Crime House 24/7: Night Watch — Golden State Killer: How He Hunted Couples and Vanished (Part 2) February 4, 2026 | Host: Katie Ring

Overview:
In this gripping second installment of the three-part Night Watch series, host Katie Ring delves into the chilling escalation and evolution of the Golden State Killer—Joseph James DeAngelo—in 1977. The episode focuses on how DeAngelo shifted from targeting women alone to attacking couples, examining his psychological tactics, the pervasive climate of fear he created, the police response, and how his insider knowledge as an ex-cop allowed him to evade capture. Listeners are immersed in survivor accounts, law enforcement efforts, and the tense atmosphere that transformed communities into fortresses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Shift to Targeting Couples ([02:13]–[04:57])

• By spring 1977, the Golden State Killer modified his methods:
  • Previously, he victimized women alone, seeking easy overpowering and isolation.
  • After media coverage noted this pattern, he escalated to couples, as if provoked or challenged.
  • He increased psychological cruelty—taunting both victims with his presence and threats.
• New methodology:
  • Forced the female partner to tie up the male.
  • Placed dishes or plates on the man’s back; threatened that any movement or noise would result in killing everyone present.
  • Assaulted women in another room, making men listen helplessly.
  • Often stopped mid-assault to eat or drink from their kitchen, emphasizing power and dominance.
  • "It was a new layer of psychological cruelty, and it became his new M.O." — Katie Ring [03:13]

Case Example: Linda Odell & Her Husband ([04:39]–[05:59])

• May 14, 1977, Citrus Heights:
  • Couple reinforced their home’s security, but DeAngelo broke in at night, shone flashlight, threatened with a gun.
  • Forced Linda to bind her husband, then both were tightly restrained.
  • Linda was assaulted at knifepoint while her husband was immobilized as the “alarm system.”
  • Post-attack trauma:
    • "She felt violated and constantly afraid, and her husband felt ashamed that he couldn't protect her..." ([05:45])
    • Linda believed DeAngelo had previously cased the house, suggesting premeditation and stalking.

Pattern Establishes: Case of Fiona & Philip Williams ([06:08]–[06:37])

• May 27, 1977:
  • Same modus operandi: entry, binding, using dishes as an auditory tripwire, sexual assault, ransacking the home, stealing items with sentimental value.
  • DeAngelo exploited lack of shared police databases and the era’s limited home security.
  • Law enforcement was handicapped by poor inter-county communication and DeAngelo’s background as a former police officer.

Community Impact & Policing Frustrations ([08:04]–[13:00])

• The scale of attacks grew—22 incidents by mid-1977 in Sacramento suburbs.
• Neighborhoods were transformed:
  • Residents armed and fortified homes, “suburban neighborhoods turned into terrorized fortresses,” with practical but somber changes to daily life—sleeping with lights on, buying guard dogs, organized neighborhood watches.
• “The increased effort, with the lack of results, created a unique kind of despair...The case began to take on a mythic quality.” ([09:46])
• Survivors and communities suffered psychological wounds that persisted long after incidents.

Police Response & Investigative Hurdles ([12:47]–[14:45])

• Sacramento Detective Carol Daly became closely identified with the case, conducting victim interviews and community canvassing.
• The case prompted the establishment of a multi-agency task force—the first recognition of a pattern and regional threat.
• Investigators realized the attacker exploited local bike trails, drainage ditches, and green belts to evade patrols.
• An overwhelming volume of tips and scant actionable clues made progress torturous.
• The “normalization of fear” was itself a community tragedy: everyday life became defined by dread.

DeAngelo’s Psychological Warfare ([15:06]–[17:38])

• Beyond the assaults, DeAngelo sought to control victims psychologically through taunting tactics:
  • Post-attack phone calls, often anonymous and disturbing.
  • Years later, victims recalled chilling taunts like “Remember when we played?”
  • Calls sometimes occurred before, sometimes after attacks, sowing persistent anxiety.
  • His voice was described as “one that makes your skin crawl.” ([16:44])

Additional Attacks & Signature Behaviors ([17:50]–[19:40])

• Throughout 1977, attacks on couples continued across Sacramento and Stockton.
• Case of Deborah Strauss and husband, Oct 29, 1977:
  • Attacked in bed, forced to bind, dishes as alarm, repeated assault, bizarre behavior (yelling for ‘mommy’), theft of meaningful rings.
  • Aftermath: severe, lingering trauma—“Debra’s hands remained numb for months...Debra would wake up repeatedly through the night to check locks, never fully able to feel safe in her own home again.” ([19:25])
• The attacks were increasing in frequency and boldness, fueling communal terror and frustration.

Taunting the Police & Public ([21:38]–[23:00])

• DeAngelo sent letters to media and city officials, including a poem titled “Excitement’s Grave,” making his enjoyment of terror explicit.
• Example: “I have my next victim already stalked and you guys can't catch me.” ([21:46])
• Authorship was never confirmed, but impact on public fear was significant.

Law Enforcement at a Loss ([23:00]–[24:30])

• Despite intensive efforts—patrols, stakeouts, mapping forensics—the suspect always seemed a step ahead.
• Unknown to them, his background as a police officer was a constant advantage, knowing their tactics and how to escape detection.

Lasting Effects & Transition to Next Episode ([24:30]–End)

• By end of 1977, the climate shifted from resolve to suspense—periods of silence weren’t reassuring, just ominous.
• In 1978, DeAngelo escalated harassment by consistently calling his victims.
• Teaser for the next episode: The transition from the Visalia Ransacker to the Golden State Killer, and the role of new technology in the eventual capture.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[DeAngelo] was outsourcing control of the room to fear. Once those plates were balanced on his back, her husband became terrified to even breathe wrong.” — Katie Ring [05:20]
• “The normalization of fear…was a tragedy in itself, because it meant a community lived under a threat for so long that it began to feel like the default.” — Katie Ring [14:23]
• “He wanted the victims to feel watched, violated and scared.” — Katie Ring [10:31]
• “Remember when we played?” — Recounted DeAngelo taunt, referenced in survivor statements [16:28]
• “If he stopped for a week or a stretch or long enough that people dared to hope, it did not mean he was gone. It only meant that the community was left with questions. No arrest and silence.” — Katie Ring [24:25]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [02:13] — Introduction of DeAngelo’s shift to attacking couples
• [04:39] — Linda Odell case: the “dishes alarm” method detailed
• [08:04] — Law enforcement’s tactical and investigative challenges
• [10:31] — Discussion of victim’s emotional aftermath and DeAngelo’s psychological motives
• [12:47] — Multi-agency response and community meetings
• [15:06] — Discussion of victim and community taunting via phone calls
• [17:50] — Detailed survivor account: Deborah Strauss case
• [21:38] — DeAngelo’s taunting letters and escalation of confidence
• [23:00] — Reflections on the strain and despair in law enforcement and the community
• [24:30] — Suspenseful transition to episode three’s subjects

Conclusion
Night Watch’s exploration of this terrifying chapter offers a haunting look at how a calculating and brutal predator reshaped daily life and psychology across Northern California. This episode is a detailed account of both the crimes and the communities forever changed by them, framing the Golden State Killer not just as a violent offender, but as a master manipulator of fear. Episode three promises to further unravel the timeline and trace the case’s resolution decades later.