In the 1960s, a full-blown maniac murdered his way onto the front pages of the California newspapers. In his bloodstained letters and phone calls, he proudly commemorated his murderous accomplishments and provided clues to his identity. He called himself the Zodiac. Based on the original police reports and new revealing interviews, this book delves into the mind, methods, and madness of AmericaÕs Jack the Ripper.

With nearly 700 references and over 200 pictures, Søren Roest Korsgaard has produced the first authoritative book on the Zodiac, a still unidentified serial killer who terrorized California in the 1960s and proudly commemorated his murderous accomplishments in letters to news media. Søren documents the case with scholarly objectivity, and he dismantles the Zodiac's psyche and answers major questions by means of statement analysis, linguistics, handwriting analysis, and the established principles of psychology and criminology. Among others, he presents compelling arguments and evidence that Zodiac likely started his reign of terror as far back as 1962, and that he might have been a Canadian.

The Zodiac Killer: The Mystery Behind America's Most Feared Serial KillerIf not for the ominous shadow of Jack the Ripper, the case of the Zodiac Killer would perhaps be the greatest mystery the world has ever known. The Zodiac Killer was the self-given name to a murderer who took responsibility for the deaths of at least five people in the San Francisco area of California throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Over the decades, the case has become synonymous with mystery and injustice. The Zodiac Killer's murders were brutal, bizarre and without remorse. He began by targeting young couples in lovers' lanes and executing them with close-range gunshots. His murders then progressed, indicating a highly-unstable frame of mind yet one intelligent enough to evade capture. He would go on to taunt the police and the media with strange ciphers and messages which would take significant time to decode - some of which remain untranslated to this day. Despite extensive searching, analysing and profiling, no conclusive evidence of the Zodiac Killer's identity has ever been put forward. Of course, many theories exist, some of which appear to answer all of the questions one would have regarded the identity of a notorious serial killer. However, none are concrete enough to serve as solid confirmation of who he really was. This book looks at all the evidence, and tries to piece together the clues that point to the true identity of this murderer.

Serial Killers: Jack The Ripper to The Zodiac Killer is an exploration of the dark world of serial murder in the 20th and 21st century. Covering international cult figures from H.H. Holmes to Luis Garavito (La Beastia), examining psychological motivations of serial murderers, and presenting some of the most terrifying unsolved cases to date, Serial Killers provides an eerie peer into the oft uncovered world of murder and mystery.

*Includes pictures *Includes contemporary accounts of the Zodiac Killer's crime spree and his messages to police *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "I LIKE KILLING PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH FUN IT IS MORE FUN THAN KILLING WILD GAME IN THE FORREST BECAUSE MAN IS THE MOST DANGEROUE ANAMAL OF ALL" - A section of the Zodiac Killer's cipher During the mid-1960s, the people of America became accustomed to opening their newspapers to two types of headlines. The first would be positive and often have something to do with the space program, perhaps which mission was in the works or which one had just been completed. Then there would be an article of a more negative nature, often concerning the United States' increasing involvement in the Vietnam War. Toward the end of 1968, however, a new and more sinister headline began to pop up. At first it was just in California and seemed to be simply a random crime, with a couple being murdered a few days before Christmas. It was a tragic tale, but in California, it was often dismissed as a byproduct of the youth culture of sex, drugs and rock and roll that often led young people to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then, some months later, another couple was shot, and this time the man survived. The story he told was not of someone targeting either him or his friend, but of a type of madman shooting them again and again. The idea that there was an unhinged serial killer on the loose was confirmed when he began writing letters to the police and the newspapers, not only claiming responsibility for these killings but for others that either had been or would be committed. After he stabbed a third couple and then shot a cab driver in cold blood, he began to send more and more letters. These, like the earlier ones, were signed with a symbol understood only by the killer, a man who called himself "Zodiac." In addition to sending cryptic letters that authorities had to decipher, the Zodiac Killer used them to both taunt people and threaten more violence, warning that a failure to publish what he would wrote would lead him to "cruse [sic] around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again, until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend." In many respects, the pattern of crime and writing letters was not novel at all. Around the same time the Zodiac Killer was murdering people on the West Coast, the Son of Sam terrorized New York City in much the same way by killing at random and writing letters to the police. Serial killers often use a set pattern and/or rituals as part of their modus operandi, so in that regard the actions of the Zodiac Killer didn't exactly distinguish him from other serial killers. The main difference, of course, is that most serial killers are caught, including the Son of Sam (David Berkowitz), while the Zodiac Killer's identity remains an unsolved mystery. By both remaining unidentified and leaving seemingly tantalizing clues in his writing, the Zodiac Killer ensured his notorious legacy in American history, much the same way the attempt to identify Jack the Ripper continues to fascinate people across the world today. If this case had been part of a well-written police show or movie, there would be music, shooting, and perhaps a romance between a cranky cop and a sexy detective. The case would be wrapped up in an hour or two, the killer would either be killed in an exciting firefight or put away for life, and the people of San Francisco would once more rest easy at night. But this was no movie, the script lacks an ending, and though the killer would be an old man by now, as far as anyone knows, he could still be alive and potentially dangerous. The Zodiac Killer: The Mystery of America's Most Infamous Serial Killer looks at the life of the serial killer and the crimes he committed.

