Zodiac Killer Essay - 1490 Words

Introduction In this paper, I will describe who the Zodiac Killer was, how a serial killer is different from a normal homicide suspect. In addition, I will explain what the Zodiac Killer’s criteria was for selecting his victims and whether forensic psychology or criminal profiling provided input into this case. Finally, I will express my thoughts on why the Zodiac Killer was never captured and what else, if anyhing, could have been done to help find the infamous Zodiac Killer. In order to explain how a serial killer is different than a normal homicide is to first understand how a serial killer operates. The Zodiac Killer story began in the sleepy town of Benecia, California after the December 20, 1968 murder of a teenage couple was†¦show more content†¦The Zodiac killer struck again on September 27, 1969, where he approached a couple at Lake Berryessa with a gun, then had Cecelia Shepard tie up her boyfriend, Bryan Hartnell. The Zodiac then tied up Cecelia Shepard, withdrew a knife and stabbed her then Hartnell several times. The Zodiac left and wrote on Hartnell’s car with a felt pen the dates of the last two shootings and this stabbing. Sadly, Cecelia Shepard died but Bryan Hartnell lived and was able to tell police and the press about his story. The final confirmed murder by the Zodiac was on October 11, 1969, in San Francisco, of a cab drive named Paul Stine. He used a nine-millimeter to shoot Stine in the head, then proceeded to swatches of Stine’s shirt, which he later mailed to the Chronicle along with another chilling letter (Butterfield, 2012). The Zodiac continued to correspond with police and the Chronicle with letters and postcards until 1971, then remained silent until January 29, 1974 where the Zodiac spoke of the movie The Exorcist and a verse from The Mikado, and signed the letter with the unexplained symbols, but also claimed a score of 37 (murders), San Francisco Police Department 0 (Butterfield, 2012). In examining a serial killer, such as the Zodiac Killer, and a normal homicide suspect there are several factors that are considered. A homicide is the killing of another person, but itShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Zodiac Killer2341 Words   |  10 PagesThe Zodiac Killer Works Cited Not Included In the late sixties and early seventies, California was haunted by dozens of unsolved murders. The offender remains unknown to this day. The murderer, who referred to himself as the Zodiac, made contact with the police and area newspapers throughout his reign of terror through a series of menacing notes. Although the police were never able to apprehend Zodiac, they were able to gather information about him via the letters. Zodiac boasted of killingRead More The Zodiac Killer Essay2809 Words   |  12 Pagesear. The shot made a deafening blast, as the bullet entered David’s head at a horizontal angle, blowing it apart (Tina 3). With David out of his way, the killer turned his attention back to Betty. He pursued her through the woods, his gun drawn, and shot her five times in the back from less than ten feet away. (Tina 3). The killer then got back into his car, and drove away as quickly as he had appeared. David, amazingly, was still alive, and bleeding profusely from his wounds, but Betty wasRead MoreEssay On The Zodiac Killer1734 Words   |  7 PagesThis is the Zodiac Speaking â€Å"I like killing people, because it is fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest, because man is the most dangerous animal of all.† These are the words spoken by a man who terrorized the area of San Francisco, California for two years, lurking in the shadows killing five people, but taking credit for 37 different murders. This man taunted police, seeing his murders as one giant game, sending cryptic messages to the newspapers, forcing them to publish themRead MoreEssay on The Zodiac Killer2094 Words   |  9 PagesThe Zodiac Killer The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time of great change in America. The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution were just some of the issues on the evening news in American households. For citizens of the San Francisco Bay area, as well as the rest of California, the late 60’s early 70’represented terror, fear and death. â€Å"The bizarre and theatrical and still unresolved serial murders by real-life ghoul who called himself Zodiac, who claimed inRead MoreEssay On The Zodiac Killer3047 Words   |  13 PagesLaw enforcement officers meet in San Francisco in 1969 to compare notes on the Zodiac Killer, who is believed to have killed five people in 1968 and 1969. The killer gained notoriety by writing several letters to police boasting of the slayings. He claimed to have killed as many as 37 people and has never been caught..Zodiac kill up to 45 people and more that they dont know about because he kill people in a different way in the different town that he was in but he word the same thing every timeRead More The Elusive Zodiac Killer Essays2062 Words   |  9 PagesThe Elusive Zodiac Killer Serial killers almost without exception enjoy playing games. Whether played with their victims’, or the police forces trying to track them down, the game of the kill is almost as essential as the murder itself. In most instances this need to draw out the experience leads to the downfall of the culprit. This was not the case with the elusive Zodiac Killer of the San Francisco Bay Area. Zodiac’s career, which would become the most cerebral murder case ofRead More The Zodiac Killer Essay examples1229 Words   |  5 Pages Much is unknown about the Zodiac killer, but given what is known about serial killers in general, this man was probably born between 1938 and 1943. That would make his age between 25 and 30 years old at the time of his first murder in Vallejo, California, in 1968. Also, that age estimate works with witness statements and its supported by Zodiacs references to his victims in younger terms in his letters of 1969. Zodiac wasnt an attractive character from what we know. 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