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‘I’ll Be Gone In the Dark’ Getting New Chapter on Golden State Killer Suspect’s Arrest

The best-selling book by the late Michelle McNamara brought new attention to the once-unsolved series of rapes and murders that terrorized California in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

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Michelle McNamara spent years researching the Golden State Killer for her book, but she died before this week’s arrest of the suspected serial rapist and murderer.

Now a researcher who helped finish McNamara’s best-seller, I’ll Be Gone In the Dark, tells The Daily Beast he and a co-author will update the book.

“We will definitely be adding another chapter to Michelle’s book for the paperback,” said Billy Jensen who, with researcher Paul Haynes, worked to finish McNamara’s book. It was three-quarters completed when McNamara died of a heart attack in 2016.

On Wednesday, Joseph James DeAngelo was charged with eight counts of murder. He has been accused by law enforcement of being the Golden State Killer, who committed 12 murders and at least 45 rapes across California between 1976 and 1986.

“We will definitely touch on how they found him [and] as much as we can find out about his life,” said Jensen. “We are also building a timeline of where and when he’s been, to see if there were any other reported crimes that could be attached to him.”

Police said DeAngelo, a 72-year-old Vietnam veteran and former police officer, had the whole time been living a quiet suburban life near Sacramento, not far from most of the attacks. He was reportedly working at a grocery store distribution center.

Jensen, who called the past 48 hours a “whirlwind,” said he and Haynes are still in meetings to determine when the addendum will be released.

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Olivia Messer

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