An ex-policeman turned violent serial prowler known as the "Golden State Killer" pleaded guilty on Monday to 13 murders and confessed to dozens of rapes and home invasions that terrorised much of California during the 1970s and '80s.

Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, entered the pleas as part of a broader agreement with prosecutors sparing him from a potential death sentence in exchange for his admission to all offences he stood accused of - charged and uncharged - in 11 California counties...