Haunting Memories of a Victim

Even after four decades, the unsettling sound of “rattling knives” triggers a wave of fear in Susan Bowlas, reminding her of the horrific assault she endured.

At 68, Bowlas, a portrait photographer from Brooklyn, believes she is among many women victimized by Joseph DeAngelo Jr., infamously known as the Golden State Killer.

DeAngelo, now 80 and imprisoned, was involved in a series of murders, extensive robberies, and sexual assaults across California between 1974 and 1986.

During her efforts to have her 1979 rape case investigated, Bowlas claims Sacramento police withheld crucial information and scientific test results from her despite her persistent requests over five years.

“It felt like being violated all over again,” she recalled. Another victim had advised her at that time to just “get through the blue line.”

DeAngelo was a suspect in over 50 rape cases in Sacramento and Tulare counties, and law enforcement had previously labeled him as the Visalia Looter and the East Area Rapist.

Bowlas feels law enforcement continues to downplay their failure to apprehend DeAngelo during his most heinous acts, failing to protect potential victims even after knowing about his attacks.

DeAngelo, who worked as a police officer in the 1970s, was arrested in 2018 after DNA evidence at crime scenes matched samples voluntarily submitted by family. However, he hasn’t been fully charged with numerous rape offenses.

He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of murder and rape to escape the death penalty, also admitting to several other crimes that had surpassed the statute of limitations. He is currently serving 13 consecutive life sentences in California.

Initially, Bowlas was denied assistance from a fund set up for victims of DeAngelo’s crimes because she had access to only a partial police report. After suing the board in 2022, she won but still battles for complete access to her file and for recognition as one of his victims.

“I can’t shake the feeling that many more cases like mine were kept quiet to protect the false narrative surrounding the Golden State murders,” Bowlas expressed.

Auburn Police Chief Ryan Cannan dismissed any notions of a cover-up, stating, “No officer wants someone like this on the loose.”

Bowlas’ case details align with patterns observed in other attacks linked to the eastern region rapists. She was just 22 years old and a virgin when she was assaulted just after midnight on September 25, 1979. At that time, she was trying to become a railway engineer.

According to police reports, she was asleep when her assailant woke her, covering her mouth and threatening her safety. The physical intimidation continued as he attempted to blindfold her and assaulted her for over four hours.

During the attack, Bowlas recounted the chilling moment when she heard her attacker in the kitchen, “clacking” a knife. She feared for her life, convinced that he was going to kill her.

After her assault, she received a redacted police report about her case, and later, an anonymous document dump verified key evidence linking DeAngelo to her rape, including matching footprints from her home.

Private investigator Tony Reed, who has followed DeAngelo’s criminal activities, believes victims like Bowlas are being ignored as authorities are unwilling to revisit old forensic reports. He asserts there’s ample evidence yet to be looked at.

Law enforcement was aware that the East Area Rapist was operating close to Bowlas’ home, especially after a string of related crimes in that area, including the murders of a couple nearby. DeAngelo, caught shoplifting just months before her attack, faced insufficient scrutiny from police in the aftermath.

Reed and Bowlas suggest that the investigation fell short, especially given the knowledge that a rapist was still on the loose, directly impacting her community.

Even though Bowlas has finally received certain compensations, including $83,000 in legal fees, she remains troubled. “I still can’t shake the implications of what those records reveal. They might hold the key to exposing deeper failures by law enforcement,” she reflected.