Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: “ZODIAC SERIAL KILLER CASE CRACKED? LINKED TO DISMEMBERED ACTRESS?”

Air Date: January 26, 2026

Overview

In this compelling episode, Nancy Grace investigates explosive new claims that the infamous Zodiac Killer—the never-caught Northern California murderer of the 1960s and 70s—may in fact be the same person responsible for the Black Dahlia murder, one of Hollywood’s most gruesome and enduring cold cases. Grace assembles a panel of forensic experts, journalists, and cold case investigators to evaluate these “solved” mysteries, focusing on a recent claim by investigator Alex Baber that decoding a Zodiac cipher—with the help of AI—names a suspect with direct ties to Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia). The episode weighs the details and evidence, analyzes signature behaviors and MOs, and scrutinizes whether the Zodiac and the Black Dahlia murders can really be linked through suspect Marvin Margolis/Merrill.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Black Dahlia Murder: The Case Details

• [02:20 - 06:26]
  • Elizabeth Short—"the Black Dahlia"—was found murdered, nude, bisected at the waist, posed, and disfigured with a “Glasgow Smile.”
  • The surgical precision led experts to believe the killer had medical training.
  • Joseph Scott Morgan: “I started looking at the crime itself, and what I discovered to my surprise was that the killer was a surgeon.” [02:42]
  • The body was washed, organs removed, and blood drained—signs of a meticulous and personal crime.

2. The MO and Psychological Profile

• [06:26 - 16:43]
  • Discrepancy between the Black Dahlia killer’s careful, ritualistic approach and Zodiac’s seemingly random, haphazard style.
  • Cheryl McCollum: “Mos can change, but the signatures won’t. The underlying intent will not change." [15:52]
  • Zodiac was public, taunting, and his attacks varied (gun, knife), often on couples.
  • Black Dahlia’s killer’s crime was intimate, carefully staged—"almost religious," argues Grace.

3. The Debate: Can the Black Dahlia Killer Be Zodiac?

• [16:43 - 18:54]
  • Nima Rahmani, former prosecutor: “No judge is going to let this in. It’s far too speculative, far too tenuous.” [17:30]
  • Forensic and legal experts agree: MOs and signatures seem so different, connection is thin.
  • However, panel admits serial killers can evolve (Bundy, Golden State Killer), but drastic signature shifts are rare.

4. The Shared Taunting Behavior

• [19:27 - 21:57]
  • Both killers taunted police and media post-murder, mailing letters and “souvenirs” (e.g., birth certificates, evidence).
  • Alex Baber: “In both incidents, the perpetrator mailed in multiple letters to multiple newspapers to announce his crime and to take credit for it.” [20:55]
  • But taunting isn’t uniquely rare—other killers did it too.

5. Alex Baber’s Theory: The Cipher and AI

• [22:30 - 27:01]
  • Baber claims to have cracked the Zodiac’s Z13 cipher using AI, finding it points to Marvin Margolis/Merrill—a prime Black Dahlia suspect.
  • Solution was reviewed/endorsed by top NSA code-breaker Ed Giorgio.
  • Rachel Sharp (DailyMail.com): “...the solution actually points to the name of one of the prime suspects in the Black Dahlia murder.” [23:02]
  • The cipher allegedly uses “Elizabeth” as its key word—directly tying the two cases together, at least cryptographically.

6. Marvin Margolis/Merrill: The Suspect

• [36:07 - 40:03]
  • Margolis/Merrill was a medical student, ex-Marine, and last known boyfriend of Elizabeth Short.
  • He is alleged to have stalked Short for months preceding her murder—she even fled LA to avoid him.
  • “She was afraid of my ex Marine boyfriend who's searching for me. That’s why I’m down here hiding.” [36:37] —Alex Baber
  • Margolis’ military background fits surgical detail of the Dahlia case; he was also present in crime-adjacent locales during known Zodiac attacks.

7. Physical & Circumstantial Evidence Linking Margolis/Merrill

• [40:03 - 46:19]
  • Margolis used both names (Margolis and Merrill) on legal documents and when moving residences.
  • Police records put him in close proximity to Short, and Baber triangulates his movements to the potential Zodiac Motel.
  • A canvas ice bag with a red “Z”—allegedly matching Zodiac Motel delivery—was found near Black Dahlia’s body.
  • Baber: “There’s over 132 pieces of circumstantial evidence, plus physical evidence that we’ve gathered that’s overwhelming.” [63:40]

8. A “Smoking Gun”: The Deathbed Sketch

• [47:42 - 50:38]
  • Baber convinced Margolis’ son to share a sketch: a nude, bisected female torso labeled “Elizabeth” with “Zodiac” hidden in shading, and details matching Black Dahlia autopsy photos.
  • Baber: “It was the smoking gun. We knew that this sketch was a piece of evidence. It was physical evidence for the first time since the package was mailed...” [48:13]
  • Forensic analysis pending, but panel finds its existence “an incredible coincidence.”

