At the time of her death, the celebrated crime writer had been working on a book about the Golden State Killer – a name she had coined for a prolific serial killer who raped and murdered dozens of victims in the 1970s and ‘80s.

To this day, the Golden State Killer’s true identity remains unknown – although, after years of investigative journalism, McNamara believed that she was very close to unmasking him.

Oswalt has committed himself to finishing his wife’s book, working with a researcher and another journalist. “We can finish the book, but it was tangential to the work, which was: She was going to solve this crime,” he told the NY Times.

“She didn’t want credit for it. She wanted him to be locked up. She was close to figuring it out. It would give her bad nightmares.”

He added that, while many comic books fail to show the impact of a death in the family (“If Bruce Wayne watched his parents murdered at 9, he wouldn’t become this cut hero… [he would] just get fat and angry and confused.”), he believes his wife was the ultimate superhero.

“In comic-book terms, I was married to a great crime fighter,” he said.

Comedian pens moving open letter to single parents after his wife’s unexpected death