I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

At the time of writing this, Joseph James DeAngelo has been arrested and has been arraigned on two counts of murder in Sacramento County. He has also been charged with two counts of murder in Ventura County and four counts of murder in Orange County. More charges are expected. As of the time of writing, he has not plead innocent or guilty. More can be read about that here.

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

With my recent interest in true crime, I'll Be Gone in the Dark has been on my TRB list for a few months now. With the news of the capture of the Golden State Killer, I moved it up on my list of books to read. Unlike other serial killers I've read about, the GSK isn't as prolific, unless you lived in the counties affected. However, also unlike other serial killers I've read about, he was much worse. In a time spanning more than 10 years, he committed roughly 120 burglaries, 50 rapes, and murdered 12 people. He was also known as the East Area Rapist (EAR) and the Original Night Stalker. And then, in 1986, he disappeared.

(Golden State Killer victim
Janelle Cruz in happier times,
at the Bluff Lake YMCA
camp (circa 1981).
Courtesy of Michelle White)

Michelle McNamara ran a crime blog, True Crime Diary. After a woman in her hometown neighborhood was murdered and the murderer never found, Michelle took an interest in cold cases. "What gripped me was the specter of that question mark where the killers face should be. The hollow gap of his identity seemed violently powerful to me" (p. 45). Michelle wanted to take that power away and give it back to the victims and the victims family. This desire to find peace for the victims and to put the criminal behind bars led to her blog and to her writing this book. Unfortunately, Michelle passed away on April 21, 2016. She did not get to finish the book, and she did not see the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo. However, with the help of her husband, Patton Oswalt, and some researchers and detectives she had built relationships with, they finished the book. Her dedication to finding the Golden State Killer kept interest in the case.

(Manuela Witthuhn, who was murdered
on February 5, 1981, in Irvine, California.
Classmates.com)

"She always said, 'I don't care if I'm the one who captures him. I just want bracelets on his wrists and a cell door slamming behind him.' And she meant it. She was born with a true cop's hears and mind-she craved justice, not glory" (p. 318). These words, written by Patton in the afterword, ring true through the entire book. While she does discuss the crimes, she tells you about the victims, she tells you about the families. Through her words, you are given a picture of the lives these people lived, and you learn what was taken away from them. For some, they lost a peace of mind of feeling secure in their own home; for others, it was their life. Even if you knew nothing about the case, Michelle brought these people to life before your eyes, and you would then crave the justice she seeks.

(Keith and Patrice Harrington, who were
murdered in Dana Point, California on
August 19, 1981. The couple had been
married for three months when Keith's
father discovered the bodies in his home,
where they had been staying.
Orange Country Sheriff's Department)

Michelle also discusses the people she's met along the way, the "armchair detectives." People like her who have taken an interest in cases and use their free time to run down leads, look for clues, and other detective-type activities. For some of these people, it is just a weekend hobby; for others, like Michelle, it is more. The more time and money they invest in this, the more they want to find the killer. They need to justify the time and money, but they also want justice. Michelle built relationships with the victims and their families. She knew the suffering they went through and wanted to do what she could to relieve it. She also built relationships with current and retired detectives and officers.

"'It is not easy to gain the trust of so many detectives across so many jurisdictions,' Erika Hutchcraft told us, 'but she managed todo so and you knew it was by her reputation, her perseverance and the fact that she cared about the case.'

"Paul Holes concurred, going so far as to say that he considered Michelle to be his detective partner on the case. 'We were constantly in communication. I would get excited about something and would sent it to her and she would also get excited. She would dig and find a name and send it to me to look into. This case is the ultimate emotional roller coaster...Michelle and I shared in those ups and down." (p. 314)

(Charlene and Lyman Smith, who were murdered on March 13, 1980, in their Ventura home. Classmates.com.)

Below is a video from Late Night with Seth Meyers where he interviews Patton Oswalt on the day that Joseph James DeAngelo. He reads part of the afterward that Michelle had written, titled Letter to an Old Man. Her afterward was one of the most powerful things I have ever read in my 27 years of life. 

I will be following the rest of this saga as DeAngelo is put through trial. I will be anxious to find out what his plea is, and I will be waiting for all trials to finish, and sentencing to be announced, and for all families affected finally receive the news they have been waiting decades for.

(Debra Alexandria Manning, who was murdered alongside Robert Offerman in his Goleta condominium on December 30, 1979.

An undated photo of osteopathic surgeon Robert Offerman, who was shot to death on December 30, 1979.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office/ Orange County Sheriff's Department)

All photos have been scanned from the book. The captions are straight from the book.

Rating: 10/10

Author: Michelle McNamara

Genres: Non-Fiction, True Crime, History