After The Diary Case Library
Kathleen Lombardo
Source: True Crime Diary, “Origin Story” (2012). Original URL not located.
Since then: Still unsolved. A 2018 to 2019 records fight and lawsuit against Oak Park police, with no publicly reported outcome.
Installment: Part One, published
Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen (Jenner Beach)
Source: True Crime Diary coverage described in secondary accounts. Original post not located.
Since then: Shaun Gallon identified in 2017, pleaded no contest in 2019, sentenced to three consecutive life terms. Burgess theory ruled out. Includes the 1972 Tofino case.
Installment: Part Two, published
Colonial Parkway Murders
Source: True Crime Diary two-part investigation (2011).
Since then: Alan Wade Wilmer Sr., who died in 2017, was linked by DNA to the Knobling and Edwards and Howell murders (2024) and the Thomas and Dowski murders (FBI, January 20, 2026). The Hailey and Call and Phelps and Lauer cases remain unresolved.
Installment: Planned. Includes Rita’s earlier reporting.
Oakland County Child Killer
Source: True Crime Diary: “Secrets and Lies” Parts 1 and 2 (June 2011), “Progress,” and “And Still Counting.” Page IDs located through a third-party quote; direct archive pull still needed.
Since then: Still unsolved and treated as active. Installment will set McNamara’s coverage beside Clutch Justice’s own OCCK and North Fox Island reporting.
Installment: Planned. Legal review before publication.
Fort Myers Eight and the Hog Trail Murders
Source: True Crime Diary coverage of the 2007 discovery and the effort to identify the victims.
Since then: Robert Soden identified in 2022. Daniel Conahan, never charged in these deaths, was executed in Florida on September 10, 2026, for the separate 1996 murder of Richard Montgomery.
Installment: Planned.
Katherine and Sheila Lyon
Source: True Crime Diary, “Backing Up” (June 2015), her last post. Original not located.
Since then: Lloyd Lee Welch pleaded guilty in 2017.
Installment: Planned.
Felix Vail
Source: True Crime Diary guest post (2014). McNamara also helped reporter Jerry Mitchell with research.
Since then: Convicted in August 2016 of the 1962 murder of Mary Horton Vail. The disappearances of Sharon Hensley and Annette Craver remain unresolved.
Installment: Planned.
Gypsy Hill Killings
Source: True Crime Diary, “The State I’m In” (September 2014). Original not located.
Since then: Cathy Woods exonerated. DNA implicated Rodney Halbower, later convicted.
Installment: Planned.
Israel Keyes
Source: A guest post by Steve Huff, then McNamara’s own follow-up on his writings.
Since then: The FBI reportedly said his writings held no hidden clues. Victims beyond the identified three are believed to exist. The FBI statement needs a direct citation.
Installment: Planned.
Barbara Nelson
Source: True Crime Diary, “Crowd Sourcing a Wisconsin Cold Case” (May 2014).
Since then: Still unsolved as of last check. Little independent corroboration found, so a direct archive check is needed.
Installment: Planned.
Dorothy Jane Scott
Source: A 2012 guest post by researcher Paul Haynes on Michelle’s site. Not written by McNamara.
Since then: Still unsolved. Authorship must be confirmed against the surviving post.
Installment: Planned. Introduced as published on her site.
Peter D’Agostino and the Hammer Man Attacks
Source: At least two True Crime Diary entries.
Since then: Unresolved publicly. Not yet checked.
Installment: Planned.
Tube Sock Murders
Source: Multiple True Crime Diary entries on Washington outdoor murders.
Since then: Unsolved, with renewed interest in forensic work. Not yet checked.
Installment: Planned.
Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck
Source: True Crime Diary speculation in January 2007.
Since then: Both boys found alive days later. Michael Devlin convicted. The breakthrough came almost immediately, so this is a lighter installment.
Installment: Planned.
Larry Hall
Source: A True Crime Diary interview with author Christopher Martin.
Since then: Many claimed victims remain disputed. Each case must be checked individually, because a possible link is not an established one.
Installment: Planned, case by case.
Melanie Howell
Source: Los Angeles Magazine (July 8, 2013). Not shown to be a True Crime Diary post, so it sits outside the main roster.
Since then: Reported marked solved after a fingerprint match, with no public police announcement. Any named suspect comes from a podcast’s reporting and must be attributed to it.
Installment: Possible. Held until sourcing is settled.
Golden State Killer (EAR and ONS)
Source: True Crime Diary posts from 2011, her 2013 Los Angeles Magazine reporting, and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.
Since then: Joseph James DeAngelo arrested April 24, 2018, through investigative genetic genealogy. McNamara did not identify him, but kept the case in public view.
Installment: Finale, possibly a two-parter.
Confirmed: the outcome was checked against several independent reports.
Documented: the outcome is widely reported, but the original True Crime Diary post has not been located or re-read.
Needs checking: a specific claim, such as authorship, a date, or an agency statement, has to be verified before an installment relies on it.
A reference to every case in the series: what Michelle McNamara wrote, what has happened since, how well each fact has been verified, and which installment covers it.
Most are. Each entry names its source, and a few come from her magazine work or from guest posts on her site, so they are labeled rather than credited to her blog.
Confirmed means checked against multiple independent reports. Documented means widely reported but the original post is unlocated. Needs checking means a specific claim must be verified first.
Yes. Statuses change as cases develop, and each installment notes when something has moved.
APA 7: Williams, R. (2026, October 6). After the diary: The case library. Clutch Justice. https://clutchjustice.com/after-the-diary-case-library/
MLA 9: Williams, Rita. “After the Diary: The Case Library.” Clutch Justice, 6 Oct. 2026, clutchjustice.com/after-the-diary-case-library/.
Chicago: Williams, Rita. “After the Diary: The Case Library.” Clutch Justice, October 6, 2026. https://clutchjustice.com/after-the-diary-case-library/.