Is Cold Case Murder Of Simi Valley Mother And Child Linked To Golden State Killer?

SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA)   -- Authorities have linked the Golden State Killer to 12 murders.

Officials in Simi Valley now believe that he might be responsible for two more murders -- a cold case that is 40 years old.

"Its within the realm of possibility that he could be a suspect in our case," said Simi Valley Deputy Chief Joseph May.

The deputy chief spoke to KCAL9's Rachel Kim about the case.

Police are now trying to find out if the accused Golden State killer is the killer in one of their biggest cold cases. Did Joseph DeAngelo murder a young mother and her son in their apartment back in 1978?

"You had the same time period that he was committing crime throughout the state, you had our homicide here, also he is suspected of committing a homicide in Ventura County, we are part of Ventura County," said May.

Investigators are waiting to see if the DNA that helped identify DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer will also tie him to the murders of Ronda Wicht and her 4-year-old son.

"We've made a request for a DNA comparison to find out if the DNA they recovered from Mr. DeAngelo is consistent with the DNA that we have in our case," May said.

Craig Coley. 70,  is also waiting for the results of the DNA test.He was wrongly-convicted of the murders.

He told Kim over the phone, "I've always had hope for [being cleared], even while I was in prison."

He was released from state prison in November after spending nearly 40 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

He was Wicht's ex-boyfriend and was wrongly convicted -- introducing DNA evidence was impossible back then and evidence used at trial was faulty. Detectives got the samples re-analyzed with modern DNA technology and found that it wasn't Coley's.

"I don't care how they find out as long as they find out and it's a true conviction," Coley said.

Whether there is a DNA match to the Golden State Killer or to someone else, all he wants is someone held accountable.

"First of all I'd feel elated for the family, for Ronda's family," Coley said, "because I'm not just a victim. I believe that some point in time they will find who did this, and justice will finally be served."

Police did not know when the results of the DNA tests will be in but said they are actively working the case.