Zodiac Killer Research Paper

One of America’s greatest unsolved mysteries is the killings of the Zodiac Killer. This criminal not only murdered innocent people on the street, but also taunted the police in his numerous notes and letters. This man terrorized the streets of California for over 5 years in the sixties and seventies before seemingly disappearing from society. Although many people have come forward with evidence, there have still been no arrests made in the case of the attention craving Zodiac Killer, yet the investigation that took place is one of the most intense in history. Due to the fact that the Zodiac Killer was never caught, there is no information on his early life and background. However, there are many things we can learn about him simply by the

This killer claimed that he had killed 37 people in his letters, but there are only four confirmed attacks that resulted in the deaths of five people and the injury or two (Staff). On December 20, 1968 the bodies of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were found in their car on Lake Herman Road in Vallejo, California. David, 17 at the time, was shot point blank in the head as he was forced out of the car. Betty Lou, who was 16, attempted to run and was shot five times in the back during her escape. Both died at the scene, and the police were unable to find any motive in the killings. The next killing took place months later on July 5, 1969 when Darlene Ferrin, 22, and Mike Mageau, 19, were also shot in their car at Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo, California. Ferrin was killed and Mageau was seriously injured when a man with a flashlight walked up to their car and fired several shots into the car. However, Mageau survived the attack and was able to give the police of the killer’s face. About an hour later, the Vallejo police received a call from a man who took responsibility for the attack, and he also claimed to have killed Faraday and Jensen in a previous murder. Although the police had fingerprints and a description, they were still unable to identify the murderer. On September 27, 1969 the Zodiac Killer once again attacked a young couple on the shore

There have been wild grasps made by people in order to try to figure out this mystery. Some believe that the Zodiac was a member of the Manson family, while others make wild accusations at random people such as Ted Cruz (“Zodiac Killer”). However, there are many people who were actually people of interest in these murders. One of these suspects was a man named Lawrence Kane (“The Zodiac Killer Profile”). He suffered a brain injury that could have affected his personality, and a detective claimed that his name was hidden in one of the ciphers. Also, an officer said that Kane looked like a man he had seen fleeing the scene of Paul Stine’s murder. One of the most convincing theories was of a man named Arthur Leigh Allen. Allen had told a close friend of his urge to kill people, and he also owned the same caliber gun that was used in the Zodiac killings. Upon searching Allen’s car, the police discovered bloody knives that Allen later claimed was used for killing chickens. He was even identified by a victim as the man who had shot him while he was in his car. Although this seems like solid evidence, Allen was ruled out after the authorities discovered that neither his DNA nor handwriting matched that of the Zodiac killer (Beck). The police will most likely never be able to find the killer simply because of how long ago the murders took place. If the Zodiac had been caught, he would