HBO's New True-Crime Docuseries 'I'll Be Gone in the Dark' Charts the Hunt for the Golden State Killer

The six-part series looks set to become your next true-crime obsession.
Sarah Ward
May 09, 2020

If you spend your free time binging on true crime, then you're probably familiar with the Golden State Killer. Between 1974–1986, the serial killer, rapist and burglar terrorised California, committing at least 12 murders, over 50 home-invasion rapes and more than 100 burglaries. Until 2018, however, the culprit hadn't been caught. Accordingly, it's the type of case that has kept more than a few folks wondering over the years and decades — including writer Michelle McNamara.

HBO's new true-crime docuseries I'll Be Gone in the Dark chronicles McNamara's obsession with the case, as well as her hunt to find the perpetrator. Her tale is filled with intrigue, too, with her nights spent sleuthing through unsolved crimes while her family slept, as well as penning the blog True Crime Diaries. Fixating on the Golden State Killer led to an article for Los Angeles Magazine, plus a book deal. But before she could finish her manuscript, McNamara — who was also married to comedian Patton Oswalt — died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in her sleep.

Based on McNamara's book I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, which was published two years after her death (and before an arrest was made in the case), the six-part series steps through this whole scenario. When the series hits HBO in the US at the end of June — with dates Down Under yet to be revealed, but Australian airings likely to happen via Foxtel — viewers can obviously expect quite the detective story.

On offer: archival footage and details from police files; interviews with detectives, survivors and family members of the killer; and McNamara's own words, via original recordings as well as excerpts from her book read by actor Amy Ryan (Late Night, Beautiful Boy, The Office). The series also doubles as an exploration of the handling of sexual crimes in the 70s and 80s, as well as an examination of true-crime obsession and pursuit of justice.

Check out the trailer the below:

I'll Be Gone in the Dark starts screening on HBO in the US on June 28. An air date Down Under is yet to be announced — we'll update you when further details come to hand.

Top image: Robyn Van Swank/HBO.

Published on May 09, 2020 by Sarah Ward
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