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A Conversation with Thien Ho, Sacramento District Attorney and Author of The People vs The Golden State Killer

Asian American History 101

Release Date: 11/03/2025

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Thien Ho

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 44! Our guest today is Thien Ho, the Sacramento District attorney and long time prosecutor. He’s also the author of the upcoming book, The People vs. The Golden State Killer which will be published by Third State Books and releases on November 11th.

This true crime memoir follows Thien's experience as the lead prosecutor on the case against Joseph DeAngelo, one of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th century. It covers never-before published details about the investigation, capture, and trial that put DeAngelo behind bars. At the same time, the book is a memoir that follows Thien's personal story escaping war-torn Vietnam as a young boy and working his way up the law enforcement system to becoming the lead prosecutor in the case. Ho has gone on to become the Sacramento District Attorney, one of only 10 API District Attorneys in the country (there are 2400 total DAs). 

We loved how the book also highlights the experiences of three key survivors of DeAngelo's crimes, something that other books on the Golden State Killer haven't done to any significant extent… and this gives power to the survivors. In fact, a portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated both by the author and Third State Books to Phyllis’s Garden, a nonprofit advocating for victims’ rights begun in honor of a GSK survivor. 

To get a copy of the book, we encourage you to purchase through the links on thienho.org because you’ll be supporting small businesses. 

If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

The People vs The Golden State Killer Cover