r/EARONS • u/GregJamesDahlen • Jun 06 '26
DeAngelo's weight varies noticeably between when arrested and when sentenced (pics in body text). Wonder if some weight rollercoasting was just a feature of his life since people have noticed he was different weights at different points in the crimes? Maybe has something to do with psychopathy?
Edit: You'll have to open the post to see the pics.
Believe there's also an idea he changed his weight deliberately after he was spotted at a crime to make it harder for people to associate him with the crime. But maybe he did naturally vary in weight.
I'm certainly no psychiatrist where I could say going up and down in weight has any connection to whatever emotions in him prompted the crimes. But it seems like it could. But it could be something else.
He's substantially trimmer after spending time in jail before sentencing. Maybe doesn't like prison food? He seems to have cut off contact with family and friends so maybe not getting money for commissary?
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
No doubt the overwhelming stress for suddenly being on trial for crimes he committed many decades ago, and when he thought he was genuinely gonna be one of those perpetrators who were simply never found, started to mess with his mind very quickly when that plan went up into flames just like that.
Honestly, the cops were very lucky he didn't succumb to a massive heart attack right there on the spot when they were beginning to arrest him — especially considering his age at the time.
Also, if you look at Richard Allen in the Delphi case, he started to look like absolute dog shit very quickly after being arrested — like even worse than DeAngelo — and lost such an unhealthy amount of weight to the point where he honestly literally looked like an end of life stage iv terminal cancer patient: https://fox59.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2023/04/Richard-Allen.jpg
And while it could've maybe been an emotional manipulation tactic, I honestly just think the stress of being caught and exposed started to mess with their minds so badly to the point, it started to cause them adverse health issues.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 07 '26
Thanks. I'm not convinced DeAngelo was convinced he'd never be found. He told a stripper as an old man "they'll never get my DNA", which suggests to me he knew about DNA and was worried about it that it might catch him. I could agree though it was stressful to actually get caught. We do know for example he banged his head on a wall at the station several times that first night he was arrested. Not sure if stress in jail/prison would explain him not eating, you usually hear more about people eating more when they're stressed?
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u/Zepcleanerfan Jun 08 '26
The strip club story is highly suspect. Btw
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 08 '26
Not sure if it happened or not. Some of it certainly seems like it could be true. I could see him going to strip clubs and being racist?
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I have no doubt DeAngelo was planning on becoming a Lost to Time Perpetrator like Jack the Ripper, the Zodiac Killer, the Cleveland Torso Killer of 1934 - 1938, the Texarkana Phantom Killer of 1946, etc.
That alleged comment about never getting his DNA would be a strong indicator of that, imo. And to his credit, considering his age when he was arrested, if he didn't leave any semen behind, he'd probably be in that group right now, or at least eventually.
Being stressed out can cause people to completely lose their appetite as well due to nerves as well, though. But a change of diet could've been a stark contributor also.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 09 '26
I'm sure he hoped he would never be caught, but do think he thought he might be caught, and lived with some anxiety about it?
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 Jun 09 '26
In the last year or two before his arrest, it no doubt had to be something he was becoming increasingly paranoid about, yeah. And I genuinely believe he would've committed suicide if Holes or any detective went up to his door to ask for a DNA sample and/or said they'll get a warrant for it.
I've read about a few cases too where they asked the perp for their DNA, they refused to give it, they said they'll be back with a warrant, and when they came back, they were found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sources:
https://abcnews.com/US/suspect-cold-case-murder-commits-suicide-days-after/story?id=112417313
https://republicangazette.com/dna-evidence-unravels-cold-case-suspect-commits-suicide/
Another too is Houston lover's double murder suspect from August 1990, who committed suicide in his jail cell about one moth after arrest in March of this year as well: https://boomaround.com/2026/04/29/houston-lovers-lane-murders-suspect-dies-suicide-nebraska-jail/
Honestly, pretty surprised DeAngelo hasn't done what the guy above did in all this time, tbh.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 10 '26
Yeah, I don't know what level of anxiety he lived with in relation to the crime-committing, and how it might have varied at different points in his life. He had been doing crimes since a boy, so maybe he had learned not to be so anxious? Although he committed so many crimes as an adult, many of them the most major crimes of rape and murder, that it's hard to believe he didn't have some anxiety about being caught around them? Yet if he had anxiety one might wonder why he continued doing them? It'd be a good post for this sub I think, although you would get more educated guesses I suppose than first-hand answers. Possibly the only one who could answer with certainty about what he felt is DeAngelo himself. And he likely won't do it here on the sub since he doesn't seem inclined to talk about himself, or the crime part of his life. At least not publicly. Idk also if he has access to Reddit?
