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The Zodiac Killer

The self-named Zodiac Killer is directly linked to five murders in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and claimed to commit as many as 37. He has never been caught or identified.

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Zodiac Killer Letters, Symbol, and Cipher

Zodiac killer’s identity: theories and possible suspects, the case today: solved cipher and more theories, movies and tv about the zodiac killer, who is the zodiac killer.

The self-proclaimed Zodiac Killer is directly linked to at least five murders in Northern California in 1968 and 1969, with two other victims surviving despite serious injuries. However, he might have been responsible for more killings. He taunted police and made threats through letters sent to area newspapers from 1969 to 1974, before abruptly ceasing communication. Through that correspondence, he claimed to have killed as many as 37 people. Despite intensive investigations—and multiple theories pertaining to the killer’s identity—no one was ever caught for the crimes, and the case remains open. The mystery surrounding the murders has been the subject of numerous books and movies, including director David Fincher’s acclaimed 2007 movie Zodiac .

On August 1, 1969, the San Francisco Examiner , San Francisco Chronicle , and Vallejo Times-Herald each received an identical handwritten letter in an envelope without a return address. Beginning, “Dear Editor: I am the killer of the 2 teenagers last Christmas at Lake Herman,” the letters contained details from the Zodiac Killer’s murders that only the perpetrator could have known. The killer went on to threaten further attacks if the letters weren’t printed on the front page of the papers.

Each letter closed with a symbol consisting of a circle with a cross through it, in what would come to be known as the Zodiac Killer’s symbol. The letters were also each accompanied by one part of a three-part cipher that he claimed contained his identity.

While Bay Area police departments, with the support of the FBI, worked feverishly to track down the killer, another letter soon arrived at the San Francisco Examiner . Beginning, “Dear Editor: This is the Zodiac speaking,” it also described the murders in detail and taunted police for not having been able to crack his code or catch him.

Several days later, high school teacher Donald Harden and his wife, Bettye, were able to solve the cipher. “I like killing people because it is so much fun,” it read. “It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all.”

Three days after the fourth known Zodiac killing, the 1969 murder of taxi driver Paul Stine, the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter claiming the crime. Written in the same erratic print as the Zodiac’s previous letters, it gave the details of Stine’s murder and was accompanied by a bloody scrap of Stine’s shirt. At the end of the letter, the killer mused that he would next shoot out the tire of a school bus and “pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out.”

The Zodiac Killer continued his taunting correspondence with Bay Area papers, in which he included more ciphers, claimed to have committed several more murders, and mocked the police for their inability to catch him.

In 1974, the letters stopped, though the investigation continues to this day.

Four separate attacks involving seven people have been definitively attributed to the Zodiac Killer. The first confirmed incident took place on the night of December 20, 1968, when 17-year-old David Faraday and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Betty Lou Jensen, were shot to death near their car at a remote spot on Lake Herman Road, on the outskirts of Vallejo, California. Police were baffled, unable to determine the motive for the crime or a suspect.

Early in the morning of July 5, 1969, Darlene Ferrin, age 22, and her boyfriend, Mike Mageau, age 19, were sitting in parked car in a similarly remote Vallejo location, when they were approached by a man with a flashlight. The figure fired multiple shots at them, killing Ferrin and seriously wounding Mageau.

Within an hour of the incident, a man called the Vallejo Police Department, giving them the location of the crime scene and claiming responsibility for both that attack and the 1968 murders of Faraday and Jensen.

Despite evidence that included fingerprints, Mageau’s description, the decoded cipher, and a wave of tips and leads, police were unable to track down the Zodiac Killer.

On the evening of September 27, 1969, he struck again, approaching young couple Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell as they relaxed on an isolated part of the shore of Lake Berryessa in Napa County. Wearing a hood and a shirt bearing a circle-cross symbol, he tied them up before brutally stabbing them, scrawling a message for police on their car door and leaving the scene. He then called the Napa Police Department to claim responsibility. Shepard and Hartnell were both in critical condition but alive when emergency services arrived. However, Shepard died of her wounds shortly thereafter.

Two weeks later, on October 11, 1969, the Zodiac claimed another life, shooting 29-year-old taxi driver Paul Stine in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood. As the murder didn’t seem to fit the Zodiac’s pattern, it was initially deemed a robbery until the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter claiming the crime.

At least five other murders have been tentatively linked to the Zodiac Killer, including the 1963 shooting of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards near Santa Barbara, California, and the 1966 stabbing death of college student Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, California.

With descriptions from witnesses who had seen a man leaving the scene of Paul Stine’s 1969 murder, police were able to create and circulate a composite sketch of the killer. But despite mounting evidence and the investigation of numerous suspects, the Zodiac remained at large.

More than five decades after the Faraday-Jensen murders, no suspect has ever been arrested. The inability to identify the Zodiac Killer has continued to frustrate law enforcement.

The mystery surrounding the Zodiac case also continues to fascinate the public and has inspired more than its fair share of theories regarding the killer’s identity. Ranging from plausible to absurd, these include the claims that he was Unabomber Ted Kacznyski , or convicted murderer Charles Manson , or that he eventually moved to Scotland and committed more murders there before finding happiness and giving up his wicked ways. Some other theories include:

Arthur Leigh Allen

True-crime author and former San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith wrote two separate works on the killer (1986’s Zodiac and 2002’s Zodiac Unmasked ), ultimately identifying a man named Arthur Leigh Allen as the most likely suspect. Allen died in 1992, however, and was never conclusively connected to any of the murders.

Earl Van Best Jr.

In 2014, HarperCollins published The Most Dangerous Animal of All by Gary L. Stewart, in which he claims that his father, Earl Van Best Jr.—who bears a strong resemblance to the man in the police sketch—was the Zodiac Killer.

Louie Myers

Another man came forward in 2014 to reveal that a friend named Louie Myers had confessed to being the killer before his death in 2002. Certain events in Myers’ history matched up with those connected to the Zodiac, but as with Allen and Van Best, there was no conclusive proof.

Multiple Killers

A 2023 Peacock docuseries Myth of the Zodiac Killer posits the murders were carried out by multiple people. “It’s very unusual for cold cases to have this much information. But if you read all the police files, you see that there’s very little linking these crimes together,” series director Andrew Nock told the New York Post . “Different weapons, different M.O., different victim profile, even eyewitness statements, different locations—or a trophy being taken from one but none of the others.”

In 2020, after more than 50 years, amateur codebreakers solved the Zodiac Killer’s cipher . The decoded message read:

“I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me that wasn’t me on the TV show which brings up a point about me I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradice so they are afraid of death I am not afraid because I know that my new life is life will be an easy one in paradice death.”

In October 2021, a team of 40 former law enforcement investigators called the Case Breakers, claimed to have identified the Zodiac Killer. They believed that Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018, was responsible for the murders.

According to USA Today , this claim relied largely on DNA evidence found at the scene of Cheri Jo Bates’ murder in 1966 at Riverside City College in California. Additionally, the Case Breakers claimed that Poste had the same shoe size and similar forehead scars to the Zodiac Killer and that letters to the press contained anagrams of his name. However, police have remained adamant that Bates is not a confirmed victim of the Zodiac Killer, meaning Poste was not made a suspect.

In 2022, author Jarett Kobek wrote an investigative book titled How to Find Zodiac and hypothesized the killer’s identity as Poel Doerr, a San Francisco Bay Area man who died in 2007. He found that both Doerr and the Zodiac had shown an interest, through writing, in making homemade bombs—particularly of ammonium nitrate and fertilizer. Along with having a similar build to the suspected killer, Doerr also worked at a shipyard in Vallejo at the time of the muders.

The Zodiac Killer was the inspiration for the psychopath in the 1971 Clint Eastwood classic Dirty Harry , which includes a scene involving a school bus full of children being hijacked.

Years later, Robert Graysmith’s writing fueled the creation of David Fincher’s critically acclaimed film Zodiac , which hit the big screen in 2007 with Jake Gyllenhaal , Mark Ruffalo , and Robert Downey Jr. in starring roles.

Subsequent dramatized takes on the subject include the 2017 feature Awakening the Zodiac , about a couple that investigates the murderer before falling into his crosshairs.

Also in 2017, The History Channel featured a nonfiction TV series, The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer , about investigators’ hunt to decipher the Zodiac Killer’s code.

In March 2020, FX released a documentary series called The Most Dangerous Animal of All , based on Gary L. Stewart’s book of the same name.

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Who Is the Zodiac Killer? Here Are All Theories and Suspects in the Case

The unsolved murders that terrorized the Bay Area in the '60s have sparked profiles of the Zodiac Killer, dozens of suspects, and even conspiracy theories as to the murderer's identity. 

One of America’s most famous unsolved murder cases haunts everyone to this day: The Zodiac Killer.

The killer was responsible for brutally murdering at least five people in California’s Bay Area in 1968 and 1969. More terrifying was the series of taunting, cryptic notes he sent to local newspapers, saying his  identity could be found in ciphers he included.

But even with those notes, detectives were unable to uncover the truth. And while d ozens of movies, documentaries, shows and books have been done on the murders with the intention of solving the crime, one question always remains: who is the Zodiac Killer ?

RELATED: Letter From Self-Proclaimed 'Chinese Zodiac Killer' Sent To Upstate New York TV Stations

The Peacock documentary  Myth of the Zodiac , premiering July 11, posits that the Zodiac Killer may not exist. But if it isn't a hoax, who could have done it? Keep reading to learn more about the theories surrounding the elusive figure...

