A Cry For Help From The Zodiac 

The Zodiac Killer Still Haunts Us Today 

Decades after this murdering spree in Northern California, the actions and words of the Zodiac Killer still haunt us. Although he may never be identified, there are still those who are dedicated to trying to reveal his identity and understand the mysterious figure of the Zodiac Killer. What hints as to who he was may yet still be uncovered in the ciphers and letters he wrote? 

The Zodiac Killer Sends A Cry For Help? 

The Zodiac Killer is well known for the letters he sent to the public – most often to newspaper publications in the Northern California area. In his letters, he would often mock police efforts to find him, demand for his words to be published in the newspapers he wrote to, and threaten to find more victims to kill if his demands were ignored. His tone in most letters can best be described as taunting, confident, and threatening. However, on December 20th, 1969, the letter he sent to Melvin Belli differed drastically in tone. 

In what some may consider a shocking turn of events, The Zodiac wrote to Melvin Belli seeking help. Melvin Belli was a well-known attorney who lived in San Francisco. The Melvin Belli letter opens with the Zodiac wishing Belli a happy Christmas. He then pleads with Belli – “please help me.” He then suggests that he has been unable to reach out for help because something “in” him won’t let him. He says he “find[s] it extremely difficult to hold it in check” and that he is “afraid [he] will loose [sic] control again and take [his] ninth [and] possibility tenth victim.” He refers to his last letter and the planned bus bombing, saying that the children are safe “[a]t the moment” because of his difficulties with the bomb. 

Was this cry for help genuine? Did the Zodiac – or part of him – really want someone to help him and stop him from committing more murders? Or was this, perhaps, simply done for the attention? Like so many questions we have about the Zodiac, we may never know the answers. 

Want To Read More Of The Zodiac’s Letters? 

You can find a chronological collection of the Zodiac’s Letters in Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. This book also contains the Zodiac’s ciphers as well as relevant police reports. Use the easily searchable index to find the information you want to read quickly! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

A Lengthy Letter From The Zodiac 

zodiac killer

The Zodiac Killer Case Continues To Be Studied Today 

Although it is arguable if there is hope that the Zodiac might be identified decades after his famed serial murders in Northern California, there are many across the world who continue to study this famous case of serial murders. The Zodiac himself left behind the biggest clues to his identity – his letters and his ciphers. 

A Lengthy Letter From The Zodiac 

Up until the letter he sent on November 9th, 1969, it was the habit of the Zodiac to keep his letters on the shorter side. All other correspondence from the Zodiac had been between 1 to 3 pages in length. The letter that is commonly referred to as The Bus Bomb Letter is 6 pages in length and includes the Zodiac’s complaints about the police, the manners in which he’s deceived police forces, and his horrific plans to blow up a bus. 

He opens by airing his frustrations about the “lies” the police supposedly spread about him, then claims that he will no longer “announce to anyone when [he commits] murders.” He insists that the police will not catch him because he wears a disguise while killing people and because he will leave no fingerprints behind because he wears “transparent finger tip guards.” 

In the six pages of the letter, there is only a small section that he demands be printed in The San Francisco Chronicle. In this section, he details how 2 cops found him after he “left the cab” where he murdered Paul Stine. Rather than treat him as a suspect, however, the police asked “if [he] saw any one acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min[utes].” The Zodiac gave them false information, and the police left to follow that information. 

He goes on to detail his plans to bomb a bus, talking about a device he’s made to accomplish his task. He includes an illustration of his device and how he plans to use it, opting out of sending photos for fear they would be able to trace photos through the developer back to him. 

Read More Of The Zodiac’s Letters In Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts 

In Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, you can read the Zodiac’s letters and ciphers alongside relevant police reports – all chronically ordered. The book’s searchable index lets you find the information you most want to reach quickly and easily. Get your copy today! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

The Zodiac’s Second Cipher 

The Zodiac Killer Case Is Shrouded In Mystery 

Despite the fact that the Zodiac’s killing spree in Northern California has been over for decades, the Zodiac Killer case still haunts our memories. The Zodiac revealed much about himself – his motives, his beliefs, his bloodlust – in his letters, and yet we still don’t know who he is. Is it possible that this mystery might still be solved? 