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading When one hears the term "Victorian," many images come to mind. For some, the term conjures up visions of lace and gloves and delicate fans. Others think of tight corsets and even tighter morals. Others, swayed perhaps by one too many British costume dramas, envision gentle elegance and long lost beauty. Naturally, few people think of multiple dead bodies cast about in the streets or dark bedrooms, most mutilated to a shocking degree, and yet, those tragic images played a significant role not only in late Victorian London but ever since. In 1888 and 1889, a killer stalked the dark backstreets of the city through the notoriously overcrowded and crime-ridden Whitechapel district, murdering young women and then cutting their bodies up like a butcher. There have been a countless number of serial killers throughout history, and certainly more prolific ones, but the timing, circumstances, and unsolved nature of the case continue to make Jack the Ripper the most famous serial killer in history. The murders came at a time when media coverage could be both more acute and more widespread, and it allowed the public a closer look into how police agencies operated at the time, exposing both their strengths and shortcomings. Of course, the lack of modern forensics hamstrung the investigators in the late 19th century, and while the police file for the case was extensive and active for several years, much of the evidence disappeared from the file without explanation, possibly as souvenirs. Despite the fact the police interviewed thousands and considered hundreds of suspects, they were never able to arrest anyone for the murders. The intense media coverage also likely played a role in both the actual murderer and would-be copycats and pranksters sending hundreds of letters to police claiming to be Jack the Ripper. It's also indisputable that the use of a precise modus operandi, the serial killer being given a nickname, and the taunting letters sent to police all influenced subsequent serial killers and the way they were covered. Whether it's the Zodiac Killer, the Son of Sam, or the Boston Strangler, the antecedent of all 20th century and 21st century killers remains Jack the Ripper. Toward the end of 1968, a new and more sinister headline began to pop up. At first it was just in California and seemed to be simply a random crime, with a couple being murdered a few days before Christmas. It was a tragic tale, but in California, it was often dismissed as a byproduct of the youth culture of sex, drugs and rock and roll that often led young people to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then, some months later, another couple was shot, and this time the man survived. The story he told was not of someone targeting either him or his friend, but of a type of madman shooting them again and again. The idea that there was an unhinged serial killer on the loose was confirmed when he began writing letters to the police and the newspapers, not only claiming responsibility for these killings but for others that either had been or would be committed. After he stabbed a third couple and then shot a cab driver in cold blood, he began to send more and more letters. These, like the earlier ones, were signed with a symbol understood only by the killer, a man who called himself "Zodiac." In addition to sending cryptic letters that authorities had to decipher, the Zodiac Killer used them to both taunt people and threaten more violence, warning that a failure to publish what he would wrote would lead him to "cruse [sic] around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again, until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend." This book examines the cases, crimes, investigations, and attempts to identify all the potential suspects for the two notorious serial killers.