The Profile of the Zodiac Killer

Because the murders did not fall under federal jurisdiction, the FBI never officially opened an investigation into the Zodiac Killer, according to the FBI website . Still, local law enforcement asked for the FBI’s help with handwriting analysis, cryptanalysis, and fingerprints. Many people have speculated on the profile of the killer, and his motives, including FBI criminal profiler, John Douglas, who’s written several books.

“What it [the ciphers] tells you about the person too is he’s obsessive compulsive,” Douglas said in an interview with Fox . “It would take hours and hours, and maybe days, to put this all together. But what he’s doing here is telling us how bright he is. He’s a lot smarter than the rest of the world.”

In a profile of the Zodiac Killer on the Crime Library website , Gregg McCrary also believed the Zodiac Killer’s letters shared something about his personality and intelligence.

“Among the most engaging aspects of the crimes for him was to be able to taunt the authorities from a superior perspective and to watch the police make fools of themselves,” McCrary said. “This often indicates a person who feels uncertain about his intelligence, so to reassure himself, he plays games with others. The Zodiac needed to think he was smarter than even the best detectives…people who knew him would have been familiar with his arrogance, as well as his shortcomings and insecurity.”

McCrary explored the Zodiac Killer’s motives further.

“Possible motives were to prove his superiority, get attention, control the investigation, create a terroristic climate, and relive the crimes via media reports,” McCrary said.

McCrary also pointed to the killer’s targeting of couples, which could mean he resented relationships.

“Going after couples, which he did three times, could indicate he was envious or jealous because he did not (or could not) have that type of relationship,” McCrary said.

Who Are the Zodiac Killer Suspects?

The theories as to the identity of the Zodiac Killer are endless and are still coming out to this day. The theories were even a plot point  in the Peacock series Based On A True Story , in which Kaley Cuoco's character, Ava Bartlett, discussed ideas with another character.

One theory discussed pertained to schoolteacher Arthur Leigh Allen, who was the only suspect ever publicly identified by law enforcement in the case. He was allegedly in the area during one of the murders, and in 1971, his friend told police he had allegedly expressed desires to kill and used the name Zodiac, according to the Daily Mail . However, his DNA was not a match for the partial DNA found on the stamps and envelopes the Zodiac Killer sent to the media, according to SFGate.com .

A volunteer group of cold case investigators called “Case Breakers” claimed Air Force veteran Gary Francis Poste was the real killer on its website . The group claims the Air Force veteran, who died in 2018, is the killer, based on a series of photographs dating back to 1963 that show forehead scars that the team thinks match marks made on a police sketch of the killer, according to their website. They also claim if you remove the letters of Gary Francis Poste’s name from one of the ciphers left by the Zodiac Killer, it reveals an alternate message.

RELATED: ‘I Am Not Afraid Of The Gas Chamber': Zodiac Killer's 1969 Cipher Has Finally Been Cracked

Richard Gaikowski is another popular Zodiac Killer suspect. Gaikowski lived in the Bay Area and was a newspaper reporter and editor at the time of the murders, according to Portland Monthly . In 1971, he was involuntarily committed to the Napa State Mental Hospital, which could explain why the killings stopped, according to those who believe the theory. A survivor of the attacks claimed the man who chased him and shot him was named Richard. And a victim’s sister said she recognized Gaikowski attending her brother’s funeral, according to Portland Monthly.

According to Oxygen.com reporting, several people have claimed over the years that their fathers were the Zodiac Killer , including Gary Stewart, who was featured in the FX series, The Most Dangerous Animal Of All . But a cipher expert in the series claimed thousands of different names could have been pulled out of the Zodiac Killer’s writings, not just Stewart’s father’s name.

Another theory points to the Unabomber as being the Zodiac Killer. Ted Kaczynski, who died in prison in June 2023, conducted a bombing campaign between 1978 and 1995, when he was arrested, according to Oxygen.com reporting . But some speculate Kaczynski lived in the Bay Area around the time of the Zodiac killings, and he also sent taunting letters to authorities as the Unabomber, much like the Zodiac Killer.

The theories also get far-fetched at times, with one rumor going around that Texas senator Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer  — despite the fact that he was born two years after the killings started.

Why wasn't the Zodiac Killer ever caught?

One of the most gripping details of the Zodiac Killer case is that the murderer was never caught or identified. There’s a couple of things standing in the way of catching the killer, including DNA evidence. Although there is a possible DNA sample from a stamp stuck to one of the Zodiac Killer’s letters, it’s only a partial profile, according to SFGate . “Because it’s not someone’s full DNA profile, it can’t be used to point to just one person,” the SFGate reported. “It can only rule someone in as a possibility or exclude them if it isn’t a match. It’s also possible the sample doesn’t belong to the Zodiac at all; it could be from a mail worker or any number of people who handled the letter over the years.” Another problem — there’s no good description of what the killer looks like. Two people did survive attacks by the Zodiac Killer, but neither got a good look at the killer’s face as once he was wearing a mask, and the other time he shone a flashlight in the victim’s eyes, according to SFGate.com.

Others speculate the Zodiac Killer stopped because he wasn’t obsessed with killing, he was obsessed with fame, a theory supported by FBI profiler John Douglas.

“If you would one day find him, find his room and go through his belongings, he would have every newspaper clipping, every story that’s ever been written about him,” Douglas said in an interview with Fox. “He would have his own personal diaries where he’s communicating to himself.”

Douglas argues there are cases where serial killers suddenly stop killing because they're able to relive that moment again and again.

“They would just go back into the fantasy,” Douglas said. “Just sit back in that La-Z-Boy chair and pull out your scrap book and think of your memories and what you did, that’s enough to get them through.”

To learn about the evidence supporting the theory that the Zodiac Killer doesn't even exist, check out  Myth of the Zodiac Killer  when it premieres on Peacock July 11.

• Zodiac Killer

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The Zodiac Killer

The media has been captivated by the Zodiac Killer because of his relationship with the media. Zodiac began sending coded messages taunting police to various newspapers very soon after his first murder. He signed these letters with a circle with a plus sign over it, his symbol. He infamously sent a cipher that said, “This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you? My name is…” This was followed by a series of 13 symbols that were supposed to be his name, encoded. To this day, this code has not been cracked.

The Zodiac Killer case remains unsolved. Although suspects have come forward – and continue to come forward, to this day – no one has been confirmed as the actual Zodiac Killer. Some of the more famous suspects include Arthur Leigh Allen, who was dismissed because of his handwriting sample, and Earl Van Best, Jr., more recently, who was accused by his son in a tell-all book, The Most Dangerous Animal of All .

For more information, please visit: The Zodiac Killer Biography

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Unbreakable: Who was the Zodiac killer?

By Macgregor Campbell

18 May 2011

Zodiac may have sent this coded message to a newspaper after killing someone by a lake

(Image: Napa Valley Register/Zuma/Corbis)

Read more: “ Unbreakable: Eight codes we can’t crack “

Famous for peace, love, and tie-dye, San Francisco in the late 1960s was also the setting for one of the creepiest real-life murder mysteries in American history. From December 1968 to October 1969, a serial killer using the moniker “Zodiac” murdered at least seven people. The killer taunted local police and newspapers with handwritten letters containing threats, claims of further undiscovered victims, and coded messages.

The supposed killer claimed that the solutions would reveal an identity when they were all solved. Some never were, and the killer was never caught.

A cultural adventure across Renaissance Italy: Explore Florence and Bolgna on a New Scientist Discovery Tour

The first three codes were encrypted by replacing letters with symbols. But there was a twist: some of the more frequent letters, like “e”, were assigned to multiple symbols. This made it difficult to solve by simple codebreaking techniques like looking for more commonly used letters.

The three were eventually cracked by supposing that the words “kill” or “killing” would be in the message. When the results were combined, they formed a single, longer message that described the pleasure the murderer took in killing and described a motivation based on supernatural forces, but no clues as to his or her identity.

In November 1969, Zodiac sent a code to the local papers that law-enforcers still believe could hold the key to solving the case. At 340 characters, it is shorter than the first…

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FBI says Zodiac Killer case is still 'open and unsolved' despite new theory on suspect's identity

The Zodiac Killer case is still open according to law enforcement, but a new theory is again bringing attention to the decades-old cold case.

A group named the Case Breakers, – which says it is made up of former law enforcement members, intelligence officers and others – has named a man who they believe is the so-called Zodiac Killer, prompting a firestorm of media attention  on Wednesday.

The group  says “physical and forensic evidence,” as well as recovered photos and other information has led it to identify a suspect who recently died.

The theory has not been endorsed by authorities as of Thursday evening.

The San Francisco office of the FBI said in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday that "The FBI's investigation into the Zodiac Killer remains open and unsolved." 

"Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, and out of respect for the victims and their families, we will not be providing further comment at this time," the office added.

The FBI previously confirmed on Wednesday that their investigation into the historic case remained open. 

The San Francisco Chronicle reports law enforcement is skeptical of the group's theory, especially that the group's suspect was involved in a killing in Riverside, California. 

“Is there a chance that (the Case Breakers suspect) killed Cheri Jo Bates? No,” The Chronicle quotes Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback. “If you read what they (the Case Breakers) put out, it’s all circumstantial evidence. It’s not a whole lot.”

