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The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer based around northern California in the late 60s to early 70s. While only four cases have been confirmed to be the doings of the Zodiac, many more separate murders are thought to be attributed to The Zodiac Killer. While there is a long list of possible suspects that is still growing, The Zodiac Killer has never been officially identified.
The most likely suspect is Arthur Leigh Allen, who lived in Vallejo, California as a school teacher until 1975 when he was convicted of child molestation. Allen was reported to make claims that paralleled with the killer, including referring to himself as the Zodiac before he died in 1992.
Another suspect, one Lawrence Kane, had suffered brain injuries after a car accident in 1962. Following this, he was identified as the killer by Kathleen Johns, who claimed to have separately been abducted by the killer. A San Francisco police officer also stated that Kane closely resembled a man, most likely the killer, who he spotted on the street shortly after the murder of Paul Stine.
The most recent suspect, Gary Poste, was uncovered by a team known as the Case Breakers, who claimed to have him linked to the confirmed murders as well as an additional murder which was previously ruled out. Photos of Poste also revealed a scar on his forehead which matched descriptions and sketches of the Zodiac.
On August 1, 1969, the first of many letters would be received by 3 different news outlets that confessed to the first two confirmed murders. The killer would then continue to send letters to various recipients up until 1974. In these letters, he would first refer to himself as the Zodiac with the famous line, "This is the Zodiac speaking." The killer would also taunt police, giving gruesome details of his previous murders signed with a crosshair-like symbol that would also come to represent the killer. One letter came in following the murder of Paul Stien, which included a bloody section of Stein's shirt and a statement that the killer planned to shoot out the tires of a school bus and "pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out." His final letter in 1974 signed off with the score, "Me - 37 SFPD - 0," suggesting the possibility that the killer had 32 more victims than credited.
Perhaps the most famous cypher, Z 340 was not solved within the week like the first. In fact, Z 340 stumped experts for decades after the killings had concluded. Finally, in December of 2020, the FBI officially announced that an amateur team had found a solution to the long believed impossible cypher. According to the solution, the killer believed his victims would serve as slaves in "paradice."
The Zodiac's final Cypher, Z 32, came paired with a map and a warning. The Zodiac stated that the map and the code put together would reveal the location of a buried bomb. No official solutions have been found.
Alongside his many letters, the Zodiac would send 4 cyphers, or coded messages. Labeled by a Z for Zodiac followed by the amount of characters, these cyphers are world famous among cryptographers
Cypher Z 13 is the shortest cypher sent by the Zodiac at only 13 characters. However, it may prove to be the most important, as it promises to reveal the killer's name. Many solutions for this cypher have been presented, with one solution being "Alfred E. Neuman," AKA, the MAD magazine mascot.
The Zodiac's first cipher, received on August 1, 1969 was split into 3 sections, with each section accompanying the first three letters. The cyphers would be published by The San Francisco Chronicle at the Zodiac's request, who threatened to go on a killing rampage if not. A solution was found just days later by a schoolteacher and his wife. Although the killer promised his identity in the cypher, no new evidence was found in the solution.
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