ZODIAC KILLER FRAUD MICHAEL BUTTERFIELD FINALLY HITS THE SMALL TIME

“The Zodiac Killer: The Story of America’s Most Elusive Murderer”

Three decades in the making, Michael Butterfield’s “new” Zodiac book is guaranteed to pack as many boring case-related basics as 256 pages can hold

Michael Butterfield

By Tom Voigt
Owner of Zodiackiller.com
Contact me

NOTE: I’ve allowed this issue to be one-sided for far too long. Initially, my approach was to ignore the personal attacks directed at me by Michael Butterfield. However, he has now spent almost a dozen years dishonestly smearing both my name and my website. God knows how many people have been duped by this jealous and spiteful wanna-be author. But now, ironically, one virus (Corona) has given me the necessary time to deal with another virus (Butterfield).

Thanks to David Fincher’s film, titled ZODIAC, a new generation of Zodiac buffs was created back in 2007. Many of those individuals found their way to a website called Zodiackillerfacts.com, where they might have eventually noticed a strong, anti-Tom Voigt sentiment: “Voigt’s a liar, Voigt’s a fraud, Voigt’s a hypocrite, Voigt’s an opportunist!” At Zodiackillerfacts.com, owned by Michael Butterfield, that sentiment exists to this day. But that website wasn’t always that way. At the beginning of 2007, you might be surprised to know that I helped Butterfield get his website online. I already had my own website, Zodiackiller.com, that I had launched in 1998. However, Butterfield and I were on good terms, he thought a website would benefit him, and I was glad to help.

It was late 2006. For almost a dozen years, Michael Butterfield had been preparing a book about the Zodiac killer, and it was finally finished. Butterfield knew that I was formally trained as both a writer and editor. My father, James, was a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist, and he had taught me well. Butterfield asked if I would edit his book, and I said yes. The book was in the form of a PDF file, and Butterfield put the file on a CD-ROM and mailed it to me. “The PDF file is too big to e-mail,” Butterfield said. That was because, as I soon found out, the number of pages in Butterfield’s book had to be seen to be believed. Now, I already knew that Butterfield was a very wordy writer — the equivalent of ask him what time it is, and he’ll tell you how to build a watch. It’s a good writer who can properly communicate a thought, while using the fewest words possible. Butterfield isn’t a good writer. I believe he has since shortened it, but back at that time, even the title of his book was wordy. I said “Mike, if that many words are going to fit on the book cover, the font will have to be so small that nobody will be able to see it.” I wasn’t entirely kidding. As it turned out, Butterfield didn’t really want me to edit anything. Instead, he wanted me to read his book and tell him how perfect it was. I finished chapter one and sent him my edits. That was when Butterfield made it abundantly clear he would not be making even the most simple of corrections.

My relationship with Michael Butterfield began on the Internet back in 1997. I immediately found him to be extremely egotistical, constantly bragging about his own prowess as a writer, while simultaneously criticizing an array of successful, published authors. These days, if you’ve authored a book, there’s an option called self-publishing; literally anyone can do it, and it’s quite popular. But self-publishing is not ideal, as every writer would prefer their work be published by a traditional publishing house such as Penguin Putnam, or Simon & Schuster. It’s the difference between putting some videos on TikTok for your 50 friends to watch, compared to starring in a successful documentary on NetFlix. Joe Blow compared to Joe Exotic. And unlike with self-publishing, having your work published by a publishing house can guarantee regular paydays, a book tour, an interview on Good Morning America, celebrity status, and your own book well-stocked in book stores at the mall. To this day, for the most part, only the best of the best writers earn the great rewards of having a publishing house behind them. It was what Butterfield wanted, and for some reason, what Butterfield thought he deserved. On the Internet, as early as 1997, Butterfield talked as though his massive success was already a done deal. Butterfield imagined himself as Joe Exotic. But as a writer, he Joe Blowed. Not only wasn’t his Zodiac book finished yet, Butterfield had never gotten anything published…ever. But he still acted like he somehow had more credibility than others, both as a writer and a person. As I would soon find, the truth told a much different story.

In early 1998, when I worked for CBS Radio, Michael Butterfield and I agreed to exchange Zodiac materials. The mailing address he gave me was for the ZODIAC INFORMATION CENTER, and it included a suite number. “Wow,” I thought, “does this guy actually operate a Zodiac killer business of some sort?” Nope. Turned out the “suite” was his basement bedroom in his mother’s Phoenix home. The reason I know that is because within 48 hours of our agreement to share materials, I had already packaged and shipped to him everything I had promised. A week later, at the CBS studio where I worked, the materials were returned to me with NO SUCH ADDRESS stamped on the package. I immediately contacted Butterfield and explained what had happened. He responded with “That stupid postman! I told him my bedroom is the suite!” Now, an individual can pretend their basement bedroom is a suite if they wish…but the postal service doesn’t play pretend. As a result, Butterfield had to tell me the truth about his living conditions. I remailed everything to the correct address, and he received the shipment within 72 hours. And the items Butterfield had promised to send me in exchange? Butterfield didn’t bother to send them to me until six-months later. That’s right, he made me wait six freakin’ months. I should have dropped him like a bad habit right then and there, but fellow Zodiac buffs were in short supply back then.

As an author, wordiness wasn’t the only issue with Michael Butterfield. As I studied his book closely in late 2006, I saw entire chapters devoted to “exposing” individuals such as Howard Davis, whose only crime was to have a theory about the Zodiac’s identity. I knew the ridiculing or “exposing” of random people is not what readers want to experience in a Zodiac book. People want to read about the Zodiac case; they don’t want to read about some guy whom the author has a petty beef with. Around that time, the world had learned that David Fincher’s Zodiac movie would be released in theaters on March 2nd, 2007. I naturally assumed Butterfield would quickly send his book to publishers to get the process started. We knew Fincher’s Zodiac movie had a huge advertising budget, and we also knew that every penny spent advertising that Zodiac movie, would also indirectly help advertise Zodiac books, Zodiac websites…all things Zodiac. For a publisher, investing in Butterfield’s book would have been a no-brainer — the coincidental timing with the movie’s release turned out perfectly. Of course, Butterfield would definitely need to swallow his ego and allow his book to be properly edited. But surely, Michael Butterfield would come to realize that he was not Michael Crichton. Right? Indeed, it seemed the stars had aligned perfectly to allow a bad writer to get a good book deal. Or so I thought.

As we were planning his website, near the end of 2006, Michael Butterfield revealed to me that he hadn’t even begun sending his book to publishers. “I want to wait until I see the Fincher movie, so I can put my review of the film in my book,” he said. Once I realized Butterfield wasn’t kidding, I actually had to struggle to stay composed. “Mike,” I said, “what if the movie is a dud at the box office? If that happens, NO PUBLISHER will want anything to do with a book about the Zodiac killer!” Butterfield still wanted to wait. I said “Mike, simply tell readers of your book about your new website, and let the readers know your movie review will be right there, online!” No, he still wanted to wait. I told Butterfield point blank: “As your friend, I am telling you that you are making the mistake of a lifetime. EVEN IF the Fincher movie is a huge success, why would anyone want to buy a book about a movie they had just recently watched in the theaters?” My advice was not taken. Butterfield did it his way….and he blew it.