The Case Breakers said in a statement on Wednesday that they hoped to shared their results with police in Riverside.  

Fact check: False claim that the FBI ranked the 'most dangerous' Zodiac signs

2020: Zodiac cipher solved 5 decades after serial killer terrorized Northern California

Authorities throughout California have been trying to hunt down the Zodiac Killer for decades. The killer, who left residents on edge in the 1960s, has been definitively linked to five killings.

However, the killer has seemingly claimed responsibility for more than 30 homicides and sent a series of bizarre and detailed letters to news organizations that included cryptograms, in which he called himself "Zodiac." During his spree, the killer also left two survivors who helped offer a description.

The disturbing and perplexing case has been a pop culture staple and inspired the 2007 movie “Zodiac,” directed by David Fincher. The case periodically makes national headlines, especially as amateur sleuths make progress in solving ciphers associated with the case.

The irony that the Zodiac Killer could have lived to see the case become famous was not lost on social media commenters who reacted to the latest theory.

Contributing: Christal Hayes, USA TODAY

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Zodiac Killer's Final Two Messages May Have Been Decoded, And His Identity Finally Revealed

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We may finally know his name, as revealed in the Z13 cipher. Image credit: Public domain.

An engineer and amateur codebreaker believes that he has cracked the final two scrambled messages of the Zodiac Killer, one of which appears to reveal his identity.

In the late 1960s, heading into the early 1970s, a serial killer going by the pseudonym "Zodiac" murdered at least five people in California. During his spree, the killer sent taunting messages to the press written through a cipher, where letters are substituted for different letters or numbers (or in the case of the Zodiac killer, a series of symbols). 

The first letters were sent to three papers in the Bay Area, each containing a different part of the cipher. The papers printed the ciphers (or cryptograms) as Zodiac threatened to kill again if his instructions weren't followed.

The cipher, which was simpler than later efforts, was solved a week later by hand on August 8, 1969, by Donald Gene and Bettye June Harden. It  read :

"I LIKE KILLING PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH FUN IT IS MORE FUN THAN KILLING WILD GAME IN THE FORREST BECAUSE MAN IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL OF ALL TO KILL SOMETHING GIVES ME THE MOST THRILLING EXPERENCE IT IS EVEN BETTER THAN GETTING YOUR ROCKS OFF WITH A GIRL THE BEST PART OF IT IS THAT WHEN I DIE I WILL BE REBORN IN PARADICE AND ALL THE I HAVE KILLED WILL BECOME MY SLAVES I WILL NOT GIVE YOU MY NAME BECAUSE YOU WILL TRY TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP MY COLLECTING OF SLAVES FOR MY AFTERLIFE EBEORIETEMETHHPITI".

Based on this, it's pretty incredible that he was able to come up with a cypher complicated enough to fool the FBI for years but couldn't put the effort in to give his spelling a quick double-check, or maybe ask a friend to: "look, try not to read too much into the content but can you have a quick check that my grammar's ok".

Nevertheless, further messages took until late 2020 to decipher, after being worked on for years by codebreakers.

Now, Fayçal Ziraoui claims he has cracked the final two messages in just two weeks, with use of the encryption key discovered in December. (For the rest of the article to make sense, you might want to take a look at that key for yourself ).

The main problem with the final messages is the length. The Z13 message is only 13 characters long, making it a lot more difficult to figure out what the cipher could be. This is particularly frustrating, given that, according to the message preceding it, it reveals the Zodiac Killer's name.

Let's start with the Z32 cipher, as did Ziraoui. This particular 32 character cipher claimed to reveal the location of a bomb the killer had set, and came with a map showing the cities of Berkley and Oakland in California, USA.

This new solution proposes that the cipher does not have its own key, and uses a key revealed in previous messages. Ziraoui proposes that the key he used was the Z340 key, deciphered last December.

He argues that this key was not solved at the time, meaning that the killer had no need to create a new code. When used against the Z32, he claims it also draws out some sequences that almost look like words, including strings that look like scrambled versions of north ("nort" in the cipher), east, and west, which would make sense given that the cipher supposedly reveals a location. As well as this, he believes you can also see the string "I D O B L A", which is close to "diablo", fitting with Mount Diablo of California. Diablo was highlighted on the Zodiac Killer's map.

He also believes that the code revealed coordinates relating to magnetic north (the killer had written Mag. N on the map), which gives a rough idea of what sort of figures you are looking for. As well as this, he took a guess at the sort of precision that someone in the 1970s would be able to pin the location down to. With 3 digits after the decimal point, you can mark a location to within around 100 meters accuracy (328 feet). With four, you can decrease this to around 10 meters (32.8 feet), which is about the accuracy of modern-day GPS.

Using this, he guessed that the code would eventually reveal two numbers, denoting longitude and latitude, each with two numbers, followed by 3-4 numbers depending on how accurate the Zodiac killer tried to be. He also guessed that the first two numbers of the latitude needed to be around 44 – to put it near Mount Diablo – and longitude of around 60 for the same reason. 

Using the Z340 cipher, and then applying a simple letter to number switch (A=2, B=2, C=3, etc) he found coordinates which he believes to be in Lake Tahoe, which he deems as interesting given that murder victim Donna Lass went missing from there a few months later, and speculates that he was sending a message that he would commit a murder at that location.

Using the remaining letters (see video above for full explanation) he found the scrambled words "find", "labor", and "day". This is significant, he believes, because labor day was when Donna Lass went missing. 

If (and it is an if) this is a correct translation of the zodiac killer's message, it could mean that he used the same key again for his short Z13 cipher. This would be a lot more helpful in finding out who he is, given that the message above it says it would reveal his name.

Again, Ziraoui applied the Z340 cipher to the short string of characters. For the symbols which look like signs of the zodiac, he translated them into numerals so based on where they appear in the calendar. The remaining letters were translated to numerals using the same A=1 translation above, leaving a string of 13 numbers:

4851414541545

Given that the numbers were mainly repeats of 1, 4, and 5, it struck him that it was quite similar to the Trifid alphabet , another classic cipher invented in 1902. For this, however, the total number of numerals would need to be divisible by three (unless it had an extra unnecessary character).

Ziraoui's next step was to find the difference between each number (the difference between 4 and 8 is 4, the difference between 8 and 5 is 3, etc) until he was left with a 12 digit code, which he could translate into four letters using the Trifid alphabet:

434 333 113 411

The reason this is significant is that one of the main suspects in the case was Lawrence "Kane" Kaye, who served in the navy in World War 2 before moving to California, where he began to pick up a number of criminal convictions.

Kane was in the area at the time that the zodiac killer was active, and 45 years old at the time that the murderer was most active. Following brain damage in 1965, he was alleged to have lost the ability to control gratification . What's more, he was identified as someone who bothered victim Darlene Ferrin at a restaurant, by Darlene's sister . Kathleen Johns fled from someone who could have been the zodiac killer, and also identified Kane as her potential abductor, while a retired police officer also claimed that Kane's name had been embedded in the killer's code.

While it's easy to say "case closed", the reaction to Ziraou's solution has been mixed. Cryptography specialist at France’s National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology Emmanuel Thomé told the New York Times that his methods were sound and that the police should investigate it seriously, while others believe he had made some arbitrary choices, and that the code is too short to be deciphered.

Ziraoui has sent his solution on to the FBI for further investigation. The FBI recently confirmed the Z340 cipher had been cracked , so it might not be too long before we know for sure.

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Zodiac killer who terrorised San Francisco 'identified' by team of 40 cold case investigators

The case of the serial killer, who murdered five people in the late 1960s before taunting the police through letters to the media, has remained unsolved for more than 52 years.

Thursday 7 October 2021 09:17, UK

A team of cold case investigators believe they have identified the Zodiac killer, who has been at the centre of one of America's most notorious unsolved criminal cases for more than half a century.

The Case Breakers, who say they are a team of more than 40 former law enforcement investigators, journalists and military intelligence officers, have named the serial murderer as Gary Francis Poste.

The Air Force veteran from the Sierra foothills died in 2018, according to the investigators.

The Zodiac killer murdered five people in the Bay Area of California between 1968 and 1969.

He taunted police and made threats through letters sent to area newspapers before abruptly ceasing communication. His letters would contain ciphers which he claimed would reveal his identity if they were decoded.

In one letter, the Zodiac himself claimed to have murdered 37 victims, and he has been linked to several other cold cases, but only the five Bay Area murders and two attempted murders have been officially attributed to him.

Despite the circumstantial evidence presented by the Case Breakers, federal and police investigators tasked with solving the 52-year-old mystery told the San Francisco Chronicle that the latest theory doesn't hold up.

The investigators' theory is partly based on Poste's similarity in photos to a 1969 police sketch of the Zodiac killer. One of the key similarities is said to be the scars on his forehead.

Jen Bucholtz, a former Army counterintelligence agent who is a member of the team, also said letters sent by the Zodiac killer reveal Poste to be the killer when the anagrams in them are deciphered.

She told Fox News. "So you've got to know Gary's full name in order to decipher these anagrams.

"I just don't think there's any other way anybody would have figured it out."

The Case Breakers also claim to have proof their suspect killed Cheri Jo Bates, a woman murdered in Riverside, California, in 1966. The murder had been attributed to Zodiac in the past, but Riverside police have debunked the theory.

A number of theories have been put forward as to the identity of the Zodiac killer over the years - including a son who claimed it was his dead father, and another man who claimed his friend confessed to the crimes before his death in 2002.

