July 8th: Michelle McNamara

In this series, 24 Women Who Change(d) the World, I will highlight women from various backgrounds, time periods, and areas of expertise that change(d) the world through their actions, talents, and choices. With 1 subject per day for 24 days, this series invites readers to think outside the box when it comes to their knowledge of historical figures–how many female historical figures can you name off of the top of your head? Let’s increase that count together.

Disclaimer: Per the usual, none of these photos except the first 2 are mine. Sources are linked.

Hello, friend!

In case no one has told you today, I’m so glad that you’re alive, awake, and taking on the world! You’re doing it. So proud of you.

Today’s subject is a special one because I have developed an unexpected interest in true crime over the past year, an interest that I’m sure was initially sparked by the podcast My Favorite Murder. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark (who both deserve their own feature blogs because, let’s be honest, I love them) host the podcast and are delightfully witty, hilariously awkward, and totally relatable. I got to see them live with pals in Dallas and it was so good (picture below). I listen to them on Spotify (here), but please be forewarned: they use some pretty strong language and talk about some really dark topics (even though it’s sprinkled with humor about everyday life). Please proceed with caution! It is not for the faint of heart. Anyways, they got me started down the rabbit hole of investigative journalism regarding murder and crime, true crime writings & blogs, and several TV shows and movies (which, shoutout to my loves Rebecca and Micah who have sat through several of both with me and disregarded my inability to predict plot outcomes like they can– they can always call it & I’m always wrong).

PICTURED ABOVE: Rebecca (left), Micah (middle), and I (right) at the My Favorite Murder Live Show in Dallas, May 2019.

PICTURED BELOW: The MFM Logo on the projector screen, pre-show, in Dallas.

ONE of the reads that is at the top of the list in the true crime community is by none other than Michelle McNamara: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark (which is currently being adapted into an HBO series and I’m READY for it). I’m reading it right now and it is outstanding. Michelle wrote so eloquently of her dedicated pursuit to identify and incarcerate the Golden State Killer. This, however, is not his story– it’s hers.

Here are her stats… (PICTURED BELOW: (Left) The cover of her book, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer). (Right) Michelle McNamara.

NAME: Michelle McNamara

BIRTHDATE: April 14th, 1970

DATE OF DEATH: April 21st, 2016

OCCUPATION(S): American True Crime Author, “DIY Investigator”, and Blogger

Raised in Oak Park, Illinois, a young Michelle McNamara would find her world flipped on its head at the age of 14 with the murder of Kathleen Lombardo. “McNamara lived near the corner of South Scoville Avenue and Randolph Street, a block and a half from the alley where a man assaulted and murdered Lombardo. (Source; You can read more about the case’s impact on Oak Park here). The Lombardo murder, which stunned Oak Park, has never been solved.”

Before long, Michelle graduated from high school and went on to complete her BA in English at the University of Notre Dame (1992); she continued her education and eventually earned a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota. She would go on to begin a career in the entertainment business as a writer for TV and movies. However, in 2006, Michelle began a blog on her website called TrueCrimeDiary (which you can visit here).

PICTURED BELOW: The graphic banner from Michelle’s website, TrueCrimeDiary.

The more she wrote about true crime (both for her blog and for outside publications), the more Michelle began to focus in on the history and unsolved case of the East Area Rapist and The Night Stalker who had been identified as the same person (according to overlapping DNA evidence made possible by a genealogy website of all things). She coined the term ‘Golden State Killer’ and created a highly elaborate and thorough collection of investigative information about his track record; Michelle’s work was so profound that it would later be compiled into a book (which we’ve mentioned several times at this point).

Michelle died a tragically early death at the age of 46 in 2016 after an accidental overdose; she passed in her sleep after taking Adderall, Xanax, and Fentanyl in one sitting. Her book would be published posthumously in February of 2018. Shortly thereafter, “on April 25, 2018, Californian authorities arrested Joseph James DeAngelo as the alleged Golden State Killer. Oswalt stated that authorities’ use of the killer’s name that McNamara coined was ‘proof of the impact of her work.'” (Source)

PICTURED BELOW: Joseph James DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer.

You can read more about her impact on Vulture write, Kera, in a beautifully done article about her life’s work and contributions (here). It is my hope that her devotion to the truth will inspire others to dig deep and never abandon what you think is a moral obligation to serve.

| INTELLIGENCE | QUIET DIGNITY | DEVOTION |PERSISTENCE | JUSTICE-SEEKING |

Until next time.