Robert Graysmith reveals the true identity of Zodiac—America's most elusive serial killer. Between December 1968 and October 1969 a hooded serial killer called Zodiac terrorized San Francisco. Claiming responsibility for thirty-seven murders, he manipulated the media with warnings, dares, and bizarre cryptograms that baffled FBI code-breakers. Then as suddenly as the murders began, Zodiac disappeared into the Bay Area fog. After painstaking investigation and more than thirty years of research, Robert Graysmith finally exposes Zodiac’s true identity. With overwhelming evidence he reveals the twisted private life that led to the crimes, and provides startling theories as to why they stopped. America’s greatest unsolved mystery has finally been solved. INCLUDES PHOTOS AND A COMPLETE REPRODUCTION OF ZODIAC’S LETTERS

Whether it be Jack the Ripper in nineteenth-century England or Ted Bundy in 1970s America, the public has always been fascinated by the criminal offender type known as the serial killer. Professionals continue to speculate and develop new theories about their identity decades after their crimes ended. But what is it that causes such evilness in individuals that causes them to take an innocent life, not once but multiples times, and for no apparent reason beyond their own perverse psychological gratification? This fascinating book explores this question by looking at the psychosocial determinants of criminal behavior, including serial murder. The role of such internal processes as attachment, moral development, and identity formation in the development of a person’s predisposition to various forms of deviance, including physical and sexual aggression, is reviewed. This information is then applied to actual serial killers, including David Berkowitz (The Son of Sam), Charles Manson, Eric Rudolph (God’s Crusader), Ted Bundy (The Face of Evil), Edmund Kemper (The Co-ed Killer), and the Zodiac Killer, in an effort to construct a psychosocial profile of each and to attempt to pinpoint the various developmental factors that contributed to their eventual criminality. Finally, early intervention strategies are explored that can potentially redirect a child’s developmental trajectory away from crime and deviance, and toward a more adaptive and socially acceptable behavioral repertoire. This book will be an insightful resource to all law enforcement professionals, policymakers, police academics, psychologists, psychiatrists, and many others in the helping professions as well.

The Zodiac serial killer claimed the lives of at least five young victims between 1966 and 1974, and mocked the police with telephone calls, taunting letters, and encrypted messages. Thousands of men have been accused; nearly 2,500 have been investigated. Yet the Zodiac has never been identified.This painstakingly researched and meticulously detailed compendium to the Zodiac serial killer case by True Crime author Mark Hewitt presents the crimes and their effect on a community, including the various sides of the many disputed issues within the case.PROFILED: The Zodiac Examined discusses the case files of the Zodiac Serial Killer case. Included is an extensive profile of the killer that just may lead to his identification.This indispensable series is accessible to anyone interested in joining the pursuit, exploring a mystery, or witnessing the police response to an appalling crime spree.

Killer Data examines the phenomenon of serial murder using data collected from international sources to review offender patterning with a focus on contemporary cases. This type of attention will allow for a broader understanding of modern-day serial murderers and will help to dispel some of the myths that surround offenders. The current serial murder classification scheme incorrectly types serial murderers as supremely intelligent killing machines while discounting their socialization, experiences, and choices. This book exposes serial murderers as run-of-the-mill hometown losers, who brutalize women, and are lucky to escape apprehension. Like other atypical homicide offenders, modern-day serial murderers are propelled forward by a deep sense of entitlement, easy access to firearms, and a nonchalant attitude toward using murder to attain their goals. Readers should come away with a deeper understanding not of the ultra-rare or the "deadliest" serial murderers but of the more common offenders who pose a consistent threat to day-to-day life. The book utilizes the Consolidated Serial Homicide Offender Database, one of the largest and most robust open access databases of multiple murders available, presenting new thinking on areas such as: myths and stereotypes the impact of entertainment on the perception of serial murder inaccurate prevalence estimates spree/serial hybrid offenders the classification of two and three victim serial murderers how serial murderers pursue longevity the characteristics of aspiring serial murderers whether hit men and gang members are serial murderers if and why serial murder is in a state of decline how many serial murderers are responsible for the homicides that sent innocent people to prison luck as a factor of “success” for serial murderers. These findings are illustrated with 200 narrative vignettes of serial murder series that occurred between 2011 and 2021, such as Itzcoatl Ocampo, Charles Severance, Nikko Jenkins, and Pamela Hupp, offenders who may be unfamiliar to many but represent the next iteration of the serial murderer. Correcting decades of flawed assumptions about serial murderers, and written in an accessible and concise style, Killer Data is essential reading for students and scholars of criminal justice and criminology, law enforcement professionals, and the interested general reader.