San Francisco has undeniably faced some turbulent events in its storied history. But it hasn’t quite let go of one particularly notable case that has never been cracked: the great unsolved mystery in San Francisco of the Zodiac Killer.
The Zodiac Strikes
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, a string of murders throughout the San Francisco Bay Area became linked to one unknown suspect. He became simply known as the Zodiac Killer, a nickname he gave himself in letters he sent to local press. These letters included four cryptograms—only one of which has since been deciphered, by a couple in Salinas.
The Victims
In letters he sent to the Vallejo Times Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, and The San Francisco Examiner, the Zodiac Killer claimed to have committed 37 murders, but there are still only 7 confirmed deaths, including three young couples (in Benicia, Vallejo, and Napa), and a cab driver in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco.
The Suspects
Several suspects have been named over the years, including former elementary-school teacher Arthur Leigh Allen and even the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski. This is a police sketch of the suspect from 1969.
More Claims
Many people have claimed to be related to the Zodiac Killer. In 2014, Louisiana man Gary Stewart claimed his biological father, Earl Van Best, Jr., who died in 1984, was the Zodiac Killer. His arguments were put together in the book The Most Dangerous Animal of All. Many believe his evidence doesn't quite hold up, though.
Could It Be Ted Cruz?
A meme started earlier this year placing 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz as the killer (even though he was born in 1970). Well, we can’t rule out anyone at this point. Thank you @Yolo_Tengo for this masterpiece here.
Hollywood’s Version
David Fincher directed the 2007 film Zodiac based on two books written by the political cartoonist Robert Graysmith (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), who worked at the San Francisco Chronicle when the Zodiac Killer was active. He became obsessed with the case after attempting to decode the cryptic letters.
The case of the Zodiac Killer remains open in San Francisco, Vallejo, and Napa and Solano Counties, and it’s still the area’s number one unsolved mystery.
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