Killer In The Code – Chapter 10: New Age Sherlock

Podcast Host: Michael Connelly
Guest: Alex Baber (Citizen Sleuth)
Key Experts Referenced: Rick Jackson, Mitzi Roberts (Retired LAPD Homicide Detectives), Ed Giorgio (Former NSA Chief Codebreaker)
Air Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

Chapter 10, "New Age Sherlock," focuses on Alex Baber, the amateur cold case investigator who claims to have solved the infamous Black Dahlia and Zodiac cases. The episode investigates Baber’s controversial path, his unorthodox methods combining cryptology, genealogy, AI, and grit—and the skepticism he faces from both online communities and experts. Host Michael Connelly retraces Baber’s journey, examines what makes Baber tick, and discusses the fiercely polarized reactions to his findings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alex Baber’s Persona and Reception

• Baber’s Background: A 50-year-old high school dropout from rural Florida, diagnosed with autism, Baber describes himself as "an autistic genius with a gift for finding, 'the hidden beneath the hidden.'" He runs Cold Case Consultants of America, offering free investigative services, and is upfront about his amateur status.
• Internet Backlash: Baber, rather than his suspect Marvin Margolis, has become "the villain in the investigation" among online sleuthing communities (01:07).
  • Many critics are invested in their own theories, while others simply dislike Baber's personality, which is often perceived as arrogant or condescending.

2. Personal Reflections from Baber & Colleagues

• Baber’s Own Words:
  • “I come across sometimes arrogant and conceited. It’s confidence to me. But ... behind the scenes ... I’m, I’ve almost, I’m almost there, I’m almost identified. I feel it and I know, it’s there, but I’m just not able to reach it yet. … We’re still human and we make mistakes. … Failure’s what got me where I’m at today, had I not failed at Z18, I would have never approached Z13 the way that I did.”
    — Alex Baber (05:19–07:05)
• Colleague Perspective:
  • Rick Jackson: “His personality can come off sometimes very impatient... It can come off arrogant. … But with all that being said … I was compelled by the evidence to move forward.”
    — Rick Jackson (07:15–09:05)
  • Baber’s drive, likely related to his autistic traits, has fueled a relentless pursuit of answers.

3. Formative Inspirations

• Sherlock Holmes: As a teenager, Baber was inspired by Sherlock Holmes:
  • “I kind of related to him having, you know, this desire to want to help people and to believe that no case is unsolvable.”
    — Alex Baber (10:08–11:34)
• Alan Turing: Baber considers Turing a personal hero, both for his cryptographic achievements and for persisting in the face of widespread doubt.
  • “What he did ... taking the Enigma machine ... when everybody resisted his vision ... he never wavered ... His way of thought was ... just not your traditional means.”
    — Alex Baber (11:56–13:04)

4. Baber’s Path to the Z13 Solution

• Early Failures and Learning: Initial amateur mistakes—trying to fit suspects' names to ciphers through anagrams—taught Baber the wrong way to approach cryptography.
  • “In the beginning, having no understanding of cryptography outside of the average individual, I attacked or attempted to decrypt the Z18 … I used anagrammy. And while the name fit it, later I realized that’s not how cryptography works. … It took me over a decade to realize that ...”
    — Alex Baber (14:50–15:53)
• Changing Suspects: For years, Baber promoted Lawrence Klein as the Zodiac, only to eventually eliminate him as a suspect.
  • “There’s no way he was the Zodiac. I was able to eliminate him as a suspect.”
    — Alex Baber (17:28)
• Self-Education: Baber’s transformation into a methodical codebreaker was self-driven.
  • “Once I understood how cryptography worked from a scientific point ... then I had to go back to square one. … And I failed many a times before I got to where I was at.”
    — Alex Baber (17:43–18:40)

