The Zodiac Killer

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Zodiac, released in 2007 and directed by David Fincher, is a true crime film and depicts the story of the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac was a serial killer who targeted the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s and 1970s. The Zodiac was known for writing letters to the police and confessing to the crimes he committed. After murdering his victims, the Zodiac reached out to the public as if he wanted to be found. The Zodiac was most notorious for sending letters, making phone calls, and getting away with murder.
On March 16, 1971, the Los Angeles Times received their first letter from the Zodiac. In the letter, the Zodiac mocked the police because they failed to figure out who the Zodiac was. Zodiac wrote, “This is the Zodiac speaking. Like I have
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When the victim’s answered their phones, he would say nothing at all but just breathe heavy into the microphone. Since the police knew how much he liked to call people, a local television station decided to host a segment asking the Zodiac to call in, so they can have a live chat broadcasted on TV. On October 23, 1969, the Los Angeles Times featured an article about the television talk show. Attorney Melvin Belli was a guest on the show and was there when they received a call from the “Zodiac.” The caller claimed that he wanted help and his headaches cause his horrific actions. The caller and Belli arranged a secret meeting for them to meet, but the “Zodiac” failed to show up. The police then concluded that the person who called the talk was not really the Zodiac and just a prankster. The story the LA Times featured was also a scene in the film. Although the caller was not the real Zodiac, it was assumed that it was because he loved calling and harassing …show more content…
The Zodiac constantly wrote letters to the police and would confess to the crimes he committed. In the past, most serial killers would not confess to their crimes and would try to stay in hiding as much as possible. Although the Zodiac was never found, the police had many suspects, but they were never able to confirm if it was actually the Zodiac. In an article featured in People Magazine, author Gary Stewart wrote a book, which detailed how he thought his biological father was the Zodiac. He provided specific evidence, which led him to his confirmation. For example, he went to a handwriting specialist with a letter his father wrote, and compared it to the Zodiac’s letters. The two letters were very similar, so the handwriting specialist was able to confirm that his father was the Zodiac. This detailed process was similar to an investigation that happened in the film. Police investigated suspect Arthur Leigh Allen and performed handwriting tests to see if he was the Zodiac. The handwriting of Allen and the Zodiac’s were not alike which led investigators to assume that Allen was not the

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