However, the only man ever named as a suspect was Arthur Leigh Allen of Vallejo, California, who died in 1992.

In response to the Case Breakers theory which names Gary Poste, the San Francisco office of the FBI said in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday: "The Zodiac killer case remains open. We have no new information to share at the moment.

The San Francisco Police Department echoed the statement to the California-based paper.

The San Francisco Chronicle and police get hundreds of tips every year on potential Zodiac suspects and solutions to the coded messages.

Who is 'Grindr killer' Stephen Port - and were opportunities missed to stop him sooner?

Ex-detectives reveal why some cases go unsolved

ZODIAC KILLER .COM

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“The FBI’s investigation into the Zodiac Killer remains open and unsolved” — the FBI circa 2023

Zodiackiller.com. Est. 1998.

The only zodiac killer website recognized by law enforcement.

(Feeling nostalgic? The original site is still available here .)

Where to start your investigation into the Zodiac Killer?

Who are the Suspects?

There have been thousands of Zodiac suspects since 1968. See an extensive list of possible suspects and the opportunity to report your own.

Who were the victims?

In one of his last taunting letters to the news media, Zodiac claimed he had 37 victims to show for his five years of terrorizing the San Francisco Bay Area.

About This Site

Launched March 20, 1998. ZodiacKiller.com is the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. Curated by Tom Voigt, the website has premiered on several investigative TV shows, documentaries, radio, and in newspapers. Zodiackiller.com is committed to obtaining and archiving all available case-related materials (letters, ciphers, codes, and DNA).

About Tom Voigt

Tom has curated, built, and maintained ZodiacKiller.com since its launch in 1998. Currently in Portland, Oregon. Tom has been a resource for many investigators who are still trying to crack one of the most compelling cold cases in American history. He also established a Zodiac Killer hotline. Click to hear some of the most interesting calls he has received.

The Zodiac Killer's Disturbing Motives For Murdering At Least Five People

The Zodiac Killer has yet to be definitively identified. Responsible for at least five murders and two attempted murders in the late 1960s in the San Francisco area, the Zodiac (as he called himself) grew widely known because he would mail ciphers, letters, and bits of evidence to local newspapers and police to take credit for his killings and taunt investigators. He claimed to have killed 37 people (via Biography ).

Though the last couple of years have brought moments of excitement over the possibility of the Zodiac's identification, the authorities have not reached any conclusions. According to the Washington Examiner , in 2021 the FBI pushed back against a private group of investigators, mostly former law enforcement officers, that said the case was solved and the killer known.Likewise, a French engineer's findings that allegedly cracked the final Zodiac cipher, pointing to an entirely different suspect, proved controversial. We regularly hear reports that the identity of the "true" killer has been discovered, and it is different each time (via KQED ).

While the mystery persists, the letters the Zodiac distributed and the codes that have been deciphered hint at stomach-churning motives.

The Most Dangerous Animal of All

The Zodiac tended to target young couples in isolated places, who he would stab or shoot to death. For instance, high school seniors Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards were enjoying the beach in Santa Barbara when the Zodiac came upon them, binding them with rope and eventually shooting them (via History ). Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday, students on their first date, were murdered in their car at a lover's lane in Benicia. 22-year-old Darlene Ferrin was picking up her friend Michael Mageau in the lot of a public park when the Zodiac blinded them with a flashlight and fired into the car. Only Mageau escaped . Likewise, Bryan Hartnell survived when he and Cecilia Shepard were attacked at a beach near Napa. The Zodiac bound and stabbed them, and Shepard was killed.

Suspected but unconfirmed Zodiac killings included other young women (via History). A number of experts have attempted to profile the killer over the decades and have reached different conclusions, but some see sexual frustration and lack of intimacy with women, even impotence, as motivating characteristics (via Zodiac Killer Facts ). It's also thought that as a loner and a "nobody," committing serial murder and receiving widespread press over it made him feel like a somebody. 

The Zodiac wrote in his ciphers, however, that he was simply having fun. One of his decoded messages from July 1969 included: "I like killing people because it is so much fun" (via Britannica ). He continued: "It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all... To kill something gives me the most thrilling experience... It is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl" (via Zodiologists ).

Dark Corners of a Twisted Mind

These theoretical motives are not mutually exclusive. It could well be that frustration with and fear of women were subconscious influences, and the rush the Zodiac felt from killing was a conscious motivator to continue his spree. Or perhaps he was as aware of his feelings toward women as his thrill from the hunt. Psychologists will continue to analyze his actions and writings for implied subconscious motives, but conscious ones can only be found in explicit, clear statements in his letters.

In 2020, an amateur team of codebreakers solved the second-to-last unsolved Zodiac cipher (the last one, studied by the French engineer, was referenced earlier). It was also mailed in 1969, and remained a puzzle for half a century. The FBI confirmed the team was successful, according to The Washington Post . In it we discover another reference to fun, though this time regarding investigators: "I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me."

It is clear enough that the Zodiac viewed, or at least presented, his murderous rampage as a fun game. It is also clear that his motives will remain a source of intense debate. With such an unhinged individual, there are many dark corners to probe. According to IFL Science , more than one cipher references a religious belief that his victims will become his slaves in the afterlife, necessitating more murders for a more comfortable existence after death.

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Could Any of These Men Have Been the Zodiac Killer?

By: Melinda Beck

Updated: August 22, 2023 | Original: November 6, 2017

For nearly five decades, police and amateur sleuths have sought the identity of the Zodiac—and never come close to making an arrest. The serial killer who murdered at least five people, taunted police and terrorized Bay Area residents in the 1960s and 1970s apparently vanished without a trace. Yet he left behind a mystery that still grips the public imagination, spawning books, movies, TV crime shows, websites—and a trail of tangled theories.

Over the years, Zodiac buffs have suggested dozens of possible suspects based on speculation and circumstantial evidence. Conspiracy theorists have fingered Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, Wichita’s BTK Killer or members of Charles Manson family. A handful of publicity-seekers claim their fathers were the Zodiac. In recent years, absurd allegations have spread on social media—including that Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the Zodiac, even though he was born two years after the first confirmed killings.

“The level of crackpottery in the Zodiac case is stunning,” says Michael Butterfield, a writer who has spent 20 years researching the case and runs the website zodiackillerfacts.com. “Most of the people we refer to as suspects aren’t really suspects at all—just somebody that someone accused whose name got repeated online, even though there was never anything there.”

Here are eight who have generated the most interest:

1. LAWRENCE KANE

Why Suspected: Kane worked in the same Lake Tahoe hotel as Donna Lass, who disappeared in 1970 and may have been another Zodiac victim. He served in the Naval reserves, where he might have learned coding, and a 1962 car accident left him with a brain injury that could have compromised his ability to control urges. He was arrested for peeping in 1961 and for prowling in 1968.

A retired police detective investigating the case in the 1980s claimed that Kane’s name was embedded in one of the Zodiac’s ciphers, and that Darlene’s sister Linda had identified a photo of Kane as the man she said had bothered Darlene at a restaurant. A San Francisco police officer who probably saw the Zodiac moments after Stine’s murder said Kane’s photo was closer than any other likeness he had seen. Kathleen Johns, who escaped from a man believed to be the Zodiac in Modesto in 1970, also identified a photo of Kane as the abductor.

2. ROSS SULLIVAN

Why Suspected: The 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, Ca. bore many similarities to the Zodiac killings. Staffers at the Riverside City College library, near where Bates’s body was found, said a coworker, Ross Sullivan, had made them uncomfortable and disappeared for several days after the murder. Sullivan also sported a crew cut and glasses similar to the composite sketch of the Zodiac. He moved to northern California in 1967 and was hospitalized several times for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Sullivan wore an Army jacket and military-style boots like those that left footprints at the Lake Berryessa stabbings. Zodiac buffs also note that his letters mention “The Mikado,” by Gilbert and Sullivan, which could be a reference to Sullivan’s name.

3. ARTHUR LEIGH ALLEN

Why Suspected: Portrayed as the prime suspect in Robert Graysmith’s books, one of which was the basis of the 2007 movie, “Zodiac,” Allen was questioned by police in 1969 and again in 1971 after a friend told authorities Allen had talked about wanting to kill people and secure a flashlight to a firearm, as the Zodiac did.

Allen wore a Zodiac-brand watch, owned the same caliber gun used in one Zodiac shooting and told police the bloody knives in his car were used for killing chickens. He was less-than honorably discharged from the Navy and been fired from his school-teacher job amid sexual-misconduct allegations. He was also ambidextrous, which some theorists say could have helped disguise his handwriting.

Police investigated Allen again in 1991 after an informant facing armed-robbery charges said Allen had boasted to him about killing a cab driver. At that point, Michael Mageau, who survived the Vallejo attack, identified a photo of Allen as the shooter. In the 2007 movie, victim Darlene Ferrin’s sister Linda also identified a photo of Allen as the man she said had stalked her sister. According to the film, police were closing in when Allen died.

Why Ruled Out: “Allen seems like a good suspect as long as you only get information from people who think he’s guilty,” says Butterfield. Allen didn’t match witness descriptions of the Zodiac. His fingerprints didn’t match those found in Paul Stine’s cab and believed to be the Zodiac’s. His palm print didn’t match one found on a Zodiac letter and his DNA didn’t match the partial DNA profile created in 2002 from saliva on an envelope believed to be the Zodiac’s. Two searches of Allen’s home found no incriminating evidence. Police had samples of his right and left handwriting and neither matched the Zodiac’s.

