HBO series I’ll Be Gone In The Dark delves into Golden State Killer’s shocking crimes
It’s one of the most gruesome true crime stories in US history. And now the Golden State Killer’s crimes are being looked at in a new docuseries.
One of the most shocking true crime cases in recent years is getting the premium documentary treatment.
HBO series I’ll Be Gone In The Dark is set to hit streaming onBinge on August 9, and is director Liz Garbus’ six-episode deep dive into the Golden State Killer’s heinous crimes.
Every part of the Golden State Killer’s case is gruesome and fascinating. But Garbus deftly intertwines the monster at the docuseries’ centre with the story of the unspoken hero who dedicated her life to bringing him down.
Here’s everything you need to know.
RELATED: Ex-girlfriend reveals Golden State Killer’s disturbing sex life
WHO IS THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER?
He was known by three names. The first was the Visalia Ransacker – back when his crime spree was limited to burglaries.
He then progressed to the East Area Rapist or the Original Night Stalker once his abhorrent appetite increased. He was finally and most chillingly known as the Golden State Killer.
From 1974 to 1986 this mysterious figure haunted the state of California. He would often spend days scoping out his targeted house, always focusing on quiet and deceptively peaceful suburbs.
Initially when he began raping his victims he avoided houses with large dogs or husbands. But even that changed once the media tried to summarise his habits.
As if to prove he was paying attention to the endless reports about him, he started to target couples later in his crime spree.
Many of the stories were the same. He would bind and blind these couples before stacking dishes on top of the man. Before he assaulted the helpless women he would warn that if he heard a single dish rattle he would murder them both. Eventually he moved on to do just that.
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Though the Golden State Killer terrorised an entire state for over a decade, he was far from a prolific – or master – criminal.
Often taking trinkets from his victims, it wasn’t unusual to find distinctive shoe prints at the scene of his crimes. This sloppiness speaks to one of the true tragedies of the case. It was always solvable.
But because it spanned so many different police precincts during a time when law enforcement didn’t regularly share information with other officers, in many ways the monster fell through the cracks.
WHO WAS MICHELLE McNAMARA?
If you love true crime there’s a very good chance you already know McNamara’s name. The writer first started to gain fame through her blog, TrueCrimeDiary.
Most true crime writing falls into one of two categories. Either it’s hopelessly dry or it’s so sensationalised it feels gross to read it. McNamara’s writing never fell into these traps.
TrueCrimeDiary added humanity to its crime stories. It rarely turned these criminals into heroes or antiheroes as often happens but always kept the victims and survivors front and centre.
McNamara brought that remarkable style to her book I’ll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search For The Golden State Killer.
Half a story about her own fascination with true crime and the Golden State Killer case in particular, half an actual attempt to identify the Original Night Stalker, the book is unlike anything else in the genre.
Sadly, as praised as McNamara’s book is, it was never supposed to be released in the manner it was.
While working on the book McNamara died of an accidental overdose, though her autopsy also revealed an undiagnosed heart condition. She died in April 2016 at the age of 46.
She was survived by her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, and their daughter Alice.
RELATED: Golden State Killer pleads guilty to murders, rapes
WHAT IS I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK ABOUT?
That’s the name of McNamara’s book.
Released in February 2018, the book has been largely praised. There’s also a good case to be made that I’ll Be Gone In The Dark and McNamara’s tireless work on it led to the arrest of the actual Golden State Killer. While researching material for the book, McNamara worked closely with several detectives, highlighting details and connections they overlooked in this cold case.
The chilling title of the book and the docuseries were taken from the killer and rapist himself. The Golden State Killer reportedly said to one of his victims, “You’ll be silent forever, and I’ll be gone in the dark.”
WAS THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER CAUGHT?
He certainly was.
Roughly two months after the release of McNamara’s book, Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested.
A US navy veteran and former police officer, DeAngelo’s life and moves throughout California almost perfectly match the Golden State Killer’s crime spree.
He was charged with eight counts of first-degree murder based on DNA evidence as well as 13 kidnapping counts.
The police were able to find him due to the recent surge of DNA ancestry testing, something that McNamara long suspected would eventually bring him down.
Last month DeAngelo plead guilty to 13 murder and kidnapping charges and just as many rapes. This admission was part of a deal to avoid the death penalty. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars without parole.
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark is available to stream on Binge from August 9
This story originally appeared on Decider and has been reproduced here with permission
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