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The Zodiac Killer: The Case Behind A Classic Crime Thriller | Murder: True Crime Stories
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- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. Real quick, before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week, Katie takes on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Listen to and follow America's Most infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
- [00:48]
Carter Roy
This is crime house. Five bodies, a city in chaos, coded messages, and a masked killer. We all want to be remembered after we're gone, to be honored for our contributions to our community, celebrated for our accomplishments, and most importantly, cherished by our friends and family. But for some people, the goal isn't positive memories. It's a legacy of fear and paranoia. In the late 1960s, one man accomplished just that. He stalked California's Bay Area, leaving a trail of victims in his wake and a region paralyzed by terror. Decades later, that sense of anxiety is still there, because even today, we still don't know the killer's identity. All we know is what he chose to share with the media and the police. This man attacked at random, using a different weapon each time, a dark hood drawn over his head. He left as quickly as he came, leaving cryptic messages in his wake. And each one was started the same way. This is the Zodiac speaking. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon, and we don't always get to know the the real ending. I'm Carter Roy, and this is True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. New episodes come out every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Thank you for being part of the Crime House community. Please rate, review and follow the show and for early ad free access to every episode. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Welcome back to another episode of Murder Mystery Fridays, where I'm covering unsolved cases with questions. Questions that I can't get out of my head. The ones where the evidence points in multiple directions and every theory feels like a possibility. Today, I'm discussing one of the most mysterious murder investigations in history. It's a case I always knew about, but once I learned the details, I couldn't get them out of my head. And trust me, I've tried. This is the story of the Zodiac killer. In the late 60s and early 70s, he terrified people all over the San Francisco Bay Area with a string of brutal murders. He struck without warning. He taunted the police with cryptic letters, strange symbols and chilling promises. And then he vanished. Was the Zodiac a criminal mastermind? An egomaniac hiding behind ciphers and shadows? Or something else entirely? All these years later, the answer is still up for debate. But maybe the Zodiac left us some clues and we just have to keep looking. All that and more coming up.
- [04:34]
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- [05:04]
Carter Roy
In the late 1960s, Vallejo, California was a place where families, retired military and blue collar workers could enjoy a safe, quiet life. Even though it was only 30 miles outside of San Francisco, the small city of 65,000 felt far removed from the bustle of the Bay Area, A refuge from the chaos of the larger world. But on the night of December 20, 1968, everything changed. That evening, 17 year old David Faraday asked 16 year old Betty Lou Jensen out on a date. David was an Eagle Scout and promised to have her home by 11, so Betty's parents were fine with it. Originally, David and Betty said they were going to a local Christmas concert. But it turned out that was just a cover instead of the concert. David drove them to a popular lover's lane where they could get a little privacy. It was a secluded spot on Lake Herman Road just outside of town. That's where David planned to give Betty his class ring to show he was serious about a future with her. It was an evening full of promise, but it ended in tragedy. Later that night, just past Betty's curfew, a woman named Stella Borges drove past David's car. When her headlights illuminated the vehicle, she saw the teenagers lying on the ground in a pool of blood. And there was nothing Stella could do to help them. So she sped into town and flagged down two police officers. They arrived at the scene on Lake Herman Road just before midnight. The officers confirmed Stella's worst fears. Both teenagers had suffered gunshot wounds and neither of them survived. At first, it was hard to figure out a motive. When there was no evidence of a robbery or attempted sexual assault, it seemed like the attack was totally random. But luckily there was some evidence. Next to Betty and David's bodies were the shells from a.22 caliber Winchester rifle. And multiple witnesses in the area saw a white Chevy Impala lurking around the scene. Unfortunately, none of that information led to a suspect. Investigators couldn't link the shells to a specific gun, and they weren't able to track down that specific Impala. And every potential suspect they spoke to had an alibi. Weeks, then months passed without any developments. It wasn't until seven months later that the authorities got a devastating new lead. Late on the 4th of July 1969, the a 22 year old wife and mother named Darlene Farren went out to buy fireworks. Or at least that's what she told the babysitter. In reality, she was picking up the young man she was having an affair with. 19 year old Mike Mageau. After Mike got in her car, Darlene drove them to Blue Rock Springs park and Golf Course. It