Brittany SilerThe Zodiac Killer

I. Background
A. When/Wherelate 1960s and early 70s in the San
Francisco area.
B. His namehe called himself Zodiac in letters he sent to
the local newspaper, police, and media referring to recent
killings and demanded they be published. The letters
occasionally included photo evidence of the crime scene
and cryptic messages.
II. Crimes Committed
A. VictimsDefinite
i. David Faraday (16) and Betty Lou Jensen (17)shot
and killed on December 20, 1968.
ii. Mike Mageau (19) and Darlene Ferrin (22)Mageu
was shot four times and survived, Ferrin was shot 5
times and died. Mageu described the man as white,
58, late 20s to early 30s, stocky, with a round face
and brown hair.
iii. Cecelia Shepard (22) and Bryan Hartnell (20)the
couple was at a lake, and a man wearing a costume
(grim reaper) appeared and robbed them. They were
tied up and stabbed. Cecelia died in the hospital, but
Hartnell survived and is now an attorney.
iv. Paul Stinea cab driver; he was shot in the head
once at point-blan range. The newspaper received a
letter containing a portion of the bloody shirt, and
the author, signed Zodiac, took credit for the
killing.
v. These murders were linked to the Zodiac Killer
because in the letters the author provided detailed
information about the attacks that only the attacker
would know. After the second attack, the killer sent a
letter taking credit for them. Each letter contained a
cryptic message that would reveal his identity.
B. VictimsSupposed
i. Cheri Jo Bates (18)a supposed victim. She was
stabbed to death outside her school library on
October 30th, 1966. A month later, a letter was sent
to newspapers, the police, and Cheris father saying
Bates had to die. There will be more.
ii. Robert Domingos (18) and Linda Edwards (17)shot
and killed on a beach. Linked to Zodiac because of
similarities.
iii. Donna Lass (25)after her disappearance a postcard
with an ad for the apartments where she lived was

sent into a newspaper, and many believed it was the

Zodiac taking credit.
iv. Kathleen Johns (22) and her infant daughterthey
were flagged down on the highway because
Kathleens tire was supposedly wobbling, and a man
offered them a ride to the service station. He ended
up kidnapping them and driving them around for 2
hours. Kathleen and her infant were able to escape.
After the article was published in the newspaper,
Zodiac sent a letter taking credit for the crime
III. What happened?
A. Zodiac Killer was never caught.
i. His identity was never found out, although many
people have theories, and several claimed to be his
family members and children.