Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Late True-Crime Writer's Book Hailed Amid Arrest In 'Golden State Killer' Case

A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 24, 2018 in Sacramento, Calif. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of the 72-year-old DeAngelo, who is believed to be the "Golden State Killer" who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and '80s. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 24, 2018 in Sacramento, Calif. Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert was joined by law enforcement officials from across California to announce the arrest of the 72-year-old DeAngelo, who is believed to be the "Golden State Killer" who killed at least 12, raped over 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes throughout California in the 1970s and '80s. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Police in California say “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” by Michelle McNamara, helped build public interest in the decades-old case of the so-called Golden State Killer. McNamara died in her sleep in 2016 before the book was finished. Her husband, comedian Patton Oswalt, made sure it was published.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with Billy Jensen (@Billyjensen), an investigative journalist and researcher who worked with Oswalt, about McNamara’s work and news that authorities arrested a suspect in the case, 72-year-old James Joseph DeAngelo, on Tuesday.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.