Oct. 31, 2004) With a real-life boogeyman like the Zodiac killer still on the loose, the San Francisco area can be quite spooky...especially this time of year. With that in mind, here is Halloween: Zodiac Style.

Oct. 14, 2004) During the early 1970s, the Zodiac killer was suspected in the murders of several young women in and around Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, Calif. The cases remain unsolved and the Zodiac remains a suspect. However, according to information recently received by Zodiackiller.com, convicted serial killer Ted Bundy was living in nearby Forestville during the period of the murders and was employed at a company called Electro Vector. (Bundy was known to have visited California, but not to have lived, worked, or murdered there.) The Sonoma cases are very similar to Bundy's known murders.

If you have information about Ted Bundy in California, please e-mail [email protected] or call the Zodiackiller.com Info Line at (415) 267-4818.

Sept. 28, 2004) Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of the Zodiac's attack at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif. Over the weekend, Zodiackiller.com held two public gatherings at the lake to remember the anniversary. Click here for exclusive pictures. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Sept. 3, 2004) If you have Zodiac-related information to share, there is now a phone number to call. The Zodiackiller.com Info Line may be reached at: (415) 267-4818.

> The possibility of recent Sonoma County murder victims Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall being the work of the Zodiac was mentioned in this Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle front-page story. On Wednesday I ventured north to check out the crime scene. Was it the Zodiac, a copycat, or just an amazing coincidence? Click here for the report.

> Zodiackiller.com set an all-time record for hits in August with more than 2.1 million.

Aug. 21, 2004) I've just added more than 40 pages of vintage Zodiac magazine articles. Check out the Zodiac Magazine Rack.

> Pam Huckaby, sister of Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin, was recently the victim of a knife attack at her home in Sandy, Ore. Her injuries weren't serious and she's doing fine.

> Since Wednesday's discovery of a young couple shot to death on an isolated beach just north of San Francisco, I've been swamped with e-mail from individuals concerned the Zodiac has returned from a long hiatus and is the killer of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall. While I've seen no evidence to suggest the Zodiac is back, the recent return of Wichita's BTK Strangler shows that anything is possible.

Aug. 16, 2004) The Riverside Police Dept. (RPD) has closed the unsolved Cheri Jo Bates homicide case, according to RPD's Lt. John F. Carpenter. Carpenter made the statement in an e-mail forwarded to me by a frequent visitor of this website. Killed Oct. 30, 1966, Bates has long been considered a possible victim of the Zodiac, although RPD is convinced a local youth was responsible for her murder. Ironically, in April 2004 the San Francisco Police Dept. closed its unsolved Zodiac homicide case. Despite DNA being available in both cases, apparently neither police agency made a comparison.

Here's a look at my Bates case update from late last year. Meanwhile, if anyone has information about Cheri they'd like to share (even anonymously), click here to contact me.

June 27, 2004) The author of the alleged Zodiac letters sent to Zodiackiller.com from Singapore, Atlanta and Thailand in late 2002/early 2003 (see updates below) has recently been identified and is apparently now living in the San Francisco area. (In October 2003 I released custody of the letters to a forensic scientist at a California DNA facility.) If anyone knows the exact whereabouts of the man using the aliases Jacob William Ornstein and Jack Yohiel Alexander, please let me know immediately.
(For additional information on the alleged Zodiac letters received by Zodiackiller.com, scroll down for the updates dated Nov. 22, 2002 and Jan. 15, 2003.)

> If anyone has contact information for the San Francisco informant called "Purple Blaine," please contact me.

June 22, 2004) Today I spoke with director Alex Bulkley of ShadowMachine Films regarding the status of its upcoming film, The Zodiac. Bulkley said work on the film is essentially completed and a premiere date should be announced soon. The goal is to enter Toronto's film festival this summer and hopefully be in theatres by early 2005.

June 15, 2004) The Z-Mail page has been updated to include the most interesting and entertaining e-mail I've received over the past several months.

