Visalia Ransacker Investigation with Retired Sgt. John Vaughan
Apr
6

Visalia Ransacker Investigation with Retired Sgt. John Vaughan

  • College of the Sequoias, Ponderosa Lecture Hall (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Inside the Visalia Ransacker Investigation

Free Program, April 6, 2022 at 6:00 pm

Ponderosa Lecture Hall – College of the Sequoias

Thank you to everyone who came to support our event. If you missed it, or would like to watch it again, please click below:

Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaUKplwSDhM&t=1123s

Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVeSjg5T64&t=1444s

In the mid 1970s, Visalia was plagued with a long series of prowling, peeping, and burglary crimes all believed to be committed by the same person. The crime spree seemed to culminate in Visalia with the 1975 murder of COS journalism instructor Claude Snelling. The search for the serial criminal resulted in one of the biggest manhunts in Tulare County history. The Visalia Police Department established a special investigative unit led by Sergeant John Vaughan, now retired, to track down the man dubbed the “Visalia Ransacker.” 

The team followed many leads and tips, but the suspect eluded capture. After the Snelling murder, the crimes committed by the suspect stopped in Visalia. But in the subsequent years, similar crimes surfaced in other areas of California. 

On April 24, 2018, Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested in the Sacramento area by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department for murder and other crimes. He was called the “Golden State Killer.” It was believed that DeAngelo had been responsible for many murders, kidnappings, rapes and other crimes throughout California, one of them being the murder of Claude Snelling in Visalia. Finally, VPD had a name to go with of the Visalia Ransacker. DeAngelo pled guilty to many of his crimes including the Snelling murder, and on August 21, 2020, he was sentenced to life in prison. He is now in the state prison in Corcoran.

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Ponderosa Lecture Hall at the College of the Sequoias, Visalia Heritage will present a program featuring retired Sergeant John Vaughan as the guest speaker. We will finally hear what went on during that intense and secretive investigation. I will moderate the event. The program is called “Inside the Visalia Ransacker Investigation” and will include never before released information from the files of the special investigation unit led by Sgt. Vaughan. It will be interesting, revealing and jaw dropping, and will include the revelation of information never before made public. An open microphone will be made available to those in attendance who care to make a comment or ask a question. Refreshments will be served.

Please mark your calendars and plan on attending this free historic true crime program. Seating is limited and is first come first served. Convenient parking in the COS lot. For more information call me at (559) 901-3227 or email me at visaliahisterry@gmail.com.

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