The 2007 movie contained many fictitious elements, Zodiac researchers say. Police considered Mageau’s photo ID to be weak and movie the scene with Darlene’s sister never occurred. Allen died of a heart attack in 1992.

4. RICHARD MARSHALL

Why Suspected: Marshall, a ham radio operator and movie projectionist, lived in Riverside in 1966 and in later in San Francisco near where Stine was murdered. Visitors to his home told police they found him peculiar and that he had talked about finding ”something much more exciting than sex.” Marshall liked old movies, including “The Red Phantom,” which was mentioned in a 1974 Zodiac letter. He lived in a basement apartment, which the Zodiac also cited. He owned a typewriter and a teletype similar to those the Zodiac used. They both liked felt-tip pens and odd-size paper.

Why Ruled Out: In a 1989 TV interview, Marshall conceded there were many similarities but denied being the Zodiac. Napa County sheriff’s detective Ken Narlow, who pursued the case for decades, said “Marshall makes good reading but not a very good suspect in my estimation.” Marshall died in a nursing home in 2008.

5. RICHARD GAIKOWSKI

Why Suspected: Gaikowski edited a counter-culture newspaper in San Francisco. A former coworker sent long, rambling letters to law-enforcement agencies accusing him of being the Zodiac and said Gaikowski invited him to engage in violent acts together. The accuser, nicknamed “Goldcatcher,” appeared in disguise on an episode of the HISTORY Channel’s “MysteryQuest” in 2009 and provided recordings of Gaikowski’s voice. On the show, a police dispatcher who spoke to the Zodiac said she thought it was the same voice. Researcher Tom Voigt also notes that “Gyke” appears in a part of a cipher the Zodiac said contained his identity.

Why Ruled Out: “Goldcatcher” was a known conspiracy theorist with little credibility, described by a San Francisco police inspector as “one of the three top Zodiac kooks.” When Narlow, the Napa detective, interviewed Gaikowski, the journalist claimed he was out of the country at the time of the 1968 murders on Lake Herman Road, but had lost his passport. San Francisco and Napa police denied requests to compare a DNA sample from Gaikowski with the Zodiac’s. He died in 2004.

6. EARL VAN BEST JR.

Why Suspected: In his 2014 book, “The Most Dangerous Animal of All,” Gary Stewart made a case that his biological father, Earl Van Best Jr., was the Zodiac. Stewart said Best resembled the composite sketch of the Zodiac, lived in California at the time of the killings, was interested in ciphers, knew a Satanist and a Manson-family member and liked Gilbert and Sullivan. Best also served time in prison for the statutory rape of Stewart’s mother and may have held a grudge against San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, who wrote a series of articles about the couple.

Stewart claimed to have found Best’s initials in the Zodiac ciphers, and a document examiner said the handwriting on Best’s marriage certificate matched the Zodiac’s. Although their fingerprints didn’t match, a mark that could have been a scar was visible in Best’s and those found in Stine’s cab.

Why Ruled Out: Despite the vast publicity Stewart’s book received, experts quickly dismissed most of its claims. The method he used to crack the cipher was questionable; the fingerprint mark was similar to the Zodiac’s only if it was reversed and the handwriting on the marriage certificate was the minister’s, not Best’s. As for Best’s resemblance to the composite sketch, Butterfield says, “a crew cut with horned-rim glasses was hardly a unique look in the 1960s.” Best died in 1984.

7. JACK TARRANCE

Why Suspected: Dennis Kaufman also received extensive publicity claiming that his late stepfather, Jack Tarrance, was the Zodiac. Kaufman said Tarrance was a dead-ringer for the composite sketch and claimed to have a stash of incriminating evidence, including a roll of film depicting possible victims and a bizarre hooded costume like one the Zodiac wore during the Lake Berryessa stabbings. On a 2007 Discovery Channel documentary, a document examiner said Tarrance’s handwriting matched the Zodiac’s.

Why Ruled Out: Law-enforcement officials dismissed Kaufman’s evidence as nonsense. One photo showed a blob of color he claimed was Black Dahlia victim Elizabeth Short. The hooded costume Kaufman produced was much cruder than what the victims described. Researchers also challenged the document examiner’s credibility; she believed Tarrance had also written the JonBenet Ramsey ransom note. Tarrance died in 2006.

8. DONALD LEE BUJOK

Why Suspected: The hooded man who stabbed the couple at Lake Berryessa said he had just escaped from a prison in Montana, according to Bryan Hartnell, who survived the attack. Researcher Kevin Robert Brooks developed a lengthy circumstantial case implicating Donald Lee Bujok, who was released in 1968 from Montana’s Deer Lodge Penitentiary after serving 11 years of a life sentence for killing a sheriff’s deputy.

According to Brooks, fellow inmates said Bujok had talked about killing people to make them slaves in the afterlife, as mentioned in a Zodiac letter. Brooks claimed the Halloween card sent to reporter Paul Avery depicted harsh conditions at the prison and that “Boo!” on the inside referenced Bujok’s name. Bujok had been discharged from the Army for mental-health reasons; Brooks alleged that markings on some Zodiac envelopes spelled out ‘Zodiac is a veteran with 4F.” Brooks also speculated that the Zodiac’s signature crossed-circle symbol was inspired by the helicopter landing pad at Fort Ord, California, where Bujok had been stationed.

Why Ruled Out: Bujok’s fingerprints did not match those believed to be the Zodiac’s. A park ranger at Lake Berryessa claimed Hartnell said the prison was in Colorado, not Montana. Bujok was released just three days before the Zodiac’s Lake Herman Rd. killings; some researchers think he would have had difficulty traveling across three states in that time. Bujok was incarcerated during the Bates murder and other early killings that may have been the Zodiac’s. He died in 1993.

HISTORY Vault: The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Zodiac Killer, one of history’s most famous unidentified serial murderers, terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in a spree of heinous attacks, sending taunting letters to authorities, some containing ciphers filled with mystifying combinations of letters and symbols. 

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Zodiac Killer: Unraveling the Mysteries Behind America’s Most Elusive Serial Killer

• Chris Riley
• April 17, 2023

The Zodiac Killer is one of the most infamous and enigmatic serial killers in American history. During the 1960s and 1970s, this mysterious individual terrorized Northern California, leaving a trail of terror and murder in his wake. Despite never being caught, the Zodiac Killer left behind a series of cryptic messages, daring law enforcement to catch him and entrancing the public for decades to come.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Zodiac Killer story is the complex mix of true crime , urban legend, and modern mythology that has emerged around the case. Whether you’re a true crime aficionado or someone who loves a good mystery, the Zodiac Killer saga is an enthralling tale that continues to captivate audiences today.

In this article, we’ll delve into the chilling story of the Zodiac Killer , examining his gruesome crimes, his twisted communications with the police and the media, and the numerous theories that have been proposed about his identity. As we venture into the dark world of the Zodiac, prepare to be both fascinated and terrified by this enduring unsolved mystery.

The Mysterious Zodiac Killer: A Brief Overview

The Zodiac Killer is a name that still sends chills down the spines of true crime enthusiasts. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, this mysterious murderer gripped Northern California in fear, taunting police and the public with enigmatic ciphers, letters, and brutal slayings.

The Nightmares Begin

The Zodiac Killer’s grim work began in December 1968, with the double murder of a young couple in Benicia, California. Then, in July 1969, another pair of victims were shot in a remote parking lot in Vallejo, California. The killer’s notoriety grew as he continued to:

• Claim responsibility for the attacks
• Send letters to newspapers revealing details only the killer would know
• Include cryptograms and ciphers in his communications

The Victims

Although the Zodiac Killer boasted of having killed as many as 37 people, only seven victims were confirmed, out of which two narrowly managed to survive the vicious attacks. The confirmed victims include:

• David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen (Benicia, December 1968)
• Darlene Ferrin and Mike Mageau (Vallejo, July 1969)
• Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard (Napa County, September 1969)
• Paul Stine (San Francisco, October 1969)

The Ciphers

Mysterious cyphers and coded messages were a chilling trademark of the Zodiac Killer . He sent a total of four encrypted messages; only one has been definitively solved, known as the 408-cipher. The remaining three remain among the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries:

• The 408-cipher: Solved by a couple in 1969
• The Z-13: May potentially reveal the Zodiac’s name
• The Z-32: Associated with a map of the San Francisco Bay Area
• The Z-340: Cracked in 2020, 51 years after it was originally sent

Despite this recent breakthrough, the Zodiac Killer’s identity remains unknown.

The Suspects

Over the years, many potential suspects have come under scrutiny, some more promising than others. A few of the most notable suspects are:

• Arthur Leigh Allen: A prime suspect in the 1970s, but never conclusively linked
• Richard Gaikowski: Alleged to have been identified by surviving victim Harvey Hines
• Ross Sullivan: Linked by suspicions of code expertise
• Lawrence Kane: Known for using aliases and possessing cryptogram know-how
• Earl Van Best Jr.: Proposed by an author claiming to be his estranged son

While each suspect has generated considerable interest or speculation, definitive answers have eluded investigators, and the mystery of the Zodiac Killer’s identity remains to this day.

Chilling Letters and Cryptograms

The Zodiac Killer was infamous not only for the brutal murders but also for the complex codes and chilling letters he sent to the media and the police. These cryptograms and taunts added a terrifying layer to the ongoing investigations surrounding the mysterious killer.

