The Zodiac Killer is one of the most famous unsolved mysteries of all time. He was accused of killing 37 people and was never caught for the crimes he did. He sent letters to San Francisco police taunting them because, they couldn’t find him, but there is one theory about the identity of the Zodiac Killers. This person is believed to of be is Earl Van Best Jr. I will talk about three points, first the police sketch looks very similar to him. Second, his own biological son said he even believed his dad was the killer. Lastly, what my theory about the Zodiac Killer. First, you need to know what the Zodiac did. The Zodiac Killer was connected to at least 5 murders in the San Francisco Bay Area. He could be responsible to even more. He teased the police by making threat letters to the police from 1968 to 1969. The letters where about taunting the police and how they couldn’t find out that he did the murders. Nobody was ever arrested or accused for the killings. The case still remains open. Four separate attacks have been linked to the Zodiac Killer. Let’s get in to how the …show more content…
He gave them the crime scene of his attack but little progress was made. He kept sending letters to the police describing how he killed the victims only the murder would know. He then said he murdered them because it was enjoyable. I think he thought it was kind of like a game. The police never found out the person responsible for writing the letters. But I think I have the answer to this question.Now, I think it’s Earl Van Best Jr. His own biological son even believes it was him. His son is Gary Stewart. Publicists Christ Harris said he saw Best at a diner near one of the attacks in 1969. Harris was working on the documentary Zodiac at the time. He sat down near Best and Best said, “You have no idea what it is like to have killed.” Earl Van Best was also acused of rape and other crimes so it’s likely he did
Ted Bundy was a notorious Florida Serial Killer, convicted of murdering and raping thirty women and girls, and suspected of having more than twenty other victims. After being convicted on July 31st, 1979 of these heinous crimes Bundy was sentenced to death and spent ten years in a Florida penitentiary until he finally faced the electric chair and his sentence was carried out. What kind of background did Ted Bundy have, and what insight might we glean from this? What criminological theories could even begin to explain the reasons behind such heinous crimes? What role, if any, did the seduction of crime have on Ted Bundy’s choice to carry out his killings? Perhaps more is unknown than is known, however, the evidence is clear: Bundy was a born
To better understand the case of Gary Ridgway it is important to comprehend a bit more about serial killers in general. Serial murders are extremely heinous crimes that are known to draw in the attention of the public. Serial murder is “the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period” (Knight). There have been numerous studies done by researchers to try and determine what exactly makes up the mind of a serial killer to lead them to do such things. They have theorized that it may be linked to aspects that are biological, neurological, or sociological; however none of them can be pinpointed as the actual cause (Knight). What theorists have concluded is that it most likely is not just one of those aspects, but a combination of them all as well physiological, psychological, and environmental elements (Knight).
I would like to try and discuss theories and ideas about the Zodiac Killer (1966-1978, 1966 is when the killings started and his letters sent, 1978 was when his letters stopped but the killings unsure about if they stopped). What I have found out is that he killed about 37 or 40 people (he claims to have killed). The Zodiac sent letters to the chief of the SFPD or the News, threatening to kill someone or many people. The Zodiac wrote on some of his letters of how he killed some of his past victims, it explained what he used to kill his victims, to how he used his tools. Some of the letters the Zodiac sent were in ciphers or encrypted; one letter was thought to uncover the name of the Zodiac, but the letter was never cracked. Moving to his victims.
