Zodiac Killer
True Crime Case Study
“This is the Zodiac Speaking”
THE ZODIAC KILLER: THE MOST ELUSIVE OF SERIAL KILLERS
“This is the Zodiac Speaking,” the ominous calling card of the Zodiac Killer, a mysterious and elusive figure who preyed on courting couples and taunted the police with cryptic letter and complex ciphers. Over the course of a year-long killing spree, the Zodiac murdered five people and wounded two others, but would go on to claim as many as thirty-seven murders, many of which have never been verified or discovered.
By 1969, the Zodiac Killer had seemingly stopped his reign of terror on the citizens of San Francisco, however, he continued to send threatening letters and cryptic ciphers promising further killings and claiming responsibility for unsolved deaths. By 1974, the killer had stopped communication, however the investigation to discover his identity has continued, with new suspects and theories put forward by both expert and amateur sleuths.
ZODIAC KILLER: SUSPECTS
After many years of thorough investigation, hundreds of potential suspects have been identified as part in the Zodiac Killer case. Prominent suspects include Rick Marshall, a film enthusiast whose name was proposed by a police informant, serial killers Edward Wayne Edwards and Karl Werner, as well as Lawrence Kane, a career criminal suspected of involvement in at least one murder connected to the Zodiac Killer.
The prime suspect has for many years been Arthur Leigh Allen, a convicted child molester who shared many of the same suspected characteristics with the Zodiac, and held an interest in weaponry, hunting and children. During one of his interviews, Allen wore a Zodiac brand wristwatch. In recent years, George Hodel, a Los Angeles doctor and strong suspect in the Black Dahlia murder, has been put forward as the killer.
ZODIAC KILLER: VICTIMS
Beginning in December 1968, a courting couple were shot as they sat in their car on Lake Herman road. Neither victim survived this brutal attack by the unknown gunman. Over seven months later, another couple were shot at Blue Rock Springs park, where a driver arrived and approached on foot, firing shots that killed one and wounded the other. In August 1969, the first three of many letters arrived and claimed responsibility for both crimes.
Over the course of the next year, two more couples were attacked. During one of these crimes, the Zodiac Killer approached his victims at Lake Berryessa wearing a homemade executioners hood complete with his own symbol. The last murder attributed to the Zodiac was the shooting of taxi driver Paul Stine on October 11, 1969, in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. After this crime, the Zodiac came close to being caught, but managed to escape.
ZODIAC KILLER: SUSPECTED CRIMES
The Zodiac Killer has, through his many bizarre letters and ciphers, taken credit for carrying out the five confirmed killings for which he is considered the perpetrator. However, the unidentified serial killer has on a number of occasions attempted to claim involvement in many other crimes, such as the gruesome murder of Cheri Jo Bates, the disappearance of Donna Lass and the bizarre encounter experienced by Kathleen Johns and her young child.
Some of these unsolved crimes, such as the Gaviota Beach Murders, which bore many striking similarities to the attacks against courting couples, and the killing of San Francisco police officer Richard Radetich, appear similar to the ambushes carried out by the Zodiac. In recent years, there has even been speculation that the Zodiac Killer was responsible for the bizarre Italian murders of the Monster of Florence, crimes that were similar to his modus operandi.