9. Alternative Suspects and Theories

• [51:00 - 55:43]
  • Theories abound—George Hodel, Vallejo police officer Richard Hoffman, wild conspiracies (even Ted Cruz meme).
  • Baber and LAPD dismiss Hodel as lacking personal connection/evidence; McCollum stresses need for physical evidence (DNA, prints), which is still lacking.

10. Panel Weighs the Case—What Would Hold Up in Court?

• [46:53 - 47:39, 58:48 - 59:38]
  • McCollum: “He clearly would be somebody I would want to look at for Elizabeth’s murder. But... two separate people to me.” [46:19]
  • Rahmani: “I can’t prove the connection to Zodiac. That’s the problem. All we have is the motel, this bayonet... we don’t have enough to prove these are the same two individuals.” [46:55, 47:39]
  • Rachel Sharp, Daily Mail: “What sets us apart is that it’s attracted experts...[the code-breaker, former LAPD detectives]. We also know that police are actively reviewing things as well.” [56:02]

11. Closing Reflections & Next Steps

• [59:38 - End]
  • Nancy Grace: “If you can nail him—Merrill and Zodiac—I don’t think it’s a leap for Short because of their relationship. It’s very obvious... you look to who is dating or living with the person at that time, and it was Merrill.” [62:58]
  • Baber: “There’s better odds of buying a lottery ticket and hitting the Powerball than there is at all of these being coincidences.” [65:21]
  • Call for tips to FBI, with the reminder that both cases desperately need final closure for the victims’ families.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the surgical nature of the Black Dahlia murder:
  Joseph Scott Morgan [02:42]:

  “The killer was a surgeon. Not a meat cutter, not a butcher. A skilled, professional surgeon.”

• Comparing Zodiac and Black Dahlia MOs:
  Cheryl McCollum [15:52]:

  “Mos can change, but the signatures won't. The underlying intent will not change.”

• On evidence for the connection:
  Rachel Sharp [23:02]:

  “The big one being the solving of the Z13 cipher… the solution actually points to the name of one of the prime suspects in the Black Dahlia murder.”

• Skepticism about court case:
  Nima Rahmani [17:30]:

  “No judge is going to let this in. It's far too speculative. You gotta present cases based on facts and evidence and not just speculation.”

• On the sketch from Margolis' son:
  Alex Baber [48:13]:

  “Looking at a sketch of a nude woman, … the biggest writing on the entire sketch, it says Elizabeth… It was a smoking gun.”

• On the cipher solution methodology:
  Alex Baber [65:08]:

  “The key word to that cipher is the name Elizabeth. That’s beyond coincidence, Nancy.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Elizabeth Short/Black Dahlia Murder Details: 02:20 – 06:26
• Bisection and Surgical Analysis: 04:54 – 08:11
• Draining the Blood / Crime Scene Analysis: 08:11 – 11:17
• Signature vs. MO Debate: 14:55 – 16:43
• Prosecutorial Skepticism: 17:30 – 18:54
• Taunting and Letters Parallels: 19:27 – 21:57, 31:43 – 33:29
• The Zodiac Cipher Evidence: 22:30 – 27:01, 64:20 – 65:21
• Margolis/Merrill’s Connection to Elizabeth Short: 36:07 – 40:03, 45:04 – 46:19
• Margolis/Merrill’s Military and Medical Background: 41:41 – 43:36
• Release of the Margolis Sketch: 47:42 – 50:38
• Alternative Suspects and Skepticism: 51:00 – 55:43
• Closing Analysis and Panel Opinions: 58:48 – End

Conclusion

This episode offers a thorough, riveting exploration of the alleged Zodiac–Black Dahlia link, driven by Baber’s AI-driven cipher theory and an avalanche of circumstantial ties centered on Marvin Margolis/Merrill. While prosecutors and forensic experts exercise skepticism on legal grounds and the varying MOs, some panelists and investigative journalists find the cumulative evidence “compelling” if not quite courtroom-ready. Grace allows all sides to weigh in, but the episode ends with the consensus that closure remains elusive—pending more concrete, physical evidence.

If you have information about any of these cases, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.