Patton Oswalt is honoring his late wife, true crime writer Michelle McNamara.
The stand-up comedian took to Twitter on Friday after Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo was finally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his lengthy spree of rapes and murders.
McNamara is best known for her posthumously published best seller, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer.”
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“The insect gets none of my headspace today,” Oswalt, 51, captioned two photos of McNamara. “I’m thinking of the victims, and the survivors, and the witnesses and crusaders and investigators. And of course Michelle. Go forward in peace, all of you.”
McNamara died in her sleep in April 2016, just days after celebrating her 46th birthday. Her death was attributed to an undiagnosed heart condition and an accidental overdose.
The book was completed by Oswalt, McNamara’s researcher Paul Haynes, and crime journalist Billy Jensen, and published in February 2018. DeAngelo was arrested that April.
A docuseries based on the book and really, McNamara’s journey writing it, premiered on HBO this summer and details the ways in which researching the case overtook the TrueCrimeDiary founder’s life.
DeAngelo, 74, a former cop also known as the East Area Rapist, began killing in 1975 and committed 13 murders during his lengthy spree, which also included more than 50 rapes, that were too old to prosecute. His reign of terror ended in 1986.
Responding to Oswalt’s message Friday, many on Twitter wanted to thank McNamara for the painstaking work she undertook.
“This wouldn’t have happened without Michelle McNamara, and you. You have been great by keeping her story out there,” wrote one user.
Another, who grew up in one of the neighborhoods targeted by DeAngelo, said he “lived the nightmare and mystery Michelle finally solved. … Thank you, Michelle.”
“Michelle’s work and words feel like the security blanket that will remain draped over the survivors,” tweeted another user. “She was there for them and remains there for them. Her words echo in my head as I watch the proceedings from a distance, knowing my own limits. She was a true guardian.”