was just a couple miles from Lake Herman Road where David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen had been killed that past December. Looking for some privacy, Darlene pulled into a parking spot a few minutes before midnight and turned off the engine. Just as she and Mike began enjoying each other's company, another car pulled into the lot about six feet away. The car idled and the driver was waiting for something. Mike started to get nervous, but Darlene told him not to worry, it was probably Nothing. Then around 12:15, the car moved spots and pulled up right next to Darlene's. The driver left the headlights on as he got out and walked to the passenger side window of Darlene's brown car. Darlene and Mike thought it must be a police officer, so Mike rolled down his window as the pair frantically searched for their IDs. While they were distracted, the mysterious driver pulled out a 9 millimeter Luger and started shooting into the car. Mike was hit but able to scramble into the backseat. Sadly, Darlene wasn't fast enough. The gunman fired his weapon a few more times before retreating to his car and speeding away. Once it was safe, Mike managed to open one of the back doors. He crawled out of the vehicle, collapsed onto the pavement and desperately waved for help. Moments later, a group of teenagers found him gasping for breath in the parking lot. They spotted Darlene soon after and immediately called an ambulance. Unfortunately, the EMTs weren't able to save Darlene, but Mike survived the assault and was sent to the hospital to Recover. Before the authorities could even start looking for Darlene's killer, a phone call came into the Vallejo Police Department. Speaking in a monotone, almost sinister voice, the caller said, quote, I want to report a murder. If you will go one mile east on Columbus Parkway, you will find kids in a brown car. They were shot with a 9 millimeter Luger. I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye. As soon as the call ended, a police dispatcher traced it to a gas station just a mile away from the Vallejo pd. As creepy as it was, the call didn't lead to any more clues. And there wasn't any incriminating evidence at the crime scene either. Which meant the investigators only hope was that the surviving victim, Mike Mageau, and, had caught something important. Thankfully, Mike had gotten a good look at the gunman. He was beefy, with a round face and curly hair. He was around 5, 8 and maybe 26 to 30 years old. Police had a sketch artist drop an image based on Mike's description and they started to look for a match. They followed a few leads, but again, everyone they spoke to had an alibi. This case, like the Lake Herman Road incident, was at a standstill. And even though the killer had referenced the first murders on the phone, the authorities didn't necessarily think they were connected. But on July 31, 1969, some new information came to light and it became clear that the killer's game was just beginning. That day, reporters at the Vallejo Times Herald, the San Francisco examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle all received the same versions of the same handwritten note. The writer claimed he'd killed David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen and Darlene Farren. To prove it, he offered up tidbits of information that only the killer and the police would know, like the type of ammo used and specific details about the victims. But he didn't write to the papers just to brag. He was giving them the chance to catch him. Along with the letters, the killer sent a 408 character cipher puzzle that contained information about his identity. And he didn't just want the journalist to crack the code. He demanded the ciphers be printed on the front PA the next day for the public to see, too. If they didn't follow his instructions, he promised he'd go on a killing spree, claiming dozens of lives starting that night. Finally, as a signature, the killer left a circle with a cross through it, almost like the crosshairs of a rifle. Even with the killer's threat, the papers weren't sure if they should publish the letters. It wouldn't look good to give in to a murderer's demands. At the same time, they didn't want blood on their hands if they didn't comply. Ultimately, the editor at the Vallejo Times Herald decided to publish the materials on Friday, August 1. The other papers followed suit over the next two days, which seemed to satisfy the killer for the moment. With the killer's cipher made public, the FBI, Naval intelligence and amateur code breakers alike jumped at the chance to solve it. That included Donald and Betty Hardin, a married couple in Salinas, California. The Hardens were beginners at best, but Donald loved puzzles and Betty had a keen mind. Since it seemed like they were dealing with an egotistical murderer, she theorized the cipher would contain multiple instances of the words linked I and kill. Using Betty's theory, the couple solved the cipher within days. The message began with a reference to a short story in the movie called the Most Dangerous Game. It said, I like killing people because it is so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all. The message went on to say the killer believed his victims would be his slaves in the afterlife. It was a chilling glimpse into the killer's mindset and motivations. However, one crucial piece was missing. His name. And the cipher didn't offer up any other tangible leads either. But on August 4, 1969, the killer sent another letter and this time he introduced himself. It began with the words, this is the Zodiac speaking.
