Downward Spiral
McNamara enlisted the help of citizen investigator Paul Haynes, which offered her access to hundreds of files on the case. Professional detectives like Crompton, Larry Pool, and Paul Holes kept in regular correspondence with McNamara to discuss theories and potential leads. Sadly, at a certain point, it all became too much for McNamara, who found herself struggling to keep her head above water...
It Was All Too Much
McNamara was crumbling beneath the pressure of book deadlines while confronting the nightmarish crimes of the Golden State Killer daily. She began to self-medicate with Adderall for focus and Xanax for sleep. Eventually, McNamara turned to opioids. No one had a clue. On April 21, 2016, McNamara died of an accidental overdose. Fortunately, her story didn't end there.
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