Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America's Most Elusive Serial Killer Revealed

by Robert Graysmith

  25. While Arthur Leigh ALLEN was incarcerated at Atascadero State Prison, D.O.J. Investigator SILVER had a polygraph examination given to ALLEN by D.O.J. Polygraph Examiner Sam LISTER. Sam LISTER indicated that ALLEN had passed this polygraph test, and he felt he was not, in fact, the Zodiac killer.We had our polygraph examiner JOHNSON examine the charts used by LISTER on ALLEN. JOHNSON indicated that after examining the charts, it was his opinion that ALLEN was on some type of drugs while he was taking the polygraph for LISTER, and that it was also his opinion that ALLEN did not pass the polygraph examination, and that it was inconclusive. It should be noted that Atascadero is a mental hospital, and many of the inmates are on different types of tranquilizers.

  26. During the search warrant in February of 1991 at ALLEN’s residence, a letter was located that indicated it was from Investigator SILVER at the Department of Justice. This letter was to “Whom It May Concern” and indicated that ALLEN had passed the polygraph examination, and law enforcement should no longer consider him as a suspect in the Zodiac killings. Also found was the master for making this letter. ALLEN subsequently admitted that he had printed this letter while working in the print shop at Atascadero Hospital. However, ALLEN maintained that this letter was authentic.Contacts with SILVER indicated that the signature on the letter was authentic, but it was not D.O.J. letterhead, and he would never write such a letter. SILVER did indicate that he had written letters to ALLEN to obtain his permission to do a polygraphic examination, and this may have been where his signature was found and used in this bogus letter.

  27. In mid-1992, Michael MAGEAU, the victim in the Zodiac killing in Vallejo, wherein Darlene FERRIN died, and he was badly wounded, made a positive identification from a photo lineup comprised of driver’s license photos, one of which was Arthur Leigh ALLEN’s picture from a 1968 driver’s license, that ALLEN was the responsible who shot him on July 4, 1969, at Blue Rock Springs.

  28. One of the cryptograms sent by the Zodiac had a line on it that indicated, “My name is,” and it was a different cryptogram at this location. This cryptogram was finally broken, and it was determined to read, “Robert Emmett, the Hippie.” No one was able to locate “Robert Emmett, the Hippie.” In August of 1992, information was developed that ALLEN was an associate with the manager of the swimming team at Vallejo High School whose name was Robert Emmett RODIFER, and this person later became a hippie attending University of California, Berkeley, and U.S.F. in San Francisco.Robert Emmett RODIFER was located in Germany. He confirmed that he did, in fact, know Arthur Leigh ALLEN although he indicated they were never friends. RODIFER indicated that he was very popular when in school, and that Arthur Leigh ALLEN was not, and there was apparently some animosity between him and ALLEN because of this. He was given the information about “Robert Emmett, the Hippie,” and the only explanation he could have was that ALLEN was jealous of him, RODIFER.

  29. Information was developed that when Arthur Leigh ALLEN was born, and as a youngster, he was left-handed, and that he was forced to write with his right hand by his parents. Thus, he became ambidextrous. ALLEN steadfastly denied this [ability], indicating he was only able to write with his right hand. However, his brother indicated that, in fact, Arthur Leigh ALLEN could write with either hand. Also, we interviewed Arthur Leigh ALLEN’s best friend, Glen RINEHART, who was very defensive of ALLEN, but confirmed that ALLEN was able to write with his left hand.The handwriting of the Zodiac killer has never been matched to the handwriting of Arthur Leigh ALLEN. Our handwriting expert, CUNNINGHAM, confirms that if ALLEN had the ability to write with his left hand, that this could explain the inability to match the handwriting to Arthur Leigh ALLEN.

  30. In August of 1992, Arthur Leigh ALLEN was found dead in his residence of a heart attack. A search warrant served at ALLEN’s residence revealed more bomb formulas, and a videotape of all the TV interviews related to the Zodiac. Also, a letter that was to be opened upon his death indicating that he was not, in fact, the Zodiac, and that he had been persecuted by the Vallejo Police Department.

  The Zodiac Letters

  ZODIAC’S RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA WRITINGS 1. November 29, 1966 (Tuesday). Two typewritten carbon copies of a “confession” letter sent to the press and Riverside police. Zodiac typed on a sandwich of Teletype paper and carbon paper and mailed the faintest, the fourth and fifth impressions. The original typed top page was never sent. He entitled the letter “THE CONFESSION By————” and typed at the bottom: “CC CHIEF OF POLICE, ENTERPRISE.” The confession had the same mocking tone Zodiac used in a later letter he began “My Name is———.” The threat of more killings to come is also Zodiac-like. Both envelopes were addressed in heavy-felt type printing to the “Homicide Detail, Riverside” and the “Daily Enterprise, Riverside, California.” He flagged them “ATTN; CRIME.” The two letters had no postage, only the stamped reminder: ALWAYS USE ZIP CODE. Postmark: RIVERSIDE CALIF. NOV 29 PM 1966.

