Evil Has a Name: The Untold Story of the Golden State Killer Investigation

The narrative follows investigator Paul Holes and his forty-year pursuit of the serial predator responsible for dozens of sexual assaults and murders across California. The focus lies on the evolution of forensic methods, moving from traditional shoe print analysis and witness sketches to the eventual application of investigative genetic genealogy. Holes details the specific cold case frustrations, the geographic profiling used to track the offender’s movements, and the final breakthrough involving GEDmatch data that linked Joseph James DeAngelo to the crimes through a distant relative’s DNA.

True crime enthusiasts seeking a technical perspective on high-profile investigations will find a methodical breakdown of how law enforcement bridges the gap between old-school detective work and modern bio-data. Readers walk away with a functional understanding of how public genealogy databases can solve decades-old cold cases and the specific psychological toll that long-term obsession takes on a lead investigator. The account provides a realistic view of police procedure and the bureaucratic hurdles inherent in multi-jurisdictional criminal manhunts.

Outward-looking, growth-minded and clear-cut; an easy read.

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