I'll Be Gone in the Dark

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer is a true crime book by Michelle McNamara about the Golden State Killer. The book was released on February 27, 2018, nearly two years after McNamara's death and two months before an arrest would be made in the case.

See also: I'll Be Gone in the Dark (TV series)

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
First edition cover
AuthorMichelle McNamara
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
true crime
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
February 27, 2018
Media typeBook
Pages352
ISBN978-0-06-231978-4
OCLC988857242
364.152/3209794
LC ClassHV6565.C2 M36 2018

The book's title is a reference to a direct quote spoken by the Golden State Killer to one of his victims: "You'll be silent forever, and I'll be gone in the dark."[1]

Development

After becoming interested in the crimes of what was then known as the "East Area Rapist" (among other names) McNamara wrote a 2013 Los Angeles magazine article about the serial killer, and ultimately signed a book deal with HarperCollins to write about the case.

McNamara is credited with coining the moniker Golden State Killer[2] to refer to the serial killer/rapist who had previously been referred to by various other names including the East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker, Visalia Ransacker, East Bay Rapist and Diamond Knot Killer.[3] McNamara's coining of the Golden State Killer moniker is credited with heightening awareness of the uncaught killer that operated throughout California.[4]

With her book two-thirds completed,[5] McNamara died in her sleep on April 21, 2016 at the age of 46 due to an accidental prescription drug overdose in conjunction with atherosclerosis.[6] Crime writer Paul Haynes, investigative journalist Billy Jensen, and McNamara's husband comedian Patton Oswalt helped complete the book following her death. Jensen later explained that while McNamara had completed numerous chapters for the book they were not in any particular order in her computer files; consequently he, Haynes and Oswalt mainly focused on sequencing her material and filling in gaps from her voluminous notes and copies of police documents.[7]

The book – McNamara's debut – was released on February 27, 2018 and reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller list for non-fiction.[8] The book remained on the list for 15 weeks.[9]

I'll Be Gone in the Dark contains an introduction by Gillian Flynn and afterword by Oswalt.

Impact

On April 25, 2018, the Sacramento Sheriff announced the April 24 arrest of a suspect in the Golden State Killer case: 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo (born November 8, 1945). DeAngelo, a former police officer in Auburn and Exeter, California,[10] was arrested and charged with six counts of first-degree murder.[11][12][13] Authorities in Sacramento, Orange, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties prepared charges against DeAngelo for all twelve of the murders in the Golden State Killer case.[14] The sheriff credited McNamara's dedication to the Golden State Killer case for raising publicity, but added that her work did not directly generate any critical tips or information that led to DeAngelo's arrest.[7]

The book and McNamara's work on the case are frequently discussed in the true crime podcast My Favorite Murder, which boasts a large fan base of true crime aficionados. The debut episode of the show ""Episode 1: My Firstest Murder" featured the case as well as a discussion of McNamara's work.[15] Prior to the arrest, "Episode 115: I'll Be Gone in the Dark at Skylight Books" featured Oswalt and Jensen discussing the book and their roles in finishing the project following McNamara's death.[16] In that episode Oswalt discussed McNamara's writing process, including making "era-appropriate playlists to help her get into a proper mindset".[17] Oswalt described the finishing of the book as a bittersweet experience: "It's another part of her that's kind of gone. In a very sick way, not having the book done—and us working on it—meant she was still here."[17]

"Episode 118: Golden State Serial Killer Caught" released on April 26, 2018 (immediately after the arrest was made) featured Jensen discussing the case and his work on the book following McNamara's death.[18] "Episode 122: Surprise! It's Paul Holes" featured Jensen and Holes discussing the case and the impact of McNamara's work.[19]

Following their involvement in the Golden State Killer case and McNamara's work, in 2019 Jensen and Holes began a podcast called Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad where they discuss "unsolved murders, unidentified remains, and missing persons cases" with contributions from their listeners".[20] The show is produced with the Exactly Right podcast network, which was created by My Favorite Murder hosts Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff.

Adaptation
Main article: I'll Be Gone in the Dark (TV series)

In April 2018, HBO announced they had purchased the rights for I'll Be Gone in the Dark and were developing it into a documentary series.[21] Filming for the series began April 24, 2018,[22] directed in part by Academy Award-nominee and Emmy-winner Liz Garbus.[23] The documentary premiered June 28, 2020.[24]

See also

References
  1. Russell, Allison (April 26, 2018). "Suspect Arrested in Golden State Killer Case, the Subject of Michelle McNamara's True Crime Novel I'LL BE GONE IN THE DARK". BOOK RIOT.
  2. "Patton Oswalt Remembers His Wife, Michelle McNamara: 'She Steered Her Life With Joyous, Wicked Curiosity'". Time. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  3. McNamara, Michelle (February 27, 2013). "In the Footsteps of a Killer". Los Angeles. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  4. "Golden State Killer". June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via Wikipedia.
  5. Beale, Lewis (February 24, 2018). "Patton Oswalt Looks Back at His Late Wife's Serial-Killer Obsession". Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via www.thedailybeast.com.
  6. "Actor Patton Oswalt says prescription medications and heart condition caused wife's death". Los Angeles Times. February 4, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  7. Billy Jensen (2019). Chase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders. Sourcebooks, ISBN 1492685852
  8. Canfield, David (March 7, 2018). "Michelle McNamara's posthumous I'll Be Gone in the Dark is a No. 1 best-seller". Entertainment Weekly.
  9. "New York Times Best-Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  10. Myers, Paul (April 25, 2018). "Sacramento Sheriff's Department arrests Visalia Ransacker, confirms he was an officer of the Exeter Police Department in 1973". The Sun Gazette. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  11. "Ex-Cop Arrested in Golden State Killer Case: 'We Found the Needle in the Haystack'". The New York Times. April 25, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  12. Egel, Benjy (April 25, 2018). "Who is the East Area Rapist? Police say it's this ex-cop who attended Folsom High". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  13. Stanglin, Doug (April 25, 2018). "Golden State Killer: Ex-cop Joseph James DeAngelo arrested as suspect in serial murder-rapes". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  14. Lillis, Ryan (April 25, 2018). "Here's where East Area Rapist suspect worked for nearly three decades before retiring". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  15. "1 - My Firstest Murder from My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark". www.stitcher.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  16. "115 - I'll Be Gone In The Dark at Skylight Books from My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark". www.stitcher.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  17. Puchko, Kristy (April 9, 2018). "Patton Oswalt's 'My Favorite Murder' Appearance Is An Ode To His Late Wife, Michelle McNamara". Pajiba. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  18. "118 - Golden State Serial Killer Caught". myfavoritemurder.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  19. "122 - Surprise! It's Paul Holes from My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark". www.stitcher.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  20. "The Murder Squad". Exactly Right Podcast Network. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  21. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise. "Docuseries Based On Michelle McNamara's 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' True-Crime Book In Works At HBO". Deadline.
  22. Raphael, Michele (April 25, 2018). "Arrest of 'Golden State Killer' Mirrors Prediction in Michelle McNamara's Book". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  23. Otterson, Joe (May 1, 2018). "Michelle McNamara's 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark' Greenlit as HBO Docu-Series". Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  24. "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Watch the Trailer for HBO's New Docuseries About the Golden State Killer". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
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