This video is a detailed exploration of the Zodiac Killer case, one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in the United States. The video covers the crimes, the killer's claims, the letters exchanged with the press, and the various theories surrounding the identity of the Zodiac Killer.
The Zodiac Killer terrorized Northern California in the late 60s and early 70s, claiming to have killed 37 people in total. The first crime was a fatal shooting of two young people in a parked car. Subsequent crimes involved a murder-suicide at a remote location, a double homicide with a serial killer-style attack, and a cab driver shot in the head by his passenger. The killer left cryptic notes or letters at the crime scenes, which were widely publicized and led to a massive police investigation.
Theories about the identity of the Zodiac Killer include Gary Stewart's belief that his father, Earl Van Best Jr., was the killer, and Robert Graysmith's theory that Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac Killer. Both theories are based on circumstantial evidence and have been widely discussed and debunked.
The video also mentions a third theory by retired Escalon, California police officer, Harvey Hines, who believes Lawrence Kaye, more commonly known by the surname Kane, was the Zodiac Killer.
Despite extensive investigation and numerous leads, the identity of the Zodiac Killer remains unknown. The case remains one of the most enduring and fascinating unsolved mysteries in American history.
1. The narrator is discussing the Zodiac Killer case, which took place in the late 60s and early 70s in Northern California. The killer claimed to have killed 37 people in total.
2. The first crime committed by the Zodiac Killer occurred around December 20, 1968, when 17-year-old David Faraday and 16-year-old Betty Lou Jensen were shot and killed while sitting in a parked car in a gravel parking area off Lake Herman Road.
3. The Zodiac Killer's next crime was committed on July 4, 1969, at around midnight near Blue Rock Springs Park, only a few minutes away from the previous crime. The Zodiac Killer approached a parked car with a flashlight, shooting 22-year-old Darlene Ferrin and 19-year-old Michael Mageau before walking away and coming back to shoot them both again.
4. On August 1, 1969, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner, and the Vallejo Times Harold all received identical hand-written letters from someone claiming to be the killer. The letters revealed specific details about the murders to prove that the writer was in fact the killer.
5. The Zodiac Killer claimed that the cracked codes would reveal his identity. On August 8, 1969, the code was cracked by a couple in Salinas, CA. It reads, "I like killing 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 to kill."
6. On September 27, 1969, in Napa, California, 22-year-old Cecelia Shepard and 20-year-old Bryan Hartnell were picnicking on the shore of Lake Berryessa when Cecelia saw a man hiding behind a nearby tree and staring at her.
7. On October 11, 1969, just before 10 PM in San Francisco, California, at the intersection of Washington and Cherry, a cab driver Paul Stine was shot in the head by his passenger.
8. In 2002, the San Francisco police department was able to extract a partial genetic profile from a Zodiac letter from the saliva on the stamp. The profile was not enough to conclusively identify a single person, but enough to eliminate potential suspects.
9. The first theory is from Gary Stewart who believes that his father, Earl Van Best Jr., was the Zodiac killer.
10. The second and most famous theory is from Robert Graysmith who believes that Arthur Leigh Allen is the Zodiac Killer. This theory is the basis for the 2007 film, The Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith.
11. Arthur Leigh Allen's DNA was compared against the 2002 DNA extracted from stamp saliva on a Zodiac letter, it was not a match. However, it's also believed that Allen had a habit for letting others lick his stamps instead of him, which would explain why the profile didn't match him.