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Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

fox13now.com

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Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#41

Post by apeace »

lqet wrote: post #26
Ansil849 wrote: post #8

I feel like at least twice a year, there is some story like "Zodiac Killer Finally Identified" or "DB Cooper Finally Found". And behind these stories is usually just one person or group of people who are presenting their pet theory (which highlighted all facts supporting it, and conveniently brushes aside all facts which don't) and have savy media contacts so are able to get media exposure to help promote what's freq…

I find this quite convincing: > In one note, the letters of Poste's full name were removed to reveal an alternate message, [Jen Bucholtz, a former Army counterintelligence agent] told Fox News. > "So you've got to know Gary's full name in order to decipher these anagrams," Bucholtz said. "I just don't think there's any other way anybody would have figured it out."

This would indeed be convincing, but I can't seem to find any further information on it.

Here is the Case Breaker's blog announcement[1]. And here is a press release from them with some details of their work[2].

I'd really like to see this in action, but it seems like they haven't published it yet. Am I missing it?

[1] https://thecasebreakers.org/2021/09/the-last-zodiac-victim/

[2] https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.114.250/g9q.07b.myftpuplo...

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#42

Post by lqet »

amatecha wrote: post #27

"For the full story, and more evidence from the Case Breakers, visit"[0] Can we update the link to just go to the full story rather than the summarized version? (sorry, I know it's kinda "offtopic" but that just bugged me starting to read and just being redirected to another site) [0] https://www.foxnews.com/us/cold-case-zodiac-killer-identifie...

By far the most interesting takeaway from the full FOX news article is that it seems possible that the Zodiac Killer was actually a group of people:

> Hans Smits told Fox News he spent 10 years hiding a whistleblower who said he escaped a criminal "posse" headed by Poste [now identified as the Zodiac]. The man, who The Case Breakers only referred to as Wil, told Smits the posse roamed California's High Sierra region and that he was "groomed into a killing machine."

> In addition, Wil said he witnessed Poste burying murder weapons in the woods, Smits said.

> "They put out several bear caches out there in case something happened," Smits said.

> Smits said he gave Wil financial, logistical and emotional support over the years and moved him around for nearly 10 years in an effort to keep him safe.

> Despite being dead for three years, some people are mysteriously still loyal to him, said Michelle, who also declined to provide her last name.

> "He targeted young men who didn't have a father figure," she said. "It was a posse of three but the one [Poste] did a lot of damage. He still has some kind of control… and he's gone."

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#43

Post by bickeringyokel »

darepublic wrote: post #12

Time for another zodiac movie, this time including the subsequent murders and the eventual posthumous uncovering of the murderer. No matter how convincing the evidence it's just not satisfactory that the guy can't be tried.

Can't wait for Hollywood to make the new movie and change all the details of this new evidence for entertainment value.

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#44

Post by Diederich »

nobody9999 wrote: post #24
jmnicolas wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget Jack The Ripper!

>Don't forget Jack The Ripper! That's a mystery long solved, friend[0]. [0] https://babylon5.fandom.com/wiki/Sebastian#History

Emmy award nominated Babylon 5 episode! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comes_the_Inquisitor

One of the best, among many, of the series.

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#45

Post by speedybird »

ljm wrote: post #20

I imagine the Zodiac Killer was actually more than one person. Of course, this was back in the time when creating attractive codewords for dangerous criminals was the norm. Who's to say that the coded messages sent to newspapers weren't actually meant for other people involved in the activity?

The coded messages were handwritten. To my eye, they have the same handwriting. Occam's Razor is just a rule of thumb, but I think it applies here.

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#46

Post by colpabar »

amatecha wrote: post #27

"For the full story, and more evidence from the Case Breakers, visit"[0] Can we update the link to just go to the full story rather than the summarized version? (sorry, I know it's kinda "offtopic" but that just bugged me starting to read and just being redirected to another site) [0] https://www.foxnews.com/us/cold-case-zodiac-killer-identifie...

It's fox news, it would get flagged immediately. Using the local station seems to have bought some time.

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#47

Post by mjburgess »

bena wrote: post #19
mauz wrote: post #9

Looking at the press release [1], it still feels relatively circumstantial to me. Not sure that we can deem the Zodiac Killer to be fully identified yet. It's definitely not nearly as cut and dry as when they identified the Golden State killer. [1]: https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.114.250/g9q.07b.myftpuplo...

Do you know what circumstantial means? It doesn't mean "weak". It means "pertaining to circumstances". Nearly all evidence is circumstantial. DNA is circumstantial evidence. Fingerprints are circumstantial evidence. A smoking gun is circumstantial evidence. Trials are based on circumstantial evidence. Hans Reiser was arrested, tried, and convicted of murdering his wife based on nothing but circumstantial evidence tha…

Consult a dictionary, eg.,

> pointing indirectly towards someone's guilt but not conclusively proving it.

You are correct that within a technical legal context most evidence is circumstantial. But that isnt the only meaning of the word, and indeed, largely not what is meant.

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#48

Post by ssklash »

SubiculumCode wrote: post #32

I wonder if neuroscience will ever come up with a treatment for serial killers that would cure them of their murderous obsessions. I believe some serial killers are constantly thinking about murder, while others might have two sides to their personalities that avoid thinking about the other, like a switch.

From what I've seen/read, it seems like many serial killers have a consistent urge/voices telling them/impulse to kill that they are able to resist for a time, lose control, kill, and then repeat the cycle.

Re: Investigators say they've finally identified the Zodiac Killer

#50

Post by pwinnski »

codazoda wrote: post #30
Ansil849 wrote: post #8

I feel like at least twice a year, there is some story like "Zodiac Killer Finally Identified" or "DB Cooper Finally Found". And behind these stories is usually just one person or group of people who are presenting their pet theory (which highlighted all facts supporting it, and conveniently brushes aside all facts which don't) and have savy media contacts so are able to get media exposure to help promote what's freq…

It seems like even the article contradicts what this group says... > "Our Homicide Cold Case Unit has determined the murder of Cheri Jo Bates in 1966 is not related to the Zodiac killer," the Riverside Police Department's Homicide Cold Case Unit told Fox News.

The FBI says it is related, the local PD says it is not, and to ask the FBI. The local PD is also refusing to do DNA tests which would resolve the issue.
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