The People vs. the Golden State Killer

Name: The People vs. the Golden State Killer
Price: 49.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9798890130358

Thien Ho

$49.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Miscellaneous
01 March 2026

Biography; True crime; Social & cultural history; Ethnic studies; Jurisprudence & general issues; Criminal law & procedure

In The People vs. the Golden State Killer, Thien Ho, the current District Attorney of Sacramento, recounts his harrowing and exhilarating experience as the lead prosecutor responsible for capturing and prosecuting Joseph DeAngelo. Referred to at various times by law enforcement and the media as the Visalia Ransacker, the East Bay Rapist, the Original Nightstalker, and finally the Golden State Killer, DeAngelo, a former policeman, is widely considered 'one of the most notorious serial predators in American history'.

Ho's book is the first official account of how the Golden State Killer was apprehended and put behind bars for life. Ho led an elite team of law enforcement from six California prosecutor's offices, using a newly developed tool known as 'investigative genetic genealogy' to connect DeAngelo to multiple cold cases stretching back nearly a half century.

Many previous narratives about DeAngelo, including two bestselling books and multiple documentaries, focused largely on the killer and his heinous crimes. This book not only provides hundreds of facts and details never revealed to the public about the Golden State Killer's crimes, it also presents the real-life story of the people who worked tirelessly to bring DeAngelo to justice. It also offers the unprecedented authorized perspective of three survivors of DeAngelo's crimes who courageously turned their pain into empowerment and activism. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated both by the author and Third State Books to Phyllis's Garden, a nonprofit advocating for victims' rights begun in honor of a GSK survivor.

The People vs. the Golden State Killer also recounts Ho's fascinating personal journey, from escaping communist Vietnam with his family as a child to working his way up from an internship to an elite homicide division and eventually becoming one of only ten Asian American district attorneys out of 2,400 nationwide.

'A riveting behind-the-scenes account about the investigation, capture, and prosecution of the Golden State Killer.'

Paul Holes, bestselling author of Unmasked

By: Thien Ho
Imprint: Miscellaneous
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 158mm, Spine: 57mm
ISBN: 9798890130358
Pages: 292
Publication Date: 01 March 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Thien Ho was elected District Attorney of Sacramento County in 2022, and officially took office in January 2023. Over Thien's 25-year career as an attorney, he successfully prosecuted sexual assault, gang and homicide cases. He was the supervisor of the Gang and Hate Crime Unit and has personally charged and prosecuted hate crimes. Most notably, he successfully prosecuted Joseph DeAngelo, who committed 13 murders and over 50 sexual assaults in 11 different jurisdictions throughout California. In 2017, he was presented with both the National Asian Pacific Islander Prosecutors Association and Sacramento District Attorney's Office Prosecutor of the Year Award.

Reviews for The People vs. the Golden State Killer

""A worthwhile account of a well-covered case . . . Most affecting are Ho’s interviews with DeAngelo’s surviving victims, who starkly recount their kidnappings and assaults. The autobiographical sections in which Ho discusses his path from Vietnamese war refugee to Northern California prosecutor are inspiring."" —Publishers Weekly ""Ho's careful, well-written account chronicles [how] DeAngelo was brought to justice. . . . A disturbing real-world procedural about 'the bogeyman who couldn’t be found—until we found him.'"" —Kirkus Reviews