Zodiac Killer Research Paper

“This is the Zodiac speaking” he said in the beginning of one of the four letters he sent to the press. He is believed to have killed at least five people. “He taunted police and made threats through letters sent to area newspapers from 1969 to 1974, before abruptly ceasing communication,”(Zodiac 1). No one has ever been arrested for the murders, but many people have been suspected.

The Zodiac Killer is a man who killed in the 1960s and 70s. He was never caught or arrested. He is known to have sent threatening letters to the police and the news papers. The letters had codes explaining what his motive was. “Only one of the letters have been decoded. It Read, ‘I like killing people because it’s so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in

the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all,” (Zodiac 1).

For many reasons Lawrence Kane was the Zodiac Killer. “Lawrence Kane has been described as ‘the best Zodiac suspect’ by accusers who claim that he was identified by nine witnesses, including the sisters of a victim,” (Larry 1). Before the attacks Lawrence suffered brain damage when he had a severe car accident in 1962. He was accused of following Zodiac victim Darlene Lass.
Kane would have knowledge of coding because he spent time in the United States Naval reserves in 1943. He was also accused theft and grand larceny. But he there is not enough evidence to arrest him of killing.

After months of research investigators suspected Richard Gaikowski of being The Zodiac Killer. Gaikowski was a newspaper journalist and filmmaker. The police got informed by an informant that goes by the code name “Goldcatcher”, that worked with Gaikowski at a newspaper. The “Goldcatcher” thought that Richard knew too much about the murders.
As a newspaper reporter Gaikowski was determined to write about the county jail from the view of an inmate. But by the time he became a zodiac suspect 20 years later his fingerprint records were long gone. “Gaikowski was a member of a pro violence counterculture newspaper and commune in San Francisco called Good Times. During that period of time, Richard was known to smoke pot and use drugs,”(Zodiac 1)
“Stine was killed on San Francisco's Washington Street.

Only one Gaikowski was listed in a city directory at that time, Richard's cousin, and she lived on Washington Street. Her birthday was October 11, the very day Stine was murdered by the Zodiac. Stine -- a cab driver was the one victim whom the Zodiac could choose when and where he would be killed,” (Could 1).

Although there are many Zodiac Killer suspects but, Arthur Leigh Allen is the best. Arthur Allen was the only suspect that the police was able get search warrants for. But no evidence was strong enough to be able to arrest him for the killings.

“Don Cheney was the first to alert police to Allen as a possible suspect, after numerous conversations he had with Allen apparently suggested a link to the crimes, supposedly telling Cheney he wanted to 'kill couples at random', 'call himself Zodiac' and 'would use a flashlight attached to his gun to aid hunting at night',”(Arthur 1).

“He liked to brag about being a suspect in the Zodiac case and didn't hide his interest in the case in the slightest,”(Suspects 1). He also had great interests in guns, police, and psychology of criminals. All of those interests that Allen has were the same as those of the Zodiac

Killer.

In conclusion the Zodiac Killer’s identity is still unknown to this day. With witnesses’ descriptions police were able to create and publicize a sketch of the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer continued to send taunting letters until 1974 when he abruptly stopped communication. In the letters he wrote ciphers, and mocked the police for their inability to catch him. He has never been identified or caught and it remains an unsolved mystery.