Now this man killed allot of people so this paragraph isn’t for the faint of heart. The first victim will be Paul Lee Stein. He worked as a cab driver in the late 1960s 1968 to be exact. The zodiac hopped in the car of steins cab… A normal customer is all steins must have thought but boy was he wrong…. He asked to get taken across town. About a block before arrival he shot stein in the head with a 9mm. pistol. After he took his wallet keys and a piece of his shirt for proof. Now onto Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin the next victim on the list. She sat in her car with her boyfriend who survived the attack… he must have been devastated by the fact that he couldn’t help what is possibly the love of his life…. When the zodiacs car parked behind them. He got out and shot both multiple times with a 9mm. luger pistol. Later, Ferrin, had a medical professional pronounce her dead. The final victim will be Cecelia Ann Shepard. The zodiac pulled up his car by a couple having a picnic he then said he had just escaped from prison he held tied them up while holding a 45. He stabbed both of them but only Shepard died. As it can see he could be known as a very evil man and killed at weird times as the saying goes expect it when it’s least expect
The Zodiac Killer is an unidentified man who is presumed to be a serial killer that operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Murdering at least five people, but the Zodiac claims to have killed upwards of 37 people in total. In 1969 the Zodiac Killer began sending letters to the Bay Area newspapers, taking credit for the five killings and threatening further violence. The Zodiac Killer would call and send cryptic letters to the law enforcement agencies in Northern California, taunting them since they were unable to bring him to justice. The police had suspects but none that they could ever charge for the murders, due to lack of evidence, so this mystery still remains unsolved. The cultural impact that the Zodiac Killer has had on tv, movies and the media is still around today and has had many shows and movies remade after what this killer did. The cultural impact as well as for the families of the victims still remains today with still no closure, for those families who live in Northern California still there is the fear that crosses the minds on how such an awful criminal was once a part of their society, someone they may
...se events formed two rectangles held together by a solid line. This symbol, whose origin is the same as the Zodiac symbol used by the murderer, symbolizes the afterlife, and is placed on graves to hurry the souls to the afterlife. With Zodiac’s obsession with the afterlife, and the need for slaves in the thereafter, it is hypothesized that he is responsible for close to 100 murders across the area. The most resent developments to the Zodiac case have taken place on the East Coast. In 1998, a string of murders occurred in the New York metro area by someone claiming to be the Zodiac. Though police have assumed that this is a copycat case, it has not been ruled out that the Zodiac may once again be on the move.
But maybe he died, which could explain the end of his communication with California. In the end, he claimed to have killed at least 37 people. People thought Zodiac was unintelligent, but that perception was obviously wrong because he had training in the following areas: explosives, cryptography, astrology, chemistry and guns. He also knew how to prevent leaving fingerprints on crime scenes; he could have learned that from jail. He knew he was clever, and it made him happy to know that the police seemed to be running in circles.
The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer from the late 60’s and early 70’s. The zodiac killer identification was never known. The Zodiac Killer was most famous for killing couples in their car at night. He started his killing spree on October 30, 1966 in San Francisco with his first victim, eighteen-year-old Cheri Jo Bates. Cheri’s throat was cut so deep it almost decapitated her. On November 29, 1966, the Riverside police received a copy of an anonymous letter in the mail. This letter taunted the police about the murder of Cheri Jo Bates and how she will not be the last. (Wilbur R. Miller, 2012) This was his way of being in control and getting his voice heard. Just a few months later he kept to his promise that there will be more death. The Zodiac killer murdered a young couple, David Faraday and Betty Jensen, in Vallejo, California. David was killed by one shot to the head and Betty was shot five times ten feet away from the car. The police suspected Arthur Leigh Allen, a child molester, who fit the description of the Zodiac Killer almost to a T, but there was no incriminating evidence, so he was never charged. The Zodiac Killer was suspected of killing 2,500 people throughout his killing spree, and was never caught. The Zodiac Killer’s reason for killing was that once he killed his victims they would be his slaves in the afterlife. He thought of himself as a “God”, all powerful and all knowing. (Wilbur R.
In 2014, Gary Stewart published the book ‘The Most Dangerous Animal of All’, which he claimed that his father, Earl Van Best, was the Zodiac killer. The police’s evidence on that was the compared resemblance between Mr. Best and the police sketch they had of the so-called Zodiac killer. Also, they claimed that his father’s name appeared in the Zodiac’s cryptograms, and has a scar on his right index finger as would the Zodiac if they would have caught him from a previous crime. Another reason people thought it was Best was that a publicist, Chris Harris had claimed to had seen Mr. Best at a diner near the area of one of the killings. When Harris went into the diner he sat next to a man who resembled best. He also claimed Best turned to him and said: “You have no idea what it’s like to have to kill”. Randy Kenney claimed that it was his friend Louis Myers. He claimed he killed couples because he suffered from romantic rejection. Randy told police officers that Myers went to highschool with two of the victims and worked with one of
Ted Bundy was an American born rapist, a necrophile; a serial killer and a kidnapper who assaulted and murdered several young women during the 1970’s. The criminal kept on denying the charges for more than ten years and later confessed of having committed the thirty homicide crimes in seven different states before his execution (Rule, 2009). Bundy’s handsome and charismatic appearance made it possible for him to easily win the confidence of young women who were always his targets. He broke into the dwellings of his victims at night and bludgeoned them as they slept. He also approached young women in public places where he impersonated as an authority figure or feigned injury on his victim before empowering and assaulting at a more secluded area where he left them dead (Rule, 2009).
