(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t watched the final episode of HBO’s “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.”)
The final episode of HBO’s “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” chronicles the search for the Golden State Killer and delves into the past of Joseph James DeAngelo, who was identified decades later as the man who committed at least 13 murders, more than 50 rapes and over 100 burglaries.
In the episode, DeAngelo’s former fiancée Bonnie Colwell shares how she met DeAngelo when she was 18 and that after a year of dating, he gave her an engagement ring. But “the rules were never for him,” she said. He took her hunting without a license and spearfishing, which was illegal. “So many of the things we did together, he pushed me toward fear,” she recalled, adding that she remembering bike-riding with him and feeling like, “this was suicide.”
When he continued to pressure her, she gave him back the ring. But two weeks later, at 2 a.m., there was a tapping on her bedroom window. When she looked, she saw DeAngelo on the other side, pointing a gun at her. “Get dressed, we’re going to Reno tonight; we’re going to be married,” he insisted. Colwell, who still lived at her parents’ home at the time, woke up her dad for help. He asked her to wait in the bathroom until he came back. Two hours later, he returned. That was the last time she saw Joseph James DeAngelo.
The filmmakers interviewed various members of DeAngelo’s family, giving audiences a deeper glimpse into what his life was like before he started committing the East Area burglaries and rapes, and eventually murders all over California. He had three daughters and a granddaughter, yet he still committed the heinous crimes between 1973 and 1986.
In 2018, authorities charged 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo with eight counts of first-degree murder, based on new DNA evidence. While he cannot be charged with rapes or burglaries from the ’70s because of the statute of limitations, he was charged with 13 related kidnapping and abduction attempts. He appeared in court last month to plead guilty to 13 charges of first-degree murder and 13 charges of kidnapping to commit robbery. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“My mom as she’s dying says, ‘This family is so full of secrets, everyone has a secret,'” DeAngelo’s nephew Wes Ryland says in the documentary. He also says that DeAngelo and his siblings, two younger sisters and one brother, were often left alone to find food for themselves, and their dad would lock them all in a closet and punish them, but DeAngelo would get the worst beatings.
Perhaps the most shocking detail comes from the same nephew, who said DeAngelo watched his 7-year-old sister get raped by two men in an airplane hangar in Germany. “Then he went and did that to other women,” he says.
Lisa Ortiz, DeAngelo’s cousin, says she still has a hard time believing the things DeAngelo did. She says he took her in when she was abused by her father, and he was the father she wishes she had. She lived with him from 1982 to 1986 — the years he didn’t kill any victims. But shortly thereafter, on May 4, 1986, 18-year-old Janelle Lisa Cruz was found bludgeoned to death in Irvine.
The documentary is based on Michelle McNamara’s book “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” which describes her sleuthing deep into the night of the rapist and killer. McNamara, who was married to actor-comedian Patton Oswalt, died in April 2016, and never saw her work lead to the capture of the Golden State Killer.
Finished 'The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez'? Here Are 14 Other True-Crime Docs You Should Watch (Photos)
There are a lot of true-crime documentaries on Hulu, Netflix and HBO right now. Click through the gallery to find your next binge-worthy doc.
"The Confession Killer" (Netflix)
This Netflix true-crime doc looks into Henry Lee Lucas, known as one of America's most prolific serial killers, who admitted to hundreds of murders. But was it all a hoax?
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"The Keepers" (Netflix)
Ryan White's documentary series debuted in 2017 and explores the murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik, who disappeared in November 1969 and whose body was discovered in January of 1970. The documentary investigates whether Father Joseph Maskell had Sister Cathy killed because she was about to expose him and others for sexually abusing teenage students at Archbishop Keough High School.
Netflix
"Abducted in Plain Sight" (Netflix)
In maybe one of the craziest stories ever, Jane Broberg is kidnapped by her neighbor, a family friend, on two separate occasions. The story also delves into how he was able to infiltrate a family and use their weaknesses to his advantage.
"Making a Murderer" (Netflix)
Perhaps one of the most famous Netflix documentaries, "Making a Murderer" looks into the murder of Teresa Halbach, for which Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey have been convicted for. A second part of the series focused on their appeals.
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"The Staircase" (Netflix)
“The Staircase” follows the trial of Michael Peterson after he reported in December 2001 that his wife had fallen down the stairs and died. However, there was a lot of blood and lacerations to the head that caused investigators to look into a possible homicide.
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"Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes" (Netflix)
Directed by Joe Berlinger, the "Ted Bundy Tapes" looks at one of the most infamous killers, using previously unseen footage and unheard tape recordings from Bundy himself.
Netflix
"Don't F**k With Cats" (Netflix)
One of the newest true-crime docs, "Don't F**k With Cats" chronicles how internet sleuths uncovered a man who broke the internet's number one rule (Don't f**k with cats) and committed animal abuse and allegedly murdered a man.
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"Evil Genius" (Netflix)
“Evil Genius” tells the story of the “pizza bomber heist” and the murder of Brian Wells in 2003. The 46-year-old from Erie, Pennsylvania was a pizza delivery man who got involved in a bank robbery that included a scavenger hunt and a homemade bomb strapped around his neck. When he was arrested after robbing the bank, the bomb went off and killed Wells.
Netflix
"I Love You, Now Die" (HBO)
This doc follows the death of 18-year-old Conrad Roy who died by suicide in his car in 2014. Soon after, police discovered alarming text messages from his girlfriend, Michelle Carter, which seemed to encourage him to kill himself.
HBO
"Behind Closed Doors" (HBO)
This documentary investigates the double murder of a 13-year-old girl and her family's servant at their home in India, which sparked a media frenzy.
HBO
"The Cheshire Murders" (HBO)
In 2007, two ex-convicts entered the Petit family home and tortured the family. The ordeal ended with rape, arson and a triple homicide.
HBO
"Mommy Dead & Dearest" (HBO)
Truly one of the most bizarre cases, "Mommy Dead & Dearest" is about the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard, for which her daughter, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and Gypsy's boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were accused. The doc explores looks into the years of abuse Gypsy suffered at the hands of her mother, who suffered from Munchausen by proxy.
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"Who Killed Garrett Phillips?" (HBO)
This documentary examines the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips and the subsequent trial of soccer coach and ex-boyfriend of Garrett's mother, Tandy Cyrus.
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"The Murder of Laci Peterson" (Hulu)
The murder of Laci Peterson is one of the most heavily-debated murders in U.S. history. Laci went missing on Christmas Eve, while 8 months pregnant. Following a media frenzy, her husband, Scott, became a prime suspect. Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death by hanging.
Hulu
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Check out ”Evil Genius,“ ”I Love You, Now Die“ and ”The Murder of Laci Peterson“ on streamers
There are a lot of true-crime documentaries on Hulu, Netflix and HBO right now. Click through the gallery to find your next binge-worthy doc.