks are airing new, or updated, documentary specials about the infamous case this weekend.
Golden State Killer Caught: People Magazine Investigates — Friday, April 27, 10/9c, and Sunday, April 29, 8/7c, Investigation Discovery (ID)
In this updated version of a previously aired special, People‘s editor-in-chief Jess Cagle and senior writer Christine Pelisek delve into the Golden State Killer case.
Interviews with victims tell the story of the killer’s evolution of evil, including: rape survivor Jane Carson-Sandler who was raped in 1976 with her 3-year-old son in the next room; Margaret Wardlow, who was raped just a year later at the age of 12; Debbie Domingo, whose mother was murdered in 1981; and Michelle Cruz, sister of victim Janell Cruz, who was raped and murdered in 1986.
48 Hours: The Golden State Killer, Saturday, April 28, 9/8c, CBS
Tracy Smith and 48 Hours investigate the case and the shocking developments of this past week. The episode features new interviews with survivors and witnesses who have spent years wondering if the killer and rapist would ever be caught.
Among the interviewees are Patton Oswalt, whose late wife, true-crime writer Michelle McNamara, was obsessed with the case, and in fact was the one who dubbed the suspect “The Golden State Killer” in a 2013 story for Los Angeles magazine.
The Golden State Killer: It’s Not Over, Sunday, April 29, 9am/8am c, Discovery Channel
This is a re-airing of the recent four-part docuseries that features recollections from survivors, friends and family of the murder victims, as well as from detectives past and present, and it follows cold case investigator Paul Holes as he uncovers new leads.