By late February 2007, Michael Butterfield’s website was finally online. I had recently uncovered the never-before-seen Eureka card, thought to be from Zodiac. It was a big deal. However, rather than adding images of the Eureka card to my own website, Zodiackiller.com, I decided to help Butterfield jump-start his new website by e-mailing scans of the Eureka card to Butterfield, for him to share at Zodiackillerfacts.com.


— TIMELINE OF THE ENSUING MELTDOWN / GET POPCORN READY —

*All of the info below can be verified at this address:
https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com

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Feb. 26, 2007 — The first Internet snapshot of Butterfield’s website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070226111544/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/

I’m listed as a source, and a link is given to my website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070308083758/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/sources.htm

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Soon after his website was launched, Butterfield began plugging his “upcoming book”:

https://web.archive.org/web/20080123092032/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/contact.htm

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At some point, Butterfield began using his website to ridicule those who had promoted a popular theory. That theory involved the Zodiac killer intentionally choosing crime scenes in order to form a radian angle:

http://zodiackillerfacts.com/zodiac-theories/zodiac-theories/the-radian-theory-the-making-of-a-myth

Butterfield ridiculed them even though Michael Butterfield himself had been a huge proponent of that exact radian theory, to the point of singing its praises in 1999 on a nationally televised documentary called Case Reopened

From Butterfield’s website:

“Penn’s radian theory became a prominent part of the Zodiac legend and was promoted by many believers, including Zodiac researcher Jake Wark and myself. During my 1999 appearance on the Learning Channel documentary Case Reopened, I explained the radian theory. My endorsement of Penn’s radian theory was later cited by Grant and others in support of that theory. However, my presentation of the radian theory was largely influenced by and based on Gareth Penn’s previous presentations. As a result, I had no idea that my presentation was actually severely flawed and inaccurate. In later years, my own desire to find the truth about the radian theory compelled me to re-examine the facts and to reassess my own beliefs. I had long-believed that the radian theory was valid, but my renewed research forced me to conclude that I had always been wrong.”

Fair enough, right? But no, later in that same entry at Butterfield’s website, he concluded by attempting to rewrite history:

“The facts which debunk the radian theory are readily available to anyone who cares to look. Promoters of the radian theory use erroneous maps with the wrong locations and the wrong measurements, an irony which serves as the final proof that the radian theory is invalid – even its promoters failed to do their homework. Gareth Penn, Raymond Grant and Steve Hodel promote the radian theory, but, in order to do so, they must discard the facts in favor of falsehoods. Gareth Penn’s radian theory may have been compelling and entertaining, and, many people – including myself – may have been fascinated by its simplicity and its possible implications. At its core, the radian theory is the kind of answer so many people seek from the Zodiac mystery, some sort of explanation which would help us understand why this tragedy occurred. Like most sensational “answers” in the Zodiac case, the radian theory seems initially impressive until one examines the facts.”

SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT —

According to Butterfield…Gareth Penn, Raymond Grant and Steve Hodel were wrong for not doing “their homework” before endorsing the radian theory. Yet that is exactly what Butterfield did, until years after he had promoted the theory on national television. However, Butterfield has never taken responsibility for doing exactly what he criticized the others for doing. Instead, he blamed Gareth Penn —

Butterfield: “My presentation of the radian theory was largely influenced by and based on Gareth Penn’s previous presentations.”

So when others don’t do “their homework” before endorsing a theory, it’s their own fault. However, when it’s Butterfield not doing his homework before endorsing a theory, it’s someone else’s fault. Gotcha.

WATCH CASE REOPENED BELOW (the relevant portion begins at 38:19):

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March 3, 2007 — I was shocked to learn that Michael Butterfield had illegally filmed David Fincher’s ZODIAC at a screening in San Francisco. I might not have believed it, except he sent me a copy of the film on DVD about a month later. In addition, within the previous year, Butterfield had also bragged about intentionally breaking the non-dosclosure agreement he had signed with David Fincher’s film company. I had also signed such an agreement, but chose to live up to my word.

**********

March 6, 2007 — The next snapshot:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070306104457/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/

At the lower part of the main page, the Eureka card is mentioned. Click the link and it takes you to a page crediting Zodiackiller.com for providing the Eureka content:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070306105247/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/zodiac-christmas-card.htm

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March 8, 2008 — The very first mention of Zodiac suspect Richard Gaikowski at either my website or my discussion forum:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/zodiackillerfr/richard-the-best-zodiac-suspect-you-ve-never-heard-t1994.html

Butterfield would eventually use Gaikowski as his platform to repeatedly attack me at his website, fooling people into believing Butterfield had some kind of a righteous motive behind his actions. “Michael Butterfield: Noble Defender of the Accused!”

History clearly tells a different story as you shall see.

**********

Mid-2008 — I had driven to the San Francisco Bay Area from my home in Portland, Ore. to film a television show called “Haunting Evidence.” (At my suggestion, weeks earlier, Michael Butterfield had been offered a role in the show, but he had turned it down because “it might conflict with my book tour.” What book tour?) At my hotel in Vallejo, Cal., I awoke to see two new anti-Howard Davis threads posted by Butterfield at my discussion forum. I had already asked Butterfield to please stop posting such things at my forum, so I immediately deleted both hate threads. That evening, several of my forum moderators, including Angie, Dahlia and Tracers (plus many other users) were in my Zodiac chat room when Butterfield logged-in. Butterfield immediately claimed that I had hacked into his website earlier that day, destroying it. And that the FBI had verified the hacker had used my specific i.p. address in Portland to do the dirty work. The problem with Butterfield’s lie, I told the users in chat, was that I was actually in Vallejo filming a TV show…and had been there for a couple days. Butterfield immediately left the chat room and wasn’t heard from for months. All because earlier in the day I had deleted two of his anti-Howard Davis discussion threads. I chalked up his bizarre behavior to his many personal problems, including his humiliating public book failure, his wife having left him, his being forced to move back in with his mother, etc. The next time Butterfield was heard from was in late 2008 — he was still under the delusion that he was getting a book deal. “Once my book tour starts,” he asked the chat room, “does anyone have couches I can crash on? I’ll be going all around the country.”

Butterfield was fading fast, mentally.

**********

March 24, 2009 — More than a year after Gaikowski’s debut as a Zodiac suspect, Butterfield’s website remains the same:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090324132109/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/

I’m still listed as a source, and he still has links to my website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090325093959/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/sources.htm

Butterfield’s hate page/wall of shame (those whom he had petty grudges against) has not yet added me:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090301192530/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/suspects.htm

Clearly there is no Gaikowski issue for Michael Butterfield. So what happened to set him off?