The Zodiac’s Second Cipher 

One of the things the Zodiac is most remembered for are his curious ciphers. The first was sent in three parts to three different newspaper publications on July 31st, 1969. Just over 3 months later, on October 13th, he sends his second cipher. This cipher, commonly referred to as the Z340 due to the number of characters in the cipher, was sent to The San Francisco Chronicle alongside the “Dripping Pen” card. 

What Does Cipher Z340 Say? 

The Z340 Cipher is one of the two Zodiac ciphers to have been solved. In fact, the Z340 is the most recently solved of the two. The solution was found in December of 2020 – 51 years after the cipher was originally sent! Although the FBI announced the solution to the cipher, it wasn’t professional law enforcement that solved the cipher. The team who decoded the Z340 cipher included people from all over the world – including the U.S., Australia, and Belgium. 

In the Z340 Cipher, much like in the first cipher, the Zodiac talks about his belief that his victims will be forced to serve him in the afterlife. He says he is “not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send [him] to paradice all the sooner.” He also says that he “now [has] enough slaves to work for [him].” He goes on to say that others fear death because they will have nothing – no slaves – in the afterlife, but he is “not afraid because [he] know[s] that [his] new life will be an easy one in paradice death.” 

The cipher reveals much about the Zodiac’s twisted perspectives and his motives for murder. 

Can The Final Two Ciphers Be Solved? 

If you’re interested in reading more of the Zodiac’s letters or ciphers, get yourself a copy of Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. Letters, ciphers, and police reports are chronologically ordered so you can follow the case from start to finish. The book’s searchable index also makes it easy to pinpoint specific information. Get your copy soon! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

The Zodiac’s Haunting Letters 

Reading The Zodiac Killer’s Letters 

Although the Zodiac’s serial killer spree in Northern California has been over for more than half a century, there are many who are still dedicated to studying his letters. The Zodiac’s letters are one of the few ways we can get a glimpse at who the Zodiac really was. It may be that these letters will eventually help solve the mystery of his identity. 

The Zodiac Warns Of Incoming Bad News 

Less than one month after the letter in which he takes credit for the murder of Paul Stine, the Zodiac sent out his fourth letter. On November 8th, 1969, he sent out this letter – again to The San Francisco Chronicle. 

Rather than send a simple letter, though, he writes his words on a humorous postcard. He mockingly states that he thought the reader would “need a good laugh before you hear the bad news” and then claims that it’s news that the reader won’t get “for a while yet.” Presumably, he means the news of other people he either had already murdered at the time or future murders he had planned. 

With this letter, the Zodiac also sent his second cipher. Once again, he demands that this cipher be printed on the front page of The San Francisco Chronicle. He follows up with a threat – claiming that he gets “awfully lonely when [he is] ignored” and that this might cause him to “do [his] thing” – his “thing” obviously being to commit more murders. 

Read More Letters From The Zodiac 

Want to read more of the Zodiac’s letters? Want to try your hand at solving the mysteries he left behind? If so, then read Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. This book chronicles the Zodiac’s letters, ciphers, and the police reports attached to the Zodiac Killer case. All the information is chronologically ordered and comes with an easily searchable index to pinpoint the information you want to read the most! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

The Zodiac Takes Credit For Stine’s Death 

The Zodiac Mocked The Public Through His Letters 

The Zodiac Killer is one of the most famed serial killers in American history, and it’s little wonder why. The murders he committed in the 1960s and 1970s in Northern California still haunt the memories of the public at large. The Zodiac surely ensured a place for himself in the collective memory of our culture through his mocking, threatening letters and cryptic ciphers. 

The Zodiac Admits To Murdering Paul Stine 

After the first letter – sent out in three copies – and the debut of “the Zodiac” letter, the third letter the Zodiac sent out was a letter in which he takes credit for Paul Stine’s death. As had become he habit, he sent this letter to a well-known Northern California Newspaper – The San Francisco Chronicle. The letter was mailed October 13th, 1969 – just two short days after Stine’s murder, which took place on the 11th. 