Throughout history, America has been the home of serial killers, with more than 2,000 throughout history. In this country, America has encountered many different kinds of these sick people. One of the most infamous serial killers throughout American History was Theodore Robert Bundy, also known as Ted Bundy. On November 24, 1946, in Burlington, Vermont, Theodore Robert Bundy was born. When people think of serial killers, they usually see a dirty, insane looking person that would stand out from the average person. In Bundy’s case it was very different. Ted was a very smart individual who had attended 5 different colleges throughout the United States, studying law and eventually getting his degree in psychology at the University of Washington. Bundy was a very handsome and charming man, unlike most other serial killers. Looking helpless and using his good looks, Bundy was able to lure his victims and would knock them unconscious with an object such as a crowbar or a pipe, then would handcuff them inside his car. Once the victims were under his control he would then proceed in kidnapping, raping, sodomizing, and eventually killing them in very harsh ways. Throughout the 70’s, he raped and murdered young women all across the country. Bundy was said to be connected to at least 36 murders, and suspected to have committed one hundred or more.
Ted Bundy is one of the most infamous, sadistic serial killers known to man. During his tenure as a killer, Bundy confessed to the murders of 30 women, though the official number of kills is unknown to this day. Bundy’s sadistic habits began at an early age due to his rough upbringing and abusive parents. His tactical methods of killing left miniscule amounts of evidence, which remained undetectable by the “still rudimentary forensics techniques of the 1970s” (Crime Museum). Bundy also managed to uphold an impressive “clean-cut appearance” and portrayed characteristics of an “upstanding character” (Crime Museum). Ted Bundy, through the course of a troubled childhood and keen wit, managed to successfully become known as one of the most infamous
His last victim was 12 year old Kimberly Leach. He kidnapped and mutilated her. He was caught because he was arrested for stealing a car. Identifiers at the jail recognized him right away as Ted Bundy. Witnesses said that they saw Bundy lurking around Kimberly’s elementary school, and all around the University of Florida’s campus. Bundy first trial was for the attacks on the sorority girls on campus at the University of Florida. During this trial, Bundy acted as his own attorney, and made it look to the people around watching that he was very mental and insane for doing this. Bundy played his part very well as attorney. People watching said that it was very interesting the way Bundy did this. He knew what he was talking about because he was going to school to become a lawyer. The judges weren't fouled, however. Bundy was found guilty and was given two death sentences. Bundys second trial was the trail for Kimberly Leach. During this trial, he had his own attorney. His posture and overall mood was different than that of the first trial. He just seemed very angry. One of the character witnesses for Bundy at this trial was Carol Boone. She was his girlfriend at the time, and because Bundy wanted to make a statement of his “sanity” he married her during the trial. This surprised almost everyone, but he was still found guilty, and was sentenced to another death
Introduction: On the spectrum of criminal activity, serial killers are rather rare. Rarer still is a serial killer like Ted Bundy. Bundy confessed to killing 28 women in the 1970s in ghastly fashion and some believe he may have killed far more. It is hard to imagine what could cause any person to cross the mental boundary into such macabre behavior as Bundy perpetrated. Nevertheless, it is important to try to understand that behavior because only though such an understanding would society be able to identify and deter mass murderers in order to save lives.
One of America’s infamous serial killers, The Zodiac Killer, also known as Zodiac, murdered victims in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Till this day, the identity of the Zodiac Killer remains unknown and the case is still open with the San Francisco Police Department, in the city of Vallejo, Napa County and Solano County. This notorious killer took pride in taunting law enforcement with coded messages that remain unsolved until today.