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The zodiac killer essay
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The Unsolved Mystery of The Zodiac Killer
Kathleen Dunne
Criminal Justice Systems in Society
Course Number 101 Section 04, 5514
California State University, Long Beach
Instructor:
Dr. Tracy F. Tolbert, Ph.D.
October 11, 2014
The Unsolved Mystery of The Zodiac Killer During the winter of 1968, the small city of Benicia, California was getting ready to celebrate Christmas. Thought to be one of the happiest times of the year, although, this December would be much different. The families of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jenson were in for an experience they thought they would never encounter. On December 20, 1968, the two young lovers were found dead on a back road in Benicia. The serial killer that called himself the “The Zodiac” was yet to be known amongst northern California, and over the next few years would continue to threat the safety and well being of society with letters, phone calls and violent attacks. Only seven confirmed murders committed by the zodiac were made by police and investigators of which lasted from December 1968 to October 1969. Since this time, many other murders have been proposed as Zodiac cases, including the New York Zodiac Killer, but lack enough evidence to be confirmed as one. The story of The Zodiac shows that we must care about these types of high profile crimes because they take away the lives of many innocent people and effect friends and families of the victim.
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Years after the incident, Michael Mageau who survived the attack was shown a line up of pictures thought to be the Zodiac suspect. When Michael was asked to point to whom he best remembered as the attacker he pointed to a man, Arthur Leigh Allen, who was, and still is the main suspect as thought to be the Zodiac
According to federal law, the term ‘serial killings’ means a series of three or more killings, not less than one of which was committed within the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor or actors. Throughout history, serial killers have always been a fascination among many individuals. On numerous occasions, law enforcement has tried to dive into the psyche of these killers to determine why they kill. There have also been numerous stereotypes placed on serial killers. Typical stereotypes are serial killers are all white males, loners, and that their crimes are driven by sex.
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.
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
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
In the San Francisco Bay Area, many mysterious murders occurred which frightened many people. In the late 1960’s, the Zodiac Killer, was responsible for the victims who were murdered in his attacks. The notorious serial killer was never brought to justice, and his identity is still a mystery. The Zodiac Killer would make threats by phone calls and letters to frighten the community in Northern California. This unknown killer sent coded messages to newspapers in the Bay Area which were later on decoded and explained his motives. There has been many false theories on the identity of the Zodiac Killer,
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. Bibliography Graysmith, Robert Zodiac.
The mysterious person did not have a real name because no one was able to identify him. The murder gave his a name which was the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer was responsible for five murders in California during the late 1960s. The Zodiac Killers first two murders was on December of 1968 in Benicia, California. David Farraday, who was 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, who was 16, were the first two of a series of murders by the Zodiac Killer. The two of them were inside a parked, when the Zodiac Killer came up behind them and shot them. A similar case happened to the next victim of the mysterious killer. The following year, on July 4, 1969, another couple were shot dead in their car, in Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo, California. 22 year old Darlene Ferrin was shot dead, but Michael Mageau, who was 19 years old survived the shots. The strange thing after these murders is that the police received a phone call from an unidentified person that confessed to murdering those people. The next killings occurred two months later, on September 27, 1969. Two couples were also in a parked car in Lake Berryessa in Napa County. Cecelia Shepard and Brian Hartnell were shot at by the killer, but Brian Hartnell, who was 20 years old survived the mu...
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.
A mixed psychopathic serial killer torments the San Francisco Bay area through several random violent killings in the 1960's and 70's while never been caught either. The intelligent serial killer also demands that the local newspapers print his vivid and detailed letters describing the horrifying facts regarding his killings. If they choose to ignore or not take him seriously, he will show them in the form of continued killings how serious he is. Leaving several clues to whoever can rise to the occasion and outsmart him, but always stays one step ahead of the authorities. The Zodiac saw himself as the hunter, but he also was thrilled with getting the chance to play the role of the hunted.
In California, December 20, 1968, Zodiac attacked Betty Lou Jenson and David Faraday. This was his first significant criminal act. In a matter of 2 or 3 minutes, the attack was finished and he drove casually away from the scene. He showed no signs of remorse and seemed very calm about all of his actions. After the attack of these two people-murdering the female-Zodiac would have read about his actions in local newspapers, listened to it on a radio report, or watched it on a local news report on the tv. Seven months later he attacked Darlene Ferrin and Micheal Mageau on July 4, 1969, killing the woman of course. Afterward he phoned the Vallejo Police departement to brag about what he did. He also wrote to three newspapers to brag.
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.
My essay is going to be about the unsolved murders of the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac killer was never discovered and remains unknown to this day. Between 1968 to 1969 he went on to kill 5 people that the police knew about, but claims to have killed up to 37 people in total. But some say it’s just the rambling of a sick man who just craves for attention. On the other hand, they might be people he never spoke about or who has never been investigated. It’s really a question of if he really did kill that many people or was he just making things up. He was really known for sending threats and codes along with letters to newspapers from 1969-1974 to get his message out to the world before disappearing forever. Most of the Zodiacs murders took place
Mrazik, Tina. "The Zodiac Killer" Online. Internet. 1998. Available: href="http://crimelibrary.com/zodiac/zodiac/zodiacmain.html">http://crimelibrary.com/zodiac/zodiac/zodiacmain.htmlWorks Consulted:Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac New York: Berkley Books, 1987. Penn, Gareth. Times Seventeen: The Amazing Story of the Zodiac Murders in California and Massachusetts, 1966-1981 New York: The Foxglove Press, 1987.
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.
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