Series synopsis
I'll Be Gone in the Dark is an American documentary crime television series that premiered on HBO on June 28, 2020. It ended on June 21, 2021. It was created by Liz Garbus. It stars Amy Ryan.
An exploration of the case of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, committing 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders, and true crime author Michelle McNamara's obsessive quest to find justice on behalf of his victims.
Premise
An exploration of the case of the Golden State Killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s, committing 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders, and true crime author Michelle McNamara's obsessive quest to find justice on behalf of his victims.
Premise: After a decade of terror, the Golden State Killer vanished. One woman refused to let him disappear.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Amy Ryan as Michelle McNamara's Words (voice)
Guest cast
- Adam Drucker as Self - Michelle's Friend
- Jennifer Barth as Self - Executive Editor, HarperCollins
- Billy Jensen as Self - Crime Writer, Citizen Detective
- Paul Holes as Self - Ret. Chief of Forensics, Contra Costa County
- Kathleen Conroy as Self - Michelle's Sister
- Mary Rita Skrine as Self - Michelle's Sister
- Maureen Stratton as Self - Michelle's Sister
- Daniel Greenberg as Self - Michelle's Literary Agent
- Bob McNamara as Self - Michelle's Brother
- Kera Bolonik as Self - Michelle's Friend, Writer
- Barbara Rae-Venter as Self - Investigative Genetic Genealogist
- Gillian Flynn as Self - Author, Gone Girl
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 7 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 7 | June 28, 2020 | June 21, 2021 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Murder Habit Delving into the world of online chat rooms and crime blogs, writer Michelle McNamara 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. |
June 28, 2020 |
| 2 |
Reign of Terror Michelle McNamara reflects on the 1984 murder of her childhood neighbor Kathy Lombardo, which she credits with planting the seed for her lifelong fascination with unsolved crimes. Local detectives who worked the East Area Rapist (EAR) case in the ‘70s – and citizen detectives who picked up where they left off – discuss a proliferation of serial rape cases in Northern California at the time, discussing an era when victims were often too ashamed to speak out and sexual crime was minimized in the press and the courtroom. |
July 5, 2020 |
| 3 |
Rat in a Maze In 1979, law enforcement is thrilled when the East Area Rapist (EAR) attacks abruptly stop in Northern California, but in reality, the still unknown assailant 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. Michelle's article chronicling her investigation of the case causes a splash when it's published in 2013. |
July 12, 2020 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | HBO |
|---|---|
| First aired | June 28, 2020 |
| Last aired | June 21, 2021 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday at 22:00:00 |