To prove that he murdered Stine, the Zodiac also sent “a blood stained piece of [Stine’s] shirt.” Indeed, when Stine’s body was found, a large portion of his shirt had been torn off. The Zodiac also refers to his previous murders before saying the police could have caught him for this murder if they’d searched for him more thoroughly. Perhaps most horrifyingly, the Zodiac goes on to talk about how school children make “nice targets” and detail his plans to target a bus of school children at some undetermined point in the future. 

One can only imagine the fear and unease reading these letters must have caused people in Northern California at the time. And yet, perhaps, these letters could someday be the key to unlocking the final Zodiac Killer mystery – the Zodiac’s identity. 

Learn More About The Zodiac Killer Case 

You can read more of the Zodiac’s letters and ciphers in Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. Relevant pieces to the case – including letters, ciphers, and police reports – are ordered chronologically in this book. You can use the easily searchable index to pinpoint the information you’re interested in the most. Get your copy today! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

The Debut of “Zodiac” Letter 

The Zodiac’s Letters Remain A Clue To The Mystery Of The Zodiac Case 

Decades after his killing spree in Northern California, the Zodiac remains a popular topic of study. Doubtless, the taunting and the threats made in his letters are one of the many reasons the Zodiac Killer case continues to draw so much attention. Many hope that the continued study of his letters and ciphers may someday, at last, provide the answer to the Zodiac’s true identity. 

The Debut Of “Zodiac” Letter 

Although in his first set of letters he made no effort to name himself, it wasn’t long before the Zodiac gave himself his self-appointed alias. After his first set of three letters was sent on July 31st of 1969, he sent another letter in August of that same year. 

It was in this letter, sent to The San Francisco Examiner, that he first penned the words that would later open so many of his other letters: “This is the Zodiac speaking.” Thus, the Zodiac gave himself the only name we have to refer to him by to this day. 

In this letter, the Zodiac gave even more details about the murders of David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen, and Darlene Ferrin as well as the assault of Mike Mageau. As of the sending of this letter, his first cipher had not been solved. He asks the editor if the police are having fun with his cipher. 

Read More Of The Zodiac’s Letters 

More of the Zodiac’s letters are available to be read in Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. Letters, ciphers, and police reports are chronologically ordered, making the progression of the Zodiac Killer case easy to follow. Want to read a particular letter? Find it with the easily searchable index. Get your copy today! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

The Zodiac’s First Cipher 

The Zodiac Killer’s Ciphers Continue To Be Studied 

Decades after the Zodiac Killer was actively claiming victims in Northern California, the Zodiac Killer case remains one that many people continue to study today. One of the many things that has drawn people over the years to studying the Zodiac Killer case is his ciphers. 

The Zodiac Killer’s First Cipher 

The first cipher the Zodiac Killer wrote was sent in three separate parts alongside letters he sent to The Vallejo Times-Herald, The San Francisco Examiner, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Part 1, part 2, and part 3 of the cipher are collectively known as the Z408 cipher, named for the number of characters in the cipher. Of the four ciphers sent by the Zodiac, this is the longest. 

The first cipher also happens to be the cipher that was solved the quickest. Within a week of the cipher’s publication, a North Salinas schoolteacher named Donald Harden and his wife Bettye sent their solution of the cipher to The San Francisco Chronicle.  

In the cipher, the Zodiac reveals how much he enjoyed committing his heinous crimes. He also reveals his unusual belief that his victims will be forced to serve him as slaves in the afterlife. He refuses to identify himself because he wants to collect more “slaves.” 

Learn More About The Zodiac’s Letters And Ciphers In Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts 

Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts contains not only the Zodiac’s letters and ciphers but also the police reports of each of the confirmed Zodiac Killer cases. All information is chronologically ordered. Looking for some particular information? This book contains an easily searchable index to allow you to get to the information you want to read the most. 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

Anniversary Of The Zodiac’s First Victims 

How Long Will The Zodiac Killer Case Haunt Our Collective Minds? 

Although it has been decades since this killing spree in Northern California, the Zodiac Killer case is alive in the minds of the many people who have dedicated their time to the study of the Zodiac Killer mystery. How long will this serial killer case hang over the people of Northern California? 

The Anniversary Of The Zodiac Killer’s First Recognized Murders Approaches 

Although the Zodiac claimed in his letters to have as many as 37 victims, few have been definitively linked to the Zodiac Killer by police forces. The earliest known case that is linked to the Zodiac Killer is that of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, both killed on December 20th, 1968. 

