Valley of Shadows: “The Dahlia Zodiac Connection: Part One”

Podcast Crossover Sneak Peek: Crimes of the Times – L.A. Times Studios
Air Date: April 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This special episode delivers an exclusive preview of the new season of Crimes of the Times from the L.A. Times Studios, focusing on an astonishing potential link between two of California's most infamous unsolved murders: The Zodiac killings and the Black Dahlia case. Journalist Christopher Goffard interviews amateur codebreaker Alex Baber, whose obsession with puzzles—and an AI-driven approach—leads to a new suspect in both the Zodiac and Black Dahlia cases. Central to this investigation is Baber's claimed solution to the Zodiac's Z13 cipher, a code that has eluded professional and amateur cryptologists for decades.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Introduction to Crimes of the Times and the Zodiac/Black Dahlia Mystery

• [02:32 – 03:22] Betsy Shepard (Valley of Shadows co-host) introduces the crossover and Christopher Goffard’s exploration into unsolved L.A. crimes.
  • Focus for the season: the possibility that an amateur codebreaker, Alex Baber, has identified a name embedded in the Zodiac killer's Z13 cipher—potentially linking Zodiac to the Black Dahlia case.

The Zodiac’s Z13 Cipher: The Ultimate Puzzle

• [03:34 – 04:39] Christopher Goffard provides context for the Zodiac case and the infamous Z13 cipher, which may have contained the killer’s real name.
  • Quote: “In this letter, the Zodiac wrote the words, ‘my name is’, followed by a 13-character string of letters and symbols. ... It became the ultimate prize in Zodiac studies because it promised to reveal the killer's identity.” – Christopher Goffard [04:12]
  • The cipher’s brevity made it uniquely difficult to solve.

Alex Baber: A New Kind of Sleuth

• [04:39 – 06:07] Introduction to Alex Baber—a self-described modern-day Sherlock Holmes with no formal law enforcement or investigative credentials, but armed with relentless curiosity and computational tools.
  • Baber is a firehose of information, driven by both confidence and a history of autism-fueled obsession.
  • Quote: “I am confident in my ability and my skills.” – Alex Baber [06:28]
  • Baber is widely criticized for lacking traditional credentials but remains undeterred.

The Method: AI, Massive Data, and a Singular Obsession

• [06:07 – 08:03] Baber details using artificial intelligence to generate 71 million possible solutions to the Z13 before filtering down based on known Zodiac details and public records.
  • Quote: “I was able to eliminate 93, almost 94% of the field just on the fact that the combinations of names did not correlate with a real world individual.” – Alex Baber [04:39]
  • Quote: “You have somewhat of a gift … you’re just pissing it away. ... I started purchasing these books online for forensics, fingerprint analysis, handwriting, building my expertise in multiple fields.” – Alex Baber [07:27]

The Breakthrough: Marvin Merrill aka Marvin Margolis

• [08:03 – 09:02] Baber claims the cipher’s answer is “Marvin Merrill,” the alias of Marvin Margolis, who died in Santa Barbara in 1993.
  • The name “Marvin Margolis” surfaces as a connection to both the Zodiac and the Black Dahlia (Elizabeth Short’s 1947 murder).
  • Is Margolis the secret link the cases share?

Raising the Stakes: Doubt, Debate, and Why It Matters

• [09:02 – 10:15] Christopher Goffard outlines how Baber’s suspect escaped notice for decades, questioning why “generations of professional detectives, obsessive amateur crime solvers, historians and crime writers” overlooked Margolis as a suspect in either case.
  • The following Crimes of the Times episodes will examine the evidence for—and against—Margolis as the Zodiac and Black Dahlia killer.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “It became the ultimate prize in Zodiac studies because it promised to reveal the killer's identity.”
  — Christopher Goffard, on the Z13 cipher [04:12]

• “I am confident in my ability and my skills.”
  — Alex Baber, on his investigative style [06:28]

• "I was able to eliminate 93, almost 94% of the field just on the fact that the combinations of names did not correlate with a real world individual."
  — Alex Baber, on using AI to narrow the suspect pool [04:39]

• “Is it possible the same man was behind both cases, which on the surface seem wildly dissimilar?”
  — Christopher Goffard, linking the Zodiac and Black Dahlia through the name Marvin Margolis [08:45]

• "You have somewhat of a gift ... you’re just pissing it away."
  — Alex Baber, recalling his motivation to self-educate in criminology [07:27]

Important Timestamps

• [02:32] Introduction to Crimes of the Times and season focus by Betsy Shepard
• [03:34] Zodiac killings and the Z13 cipher background
• [04:39] Baber describes using AI and narrowing the field of suspects
• [06:28] Baber addresses critics and his investigative personality
• [07:27] Baber’s background, struggles with acceptance, and self-education
• [08:03] The breakthrough: Marvin Merrill/Margolis identified in cipher
• [09:02] Christopher Goffard frames the stakes of Baber’s theory for the rest of the series

Conclusion

This episode introduces a new and provocative theory in true crime: that amateur codebreaker Alex Baber may have found the Zodiac Killer’s real name—“Marvin Merrill,” a.k.a. Marvin Margolis—by harnessing AI and relentless deduction. Baber’s methodology and the supposed link to the Black Dahlia case will be scrutinized in the coming episodes of Crimes of the Times. Whether this represents a genuine historic breakthrough or a captivating tangent of “Zodiacology” is left for listeners—and the reporting—to determine.

For the full investigation, listen to the new season of Crimes of the Times on your preferred podcast platform. This summary covers only the main content; advertisements and non-content elements have been excluded.