  2. April 30, 1967 (Sunday). Zodiac’s handwritten letter on 8½-by-11-inch lined three-hole note paper and envelope in pencil to the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Note the “Z” at the bottom of the letter (the FBI agreed that this was a “Z” and not a numeral “2” and double postage—two four-cent Lincoln stamps, on the envelope and lack of postmark. “Bates had to die . . .” FBI Specimens Q66 and Q67. SFPD Item #16. Includes the three letters and envelopes postmarked April 30, 1967.

  3. April 30, 1967. Zodiac’s letter in pencil to the Riverside Police Department. Two four-cent Lincoln stamps, on the envelope and lack of postmark. “Bates had to die . . .” FBI Specimens Qc68 and Q69.

  4. Zodiac’s letter in pencil to Joseph Bates, April 30, 1967. Two four-cent Lincoln stamps, on the envelope and lack of postmark. “Bates had to die . . .”

  5. Circa January 1967. Desktop poem, found in the Riverside City College Library around the same time as Letters 1, 2, and 3, but probably written three and a half months earlier, then stored in an unused basement. It was discovered by a janitor. Ballpoint pen, “Sick of Living . . .” Photocopy of ten line poem of crude free verse. The message was written on plywood board study desktop with a ballpoint pen. Four fingerprints and three partial palm prints (Latent Case #73096) on the top remained unidentified. They did not match the three local suspects that Riverside P.D. had under investigation. This poem measured a mere five inches deep by three-and-one-half inches wide, no bigger than a file card. Zodiac sent cards through the mail of the same size. By writing so tiny, Zodiac was able to further disguise his handprinting.The FBI Lab, working only from photos and photocopies, reported that “Portions of the material, particularly the three Riverside letters, may have been disguised or deliberately distorted . . . the handprinting examination of these letters was inconclusive. However consistent handprinting characteristics were noted the Q85-Qc100 letters which indicate that one person may have prepared all of the letters including the Riverside letters and the message found on the desktop in the Riverside case.”

  ZODIAC’S NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WRITINGS 1. July 31, 1969 (Thursday). Zodiac’s letter to the San Francisco Chronicle contains one-third of a cipher. “This is the murderer . . . brand name is Western.” Page Two of Zodiac’s blue felt-tip pen letter to the Chronicle , July 31, 1969 is on back. Paper is so thin that overleaf shows through. The letter we received at the Chronicle measured 7⅛-inches-by- 10½-inches. Letters mailed to the Examiner and Times-Herald measured different sizes and indicated the killer was using remaindered paper bought in lots. One-third of Zodiac’s three-part cipher enclosed in his letter. Envelope, slip of cipher, envelope flap and both pages of Zodiac’s letter fingerprinted. Police mistakenly marked photocopy sent to FBI as cipher to the “Examiner.” 1A. August 10, 1969 (Sunday). Typewritten envelope addressed “Sergeant Lynch, Vallejo Police Department Vallejo, California. Accompanying damaged white three-inch-by-five-inch card (the same size card used later) bearing typewritten note, “Dear Sergeant Lynch I hope the enclosed key . . .” Sheet of paper bearing handprinted letters and symbols be
ginning “A-G-S-(backwards) L . . .” No indented writing found. Postmark: San Francisco Calif. 3A PM 10 AUG 1969.

  1B. Salinas schoolteacher Donald Gene Harden’s original worksheets for decoding the first part of Zodiac’s three part cipher sent to Bay Area’s papers on July 31, 1969.

  2. July 31, 1969 (Thursday). Letter to San Francisco Examiner, contains one-third of a cipher which measured 71/16-inches-by-10⅜-inches. Envelope postmarked “SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF PM 31 JULY 1969,” bearing handprinted address “S.F. EXAMINER San Fran, Calif.” On flap are the large, scrawled words: “PLEASE RUSH TO EDITOR.” First page of handprinted letter: “Dear Editor This is the murderer of the two teenagers . . .” Back of letter begins: “Here is part of a cipher . . .”

  3. July 31, 1969 Zodiac’s letter to the Vallejo Times-Herald. “I am the killer . . . print this.” Police exhibit includes front and back of envelope, one-third of a Zodiac cipher measuring 71/16-inches-by-107/16-inches, a letter measuring 7⅛-inches-by-109/16-inches and photo of the cipher after being fingerprinted. Police in marking exhibit confused the partial cipher with one sent to the Chronicle on the same day. On August 2, police fumed the letter with Ninhydrin, a chemical that develops prints, but causes the handprinting to run and blur. Of the three ciphers mailed July 31, 1969 and marked QC 32, the FBI wrote, “The ciphers are hand drawn and not normal handprinting. For these reasons not definitely determined whether specimens submitted and others in this case written by one person. However, all threatening letters may be one writer.”