> This from Wednesday's New York Press:
New York's so-called "Zodiac Killer," Heriberto Seda, has found love behind bars—but it may be a love he's not allowed to keep. According to a letter received by the Daily News, Seda has married Synthia-China Blast, a fellow murderer who's serving a 25-year sentence at Attica. Blast (born Luis Morales) is also suing for the right to get a sex-change operation. While the two are said to have been happily married for a year, officials have decided to move the 29-year-old Blast to another lockup, thus interrupting, at least for quite some time, what Blast described as a "love extravaganza."

Now if only the original, still-at-large California Zodiac killer would kindly turn himself in, I can guarantee he will also find love in prison.

May 19, 2004) While I can't go into detail, it appears Zodiackiller.com's recent security issues are finally a thing of the past. There are those who would very much like to see Zodiackiller.com go away for various reasons, but that's not going to happen. I'd like to thank everyone who e-mailed their support for the website.

> The last time anyone saw the Zodiac killer, he was fleeing his San Francisco crime scene on foot. But where did he go from there? Here is Zodiac's likely escape route.

April 27, 2004) Long before Wayne Williams was convicted of the series of child murders around Atlanta, Ga. in the late 1970s/early 1980s, someone claiming to be the Zodiac actually confessed to the crimes. The confession was included in a letter postmarked in Atlanta on March 8, 1981 and taken very seriously by the FBI. Here is part of the FBI's report on the letter.

April 19, 2004) I've added a new page answering many of the frequently asked questions newcomers to the Zodiac case often have. Click here for the answers.

> Thanks to Yahoo! for featuring Zodiackiller.com during the month of March.

April 13, 2004) Director Alex Bulkley of ShadowMachine Films sent me this update on the upcoming film The Zodiac:
"The Zodiac" is out of the editing room and into the sound studio. Michael Suby ("The Butterfly Effect") has been hired on as the music composer. We're looking forward to an amazing score and incredible sound design. Completion of the film is expected within the next two months. The Zodiac is coming soon to a theater near you..."

Check out film stills and other information for The Zodiac by clicking here.

April 7, 2004) The front page of today's edition of the San Francisco Chronicle features a story first reported here at Zodiackiller.com almost a week ago: The San Francisco Police Dept. (SFPD) has closed the Zodiac case. (The term the department now uses is "deactivated.") Today's story is only the second time in the last 26 years the Zodiac case has been featured on the Chronicle's front page. Click here for the story.

Regardless of the official position of SFPD, Zodiackiller.com will continue to pursue leads and archive case-related information in an attempt to identify the Zodiac killer.

April 2, 2004) In a shocking and unprecedented move, the San Francisco Police Dept. has officially closed the Zodiac case. Click here for details.

> For a start-to-finish digital tour of the area of the Zodiac's October 1969 San Francisco murder of cab driver Paul Stine, here is Presidio Heights 2004.

> After 25 years of silence, a Zodiac-inspired killer calling himself "BTK" has recently reemerged in the Wichita area of Kansas. As the Zodiac did before him, BTK is in the habit of taunting the police and scaring the public by writing detailed letters of his crimes and sending them to his local newspaper. (One of BTK's letters sent in the 1970s actually chastised the news media for paying too much attention to the Zodiac and not enough to him.)

> On the topic of Zodiac copycats, the Kobe (Japan) Zodiac copycat of the 1990s is actually being considered for early release by Japanese authorities. It seems the Japanese are willing to quickly forgive such horrible crimes as murdering children as long as you behave properly in prison...

> Zodiackiller.com had a record month for hits in March with more than 1.8 million.

March 20, 2004) Today is the sixth anniversary of Zodiackiller.com and I'd like to thank the millions of loyal visitors around the world for making this site so successful. Thanks also to my many great sources who contribute information on a regular basis and help keep the site fresh.

March 1, 2004) Several years ago I obtained a reproduction of Zodiac's infamous Halloween card from one of the original Zodiac detectives, now deceased. (In 1970 Zodiac had mailed the card to San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery.) After re-examining the card for the first time in a few years, I noticed two stickers within the card that had gone unnoticed. If the stickers were part of Zodiac's original card, it's a secret never before revealed to the public. Since my source was impeccable and worked the Zodiac case for several years, I believe the stickers were indeed included by Zodiac with the original card.

