Suspected Golden State Killer responsible for 12 homicides and 50 rapes over a decade reign of terror that started in the 1970s has been ARRESTED after posthumous publication of book on the case by Patton Oswalt's wife

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department arrested 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo Jr late Tuesday night

DeAngelo is believed to be the Golden State Killer, a serial killer suspected of 12 homicides and nearly 50 rapes in Sacramento County in the 1970s

DeAngelo is being held on two murder charges

The arrest comes two years following the death of author Michelle McNamara, actor Patton Oswalt's late wife, who penned a crime novel about the killer

By Minyvonne Burke

Published: 10:09 EDT, 25 April 2018 | Updated: 10:42 EDT, 25 April 2018

Police believe they have finally captured the Golden State Killer, a serial murderer and rapist suspected of terrorizing southern California nearly 50 years ago.

Late Tuesday night, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department arrested Joseph James DeAngelo Jr on two murder charges, Fox 40 reports.

The 72-year-old man, who is believed to have been an Auburn police officer fired for shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent, is said to be linked to a dozen unsolved homicides, almost 50 rapes and 120 home burglaries that spanned a decade starting in the late 1970s.

The sheriff's department has yet to confirm whether DeAngelo is in fact the Golden State Killer, but said a press conference will be held Wednesday afternoon to provide additional information.

'It is the most prolific unsolved serial killing case probably in modern history,' Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert told Fox 40.

DeAngelo is currently being held at the Sacramento County Main jail and is ineligible for bail, according to jail records.

He was arrested on a warrant issued by the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

The killer, who up until this point remained a mystery, was nicknamed the East Area Rapist.

Journalist and author Michelle McNamara, who was married to actor Patton Oswalt up until her death in 2016, gave the serial murderer and rapist the moniker the Golden State Killer.

McNamara spent much of her life researching the killer's identity for her crime novel, I'll Be Gone In The Dark, which was released in March.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3959398&forum_id=2#35916175)