I"ll Be Gone in the Dark Show Summary, Upcoming Episodes and TV Guide

As Michelle's loved ones cope with her sudden death, her work to unmask the Golden State Killer lives on. Inspired by McNamara's interest in genealogy and online DNA testing services, Paul Holes, Chief of Forensics in Contra Costa County, reconstructs the killer's family tree with the help of genetic genealogist Barbara-Rae Venter. After inheriting Michelle's 37 boxes of case files, researcher Paul Haynes and true crime writer Billy Jensen work alongside Michelle's husband, Patton Oswalt, to finish her book, which becomes an instant bestseller. Meanwhile, the release of Michelle's autopsy report rocks her inner circle. Michelle's writing - in which she wrestles with depression and her own mother's sudden death - sheds light on her pain but leaves many questions unanswered.

In 1979, law enforcement is thrilled when the East Area Rapist (EAR) attacks abruptly stop in Northern California, but in reality, EAR has moved south to commit a number of gruesome murders in the Santa Barbara area, known as the 'Original Night Stalker' series. The hunt for the perpetrator stalls due to lack of cooperation between jurisdictions and concerns of tarnishing the area's pristine image, leaving the community unaware of the predator in their midst. David Witthuhn, the husband of murder victim Manuela Witthuhn, is questioned as the sole person of interest, but his name isn't cleared until 20 years later, when DNA evidence links his wife's murder not only to others in the Santa Barbara area, but also to EAR assaults in Sacramento. Michelle's article chronicling her investigation of the case, 'In the Footsteps of a Killer,' causes a splash when it's published 2013. After signing a major book deal, she works around the clock to find the killer and struggles with another aspect of the book - writing about herself.

Writer Michelle McNamara, author of True Crime Diary, her blog about unsolved crimes, finds a new obsession in the 'East Area Rapist' (EAR), who terrorized California in the 1970s and '80s, responsible for 50 home-invasion rapes and 12 murders. The EAR, whose true identity is still unknown, would also come to be known as the 'Original Night Stalker' and, as Michelle dubs him, the 'Golden State Killer.' Delving into the world of online chat rooms and crime blogs, she becomes immersed in the graphic details of the Golden State Killer case, connecting with like-minded sleuths, trading facts, photos and leads. After pitching a story to Los Angeles Magazine, she hits the ground running, interviewing several EAR survivors and retired detectives who worked the case. Today, Michelle's husband, actor Patton Oswalt, friends, and fellow citizen detectives reflect on her intoxicating talent - which McNamara calls an 'addiction' - for piecing together clues and bringing unsolved true crime stories to life.