> Despite Zodiackiller.com being down for the first six days of the month due to server problems, February was still a record month for hits with more than 1.4 million.

> Several new crime-scene photos have been added to the David Faraday/Betty Lou Jensen page.

Feb. 12, 2004) I've added several exclusive photos of Zodiac victim Betty Lou Jensen.
(Special thanks to John Henslin and Sharon.)

Feb. 9, 2004) Zodiackiller.com was recently offline for more than a week, as my website host unexpectedly went out of business. (If you've attempted to send me e-mail during that time, it didn't get through. Please try again.) Thankfully, the problem has been solved -- I've moved the site to a new, much larger server. As a result, there are several exciting additions/upgrades:

*High-resolution scans of the Zodiac letters are now available to view, several in full color

*An upgraded Chat Room

*A new, state-of-the-art Message Board (Previous users will need to register again)

Jan. 8, 2004) Just added to Zodiackiller.com are 50 pages of material from the producer of the 1989 documentary, Crimes of the Century: The Zodiac Killer. Among the information are 38 pages of notes taken from interviews with several individuals associated with the Zodiac case, including surviving victim Bryan Hartnell, suspect Rick Marshall, investigators Ken Narlow, Jack Mulanax and Dave Toschi, plus much more. Click here for the update.

Jan. 1, 2004) All the major events of the Zodiac case are now available on one page of Zodiackiller.com. A valuable research tool with a few surprises mixed in, here is the Zodiac Calendar.

Dec. 20, 2003) Today is the 35th anniversary of the Zodiac's Lake Herman Road murders.
Click here for a special update.

Dec. 18, 2003) Today would have been Zodiac suspect Arthur Leigh Allen's 70th birthday. Here are several exclusive photos of Allen, who died on Aug. 26, 1992.

Dec. 7, 2003) I've just added an extremely rare, 10-page top-secret report on the Zodiac crimes. Prepared in 1971, this is the first time the report has been published anywhere; previously it had only been available to detectives working on the case.

Nov. 28, 2003) William Mentzer, who recently convinced the New York Post that he could be the Zodiac (see the Oct. 11, 2003 update below), has apparently admitted he made up his entire story. I guess one just can't trust convicted murderers these days...

> As mentioned on the recent Cold Case Files episode, the San Francisco Police Dept. (SFPD) is hard at work on the Zodiac case. Homicide inspectors Michael Maloney and Kelly Carroll have been processing leads on potential suspects, coordinating DNA testing and -- of course -- investigating their many non-Zodiac cases as well. Bottom line: If the Zodiac case is never solved, it certainly won't be due to lack of effort from SFPD.

Nov. 13, 2003) While recent DNA evidence seems to indicate long-time suspect Arthur Leigh Allen was not the Zodiac killer, one thing is certain; he was quite the cook. If you're bored with the traditional holiday dishes, step into Allen's kitchen for some alternative cooking ideas.

Oct. 31, 2003) It was exactly 37 years ago that Cheri Jo Bates was found murdered on the campus of Riverside City College in Riverside, Calif. Click here for a special update.

> Which came first, the Grinch or the Zodiac? He didn't steal Christmas, but the Zodiac sure ruined Halloween back in 1969.

> On a much lighter note, Count Gore was kind enough to provide Zodiackiller.com with Rock Savage's Internet movie classic Curse of the Zodiac Killer. (RealPlayer required)

Oct. 20, 2003) For years rumors have circulated that the police have withheld crucial evidence in the Zodiac case. If true, I (and others) had long assumed the evidence would be in the form of a letter from the killer. Thanks to my excellent sources within the Los Angeles Police Dept., here is the alleged top-secret Zodiac letter received by a Los Angeles television station in May 1978. Handwriting experts were apparently unable to rule out the Zodiac as being responsible, although no official statement from law-enforcement officials has ever been issued.

Discussion of the letter can be found at the Zodiackiller.com Message Board and Chat Room.

Oct. 11, 2003) Today is the 34th anniversary of the Zodiac's last-known crime, the San Francisco murder of cab driver Paul Stine. I've updated Stine's page with several new items.