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There are no additional snapshots until Jan. 26, 2011:
https://web.archive.org/web/20110126103651/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/

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At some point between snapshots, somewhere between March 24, 2009 and Jan. 26, 2011, I joined Butterfield’s Wall Of Shame:
https://web.archive.org/web/20110718160206/http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/suspects.htm

During this time Butterfield also removed me as a source, removed the Eureka card credit, and removed a link to Zodiackiller.com.

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“MysteryQuest: San Francisco Slaughter” (which aired on The History Channel, now called simply HISTORY) was filmed in spring 2009, right around the time of the March 24, 2009 snapshot of Butterfield’s website — the snapshot that clearly showed I was still in his good graces more than a year after Gaikowski surfaced as a Zodiac suspect. Both Butterfield and I appeared in the MysteryQuest show. We stayed in the same Benicia (Cal.) hotel, had numerous conversations, and never once did Butterfield mention any issues he had developed with me. I pretended to forget the lies he had told about me in the chat room back in mid-2008. And that was the last time I ever saw Mike Butterfield. He was still listed as a source of mine, I still linked to his website, and he was still a moderator at my discussion forum.

Reference: “MysteryQuest: San Francisco Slaughter” —
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1549663/

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March 26, 2009 — At the time of the MysteryQuest filming, at Zodiackiller.com, I was still offering a link to Butterfield’s website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090326022241/https://zodiackiller.com/Links.html

**********

Early April, 2009 — I learned that Butterfield had actually lied to the producers of MysteryQuest by claiming he had secured a book deal and therefore wanted to be billed in the show as an “author.” I knew Butterfield had no book deal, but his scheme worked — if you watch the episode of MysteryQuest, when Butterfield first appears on camera, on the screen it says “AUTHOR.”

The MysteryQuest show can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/380168202
— Scroll to the 3:25 mark to see the result of Butterfield’s deception. —

ABOVE: A screenshot of the “AUTHOR” selling his soul.

That show was filmed back in 2009, and almost a dozen years later, Butterfield is STILL not a published book author. But he is still a liar. Butterfield’s clear intent was to use the fake “AUTHOR” title on MysteryQuest to boost his own credibility. And it worked, at least on those who didn’t know better. By the time the show debuted later that year, the “AUTHOR” was using his fake credibility to lend believability to all of the lies he began directing at me, and at others as well.

**********

April 26, 2009 — One month after learning of Butterfield’s lie to the producers of MysteryQuest, at Zodiackiller.com I had already removed the link to Butterfield’s website:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090426113006/https://zodiackiller.com/Links.html

On top of everything else I had done for him, I had actually gotten Butterfield the MysteryQuest gig. I had previously worked with The History Channel several times and now worried Butterfield’s lie might actually get me in trouble with the television network. And I wondered what else Butterfield might have lied about during the extensive on-camera interviews we had both separately given in the conference room of our Benicia hotel.

As a result of his lying, Michael Butterfield was no longer welcome at Zodiackiller.com as of April 26, 2009. I removed references/links to both he and his website; additionally, he was no longer a moderator at my discussion forum and his forum account was deactivated.

And that was when Butterfield’s smear campaign against me began.

**********

By late 2008, Michael Butterfield realized he’d never be a published author, therefore his dozen-year dream of being the number one Zodiac book guy, was over. But could Butterfield possibly become the number one Zodiac website guy? Butterfield did indeed have an established Zodiac website — ironically, I had personally helped see to that. However, his website was considered vastly inferior to my website, Zodiackiller.com. For one thing, my site had been established nearly a decade earlier than Butterfield’s and had a ton more content, much of it exclusive. Also, I had an active discussion forum, which Butterfield’s website did not have. So Butterfield knew the only way he could beat me was to cheat. First, Butterfield stole my copyrighted material and added it to his overseas web server, a server he knew didn’t follow our copyright laws here in the United States. Butterfield followed up by targeting my then-friend and main forum moderator, Ed Neil. Butterfield spent months getting into Ed Neil’s ear, telling lies about me and making it appear as if I was somehow bad for Ed Neil. The tactic eventually worked, and Ed Neil left Zodiackiller.com and became a moderator at the new version of Butterfield’s website, which was all of a sudden more focused on spreading hate than spreading facts. Butterfield’s forum did become successful, but it was short-lived. Ed Neil finally wised up, realized he’d been conned by Butterfield, and left the online Zodiac community in embarrassment.

Facing yet another Zodiac failure, this time his discussion forum, Butterfield intentionally broke his forum while blaming me for it just as he had a few years earlier in the chat room. Since then, Butterfield has rarely updated his website. Instead, he finally resurfaced in an attempt to cash in on the podcast fad. But that has failed, too — Butterfield’s first podcast did well, approaching 60,000 downloads. However, listeners apparently didn’t like what they heard, as the subsequent 35 or so episodes have tanked. And now, on average, a typical Butterfield podcast gets barely 900 listeners.

I’d feel sorry for him, but he doesn’t deserve it.

“Voigt’s a liar, Voigt’s a fraud, Voigt’s a hypocrite, Voigt’s an opportunist!”

Michael Butterfield was subconsciously describing himself.

THE CASE OF THE ZODIAC KILLER: Arthur Leigh Allen misinformation

The most recent piece of Arthur Leigh Allen misinformation is the nonsensical claim that Allen originally faced police scrutiny because the Zodiac killer had been proven to drive a Volkswagen Beetle.

The claim — posted at Reddit — is nonsense.

As the silly story goes, following the Zodiac killer’s September 1969 attack in its jurisdiction, the Napa County Sheriff’s Department allegedly measured the tire impressions left by the Zodiac killer’s vehicle while it was parked along a road above Lake Berryessa, and those tire impressions were determined to have been made by a tiny VW Beetle. Therefore, Napa investigators were on the lookout for such a vehicle, to the point that Napa detectives phoned the Vallejo Police Department — already investigating earlier crimes of the Zodiac killer — and said “The Zodiac killer was a huge guy driving a VW Beetle!” The Vallejo police then allegedly contacted a local man who owned a service station — a fella named Bob Luce — and asked Luce if he knew of any huge guys who drove a VW Beetle. And that’s how Bob Luce was allegedly responsible for getting police attention to Arthur Leigh Allen.

For a moment, let’s ignore the fact that nobody ever described the Zodiac killer as being “huge.” At Lake Berryessa, Cecelia Shepard saw the Zodiac clearly and did not describe a huge man. Meanwhile, her lake companion, Bryan Hartnell, made it clear he was a horrible judge of height. And while it appeared the Zodiac had a pronounced stomach, Hartnell stressed that it might have simply been the effect of a puffy jacket. And when the local investigators performed what was called “a compaction test” on the depth of the footprints left by the Zodiac killer, those same detectives admitted such a test was not scientific.

