I'll Be Gone in the Dark: Season 1, Episode 1

1 - 1: Murder Habit

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.