Golden State Killer House Citrus Heights

You know that weird, slightly unsettling feeling you get when you’re driving through a quiet suburb and spot a house that just looks… off? Maybe a For Sale sign has been there for years, or the hedges are a little too overgrown. I had that exact feeling last spring in Citrus Heights, California. I was grabbing a coffee near Sunrise Boulevard, and my GPS took me down a sleepy street called Evanston Avenue.

I didn't plan to stop. But there it was, a modest single-story house at 1125 Evanston Avenue, looking almost too normal. Why does this dump look famous? I thought. Then it hit me—this was the infamous Golden State Killer's house. Talk about a grim real estate tour. You’re probably thinking, “Wait, the guy who terrorized California for a decade lived in a tract home off the freeway?” Yes, and the irony is almost too much to stomach.

The Most Ordinary Monster’s Lair

Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., the Golden State Killer, lived here from the late 1980s until his arrest in 2018. The house is a beige, one-story, three-bedroom job. Think “carpet that hasn’t been replaced since 1992” meets “neighbor who never returns your wave.” It’s the exact definition of suburban anonymity.

Here’s the kicker: while the killer was committing at least 13 murders and over 50 rapes across the state, he was just a guy in a polo shirt mowing his lawn. You can almost picture him swapping gossip with the mailman while planning his next move. (Spoiler: he probably didn’t. He was a quiet, grumpy ex-cop who kept to himself.)

The House That Stares Back

Standing in front of that house, you feel a weird mix of curiosity and nausea. The front door, now painted a dull green, saw the comings and goings of one of America’s worst serial criminals. It’s not a haunted mansion—it’s just a haunted idea of normal life. When DeAngelo was finally caught in 2018, the neighbors were speechless. “He was always trimming his roses,” one said. Yes, because nothing says “I’m not a serial killer” like a well-groomed lawn.

Man in Golden State Killer case lived with daughter, granddaughter

Fast forward to today, and the house is sold. Someone actually bought it in 2020 for around $480,000. I’m not kidding—in California’s insane housing market, even a monster’s den is a steal. The new owner probably had to decide between “tear it down for good karma” and “rent it out to people who don’t watch true crime.”

The Real Horror? The Neighborhood

Here’s the part that keeps me up at night: Citrus Heights is a totally normal, sleepy Sacramento suburb. It’s the kind of place where people get excited about a new Walmart. But this house sits just a few blocks from a school, a park, and a strip mall with a donut shop. It’s as if evil decided to set up shop in a Brady Bunch episode.

When the news broke, reporters swarmed the street like ants at a picnic. They found DeAngelo’s old garage full of tools, a stack of newspapers, and… that’s it. No dungeon, no secret trophy room. Just a garage so normal it makes you want to scream. The man who terrorized a state kept screwdrivers and two-by-fours. It’s like finding out Dracula used IKEA furniture.

Home of suspected ‘Golden State Killer’ sold in Citrus Heights | KTVU FOX 2

What’s It Like to Live There Now?

I asked around (okay, I lurked on Reddit). Most neighbors say life on Evanston Avenue has returned to “quiet, boring, and safe.” The new owner reportedly gutted the place and repainted everything. But here’s the thing—you can’t paint over a story. You can slap new drywall over the walls, but the address itself is now a permanent footnote in California crime lore.

I read that a few true crime fans still drive by. They take selfies with the house. And I’m thinking, Really? You want to remember your vacation to Citrus Heights with a photo of a serial killer’s bathroom? But hey, different strokes for different folks. If you ever visit, grab a coffee from the Starbucks across the street—it’s the same one DeAngelo might have used. Just don’t forget to tip the barista, okay?

Suspected 'Golden State Killer' seemed shocked by arrest, told police

Dark Tourism, Unfiltered

This house represents the ultimate, uncomfortable truth: evil doesn’t live in a castle. It lives in a house with a broken sprinkler system and a 1994 Dodge Caravan parked in the driveway. The Golden State Killer’s house is a monument to how banal true horror can be. No chalk outlines, no gothic spires—just beige walls and a door that still screams “please don’t knock.”

So next time you roll through a California suburb and see a house that feels… heavy, listen to your gut. It’s probably just a house where someone forgot their recycling bins. Or it’s where Joseph DeAngelo planned his next attack between episodes of Wheel of Fortune. Either way, keep walking. And maybe lock your doors.

Final thought: If you ever see a For Sale sign on 1125 Evanston Avenue again, just remember—you can buy the house, but you can’t buy the story. And honestly? You probably don’t want to live inside that story. You’re welcome for the nightmare fuel.