So, you might ask, why would Napa investigators tell the Vallejo investigators that the Zodiac killer was a huge guy? Easy answer: They didn’t.

And what about this nonsense of the Zodiac killer driving a VW Beetle? It’s simply more bunk.

While the Napa investigators did measure the tire impressions left by the Zodiac killer, they never concluded the impressions were made by a small car. In fact, quickly thereafter the focus was on finding a man who was driving a Chevy sedan, which were large cars. The Chevy sedan being sought was driven by a man who had alarmed a few female sunbathers in the area. Napa investigators went all-out trying to locate that Chevy sedan, a rather strange thing to do if they were aware the Zodiac was actually proven to be driving a VW Beetle.

This entire story was concocted by a reddit user called u/241waffledeal. The reason? Hilariously, u/241waffledeal used a modern technique to interpret the tire impressions left by the Zodiac killer. If that’s not silly enough, u/241waffledeal then concluded the modern technique had been used by the Napa County Sheriff’s Department back in September 1969, even though the modern technique hadn’t been invented yet. Oh, and since u/241waffledeal believes Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac killer — and since Allen was what some might describe as huge (at least his weight), therefore the Zodiac killer was also huge.

Opinion confirmation, passed along as proven fact to the poorly informed and/or gullible. It’s what I call Richard Grinell 101.

Was Bob Luce the original tipster who gave the Vallejo police Allen’s name back in October 1969, as being the possible Zodiac killer? Maybe. I have a much better candidate whom I’ll introduce in detail in my forthcoming book. However, what I know for sure is the story of the Zodiac killer having been proven to drive a VW Beetle is nonsense perpetuated by a Reddit user called u/241waffledeal.

“This is the Zodiac Speaking” on NetFlix hits #1 in the ratings — more Zodiac killer content on the way

The most recent television show based on the case of the Zodiac killer was a resounding success. “This is the Zodiac Speaking” (October 2024) — a three-part series on NetFlix — ranked #1 in television shows for several days. In total, the show enjoyed three weeks in the top 10.

Based on the testimony of several then-children who knew top suspect Arthur Leigh Allen before, during, and after the crimes of the Zodiac killer, the show also featured retired Zodiac detective Terry Poyser, as well as Tom Voigt of Zodiackiller.com.

Was Arthur Leigh Allen the Zodiac killer? That question still clearly fascinates the viewing public, as evidenced by the outrageous success of “This is the Zodiac Speaking” on NetFlix.

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2011

Dec. 20, 2011) On this 43rd anniversary of the Zodiac’s attack on Lake Herman Road near Vallejo, Calif., I’ve added a comprehensive collection of vintage newspaper articles detailing the double murder. Click here to read and discuss.

David Faraday
Betty Lou Jensen

Sept. 1, 2011) As we enter the anniversary month of the Zodiac’s 1969 attack at Lake Berryessa, I have received news of an exciting development:

————————————————–
“Mr. Voigt,

My partner, Detective Shulman, said he would let you know once we got to the Cecelia Shepard case. We have reviewed the case completely and sent all of the evidence we have to the California DNA laboratory in Richmond. We do not expect to have any results back for some time. Routinely, the turnaround time for cases like this is measured in months if not years.

REDACTED INFO

Thank you for the access to your site. It has proven valuable for vetting out some of the theories we have received. We hope you will continue to allow us to view your research.

Thank you again for your assistance!

Detective Patrick McMahon

Napa County Sheriff’s Department

Cold Case Unit”

————————————————–

Discussion of this development can be found at the Zodiackiller.com message board.


July 5, 2011) It’s my pleasure to yet again share an exclusive and never-before-seen Zodiac case document. This time, it’s a 1971 Zodiac PERT chart, as prepared by the California Department of Justice. Until now, the chart was only available to police. One of the more interesting tidbits contained in the chart is the revelation that Zodiac rode in the front seat of victim Paul Stine’s cab, as discussed here. (For decades it was believed he sat in the back.) For discussion of the PERT chart, click here.

— CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO VIEW EXCLUSIVE ZODIAC PERT CHART —
(PDF | 1.1 MB) For best results, zoom to 150% or more.


Feb. 19, 2011) Tonight’s episode of America’s Most Wanted featured a photo of Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin that was first seen here at Zodiackiller.com last November. Pictured with Ferrin is a man of unknown identity. Click the image below for a huge version, and if you recognize the man, please contact me:

Darlene Ferrin and the unknown man

> A full-length documentary about the unsolved 1963 murders of possible Zodiac victims Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards is now available to watch online for free. The film, which is the work of John B. Averitt Ph.D., a former classmate of the victims, can be found at this link.


Jan. 31, 2011) At the end of January 1974, almost exactly 37 years ago, the Zodiac mailed a letter in which he seemed to claim 37 victims. It was the first Zodiac letter in nearly three years and its arrival sparked a renewed attempt by San Francisco police to catch him. To mark the occasion, I have updated the Zodiac Magazine Rack with a story about the investigation from the April 1974 issue of San Francisco Magazine.

> Click the image below for an amazing late-1960s aerial view of the neighborhood in San Francisco where the Zodiac killed cab driver Paul Stine:

Presidio Heights

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2010

Dec. 1, 2010) Retired Zodiac detective Ken Narlow has passed away after a strong battle against cancer. Narlow, who was a great friend to this website, worked for the Napa County Sheriff’s Dept. for several decades and was the original detective assigned to investigate the Zodiac’s attack at Lake Berryessa. He died in Napa on the afternoon of Monday, Nov. 29, 2010.

A recent e-mail from Ken: “This cancer is going to get me it’s just a matter of time. I rarely get out of the house anymore and when I do Marie takes me where I want to go. I still get a few leads, that I pass on to the boys in blue.”

Ken Narlow is pictured below with his son, circa 1960:

Ken Narlow and son

Oct. 6, 2010) In the Sept. 19, 2010 update, Zodiackiller.com showed how the Zodiac mimmicked Count Marco’s odd writing style. Just a month later, it appears we have solved yet another mystery. Click the image below for the latest:

The Red Phantom Solved

Oct. 1, 2010) The 2008 Zodiackiller.com task-force meeting, which was held on Dec. 20, 2008 at the Roxie theater in San Francisco, is now available to watch online for free. Hosted by author David Van Nuys, the 100-minute video features several guest speakers, including Nancy Slover (she spoke to the Zodiac back in 1969).

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/ROXIE2008TFM


Sept. 19, 2010) Ever since Zodiac wrote a letter referencing San Francisco newspaper columnist Count Marco back in July 1974, speculation has remained over why Zodiac adopted such an unusual handwriting style for that particular letter. See below for my recent discovery (Click for a larger version):

Zodiac copies Count Marco

I believe Zodiac was very familiar with the nuances of Marco’s handwriting. If so, that potentially narrows the suspect pool immensely.


