Zodiac: The Truth Behind the Movie

Zodiac: The Truth Behind the Movie We've all recently experienced the release of the new movie Zodiac. The movie with a twist. Some might be attracted to the thriller flick because of the bloody massacres. Some simply snatched up a few tickets to see Jake Gyllenhaal getting hot and sweaty over those doodles of his at the San Francisco Chronicle. But if you're like me, you're in it for the hardcore, gritty, dirty work that the homicide detectives are left with after the Zodiac Killer, played by John Carroll Lynch, goes on one of his killing sprees.

So who is the Zodiac Killer? In light of this new release let me give you some info of who the Zodiac serial killer is and why he felt the need to kill in the manner that he did.

The Zodiac case was never closed. It is second in line to 'Jack the Ripper' as the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time. The police studied over 2,500 suspects and didn't even come close to solving the mystery. Zodiac harassed the police with cryptic messages, letters, strange phone calls, and no one came close to nailing him.

It all started in 1966, October 30th, a Sunday, Zodiac took his first victim. Cheri Jo Bates, a college student. Her clothing was undisturbed and her purse intact, neither robbery nor rape were motives in this brutal attack. Firstly he disabled her Volkswagon and when she made an attempt to start up her car he lured her into the dark where they stood for a while before he finally made an attack. Zodiac stabbed her three times in the chest, once in the back and delivered seven slashes to the neck. And as if that wasn't enough she was choked and slashed around the face. He left behind Seven crucial pieces of evidence:

  1. A paint splattered men's Timex watch
  2. A shoe print: size 10 and hair samples
  3. Blood and skin samples found beneath the victims fingernails (scratching in defense), and finally palm and finger prints found inside and outside the car

The paint was analyzed and found to be common exterior house paint, the watch was found to be traced to England as a military PX.

Surely this was enough to hold a man in contempt if found?

The fact that the young woman's library books told us that she checked out at 9:00 pm, and neighbors heard the scream at around 10:30 was evidence to the fact she spent and hour and a half with him before her death.

With a complete stranger, in the middle of the night. Cops assumed it was a lovers quarrel. She obviously trusted the guy enough to spend an hour and a half with him so late at night and in such intense darkness. They didn't see any reason to see the murder as suspicious. However... This was his first killing. And soon it turned into the most bizarre killing spree of all.

He took eight victims overall. Mainly in Vellejo and San Francisco. The detective on the case was David Toschi. But Zodiac was careful, it took almost six years to uncover him. Part of his ingenious plans were to throw the police's scent from him. Leaving clues that would make the police think that he didn't commit the murders, he just took credit for them. However one man saw otherwise, our favourite doodle master Jake Gyllenhaal who portrayed a very important author of that time, Robert Graysmith, wrote two books on how he uncovered the zodiac killer.

Sadly before the Zodiac Killer could testify, he died of a heart attack. A witness who survived his torments identified him and he had nowhere to run. Without a testimony all we can rely on his Graysmith's novels to believe what we feel is right.

My opinion, and we're all entitled to it, but I think he did to it, all the evidence pointed to the accused, who was by the way, Arthur Leigh Allan, he and the weapons, the outfit, the shoes, the witness, the handwriting. Sorry 'Lee' but you've been busted.

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