Zodiac Killer
Unidentified serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Zodiac Killer is the pseudonym of an unidentified individual who murdered at least five people in the San Francisco Bay Area between December 1968 and October 1969. The killer attacked seven individuals across four separate incidents, targeting three couples and a taxi driver in Benicia, Vallejo, unincorporated Napa County, and San Francisco. Two of the seven victims survived their attacks. The first confirmed murders occurred on December 20, 1968, when high school students David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were shot and killed on Lake Herman Road in Benicia. On July 4–5, 1969, Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin were shot in Vallejo; Mageau survived, but Ferrin died. On September 27, 1969, Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were stabbed at Lake Berryessa in Napa County; Hartnell survived, while Shepard died two days later. The final confirmed murder was of taxi driver Paul Stine, shot on October 11, 1969, in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood.
Beginning in 1969, the Zodiac sent over twenty letters to newspapers, police, and attorney Melvin Belli. The letters, postmarked from San Francisco and Pleasanton, claimed responsibility for the murders, included details known only to police, and threatened further violence if the letters were not published. The writer first identified himself as “The Zodiac” in a letter dated August 4, 1969, and signed all correspondence with a crosshair-like symbol. Four of the mailings contained cryptograms; two were solved—one in 1969 and another in 2020—while two remain unsolved. The last confirmed letter arrived at the San Francisco Chronicle in 1974, in which the Zodiac claimed to have killed 37 people. Despite numerous theories, the only suspect publicly named by police was Arthur Leigh Allen, a former teacher and convicted sex offender who died in 1992. The case was marked inactive by San Francisco police in 2004 but reopened in 2006; it remains open with the California Department of Justice, the FBI, and local law enforcement.
- field
- Serial killer
- nationality
- Unknown
- known_for
- Unsolved murders and cryptogram letters to Bay Area newspapers
- victims
- At least five confirmed dead, two survivors
- status
- Unidentified; case open
Verified Timeline
Quick Facts
- Fatalities
- 5 (confirmed) · 37 (claimed)
- Injuries
- 2 (confirmed)
- Criminal Status
- Unidentified
- Country
- United States
- States
- California
- Beginyear
- 1968
- Endyear
- 1969
- Motive
- Unclear
- Locations
- San Francisco Bay Area · Napa Valley
- Weapons
- 9 mm pistol (2 different weapons) · .22 caliber pistol · 10–12-inch knife
- Wanted By
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Zodiac's first confirmed murders were the shootings of high school students David Arthur Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) on December 20, 1968, on Lake Herman Road in Benicia. Between 11:05 and 11:10 p.m., the killer fired several shots, hitting Faraday in the head with a .22-caliber pistol and firing six shots at Jensen's back as she fled; only one missed. Both died. On July 4–5, 1969, Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin (22) and Michael Renault Mageau (19) were shot in the parking lot of Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo. The killer used a 9mm pistol, firing multiple times. Ferrin died at Kaiser Foundation Hospital; Mageau survived. The killer phoned Vallejo police from a payphone two blocks from headquarters at 12:40 a.m., saying, 'I want to report a double murder... I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye.' On September 27, 1969, Bryan Calvin Hartnell (20) and Cecelia Ann Shepard (22) were stabbed at Lake Berryessa in Napa County. Hartnell survived; Shepard died from her injuries on September 29 at Queen of the Valley Hospital. On October 11, 1969, Paul Lee Stine (29) was shot and killed in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.
Reader's Guide
The Zodiac Killer's significance lies in the enduring mystery of his identity and the cultural impact of his correspondence. From 1969 to 1974, the Zodiac sent over twenty letters to newspapers, police, Chronicle writer Paul Avery, and attorney Melvin Belli. In the first sentence of the third letter, the writer identified himself as 'This is The Zodiac speaking,' and signed all his letters with a symbol resembling the crosshairs of a gunsight. Four of the mailings included cryptograms; only two have been solved—one in 1969 and one in 2020. The letters threatened bombings and more murders if the newspapers did not print his letters, and the Zodiac claimed to have killed 37 people in his last letter. The case became one of the most famous unsolved cases in American history, inspiring amateur detectives worldwide. The only suspect police named was Arthur Leigh Allen, a former elementary school teacher and convicted sex offender who died in 1992. In 2004, the San Francisco Police Department marked the case 'inactive,' but subsequently re-opened the case in 2006. The California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the city of Vallejo, and the Napa and Solano county sheriffs maintain the case status as 'open.'
Did You Know?
- The Zodiac's first confirmed murders were the shootings of high school students David Arthur Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) on December 20, 1968, on Lake Herman Road in Benicia.
- Two of the Zodiac's four cryptograms were decrypted—one in 1969 and one in 2020; the other two remain unsolved.
- The Zodiac's last letter was received by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1974, in which he claimed to have killed 37 people.
- The only suspect police named was Arthur Leigh Allen, a former elementary school teacher and convicted sex offender who died in 1992.
- The San Francisco Police Department marked the case inactive in 2004 but re-opened it in 2006; other agencies still list it as open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Zodiac Killer?
The Zodiac Killer is an unidentified serial murderer who struck in the San Francisco Bay Area during 1968 and 1969, killing at least five people. The attacker has never been caught or publicly named, making the case one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history.
What are the Zodiac Killer's confirmed victims?
At least five people were killed across four separate attacks on couples and a taxi driver in Benicia, Vallejo, Napa County, and San Francisco. Two additional victims survived their encounters with the killer.
What made the Zodiac case famous beyond the murders themselves?
The killer gained notoriety by mailing letters and coded messages to Bay Area newspapers, taunting police and claiming additional kills. These cryptograms, particularly the famous Z40 cipher, became a lasting puzzle for the public.
What is the current status of the Zodiac case?
The case remains officially open and unsolved, with the killer's identity still unknown. No one has been formally charged in connection with the confirmed murders.
When and where did the Zodiac killings occur?
The confirmed attacks took place between December 1968 and October 1969 across the San Francisco Bay Area. The locations spanned Benicia, Vallejo, unincorporated Napa County, and San Francisco itself.
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