Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., the defendant, was born on November 8, 1945, in Bath, New York. He was a military brat and then joined the United States Navy. Following his time in the military, DeAngelo became a police officer in California in the 1970s. Ironically, this might have worked in his favor during his escape because the police were chasing an intelligent man well-trained in law enforcement who knew the tricks of the game.