Has the Zodiac Killer Finally Been Unmasked?
As I write this the FBI is analyzing new evidence in the long unsolved Zodiac murder case. The Zodiac, second only to Jack the Ripper in terms of serial killer speculation, could finally be solved after four decades.
I was eight years-old when the murders began in December of 1968, and although I lived hundreds of miles down the coast from where they took place, The Zodiac still managed to creep into my nightmares. Even after the final murder in October of 1969, the killer continued to hide in my bedroom closet for at least two more years.
Back then my vivid imagination took an even greater toll on David, my little brother. He could often be heard calling out, “Mom! Billy’s being the Zodiac again!” To which my mom would yell back at me, “Billy, stop murdering your brother…”
Of course I wasn’t really hurting him, but applying—as sibling rivals often do—what the U.S. Government would later call, “Enhanced Interrogation.”
Good times.
Like Jack the Ripper, the Zodiac Killer is credited with five known murders. He also attempted to gain publicity—just like the Ripper—by taunting police in cryptic, hand written letters sent to local newspapers.
Although as many as 2,500 suspects were interviewed by police, no evidence exists linking any of them to the murders or the letters. Even the most compelling suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, who was all but convicted by a mountain of circumstantial evidence as documented in Robert Graysmith’s books [Zodiac
But all that may be about to change; last week, a northern California man claims not only to know the killer’s identity, but has presented the FBI with evidence to prove it.
“The identity of the Zodiac Killer is Jack Tarrance,” said Dennis Kaufman. “He’s my stepfather.”
Kaufman, who had suspected his stepfather for many years and spent the last eight trying to verify his theory, says he’s found the ultimate piece of physical evidence hidden in an old P.A. amplifier while going through the dead man’s things (Tarrance died in 2006). He found a hand-crafted black hood with the Zodiac symbol sewn into it identical to the one the killer was described as wearing during the September 1969 slaying of Cecelia Ann Shepard and the attempted slaying of Bryan Calvin Hartnell.
Along with the hood, Kaufman also found a knife stained with what looked like dried blood and a tin box containing rolls of undeveloped film—one in which he did have processed revealed such gruesome scenes that a local news station covering the story refused to air them. All of this is currently in the hands of the FBI and the results of their testing could come any day.
Hopefully, we will have definitive proof that Jack Tarrance was, in deed, the Zodiac Killer. Just knowing that The Zodiac is no longer out there will allow me to finally sleep without a Mickey Mouse nightlight.
Hey, I’ve got to go; I think I just saw something move in my closet.
Comments
Comment from Vixen
Time: September 4, 2008, 1:56 pm
Having grown up at the same time, but right there in the Bay Area I certainly hope this proves to be true. My Tinkerbell nightlight burned out some years ago and I can’t find any little pink lightbulbs to replace it.
Comment from ettarose
Time: September 4, 2008, 6:19 pm
It’s funny how certain things terrified us as children. Manson is the one that terrified me. Too bad we will never know what drove the Zodiac killer to kill and then stop. If he did. Oh, one more thing, don’t let your foot hang off the bed tonight.
William McCamment reply on September 4th, 2008 6:27 pm:
The Zodiac would never hide under my bed; that’s where the claw-monster lives. 
Comment from Milena
Time: September 5, 2008, 11:39 am
How interesting. I had not even been born when this took place so I never heard of the Zodiac killer until I was an adult. I grew up with other kinds of terrors myself but that is neither here nor there. I hope there is a confirmation in this case. Too many people left to wonder for too long on this.
William McCamment reply on September 6th, 2008 4:35 am:
It looks like there’s a good possibility that this case may be solved. CBS 13 in Sacramento is reporting that the FBI is collecting additional evidence for DNA testing. If it was a hoax, I’m sure they would’ve just stopped.
We will see.
