Was the Zodiac Killer ever caught? Serial killer case explained

Netflix’s new documentary This is the Zodiac Speaking has reopened one of the most well-known true crime cases of all time. But was the Zodiac Killer ever caught?

If you’re a seasoned true crime buff, you’ll likely be familiar with the Zodiac Killer moniker, even if you don’t know the full case. For newbies, Netflix docu-series This is the Zodiac Speaking has thrust the killings back into the spotlight.

It’s one of the most famous serial killer cases of all time, with a series of murders taking place across California between 1968-1969. He identified himself with the infamous Zodiac symbol, sending police through a series of “games” to evade capture.

But did the case ever get solved? Here’s everything you need to know about whether the Zodiac Killer was actually caught.

The Zodiac Killer was never caught

There are several reasons why the Zodiac Killer was never caught, including inaccurate descriptions, ill-equipped police, and the case’s biggest suspect – Arthur Leigh Allen – dying in 1992.

Witness descriptions didn’t match up

The first major issue was that nobody could seem to agree on what the killer looked like – even though in one instance, an entire group of teenagers witnessed an attack unfold.

Zodiac’s final confirmed death happened in San Francisco in 1969 on a busy street, meaning multiple people saw him shoot cab driver Paul Stine in the back of the head. Police were even alerted while the attack itself was still in progress.

However, witness accounts greatly vary. Survivor Michael Mageau described a “heavyset, pot-bellied white man with a round face” who was thought to be 5’8″. Three teenage onlookers described him as “husky,” while dispatchers reported he was Black. When they later stopped a white man in a black jacket, who matched earlier reports, they let him go free.

On top of this, the infamous composite sketch released later completely contradicted Mageau’s statement.

Nobody could work out the Zodiac’s letters

The first letters from the synonymous killer were released in 1969 and were best known for their use of Zodiac symbols and ciphers. While the first letter Z408 was quickly worked out by amateurs, later ones like Z340 took about 50 years to solve, aided by modern technology.

In fact, it was the decoding of, “I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner,” found in 2020 which led to the new true crime documentary being made. “This is the Zodiac speaking,” also accounts for its title.

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Police weren’t equipped to deal with the games

As the lack of descriptions shows, the killer completely evaded the police in the late 1960s. Because most departments were acting locally, each had a completely separate method for trying to track him down, which wasn’t shared with anyone else. San Francisco PD might have had information different from Vallejo County, meaning vital details were likely being overlooked.

On top of this, neither police techniques nor technology were sophisticated enough to keep up with the Zodiac games, which the killer used to his advantage. Officers tried to handle a new approach instead of sticking to tested measures… and coupled with a lack of cohesion, you can see why things panned out the way they did.

Arthur Leigh Allen died before later discoveries

The biggest suspect of them all, Arthur Leigh Allen, was the only suspect officially named by police in the 1970s. A convicted child abuser, he was connected to third victim Darlene Ferrin largely through circumstantial evidence.

However, this got more complicated when Mageau picked him out of a lineup in 1992 but was contradicted by police officer Donald Fouke, who insisted Allen was heavier than the culprit.

Allen also matched up to various letter decoding clues, including grammatical mistakes and the size of the letters. He died in 1992, though later 2002 evidence suggested his DNA failed to match samples from the stamps.

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How many people did he kill?

Five victims were confirmed to be killed by the Zodiac Killer – but unofficially, the number could be as high as 37.

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The first confirmed attack happened on December 20, 1968, by Lake Herman in California. David Arthur Faraday, 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, 16, were both shot and killed.

It wasn’t until July 4, 1969, that the killer’s third victim died, with 22-year-old Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin shot in the parking lot of Blue Rock Springs Park, Vallejo. This was followed by Cecelia Ann Shepard, also 22, who was stabbed on September 27 in Napa County.

The final confirmed victim was cab driver Stine, shot in the back of the head in San Francisco.

However, there are other unconfirmed victims who have been linked to the same serial killer, though no evidence has ever been able to confirm this.

Examples include Robert Domingos (18), and Linda Edwards (17) who were shot and killed on a beach near Gaviota on June 4, 1963. They were identified as potential Zodiac victims due to similarities between the deaths and the Lake Berryessa attacks six years later.

18-year-old Cheri Jo Bates is another possibility, stabbed and almost decapitated near Riverside City College in 1966. Her connection to the serial killer came much later, after reporter Paul Avery received a tip.

