Survivor of Golden State Killer attack donates 'soft interview room' to Folsom Police Department

Kris Pedretti was just 15 years old when she was sexually assaulted by the serial rapist known as the Golden State Killer. It was December of 1976; Pedretti was alone in her family's Carmichael home when Joseph James DeAngelo broke in and proceeded to rape and torment her for hours. Pedretti now runs a nonprofit established as a support resource for other sexual assault victims, Phyllis's Garden. Last Thursday, Jan. 16, it was announced that a "soft interview room" was donated by Pedretti's organization to the Folsom Police Department. The soft interview room is a place where detectives can talk to victims of sexual assault and other crimes while making them feel as comfortable as possible, with relaxing seating, soft lighting and warm aesthetics. Pedretti spoke to members of the Folsom Police Department on Jan. 16 about the attack she survived, and how the process after the crime brought its own set of challenges and trauma. For instance, when investigators came to question her, they did so in the same room where she had just been raped, rather than finding a less-traumatizing location. And while Pedretti said the officers were nice enough, ensuring she felt safe and comfortable was not a priority during that time period. Between the mid-1970s through 1986, DeAngelo was responsible for a crime spree that included at least 13 murders, 50 rapes and other crimes. DeAngelo has local ties: He attended school in Rancho Cordova in the 1960s and Folsom High School from 1961-64. DeAngelo eventually became a police officer in Exeter and later in Auburn. For years, Pedretti didn't hold onto hope her attacker would be caught; DeAngelo managed to elude authorities for decades. But in April 2018, DeAngelo, who was living in Citrus Heights, was arrested, thanks to investigators who relentlessly continued searching for him, and crucial developments in DNA technology. Today, DeAngelo is serving a series of life terms inside a California State Prison. His arrest and life sentence has brought a huge amount of relief to his victims, but Pedretti said her life was forever changed and haunted by the rape in 1976. She established a support group for other survivors, which she ran out of her backyard. Pedretti also became a vocal advocate, telling her story on podcasts, HBO, documentaries and other mediums to help sexual abuse survivors know they are not alone. "If telling my story helps someone else, that's huge because the memories that are really hard for me are feeling so alone and feeling so isolated," explained Pedretti. Phyllis's Garden is named in honor of another victim of DeAngelo's, Phyllis Henneman, who Pedretti befriended during DeAngelo's court case, in which many of his victims testified against him and told their stories in solidarity. Henneman died of cancer shortly after witnessing DeAngelo's sentencing. Then, Pedretti heard of a similar support group based out of Texas called Project Beloved. She read a story about how the group donated its 100th soft room to a police department in their region. "And then I was like, I'm going to do this, for everyone in Sacramento, the county I live in," said Pedretti. "It would make me feel so good that anyone in this county that reports (a sexual assault) would go to a place that says we care about you." Phyllis's Garden has now donated five soft interview rooms to Sacramento-area law enforcement agencies, including the Folsom Police Department. Folsom Detective Gavin Plank said detectives often conduct interviews in a recorded room, but they are appreciative of the opportunity to also have a soft interview room for people who are especially traumatized. "This room is dedicated space designed to help survivors of crime, domestic abuse, sexual assault and children in traumatic situations feel more comfortable during interviews," said Plank. "This room is a space that is comfortable rather than stark and allows the participant to feel physically and emotionally safe and can have a significant impact on the interview process." If a crime victim is more relaxed, less stressed, they are more likely to offer and recall information that can lead to their attacker's capture. Pedretti said she's often heard about sexual assault victims walking into a soft interview room and breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Right there, getting rid of that anxiety and that tenseness with that breath, and being offered a cup of coffee or tea, are you hungry … I never got to be interviewed like that, but I can just imagine feeling the release," said Pedretti. The other part of the equation is helping officers become more "trauma informed," such as being kind, leaving bias behind and minding their facial expressions, according to Pedretti. "If we could just make everything so victim centered where they feel respected, the impact that I would hope is that rapists and other perpetrators would go down because more people would report," said Pedretti. "That would be the impact that would make it all worth everything." Pedretti and Phyllis's Garden will continue establishing soft interview rooms in local police departments. Pedretti said she also wants sexual assault victims to know her support group is always available to those who want to talk, or just listen; together, they can forge a new path toward healing. Said Pedretti, "When you're ready, we're here. We will always be here."