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Who the Zodiac most likely is (documentary)

Bad Things: True Crime・28 minutes read

The Zodiac Killer committed a series of murders in the late 1960s and early 1970s, leaving behind cryptic messages and unsolved cases that have sparked various theories, including suspects like Lawrence Kane, Ross Sullivan, Richard Gaikowski, Paul Alfred Doerr, and Gary Francis Poste, as well as Arthur Leigh Allen, who had incriminating items in his possession but was ruled out by DNA testing, leaving the case unsolved with the need for new evidence or DNA innovation.

Insights

  • The Zodiac Killer operated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, committing at least five murders and sending cryptic letters to newspapers with encoded messages, often signing them with a distinctive symbol.
  • Various suspects, including Lawrence Kane, Ross Sullivan, Richard Gaikowski, Paul Alfred Doerr, and Gary Francis Poste, have been linked to the Zodiac Killer due to behavioral, physical, and circumstantial evidence, although DNA testing has ruled out some suspects, leaving the case unsolved and emphasizing the importance of new evidence or DNA innovation for resolution.

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Recent questions

  • Who were the first known victims of the Zodiac Killer?

    The first known victims of the Zodiac Killer were David Farraday, 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, 16, who were killed near Lake Herman Road in Vallejo on December 20th, 1968.

  • What was the Zodiac Killer's signature symbol?

    The Zodiac Killer signed his letters with a symbol of two intersecting circles, which was also used on Zodiac watches.

  • What event occurred on October 11th, 1969, related to the Zodiac Killer?

    On October 11th, 1969, the Zodiac Killer attacked and killed Paul Stine in San Francisco, sending a letter and a piece of Stine's clothing to The Chronicle on October 13th.

  • Who was a suspect in the Zodiac case with a history of criminal offenses?

    Lawrence Kane, a suspect in the Zodiac case, was a Navy veteran with a history of criminal offenses and head injuries from a 1962 accident, passing away in 2010.

  • What evidence connects Gary Francis Poste to the Zodiac killer?

    Evidence, including a damaged wristwatch and boot impressions, connects Gary Francis Poste to the murder scene of Cheri Jo Bates, with matching shoe size and no refutation of his potential as the Zodiac killer.

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Summary

00:00

Unsolved mystery: The Zodiac Killer's reign

  • The Zodiac Killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s, committing at least five murders and leaving behind cryptic letters and codes.
  • The first known Zodiac murders occurred on December 20th, 1968, when David Farraday, 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, 16, were killed near Lake Herman Road in Vallejo.
  • On July 4th, 1969, Darlene Ferrin, 22, and Mike Mageau, 19, were shot in Vallejo's Blue Rock Springs Park, with Ferrin dying and Mageau surviving to describe the attacker.
  • The Zodiac sent letters to newspapers, including encoded messages, and signed them with a symbol of two intersecting circles, also used on Zodiac watches.
  • The killer first used the phrase "This is the Zodiac speaking" in a letter to The San Francisco Examiner on August 4th, 1969.
  • Cecilia Shephard, 22, and Bryan Hartnell, 20, were attacked at Lake Berryessa on September 27th, 1969, with Hartnell surviving and the Zodiac leaving a message on Hartnell's car door.
  • Paul Stine, 29, was shot and killed in San Francisco on October 11th, 1969, with the Zodiac sending a letter and a piece of Stine's clothing to The Chronicle on October 13th.
  • Various theories exist about the Zodiac Killer, including the possibility of two individuals being involved in the crimes, with one potentially being a police officer.
  • Lawrence Kane, a suspect in the Zodiac case, was a Navy veteran with a history of criminal offenses and head injuries from a 1962 accident, passing away in 2010.
  • Ross Sullivan, another suspect, was linked to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates in 1966 and exhibited behaviors that led some to believe he could be the Zodiac Killer, dying in 1977.

15:00

"Uncovering Zodiac: Suspects and Connections"

  • The Good Times journeyed on October 11th, 1969, near the intersection of Washington and Cherry Streets where Paul Stine's body was found.
  • Richard Gaikowski's military medic training is intriguing due to his potential access to military-style boot impressions found at crime scenes.
  • Gaikowski's attendance at Paul Stine's funeral and his name variations provide potential links to the Zodiac Killer.
  • Nancy Slover identified Gaikowski's voice as similar to the Zodiac Killer's voice from a payphone call.
  • Richard Gaikowski died in 2004, but suspicions linking him to the Zodiac Killer lack substantial evidence.
  • Paul Alfred Doerr is a recent suspect proposed in Jarett Kobek's book, "How to Find Zodiac," with compelling similarities to the Zodiac Killer.
  • Doerr's physical resemblance, writing style, and interest in cryptography make him a strong Zodiac suspect.
  • Doerr's writing style, use of ciphers, and references to magnetic poles align closely with the Zodiac's methods.
  • Doerr's history of violence, writing style, and knowledge of explosives further implicate him as a Zodiac suspect.
  • Gary Francis Poste, a potential Zodiac mastermind, has a disturbing history and strong connections to the serial murders, according to cold case investigators.

28:44

Unraveling the Zodiac Killer Mystery

  • Scars on Gary Francis Poste's forehead from a 1959 car accident in Clinton, Indiana, are linked to the Zodiac killer's wounds depicted in suspect sketches.
  • Poste's name removed from one of the Zodiac killer's ciphers reveals a new message deciphered by the Case Breakers team.
  • The Case Breakers believe the Zodiac killer had six victims, connecting Poste to the assassination of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, California in 1966.
  • Evidence, including a damaged wristwatch and boot impressions, connects Poste to Bates' murder scene, with matching shoe size and no refutation of his potential as the Zodiac killer.
  • Arthur Leigh Allen, a well-liked but eccentric individual, is a prominent Zodiac suspect with circumstantial evidence linking him to the crimes.
  • Allen's history includes animal mutilation, a fascination with hunting humans, and a connection to the Zodiac's symbols and methods.
  • Allen's involvement in the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders is suggested by circumstantial evidence, although he was never officially considered a suspect.
  • Allen's arrest for juvenile offenses led to his placement in Atascadero State Hospital, where the Zodiac killings ceased during his stay.
  • Allen's death in 1992 revealed incriminating items at his residence, including labeled floppy disks and a videotape displaying erratic behavior related to the Zodiac case.
  • DNA testing ruled out Allen and Don Cheney as contributors to the Zodiac's letters, leaving the case unsolved unless new evidence emerges, highlighting the need for DNA innovation or posthumous evidence for resolution.
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