Killer In The Code

Chapter 3: El Diablo

Release Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Michael Connelly

Episode Overview

In Chapter 3 of "Killer In The Code," Michael Connelly and his team dig deeper into the case against Marvin Margolis (aka Marvin/Skip Merrill) as the man behind both the Black Dahlia murder and the Zodiac killings. Connelly methodically presents how each critical "box"—evidence category—gets checked off in support of this controversial theory, while addressing skepticism from the public and internet forums. With in-depth contributions from cold case experts and forensic cryptology, the investigation pivots to the Zodiac’s ciphers, focusing on the infamous Z32 code and its possible link back to the Black Dahlia case. The episode is marked by rich expert commentary, a step-by-step breakdown of investigative logic, and an exploration of the chilling connections between two of the most fascinating mysteries in American criminal history.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the Team and Credibility

[02:01] Connelly opens with reflections on the public stir caused by naming Margolis/Merrill as the suspect in both cases and admits he should have better introduced key cold case investigators early on:
Missy Roberts: Retired LAPD homicide detective, key in both the Black Dahlia and Sam Little serial killer cases.
Rick Jackson: Former LAPD and San Mateo County cold case investigator.
Their real-life successes and unwavering dedication to hard evidence, not speculation, ground the podcast’s approach.
Notable Quote:

“These are people who solve murders in real life, not on the Internet, not on YouTube...that dedication to the truth is what they bring to this investigation.”
—Michael Connelly [05:55]

2. Methodical “Box-Checking” to Build the Case

The investigation relies on “checking boxes”: A term for systematically establishing whether the suspect matches each key physical, behavioral, and circumstantial criterion.

a. Physical Description

[09:10] The suspect’s age, height, build, glasses, right-handedness all fit eyewitness accounts from the Zodiac’s murders, especially the Paul Stine killing.
Evidence: Photos, son’s testimony, VA-issued eyeglass prescription.
Alex Baber:

“He’s right at 5’10, right-handed...he wore glasses all the time...his physical characteristics fit as well.”
—Alex Baber [09:10]

b. Medical Skill

[11:55] Black Dahlia’s mutilation required knowledge of human anatomy, not necessarily expert surgical skills.
Margolis attended USC medical school and was a Navy corpsman at the Battle of Okinawa.
“He was attending USC’s medical school at the time of the killing...prior to that, he had been a Navy corpsman.”
—Michael Connelly [12:30]

c. Firearms Training

[13:09] Margolis’s military training explained the Zodiac’s marksmanship, especially under duress/darkness.
“He did have some skill as a marksman with a sidearm.”
—Alex Baber [13:09]

d. Cryptographic Ability

[14:40] Though no direct proof, Margolis had a probable method of gaining cipher skills—self-teaching or learning from his cryptographer roommate after WWII.
Military and NSA codebreakers consulted for plausibility; key books identified as likely sources of applicable techniques.
“Being an autodirect polymath...he would be able to teach himself and it wouldn’t have been very difficult.”
—Alex Baber [14:40]

e. Modus Operandi (MO)

[18:15] The team acknowledges the differences between the Black Dahlia killing and Zodiac attacks, but also points out that even within the Zodiac series, the MO varied dramatically.
Taunting police and the media through letters is spotlighted as the strongest connective tissue.
“I have never had one case where a killer taunted, communicated with like in these two cases...it is so rare.”
—Rick Jackson [20:05]

f. Media Attention Seeking

[21:44] Margolis/Merrill frequently wrote letters to editors, loved being in newspapers, and called himself a "former newspaper correspondent."
“This guy was a media out...he loved his face or name in the newspaper.”
—Alex Baber [21:44]

g. Geographic Proximity

[24:51] Margolis/Merrill could be placed near the victims in both cases. He lived with Elizabeth Short in LA and had a San Jose residence/Intel job during Zodiac’s Bay Area activity.
Detectives dismiss the distance as significant (“an hour, hour and 15 minute drive”).
“70 miles is not that far of a distance for somebody to travel because they don’t want to hunt in their own backyard.”
—Missy Roberts [27:11]

3. Fact Patterns, Coincidences, and Patterns of Evidence

The podcast highlights the importance of fact patterns—multiple coincidences that together become circumstantial evidence.
Key Examples:
- Zodiac’s first attack date matches the anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s arrival in California.
- Phone booth used after second Zodiac crime is in sight of Short’s former home.
- The birthday of Margolis’s youngest child coincides with a Zodiac attack.
“When you get a coincidence after a coincidence, that leads to the same conclusion, that it’s no longer coincidence, it’s a fact.”
—Missy Roberts [32:44]