July 29, 2010) It has been nearly 41 years since the Zodiac murdered cab driver Paul Stine in San Francisco. Since then, most of us only know Stine through one published picture. Exclusive to Zodiackiller.com, I am thrilled to bring you a look at Paul Stine the public has never seen: MEET PAUL STINE.

Also see: Click the image below for the 13-page scrapbook that was kept by Paul’s mother, Audra:
(PDF | 99.2 MB)


Jan. 1, 2010) As we enter 2010, I believe the time is perfect to revisit places the Zodiac haunted more than four decades ago. Click here for a Zodiac flashback.

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2009

Dec. 20, 2009) 40 years ago today, the Zodiac killer mailed a letter to famed attorney Melvin Belli. For the bizarre events that preceded the mailing, including exclusive photos, click here.


Nov. 9, 2009) Today I received this e-mail from the FBI’s cryptography expert, Dan Olson, concerning the Zodiac’s unsolved 340 cipher:

————————————————–
“We havent seen any recent solutions or ideas that have generated a second look as of yet. If you can point us in the right direction we’ll be all over it. FYI, if we ever do see a good partial or full solution we will forward it with our endorsement to the cold case squad at SFPD, but we will give credit to where credit is due.

I dont have a graphic to share but here are more details you can post instead: Statistics for repeated characters for each line of text show a distinct higher randomness with the lines we’ve discussed (1-3 and 11-13). The higher randomness may be due in part or whole to greater care by the writer to not repeat characters on these lines. This indicates homophonic substitution. The opposite is true for lines 4, 10, 14, 17 and 18, these lines have many repeats. Additionally, there is far greater randomness for rows versus columns. This rules out any form of columnar or diagnal transpositions (a big step forward).

These same statistical tests were done on Z408. The results suggest that 340 is similar to 408 except for the bogus rows: overall randomness of 408 is .48, 340 is .50. Row randomness of 408 is .22, 340 is .19. Column randomness of 408 is .48, 340 is .68. By way of comparison, row and column randomness should be near identical if the 340 does not contain any message, or if there is a message that is evenly scrambled.

Thanks again for your help Tom.”

————————————————–

If you have a solution to the 340 cipher you’d like to share, I can pass it along to the FBI. Contact me. Discussion can be found here.


Sept. 22, 2009) Here’s the YouTube trailer for a TV project involving Zodiackiller.com:

eHOMICIDE

Aug. 10, 2009) Before you check out the free, exclusive, two-hour Zodiac video below, keep in mind that even though I do my best, often I don’t have time to formally update Zodiackiller.com each time I receive interesting and valuable Zodiac information. Sometimes it can take me weeks or months to get the news to you, or it can just slip through the cracks and never get published. There is now a way for you to get all the good stuff delivered to your e-mail box immediately. Click here to find out how.

> Exactly five years ago, I filmed my own video of the various Zodiac crime scenes and other relevant locations. Click below for the free, exclusive, two-hour ULTIMATE Zodiac video on YouTube:

Click here for a free, two-hour Zodiac video!

July 15, 2009) The recent Zodiackiller.com task-force meeting was a blast, and extremely informative to boot. Thanks to all who participated.

> I’ve written a feature article about the events of the last year or so in the Zodiac world. Click here for “The 13th Sign”.


May 14, 2009) About two weeks ago a woman came forward claiming to be the Zodiac killer’s daughter. She was the same woman who recently claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of President John F. Kennedy. Obviously her story is nonsense, as none of the witnesses to the Zodiac’s crimes ever described him as traveling in a motorcade.

In any event, discussion of these recent events — along with thousands of other Zodiac-related topics — can be found at the Zodiackiller.com message board.

> The next Zodiackiller.com task-force meeting is less than two months away. See the Jan. 5, 2009 update below for details.


Jan. 29, 2009) It was exactly 35 years ago that the Zodiac mailed one of his last letters. Today I updated the Zodiac Letters page to include two new additions. (Thanks to Howard Davis.)


Jan. 5, 2009) The Zodiackiller.com task-force meeting at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco might be history, but please enjoy the video at the bottom of this update of the subsequent Zodiac bus tour that 50 of us enjoyed.

> The next Zodiackiller.com task-force meeting will be held this July 5th (Sunday) at Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo, Calif. That date is the 40th anniversary of the Zodiac’s attack of Darlene Ferrin and Mike Mageau. Fittingly, the section of the park reserved for the event is called “The Pines” and was the site of the very first task-force meeting back in 2002, as pictured at left. “The Pines” features 22 picnic tables, two BBQs, plus nearby restrooms, water, and shade. (We will most probably tent a portion in case of heat/rain.) Best of all, it’s free. Beer and wine are permitted. Kids are welcome. After the recent hectic task-force meeting, we are looking forward to a mellow affair. Mingling! Discussion! Make your plans to be there. I can’t wait! (Starting a new diet tomorrow.) I’d like to thank the Dahlia for her help.


> I’ve put together a page of vintage Zodiac television programs that you can either view online, or save to your computer. Here’s a link. Enjoy!

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2008

Oct. 18, 2008) Welcome, viewers of TruTV’s Haunting Evidence: Zodiac Killer! If you watched the show and are curious about the man behined “the voice,” or if you just want to read about the most compelling Zodiac suspect to ever come along, click here.

> For in-depth discussion of all things Zodiac, including exclusive information not available anywhere else, don’t miss the Zodiackiller.com message board.


Sept. 27, 2008) Today is the 39th anniversary of the Zodiac’s attack at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Cal. I’ve updated the page of his victims at the lake, Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell, with eight new images.


Sept. 6, 2008) After more than 30 years of scrutiny, Rick Marshall has finally been dismissed as a Zodiac suspect…and Zodiackiller.com played a huge part.

Here’s how it went down:

It all started a couple of months ago when I received a phone tip (415 267-4818) from a woman who worked at a care facility in the Sacramento (Cal.) area. She told me that Marshall was a patient where she worked, and that he had spoken about the Zodiac case. She found him to be extremely suspicious and was not sure what to do. Thinking Marshall might finally be ready to talk due to his advanced age and deteriorating health, I contacted my sources at the Napa County Sheriff’s Dept., the agency that originally investigated Marshall back in the 1970s. Two detectives made the trek to Sacramento and spent a significant amount of time interviewing Marshall. I have yet to find if DNA testing was involved, but whatever data was gleaned was enough for investigators to finally dismiss Marshall as a viable Zodiac suspect after more than three decades.

I’m hopeful to have an official statement in the next few days. A big thanks to those of you who have supported this website and helped make this possible!

> Is missing nurse Donna Lass a Zodiac victim? Many think so. Today is the 38th anniversary of her disappearance and here is a big update.


Aug. 15, 2008) On Monday I will be departing for the San Francisco Bay Area for seven days of Zodiac research. My focus will be on obtaining information about Zodiac suspect Richard Gaikowski. The results of my search, including relevant pictures, documents, handwriting samples, etc., will be posted as quickly as possible and available exclusively to registered users at the Zodiackiller.com message board.