> The recent Lake Berryessa gathering went even better than expected, as I was finally able to meet message board users Sean O'Brien, Ray Nixon, Mike Cole, Wendy Echols and Scott Norton. Click here for all the details.

> The New York Post recently broke a major story naming convicted murderer William Mentzer as a viable suspect in the Zodiac murders. While in-depth discussion of this development (along with the entire Post story) can be found at the Zodiackiller.com Message Board, my opinion is that Mentzer is as likely to be the Zodiac as O.J. Simpson or Robert Blake.

> I've again updated the Z-mail page to include more interesting and entertaining e-mail I've received over the past few months. It's fascinating stuff.

Sept. 1, 2003) At long last, I've added several stills from the upcoming Zodiac film, The Zodiac. Click here to check them out.

> Here's an exclusive photograph of Zodiac suspect Arthur Leigh Allen from 1979, complete with his infamous Zodiac watch. As DNA testing begins to play a bigger role in the Zodiac case, Allen is just one of the many suspects concerned citizens are contacting me about.

> For the month of August 2003, Zodiackiller.com received 1,135,885 hits -- an all-time record for this site. Actually, the numbers should have been even higher, but my server couldn't keep track of all the hits in the 24 hours following each showing of A&E's Cold Case Files episode on the Zodiac.

Aug. 23, 2003) Although DNA recovered from a confirmed Zodiac letter was not a match to suspect Arthur Leigh Allen, at least one law-enforcement agency is still investigating the deceased schoolteacher. Due to Allen's alleged habit of having others lick his stamps and envelopes (he claimed the taste of glue made him sick), the San Francisco Police Dept. recently obtained a voluntary DNA sample from Allen's former friend, Don Cheney. The results were negative. Kudos to SFPD for doing such a thorough job. Check out the Zodiackiller.com Message Board for discussion of these interesting developments.

July 4, 2003) After a great deal of research and many discussions with several retired detectives, I've added the victims of a 1963 double homicide on the southern California coast to my list of possible Zodiac victims. Click here to learn why Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards just might have been the first victims of the Zodiac killer.

> The 2003 Zodiackiller.com Task-Force Meeting recently concluded after a five-day stay in the San Francisco Bay Area and featured the first-ever meeting between retired homicide detectives Ken Narlow (Napa County Sheriff's Dept.) and William Baker (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Dept.). Needless to say, the entire event was a huge success and lots of fun. Click here for pictures and details.

May 13, 2003) Beginning June 1, a major motion picture titled The Zodiac will begin filming in Vallejo, Calif. The film will be a fact-based narrative on the Zodiac case. I will post details as soon as they are available.

> Another Zodiac film, Ulli Lommel's Zodiac Killer (featuring this site!), will debut at the Cannes Film Festival in just a couple of weeks. Here's a look at some artwork from the movie. (For more on Zodiac Killer, see the March 20, 2003 update below.)

March 20, 2003) Today is the fifth anniversary of Zodiackiller.com and I'd like to thank these persons for their invaluable contributions to the content of this site (in alphabetical order): William Baker, Brian Banducci, Michael Bates, Sandy Betts, Don Cheney, Howard Davis, Dean Ferrin, Pam Huckaby, Rob Huffman, Ken Narlow, Carolyn Shepard, Howard Stern and John Walsh. (There are others I would like to thank, but they prefer to remain anonymous.)

> The public sure can't seem to get enough of the Zodiac mystery. There are at least five Zodiac movies scheduled for production this year, including Ulli Lommel's nearly completed work. Check out this exclusive sneak preview of Ulli's Zodiac Killer.

> Check out this San Francisco band called The Zodiac Killers.

