13 | The Zodiac Killer Part 1

07/01/20 • 69 min

How do you catch a serial killer who picks his victims at random, and whose only motive is to taunt the police? In Part 1 of this 2-part investigation into California’s Zodiac Killer, I’ll present the story of one of the most bizarre yet compelling unsolved cases in criminal history. Coincidences, letters, ciphers, phone calls and costumes – they’re all here. Join me again next time for Part 2 where we’ll do some more analysis and a review of the suspects.
Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestions:
Twitter: @PrashsMurderMap
Email: [email protected]
Credits:
Research, writing, narration and audio arrangement by Prash
With the amazing voice acting talents of Ben (The Zodiac, Brian Hartnell and police officer), Mariah (Nancy Slover), lunamist (Cecilia Shepard and disclaimer) and Steven (Mike Mageau)
Sources
Bauer, Craig P, 2018, “The Zodiac Ciphers: What We Know”, History.com https://www.history.com/news/the-zodiac-ciphers-what-we-know
Butterfield, Michael,Zodiac Killer Facts website http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/case.htm
Calhoun, Bob, 2018, “Yesterday’s Crimes: The Zodiac Killer’s First Known Victims Died 50 Years Ago”, SF Weekly, https://www.sfweekly.com/news/yesterdays-crimes-news/yesterdays-crimes-the-zodiac-killers-first-known-victim-died-50-years-ago/
Graysmith, Robert, 2007, “Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of America’s Most Elusive Serial Killer”, Titan Books
Grinell, Richard, Zodiac Ciphers website https://www.zodiacciphers.com/
Officer Down Memorial Page for Eric A Zelms, https://www.odmp.org/officer/14665-officer-eric-a-zelms
Schillemat, Brandon, 2012, “Has the code of the Zodiac Killer been cracked?”, Neighbor News, Patch, https://patch.com/california/fostercity/has-the-code-of-the-zodiac-killer-been-cracked
Voigt, Tom, Zodiac Killer website http://www.zodiackiller.com/index2.html
Was Donald Gene Harden the Zodiac Killer Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/pg/Was-Donald-Gene-Harden-the-Zodiac-Killer-189393988058502/posts/
Zodiac film, 2007 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/
ZodiacKillerIdentified YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Zeppelin196818/videos
ZodiacKillerVideos YouTube channel, “Lake Herman Road – The Funeral of David Faraday” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwPMg8XfOck
Zodiac Killer Wiki https://zodiackiller.fandom.com/wiki/Zodiac_Killer_Wiki

Previous Episode

12 | The Papin Sisters

Two murders. Two sisters. One mind.
Journey with me back to the 1930s to examine one of the most grotesque and brutal double slayings in the history of France. This is not for the faint-hearted, because true crime just got even bloodier.
Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestions:
Twitter: @PrashsMurderMap
Email: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, please consider supporting Prash’s Murder Map on Patreon; take a look at the rewards on offer for as little as $1 a month.
Credits:
Research, writing, narration and audio editing by Prash
French song at the beginning: Jess
Sources:
Budanovic, Nikola, “The Papin Sisters and the murder case that still haunts France after more than 80 years,”, 2017, TheVintageNews, https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/12/the-papin-sisters-and-the-murder-case-that-still-haunts-france-after-more-than-80-years/
Silent Twins: Without My Shadow, YouTube Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WtP1qC61s
Strange Matters podcast, 2019, https://www.strangematterspodcast.com/the-papin-sisters/