- [15:57]
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- [16:28]
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- [16:32]
Vanessa Richardson
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- [16:42]
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- [17:01]
Carter Roy
On August 4th, 1969, the Zodiac Killer sent a second message to the media. Unlike the first letter, he revealed certain elements that only he or the police would know. And he taunted the authorities, asking if they were having fun with his cipher. After seeing the second letter, amateur code breaker Don Hardin called the San Francisco Chronicle to say he and his W had broken the first cipher. It was incredibly impressive. But without any identifying information, the authorities weren't any closer to catching the Zodiac. And it wasn't long before he struck again. About seven weeks later, on September 27, 1969, two close friends, 20 year old Brian Hartnell and 22 year old Cecilia shepherd, were spending the day together. Cecilia was getting ready to leave the Bay Area to study music at the University of California, Riverside, while Brian was staying behind to study law at Pacific Union College in Napa, California. Before Cecilia left, they decided to spend a final afternoon together. So that day they packed a picnic and headed through a maze of windy roads to Lake Berryessa in Napa County. They picked a secluded spot and rolled out blankets. As the early evening gave way to night. Cecilia nearly jumped out of her skin. She told Brian a man was coming toward them. But by the time Brian turned to look, the man had disappeared behind some trees. A few moments later, the stranger reappeared, seemingly out of nowhere. And now he was right in front of them. He had a dark executioner style hood drawn over his face and the Zodiac symbol on the front. Before the couple could run, the Zodiac aimed his weapon at them. He told Bryan and Cecilia that he was on the run after killing a security guard in the Deer Lodge, Montana, and needed to borrow Brian's car to get to Mexico. He promised that if they cooperated, he wouldn't hurt them. That was a lie. As soon as the Zodiac had Brian and Cecilia tied up, he holstered his gun, then pulled out a long knife and stabbed them both repeatedly. Like his previous attacks, the Zodiac didn't stick around to see what happened to his victims. And unbeknownst to him, they didn't immediately succumb to their wounds. Once he was gone, Cecilia, who was barely conscious, managed to free a hand to untie Brian. Badly injured but still mobile, Brian ran for help and flagged down a park ranger. Unfortunately, Cecilia died in the hospital two days after the attack. But Brian made a full recovery and was able to give the police a description of their attacker. He was about 5 foot 10 and overweight, but not obese. Brian didn't think the man was much older than 25. Later, police would realize this description was very similar to Mike Mageau's. And like before, the Zodiac didn't wait long before he called the Napa Police Department. This time he said, I want to report a murder. No, a double murder. They're two miles north of park headquarters. They were in a white Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. And I'm the one who did it. Again, the dispatcher traced the call. It had been placed from a payphone by a car wash in Napa. Within minutes, police swarmed the area. They didn't get there fast enough. All they found was the phone dangling in the booth. But the Zodiac had left other clues behind. Back at the crime scene, investigators found a handwritten note scrawled in black ink attached to Brian's car. Brian. That a Zodiac's signature symbol was at the top. Beneath that, there were three dates. The first two, Vallejo, 1220, 1968 and 0704, 1969. Those were the Zodiac's first two attacks. And the third was for the current day, September 27, 1969, 6:3 00pm with the words by knife written next to it. And that wasn't the only thing investigators found at the crime scene. The killer's footprints were visible going to and from the lake. Investigators were able to learn the killer Wore a size 10.5 shoe. They also estimated that he was over 200 pounds, based on how far the footprints sank into the earth. It was promising information, but it wasn't specific enough to get any new leads. And just a few weeks later, on October 11, 1969, the Zodiac struck again. 