Wife of Comedian Patton Oswalt Dead at 46

Michelle McNamara was a true-crime writer
By Luke Roney,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 23, 2016 3:19 PM CDT
Wife of Comedian Patton Oswalt Dead at 46
Patton Oswalt, left, and his wife Michelle McNamara arrive at the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

True-crime writer Michelle McNamara, who was married to comedian Patton Oswalt, died in her sleep Thursday, Entertainment Weekly reports. She was 46. A publicist for Oswalt, whose film and TV credits include Ratatouille, Magnolia, and Veep, tells the AP that McNamara's passing "was a complete shock to her family and friends, who loved her dearly." No cause of death was given. Oswalt has not released a public statement; however, on Friday he re-tweeted a news story about his wife's death, per Jezebel, prompting a flood of messages from celebrities expressing their condolences. "She was an excellent & thoughtful person. I'm so sorry Patton," comedian John Mulaney tweeted.

McNamara founded True Crime Diary , a site that covers both breaking stories and cold cases, namely cases that were "out of the public eye." "I think what's interesting about them is there's more stuff to be unearthed that hasn't been in the public yet and you can do it," she once wrote. According to EW, she was known for both her compelling writing and "smart" amateur sleuthing, and at times served as a resource for law enforcement. McNamara and Oswalt, who married in 2005, have a 7-year-old daughter, Alice. (More Patton Oswalt stories.)

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