if it hadn't been for him. >> the crime started here in visalia. >> reporter: tulare county district attorney believes snelling was the first victim murdered by joseph deangelo, the suspected golden state killer. he we're filing first degree murder charges against mr. deangelo, along with an allegation that he used a firearm in the commission of that murder. >> reporter: during the 1907s and '80s deangelo committed at least 12 other murders and 50 rapes in ten california counties. dna evidence led to his arrest in april deangelo is not dectly linked to snelling's murder by dna, jason salazar said he can prove he was the ransacker. >> we have witnesses that can identify mr. deangelo as the suspect in that time. they were tied directly to the murder of snelling. >> reporter: he worked as a police officer about 12 miles away in the town of exeter. he is also suspected of 1 #00 burglaries and attempted sex assaults in visalia. >> the only crime that we can attribute to mr. deangelo that has not passed the statute of limitations is the murder of mr. snelling. >> reporter: deangelo has not

detectives were able to gather, we have identified joseph james deangelo as the sole suspect in the visalia ransacker crime series and the murder of claude snelling. police say 72- year-ol >>> the accused golden state killer has been charged with what investigators believe was his very first murder. >> based on information detectives were able to gather, we have identified joseph deangelo as the sole suspect in the visalia ransacker crime series and a member of claude snelling. >> 72-year-old joseph -- onth. federal investigators are trying d an joseph deangelo is accused of shooting and killing claude snelling in 1975. investigators believe smelling was his first murder victim. russell flew a 76-seat aircraft above the seattle area for over an hour before crashing on friday evening. reporter jamie yuccas has the latest. he is due back in court next month. >>> federal investigators are trying to figure out what prompted an airline ground worker to steal a passenger plane from a major u.s. airport. 29-year-old richard russell flew a 76 seat aircraft above seattle for about an hour before cra

investigators believe deangelo is the man behind roughly one hundredhome burglaries in visalia - between april 19-74 and december 19-75. they also say he's the man who shot and killed college professorclaude snelling during a home invasion in 1975. snelling had discovered a man trying to kidnap his 16-year-old daughter...and was shot as he rushed over to save her. deangelo worked as a police officer in nearby exeter at the time. authorities say they have enough information from witnesses and details from the crime scenes to make the connection to the visalia ransacker case.. the 72-year-old has previously been charged with 12 killings throughout the state and is suspected of dozens of rapes in the 1970's across the bay area and california. (pam) in the east bay. an oakland police officer, responding to a call, is in the hospital tonight... after being involved in a traffic accident. and that officer remains in critical condition. kron4's haaziq madyun has the story. sot