29 year old Paul Stine was a San Francisco doctoral student trying to make extra money by driving a cab on the weekends. After a full day of airport runs and local drives, he circled the San Francisco theater district after the shows let out. Around 10pm he picked up a passenger who instructed him to drive to the wealthy Presidio Heights neighborhood three miles away. The drive itself was uneventful, but when Paul stopped to let the passenger out, the man put a gun to Paul's temple and pulled the trigger. He died instantly. Three teenagers in a nearby building heard the shot go off. They called the police and reported seeing a white, stocky man at the scene. But somehow the description that went out to the police described the suspect as a black male. Because of that, the actual passenger was able to walk right by police cars speeding toward the scene. Even though the police had unwittingly let their suspect slip past them, there was plenty of forensic evidence left at the crime scene. A 9 millimeter shell casing was found on the floor of the cab, which seemed to come this time from a Browning pistol. They also found a pair of black gloves that could have belonged to the suspect. But most importantly, there was a bloody fingerprint on the narrow panel between the front and rear doors of the driver's side. Unfortunately, the print didn't match anyone in their database. And it seemed like they were running out of time to find the Zodiac. Because two days later, on October 13, he sent out another letter. The message began like, this is the Zodiac speaking. I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington street and Maple street last night. To prove this, here is a piece of his bloody shirt. I am the same man who did the people in the North Bay Area. And the letter ended with something even more disturbing. School children make nice targets. Okay, I think I shall wipe out a school bus some morning to shoot out the front tires and pick the kiddies off as they come bouncing out. Thankfully, the Zodiac didn't act on those threats. But he wasn't done taunting the authorities. And soon it seemed like he wanted to do more than just write letters. He wanted to be on TV. On October 22, 1969, 11 days after Paul Stine was killed, a man claiming to be the Zodiac called the Oakland Police. He said he wanted to talk to a high profile defense attorney named Melvin Belli by calling into a local talk show. Melvin Belly was no stranger to publicity. He'd famously defended Jack ruby, who killed JFK's accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald in the early 1960s. When belly appeared on KGO TV that night in October 1969, it seemed like Zodiac kept his promise and called into the show. The caller said to refer to him as Sam. And the first thing Belly asked was how Sam was feeling physically. He learned that Sam suffered from chronic headaches, but beyond that, he didn't reveal much. Toward the end of the conversation, Belly invited Sam to meet him at a new nearby restaurant so they could discuss how to get Sam help. Sam said yes. After the call, police vans and helicopters followed Belly to the restaurant. But after several hours, it became clear that the Zodiac had no intention of showing his face. Then the Sam started calling Belly at home. Police traced those calls to a mental hospital patient named Eric Weil. Although it seemed like the call to the Oakland police had been genuine, it quickly became obvious that these latest ones weren't. But that wasn't the last time Melvin Belli heard from the Zodiac. On December 20, 1969, on the anniversary of his first attack, Belli received His own letter from the Zodiac, delivered straight to his door. To prove it was really him, the Zodiac included a bloody piece of fabric he'd taken from his last victim, Paul Stine. And if the killer was telling the truth in his letter, Belly wondered if the Zodiac was finally ready to end his game. The note began as, Dear Melvin, this is the Zodiac speaking. I wish you a happy Christmas. The one thing I ask you is, please help me. I cannot reach out for help because of this thing in me won't let me. I am finding it extremely difficult to hold it in check. Whatever the Zodiac's intentions were, he left a crucial piece of information out of his letter, how to actually get in touch with him. So it's hard to know just how honest he was about wanting help. However, he did go quiet after that. But after three months, the Zodiac couldn't hold back any longer. On March 22, 1970, he made his next appearance. That day, a young woman named Kathleen Johns decided to drive eight hours across California from San Bernardino to the Bay Area city of Petaluma. She had an infant daughter and was seven months pregnant. But her mother was sick, and Kathleen wanted to be by her side. With her daughter safely in the back, she set off around 4pm it was a long drive, but Kathleen had done it before and knew the roads well. But just before midnight, something strange happened. Kathleen was driving down a country road when a car pulled up behind her, flashing its headlights. It seemed like the driver was trying to warn her about something, so Kathleen pulled over at the next turnout. Once she parked, the other car came to a stop behind her. A man climbed out and walked over to Kathleen's window. He said one of her rear tires looked wobbly, but he'd gladly tighten it up for her. Kathleen accepted the offer, and the man grabbed his tools. After a few minutes, he said she was good to go. Relieved, Kathleen put the car into gear and drove away. But it seemed like the stranger hadn't fixed the