Comment from Bill Libbey
Time: September 7, 2008, 5:46 am
I hope you’ll update us when the evidence testing is done, although if it does conclusively prove the Zodiac killer’s identity, it will likely hit papers up here in Canada. I remember the case well - the horror was intensified by the utter cruelty. It didn’t keep me awake nights though…… I just thought, ‘those crazy Americans’. :>)
William McCamment reply on September 7th, 2008 6:08 am:
I’m keeping my eye on the reporting, but I’m guessing it will make front page news if it turns out to be solved. The FBI has collected the suspect’s dentures from his biological son in Washington state to get a DNA sample. I wouldn’t think they would bother if the evidence up to that point was a hoax.
Comment from Static
Time: September 7, 2008, 1:25 pm
I still think the Zodiac and Jack the Ripper are the same person. Some maniacal scientist invented a time machine and goes back and forth through history to commit heinous acts of murder and peeping tom-ism.
William McCamment reply on September 9th, 2008 6:25 am:
Interesting concept. By the way, where were you in the late 1960s?
Comment from Mr Bastard
Time: September 9, 2008, 3:16 am
recently watched the film then thought nothing more of it believing it was probably leigh however glad I stumbled on this quick story….will have a look elsewhere now……nice article thanks…Mr B
William McCamment reply on September 9th, 2008 6:30 am:
I recently saw the film too, which is what sparked my interest in the first place. Then I happened to stumble upon the recent story about the possible unmasking. I can’t wait to see the results of the DNA testing.
Comment from petra
Time: September 13, 2008, 6:34 pm
“Enhanced Interrogation.” - my brothers used that on me. Granted I was BORN in 1968 so it came after the zodiac killer had his reign. The interrogation my brothers would eventually use against me involved trying to shove their dirty socks down my throat; one of my brothers sitting on me while the other farted on my face; dribbling spit over my face, only to suck it back up when it came centimeters close to my person; framing me so that my father punished ME for their misdeeds…. I could go on but something tells me you might have used these same tactics on your younger brother….
William McCamment reply on September 15th, 2008 3:52 am:
Some of the things I used to do to my brother are so cruel I’m embarrassed to mention them.
Comment from Rusty
Time: September 14, 2008, 11:28 pm
I don’t know why, but Serial Killers have always fascinated me, all except the ones I have dated, I don’t like when they boil my pets or when they take surveillance photos of me getting into my car to go to Dunkin Donuts, its really a nuisciance.
William McCamment reply on September 15th, 2008 3:57 am:
Maybe if you brought them back a doughnut once in a while…
Comment from *lynne*
Time: September 17, 2008, 4:47 pm
I’d never heard about The Zodiac (grew up halfway across the world… then again we all know about Jack the Ripper…!), until the buzz around the movie with Robert Downey Jr (which I intend to, but have yet to, watch … blame our 200+ title Netflix queue!). I wonder, the killer had emerged 20 years later, with all the advances in CSI we now have, would he have been able to go on, and go unidentified, for so long?
William McCamment reply on September 17th, 2008 7:23 pm:
That’s a good question. However, they didn’t even interview the guy they now think is the Zodiac. I can’t wait until the FBI reveals their findings in this case.
Comment from Matt
Time: November 7, 2008, 6:18 pm
man, I live in Elk Grove Ca. a suburb of Sacramento and I can’t wait until the FBI does come back with the result’s I grew up in N. Ca. and I had an Aunt that lived in Vallejo and my grandmother talked to her alot, stayed home from school a few times because of it. So, I agree with whoever said they didn’t think that the FBI would be looking for more DNA if it wasn’t all conclusive, just not conclusive enough to say a definate yes. So, either he was or perhaps a relative, if Jack truly admitted to being the Zodiac and the Texarkana Moon light murder too and their M.O.’s are almost the same if not the same and Jack was from Texas, it at least is interesting.
William McCamment reply on November 8th, 2008 1:45 pm:
Matt,
I can’t wait either. I wish they would give an update or something. I check on this just about every day.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve heard anything new.
William McCamment reply on September 4th, 2008 2:02 pm:
Wow! I am STILL nervous about this guy–I would’ve totally geeked if I lived under his nose during the time of the murders. Pretty scary stuff!
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