April 16, 2008) While research continues into Zodiac suspect Richard Gaikowski (see the March 26, 2008 update below), a new photo has recently surfaced of one of the original top suspects, Rick Marshall. Exclusive to Zodiackiller.com, click here to see how Marshall looked in the 1970s.

> Howard “Buzz” Gordon, who dated Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin in the months before her murder, recently passed away from natural causes. At the time Gordon dated Ferrin, he worked for the Solano County Sheriff’s Dept. and was eventually a suspect in her murder. Here’s a link to notes from a 1991 interview with Gordon.


Jan. 25, 2008) To most Zodiac buffs (as well as newcomers to the Zodiac case who have seen the recent David Fincher film Zodiac), Don Cheney is no stranger. Arthur Leigh Allen and Don Cheney Cheney is, afterall, the man who went to the police back in 1971 because he thought his former friend Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac.

In the recently released director’s cut of Zodiac, one of the special features on the two-disc DVD is a documentary about Allen. Cheney was interviewed on camera and made several statements about Allen that made Cheney appear suspicious, even to a retired detective also featured in the documentary. Was Cheney lying all along about Allen? Or, could Cheney have actually helped Allen commit the Zodiac crimes?

Click here for a look at a suspicious letter Cheney sent me several years ago. To order the two-disc director’s cut of Zodiac featuring the Allen documentary, click the image directly below this update.

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2007

Dec. 12, 2007) My library of Zodiac-related video has grown quite large over the years, and some is extremely rare. One such rarity is a campy (but very good) production from around 1979 called Zodiac: Sign Of Death. At just under 10 minutes in length, Zodiac: Sign Of Death is packed with excellent footage and a funky 70s soundtrack. My favorite part is the voice of Zodiac; it’s the same actor who was the voice of the computer “HAL” in the classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Click the numbered links below to listen to select MP3 clips of Zodiac: Sign Of Death.

Click links below to listen!
Click these links to listen to Zodiac: Sign Of Death 1 (146KB) | 2 (200KB) | 3 (99KB) | 4 (127KB) |
5 (181KB) | 6 (83KB) | 7 (83KB) | 8 (58KB) | 9 (133KB)


Dec. 1, 2007) A newspaper based in the United Kingdom recently published a story claiming mega-celeb Britney Spears is a regular user of this website. Could it be true? I’ll never tell. (I make it a habit not to reveal the identities of site users who prefer to remain anonymous.) Click here to read the story.



Nov. 7, 2007) While I prefer to make all Zodiac-related information free for users to access, sometimes financial issues make it necessary for me to offer certain information for sale only. However, I believe the Zodiac case benefits greatly when people are more informed. That’s more rewarding to me than the occasional Internet sale. Therefore, the Zodiac FBI Files, Historical Newspaper Archive and High-Resolution Zodiac Letters — three items that were previously available for purchase only — are now free to download. Click the links below:

FBI Files | Newspaper Archive | Letters


Nov. 4, 2007) In a little more than a year it will be the 40th anniversary of Zodiac’s first-known attack. Since then, much has changed in the locations where Zodiac was active. Click the images below for a high-resolution view of life (circa 1960s) in Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco, Cal.


(Images may be saved for free.)


Oct. 11, 2007) Today is the 38th anniversary of Zodiac’s murder of Yellow Cab driver Paul Stine in San Francisco, Cal. While recent details of Stine’s life have recently emerged and are being researched for possible clues (see the Sept. 12, 2007 update below), vintage photos from the files of the San Francisco Police Dept. are available to view. Taken within hours of Stine’s murder, here are: the cab | the crime scene 1 | the crime scene 2


Sept. 26, 2007) It took hours of work, but 30 high-resolution images are finally available to view of top Zodiac suspect Arthur Leigh Allen’s 1966-1968 personnel file. Several years ago I obtained the file from the Calaveras County (Calif.) Unified School District where Allen had worked as an elementary teacher. Within the file are many handwriting samples, including his two-page job application. If Allen was the Zodiac, the file might contain important clues.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE IMAGES


Sept. 12, 2007) Recently I learned that Zodiac victim Paul Stine was allegedly hired as a reporter by the San Francisco Chronicle shortly before his murder.
Paul Stine hired at the Chronicle?
If that information is true, Stine — who worked as a reporter for his high school newspaper and was an English major at San Francisco State — was just days away from beginning his new job at the very newspaper Zodiac chose to write a vast majority of his letters.

The potential implications are staggering. However, it’s extremely important that I verify this information as best I can.

If Stine was indeed telling others that he was a reporter for the San Francisco newspaper (even if he was simply exaggerating), it stands to reason that Zodiac may actually have known him and perhaps even targeted him for that specific reason.

If you knew Paul Stine or anyone in his family, circle of friends, classmates, fellow employees, etc, please click here to contact me. You may remain anonymous.


July 21, 2007) In just a few days, David Fincher’s Zodiac will be available to rent and buy on DVD. While not exactly a factual portrayal of the Zodiac case, the film is packed with excellent performances. One of the best was turned in by Robert Downey Jr. in his portrayal of real-life reporter Paul Avery. (Avery was highly instrumental in the evolution of Zodiackiller.com.) In Zodiac, Downey Jr.’s character displays mostly annoyance toward the case. However, the real Paul Avery was very much involved in the Zodiac investigation. Here’s a case report Avery prepared for the police back in 1971.


April 2, 2007) In the last few weeks, an incredible amount of tantalizing information has been collected about the person of interest (“Sam”) this website developed in connection to the recently-discovered Eureka card. Several weeks ago I e-mailed a certain police department and asked if it would be interested in seeing the information compiled about “Sam.” I have yet to receive a response. Quite unfortunate. In my opinion, “Sam” has surpassed Arthur Leigh Allen in terms of interesting Zodiac-related coincidences/circumstances.

It’s now plainly obvious to me that before I again attempt to approach a law-enforcement agency about “Sam,” I will need to have all of the bases covered so that “Sam” can’t simply be ignored. Most likely a trip back to California will be necessary in order to accomplish all of the needed intimate background research and collecting of handwriting samples, as well as for me to approach “Sam” in person (along with a retired homicide detective).

> As expected, March 2007 was the busiest month in the history of Zodiackiller.com, as the March 2 release of David Fincher’s film Zodiac helped boost my hits to a total of almost 30 million. Therefore, I almost feel guilty that Zodiac was such a total bomb at the box office. Of course, had the film spent more time on the Zodiac’s victims, as well as the other aspects of the case that people actually find interesting, I have a feeling things would have turned out much differently for the film.


March 13, 2007) This morning at 9 o’clock (Pacific Time) I’ll be a guest on Eureka (Cal.) Radio Station KSLG-FM to discuss the possible 1990 Zodiac correspondence (see the Feb. 25, 2007 update below). UPDATE: Click here for an MP3 file of the show (approx. 30 min. | 28 MB).

