How Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo's Divorce Could Effect Murder, Rape Trial

Joseph DeAngelo, popularly known as the East Area Rapist or Golden State Killer, is embroiled in a divorce case. Court records show DeAngelo's estranged wife, Sharon Huddle, filed for divorce in 2018.

The divorce proceedings for DeAngelo could also affect his trial -- believed to be the largest in California history. DeAngelo is accused of 13 murders and 50 rape incidents and has been behind bars in Sacramento for nearly 10 months.

"There is now a divorce pending, which means they are no longer legally married and that's significant," attorney Mark Reichel said, adding that the effect of that change could be huge for the trial.

"I think this is a treasure trove for the prosecution now," Reichel told FOX40. "She can really be a domestic diary of the daily activities of this person."

According to Reichel, if the couple remained married, the defense could stop Huddle from testifying against DeAngelo. However, with the couple being separated, she can testify against him.

"The DA's office can subpoena her. She loses her right to say no," he said. "She can't talk about communications but she can talk about observations. 'He wasn't home this night. This night he came home with these clothes. This night he took the truck.'"

DeAngelo was apparently a former police officer who was fired after being accused of shoplifting. He allegedly killed and raped several women between 1976 and 1986 in both Northern and Southern California. His modus operandi, according to his FBI profile, usually involved breaking into homes through windows or doors overnight before shining a flashlight in residents’ faces. He would tie up both men and women who were present in the homes before sexually assaulting the women.

DeAngelo married Huddle in Placer County in 1973, just before the East Area Rapist crimes began in Sacramento. The former couple has a divorce hearing in March. DeAngelo's next court appearance is on April 10.

"We've been neighbors with him for 20 years," DeAngelo's neighbor Natalia Bedes Correnti said, adding: "Why she stayed married to him is kind of interesting."

Neighbors said DeAngelo lived in a Citrus Heights home without Huddle up until his arrest.

"We haven't seen her in many, many years," Bedes Correnti told FOX40. "So, we know they were separated for a long, long time. So she hasn't been around."