The Zodiac Killer Letters were a series of disturbing correspondences sent by an unknown individual claiming responsibility for a series of brutal murders in the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s. The letters contained cryptic messages, symbols, and diagrams, as well as gruesome evidence of the murders, such as pieces of the victim’s clothing. Here are the 7 confirmed letters.
Letter 1: The first letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on August 1, 1969. It was a three-page letter filled with rambling, cryptic messages and symbols. The Zodiac Killer claimed responsibility for the murders of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen and threatened to kill more people if his demands were not met. He also included a piece of one of the victim’s bloody shirts as proof of his claims.
Letter 2: The second letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the Vallejo Times-Herald on August 7, 1969. It contained a detailed account of the murders of Faraday and Jensen and included a diagram of the crime scene. The Zodiac Killer also included a cryptogram in this letter, which he claimed contained his identity.
Letter 3: The third letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on August 8, 1969. It contained a message stating that the Zodiac Killer was “the same man who did the killings in Marin County.” He also included another cryptogram in this letter, which he claimed would reveal his identity if solved.
Letter 4: The fourth letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on October 13, 1969. It contained a message claiming responsibility for the murders of Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau and included a piece of Ferrin’s bloody dress as proof. The Zodiac Killer also included a diagram of the crime scene in this letter.
Letter 5: The fifth letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on November 8, 1969. It contained a message claiming responsibility for the murders of Paul Stine, Cecilia Shepard, and Bryan Hartnell. The Zodiac Killer also included a bloody piece of Stine’s shirt and a diagram of the crime scene in this letter.
Letter 6: The sixth letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on April 20, 1970. It contained a message claiming responsibility for the murder of Kathleen Johns and included a diagram of the crime scene. The Zodiac Killer also included a cryptogram in this letter, which he claimed contained his identity.
Letter 7: The seventh letter from the Zodiac Killer was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on July 26, 1970. It contained a message claiming responsibility for the murders of Faraday, Jensen, Ferrin, Mageau, Stine, Shepard, Hartnell, and Johns. The Zodiac Killer also included a drawing of a crosshairs and the words “Peek-a-boo, you are doomed” in this letter.
In each of these letters, the Zodiac Killer displayed a twisted and sadistic personality, taunting authorities and victims’ families with his cryptic messages and gruesome evidence. His letters sent a wave of fear throughout the Bay Area and beyond, as the public struggled to decipher his identity and motive. The Zodiac Killer’s letters remain one of the most perplexing and chilling aspects of this still-unsolved case.