In the history of crime, the Zodiac Killer continues to lead among the most secretive and mysterious criminal characters. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Zodiac Killer terrorized the Northern California community by carrying out a series of killings, leaving behind cryptic clues, and sending taunting letters to the police and journalists.

Perhaps the most terrifying feature of the Zodiac’s crimes was his evident pleasure in the public attention he received. In his letters, he teased police and reporters, bragging about his crimes and threatening more violence if they did not fulfill his demands. This boldness only increased public interest in the case and fueled speculation about the killer’s motivations.

Who is the Zodiac Killer?

The Zodiac Killer is a self-described title by an unknown murderer. Authorities relate at least five murders and seven murder attempts to him between 1968 and 1969. However, two victims survived with critical injuries.

But, authorities also suspect more murders might be linked to him. He wrote letters to local newspapers, taunting authorities while threatening them before unexpectedly turning off all contact in 1974.

He claimed in one letter that he killed 37 people. However, law enforcement officials could never be arrested for these claims. This case is still pending despite thorough investigations and several conceptions reading the identity of the murderer.

Many books and films have explored the mystery surrounding the killings, notably the critically acclaimed 2007 film Zodiac directed by David Fincher.

Zodiac Killer Letters, Symbols, and Cipher

Three Newspapers including the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Vallejo Times-Herald received the same handwritten letter in an envelope on Aug 1, 1969.

The letters did not have a return address. The letters started with:

Dear Editor: I am the killer of the two teens last Christmas at Lake Herman.

The Zodiac Killer

The mysterious letters also detailed the deaths that only the Zodiac killer knew. The killer then said he would do more harm if the letters were not published on the front page of newspapers.

At the end of each letter was a symbol, made up of a circle with a cross through it. This symbol became known as the Zodiac Killer’s sign. There was also one part of a three-part cipher with each letter that he said revealed who he was.

Police Efforts and Murdering Confessions of the Zodiac Killer

California Department of Justice has maintained an open file case on the Zodiac murders since 1969. The police departments in the Bay Area of California, with the help of the FBI, worked hard to find the killer. 

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Examiner soon received another letter. It started with:

Dear Editor: This is Zodiac speaking. It went on to describe the third murder in great detail and make fun of the police for not being able to figure out his code or catch him.

The Zodiac Killer

After a few days, Donald Harden, a high school teacher, and his wife succeeded in figuring out the secret code (340-character cipher). However, it did not reveal the identity of the killer, which he claimed. 

Although the letters stopped in 1974. The San Francisco Police Department designated this case “inactive” in 2004. Later on, they reopened this case in 2007, and the investigation continues to this day.

Victims of the Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer began his killing spree in the late 1960s with two teenagers, Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday. Betty was 16 years old, and David was 17 years old. The killer shot them near their car on Lake Herman Road in Vallejo, California, on Dec 20, 1968.

The next attack happened in Vallejo on July 5, 1969. It killed 22-year-old Darlene Ferrin and injured 19-year-old Mike Mageau as a result of the shooting. Mike was the boyfriend of Darlene. 

The Zodiac attacked again on September 27, 1969, at Lake Berryessa. But, his attack style was different this time as he chained a couple of Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell. After chaining them, he stabbed them. As a result, Cecelia died, but Bryan survived.

Last but not least, a cab driver, Paul Stine, fell victim to Zodiac, who shot him on October 11, 1969. The violent acts and mysterious messages were sent to officials during these murders to let them know about the killings. He also used to challenge them to catch him after telling him the murder scene. 

Zodiac Killer’s identity

Police could not make any development to catch Zodiac until a man helped them make a composite sketch of the killer. The man had seen a male leaving the scene of Paul Stine’s murder, so sketches draw sketches based on that witnessed man’s descriptions.

But the Zodiac stayed at large, even though more and more clues pointed to many suspects. The inability to arrest the Zodiac killer continues to haunt law enforcement agencies.

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Possible Suspects

The public is still interested in the Zodiac case mystery. This case leads to many ideas about who the killer was. Some of the common suspects based on those ideas are:

Arthur Leigh Allen

Robert Graysmith is a true-crime author and former cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle. He wrote two books about the killer: Zodiac (1986) and Zodiac Unmasked (2002). 

He eventually concluded that Arthur Leigh Allen was the most likely suspect. Arthur was a convicted sexual offender, but it was never proven- that he was involved in killings. He died in 1992. 

Earl Van Best Jr.

Author Gary L. Stewart, in his book “The Most Dangerous Animal of All (2014)” claimed his biological father, Earl Van Best Jr., was the Zodiac Killer. According to him, he looked a lot like the man in the police sketch. 

Louie Myers

Another man came forward in 2014 claiming that his friend Louie Myers had admitted to him of committing the suspected killings before he died in 2002. Some events in Myer’s life matched up with those linked to the Zodiac, but there was not enough evidence to prove him killer.

Several Suspects

According to the 2023 Peacock documentary series “Myth of the Zodiac Killer,” the suspected killings were done by more than one person. This much information about a cold case is very rare.

The show’s director Andrew Nock told the New York Post:

If you read all the police files, you see that. There is not much that links these crimes together. Different weapons, a different method, a different victim character, different places and even eyewitnesses accounts.

Andrew Nock, Director of Peacock documentary series

Conclusion

The Zodiac Killer confused and terrorized people, the media, and the police by sending confusing signals in the late 1960s. Even though there have been a lot of investigations and many suspects, the killer’s name is unknown.

However, people are very interested in this case and the character of the Zodiac. There are many ideas about who did it; from a single person to several people. The mystery of the Zodiac Killer is still being explored in documentaries, books, and movies, leaving a long-lasting mark of fear and speculation.