While it was after the official killings ended, 25-year-old Donna Lass is another potential victim. She died in 1970 in Stateline, Nevada, but was connected to the Zodiac Killer after a postcard was interpreted to claim her as included by the Chronicle.

Did anyone survive his attacks?

Bryan Calvin Hartnell and Michael Renault Mageau managed to survive their injuries after being attacked by the Zodiac killer. However, there is also a third suspected escapee.

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Survivor Bryan C. Hartnell had a cameo role in Zodiac (2007)

Hartnell survived his injuries after being attacked alongside Cecelia Ann Shepard, while Mageau was with Darlene Ferrin.

While Shepard was shot and died from her injuries two days after the attack, the killer switched to a knife to attack Hartnell. He was interviewed a day after Shepard’s death on September 30, claiming he was “convinced” he was going to die.

“My real concern is that he doesn’t do this again,” Hartnell continued. “I would like some people saved from this experience.”

Hartnell later became a lawyer and stayed in California. In the 2007 movie Zodiac, you can see Hartnell’s brief cameo at the courthouse.

As we’ve explored already, Mageau was extremely cooperative with police after the 1969 Vallejo attack, but was later contradicted by police officer reports. He was shot in the jaw, shoulder, and leg after a driver got out of a nearby car to attack them.

At the time, the San Francisco Examiner reported a man contacting the Vallejo Police Department to take responsibility for the shooting, alongside the Lake Herman murders. Nothing came of this, though the first Zodiac letters were released soon after.

The third suspected escapee was 22-year-old Kathleen Johns, allegedly abducted on Highway 132 in March 22, 1970. She escaped from the car of a man who drove her and her small daughter for almost two hours. The Zodiac Killer later took credit for the attack.

Who was accused of being the Zodiac Killer?

In total, nine men have been accused of being the Zodiac Killer, with Allen being the most prominent suspect.

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Aside from Allen, the following men have been touted as potential suspects since 1969:

Joseph “Giuseppe” Bevilacqua: Retired Army sergeant targeted by an Italian journalist as simultaneously being Zodiac and the “Monster of Florence.” Police closed their investigation in 2021.

Paul Alfred Doerr: How to Find Zodiac author Jarett Kobek believed Doerr to be the culprit after similarities emerged between Zodiac letters and one sent by Doerr to a sci-fi magazine. He died in 2007 and the police never looked into him.

Richard “Rick” Marshall: Linked to the Cheri Jo Bates murder after living in the area and being a known fan of The Red Phantom, something mentioned in the letters. He denied any involvement in 1989, which was backed up by police.

Gary F. Poste: When The Case Breakers announced they’d ‘solved’ the murders in 2021, they named Poste as their suspect, claiming his name to be featured in multiple ciphers. He was also linked to Bates’ murder, despite not being linked by any physical or DNA evidence.

Ross Sullivan: Another suspect linked to the Bates murder case, he allegedly bore resemblance to sketches while making colleagues feel “uncomfortable.” He moved to Northern California in 1967 and died in 1977, which is around the same time all letters and killings stopped.

Earl Van Best Jr.: Accused by son Gary Stewart in the 2014 book The Most Dangerous Animal Of All. Stewart conducted a thorough investigation into this for the book, speaking to over 500 experts who confirmed Best’s handwriting was near-identical to the letters. Stewart never knew his parents, but Best was released from prison in 1965 after being charged with fraud and assault of a minor.

Richard Gaikowski: A reporter and editor working in the Bay Area from 1963. He resembled the Steine composite sketch and became Tom Voigt’s top suspect. Zodiac ciphers also claimed to hold his identity. Voigt later explained that the FBI investigated Gaikowski, but dismissed him after hearing reports he was out of the country. He was later admitted to Napa State Mental Hospital in 1971, dying in 2004.

Lawrence Kane: The man Johns identified as her abductor. Darlene Ferrin’s sister Linda also identified him as a man who once harassed her at a restaurant. Donald Fouke also added Kane resembled the sketch more than any other potential suspect they encountered. Kane was arrested for voyeurism in 1961 and prowling in 1968, later diagnosed with impulse-control disorder after suffering brain injuries in 1962. He died in 2010.

This is the Zodiac Speaking is available to stream on Netflix now. For more true crime news, read about Worst Ex Ever’s most infuriating episode, the details left out of the Menendez brothers documentary, and the most shocking moments in Mr McMahon.

You can also check out more TV shows streaming this month.