In only a few short days, it will be December 20th again. This year will mark 53 years since what was arguably the start of the Zodiac Killer’s killing spree in Northern California.  

Will The Killer Finally Be Identified? 

More than half a century later, there are many who are still dedicated to uncovering the remaining mysteries surrounding the Zodiac Killer case. Two of his four ciphers have been solved. The last two, however, remain uncracked. Will someone decode these final two ciphers? If they’re solved, will we finally know who the Zodiac really is? 

Learn More About The Zodiac Killer Case In Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts 

Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts presents the Zodiac’s letters and ciphers alongside relevant police reports in chronological order. You can find the information you’re interested in the most easily with this book’s searchable index, too. Get your copy today! 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

Read The Words Of The Zodiac Himself 

What Clues Might Finally Lead To The Solving Of The Zodiac Killer Case? 

Although the Zodiac Killer case is decades in the past, the public at large remains both haunted and fascinated by this famed serial killer case. Many of those who have followed the case through the years hope that the case might yet be solved. What clues could possibly lead to finally identifying the serial killer who roamed Northern California in the 1960s and 1970s? 

The Words Of The Zodiac Himself May Lead To Successfully Identifying Him 

Doubtless, one of the reasons that this case continues to draw so much attention is due to the letters and ciphers supposedly penned by the Zodiac himself. The Zodiac made it his habit to tease, taunt, and threaten through the letters he sent for the public to read, often using local Northern California papers to do so. 

Ironically, it may be those letters and ciphers that someday allow us to successfully identify who the Zodiac really was. The letters and ciphers offer a clearer picture of the type of person the Zodiac was. It’s possible, even, that the Zodiac hoped to be identified through his letters and ciphers. Famously, one of the few ciphers that remain unsolved is proceeded by the words “My name is…”  

Read The Zodiac’s Letters And Ciphers For Yourself 

Do you want to become more familiar with the Zodiac Killer case? Read all of the confirmed Zodiac letters and ciphers for yourself! You can also read his letters and ciphers, along with the police reports attached to the Zodiac Killer case, in Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. All of the relevant information is ordered chronologically for easy reading. You can also pinpoint particular information using the searchable index. 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today. 

 The First Zodiac Letter 

The Zodiac Killer Mocked The Public For Years 

It is no wonder that, even decades after the last of his known activity in Northern California, the Zodiac Killer case still haunts not only the people of Northern California but people all over the country. His threatening letters and taunting ciphers are still examined to this day in hopes that his identity may, at last, be revealed. 

What Was The First Zodiac Killer Letter? 

Given that the earliest officially recognized victims of the Zodiac Killer are David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen (both killed December 20th, 1968), the first letter sent by the Zodiac would actually be the set of three basically identical letters he sent to three different papers in the Northern California area. 

On July 31st, 1969, the Zodiac sent letters to The Vallejo Times-Herald, The San Francisco Examiner, and The San Francisco Chronicle. In these letters, he admits not only to killing David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen the previous December, but also Darlene Ferrin earlier in the same month the letters were sent, just after the 4th of July.  

In the letters, he is eager to prove he is the killer and lists facts about each case he claims only himself and the police investigating these cases would know. He goes on to demand that each paper print his first cipher, sent in 3 parts, on their front page. He threatens that a failure to comply would send him on a murderous rampage.  

These first letters alone allow us to know quite a bit about the mindset of the man who would later dub himself the Zodiac. He’s prideful. He’s vain. He wants attention for the things he’s done. Yet, for what we might glean of his character from his letters, his identity remains a mystery.  

You can read more Zodiac letters in Tom Voigt’s Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts. Letters, ciphers, and police reports are chronologically ordered and the easily searchable index allows you to pinpoint any particular information you are looking for. 

Information Gathered From the #1 Zodiac Killer Website 

Tom Voigt is responsible for the creation, curation, and editing of the #1 Zodiac Killer website, Zodiackiller.com. Launched in 1998, Zodiackiller.com remains the ONLY Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. To learn more about the release of Zodiac Killer: Just the Facts, as well as other information about the Zodiac Killer case, visit Zodiackiller.com today.