Who Was the Zodiac Killer?

Who was the Zodiac Killer? One of the most notorious serial killers of the 20^th century, killing 5 people but claiming to have slain 37, has an identity that remains unknown to this day.

Between 1968 and 1969, the Zodiac Killer claimed five victims and injured two more in Northern California. The first murder happened in 1968. Two teen victims were shot and killed whilst sitting in a parked car. The next crime occurred in 1969, almost in the same location. The Zodiac Killer again approached a park car and shot two passengers before coming back to finish them off. One of the victims, Michael Mageau, survived and was able to give a description of the killer. He claims the killer was a young, white male with a stocky build, light brown curly hair and a large face.

Mysteriously, a few weeks later the killer began sending letters to a collection of Bay Area newspapers. The San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner, and the Vallejo Times-Herald all received identical handwritten letters from someone claiming to be the killer. He referred to himself as “Zodiac”, accompanied by strange cryptograms and ciphers which were supposed to be code for the killer’s identity. The letters were also marked by the Zodiac’s “signature,” a now-famous symbol featuring a circle with a cross running through it. The letters strangely stopped in 1974.

The mystery remains of who exactly the Zodiac Killer was. According to Buzzfeed, an Internet media company, there is speculation of three possible suspects. The first is Arthur Leigh Allen. There is uncanny coincidences with his timeline and the Zodiac’s, and a search of his house led to the discovery of bloody knives, sexual objects and dissected animals. Allen was jailed for child molestation starting in 1974, which happened to be when the Zodiac letters stopped. Earl Van Best Jr is next due to his striking resemblance of a police sketch of the murderer, and the number of letters in his name coincides with one of the Zodiac’s ciphers. Lastly, Lawrence Kaye lived near the crime scenes, and the sister of one of his victims claimed that he had been bothering her sister in the weeks before she was murdered. 

The enduring tale of the Zodiac Killer has become a cult classic and cultural phenomenon as it continues to engage interest in movies, books and the minds of ordinary people like us.

Written by:

Carissa - 45173737

Images:

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Sources:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanbergara/these-guys-went-to-the-murder-sites-of-the-infamous-zodiac-k?utm_term=.alOk3PgA6#.xq42NvpxW

https://www.bustle.com/articles/169465-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-the-zodiac-killer-but-were-too-afraid-to-google