| Who was the Zodiac killer? |
| The Zodiac was a serial killer active in California during the 1960s and
1970s. |
| Was he ever caught? |
| The Zodiac is still at large, although many persons believe they know his identity. |
| How many persons did the Zodiac kill? |
| The Zodiac claimed 37 victims, although
police agencies only consider seven to be definite Zodiac victims. |
| Why was he called the Zodiac? |
| The Zodiac gave himself that name. Nobody knows why, although there are
many theories. |
| What did the Zodiac's cross-circle symbol represent? |
| The Zodiac never offered an explanation for his symbol, although there are
many theories about what it meant. |
| What was the Zodiac's M.O.? |
| The Zodiac usually targeted young couples in secluded areas. He used both
guns and knives as weapons. On at least one occasion he wore an unusual costume. On two
occasions he telephoned the police afterward to report his murders. |
| Is there a recording of the Zodiac's actual voice? |
| No recordings were made of the Zodiac's calls to the police. Also, the man
who called the TV show claiming to be the Zodiac (as portrayed in David Fincher's movie "Zodiac")
was eventually identified. It was proven that he was not the Zodiac.) Click here
for detailed info from the woman who spoke with the Zodiac over the phone. |
| What was unique about the Zodiac compared to other serial killers? |
| After killing, the Zodiac would write letters
to local newspapers and demand they be published. The letters would sometimes include
physical evidence from a crime scene. Occasionally the Zodiac would send the newspapers
cryptograms which he claimed included his identity. |
| Were any of the cryptograms solved? |
| Of the four cryptograms the Zodiac sent
to newspapers, only one was solved. The decoded message was very disturbing, however it
apparently didn't include his identity. |
| How many letters did the Zodiac send? |
| The Zodiac sent at least 18 letters, usually to newspapers but occasionally
to private citizens. The first letter was sent July 31, 1969 and the last on July 8, 1974.
(In 1966, 1967 and 1978, communications were received that might have been from the
Zodiac. However it's not known for sure if he was the author.) |
| Are the police still investigating the Zodiac case? |
| Although several police agencies were once involved in the Zodiac
investigation, the only recent law-enforcement activity had been from the San Francisco
Police Dept. However, it recently made the decision to discontinue
its investigation. |
| Was top suspect Arthur Leigh Allen proven to be the Zodiac? |
| No. Arthur Leigh
Allen was scrutinized by police for years, but no evidence linking him to the
Zodiac crimes was ever found. Additionally, Allen's fingerprints, handwriting and DNA do
not match that of the Zodiac. |
| Did suspects Arthur Leigh Allen and Rick Marshall know each other? |
| There is no evidence to indicate Allen and Marshall knew each other. Click here for more info on
Zodiac suspects. |
| There was a suspicious character named Bob Vaughn in the movie "Zodiac".
Could he be involved in the crimes? |
| Unlikely. Vaughn was elderly at the time of the Zodiac crimes and had no
history of violence. |
| Is the David Fincher/Jake Gyllenhaal movie "Zodiac" a
factually accurate portrayal of events? |
| "Zodiac" is an entertaining film. However, it's only about
35% accurate. In-depth discussion of the film can be found here. |
