Sharon Marie Huddle is an American family law attorney best known as the former wife of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., the notorious criminal identified decades later as the Golden State Killer. While online spam networks occasionally auto-generate fabricated articles scrambling her name with bizarre pseudonyms or theatrical alter egos, the real story of Sharon Marie Huddle is a grounded, somber narrative of a legal career built in Sacramento, an unexpected marriage to a violent predator, and the profound aftermath of discovering a hidden monster living under one's own roof.
Understanding her background requires separating sensationalized internet myths from documented public records. From her early education in California to her decades practicing law and her eventual separation following DeAngelo's 2018 arrest, her life intersects directly with one of the most exhaustive manhunts in American criminal history.
Early Life and Legal Education in California
Born in 1953, Sharon Marie Huddle grew up in Citrus Heights, California, as the daughter of Clarence Huddle. She attended San Juan High School, where she graduated in the early 1970s before pursuing higher education locally. She enrolled at American River College in Sacramento, laying the groundwork for a professional path in jurisprudence.
She then advanced to the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific. While studying law in Sacramento, she met Joseph James DeAngelo, who had recently served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War and later worked as a police officer in Exeter, California. The couple married on May 19, 1973, when Huddle was 20 years old and DeAngelo was 27.
Following her graduation from law school, Huddle earned admission to the California State Bar in 1982, establishing a professional identity completely separate from her husband's daily life.
Professional Career and Surrogacy Advocacy
Throughout the 1980s and subsequent decades, Huddle built a stable career as a licensed attorney in the Sacramento area. Operating primarily out of Roseville and Sacramento, she specialized in family law, divorce proceedings, and real estate legal matters. Her practice sustained her independently while she navigated family life.
Beyond her standard private practice, Huddle engaged in public advocacy. She co-founded the National Coalition Against Surrogacy, an organization formed to lobby against state legislation governing the rights of surrogate women and to protect legal standards surrounding surrogacy agreements. Her professional reputation remained clean and active within the California legal community, completely untainted by her husband's hidden actions until his identification decades later.
Marriage, Family Life, and the Hidden Crimes
During their marriage, Huddle and DeAngelo welcomed three daughters, born in 1981, 1986, and 1989. For decades, Huddle had no inkling that her husband was perpetrating violent crimes across California.
Beginning in 1974—shortly after their wedding—DeAngelo engaged in a prolific spree of burglaries, rapes, and murders across multiple California counties, operating as the East Area Rapist and later the Original Night Stalker. Because law enforcement agencies across different jurisdictions failed to connect the regional crimes at the time, the magnitude of the terror remained decentralized. To Huddle and her neighbors, DeAngelo appeared to be a working father, later taking a job as a mechanic at a distribution center for Save Mart, where he remained employed for 27 years until retiring in 2017.
The couple separated in 1991, though they remained legally married for decades afterward.
The 2018 Arrest and Legal Fallout
On April 24, 2018, investigators using familial DNA profiling matched genetic material from crime scene evidence to distant relatives on an open-source genealogy database, leading law enforcement directly to DeAngelo's doorstep in Citrus Heights. He was arrested outside his home at the age of 72.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the public and devastated Huddle, who had lived with him for years without suspecting his crimes. Following his apprehension, Huddle released a brief statement through her attorney expressing grief for the victims and their families while firmly requesting privacy from relentless media intrusion.
She filed for divorce shortly after his arrest in July 2018. In June 2020, DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 13 counts of murder and multiple related kidnappings to avoid the death penalty, receiving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole. Following his guilty plea, Huddle broke her silence in a televised interview with The Sacramento Bee, detailing the immense psychological trauma she suffered, noting that the betrayal left her battling severe post-traumatic stress disorder and deep paranoia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sharon Marie Huddle's current profession?
Sharon Marie Huddle is an attorney who has maintained an active license with the California State Bar, focusing primarily on family law and divorce cases in the Sacramento area.
When did Sharon Marie Huddle and Joseph DeAngelo divorce?
The couple separated in 1991, but Huddle officially filed for divorce in July 2018 following DeAngelo's arrest, which was resolved as legal proceedings concluded.
Did Sharon Marie Huddle know about her ex-husband's crimes?
Investigative findings and public records indicate that Huddle had no knowledge of DeAngelo's double life as the Golden State Killer during the time they lived together.
How many children do Sharon Marie Huddle and Joseph DeAngelo share?
They share three daughters, who pursued successful independent careers in fields such as medicine and advanced academic research.
