Is the Zodiac Killer Dead or Alive?

There have been many famous serial killers in American history. Some of the names include Ted Bundy, David Berkowtiz (Son of Sam), John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgway (The Green River Killer) and the Zodiac Killer.

The Zodiac Killer, a famous serial killer who operated in California, killed five people and injured two more. However, his total victim count could be as much as 37 people. The killings took place between 1968 and 1969 and possibly after that. For example, the killer is suspected of kidnapping Kathleen Johns and her young daughter. Both Kathleen and her daughter got away. Confirmed victims are as followed:

David Arthur Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) were shot and killed together as they sat in a car. Michael Renault Mageau (19) and Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin (22) were shot while they were sitting in a car. Darlene died and Michael lived. Bryan Calvin Hartnell (20) and Cecelia Ann Shepard (22) were stabbed while they were enjoying an intimate picnic. Bryan survived but Cecelia died. Paul Lee Stine (29) was shot and killed in his cab after he picked the Zodiac Killer up.

The modus operandi for the Zodiac Killer included a cross-circle symbol. It also included sending letters to the press, letting them know he was responsible for a particular killing, giving them clues and also taunting them in the process. The letter process began when the famous serial killer sent letters to the Vallejo Times-Herald, the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle. Every one of the letters included a cryptogram that would reveal his identity if cracked. However, when two citizens in California cracked the code, the identity wasn't revealed. The Zodiac Killer eventually referred to himself as "The Zodiac" in subsequent letters.

Some of the victims of this famous serial killer were killed or injured with gunshots. Others he killed or injured with a knife. Intelligence experts say the Zodiac Killer was a genius, despite the fact that the handwriting on his letters was rudimentary. During the murders and the letters, the Zodiac Killer succeeded in keeping California, particularly Northern California where the killings took place, as virtual hostages to his crimes and antics. At one point, the killer threatened to kill a bus load of school children, which created an acute panic.

The Zodiac Killer prime suspect was Arthur Leigh Allen. There were a lot of factors about Allen that led to suspicion, including a watch that Allen wore that matched the cross-circle symbol that the Zodiac Killer went by. Allen died of a heart attack in 1992. Earlier, he had passed a polygraph test, and his fingerprints and handwriting did not confirm he was the killer. In addition, after his death, his DNA was tested, and it did not confirm he was the killer.

The Zodiac Killer was never caught. However, the San Francisco Police Department re-opened the case. There are websites that were developed to focus specifically on the Zodiac Killer such as ZodiacKiller.com. A famous book was written about the Zodiac Killer by author Robert Graysmith called Zodiac.

Since the killings and the letters have stopped, the two most popular assumptions about the Zodiac Killer are that he is either dead or in jail. This famous serial killer continues to fascinate Americans.

Sources:

Cold Case Files - The Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer - Wikipedia

Zodiac by Robert Graysmith

ZodiacKiller.com