> After five years, it's amazing how many details of the Zodiac case are still left to document. For example, many experts consider Cheri Jo Bates to be the Zodiac's first victim and have been digging for clues ever since she was killed in 1966. However, only after more than 36 years is there finally a clear, detailed photo of the crime scene to cull information from. While graphic, I've published the photo because I believe it will be helpful to those experts in crime-scene analysis who visit this site:
New Cheri Jo Bates Crime-Scene Photo
One of the most fascinating elements to the Bates case is the morbid poem found scratched into a desk top at the college where she was killed. Was it the work of her killer, or just a hoax? While reproductions of the poem were published soon after the crime, here's the first photo available showing the actual scale of the handwriting:
Desk-Top Poem Scale

Jan. 15, 2003) I've received another letter from the individual claiming to be the Zodiac killer. Click here for details, including images of the letter and envelope. (See the Nov. 22, 2002 update below for details on the first letter.)


> Changes are in the works for this website as we enter 2003. Please read my mission statement.

> I've added 75 pages from the Vallejo Police Department's official report on Zodiac's July 4, 1969 attack of Darlene Ferrin and Mike Mageau.

> Recently added are the following items from my collection of Zodiac documents. This is the first time any have been published:

*12-page interview with surviving victim Bryan Hartnell

*35-page case overview prepared by the California Department Of Justice

*19 pages of victim Darlene Ferrin's address book

*15-page report on suspect Lawrence Kane

*All 35 pages of the Lake Berryessa police report

*14-page report on suspect Arthur Leigh Allen

*Seven-page report on suspect "Andy Walker"

*San Francisco Police Department report on the murder of Paul Stine

*Informant report on suspect Rick Marshall

Nov. 22, 2002) Today I received a letter from someone claiming to be the Zodiac killer.
Click here for the amazing details.

Nov. 21, 2002) I've updated the Z-mail page to include a new batch of the more interesting and entertaining e-mail I've received over the past few months. It's truly fascinating stuff. Click here for Z-mail.

Nov. 7, 2002) A feature film on the Zodiac case is now being filmed in Germany. Here are a few words from the director, Ulli Lommel:

"The lead character is a 22-year-old man who has become so obsessed with the Zodiac that he actually believes he is the Zodiac. He starts executing people just like his idol, until the real Zodiac, who hasn't killed anybody in 30 years, gets a hold of the copycat. I would like to shoot several scenes where the young and the old Zodiac check out your website for details regarding the 1969-71 murders. I will also send you one of the first video copies once the film is completed approx. February 25, 2003."

> Recently I was informed that a suspect in the Zodiac crimes was acquainted with actor Steve McQueen during the 1960s. Since the Zodiac was apparently a movie buff, immediately I remembered McQueen's 1968 San Francisco-based cop movie Bullitt and that San Francisco Police Dept. inspector Dave Toschi was a consultant to McQueen. Tonight I scrutinized the film to see if I could find any connections to the Zodiac. There were several, but none bigger than this:

In Bullitt, Robert Duvall portrays a cab driver who drives cab number 6912. Approximately one year after the film was released, Zodiac killed cab driver Paul Stine. His cab number? 912. Coincidence? (For more information see the Zodiackiller.com Message Board.)

Oct. 14, 2002) This Thursday, ABC's Primetime Thursday will devote its entire show to the Zodiac case. Over a year in the making, the show should be fantastic.

> Tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 7:30 I will be a guest on Kevin & Bean's Los Angeles morning show on 106.7 KROQ-FM.

Sept. 27, 2002) Today is the 33rd anniversary of Zodiac's attack at Lake Berryessa which killed Cecelia Shepard and wounded Bryan Hartnell. Here's a message Cecelia's sister, Carolyn, sent Zodiackiller.com:

"Each September, the last week of the month, family and friends are reminded of this tragedy. I am very grateful to the strangers who comforted and attended to Cecelia at the lake, during transport, and the hospital medical team. We know you cared and at times felt powerless to help.

"One to two days before the attack, Cecelia mentioned that if she ever died she wanted to be buried at the St. Helena cemetery! The morning she left for Angwin, she ran back to Mom and hugged her for a second time. Mom said she had never done that before. I believe Cecelia somehow knew her death was coming soon.

"Cecelia was loving, caring, fun, beautiful and talented. Most of all, she was a beloved sister, daughter, and friend."

> The lucky winner of the Lake Berryessa crime-scene photo was Alex Breitler of Redding, Calif. The response was overwhelming; thanks to all of you who participated.