4. The Z32 Cipher: A Map to the Black Dahlia?

[34:27] Deep dive into the Zodiac’s Z32 cipher and its associated map and bomb diagram. The historical struggle to crack the cipher is recounted.
Baber’s insight: Instead of mapping to a bomb, the cipher may encode directions to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland—the Black Dahlia’s grave, specifically section 66 (echoing the Phillips 66 map).
“There was never a bomb. If he’s referencing Elizabeth as the bomb, that makes sense now...it was a game that, as he described it himself, he was playing chess with everybody else...”
—Alex Baber [41:10]
The Zodiac’s use of a quote from “The Mikado” links to the night of the Dahlia murder, when the same play appeared near Short’s apartment.
"I've got a little list of society offenders who might well be underground. Underground."
—Quote referenced by Michael Connelly [41:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Missy Roberts’s courtroom puzzle metaphor:

“Once you put all the evidence together, the picture is clear and it leads to the person that did it. And in this case, I think it’s very clear that that’s Marva Margolis.”
—[07:15]
On taunting by the killer:

“It is so rare.”
—Rick Jackson [20:05]
On coincidence vs. fact patterns:

“When you get a coincidence after a coincidence, that leads to the same conclusion, that it’s no longer coincidence, it’s a fact.”
—Missy Roberts [32:44]
On the possible solution to Z32:

“There was never a bomb. If he’s referencing Elizabeth as the bomb, that makes sense now.”
—Alex Baber [41:10]

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |:---:|:----------------------------------| | 02:01 | Introduction of investigative team & credibility | | 07:15 | Metaphor of building a puzzle of evidence | | 09:10 | Physical characteristic box check | | 11:55 | Medical skill and involvement with USC/Black Dahlia | | 13:09 | Firearms/marksmanship training | | 14:40 | Cryptography skills and military connections | | 18:15 | MO changes and linkage by communicative taunting | | 21:44 | Margolis's penchant for media attention | | 24:51 | Proximity to both killing zones | | 30:04 | Fact patterns and recurring coincidences | | 32:44 | Coincidence vs. fact pattern analysis | | 34:27 | Z32 cipher and Phillips 66 map decoding | | 41:10 | Discussion about Elizabeth Short as "the bomb" | | 41:36 | The Mikado quote and its possible significance |

Tone and Style

The episode’s tone is methodical, meticulous, and conversational, staying true to the voices of experienced investigators and leveraging Connelly’s narrative talents. Baber’s commentary brings a touch of the obsessive amateur detective, while Roberts and Jackson offer the grounded, real-world skepticism and rigor of seasoned homicide cops.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode serves as both a detailed evidentiary checklist and a fascinating exploration of two infamous cold cases thought to be solved by an unlikely amateur. If you want a step-by-step account of how physical, psychological, historical, and circumstantial evidence can fit together to identify a single perpetrator, or if you’re fascinated by codebreaking at the edge of murder mystery, Chapter 3 is essential listening. The episode’s strength lies in the steady, unsensational linking of details and its open challenge to skeptics, setting up further revelations in episodes to come.

For more resources and documents referenced, visit: killerinthecode.com

Killer In The Code

Chapter 3: El Diablo

Release Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Michael Connelly

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the Team and Credibility

[02:01] Connelly opens with reflections on the public stir caused by naming Margolis/Merrill as the suspect in both cases and admits he should have better introduced key cold case investigators early on:
Missy Roberts: Retired LAPD homicide detective, key in both the Black Dahlia and Sam Little serial killer cases.
Rick Jackson: Former LAPD and San Mateo County cold case investigator.
Their real-life successes and unwavering dedication to hard evidence, not speculation, ground the podcast’s approach.
Notable Quote:

“These are people who solve murders in real life, not on the Internet, not on YouTube...that dedication to the truth is what they bring to this investigation.”
—Michael Connelly [05:55]

2. Methodical “Box-Checking” to Build the Case

The investigation relies on “checking boxes”: A term for systematically establishing whether the suspect matches each key physical, behavioral, and circumstantial criterion.

a. Physical Description

[09:10] The suspect’s age, height, build, glasses, right-handedness all fit eyewitness accounts from the Zodiac’s murders, especially the Paul Stine killing.
Evidence: Photos, son’s testimony, VA-issued eyeglass prescription.
Alex Baber:

“He’s right at 5’10, right-handed...he wore glasses all the time...his physical characteristics fit as well.”
—Alex Baber [09:10]

b. Medical Skill

[11:55] Black Dahlia’s mutilation required knowledge of human anatomy, not necessarily expert surgical skills.
Margolis attended USC medical school and was a Navy corpsman at the Battle of Okinawa.
“He was attending USC’s medical school at the time of the killing...prior to that, he had been a Navy corpsman.”
—Michael Connelly [12:30]

c. Firearms Training

[13:09] Margolis’s military training explained the Zodiac’s marksmanship, especially under duress/darkness.
“He did have some skill as a marksman with a sidearm.”
—Alex Baber [13:09]

d. Cryptographic Ability

[14:40] Though no direct proof, Margolis had a probable method of gaining cipher skills—self-teaching or learning from his cryptographer roommate after WWII.
Military and NSA codebreakers consulted for plausibility; key books identified as likely sources of applicable techniques.
“Being an autodirect polymath...he would be able to teach himself and it wouldn’t have been very difficult.”
—Alex Baber [14:40]

e. Modus Operandi (MO)