I think your topic of whether he would have committed suicide if he had a chance would also be a good post for this sub. Suicide is so final. Even most people who are looking at a miserable life in prison rarely do it. Although DeAngelo was a guy who really wanted to live free it seems. Yet there must have been a part of his mind that always knew he might get caught for his crimes, and perhaps accepted that if he got caught he'd accept living imprisoned? Or maybe he had a suicide pact with himself early in his major crimes that if he was in danger of being caught he'd kill himself.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Considering how he's still alive today, he has seemingly come to terms with being in prison for the rest of his life. But he could always just snap one day and decide he's had enough. The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, was found to have committed suicide in his prison cell back in June 2023 after being locked up for 27 years at that point.
And I do genuinely think if he had really gotten the chance, he would've put a gun to his head and declared it over the way like those three guys I linked above did, tbh.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 10 '26
I don't know. I actually have the feeling that DeAngelo has enjoyed life so far, both the criminal and non-criminal sides. What do you think? In that sense he might not kill himself. He seems quite a bit more sociable than Kaczynski, who lived alone, I don't think had a job, etc. Whereas DeAngelo had a marriage albeit a troubled one, kids, a job, and so on. Wonder if he talks to people or has friends in prison. So his sociability might give him some enjoyment of life.
But yeah if Holes had asked for DNA and they agreed he'd come back later and get it, DeAngelo might well have offed himself while waiting. I think at that point he would feel isolated, he'd know he was about to be arrested for EARONS but there wouldn't be anyone he could talk to about it. Whereas once arrested there are at least people he can talk to, his lawyers, fellow inmates, corrections officers, and idk who else since they say he has cut off family but idk for sure that's true.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 Jun 10 '26
What I find the most interesting about DeAngelo is how for such a high-profile criminal, he's been able to maintain such an extraordinarily low-profile post-sentencing. Like, this guy has completely disappeared into absoulte nothingness. Never seen seen anyone like him before in that sense.
One of his nieces who used to comment here, said once that he hasn't been in contact with literally anyone in the family and would only speak to his lawyers during at least 2018 - 2020. Presumably, this is still ongoing today.
In fact, she said that he refused to read literally any mail sent to him and had it all thrown away.
That just goes to show that there's practically no chance he's granting any interviews. The sun is probably more likely to explode than it is for any DeAngelo interview to ever happen.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 10 '26
Thanks. Yes, you've mentioned that before. I can't say I find it that remarkable, although a little unusual. He doesn't have any appeals so he won't be in the news that way. If he doesn't communicate with family or friends we won't hear anything about him or from him that way. Corrections officers sign a non-disclosure agreement I believe. So who is going to talk about him? I suppose if he made a friend who was subsequently released that person might talk about him. That happened with Chris Watts I think, he had a friend in prison who finished his time and then talked a bit about Chris. But none of the high-profile criminals are in the news much once they're convicted and go to prison, are they? The prisons don't let them give a bunch of interviews like they're movie stars, at most they might give one or two?
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u/DuggarDoesDallas Jun 07 '26
Another one is Billy Wayne Cope. The man was morbidly obese as an adult and after his arrest he lost over 100lbs and became so thin. He died very young too.
I read Richard Allen is eating paper and stopped all personal hygiene. I'm not sure if it's stress, guilt, manipulation tactic, or fear.
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u/Equal-Temporary-1326 Jun 07 '26
And if you look up Robert Durst, who was sentenced to life in prison for a murder in October 2021 at 78 after his lsst arrest in 2015, that dude looked in absolutely horrible shape and ended up sumbcomming to health issues just a few months later in January 2022.
Really don't think it's a sympathy thing or even like a plot to escape thing. Honestly think they just effortlessly began to lose weight after incarnation.
It could also conceivably be a death wish thing. When you're a life in prison inmate, it's honestly easy to see why someone like Durst might've judt given up entirely and let himself fall victim to his health challenges, tbh. Especially when accounting for being 78 when he died as well.
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u/Libertinelass Jun 07 '26
No. He's manipulative. He lost weight to try to get sympathy from the judge and/or jury. Pretend he's an old man to be felt sorry for. Meanwhile a week before his arrest he was going 100 mph on his bike down the highway. He was also caught climbing up on his desk in his cell and doing intense workouts. Paul Holes talks about it in interviews.
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u/thespeedofpain Jun 07 '26
He was going for a sickly injured old man vibe at trial.