For much more on the Eureka card, including high-resolution scans, visit the all-new Zodiackiller.com message board.

> The 2007 Zodiackiller.com Task-Force Meeting was a huge success, as everyone who attended seemed to have a great time. David Van Nuys did an excellent job of hosting the event. Guest speakers Howard Davis, Nancy Slover and Bill Baker were terriffic. And of course, John Mikulenka’s Hunting The Zodiac documentary definitely lived up to the high expectations.

> Thanks primarily to the heavy marketing campaign for the David Fincher movie Zodiac, so far this month Zodiackiller.com has already received more than 16 million hits! If you’d like to inquire about advertising opportunities, please contact me.


Feb. 25, 2007) In the last week, the San Francisco Chronicle discovered an envelope in its library of Zodiac materials. Inside the envelope was a greeting card. Apparently its importance had never been recognized, or it was thought to be a hoax.

A few days ago I was shown images of the envelope and card to help determine authenticity. I believe it is authentic. (I promised I wouldn’t publish any images until they appear in the Chronicle.)

The Chronicle is busy preparing a huge story about this amazing and important development.

The date of the postmark left me in a state of shock.

> There’s an all-new Zodiackiller.com message board. Click here to check it out.

> I’m departing for San Francisco this evening and won’t be back for more than a week. During that time, I’ll be extremely busy preparing for the upcoming Zodiackiller.com Task-Force Meeting (see the Feb. 14, 2007 update below for details) and I may not have the opportunity to update this site with new information. Therefore I suggest keeping an eye on the new message board, as the board moderators will post when I’m not able to. (I’ll still be checking my e-mail several times a day.)


Feb. 14, 2007) A huge update this time, so make sure you scroll down for everything.

First and foremost, I’m deeply saddened to report the passing of retired San Francisco Police Dept. Inspector Michael Maloney, who died of a sudden heart problem this past weekend. Maloney was a great guy and a big friend of this website. Just last week he e-mailed me and was very excited about attending the upcoming 2007 Zodiackiller.com Task-Force Meeting (see below).

In the few years preceding his 2004 retirement, Maloney had a big involvement in the Zodiac investigation (along with his partner, Inspector Kelly Carroll). Together they gave renewed attention to the Zodiac case and were involved in the important accomplishment of securing the Zodiac’s DNA profile, which may one day prove the key to solving the case. In late 2005, Maloney contributed this special report to Zodiackiller.com.

Meehall, I appreciate your contributions and will miss you. The next pint is on me. (Click above image to enlarge)

> The 2007 Zodiackiller.com Task-Force Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 3 at the 4 Star theater in San Francisco. The meeting is open to the public and will run from noon until 3 p.m., featuring the debut of John Mikulenka’s documentary film, Hunting The Zodiac.
Special guests at the meeting will include Nancy Slover (the police switchboard operator who spoke to the Zodiac back in 1969), as well as David Van Nuys, the emeritus professor of psychology at Sonoma State University and co-author of This is the Zodiac Speaking.

> I’m happy to announce that my predictions of another delay were wrong. David Fincher’s Zodiac will definitely be in theaters on Friday, March 2. And early reviews have been excellent. I’ll be there for opening night.

> A new feature has been added to Zodiackiller.com! It’s called SHOUTcast and it’s my audio blog of all things Zodiac. So far I’ve only done one, but more are on the way. Hope you enjoy it.

> I haven’t yet seen any ads for it, but apparently, FOX’s America’s Most Wanted will be devoting an hour to the Zodiac case on Saturday, Feb. 24, beginning at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2006

Dec. 20, 2006) Now that the trailer to the upcoming Zodiac movie is finally in theaters, I’ve decided to publish some new documents relating to Arthur Leigh Allen, the movie’s main Zodiac suspect. Guilty or not, Allen was a fascinating guy:

— Allen’s Last Will And Testament | More of Allen’s Favorite Recipes

Reading his recipes, it’s interesting to note the intentional misspellings Allen frequently used, similar to what the Zodiac did. Of particular interest to me was Allen’s habit of frequently spelling “water” as watter (see the Dec. 1, 2006 update below for significance).

> Today is the 38th anniversary of the Zodiac’s double murder at Lake Herman Road in Vallejo, Cal. For those of you who missed it, click here for my special 2003 update.


Oct. 31, 2006) Today is the 40th anniversary of the murder of Cheri Jo Bates.
—–> Click here for a huge update


Oct. 11, 2006) Add the “Zodiac Shack” to the list of Zodiac-related places to change drastically in recent times. As seen in this overhead picture, the shack has been destroyed by fire. Even the barn is gone.


Sept. 27, 2006) On this date in 1969, the Zodiac murdered Cecelia Shepard and wounded Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif. For almost 38 years, the crime scene changed little. However, the last remaining tree recently toppled. Additionally, all picnic tables and barbecue grills have been removed. The scene is now barren.

> The Lake Berryessa crime scene wasn’t the only major Zodiac-related site to recently face drastic changes. The Vallejo (Calif.) Ace Hardware store, long-time workplace of Zodiac suspect Arthur Leigh Allen, was torn down just a few days ago.


July 4, 2006) On this 37th anniversary of Zodiac’s murder of Darlene Ferrin in Vallejo, Calif., here’s an audio message from Darlene’s sister, Pam Huckaby.


June 12, 2006) After years of searching, I’ve finally found and interviewed Nancy Slover, the former Vallejo Police Dept. switchboard operator who spoke with the Zodiac early in the morning of July 5, 1969. Believe it or not, our 90-minute conversation was the first time Nancy had been interviewed about the Zodiac case in more than 36 years. It was quite an interesting discussion, to say the least. I’m thrilled she is now willing to go on record for the first time about her roll in the Zodiac mystery.

Much more info is on the way and will be posted asap. For now, here are a few of the more interesting details Nancy provided:
*The call was absolutely not recorded by police
*Zodiac’s taunting “Goodbye” at the end of the call was very bizarre and over-the-top
*The operator who patched the call through to the police station was on the line with Nancy for at least the first few seconds of the call. However, the phone company refused to cooperate with the police and identify the operator
*At the time of the shooting, Nancy was living on the same street as the male victim

Here’s a message from Nancy to all the visitors of Zodiackiller.com. (100K/MP3)

Questions and media inquiries for Nancy can be submitted to nancy@zodiackiller.com.

> Last week’s Zodiac chat with author Mike Kelleher went great, as Mike spent a little more than two hours answering questions from the 60 or so total participants. Hopefully we can schedule another chat in the near future.


June 1, 2006) Mike Kelleher, author of This Is The Zodiac Speaking, will be a special guest in the Zodiackiller.com chat room on Wednesday, June 7 @ 7 p.m. (Pacific Time). For those of you who can’t make it into the room, feel free to send me your questions/comments for Mike and I’ll do my best to pass them along.