The Zodiac’s First Cryptograms

The first cryptograms from the Zodiac Killer were sent in three parts to three different newspapers on July 31, 1969. The killer demanded that each newspaper print their portion of the encoded message on the front page:

• The Vallejo Times-Herald
• The San Francisco Chronicle
• The San Francisco Examiner

He threatened that if they didn’t comply, he would go on a killing spree. All three newspapers published the messages, sparking massive public interest in deciphering the code.

The 408-symbol Cipher and its Decryption

The three-part message was a single coded message containing 408 symbols. It became known as the “408-symbol cipher” and was eventually cracked by a couple from Salinas, California:

• Name: Donald and Bettye Harden
• Profession: School teacher and newspaper employee
• Decryption Date: August 8, 1969 (only a week later)

Here’s a sample of the decoded message:

The entire decoded message revealed the Zodiac’s twisted enjoyment of killing and hinted that his identity could be found in one of the encrypted sections. However, no definite identity was discovered from the code.

Other Coded Messages

The Zodiac Killer went on to send more cryptograms, but not all of them have been solved. Here are a few examples:

• The 340-symbol cipher: Sent on November 8, 1969. Deciphered over 51 years after its receipt, on December 11, 2020.
• The 13-symbol cipher: Sent on April 20, 1970. A possible solution was proposed in 2021 but remains unverified.
• The “My Name Is” cipher: A 13-symbol message attached to a Halloween Card on October 27, 1970. The cipher has not been solved.

The Chilling Letters

Along with the codes, the Zodiac Killer also sent terrifying letters describing the details of the murders he’d committed and taunting the police for their inability to catch him. These letters only added to the fear and fascination surrounding this cold-blooded killer.

In these chilling communications with the media and authorities, the Zodiac Killer showcased his twisted mind and cryptic nature, creating a dark legacy that continues to haunt true crime enthusiasts and investigators to this day.

Confirmed and Suspected Victims

The enigmatic Zodiac Killer, who terrorized Northern California during the late 1960s and early 1970s, remains one of the most infamous unidentified serial killers in history. Known for sending encoded messages to newspapers, the killer claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this section, we’ll delve into the Zodiac’s confirmed victims and those believed to be associated with his notorious killing spree.

Confirmed Victims

Five deaths and two injured victims have been definitively linked to the Zodiac. These harrowing attacks occurred between December 1968 and October 1969.

• David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen : The Zodiac’s first known attack occurred on December 20, 1968, in which David (17) and Betty Lou (16) were fatally shot while parked along Lake Herman Road in Solano County.
• Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin : On July 5, 1969, the Zodiac struck again, targeting the couple Michael (19) and Darlene (22) in a parking lot in Vallejo, California. Michael Mageau survived the shooting but was severely injured, while Darlene Ferrin sadly succumbed to her injuries.
• Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard : In one of his most infamous attacks, the Zodiac Killer targeted college students Bryan (20) and Cecelia (22) during their picnic at Lake Berryessa on September 27, 1969. Bryan Hartnell survived the attack, but Cecelia passed away from her injuries two days later.
• Paul Stine : The Zodiac’s last confirmed murder happened on October 11, 1969, in San Francisco. Paul Stine (29), a cab driver, was shot in the head as he drove the Zodiac through the city’s Presidio Heights neighborhood.

Suspected Victims

In addition to the confirmed victims, authorities have also considered several other cases as potentially linked to the Zodiac Killer. However, they have never been definitively connected to the infamous murderer.

• Cheri Jo Bates : On October 30, 1966, 18-year-old Cheri Jo was found murdered near Riverside City College in Southern California. While her case has striking similarities, her connection to the Zodiac Killer remains unproven.
• Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards : The 1963 murders of Robert (18) and Linda (17) in Santa Barbara County also carry hallmarks of the Zodiac. However, no direct link to the killer has ever been confirmed.
• Donna Lass : Last seen on September 6, 1970, 25-year-old nurse Donna Lass has often been rumored to be one of the Zodiac’s victims. Her case remains unsolved, but connections to the Zodiac Killer are still speculative.

The captivating case of the Zodiac Killer continues to draw intrigue and speculation among true crime aficionados. Despite the passage of time, the true extent of the Zodiac’s crimes remains shrouded in uncertainty, leaving questions only the mysterious murderer can answer.

The Zodiac Killer’s Possible Motivations

When it comes to understanding the motives behind the Zodiac Killer’s heinous acts, we are left with only speculation and theories. However, there are some common psychological factors to consider when dealing with serial killers. Let’s discuss a few possibilities that may have driven the Zodiac Killer to commit those infamous murders .

Thrill-Seeking

One possible explanation for the Zodiac Killer’s actions is that he was looking for excitement and thrills by committing murder. This could be the case as:

• He frequently taunted the police and media by sending cryptic letters and ciphers.
• He deliberately chose different methods and weapons to carry out his crimes.

Desire for Control and Power

The Zodiac Killer’s actions could also indicate a strong desire for power and control, which is a common motivation for many serial killers. This was evident in:

• The way he manipulated and dictated the course of the investigation through his communications.
• The various situations in which he carried out his murders, often subduing and controlling his victims.

Fantasy-Driven

The killer may have been motivated by fantasies, as some serial killers are driven to kill in order to act out their darkest fantasies. This theory is supported by:

• The creative and imaginative ciphers he created, which could indicate an active fantasy life.
• His self-proclaimed nickname “Zodiac” and use of a symbol, which added a mysterious and theatrical element to his crimes.

Seeking Attention and Notoriety

Lastly, the Zodiac Killer may have been motivated by a desire for attention and notoriety. Clues that support this theory include:

• His continuous communications with the media, ensuring his crimes remained in the public eye.
• His choice to use the media as a platform to send his encoded letters, making sure his voice was heard and his crimes discussed widely.

In conclusion, while the exact motivations of the Zodiac Killer remain unknown, these possibilities can help us better understand the psyche of this infamous and enigmatic murderer.

Notorious Suspects in the Case

The Zodiac Killer case has witnessed numerous suspects across the years. However, a few of them have gained significant attention, either due to law enforcement’s focus or striking personality traits. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most notorious suspects:

Arthur Leigh Allen

• One of the main suspects in the Zodiac Killer case
• Served in the U.S. Navy and worked as a schoolteacher
• Peer and family accusations, along with investigation discoveries, bolstered suspicion
• Eventually, inconclusive DNA and handwriting evidence diminished the focus on Allen

Arthur Leigh Allen is arguably the most famous suspect in the Zodiac Killer case. His former acquaintances and family members implicated him in the case, and investigators found several suspicious items during a search of his residence. However, despite the damning circumstantial evidence, definitive DNA and handwriting tests failed to link Allen to the Zodiac crimes.

Richard Gaikowski

• An enigmatic figure with an uncanny resemblance to the Zodiac Killer’s composite sketch
• Worked for the Vallejo Times-Herald , a newspaper that received Zodiac letters
• Gaikowski’s friend, Blaine T. Blaine, accused him of being the Zodiac Killer

Richard Gaikowski, a journalist and filmmaker, emerged as a suspect after his friend Blaine T. Blaine accused him of being the Zodiac. Although Gaikowski’s background and employer are an intriguing connection to the Zodiac case, no conclusive evidence ties him to the murders.

Ross Sullivan

• A quiet and intelligent individual who studied cryptology
• Developments in the case led to a renewed interest in Sullivan as a suspect
• Sullivan’s physical appearance resembled one of the composite sketches

Ross Sullivan is another suspect in the Zodiac Killer case who gained attention due to his knowledge of cryptography and resemblance to a composite sketch. While his background and knowledge align well with the Zodiac case, authorities have yet to find compelling evidence connecting him to the crimes.

Lawrence Kane

• Worked in a print shop and had knowledge of naval codes
• Several key connections to the Zodiac case
• Linked to other cold cases , adding to his notoriety

Lawrence Kane, who worked in a print shop, emerged as a suspect due to his knowledge of naval codes and potential connections to the Zodiac Killer’s victims. Additionally, Kane has been linked to multiple other cold cases, further enhancing his notoriety.

While many suspects have been investigated, there remains no definitive confirmation of the Zodiac Killer’s identity. The mystery continues to captivate true crime enthusiasts, and we can only hope that one day this infamous case will be solved.

Conspiracy Theories Surrounding the Zodiac Killer

Like any intriguing mystery or cold case, the Zodiac Killer has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories over the years. The following are some of the most notable theories that have sprung up as people look for answers:

• The CIA Connection : Some believe the Zodiac Killer might have been a CIA agent or at least someone with connections to the intelligence community. Proponents of this theory argue that the killer exhibited advanced knowledge in cryptography and code-breaking, which could indicate professional training. They also suggest that the mysterious and obscure nature of the case suited the shadowy world of espionage, and that the CIA possibly played a role in covering up the killer’s true identity.
• Cryptic messages sent to authorities and news outlets
• Revealing details of how the murders were executed
• Gloating about the killer’s ability to elude capture This theory posits that Bates was an early victim of the Zodiac Killer, and her murder served as a blueprint for creating his persona and modus operandi.
• Multiple Killers Theory : This theory suggests that there were multiple killers operating under the guise of the Zodiac Killer. Some proponents of this theory believe that police could have mistaken the work of separate killers, possibly even a team of killers, for the Zodiac’s due to similarities in the crimes. Additionally, some theorists argue that the perceived differences in handwriting and modus operandi between different Zodiac cases support this possibility.
• The Unabomber Connection : A more recent theory tries to link the Zodiac Killer and the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. While both were active around the same time and used codes and ciphers in their communications, the details of their crimes are notably different. Despite this, some still argue that they could have been influenced by one another or connected in some way, fueling this conspiracy theory.