Next Episode

14 | The Zodiac Killer Part 2

Last time, in the first part of this double episode, I told the story of the disguise-wearing, letter-writing serial killer operating in California’s Bay Area in 1968 and 69, who christened himself Zodiac. His choice of victim changed, as did his MO, so how do you catch a killer whose only motive is achieving infamy and mocking the police? Join me for Part 2, where we’ll analyse the killer’s behaviour and review some of the popular suspects and theories, and we’ll hear from Zodiac expert Michael Butterfield. It’s a case that’s now over 50 years old, so will the killer ever be named?
Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestions:
Website: www.prashganendran.com
Twitter: @PrashsMurderMap
Email: [email protected]
Credits:
Special thanks to Zodiac writer and consultant Michael Butterfield http://zodiackillerfacts.com/ who kindly took time out of his busy schedule to contribute to the making of this episode. Please check out his podcast Zodiac A To Z https://zodiacatoz.podbean.com/
Starring the amazing voice acting talents of Ben (The Zodiac, Brian Hartnell and police officer), Mariah (Nancy Slover, Kirsty Martire and disclaimer), Steven (Mike Mageau) and Alan Smith (Rick Marshall, Richard Gaikowski)
Sources:
Arntfield, Michael, May 2018, “The preferred jobs of serial killers and psychopaths”, The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/the-preferred-jobs-of-serial-killers-and-psychopaths-96173
Bauer, Craig P, 2018, “The Zodiac Ciphers: What We Know”, History.com https://www.history.com/news/the-zodiac-ciphers-what-we-know
Butterfield, Michael,Zodiac Killer Facts website http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/case.htm
Calhoun, Bob, 2018, “Yesterday’s Crimes: The Zodiac Killer’s First Known Victims Died 50 Years Ago”, SF Weekly, https://www.sfweekly.com/news/yesterdays-crimes-news/yesterdays-crimes-the-zodiac-killers-first-known-victim-died-50-years-ago/
Gaikowski/Zodiac Connection/Timeline, TapaTalk forum, https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/zodiackillerfr/gaikowski-zodiac-connection-timeline-t2742.html
Graysmith, Robert, 2007, “Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of America’s Most Elusive Serial Killer”, Titan Books
Grinell, Richard, Zodiac Ciphers website https://www.zodiacciphers.com/
Heidelberg, April 2018, “Can estimates from forensic handwriting experts be trusted in court?”, Springer, https://www.springer.com/gp/about-springer/media/research-news/all-english-research-news/can-estimates-from-forensic-handwriting-experts-be-trusted-in-court-/15635428
Martire, K, Growns, B & Navarro, D, April 2018, “What do the experts know? Calibration, precision and the wisdom of crowds among forensic handwriting experts,” Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25, 2346-2355
https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-018-1448-3
Officer Down Memorial Page for Eric A Zelms, https://www.odmp.org/officer/14665-officer-eric-a-zelms
Schillemat, Brandon, 2012, “Has the code of the Zodiac Killer been cracked?”, Neighbor News, Patch, https://patch.com/california/fostercity/has-the-code-of-the-zodiac-killer-been-cracked
“Understanding the Birthday Paradox”, BetterExplained.com
https://betterexplained.com/articles/understanding-the-birthday-paradox/
Voigt, Tom, Zodiac Killer website http://www.zodiackiller.com/index2.html
Voigt, Tom, YouTube Channel, “Handwriting Expert Sherwood Morrill discusses The Zodiac Killer”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAPtxcvRQko
Was Donald Gene Harden the Zodiac Killer Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/pg/Was-Donald-Gene-Harden-the-Zodiac-Killer-189393988058502/posts/
Wayback Machine Web Archive, Coroner’s Report of Paul Lee Stine,
https://web.archive.org/web/20070327182656/http://www.thezodiacmansonconnection.com/autop_stine_1.html
Wayback Machine Web Archive, New Realities Video, Richard Gaikowski’s website
https://web.archive.org/web/20010411015131/http:/www.slip.net/~richgaik/index.html
Zodiac film, 2007 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/
Zodiac Killer Fandom page, “Ross Sullivan”, https://zodiackiller.fandom.com/wiki/Ross_Sullivan
ZodiacKillerIdentified YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/Zeppelin196818/videos
ZodiacKillerVideos YouTube channel, “Lake Herman Road – The Funeral of David Faraday”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwPMg8XfOck
Zodiac Killer Wiki https://zodiackiller.fandom.com/wiki/Zodiac_Killer_Wiki
Zodiologists.com, 2009, “The Riverside Desktop Poem,”
http://www.zodiologists.com/riverside_desktop_poem_introduction.html