Zodiac Killer

Lore & Background

The Zodiac's first confirmed murders were the shootings of high school students David Arthur Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20, 1968, on Lake Herman Road in Benicia. The killer attacked again on July 4–5, 1969, shooting Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin in Vallejo; Ferrin died, Mageau survived. On September 27, 1969, the Zodiac stabbed Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard at Lake Berryessa; Shepard died, Hartnell survived. The final confirmed murder was the shooting of taxi driver Paul Stine on October 11, 1969, in San Francisco.

Reader's Guide

The Zodiac Killer's significance lies in the combination of murders, taunting letters, and unsolved cryptograms that have captivated the public and law enforcement for decades. The killer sent over twenty letters from 1969 to 1974, including four cryptograms, only two of which have been decrypted (in 1969 and 2020). The letters claimed responsibility for the murders and threatened further violence. Despite numerous theories, the only suspect 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; other agencies still list it as open. The Zodiac has become a fixture of popular culture, and amateur detectives continue to search for the killer's identity.

Did You Know?

• The Zodiac's first confirmed murders were of teenagers David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20, 1968.
• Two of the Zodiac's seven victims survived: Michael Mageau and Bryan Hartnell.
• The Zodiac's last confirmed letter was received by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1974, claiming 37 victims.
• Only two of the Zodiac's four cryptograms have been solved, in 1969 and 2020.