[18:15] The team acknowledges the differences between the Black Dahlia killing and Zodiac attacks, but also points out that even within the Zodiac series, the MO varied dramatically.
Taunting police and the media through letters is spotlighted as the strongest connective tissue.
“I have never had one case where a killer taunted, communicated with like in these two cases...it is so rare.”
—Rick Jackson [20:05]

f. Media Attention Seeking

[21:44] Margolis/Merrill frequently wrote letters to editors, loved being in newspapers, and called himself a "former newspaper correspondent."
“This guy was a media out...he loved his face or name in the newspaper.”
—Alex Baber [21:44]

g. Geographic Proximity

[24:51] Margolis/Merrill could be placed near the victims in both cases. He lived with Elizabeth Short in LA and had a San Jose residence/Intel job during Zodiac’s Bay Area activity.
Detectives dismiss the distance as significant (“an hour, hour and 15 minute drive”).
“70 miles is not that far of a distance for somebody to travel because they don’t want to hunt in their own backyard.”
—Missy Roberts [27:11]

3. Fact Patterns, Coincidences, and Patterns of Evidence

The podcast highlights the importance of fact patterns—multiple coincidences that together become circumstantial evidence.
Key Examples:
- Zodiac’s first attack date matches the anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s arrival in California.
- Phone booth used after second Zodiac crime is in sight of Short’s former home.
- The birthday of Margolis’s youngest child coincides with a Zodiac attack.
“When you get a coincidence after a coincidence, that leads to the same conclusion, that it’s no longer coincidence, it’s a fact.”
—Missy Roberts [32:44]

4. The Z32 Cipher: A Map to the Black Dahlia?

[34:27] Deep dive into the Zodiac’s Z32 cipher and its associated map and bomb diagram. The historical struggle to crack the cipher is recounted.
Baber’s insight: Instead of mapping to a bomb, the cipher may encode directions to Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland—the Black Dahlia’s grave, specifically section 66 (echoing the Phillips 66 map).
“There was never a bomb. If he’s referencing Elizabeth as the bomb, that makes sense now...it was a game that, as he described it himself, he was playing chess with everybody else...”
—Alex Baber [41:10]
The Zodiac’s use of a quote from “The Mikado” links to the night of the Dahlia murder, when the same play appeared near Short’s apartment.
"I've got a little list of society offenders who might well be underground. Underground."
—Quote referenced by Michael Connelly [41:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Missy Roberts’s courtroom puzzle metaphor:

“Once you put all the evidence together, the picture is clear and it leads to the person that did it. And in this case, I think it’s very clear that that’s Marva Margolis.”
—[07:15]
On taunting by the killer:

“It is so rare.”
—Rick Jackson [20:05]
On coincidence vs. fact patterns:

“When you get a coincidence after a coincidence, that leads to the same conclusion, that it’s no longer coincidence, it’s a fact.”
—Missy Roberts [32:44]
On the possible solution to Z32:

“There was never a bomb. If he’s referencing Elizabeth as the bomb, that makes sense now.”
—Alex Baber [41:10]

Key Timestamps

Tone and Style

Summary for New Listeners

For more resources and documents referenced, visit: killerinthecode.com

Chapter 3: El Diablo

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Summary

Killer In The Code

Chapter 3: El Diablo

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the Team and Credibility

2. Methodical “Box-Checking” to Build the Case

a. Physical Description

b. Medical Skill

c. Firearms Training

d. Cryptographic Ability

e. Modus Operandi (MO)

f. Media Attention Seeking

g. Geographic Proximity

3. Fact Patterns, Coincidences, and Patterns of Evidence

4. The Z32 Cipher: A Map to the Black Dahlia?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps

Tone and Style

Summary for New Listeners

Summary

Killer In The Code

Chapter 3: El Diablo

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introducing the Team and Credibility

2. Methodical “Box-Checking” to Build the Case

a. Physical Description

b. Medical Skill

c. Firearms Training

d. Cryptographic Ability

e. Modus Operandi (MO)

f. Media Attention Seeking

g. Geographic Proximity

3. Fact Patterns, Coincidences, and Patterns of Evidence

4. The Z32 Cipher: A Map to the Black Dahlia?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps

Tone and Style

Summary for New Listeners