The sender frightening letters, originally known as zodiac terrorized California in the late 60-ies and 70-ies of the last century of his messages in which he threatened to put forward their demands and teased investigators, promising whoever cracks the code, he will establish his identity.
Criminologist Professor David Wilson says: «the Riddle is still not solved». The zodiac claimed to have killed 37 people but the police were able to confirm five deaths and 7 attacks.
In December 1968, Betty Lou Jensen (16) and David Faraday (17 years old) went on her first date. They parked the car in a secluded area of Benicia. They were later found lying on the ground near the bullet-riddled car. Betty Lou was found with 5 bullet holes in his back. David got shot in the head at close range. None survived.
David Arthur Faraday, 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, 16: shot and killed
Michael Renault Mageau, 19, and Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin, 22: shot on July 4, 1969
Bryan Calvin Hartnell, 20, and Cecelia Ann Shepard, 22: stabbed on September 27, 1969
Paul Lee Stine, 29: shot and killed https://t.co/EFXyBBpcXi
— Nick Mamatas No War 🤼 ♂ I🏴 (@NMamatas) October 31, 2018
In July 1969, Darlene Ferrin (22) and Michael the Magician (19 years old) parked his car near the Golf course in Vallejo, and they had carried out the attack at midnight. Darlene was killed, and Michael somehow survived. He told the police that the shooter was a man about 173 cm tall and weight 83 kg.
After that the police called anonymous and said, «I’d like to report a double murder. I also killed those kids last year. Bye.» The police traced the call to a phone booth near the house, Darlene, but the caller was gone.
The first letters from Zodiac had been received in August 1969, 3 Newspapers, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle and Vallejo Times Herald. The sender claimed responsibility for the attack, and each letter contained a part of the encoded message. There were also warning that if the letter will not publish on the front pages of Newspapers next Friday, the killer will find new victims over the weekend.
The letters were signed by the cross in the circle.
Detectives wanted the killer contacted them again and they said that I doubt the veracity of the letters. The plan worked. After a few days in Examiner came another message. It was the information, proved that the sender was present during the murders and he said that his identity is hidden in the cipher.
After 4 days the teacher of high school have deciphered the 408-character cipher, but it does not shed light on the identity of the killer.
Next month the students of the College Cecilia Ann Shepard (22) and Bryan Calvin Hartnell (20 years) was at the picnic at reservoir Berryessa in NAPA County, where they were attacked. They were approached by a man in a suit with a hood and weapons. Saying terrified couple that he is an escaped prisoner, he demanded cash and their car. The pair obeyed, not resisting, but the man gave Cecilia some items of clothing and told to use them to tie Brian. Then the man tied the girl and said to both that now use the knife. He hit the guy 6 times, and a girl 10 times. Before he left, he drew a cross in the circle on the machine. Barely alive students found the fisherman. Cecilia died two days later, but Brian survived.
The police, meanwhile, called again, and the man reported «a double murder».
A few months taxi driver Paul Stine (age 29) was shot and killed in San Francisco. The killer tore a piece of shirt of the Floor. 3 days later, the Chronicle received a letter with a piece of shirt that was covered in blood.
Strikingly, letters and cryptic messages kept coming until 1974. And then, the zodiac suddenly disappeared. The killer was never found, and the identity of the killer remains the biggest mystery so far.
