Many crimes and murders unfortunately go unsolved in the world, but not due to lack of effort by law enforcement. However, some cases simply prove too tough or lack evidence, and become unsolvable. This goes for the murders committed by The Zodiac Killer.
A sketch of The Zodiac Killer / Picture Credit: Biographics on YouTube
Who was The Zodiac Killer?
The self-proclaimed Zodiac Killer Zodiac Killer was directly linked to at least five murders in Northern California (CA) in 1968 and 1969; he may have also been responsible for even more deaths.
He ridiculed police and made threats via letters he sent to newspapers from 1969 to 1974, before suddenly halting all communication.
In spite of intense investigations, no one was ever arrested for the crimes – the case remains open to this day.
The mystery of the murders has been the focus of many books and movies, such as the 2007 film Zodiac, starring Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Victims of The Zodiac
At present, a total of four separate attacks have been linked to this elusive killer.
The first confirmed killing took place on December 20th, 1968; 17-year-old David Faraday and his 16-year-old girlfriend Betty Lou Jenson were shot to death at a spot on Lake Herman Road, CA.
Police were perplexed and unable to decipher the motive for the crime, or come up with a potential suspect.
On the morning of July 5th, 1969, 22-year-old Darlene Ferrin and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Mile Mageau, were sitting in a parked car (in a similar location to the previous couple) and approached by a man with a flashlight.
The unknown assailant shot at the couple, killing Ferrin and seriously injuring Mageau.
Within an hour of this attack, a man called Vallejo police department (PD) and gave them the location of the crime scene; he claimed to be responsible for this set of murders, and those of Faraday and Jenson.
Despite evidence that included fingerprints, Mageau’s description, the decoded cipher and a rush of tips and leads, police were still unable to track down the killer.
The Zodiac struck again a couple of months later, when he killed young couple Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell while they were relaxing in a remote area in Napa County.
The killer wore a hood and a shirt with the symbol of a circle with a cross going through it (the Zodiac’s symbol); he tied up the couple, brutally stabbed them, and scrawled a message for police on their car door before departing from the scene.
He then called the Napa PD to claim responsibility for the murders; the couple were in critical condition when emergency services arrived, however Shepard died shortly afterwards.
October 11th, 1969 saw The Zodiac claim yet another life. He shot 29-year-old Paul Stine in San Francisco; as this didn’t appear to fit in with the Zodiac’s pattern, it was treated as a robbery until the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter ‘claiming’ the crime.
At least five others killings have been linked to the mysterious Zodiac Killer.
Letters, symbol and cipher
On August 1st, 1969, the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, and Vallejo Times-Herald each received an identical, handwritten letter in an envelope without a return address.
These letters contained details from the Zodiac Killings that only the murderer could’ve known. The killer stated that more deaths would occur if his letters were not printed on the papers’ front pages.
Each letter ended with a symbol of a circle with a cross through it; this is now know as The Zodiac’s symbol.
The letters also included one part of a three-part cipher, that the killer claimed contained his identity.
Soon after this, high school teacher Donald Harden and his wife Bettye were able to solve the cipher. It spoke of how The Zodiac enjoyed killing, as he thought it was fun...
The Zodiac Killer continued his taunting communication with Bay Area papers (which involved more ciphers), and claimed to have committed more murders; he mocked police for not being able to catch him.
The letters abruptly stopped in 1974, however the investigation is still active.
Suspects and identity theories
The mystery of the Zodiac’s case continues to bewilder and fascinate the public, and has inspired many theories regarding the identity of the killer.
Theories include claims that the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski was to blame, or perhaps convicted murdered Charles Manson. Some people have theorised that The Zodiac moved to Scotland, where, after committing more murders, found happiness and gave up his gruesome lifestyle.
In regard to the known and presumed Zodiac murders, no suspect has ever been arrested. It has been almost five decades since the Faraday-Jensen murders, and the inability to identify the prolific Zodiac Killer has continued to exasperate law enforcement.
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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