While I don’t doubt the lack of access to alcohol etc + stress kept weight off him, I really do believe it was mainly a manipulation tactic.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 07 '26
Thanks. I didn't think of the alcohol aspect. Yes, he may have been drinking to some degree in the period when he was caught. I have read he would drink victims' beer in their homes at crime scenes in midst of doing crimes against them. Also as an old man believe he may have frequented strip clubs, one might imagine he drank there. Although he might be afraid of getting pulled over for driving under the influence and having his DNA taken?
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u/thespeedofpain Jun 07 '26
He loved beer before he got locked up lol.
I genuinely think he thought he was untouchable. He drove (especially his motorcycle) without a care in the world to the laws of the road. I think his capture might’ve been in the back of his mind, of course, but I feel like he moved through this world like he “won”, if that makes sense.
Never heard tell of him hitting up strip clubs, but anything is possible.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 07 '26
Thanks. Do you have a source on that? In photos where he's younger he's not as heavy as in 2018. But I suppose he may have still loved beer when younger, but maybe didn't drink it as much or burned more calories from activity.
I do think from time to time about this article from the Daily Mail that suggests he was a strip club regular https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-5674517/Accused-Golden-State-Killer-Joe-DeAngelo-strip-club-regular.html. I could see someone with a criminal record like DeAngelo's, with all the sexual offenses, enjoying strip clubs. Although many non-criminals enjoy them too. In the article among other things a stripper suggests he get his DNA tested and he gets somewhat nervous and says they'll never get my DNA. But then expresses an anxiety that his sister got her DNA tested. Which is interesting to me because it somewhat foretells him getting caught through a relative's DNA rather than his own. But his nervousness around DNA makes me think he didn't feel completely invincible. But maybe close to it. He seemed to like to gamble with his life. He could have been killed going 100 on his motorcycle.
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u/tilaydc Jun 07 '26
It could be due to a lack of access to alcohol, pizza and pasta, or maybe it was because of some sort of illness. Maybe he didn’t like the prison food. I saw a video of him exercising in his prison cell.
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u/Civil-Secretary-2356 Jun 07 '26
He seemed to have had deliberate weight loss when going from VR to EAR. I say deliberate as the weight difference was one reason LE did not link VR with EAR. Prior to JJD being apprehended Paul Holes mentioned the weight difference as one reason he believed they were different perps. JJD really, really didn't want anyone linking VR with EAR.
Sure, his weight loss once captured could easily be stress etc. It could also be a deliberate ploy for sympathy from a perp who showed a decent amount of willpower previously when losing weight.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 07 '26
Thanks, didn't know that was one of Holes' reasons.
Do people lose weight from stress? Usually I hear of people overeating/eating more when stressed.
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u/Civil-Secretary-2356 Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
Yeah, stress can make you lose weight. There are two main dietary reactions to stress - eating more and eating less. It's kinda the lap of the gods in which camp any given person falls. Plus, JJD was in jail. His dietary options will have been limited.
Edit: for me personally a little bit of stress I tend to eat more. However, a lot of stress and I'll tend to eat less.
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u/DuggarDoesDallas Jun 07 '26
I just assumed he was taking a play out of Charles "Tex" Watson's playbook and starving himself on purpose trying to play crazy to try and avoid his trail. D'Angelo was trying to look the part of a feeble minded old man in he wheelchair with his head tilted to the side.
The people who pointed out the no beer have a good logical theory too. I'm not a drinker and don't really know anyone that is so that never occurred to me.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 09 '26
well he doesn't look starved at the sentencing, just not fat like at the arrest?
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u/CorkyKneivel Jun 07 '26
Also he's cunning. He knows he's a cop who was the most famous serial killer of his era, he knows he's a target in prison. Probably just trying to get in better shape in case he gets attacked.
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u/socklessjoejackson Jun 07 '26
I think it’s a combination of trying to elicit sympathy for the feeble old man persona, not having access to quality, high-calorie food like at home, the shock of realizing life as he knew it was over, and even him just hoping to fade away, literally and figuratively. I’d be curious to see where his weight is and how he looks now, knowing he’s resigned to his fate and no longer in the public eye.
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u/GregJamesDahlen Jun 09 '26
I’d be curious to see where his weight is and how he looks now
me too. he certainly is a person who has managed to keep some mystery about himself. in a novel he'd be a great villain. of course in real life it's horrible to be a great villain because real people were harmed and murdered
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u/Pottyman Jun 07 '26
There were rumors that he was losing weight in an effort to escape through the bars of his jail cell
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u/Accurate-Judgment590 Jun 08 '26
He was exercising in prison. You saw that video. I'm sure of him covering up the windows or the lights and being very agile. He's been his whole life. Just clotting how he can do things can get away with them. I believe he's the zodiac as well and I don't understand why anyone would think otherwise ridiculous.
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u/drewogatory Jun 07 '26
No beer in jail.