Sept. 1, 2002) I've updated the page of Zodiac victims Darlene Ferrin and Mike Mageau to include a very interesting letter Darlene wrote her future husband, Dean, in 1967. Also included in the update is a three-page transcript of Darlene's 1967 divorce from her abusive first husband, Jim Phillips. Click here for the update.

> The more information I collect about Zodiac suspect Rick Marshall, the more interesting he becomes. Marshall's page has been updated with yet another newspaper article the San Francisco Examiner wrote about him in 1968.

> The Zodiac Audio page has been updated with new MP3 sound files, including the comments of former FBI profiler John Douglas. Click here for the MP3s.

Aug. 9, 2002) Most Zodiac-case followers are only familiar with the late-1960s version of the City of Vallejo, Calif. Here's a look at Vallejo from the early 1950s, more than a decade before Zodiac changed it forever.

> I've added a rare crime-scene photo to the David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen page.

July 28, 2002) Sad to report possible Zodiac victim Kathleen Johns died in late April after suffering complications due to a heart condition. She was 54.

July 6, 2002) The 2002 Zodiackiller.com Task-Force Meeting was a big success, as the approximately 100 enthusiasts who attended seemed to have a great time and learn even more about this baffling case. Most amazing of all was the number of reporters and TV cameras. I do appreciate the publicity; however, if I ever organize another event like this, it will be without news-media involvement.

Click here for pictures of the event.

For those of you who missed it, coverage of the event was seen on San Francisco's KGO-TV, Sacramento's KCRA, KXTV and KTXL, plus Fresno's KFSN and Chico/Redding's KRCR. One of the "Big Three" television networks filmed for several hours in preparation for an hour-long, prime-time special on the case due this fall. Even BBC Radio attempted to broadcast live from the scene, unfortunately to no avail.

Multiple newspapers also covered the event. For those stories, including your in-depth discussion, visit the Zodiackiller.com Message Board.

I thank those who attended. It was great to meet everyone!

May 24, 2002) Got plans this 4th of July? Change 'em!
For the first time ever, a Zodiac task-force meeting exclusively of amateur detectives/case enthusiasts is being held. Organized by this site, it's an event no Zodiac buff should miss.
Update: The event was a big success. Thanks to everyone who attended. (See the above update.)

May 13, 2002) I recently returned from a few days of research in Riverside, Calif., where I was joined by fellow Zodiac buffs Sandy Betts and Howard Davis. See the Special Reports Archive for a link to the pictures.

April 3, 2002) For decades there has been speculation regarding Zodiac's potential sources of inspiration, ranging from Charlie Chan movies to Batman comics. However, an unsolved 1930s murder might just be the answer.

The Arthur Leigh Allen File has been updated to include two new items:
1) George Bawart's 1992 seven-page report on all the reasons Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac.
2) Sherwood Morrill's 1971 handwriting results on Allen, complete with the actual handwriting samples.

Sick of Allen? Here is information on a new suspect that San Francisco Police Department inspector Dave Toschi sent Vallejo Police Department detective Jack Mulanax in 1972.

Did Zodiac continue killing into the 1970s? Here is an SFPD report containing several potential victims.

Thanks to retired detective William Baker, a transcript of my interview with Arthur Leigh Allen informant Don Cheney is available to download.

March 14, 2002) Congratulations to Wally Farkas of Cypress, Tex. He was the lucky winner of the 8" x 10" color photograph of Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin.

Feb. 21, 2002) I've added a page featuring some of the most memorable e-mail I've received since this site was launched in March 1998. Some of the e-mail featured is touching, some frustrating, some hysterically (and unintentionally) funny. All of them are interesting. Click here to read them.

Jan. 24, 2002) The Zodiac Audio page has been updated with an MP3 of my appearance on The Howard Stern Show from late-1998. Howard and I talked quite a bit about the Zodiac case, but of course things got crazy in a hurry. Click here to hear it.

Jan. 1, 2002) I've posted the last page of Zodiac's Nov. 9, 1969 bus-bomb letter to the San Francisco Chronicle. This is the first time a good-quality reproduction of the page has been published. Click here to see it.

1998-2001 News Center Archive