--- title: Patton Oswalt Honors Completion of Late Wife's Book description: Nearly two years after his wife passed away, Patton Oswalt is honoring the completion of her final book about the Golden state killer. canonical: https://time.com/5177560/patton-oswalt-late-wife-book-tribute/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-27T17:31:01.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:50:58.366Z og:title: Patton Oswalt Honors His Late Wife With a Touching Tribute og:description: He commemorates the completion of her book: "You did it, baby" og:url: https://time.com/5177560/patton-oswalt-late-wife-book-tribute/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb1ba0353d3cfad0e/69892901e76ad2ef79631321/patton-oswalt-michelle-mcnamara.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Michelle-McNamara-Patton-Oswalt-Young-Adult-Premiere og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Patton Oswalt Honors His Late Wife With a Touching Tribute twitter:description: He commemorates the completion of her book: "You did it, baby" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb1ba0353d3cfad0e/69892901e76ad2ef79631321/patton-oswalt-michelle-mcnamara.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'You Did It, Baby.' Patton Oswalt Commemorates Finishing His Late Wife's Book With Touching Tribute > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=499a1a57-c411-4324-acfb-fbb9272e31ee&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Feb 27, 2018 5:31 PM UTC  Actor Patton Oswalt and wife Michelle McNamara arrive at the 'Young Adult' Los Angeles Premiere on December 15, 2011. Actor Patton Oswalt and wife Michelle McNamara arrive at the 'Young Adult' Los Angeles Premiere on December 15, 2011. Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Feb 27, 2018 5:31 PM UTC Nearly two years after his [wife unexpectedly passed away](http://time.com/4546314/patton-oswalt-michelle-mcnamara-grief/), [Patton Oswalt](http://time.com/5041067/patton-oswalt-wife-death-holidays/) is honoring the completion of [her final book](http://time.com/4434884/patton-oswalt-michelle-mcnamara/), _I’ll Be Gone in the Dark_ True crime writer Michelle McNamara died suddenly in her sleep on April 21, 2016, leaving her years-long investigation into the [Golden State Killer](http://people.com/crime/golden-state-serial-killer-east-area-rapist-original-night-stalker/)—a.k.a. the Original Night Stalker—unfinished. But in the wake of her death, Oswalt pledged to carry the novel to its close. “I wish I could tell you some moment of epiphany when I realized that I was going to finish it, but I don’t have it,” the comedian told [_Entertainment Weekly_](http://ew.com/books/2018/02/26/patton-oswalt-michelle-mcnamara-book-completion/)of his decision. “That whole year is just this really painful blur.” Oswalt commemorated the book’s publication on Tuesday by sharing a photo of a copy of _I’ll Be Gone in the Dark_ sitting on McNamara’s grave.“You did it, baby,” he wrote. “The book is excellent, the writing brilliant. You tried to bring kindness to chaos, which was your way.” > [](https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/968472219373506560) Oswalt has since remarried, having tied the knot with actor [Meredith Salenger](http://time.com/5010711/patton-oswalt-meredith-salenger-wedding/) on Nov. 4, 2017. > [](https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/927209169588912129) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5177560/patton-oswalt-late-wife-book-tribute/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5177560/patton-oswalt-late-wife-book-tribute/"},"headline":"'You Did It, Baby.' 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