Killer In The Code: Chapter 2 – The Smoking Gun

Host: Michael Connelly
Released: December 23, 2025

Overview

This episode of Killer In The Code delves into the turning point of citizen sleuth Alex Baber’s two-year quest to connect and solve the Black Dahlia and Zodiac killer cases. In "The Smoking Gun," Michael Connelly guides listeners through Baber’s search for direct, physical evidence linking the two crimes—and leading to one man, Marvin Merrill (aka Marvin Margolis). The episode details Baber’s code-breaking efforts, his use of forensic linguistics and AI, and culminates in the discovery of a key piece of evidence—a chilling piece of art that may amount to a deathbed confession.

Key Discussion Points

1. Baber’s Investigative Foundation

• Forensic Linguistic Database (FLD):

  • Baber constructed the largest known digital collection of serial killers’ writings to compare linguistic patterns.
  • Noted a peculiar use of the word “material” in both cases’ communications (Zodiac and Black Dahlia Avenger), suggesting a link, but acknowledged this was only circumstantial.
  • "Still, it was proof of nothing. ...the more linguistic connections that could be made was all the better. But still not good enough." – Michael Connelly [03:07]

• AI-Assisted Codebreaking:

  • Baber applied artificial intelligence to examine the infamous Zodiac cipher (“Z13”), narrowing 71 million possible name solutions to a handful.
  • The name “Marvin Merrill” aligned with the solution. Merrill, under his birth name Marvin Margolis, was already a suspect in the Black Dahlia case.

• Connection Back to Black Dahlia:

  • Merrill allegedly lived with Elizabeth Short before her murder.
  • The question: Was Baber falling into the same trap that snagged past theorists, like Steve Hodel (who accused his own father, though that was later discredited)?

2. Search for Physical Evidence (“The Smoking Gun”)

• Need for Direct Proof:

  • “I needed to have something that I can say, okay, let me show you what I have that shows that this name can be associated with a real world individual that we can attach to the case not by speculation, but by physical evidence.” – Alex Baber [07:55]

• Contacting Merrill’s Surviving Family:

  • Baber carefully approached Merrill’s youngest surviving son, initially under the pretext of researching WWII, since Merrill had wartime involvement.
  • "I had to present myself from a different perspective...hoping that he might be able to provide me some additional background on Marvin. And he was open to that." – Baber [10:15]

• Critical Meeting:

  • Baber and his colleague, Lori Halstead, met Merrill’s son in New York.
  • Baber revealed Merrill's connection to the cases; the son reviewed Zodiac letters and immediately recognized the handwriting as his father's.
    • “He definitely zoned in and identified it, and it moved him.” – Baber [12:10]
  • Son agrees to provide more materials (letters, journals, checks) for analysis.

3. The Discovery—A Sketch Titled "Elizabeth"

• Revelation:

  • Merrill’s son revealed the existence of a framed sketch, created by his father in 1992, depicting a nude woman with wounds and blood—explicitly titled “Elizabeth.”
  • "Looking at a sketch of a nude woman...it appears to have puncture wounds to the torso area with smeared blood. And it has Elizabeth in bold writing." – Baber [13:36]

• The Smoking Gun:

  • The sketch displays features eerily mirroring the Black Dahlia’s mutilations and is signed with Merrill’s alias—created while he was terminally ill.
  • "It was a moment where I. I knew at that point that it was game over. There's nothing that can refute that sketch being signed and dated by Marvin Margolis under his alias that contains guilty evidence." – Baber [15:09]

• Emotional Impact:

  • “It's almost like, in all honesty, it's almost like time froze for a moment and everything around us just went mute. It was one of those moments in your life where you realize what you're looking at shouldn't be there, but you know it's a reality.” – Baber [16:37]

4. Law Enforcement Response & Team Formation

• Validating the Sketch:

  • Missy Roberts (ex-LAPD Cold Case Investigator):
    • “If I was still at the LAPD, I would have been in New York already knocking on the door and retrieving that evidence because it's...crucial evidence.” [18:15]
  • Rick Jackson (retired cold case detective):
    • “It's almost like a calling card, something left behind. A deathbed confession, if you will.” [18:37]
  • Investigation expands: Baber assembles a team of retired FBI, homicide detectives, and a prosecutor. Each is convinced by the evidence.

• Cautious Family Reaction:

  • Merrill's son, despite his cooperation and sharing of materials, isn't convinced his father was the killer, but allows further investigation.

5. Hidden Clues Within the Sketch

• Forensic Art Examination:

  • Baber subjects the “Elizabeth” sketch to infrared reflectography to unveil hidden messages.
  • "When Baber applied this technique ... he found a single word hidden beneath the dark shading that outlined the central image of the woman. That hidden word was Zodiac." – Michael Connelly [21:42]

• Psychological Profile:

  • Baber speculates that Merrill’s artistic “confession” was consistent with the Zodiac’s egotism and desire to be recognized.
  • “That being said, there's no way that the individual that committed these crimes would have left this planet without leaving behind some source of identifying him.” – Baber [22:22]

• Physical Evidence Secured:

  • The sketch is now in the possession of independent art experts for further analysis.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It was a 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 to the local newspapers in LA on January 24, 1947.” – Alex Baber [15:09]
• “If Marvin Merrill was alive today, we could prosecute him based on the evidence within that sketch.” – Baber [15:44]
• “It's almost like a calling card, something left behind. A deathbed confession, if you will.” – Rick Jackson [18:37]
• “One thing that we're absolutely sure about is the fact that the Zodiac was egotistical and he was a genius level intellectual....He wants to be known." – Baber [22:22]
• “It 100% concretely ties the two cases together.” – Missy Roberts [23:21]

Timestamps for Crucial Segments

• [01:30-03:07] Episode Theme & Baber’s Unique Skillset Introduced
• [03:07-05:55] Background: Black Dahlia and Zodiac Killings Recap
• [06:15-08:22] The Limits of Linguistic Evidence & Need for Physical Evidence
• [10:15-12:10] Baber Contacts Merrill’s Son and Reveals Real Motive
• [13:00-15:09] Discovery and Description of the “Elizabeth” Sketch
• [17:26-18:37] Law Enforcement Reactions to the Sketch
• [20:29-21:42] Searching for Hidden Clues Within the Sketch (Zodiac signature found)
• [22:22-23:28] Baber on the Psychology of the Killer and the Sketch’s Significance

Conclusion and Looking Ahead

The episode ends with the promise of further analysis—both art and handwriting—and hints at even more compelling evidence to come in connecting the Zodiac and Black Dahlia killings via the Baber investigation. The next episode will coincide with the anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s murder.

To view the contentious “Elizabeth” sketch and more, listeners are directed to killerinthecode.com.

Tone:
The episode maintains Michael Connelly’s calm, investigative narration, interwoven with Baber's driven, sometimes breathless excitement and awe. Law enforcement authorities contribute a sober, professional assessment, lending gravity to the discovery. The tone is one of cautious triumph, mixed with the eerie gravity appropriate to its subject.

For Further Information:
Visit killerinthecode.com for the sketch, documents, and future updates.