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Patton Oswalt On What the Golden State Killer Arrest Would Have Meant for His Late Wife

By Antoinette Bueno‍ 8:17 AM PDT, April 26, 2018

Patton Oswalt is still stunned after an arrest was made in the infamous Golden State Killer case that his late wife, Michelle McNamara, wrote about before she died unexpectedly in 2016.

Oswalt made an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday, and talked about the arrest of former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo, after police said detectives matched his DNA to evidence from the investigation. The Golden State Killer terrorized Northern California from the mid-’70s to the mid-’80s, and is alleged to have carried out at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes.

Oswalt carried on his late wife’s work after her death, helping to finish the book, I'll Be Gone In the Dark, which debuted at the top spot of The New York Times’ nonfiction bestsellers list last month. Not surprisingly, the actor said he was currently "on adrenaline and sleeplessness" due to the bombshell development in the case after more than 40 years.

"Her book and the article that lead to the book really amped up all the interest in the case, and really put a lot of focus on it," Oswalt said.

"It was her dream," he added. "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. Just feels amazing."

Later, Oswalt read a touching passage from the end of McNamara's book called "Letter To An Old Man," which eerily imagines the day the serial killer is finally caught.

On Wednesday, Oswalt also tweeted a picture of his late wife with an emotional message.

"Goodnight, Michelle. You did good," he wrote. "You aimed a light and helped the hunters catch a monster."

Oswalt married actress Meredith Salenger last November, and his new wife also tweeted a heartwarming message paying tribute to McNamara, and mentioned McNamara and Oswalt's 8-year-old daughter, Alice.

"The legacy #MichelleMcNamara has left for her daughter of determination and finding justice for so many is incredible!" she wrote. "I will everyday make make sure her daughter knows how spectacular her mother was, not just for her but for society. #GoldenStateKiller #IllBeGoneInTheDark."