However, the Zodiac enthusiasts remain convinced that the killer is not only alive but that he can still be brought to justice.Īre they right? Only time will tell! The Wild SF Experience Plus, the somewhat careless way in which genetic materials were handled before the evolution of DNA technology does not help the investigators move forward. The Zodiac Killer has managed to evade the authorities to this day.ĭecades have passed since his murder spree, and the case still has thousands of potential suspects.Īll police departments have limited resources, both in terms of manpower and money that can be allocated to forensic research. There’s a chance something could be extracted from the DNA samples which were not considered viable before – for example, flaps of envelopes or stamps which were licked by the Zodiac Killer. They say that DNA technology has finally evolved enough to give the police – and the victims’ families – a new hope. Inspired by the success of the DNA investigation in the decades-old Golden State Killer case, the police renewed their investigation efforts at the end of 2018. In March 2004, the police marked the case as “inactive,” then reopened it again in 2008 – but to no avail. He sent at least 18 letters to both newspapers and private citizens during his murder spree.ĭespite the amount of available evidence, the police had no luck in discovering the killer’s identity during the initial investigation. Plus, the Zodiac didn’t exactly hide from the spotlight. Two of the Zodiac’s victims managed to survive, giving the police plenty of evidence to go on. Three days after Paul Stine’s murder, the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter from the Zodiac claiming responsibility for the crime.Īt the end of the letter, the killer suggested he was going to shoot out a tire of a school bus, and “pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out.” The Investigation of the Zodiac Killer Case
#Zodiav killer victims driver
The final confirmed Zodiac victim was a taxi driver named Paul Stine, who was shot in the head by a passenger. Miraculously, Bryan managed to survive despite eight stab wounds to the back. Then, he drew a knife and stabbed them both repeatedly.
However, instead of simply shooting them, he made Cecelia tie up Bryan before tying her up. He, once again, targeted a young, college-age couple – Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shephard – who were simply enjoying a picnic at Lake Berryessa. In September 1969, the Zodiac changed up his modus operandi. In July 1969, he shot another young couple, Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin, with a 9mm handgun. However, it seems that the Zodiac Killer may have held a grudge against couples. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason behind the killings, which makes them all the scarier. He killed his first victims, David Faraday and Betty Jensen, using a 0.22 semi-automatic pistol.īoth were just teenagers – a high-school couple on their first date, planning to attend a Christmas concert just a couple of blocks from Betty’s home. Others think that the mystery of the Zodiac Killer was just an elaborate hoax… But how can we know for sure? How Did the Zodiac Kill His Victims?īack in the 1960s, the Zodiac’s weapon of choice was a simple handgun. Some people have even suggested that a few more recent murders in the San Francisco area could be the work of the Zodiac. While the investigators agree on 7 confirmed victims (two of whom survived), the Zodiac has taken responsibility for no less than 37 murders.
The letters were also accompanied by the now-infamous “signature” of the Zodiac Killer: a circle with a cross running through it. Most of the cryptograms remain unsolved to this day. The letters often began with the words “This is the Zodiac speaking,” and contained various cryptograms and taunts alluding to his planned murders. He actually gave himself the title “Zodiac” in the cryptic letters he sent to the press during his murder spree.
#Zodiav killer victims serial
The identity of the Zodiac Killer remains a mystery to this day.Īll we know is that he was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The Investigation of the Zodiac Killer Case.
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