problem. Almost immediately, the right rear wheel came off completely. Left with no choice, Kathleen pulled over, and again the man had watched the whole thing happen. This time, he offered her a ride to a gas station. Not wanting to be stranded in the middle of nowhere with her infant daughter, Kathleen said yes. As they drove, Kathleen started chatting to calm her nerves. With her daughter sitting on her lap, Kathleen asked if the man usually went around helping people in the middle of the night. He responded, quote, when I get through with them, they don't need any help. The words sent a bolt of fear through Kathleen. She realized this man was no kind stranger. She was in real danger. Those fears were confirmed when the man passed a gas station without stopping and then another. He drove aimlessly along back roads for several hours, only breaking the silence to say he was going to kill Kathleen and her daughter. Eventually, the man was forced to stop the car when he accidentally drove the wrong way up a highway on ramp. When he stopped to back up, Kathleen seized the moment. She jumped out with her daughter and hid in a nearby vineyard. The man ran after her, but but was interrupted when a truck driver stopped to see what the commotion was. Before Kathleen could shout out, the stranger jumped back into his car and drove away. The truck driver offered to help Kathleen, but she refused to accept another ride from a man she didn't know. So he agreed to wait with her until they could flag down a female motorist to give her a ride to the nearest police station. At 2:30am on March 23, Kathleen stumbled into the Patterson police station about 100 miles from Petaluma. When she sat down to speak with an officer, Kathleen's eyes darted to a wanted poster on the wall. As soon as Kathleen saw it, she screamed, oh my God, that's him. It was a sketch of the Zodiac Killer.
- [32:13]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. I wanted to take a brief moment to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week Katie takes on a notorious crime, whether under unfolding now or etched into American history, revealing not just what happened, but how it forever changed our society. Serial killers who terrorized cities. Unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Each case unfolds across multiple episodes released every Tuesday through Thursday, from the first sign that something was wrong to the moment the truth came out or didn't. These are the stories behind the headlines. Listen to and follow America's most infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
- [33:16]
Carter Roy
On March 23, 1970, 22 year old Kathleen Johns barely escaped the Zodiac Killer. But even though she'd survived and knew exactly what he looked like, he didn't make it easy for the police to catch him. After Kathleen escaped, he drove back to her car and set it on fire. By the time officers found it the next morning, it was impossible to collect any forensic evidence, which left the door open for some conspiracy theories to develop. Because while Kathleen was certain that Zodiac killer had abducted her, not everyone was so sure. Some people believe Kathleen wasn't actually abducted by the Zodiac killer, but by someone else. That, or she made the whole thing up. Skeptics point to the original police report, which had no mention of him threatening to kill Kathleen and her daughter. It just said he was quite friendly with her, did not make any additional advances toward her or threats toward her. And when asked if he was going to stop, he would merely elude the question and start talking about something else. These theorists also point out a specific detail. Kathleen said she escaped into a vineyard, but the only vineyards in the area were close to where she'd originally stopped her car. Which is why some people think she made the story up. Some theorized it was an elaborate insurance scheme to get money for her car, or that she was looking for publicity in some way. But that begs the question, why would a pregnant woman with a 10 month old daughter go through all that trouble? Whatever the truth is, the incident did seem to inspire the Zodiac to start writing again. And he was no longer asking for help. Throughout the spring and summer of 1970, he sent multiple messages to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. Along with vague threats of mass violence, like setting off a bomb, these letters had strange requests. For example, he wanted people to wear pins with his symbol on them. He didn't really explain why he was asking for this, but whatever game the Zodiac was playing, he seemed to be growing increasingly unstable with every letter. And one writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, Paul Avery, was carefully tracking every new development in the case. Avery had been covering the Zodiac ever since the Chronicle received the first letter back on July 31, 1969, after Paul Stine was murdered. That October, Avery had written a taunting