The Lawyer’s Daughter

My name is Jennifer Carole. I am The Lawyer’s Daughter.

In April 2018, Joseph DeAngelo was arrested for the rape and murder of my stepmom and the murder of my father – along with several other murders and rapes – in Ventura, California, in 1980. His DNA was a 100% match to the DNA found in my stepmom, Charlene. He is called the Golden State Killer (unfortunately, I hate that name). In 2020, during the pandemic, he was convicted.

My dad, an attorney, was hoping to be appointed a judge, with the ultimate goal of being the governor of California or a US senator. My stepmom, my dad’s former secretary, was starting a business in interior design. I live with both of them in my head, and as a result, I look at this case through the eyes of a lawyer and the heart of a victim.

The video below is long – about 60 minutes. It explains the 40-year journey that ended in a conviction.


My Victim Impact Statement

I’ve queued this to start when I start, but the video begins with this woman, a dear friend of Charlene’s, who I invited to speak because I felt like Charlene needed a voice. Unfortunately, this woman chose this time to remind me of how brutal my childhood was when it came to my dad and her friends. Imagine, the last time this woman saw me, I was 13 years old. Dad had just divorced my mom and started living with his secretary. I’m glad Jill was there for Charlene, but what she said ended up being one of those weird gifts that helps your child understand your past in a visceral and validating way.

In the video below, I’ve just come out of court after giving my victim impact statement (above). I was exhausted, and immediately after this interview, I collapsed into a hot mess of tears. Listening to the stories was incredibly difficult. Day after day, horror after horror. This experience truly changed me.


Convicted | August 21, 2020

The Process of Sending the Golden State Killer to Prison

He managed to dodge death row. Here’s what will happen instead.

“I did all those things,” Ho said DeAngelo muttered. “I’ve destroyed all their lives, so now I’ve got to pay the price.”

Joseph DeAngelo has pled guilty to 13 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of kidnapping. He also admitted guilt in 62 other crimes, including rapes, robbery, and more. These crimes weren’t charged because the statute of limitations protected him from prosecution.¹ Before his plea, special circumstances were attached, which meant the death penalty if guilty.

Read the whole article on Medium.


The Lawyer’s Daughter Podcast & Blogs

Get the Lawyers Daughter podcast!

My podcast, The Lawyer’s Daughter, is the story from inside the case. It should be available wherever podcasts are offered.

The pods are also available on YouTube with video featured in the second half of the posts (I was audio only at the beginning).