April 13, 2006) I’m sad to announce that Wilma Shepard, mother of Zodiac victim Cecelia Shepard, died on March 11, 2006, in Redding, Calif. She was 82. (Read the obituary.)

In 1999, I had the good fortune to speak with Wilma at length. She provided me with many vintage newspaper stories about Cecelia’s murder, as well as other helpful research materials.

Wilma outlived her daughter by more than 35 years and never learned the identity of her killer. I know she wouldn’t want us to stop searching now.

Wilma and Cecelia | A letter from Wilma


April 4, 2006) After some technical difficulties, the Zodiackiller.com Info Line is back in action. If you have any Zodiac-related information to share, call (415) 267-4818. Meanwhile, here are a few of the more interesting/entertaining calls I’ve received over the last year or so, all in MP3 format:

Call 1 (157 KB) | Call 2 (69 KB) | Call 3 (173 KB) | Call 4 (106 KB) | Call 5 (102 KB)


March 17, 2006) Today marks the first time in 35 years that a film about the Zodiac case is in theaters. (See the Feb. 17, 2006 update below for info about where The Zodiac is playing. I’ll be screening the film shortly and will provide a review.)

*1971 saw the release of Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, which was based on the Zodiac case, although the villain was called Scorpio
*1971 was also the year of the ultra-low budget The Zodiac Killer, which played in just one theater


Feb. 17, 2006) ShadowMachine Films has provided its much-anticipated theatrical release date for The Zodiac: Opening night is March 17, 2006 in these cities/theaters:
*San Francisco Area — San Francisco (Presidio); Vallejo (Vallejo 14); San Jose (Century 25); Daly City (Daly City 20); Union City (Union City 25)
*Los Angeles (Sunset 5)
*Houston (Greenway Grand 24)
*Dallas (City Place 14)
*Atlanta (Atlantic Station)

Zodiac Killer Archives: 2006

Dec. 20, 2006) Now that the trailer to the upcoming Zodiac movie is finally in theaters, I’ve decided to publish some new documents relating to Arthur Leigh Allen, the movie’s main Zodiac suspect. Guilty or not, Allen was a fascinating guy:

— Allen’s Last Will And Testament | More of Allen’s Favorite Recipes

Reading his recipes, it’s interesting to note the intentional misspellings Allen frequently used, similar to what the Zodiac did. Of particular interest to me was Allen’s habit of frequently spelling “water” as watter (see the Dec. 1, 2006 update below for significance).

> Today is the 38th anniversary of the Zodiac’s double murder at Lake Herman Road in Vallejo, Cal. For those of you who missed it, click here for my special 2003 update.


Oct. 31, 2006) Today is the 40th anniversary of the murder of Cheri Jo Bates.
—–> Click here for a huge update


Oct. 11, 2006) Add the “Zodiac Shack” to the list of Zodiac-related places to change drastically in recent times. As seen in this overhead picture, the shack has been destroyed by fire. Even the barn is gone.


Sept. 27, 2006) On this date in 1969, the Zodiac murdered Cecelia Shepard and wounded Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif. For almost 38 years, the crime scene changed little. However, the last remaining tree recently toppled. Additionally, all picnic tables and barbecue grills have been removed. The scene is now barren.

> The Lake Berryessa crime scene wasn’t the only major Zodiac-related site to recently face drastic changes. The Vallejo (Calif.) Ace Hardware store, long-time workplace of Zodiac suspect Arthur Leigh Allen, was torn down just a few days ago.


July 4, 2006) On this 37th anniversary of Zodiac’s murder of Darlene Ferrin in Vallejo, Calif., here’s an audio message from Darlene’s sister, Pam Huckaby.


June 12, 2006) After years of searching, I’ve finally found and interviewed Nancy Slover, the former Vallejo Police Dept. switchboard operator who spoke with the Zodiac early in the morning of July 5, 1969. Believe it or not, our 90-minute conversation was the first time Nancy had been interviewed about the Zodiac case in more than 36 years. It was quite an interesting discussion, to say the least. I’m thrilled she is now willing to go on record for the first time about her roll in the Zodiac mystery.

Much more info is on the way and will be posted asap. For now, here are a few of the more interesting details Nancy provided:
*The call was absolutely not recorded by police
*Zodiac’s taunting “Goodbye” at the end of the call was very bizarre and over-the-top
*The operator who patched the call through to the police station was on the line with Nancy for at least the first few seconds of the call. However, the phone company refused to cooperate with the police and identify the operator
*At the time of the shooting, Nancy was living on the same street as the male victim

Here’s a message from Nancy to all the visitors of Zodiackiller.com. (100K/MP3)

Questions and media inquiries for Nancy can be submitted to nancy@zodiackiller.com.

> Last week’s Zodiac chat with author Mike Kelleher went great, as Mike spent a little more than two hours answering questions from the 60 or so total participants. Hopefully we can schedule another chat in the near future.


June 1, 2006) Mike Kelleher, author of This Is The Zodiac Speaking, will be a special guest in the Zodiackiller.com chat room on Wednesday, June 7 @ 7 p.m. (Pacific Time). For those of you who can’t make it into the room, feel free to send me your questions/comments for Mike and I’ll do my best to pass them along.


April 13, 2006) I’m sad to announce that Wilma Shepard, mother of Zodiac victim Cecelia Shepard, died on March 11, 2006, in Redding, Calif. She was 82. (Read the obituary.)

In 1999, I had the good fortune to speak with Wilma at length. She provided me with many vintage newspaper stories about Cecelia’s murder, as well as other helpful research materials.

Wilma outlived her daughter by more than 35 years and never learned the identity of her killer. I know she wouldn’t want us to stop searching now.

Wilma and Cecelia | A letter from Wilma


April 4, 2006) After some technical difficulties, the Zodiackiller.com Info Line is back in action. If you have any Zodiac-related information to share, call (415) 267-4818. Meanwhile, here are a few of the more interesting/entertaining calls I’ve received over the last year or so, all in MP3 format:

Call 1 (157 KB) | Call 2 (69 KB) | Call 3 (173 KB) | Call 4 (106 KB) | Call 5 (102 KB)


March 17, 2006) Today marks the first time in 35 years that a film about the Zodiac case is in theaters. (See the Feb. 17, 2006 update below for info about where The Zodiac is playing. I’ll be screening the film shortly and will provide a review.)

*1971 saw the release of Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, which was based on the Zodiac case, although the villain was called Scorpio
*1971 was also the year of the ultra-low budget The Zodiac Killer, which played in just one theater


Feb. 17, 2006) ShadowMachine Films has provided its much-anticipated theatrical release date for The Zodiac: Opening night is March 17, 2006 in these cities/theaters:
*San Francisco Area — San Francisco (Presidio); Vallejo (Vallejo 14); San Jose (Century 25); Daly City (Daly City 20); Union City (Union City 25)
*Los Angeles (Sunset 5)
*Houston (Greenway Grand 24)
*Dallas (City Place 14)
*Atlanta (Atlantic Station)