article of his own, labeling the Zodiac a clumsy killer, a liar, and a latent homosexual. The Zodiac had never acknowledged this article or mentioned Avery in any of his letters. But it seemed like he did read it and wasn't happy about what Avery wrote. Because about a year after Paul stine's murder, on October 27, 1970, the Zodiac sent Avery his own personal postcard. On the card, a joyful looking skeleton wearing a pumpkin waved to the reader. Written next to that was a message that said, paradise Slaves. By gun, by knife, by fire, by rope. And on the other side of the postcard from your secret pal. I know you ache to know my name, so I'll clue you in. But then why spoil the game? Happy Halloween. Considering it had been so long since the Zodiac claimed any victims, Paul Avery didn't feel threatened by the postcard. Or at least that's what he told reporters. But just to be safe, he got a permit to carry a gun. And the postcard was major. News papers throughout California ran stories about it, including in the city of Riverside in Southern California. There it caught the attention of one person in particular. Someone who knew something shocking about the Zodiac. This concerned citizen wrote to Paul Avery. He believed the Zodiac may have murdered someone else in 1966, two years before he landed on the authorities radar. Because the case involved several different jurisdictions, it required someone to be a go between for the different departments. The tipster thought Paul Avery was just the man for the job. Intrigued, Avery visited the Riverside police and reviewed their evidence. With the help of the city's police captain, he discovered the victim was 18 year old Sherry Jo Bates. At the time of her death, she'd been a freshman at Riverside City College. Sherry was popular, outgoing and pretty, with blue eyes and blond hair. She had big dreams to travel the world as an airline stewardess. Tragically, it was a dream that would never come true. On the afternoon of October 30, 1966, Sherry was late coming home from the library. When she didn't return home that evening, her father knew something was terribly wrong. Sadly, he was right. Sherry's body was found at 6:30 the next morning in a dirt alleyway. She'd been stabbed to death and the killer had left evidence behind. The report said. Investigators had found a watch that may have fallen from the killer's wrist. A greasy set of fingerprints and hairs under Sherry's fingernails. Forensic analysis showed the hairs belonged to a brown haired white man. And it turned out Sherry's killer had written to the media shortly after her death. In the taunting confession letter, he said things like, quote, she was young and beautiful, but now she is battered and dead. She is not the first and she will not be the last. But only one thing was on my mind. Making her pay for the brush offs she had given me years earlier. I am not sick, I am insane. But that won't stop the game. I'm stalking your girls now. And he had signed his letter with a Z. Paul Avery showed the letter to Sherwood Morrell, a handwriting expert who'd verified the Zodiac's previous letters. Morrell confirmed this letter had been written by him too. Which meant this case may have been the true origin of the Zodiac killer. But for the authorities, the letter was a lot more than the Zodiac's origin story. It was an opportunity to identify the elusive killer. Although the forensic evidence hadn't led anywhere at the time of Sherry Jo's murder, there was A chance the increased publicity could give them a new lead. So in mid November 1970, Paul Avery wrote a piece for the Chronicle detailing the connections between the Riverside slaying and the Zodiac's other crimes. He hoped the article would jog somebody's memory. But after five months, every lead, tip and call turned out to be bogus. Even more concerning, the Zodiac himself was silent for five months until March 13, 1971, when he sent another letter to the Los Angeles Times. It started like all the this is the Zodiac speaking. Like I have always said, I am crack proof. If the Blue Meanies are ever going to catch me, they had best get off their fat asses and do something. Because the longer they fiddle and fart around, the more slaves I will collect for my afterlife. I do have to give them credit for stumbling across my riverside activity, but they are only finding the easy ones. There are a hell of a lot more down there. It wasn't clear why the Zodiac waited so long to acknowledge that he'd murdered Sherry Jo Bates. But the letter wasn't as clever as he thought. Because a few months later, a man named Donald Lee Cheney came forward with more than a lead. He gave the authorities a name. Arthur Lee Allen. Donald had known Arthur since 1962, six years before Sherry was murdered. They'd met through Arthur's younger brother Ron, and he seemed to be completely normal, even though 29 year old Arthur was older than Donald. They became fast friends. He was a good hunting buddy, and they liked having beers together. But