The Zodiac Killer is an unidentified figure in America who terrorized Northern California from 1968 to 1969. Both law enforcement and the public were gripped with terror by his cryptic letters and unsettling phone calls. He is officially linked to the brutal murders of five victims in San Francisco. Mr. Zodiac was audacious, arrogant, and fearless, daring the police with a chilling confidence that they would never apprehend him. His meticulous planning and flawless execution of the murders left investigators stumped, and to this day, he remains uncaught, an enduring enigma.

Mr. Zodiac began his operations in San Francisco from December 1968 until October 1969. His methods were layered and elusive, like an “onion peel” strategy, making it difficult for the authorities to track him down. Police reported that locating him was no easy task.

He revealed himself as the Zodiac Killer in a way no one could have imagined. He created a series of taunting messages, which he then mailed to regional newspapers, threatening killings and bombings if his letters were not published.

Zodiac’s major attacks took place at a lake in Benicia, a park in Vallejo, Napa County, and in the city of San Francisco. These were the locations where his seven wounded victims were last seen, with two of them surviving. In addition to these attacks, authorities discovered letters containing “cryptograms” or “ciphers.” These were four cryptic codes he created, two of which remain unsolved, while the others were decoded in 1969 and 2020.

According to reports, the last letter from the Zodiac, received in 1974, claimed responsibility for 47 victims, mentioning that many were from Southern California.

Some sensitive information has surfaced regarding the Zodiac Killer: “He enjoys killing people near riversides.“

There are many theories regarding the identity of the Zodiac Killer, but they all seem to lead back to one man: Arthur Leigh Allen, a former elementary school teacher who sexually  abused students and died in 1994.

This case gained so much attention, sparking international interest that has continued to this day. The case’s unusual nature continues to captivate people around the world.

The San Francisco Police Department labeled this case as “inactive” in 2004, but it was reopened in 2007. The case remains open in California  and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which shows active interest from different cities like Vallejo, Napa, and Solano.

Investigators and media outlets found that Zodiac mailed letters and cryptograms from 1969 to 1974. Many of his letters opened with the phrase, “This is the Zodiac speaking,” and notably, his letters were signed with a symbol resembling the crosshairs of a gunsight ⌖

Among the letters were four ciphers or cryptograms, the first of which was divided into three parts and sent to three Bay Area newspapers in July 1969.

The first code, known as the “408 cipher,” was decoded by a pair of private citizens. Its message partially read, “I like killing people because it is so much fun.”

The second code, known as the “340 cipher,” was mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle in November 1969 and was finally decoded by a team of three amateur code breakers. Its message began with, “I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me.”

Zodiac Killer Correspondence

The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and Vallejo Times were involved in this. [ Format: Date, Recipient and Incipit] 

1. 31st July 1969: One third of Z408 cipher decoded with each letter as ‘I am the killer of the two teenagers last Christmas….’
2. 4th August 1969: San Francisco Examiner found second part of Z408 cipher which says, ‘This is Zodiac speaking’
3. 13th October 1969: San Francisco Chronicle. Mark on Paul Stine’s shirt, which is decoded as, ‘I am the murderer of the taxi driver….’
4. 8th November 1969: San Francisco Chronicle. Z304 cipher, by ‘dripping pen’ on a card. “I thought you would need a good laugh….”
5. 9th November 1969: San Francisco Chronicle. The Bomb diagram which says “… I have killed 7 people.”
6. 20th December 1969: Mr. Melvin Belli. Swatch of stine’s shirt. “…. happy Christmas.”
7. 20th April 1970: San Francisco Chronicle. Z13 cipher. “My name is ….”
8. 28th April 1970: San Francisco Chronicle. The Greeting Card. “I hope you enjoy yourselves….”
9. 26th June 1970: San Francisco Chronicle. Z32 cipher. “I have became very upset….”
10. 24th July 1970: San Francisco Chronicle. “I am rather unhappy….”
11. 26th July 1970: San Francisco Chronicle. “Hope that you will not wear some nice ⌖ buttons….”
12. 5th October 1970: San Francisco Chronicle. A punch card with 13 holes. “You will hate me….”
13. 27th October 1970: Paul Avery at San Francisco Chronicle. Halloween Card. “From your secret pal….”
14. 13th March 1971: The Los Angeles Times. “…. I am crack proof.” 
15. 29th January 1974: San Francisco Chronicle. The letter ‘Exorcist.’

Zodiac’s Attacks

Zodiac’s confirmed attacks in California, as reported by investigators, resulted in five fatalities and two survivors.

1. David Arthur Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, a young couple aged 17 and 16, were shot and killed on December 20, 1968, near Lake Herman Road in Benicia.
2. Michael Renault Mageau and Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin, a 19- and 22-year-old couple, were shot around midnight between July 4 and 5, 1969. They were found in the parking lot of Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo. Luckily, Michael survived the attack, but Darlene tragically passed away at Kaiser Foundation Hospital.
3. Bryan Calvin Hartnell and Cecelia Ann Shepard, a 20- and 22-year-old couple, were stabbed on September 27, 1969, at Lake Berryessa in Napa County. Hartnell survived the attack, but Cecelia succumbed to her severe injuries on September 29.
4. Paul Lee Stine, a 29-year-old young man, was shot and killed on October 11, 1969, in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.

Zodiac’s Suspects

The phrase “This is the Zodiac speaking” points to a man named Arthur Leigh Allen as the Zodiac Killer. This is not just a random name; in fact, Allen had been a suspect from the very beginning. He came under the scrutiny of law enforcement after his friend, Don Cheney, alerted authorities about Allen’s suspicious behavior involving a school bus—picking up young students as they exited the bus while bouncing.

You might be wondering how this statement implicates Allen. Let me clarify: his actions mirrored those described in a letter from the Zodiac, which detailed plans to “shoot out the front tire and pick off the children as they came bouncing out.”

Police also discovered hunting knives and a freezer filled with dead animals in Allen’s trailer home during their search. However, they found nothing definitive that linked Allen to the Zodiac Killer.

The police focused heavily on Allen as their prime suspect and were unwilling to lose sight of him. Upon further investigation, they discovered that Allen’s shoe size matched a print found at a crime scene. Additionally, survivors identified him as the person who attempted to attack them. However, since the killer wore a hood during the incidents, these identifications were inconclusive. Moreover, Allen’s handwriting did not match the Zodiac’s letters, and his fingerprints were not consistent with those found at the crime scenes. Finally, in 2002, DNA evidence cleared Allen of any connection to the Zodiac Killer, officially exonerating him from the case.