  4. Page Two of Zodiac’s three-page letter to the Vallejo Times-Herald, August 1969. First use of name Zodiac. “In answer to your asking for more details.” Police date this letter as August 7, 1969. It may have been sent on the first or second of August as an article in the Examiner reproduces it on August 4, 1969 and “buries it” on Page Four. Zodiac never wrote the Examiner again. “If Zodiac mailed the first three letters on July 31, 1969 and they were published August 1 he wrote that second letter because the cop asked for more details. “It looks like he jumped right on it,” police said. 4A. September 27, 1969 (Saturday). Writing on Bryan Hartnell’s Volkswagen Karmann Ghia car door at Lake Berryessa,. It can be seen in crime scene picture in the photograph section and close-up in Zodiac. The printing on Hartnell’s locked car (white with a black vinyl top white Oregon license, #4U2040) as described by Deputy Dave Collins on 9/29/69: “At the top of the door panel and to the center was a circle and an even sided cross, running completely through the circle on all four sides. Below the circle and the cross which is described as a cross hair symbol the word ‘Vallejo.’ Below the word ‘Vallejo,’ the date ‘12/20/68.’ Below that date ‘7/4/69.’ Below that word ‘Sept. 27, 69-6:30.’ Below that in printing ‘by knife.’ This was written in black ink that appeared to be put on with a felt pen.”

  5. October 13, 1969 (Monday). Front and back of the envelope to Zodiac’s letter to the San Francisco Chronicle . . . about the Stine killing. Envelope contained a bloody square of Paul Stine’s gray and white shirt. In custody of the SFPD Lab, #1 and FBI Q85. Postmark: PM 13 OCT. 1969 1B.

  6. November 8, 1969 (Saturday). Front and back of the envelope to Zodiac’s letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, Envelope contained a 340-symbol cipher and a greeting card (“Sorry I haven’t written . . .”) with a dripping fountain pen from the Gibson Company with dripping pen. SFPD Lab #2. Includes square of Stine’s shirt. Postmark: PM 8 NOV. 1969 4A.

  7. November 9, 1969 (Sunday). Seven page letter, “Change my way of collecting . . .” SFPD Lab #2. FBI Specimen Q86. No postmark.7A. December 7, 1969 (Sunday). Copycat letter addressed to “San Francisco Chronicle,” postmarked Fairfield. “I will kill again . . . I will turn my self in O K.” FBI marked documents Qc34 and Qc35. “Some of the threatening letters in this case, particularly Qc34 and Qc35, contain some distortion and were not written as freely as other threatening letters in this matter,” reported the FBI lab.

  8. December 20, 1969 (Saturday), “Dear Melvin . . . Help me . . . can not remain in control much longer . . . Happy Christmass . . . [Zodiac’s way of spelling Christmas].” Marked FBI Specimen Qc43 (envelope) and Qc44 (letter). Piece of Stine’s shirt per keel. Location of envelope unknown. SFPD Lab #3, FBI Specimen Q87. Postmark: PM 20 Dec. 1069 no mark, CA. at bottom center.8A. December 3, 1968 (Tuesday). Analysis of bank robbery note to Sutter branch of Wells-Fargo Bank in San Francisco to see if matched Zodiac’s printing. It did not. “This is a Bank Robbery if you dont do as I say I will shot.”

  9. April 20, 1970 (Monday). “My name is . . .” and bomb diagram. Zodiac’s envelope, front and back, to the San Francisco Chronicle. SFPD Lab #4. FBI #Qc45 and Q88. Postmark: AM 20 APR. 1970 4A.

  10. April 28, 1970 (Tuesday). Front of overposted Zodiac’s envelope to the San Francisco Chronicle. Man on dragon greeting card. “Enjoy the blast . . . buttons . . .” SFPD Lab #5, FBI Q89. Postmark: H. P.M.

  11. June 26, 1970 (Friday). Single-stamped Zodiac envelope. Postmarked San Francisco, California “1A 26 JUN AM 1979,” to the San Francisco Chronicle. Enclosed, a torn portion of a Phillips 66 road map (FBI Specimen Qc51 and Q90). Darlene Ferrin’s first husband was named Phillips. With a single line of crypto. Phillips 66 road map had symbols indicating Contra Costa County and specifically Mount Diablo, aka “Satan’s Mountain.” The killer now claimed twelve victims. The back of Zodiac’s map has never been reproduced in print and contains a visual clue linking the killer to his earliest murder near Santa Barbara. Envelope to Zodiac’s letter of June 26, 1970 which contained the threat “to punish them if they did not comply by anilating a full school buss.” SFPD Lab #6. Postmark: AM JUNE 1970 1A.