5. Methodology: From 71 Million Names to Marvin Merrill

• Brute-Force Cryptanalysis Powered by AI:
  • Baber created a database of 71 million possible names by combining Social Security records and systematically narrowing candidates.
    • Confined solutions to names fitting the repeated-symbol patterns in Z13 (three symbols each repeated twice, one repeated three times).
    • Collaboration with a self-written AI—web-crawled for additional context and disqualifying data.
  • “We had to have some assumptions … the key to the Z13 would be monoalphabetical … Secondly, I had to identify an established methodology. … So I had to go and get every possible name … every possibility in order to be sure that I covered [them all].”
    — Alex Baber (19:18–21:15)
  • “That’s where AI came in. AI allowed me to crawl the web.”
    — Alex Baber (21:21)
• Forensic Cross-Checking: When down to a double-digit list, Baber and team investigated each candidate in depth, resulting in Marvin Merrill (aka Marvin Margolis) as the final suspect.

6. Professional Validation

• Expert Verification:
  • Baber’s findings were scrutinized by a team led by Ed Giorgio (ex-NSA Chief Codebreaker).
  • Giorgio:
    • “Baber belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Zodiac code breakers.”
    • Team concluded that, while it is generally true that short ciphers like Z13 are often unbreakable, real-world constraints (such as known patterns in the Zodiac’s writing and unique symbol repetition) made the solution feasible.
  • They fully endorsed Baber’s results, finding the odds “vanishingly small” that anyone but Marvin Merrill was the culprit.

7. Baber’s Enduring Motivation

• Personal Resilience:
  • Despite ongoing vitriol and digital "pitchforks and torches," Baber persists, drawing inspiration from Alan Turing’s refusal to accept that a challenge is truly impossible.
  • “When you have the world telling you that you can’t do something and you believe in your heart of hearts that you can, and that you refuse to take no for an answer, does ring on.”
    — Alex Baber (23:55–24:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alex Baber on perception:
  “I’m easy to dislike. ... I come across sometimes arrogant and conceited. It’s confidence to me.” (05:19)
• Rick Jackson on Baber’s determination:
  “When he gets on something, he does not let it go. And that’s part of his personality and part of his autistic nature. ... I don’t care what anybody says, I’m compelled by it.” (07:15–09:05)
• On Persistence despite Failures:
  “Failure’s what got me where I’m at today, had I not failed at Z18, I would have never approached Z13 the way that I did.” (06:00–07:05)
• On solving the Z13 cipher using AI and brute force:
  “I had to go and get every possible name that was out there ... and start pairing them together ... because I knew that when we shared this with the public, they would come with pitchforks and torches.” (19:18–21:15)
• On Alan Turing’s legacy:
  “He’s here because without him, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. ... When you have the world telling you that you can’t do something and you believe in your heart of hearts that you can, and that you refuse to take no for an answer, does ring on.” (23:55–24:37)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:07 – Baber and the backlash: setting up the controversy
• 05:19 – Baber discusses his personality and vulnerability
• 07:15 – Rick Jackson discusses Baber’s strengths and impact
• 10:08 – Baber’s Sherlock Holmes inspiration
• 11:56 – Alan Turing’s influence on Baber
• 14:50–15:53 – Baber recounts his early investigative missteps
• 17:28 – Letting go of a previous suspect
• 19:18–21:15 – Deep dive into the Z13 cryptanalysis method
• 21:35 – Use of AI for web crawling and vetting suspects
• 22:50 – Ed Giorgio and NSA codebreaker team validation
• 23:55–24:37 – Closing reflection on Turing and ignoring naysayers

Conclusion

"New Age Sherlock" offers a nuanced portrait of Alex Baber: uncompromising, abrasive, but also dogged and self-aware. The episode explores both the substance and the storm surrounding Baber’s claim to have cracked the Zodiac and Black Dahlia murders, blending personal introspection, methodological rigor, and the reactions of both professionals and the public. Connelly presents Baber not as a flawless hero, but as a modern detective haunted by failure, shaped by autism, inspired by Sherlock and Turing, and unfazed by Internet opposition—relentlessly driven to make sure no puzzle remains unsolved.