Explore Interactive Map
See all connections visually
Who is Michelle McNamara?
Michelle McNamara was a true-crime writer who founded the True Crime Diary blog. She spent years researching the unsolved East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker case. She gave the offender the name "Golden State Killer" and wrote about the case in a 2013 Los Angeles magazine feature. She died in her sleep in April 2016 at age 46. Her book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" was finished by collaborators and published in February 2018. Two months later, investigators who had used a genealogy website arrested Joseph James DeAngelo. Sacramento's sheriff said the book did not lead directly to the arrest, though he said it kept public interest and tips coming.
Key dates
- 2006 — McNamara launched her True Crime Diary website to look online for clues in cold cases that authorities may have missed. Los Angeles Magazine
- 2013-03 — Los Angeles magazine published her first magazine feature, "In the Footsteps of a Killer," about a serial rapist and murderer who struck across California from 1976 to 1986. Los Angeles Magazine
- 2016-04-21 — McNamara died in her sleep at age 46 while still working on her book about the case. The Washington Post (via Anchorage Daily News)
- 2018-02-27 — "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" was published posthumously. Los Angeles Magazine
- 2018-04 — Investigators arrested Joseph James DeAngelo after tracing crime-scene DNA to relatives through a consumer genealogy website and confirming the match with DNA he had discarded. Reuters (via Global News)
- 2020-06-28 — HBO premiered "I'll Be Gone in the Dark," a six-part docuseries based on her book and directed by Liz Garbus. Fortune
- 2020-08-21 — DeAngelo, who had pleaded guilty in June to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges, was sentenced to life without parole; the judge thanked McNamara by name. NBC News
Last reviewed 2026-10-18. Statements are attributed to the linked sources; inclusion on this page does not imply wrongdoing.
Strongest Evidence
Patton Oswalt
Oswalt was married to McNamara and became the public advocate for her work after her death.
McNamara Coins "Golden State Killer" (2013)
McNamara wrote the 2013 LA Magazine article that coined the name "Golden State Killer."
"I'll Be Gone in the Dark" Published (2018)
McNamara wrote the majority of the book before her death in 2016; it was completed posthumously.
Connections (3)
Oswalt was married to McNamara and became the public advocate for her work after her death.
McNamara wrote the 2013 LA Magazine article that coined the name "Golden State Killer."
McNamara wrote the majority of the book before her death in 2016; it was completed posthumously.
Mutual Connections
Entities that are connected to Michelle McNamara and also to each other.
Patton Oswalt & "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" Published (2018)
Both connected to Michelle McNamara and to each other
Frequently asked questions
Did Michelle McNamara name the Golden State Killer?+
Yes. McNamara gave the offender the nickname "Golden State Killer." It replaced the regional labels that different police agencies had used, and it reflected that his crimes spanned the state. She wrote about the case at length for Los Angeles magazine in 2013. The Washington Post (via Anchorage Daily News)
Did Michelle McNamara's book help catch the Golden State Killer?+
Not directly, according to investigators. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said no information from the book led to DeAngelo's arrest, though it kept interest and tips coming in. DeAngelo was identified through genetic genealogy, by matching crime-scene DNA to relatives on a genealogy site. Her husband, Patton Oswalt, publicly credited her work after the arrest. The Washington Post (via Anchorage Daily News)
How did Michelle McNamara die?+
McNamara died in her sleep on April 21, 2016, at age 46. NPR host Terry Gross reported that the cause was an undiagnosed heart problem and that Xanax, Adderall and fentanyl were also in her system. Her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, said the cause was a combination of factors. The Washington Post (via Anchorage Daily News)
Who finished I'll Be Gone in the Dark?+
After McNamara's death, researcher Paul Haynes and investigative journalist Billy Jensen completed the book, working with her husband Patton Oswalt. It was published in 2018, about two months before DeAngelo's arrest. Fortune
When was the Golden State Killer caught?+
Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer, was arrested in April 2018, nearly two years after McNamara died. In June 2020 he pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 rape-related charges, and in August 2020 he was sentenced to consecutive life terms without parole. The judge thanked McNamara by name at sentencing. NBC News