It’s important to note that, until new evidence or a breakthrough in the case happens, these theories remain fascinating conjectures that tantalize mystery enthusiasts and die-hard fans of cold cases. As interest in the Zodiac Killer endures, we can expect these and other conspiracy theories to continue cropping up for years to come.

How the Zodiac Case Affected Popular Culture

The Zodiac Killer case has had a significant impact on popular culture, leaving a lasting impression on many aspects of society. In this section, we’ll explore how this notorious serial killer has influenced films, television, music, and even our vocabulary.

Films and Television

The Zodiac Killer’s infamous crimes have attracted the attention of filmmakers and television producers alike, resulting in several adaptations and portrayals of the case:

• The 1971 film Dirty Harry , starring Clint Eastwood, features a killer called Scorpio, widely believed to be inspired by the Zodiac.
• Zodiac (2007), directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith’s book, delves deep into the investigation of the murders and the obsession with decoding the killer’s cryptograms.
• Television series American Horror Story: Hotel (2015) includes a storyline involving the Zodiac Killer attending a secret meeting of infamous serial killers.
• The Zodiac (2005) and The Curse of the Zodiac (2007) are two lesser-known films that also tackle the unsolved mystery.

The Zodiac murders have inspired several songs and bands, showing the reach of the case into the world of music:

• The rock band The Zodiac Killers took their name directly from the case.
• “Zodiac” by+ Melvins references aspects of the case and cryptograms_ in its lyrics.
• Alternative rock band Pearl Jam included a song called “Gonna See My Friend” on their album Backspacer which makes a vague reference to the Zodiac Killer.

Language and Vocabulary

The Zodiac case also made its way into our everyday language and vocabulary:

• The use of the term “Zodiac” to describe a killer whose identity remains unknown has become commonplace, even though the term was coined by the killer to describe himself.
• Some parts of the killer’s cryptograms have been adopted as symbols or references related to the case, such as the “cross-circle” symbol.

Overall, the Zodiac Killer case has left an indelible mark on popular culture, continuing to captivate the public’s imagination and inspire new works in film, television, and music. Its impact serves as a testament to the case’s enduring intrigue and fascination with the unknown.

Ongoing Investigations and New Clues

In recent years, the Zodiac Killer case has seen a resurgence of interest as investigators continue to search for answers and new clues emerge with the help of modern technology. This section will delve into the ongoing investigations and recent discoveries surrounding this infamous mystery.

• New technology and code breaking : Advances in technology have enabled both professional and amateur sleuths to re-examine the Zodiac Killer’s cryptic messages, leading to potential breakthroughs in the case. For instance, in December 2020, a team of codebreakers finally decrypted the Zodiac’s 340-character cipher after 51 years. This major development revived interest in the case and provided new insights into the killer’s motives and identity.
• DNA and genealogy research : One of the more promising avenues of investigation involves the use of DNA evidence and genealogical research. In 2018, law enforcement agencies in California began to re-test old evidence, such as envelopes and stamps used by the Zodiac Killer, for potential DNA traces that could lead to the killer’s identity. This approach has already proven successful in identifying the Golden State Killer, giving hope that a similar breakthrough could be achieved in the Zodiac case.
• Re-examination of evidence and suspects : As part of ongoing investigations, authorities have continued to review and re-evaluate existing evidence and suspects. This has led to the elimination of several previous persons of interest and the emergence of new potential suspects.
• Public interest and collaboration : The enduring fascination with the Zodiac Killer has led to countless amateur detectives dedicating their time and expertise to unraveling the case. Through online forums, podcasts, and documentaries, this global community collaborates and shares new theories and discoveries, feeding into official investigations and helping to keep the case alive.

In conclusion, the hunt for the Zodiac Killer continues with renewed interest and enthusiasm from both official investigators and amateur sleuths. As technology advances and new clues come to light, there is a growing sense of optimism that one of the most enduring mysteries in American crime history could eventually be solved.

Will the Zodiac Killer’s Identity Ever Be Discovered?

The hunt for the Zodiac Killer has persisted for decades, with countless leads and theories emerging. However, none have definitively identified the killer. Die-hard fans of cold cases, crime, and mystery still hold out hope that the Zodiac Killer’s identity will one day be uncovered. This section explores the possibilities and challenges:

• Modern technology, especially advancements in DNA analysis techniques, offers renewed hope for solving this case. For example, the 2018 identification of the Golden State Killer was groundbreaking and increased the hopes for solving other mysterious cases such as the Zodiac .
• The Zodiac Killer left so many tantalizing clues, including the infamous ciphers. The recent decoding of the Z340 Cipher, solved only in December 2020, supports the idea that the Zodiac Killer’s identity might eventually be discovered through this method.
• Despite the optimism surrounding technological advancement and deciphering ciphers, there are still significant obstacles in discovering the Zodiac Killer’s identity:
• Lost Evidence : Over the years, some pieces of evidence have been lost, potentially damaging the chances of identifying the killer.
• Decades-old DNA samples : The remaining DNA samples, if any, are old and might have degraded over time. This could make it difficult to get a conclusive match with potential suspects.
• No living witnesses : The passage of time also means that witnesses and investigators who worked on the case have either passed away or may have trouble recalling specific details. This fact also affects the ability of identifying the killer.

In the end, the question of whether the Zodiac Killer’s identity will ever be discovered remains uncertain. The advancements in technology and ongoing dedication from cold case enthusiasts might yet lead to a breakthrough one day. Until then, fans of the Zodiac mystery will continue researching, theorizing, and hoping for a resolution.

What is the Zodiac Killer’s real name?

The Zodiac Killer’s real name remains unknown to this day. Despite numerous investigations and suspects, the killer’s true identity has never been conclusively determined.

When was the last Zodiac killing?

The last confirmed Zodiac killing occurred on October 11, 1969, when taxi driver Paul Stine was murdered in San Francisco. However, the Zodiac Killer claimed responsibility for more murders in subsequent letters, but these claims remain unverified.

Conclusion: The Zodiac Killer’s Enduring Legacy

The Zodiac Killer’s case has fascinated and captivated audiences for over five decades. As one of the most infamous cold cases in history, the Zodiac Killer’s identity remains unknown, and the cryptograms left behind continue to spark interest in codebreakers and crime enthusiasts alike. Here are some key aspects of the Zodiac Killer’s enduring legacy:

• The ongoing investigation: Even after more than 50 years, the Zodiac Killer case remains open and under investigation. Several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are still actively working on the case, hoping to crack the code and solve this notorious mystery.
• The impact on pop culture: The Zodiac Killer has left an indelible impact on popular culture, inspiring numerous books, movies, and TV shows. Some noteworthy examples include the 2007 film “Zodiac” directed by David Fincher and the recent documentary series “The Most Dangerous Animal of All.”
• The influence on true crime communities: The Zodiac Killer case has inspired many amateur sleuths and online communities to collaborate and share their best theories in hopes of solving the case. True crime enthusiasts are drawn to the mystery and eeriness surrounding this serial killer.

In conclusion, the Zodiac Killer’s enduring legacy will continue to engage and intrigue followers well into the future. The mystery surrounding the killer’s identity and their unsolved ciphers provides a challenge for both law enforcement and true crime fans, keeping this dark piece of history alive. While the Zodiac Killer’s actions were undeniably horrific, the case serves as a reminder to never stop seeking justice for the victims and their families, no matter how much time has passed.

References and Sources:

https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/zodiac-killer-paul-alfred-doerr/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_Killer

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zodiac-killer

Owner & entrepreneur with a passion for murder mystery! Seriously, who doesn’t love murder mystery?

Chris is a proud member of the American Medical Writer’s Association (AMWA) , the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) , the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) , the Council of Science Editors , the Author’s Guild , and the Editorial Freelance Association (EFA) .

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'The case remains open': FBI rebuts claim Zodiac Killer case is solved

An independent group of cold case investigators claimed to have identified California's notorious Zodiac Killer . The FBI now says that claim is inaccurate.

After uncovering new forensic evidence and photos from his darkroom, the Case Breakers said they identified the man believed to be the Zodiac Killer, who they believed died in 2018, according to a news release. The group of 40 former investigators also claimed the man was responsible for the 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates, whose body was found in an alleyway in Riverside, California.

"The case remains open and there is no new information to report," the FBI said.

Riverside police Officer Ryan J. Railsback told NBC News that authorities "ruled out any connection" between the murder of Cheri Jo Bates and the Zodiac Killer.

"We don't know how we can be any more clear," he said Wednesday. "The $50,000 private reward is still valid. If someone has any information on the Bates case please come forward."

In August, Riverside police said the anonymous handwritten letter purportedly tying the Bates case to the Zodiac Killer was found to be a hoax.

"In 2016, investigators received an anonymous letter from a person admitting the handwritten letter sent to our department months after Cheri Jo Bates was murdered was written as a sick joke, and he was not the Zodiac killer," police said at the time.