  12. July 24, 1970 (Friday). Envelope, Zodiac’s letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, a mention of kidnapped woman and baby, a reference to Kathleen Johns and her infant. SFPD Lab #7. Marked Qc53 and Q91 by FBI. Postmark: PM 24 JUL. 1970 6B.

  13. July 26, 1970 (Sunday). “Got a little list . . .” The rarest of all Zodiac letters—never reproduced, never seen outside police headquarters. I was fortunate to see it when it arrived at the Chronicle in 1970. Zodiac paraphrased Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado in his letter (FBI Specimens Qc54 and Qc55). Envelope marked Qc52 by FBI. Only Zodiac’s lengthy letter of November 9, 1969 contained more clues. SFPD Lab #8, FBI Q92. FBI document photocopy Qc55 began “As some day it may hapen that a victom must be found . . .” Qc56 began “This is the Zodiac speaking Being that you will not wear . . .” The FBI lab noted that “Some of the photocopies [provided to them by SFPD] including Qc52-Qc56, are not sufficiently clear to permit detailed handprinting comparisons. However, characteristics indicate that all of the threatening letters, including Qc52-Qc56, were probably prepared by one person.” The Lab further suggested, “The reference to billiard players in Qc56 may have been taken from a song sung by the Mikado in Act II. . . . No code or cipher material was found in Specimens Qc52 through Qc56. Postmark: PM 26 JUL. 1970 no mark.

  14. October 5, 1970 (Monday). A three-by-five-inch card addressed to “Paul Averly”—“Pace isn’t any slower . . .” Front of Zodiac’s montage postcard to the San Francisco Chronicle. The card is generally regarded as a fake, but Zodiac’s Los Angeles letter of March 15, 1971 also uses the phrase “Crackproof.” The three-by-five-inch card (with thirteen punch holes symbolizing victims) contains a bloody cross. It is not human blood. Don Cheney said, “Leigh had a three-hole punch,” but Zodiac used a single-holed punch. Toschi advised me that the cross under the numeral 13 was made of thin red paper pasted on the postcard as was other printing. Back of Zodiac’s montage postcard to the San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, October 5, 1970. Postmark: PM 5 OCT. 1970 1A. It was published on October 6, the one year anniversary of Lynch’s interview with Arthur Leigh Allen.14A. October 17, 1970 (Saturday). Copycat letter postmarked “BERKELEY, CA 17 OCT PM 1970.” Bearing message cut out of newspapers or other publications beginning “Mon, Oct 12, 1970 . . . the Zodiac is going to . . .”

  15. October 27, 1970 (Tuesd
ay). “Your secret pal . . .” Contained a threatening twenty-five cent (Gibson Greetings) Halloween card to Paul Avery, claiming fourteen victims. The brush lettering spelling “Averly” is the same as on a March 23, 1971 postcard. Zodiac’s postcard, hole-punched like the October 5, 1970 card, was done with brush lettering. Zodiac demonstrated art skills and practice with a brush. He misspells the reporter’s name here and on a the October 5, 1970 card as “Averly,” a common Zodiac touch. SFPD Lab #9. FBI Specimens Qc60-Qc6s and Q93. Postmark: PM 27 OCT. 1970 6B.

  16. March 13, 1971 (Saturday). Postmarked Pleasanton 94566, to Los Angeles Times. “Blue Meanies . . .” SFPD Lab #10 FBI Specimen Qc94. Originals in possession of the Los Angeles Police Department. Postmark: PM 13 MAR. 1071 Pleasanton 94566.

  17. March 22, 1971 (Monday). Zodiac’s letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, Four-cent postcard. “Peek through the pines . . .” Cut out and pasted letters, holes punched. One reader, Mike Hopkins, studied the lone punch hole in the upper right-hand corner of the card. “It’s at approximately the 11:00 position,” he explained. “When the card is oriented so the words ‘Sierra Club’ are upright, there is the suggestion of a face in the foliage. Did Zodiac sketch himself into the picture and is that what he meant by ‘peek through the pines’?” The author obtained the original elaborate brochure which Zodiac used to manufacture the postcard and studied it inch by inch. The killer had added no additional artwork to the pen and ink landscape. Postmark: Canceled Lincoln stamp in which the president is shown in left profile and mourning, which is another indication that someone in Zodiac’s life had recently died.

  18. January 29, 1974 (Tuesday). Zodiac’s letter to the San Francisco Chronicle. Exorcist Letter. SFPD Lab #14. FBI file #Qc62 and Qc63. “Qc59-Qc61 being forward to Cryptography Section for evaluation,” reported the lab, “you will be advised on the results.” Postmark: AM 29 JAN. 1974 940. Three contact palm edge prints were found in 2001 which did not match Allen’s palm print.18A. Copycat card and envelope marked “SLA” to Chronicle, postmarked 14 February, 1974. SFPD Lab #11.