beyond that, Donald didn't know that much about him. Though after spending more time with him, Donald realized some frightening things about Arthur. Sometime around New Year's Day, 1969, Donald was over at Arthur's apartment in Vallejo, California, the same city where the Zodiac had killed two teenagers about a week earlier. Arthur had recently been fired from his teaching job at an elementary school. He didn't say why, but he was in a dark place. And that day, Donald remembered seeing a science fiction magazine open to a very specific story. The man from Zodiac. On its own, it could be a coincidence, but Donald also remembered something else. During their last hunting trip, Arthur had mentioned another story, the Most Dangerous Game, which was about hunting people. The Zodiac referenced that same story in the first letter he sent a few months later, in July 1969. And Arthur's connection to the Zodiac killer wasn't just intellectual, it was physical, too. During that visit with Donald in early 1969, Arthur showed him a prized possession, a watch his mother had given him. It had a memorable Symbol, a cross within a circle that looked just like the Zodiac's insignia. Not only that, but Arthur mentioned he could make money by becoming a private eye, then committing crimes only he could solve. And the methods he described were very specific. Arthur told Donald that he would go after couples parked in remote lovers lanes to kill them. He'd use a flashlight taped to a gun and he choose victims at random to throw off the police. Then he would send them strange letters to confuse them. Arthur said he would sign them Zodiac. Donald also remembered Arthur saying he could use one of his rifles to shoot a tire off a school bus and, quote, pick off the little darlings one by one. It was a line that matched something the Zodiac wrote in one of his letters. The whole thing creeped Donald out, and he left that day feeling a deep sense of unease. Afterwards, he'd done his best to keep that afternoon out of his mind. But after seeing the Zodiac's letter In March of 1971, the memories came flooding back. He was more certain than ever that Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac killer. And after hearing his story, the authorities thought so too. On August 4, 1971, inspectors Dave Tosche and Bill Armstrong of The San Francisco PD and Jack Mullinax of the Vallejo PD got together. They were visiting 37 year old Arthur at a local oil refinery where he now worked. When they arrived, the floor supervisor brought Toshi Armstrong and Mullinax to a small room. There, the three investigators waited anxiously until Arthur lumbered into the room. Upon seeing the officers, he froze, seemingly in shock. Arthur wasn't the only one taken by surprise, though the officers were too. They'd looked at a photo of Arthur before coming, but seeing him in person, it was undeniable. He definitely matched the physical descriptions of the Zodiac killer. Arthur was tall and stocky, with eyes somewhere between blue and brown. His light thinning hair matched the Zodiac's as well, and it seemed like others had made the connection. Arthur revealed that he'd been questioned before, after the Zodiac's third attack, stabbing a couple at Lake Berryessa on September 27, 1969. That was a surprise to the officers, since that attack wasn't in their jurisdiction. They had no idea Arthur had ever been questioned. And although his alibi had held up back then, it seemed much shakier now. Arthur told them he'd gone diving at Salt Point State park that weekend, which was the opposite direction from Lake Berryessa. He said he'd spoken to a neighbor after coming home that day. Around 4pm before the murders occurred, however, there was no way to confirm that because according to Arthur, the neighbor had died shortly after. Maybe Arthur realized he seemed suspicious and wanted to get ahead of the officer's next question. Out of nowhere, he admitted to having two bloody knives in his car on the day of that attack. His excuse? He'd killed a chicken. The investigators felt like they had him in a corner. Bill Armstrong from the SFPD leaned forward and asked Arthur if he was in southern California in 1966. Arthur said yes. Around the same time, Sherry Jo Bates had been killed in Riverside. That was another red flag. None of the officers had mentioned the Riverside murder. And even though it was public information, it would take a lot for someone to connect the dots like that. Especially since they'd dropped by unannounced. At that moment, Armstrong's colleague Dave Toshi caught a glimpse of light reflecting off Allen's wristwatch. He asked to see it and realized the brand was called Zodiac. Not only that, it had a distinctive symbol, a circle with a cross through it. Arthur claimed the watch was a gift from his mother. He said she'd given it to him two years earlier, right around the time the Zodiac killer introduced himself in his infamous letters. At that point, Armstrong, Mullinax and Toshi were pretty