The mysterious Zodiac Killer is believed to have fatally stabbed or shot at least five people in Northern California from 1968 to 1969. He was known to send taunting letters and cryptograms that often included astrological symbols and references to police and newspapers.

The Zodiac Killer has never been caught.

Andrew Blankstein is an investigative reporter for NBC News. He covers the Western U.S., specializing in crime, courts and homeland security. 

Wilson Wong is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News Digital.

The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile Research Paper

Victimology, perpetrator profiling.

The stories about the murders committed by the Zodiac maniac are numerous. The topic has been speculated about more than once by many people for a variety of purposes. Opinions differ in estimating the number of victims at the hands of the serial killer. Moreover, the maniac attributes many more murders to himself than law enforcement authorities have admitted. Proven victims of the Zodiac are the following people:

• Boyfriend David Faraday, age 17, and his loving girlfriend, Betty Lou Jensen. The couple arranged their first date at the lakeshore. The lovers were sitting in the car when a maniac approached them in his car. He made them leave the car and shot them in cold blood. The girl tried to escape but could not escape death;
• Mike Mageau at age 17 and Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin at age 22. The maniac began shooting them in the parking lot of the town of Vallejo, California. Mike was lucky to stay alive, but for the girl, the story had a fatal outcome;
• Brian Hartnell in his 20s and Cecilia Sheppard in her 22s. The Zodiac used a stabbing rather than a firearm in the attack. The girl died, and the boy, who was stabbed eight times in the back by the maniac, was spared his life;
• Paul Lee Stein at age 29. The killer shot him in San Francisco (Wall, 2021).

The list of victims in which the Zodiac is recognized as the killer includes four cases. The maniac may have been involved in several other cases in addition to that.

• Robert Domingos at the age of 18 and the girl Linda Edwards at the age of 16. Just like the maniac’s first victims, they were shot and killed on the lake shore;
• Cheri Jo Bates, age 18. The Zodiac serial killer stabbed her multiple times. The girl’s head was nearly severed from her body after the attack. It was not until four years after the incident that a journalist for a San Francisco newspaper received private notice that the Zodiac had committed the crime. The facts he received in the report do not exclude the actual involvement of the maniac in the murder but do not constitute direct evidence of this version;
• Donna Lass, a 25-year-old girl, had been reported missing until a postcard arrived at the paper’s editorial office. Some believe that the Zodiac maniac had been involved in her disappearance. Nevertheless, no evidence was found to support this version during the investigation (Wall, 2021).

The main feature of the choice of the victims is that they were young people and were not chosen to enrich the perpetrator.

The criminal knew geography well and knew how to calculate coordinates. Graphs with coordinates of longitude and latitude of the places of his crimes form almost parallel lines. Zodiac was familiar with astronomical and navigational instruments for calculating coordinates: astrolabe, compass, sextant, gnomon. Many of these instruments are shaped like the Zodiac emblem – a circle divided into four equal parts. It also resembles a nomogram to translate radians into degrees and back. In his 1969 letters, the killer said that the radians were the key to unlocking his identity. The experts connected the coordinates of the Zodiac crime scenes with lines on the map (Voigt & Edwards, 2021).

The crimes, carefully prepared, were committed each time differently. He did not want to be boring at the risk of making a mistake. He fantasized and perhaps improvised. He was a narcissist; he craved attention and fame; he contacted his victims. They wanted them to see him. By mocking the police, he sought to assert himself. Often his crimes contained the motive of sexual gratification.

Being a skilled liar, Zodiac took offense and got angry when he was caught in a lie. He would then threaten revenge, either with more murders or more bombings. In extreme situations, he acted calmly: leaving crime scenes, moving toward the police, and calling cops from pay phones near the police headquarters to brag about the crimes (Wall, 2021). The Zodiac was a narcissist; he craved attention and fame, making contact with his victims. They wanted them to see him. Mocking the police, he sought to assert himself.

Five of the twenty letters are signed with the astrological symbol of Taurus. He may have been born between April 20 and May 19. The Zodiac follows the lunar and solar cycles, killing at the full moon or new moon. Kathleen Johnson was abducted on the day of the spring solstice. Alleged victim Donna Lass – abducted and killed on the fall solstice.

The attacks occurred on holidays (Christmas and Independence Day) or Saturday evenings and nights. Investigators came to two conclusions: Zodiac worked on weekdays, and his free time because he had no family allowed him to plan the crimes and talk to the press carefully. His income was enough to buy guns, change cars (Zodiac was seen in four different cars in 1969) and move freely around the state.

The police had the sketch, twenty letters, three cryptograms, a pair of bloody gloves, a boot print, DNA, and fingerprints. The audio recording of the maniac’s conversations with the police dispatcher disappeared. The white male is 25-40 years old, 172-180 cm tall, and has brownish or slightly reddish hair (Voigt & Edwards, 2021). The man had a big face, massive horn-rimmed glasses. On the days of the crimes, he was seen wearing a brown sports jacket with cuffs, a black or navy blue zippered windbreaker, navy-style wool pants, black and red wool sweater, and military boots. It is not known for certain whether this man had extensive military experience. But since the perpetrator has basic military navigation skills, it can be assumed that short-term military service was involved.

Zodiac knew at least one way of ciphering: when each character in the text is replaced by a letter from the encrypted alphabet. This is how he encoded his first cryptogram (408 characters) (Voigt & Edwards, 2021). The couple from the Californian city of Salinas, schoolteacher Donald Gardens and his wife Betty decrypted it in 20 hours. The other two Zodiac cryptograms are still unresolved.

The Zodiac is a solo killer because he has a unique M.O. that remains constant throughout all the episodes in which he has confessed. The Zodiac killer emphasized his originality with a series of letters sent to newspaper editorial offices. They contained coded information about the maniac and descriptions of the details of individual episodes of his murders, which constituted investigative secrecy and had not been published anywhere. The maniac claimed that his codes contained enough information to catch him. After summarizing the data on the murders, police officers compiled a description of Zodiac’s handwriting.

These features are present in one way or another in all the murders the maniac has committed. They are used to speculate about the Zodiac’s involvement in all those murders for which there is no conclusive evidence:

• Zodiac’s victims are most often young people, usually couples;
• The maniac went on his bloody hunt in the dark time of the day or at dusk, but not in the daytime.
• The Zodiac was not interested in money and did not commit his murders for the sake of getting rich. Sexual motives were not evident in the composition of the crime.
• The maniac used different kinds of weapons to commit murders – both firearms and bladed weapons.
• All of the crimes committed by Zodiac occurred either near open bodies of water or in places whose name contained a reference to water.
• Zodiac reported his crimes to the police – most likely, this game gave him pleasure (Voigt & Edwards, 2021).

In addition, the Zodiac murderer repeatedly made demands that, if not met, he would kill again. According to him, 37 people have been murdered. The police opinion contradicts his statements, officially, he is credited with seven assaults. The age of the victims recognized by the investigators ranged from 19 to 39 years; four of them were men (Voigt & Edwards, 2021).We can assume that Zodiac did not intentionally create copycats or work as part of a team of people. The main reason for this is the cessation of the crimes, along with the disappearance of the killer himself. The fact that the crimes attributed to Zodiac were committed by him and not by his accomplices can be proved by the DNA evidence collected from the backs of the stamps on the envelopes.

In one way or another, during the active investigation, about 2,500 people were considered potential criminals. But I believe that the detectives’ strongest is Arthur Lee Allen since he matches best the criminal profiling. The man had been discharged from military service in 1958, after which he worked as a schoolteacher in California. But he lost that job, too, for molesting minors. Left with no money, Allen moved in with his parents and worked part-time at a car service, where he was fired in 1969 (Voigt & Edwards, 2021). In 2018, media published a large piece claiming that Zodiac committed crimes in Italy as well (Voigt & Edwards, 2021). In Florence, from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, a maniac operated, shooting up young couples. The criminal, dubbed the Florence Monster, was also never found. According to Tempi, a man named Giuseppe Bevilacqua, an American with Italian roots, was behind the crimes in Italy and the United States. He is still alive and allegedly confessed to the author of the investigation about the crimes; but the conversation was not recorded. When the information was passed to the Italian police, and they became interested in Bevilacqua, he denied the accusations – and there was no evidence other than a number of coincidences. There are no inconsistencies in the dates of the murders. Moreover, the crimes in the two countries could indeed have been committed by the same maniac since the handwriting and choice of victims are similar.

The symbol on the dial of Lee’s wristwatch (a circle with a cross in the middle) matched what the Zodiac left in his letters, a similar shoe size (investigators found footprints of the criminal at the crime scene), the man’s acquaintances recalled that he liked to solve puzzles and ciphers, and moreover, in passing, expressed fantasies about killing people. Finally, the man lived in a trailer not far from all the places where the attacks took place.

Voigt, T., & Edwards, G. (2021). Zodiac killer: Just the facts. Brainjar Media.

Wall, G. (2021) Zodiac maniac: The secret history of the zodiac killer Expanded Edition . Paperback.

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IvyPanda. (2024, April 6). The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-zodiac-killer-history-and-profile/

"The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile." IvyPanda , 6 Apr. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-zodiac-killer-history-and-profile/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile'. 6 April.

IvyPanda . 2024. "The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile." April 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-zodiac-killer-history-and-profile/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile." April 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-zodiac-killer-history-and-profile/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Zodiac Killer: History and Profile." April 6, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-zodiac-killer-history-and-profile/.