Episode 1 - The Zodiac Ciphers

by Kelsey Brown

The Zodiac killer is one of the most infamous serial killers of all time and has remained a mystery that will always intrigue public interest. The image of the 1960s, a time of hippies, love and social expansion, was tainted as he began to lurk in the night and violently murder more and more people. But even with extensive witness descriptions and multiple suspects, he was never caught and has never even been identified. The Zodiac keep himself anonymous and has kept society questioning what exactly happened in those fateful years for the last 57 years by simply using the most intriguing skill in history: cryptography. The Zodiac killer menaced and taunted the police and press through a series of letters, in plaintext and ciphertext, that he claimed contained is long sought after identity. In this podcast, the host, Kelsey Brown, a freshman at Vanderbilt University, delves into the story of the Zodiac killer, starting at the beginning of his killing career and proceeding to explain the mechanics and decipherment of the Zodiac Cipher and ending with how this cultural phenomenon has remained prevalent even today.

Sources:
The Zodiac Ciphers: Messages from a Murderer, by Neil Sareen:
derekbruff.org/blogs/fywscrypto/...-from-a-murderer/

Analysis of the Zodiac Killer’s Three Part Cipher:
www.zodiologists.com/z408_cipher_analysis.html

FBI Records: The Vault: The Zodiac Killer:
vault.fbi.gov/The%20Zodiac%20Kil...20of%2006%20./view

Corey Starliper, Massachusetts Man, Claims He Cracked Zodiac Killer’s Code. The Huffington Post by Ben Muessig
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/21/co...n_906092.html

Zodiac Killer:The Encyclopedia of American Crime: Carl Sifakis:
online.infobase.com/HRC/LearningCen...rticleId=198488

Zodiac Killer Biography:
www.biography.com/people/zodiac-killer-236027

Audio:
Creepy Background Music:
www.royaltyfreemusicforfree.com/free-back...und-music

Time Traveler Beautiful Melodies For Fantastic Stories
Gunshot Sounds:
Dreamy Ambient Background Music:
www.orangefreesounds.com/category/mus...round-music/

Audio From The Zodiac Killer – ABC Primetime Investigation:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCYbAdzCAjE

Audio From This is the Zodiac Speaking:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0jnsbZwys