'She just wanted to know that he's in jail': Patton Oswalt pays tribute to his late wife and her book on the 'Golden State Killer' after an ex-cop is arrested for the murders

  • Patton Oswalt paid tribute to his late wife Michelle McNamara on Wednesday and Thursday 
  • An arrest was made following the release of her nonfiction novel about the Golden State Killer titled 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' 
  • The Golden State Killer is a serial rapist and murderer suspected of 12 homicides and nearly 50 rapes in Sacramento County in the 1970s and '80s 
  • The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department arrested Joseph James DeAngelo Jr, 72, on Tuesday night 
  • Police say DNA testing linked him to some of the rapes and murders committed by the killer 
  • Oswalt appeared on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' to discuss details that led to the arrest

By Mary Kekatos and Minyvonne Burke For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:47 EDT, 25 April 2018 | Updated: 12:26 EDT, 27 April 2018

Patton Oswalt paid a final tribute to his late wife, Michelle McNamara, after an arrest was made in the 'Golden State Killer' case made famous by her book.

The award-winning comedian appeared on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on Thursday to discuss details that led to the arrest of the infamous murderer, named on Wednesday as Joseph James DeAngelo Jr, who killed 12 people and raped as many as 50 others.

McNamara spent much of her career researching him for her book 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer'.

'Her book and the article that led to the book really amped up of the interest in the case, and really put a lot of focus on this, not to discredit the work that the police and the lab technicians did, but it is this - it was like, it was her dream,' Oswalt told Meyers. 

'She always said: "I don't care about credit. I want to know that he's in jail" and now  he's caught, the bracelets are on, and it feels like this thing that she wanted so badly is now done. It's just amazing.'   

Patton Oswalt (pictured, Thursday on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers') paid a final tribute to his late wife, Michelle McNamara, after an arrest was made in the 'Golden State Killer' case made famous by her book

Patton Oswalt (pictured, Thursday on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers') paid a final tribute to his late wife, Michelle McNamara, after an arrest was made in the 'Golden State Killer' case made famous by her book

The award-winning comedian appeared on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on Thursday (pictured) to discuss details that led to the arrest of the infamous murderer, who killed 12 people and raped as many as 50 others

The award-winning comedian appeared on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on Thursday (pictured) to discuss details that led to the arrest of the infamous murderer, who killed 12 people and raped as many as 50 others

On Tuesday night, a former police officer, Joseph James DeAngelo Jr (pictured), was taken into custody by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
He was charged with two counts of murder for the 1978 deaths of Brian Maggiore and his wife, Katie, who are believed to be the Golden State Killer's first victims (Pictured, 1967)

On Tuesday night, a former police officer, Joseph James DeAngelo Jr (left on Tuesday and right in 1967), was taken into custody by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department on two murder charges for the 1978 deaths of Brian Maggiore and his wife, Katie, who are believed to be the Golden State Killer's first victims

'So I basically begged [Jensen and Haynes] and the publishers to find a way to - and they were the ones who found a way to finish it, and put it together.'   

After news broke of the arrest on Wednesday morning, Oswalt tweeted: 'I hope you got him, Michelle. I hope THEY got him.'

Oswalt added that he'd like some answers from the famous killer that his late wife always wanted to know.

Oswalt said his wife's dream had not been credit for her work but that the killer would one day be put behind bars

Oswalt said his wife's dream had not been credit for her work but that the killer would one day be put behind bars

Oswalt added that he'd like some answers from the famous killers that his late wife always wanted to know

Oswalt added that he'd like some answers from the famous killers that his late wife always wanted to know

'If they've really caught the #GoldenStateKiller I hope I get to visit him. Not to gloat or gawk - to ask him the questions that @TrueCrimeDiary wanted answered in her 'Letter To An Old Man' at the end of #IllBeGoneInTheDark,' he tweeted.

On Tuesday night, DeAngelo Jr, a former police officer, was taken into custody by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department on two murder charges for the 1978 deaths of Brian Maggiore and his wife, Katie, who are believed to be the Golden State Killer's first victims.