certain that Arthur was their man. But while his behavior was suspicious, it didn't rise to the level of probable cause for a search warrant. And after that, the Zodiac went silent. Over a year went by with no progress on the case. And the authorities weren't the only ones who getting frustrated. So was Arthur's brother Ron. Although they were family, Ron thought Arthur's behavior was suspicious. He was even helping the Vallejo PD with their investigation. But he didn't feel like they were doing enough. So in September 1972, he reached out to Dave Toshi at the San Francisco pd. He wanted to talk about Arthur. Toshi and Bill Armstrong visited Ron and his wife at their home in Vallejo. The Allens spoke passionately about their suspicions, and that was enough for the officers to try again for a warrant. Finally, they got it. On September 14, 1972, Toshi and Armstrong got permission to search Arthur's trailer in Santa Rosa, about an hour's drive from Vallejo. When they arrived, the investigators learned the they'd just missed Arthur. But he'd left so quickly he hadn't bothered to shut his front door. When they looked around, they found plenty of disturbing materials. There were dead squirrels and dissected animals in the freezer and a large collection of sadomasochistic pornography. But none of it implicated him in the Zodiac's crimes. After about 45 minutes, Arthur returned home. The detectives had permission to take his fingerprints and had him write down passages from the Zodiac's letters to compare handwriting. None of it was a match. The detectives had to leave without making an arrest. As convincing as the circumstantial evidence was, the physical evidence just didn't line up. But the authorities kept an eye on Arthur, and his behavior remained problematic, to say the least. On October 4, 1974, Arthur was arrested by the Solano County Sheriff's Office for molesting a young boy. He was found guilty and sent to a state hospital for therapy and rehabilitation. After his arrest, police discovered that his trailer was close to where a string of women had disappeared between 1972 and 1973 in Santa Rosa. These crimes were known as the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders. Arthur became a person of interest and was given a polygraph test. Although polygraphs aren't foolproof, Arthur passed without suspicion. And in a strange way, his criminal history actually lessened the possibility that he was the Zodiac. Arthur was a convicted pedophile, and traditionally, they don't seek out victims who aren't children. Whether or not Arthur Leigh Allen was capable of going after different victims like the Zodiac, he remained a person of interest even after his death from a heart attack attack in 1992 at age 58. In 2002, San Francisco Homicide inspectors took over the Zodiac case. Using newly developed DNA technology, they compared Arthur's frozen brain tissue to samples collected from the envelopes of the Zodiac letters. It took two years, but in 2002, the tests came back negative. With that, Arthur Leigh Allen was officially ruled out as a suspect. Over the years, investigators have looked into over 2500 persons of interest. There was an obsessed Zodiac fan, a naval officer who hated women, and even a member of the Manson Family cult. But in the end, just like Arthur Leigh Allen, they were all ruled out. In 2004, the murder of Paul Stine was classified as inactive by the sfpd. And while the other Zodiac cases remain open, nothing conclusive has been brought to the authorities in decades. It seems like we may never learn the Zodiac's true identity, and his victims may never get the justice they deserve. But while that part of the story remains a mystery, one thing is clear. The Zodiac, whoever he was, went out of his way to make sure he left his mark on society. And he succeeded. In one of his letters, he said that man is the world's most dangerous animal. But the Zodiac killer proved man is also the world's Most Terrifying Predator. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories. Come back next time for the story of another murder and and all the people it affected. True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and to enhance your murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode early and ad free. We'll be back on Tuesday. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benidon, Natalie Pertofsky, Lori Marinelli, Meredith Allen, Beth Johnson, Sarah Camp and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening. Found something funny?
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Thanks for listening to today's episode. Not sure what to listen to next? Check out America's Most Infamous Crimes hosted by Katie Ring. From serial killers to unsolved mysteries and game changing investigations, each week Katie takes on a notorious criminal case in American history. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes now. Wherever you listen to podcasts,
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