Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., known as the Golden State Killer, pleaded guilty Monday to more than a dozen murders. Now the serial killer's ex-brother-in-law, James Huddle, is speaking out.
When Huddle's sister Sharon married DeAngelo in 1973, the family thought he was quite a catch — handsome and a respected cop. Huddle told Inside Edition that the family had no idea about DeAngelo's crimes, though looking back, there were tell-tale signs that something wasn't right, including DeAngelo's interest in slasher movies such as "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."
"The wow, the excitement involved in his face and his clenched teeth at this horrific scene on TV," Huddle said.
DeAngelo has three daughters from his marriage to Huddle's sister.
"They lost their father, in a way, they really did. He changed from this wonderful dad to them, to this horrible person," Huddle said.
On Monday, looking frail and wearing a face shield, the 74-year-old DeAngelo confessed to 13 killings and nearly 50 rapes. There were so many victims and their families, authorities had to conduct the hearing in a ballroom. Photos of loved ones were shown so they'd be remembered.
"The details just made me cringe all the more and feel the sorrow I felt for those victims," Huddle said. "There's so many."
Huddle's new book, "Killers Keep Secrets," details his family's shock at learning the truth about the monster in their midst.
"I became outraged at what he had done," Huddle said. "And even more outraged last night when I reviewed the hearing."
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