McNamara (left, with Oswalt), spent much of her career researching the Golden State Killer. She turned her findings into a crime book titled 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark'
McNamara, spent much of her career researching the Golden State Killer. She turned her findings into a crime book titled 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' (pictured)

McNamara (left with Oswalt), spent much of her career researching the Golden State Killer. She turned her findings into a crime book titled 'I'll Be Gone In The Dark' (right)

Oswalt, McNamara's friend and fellow journalist Billy Jensen and researcher Paul Haynes helped finished writing the book after she unexpectedly died in April 2016 (Pictured, Oswalton and McNamara, January 2012)

Oswalt, McNamara's friend and fellow journalist Billy Jensen and researcher Paul Haynes helped finished writing the book after she unexpectedly died in April 2016 (Pictured, Oswalton and McNamara, January 2012)

#GoldenStateKiller #MichelleMcNamara #IllBeGoneInTheDark

A post shared by Patton Oswalt (@balvenieboy) on

He was later also charged with the murders of Lyman and Charlene Smith of Ventura who were found dead in their home by their 12-year-old son. Police say a DNA match in the past six days linked him to both crime scenes.

Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said they relied on a 'discarded DNA sample' but would not provide specifics.

They are now working to link the 72-year-old unequivocally to the rest of the crimes that profilers have attributed to the Golden State Killer through his modus operandi. It is unclear how many of the crime scenes produced DNA evidence.

Police said they waited outside DeAngelo's home for him to leave and then jumped on him as soon as he exited the front door.

Police have linked more than 12 homicides to the Golden State Killer. Pictured are fingerprints police lifted from one of the crime scenes 

Police have linked more than 12 homicides to the Golden State Killer. Pictured are fingerprints police lifted from one of the crime scenes 

The Golden State Killer is suspected of committing dozens and dozens of crimes in Sacramento County in the late 1970s. Pictured is crime scene evidence from one of the attacks 

The Golden State Killer is suspected of committing dozens and dozens of crimes in Sacramento County in the late 1970s. Pictured is crime scene evidence from one of the attacks 

In a mugshot released by police this afternoon DeAngelo's face is seen bloodied. 

Investigators said DeAngelo has three adult daughters. An old wedding announcement says he married Sharon Marie Huddle in 1973, according to The Sacramento Bee.

DeAngelo previously worked as a police officer in Auburn, California before he was fired for shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent from a Sacramento drug store. He was also a police officer in Exeter, California, from about 1973 to 1976.

Investigators believe he was committing the crimes while he was an officer.

Oswalt revealed on 'Late Night' that several clues from even his days as a police officer were present.  

'[DeAngelo Jr] quit the police force when he was caught shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent, and he would break into houses, and literally, like, you're shoplifting a hamme -- are you shopping at the murder store?' Oswalt joked.

I'll Be Gone In The Dark: Everything you need to know about Michelle McNamara's crime book

Patton Oswalt's late wife, Michelle McNamara, spent much of her career researching the Golden State Killer for her book I'll Be Gone In The Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer. 

The crime book was released on February 27 and hit No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list in March.

McNamara died suddenly in her sleep in April 2016 before the book could be published as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition combined with prescription pills she had been taking. Se was 46.

Patton Oswalt, McNamara's friend and fellow journalist Billy Jensen and researcher Paul Haynes helped finished writing the book.

The book was inspired by an article McNamara wrote for Los Angeles magazine called In The Footsteps of a Killer, in which she described her hunt to identify the Golden State Killer, a name she had given to the killer.

The case of the Golden State Killer first captured McNamara's attention in 2011, when DNA testing confirmed that a 1981 double murder in Goleta, California was the work of the unidentified serial killer. 

The Golden State Killer is suspected of committing 12 homicides, nearly 50 rapes and 120 burglaries in southern California between 1976 and 1986.

The title of McNamara's book are the chilling words the serial murderer and rapist told one of his victims, a friend revealed. 

Another friend said McNamara regularly spokes to survivors or family members of victims as she worked on her book. 

During a visit to the Orange County Sheriff's Office to peruse files, McNamara was entrusted with 40 boxes of files containing  notes, evidence and victims' belongings. She had gone through a quarter of the boxes by the time she died. 

McNamara writes in her book that her obsession with true crime started when she was 14, when her neighbor was murdered during an evening jog. The killer was never found and spawned her interest in unsolved murders. 

McNamara says in the book that the case always seemed solvable to her because police had the suspect's DNA.

I'll Be Gone In The Dark led HBO to develop a docuseries, executive produced by Patton Oswalt, about the Golden State Killer.

The book has received a tremendous amount of praise from celebrities and authors including actor Rob Lowe who tweeted: 'Congratulations @pattonoswalt Michelle did it. And, possibly, also proved Heaven is real. #GoldenStateKiller'.

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