The Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac Killer was an unidentified serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He claimed responsibility for 37 murders in letters to newspapers; five confirmed victims have been attributed to him. His letters included cryptograms, some of which remain unsolved.
The killer sent dozens of letters to Bay Area newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner, taunting police and the press. The letters included coded ciphers, some of which were solved (including by an amateur codebreaker in 2020 who decoded the 340-character cipher that had resisted solution since 1969).
Despite being one of the most investigated cold cases in American history, the Zodiac Killer was never identified. The case inspired David Fincher's 2007 film Zodiac, based on the book by Robert Graysmith, and has generated more amateur investigation than almost any other unsolved case in the world.
Frequently asked questions
Was the Zodiac Killer ever caught?
No. The Zodiac Killer was never identified or caught. The case remains one of the most famous unsolved serial murder cases in American history. Several suspects have been proposed over the decades but none has been established.
How many people did the Zodiac Killer kill?
The Zodiac Killer claimed 37 murders in his letters. Law enforcement has confirmed five victims: David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen (December 1968), Darlene Ferrin (July 1969), Cecelia Shepard (September 1969), and Paul Stine (October 1969). Other attacks are attributed to him with varying degrees of certainty.