Search Crews Combing Home Of Suspected East Area Rapist

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — For Sacramento County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Belli, crossing into this crime scene and searching through the home of the suspected East Area Rapist is a crowning moment of his career.

"Obviously, I'm happy we closed this case," Belli said.

He has spent a decade on this case. Now he's searching through the alleged killer Joe DeAngelo's house, inside his rooms, for items Belli spent years only seeing in criminal case archives.

"We're going through each of the rooms, very painstakingly slow," Belli said. "We're looking at absolutely every item."

From stolen class rings to earrings to fine china, these are some of the items reportedly stolen in the violent attacks by the East Area Rapist.

"We also knew, obviously he wore a ski mask on many occasions," Belli said, "so those types of items would be of interest to us."

Investigators are also digging up DeAngelo's backyard and placing evidence markers in spots of interest.

"We go through and we probe the backyards," Lt. Belli said. "You don't know if somebody buried something, or there might be something back there of interest."

There is also evidence investigators are searching in front of DeAngelo's home.

His boat sits in his driveway and has a name that now appears all too fitting for its owner. The accused East Area Rapist called his boat "Scary."

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