The Zodiac’s true motives remain unknown, but the study of his crimes reveals his signature. While some murderers may vary their methods of operation, a killer’s choices, actions, and words reflect his needs– even when he attempts to deceive and even when he does not realize that he is doing so. In this sense, the killer’s crimes will reveal his psychological fingerprint. Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2022 Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Kniight....
Jan 05, 2022•41 min•Ep. 14
Decades after he terrified citizens with his shocking crimes and bizarre letters, the Zodiac is known as one of the most enigmatic serial killers in modern history. His motives are unknown, although many people have offered various theories to explain his behavior. Attempts to create a psychological profile often rely on speculation based on our knowledge of other killers, and experts struggle to comprehend the mind of the Zodiac. This episode examines various theories about the killer’s motives...
Sep 03, 2021•47 min•Ep. 13
The varying descriptions of the Zodiac have created confusion and fueled debate. Some eyewitnesses described the killer as short as 5'8" tall while others said he was approximately 6' tall. One witness thought the Zodiac weighed approximately 180 lbs. while another said he may have been as heavy as 250 lbs. Some estimates of the killer's age ranged from mid-thirties to late-forties. The now-infamous sketch produced by the San Francisco Police Department remains the only representation of the Zod...
Aug 02, 2021•29 min•Ep. 12
The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and other news outlets ran stories about a French engineer who claims that he has solved the Zodiac’s remaining ciphers, known as the Z13 and the Z32. The newly-proposed solutions point to long-time suspect Larry Kane and indicate a connection to a suspected Zodiac postcard and a possible victim who disappeared in 1970. These claims may seem compelling but the facts reveal many problems with the methods used to produce these solutions. Including a...
Jul 14, 2021•33 min
According to one persistent theory, authorities discovered evidence proving that Charles Manson and his infamous “family” of killers were responsible for the Zodiac murders but this evidence was withheld and suppressed for various reasons. The facts tell a very different story in this encore presentation of a segment from the previous episode “10 Zodiac Killer Myths: Debunked.” Featuring: Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi. Read the article: “ ConspiraZ Theory ” - https://zodiackillerfacts.com/z...
Jul 11, 2021•8 min
In the syndicated tabloid TV show Now It Can Be Told, Geraldo Rivera and Maury Terry claimed the evidence indicated that Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin was targeted for death by members of a satanic cult. Terry also claimed that satanists were responsible for the 'Son of Sam' shootings in New York and other crimes across America. This theory of a nationwide network of satanic killers has become a popular myth, but the facts reveal the many problems with the conspiracy theories in both the 'Son of ...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Over the decades, persistent theories claimed that the Zodiac crimes were part of a conspiracy orchestrated by members of a satanic cult. One of the proponents of this theory was Maury Terry, a writer who became famous for his claims that the Son of Sam murders in New York were part of a satanic conspiracy. Now, the new documentary series on Netflix inspired by Terry’s claims titled “Sons of Sam” has renewed interest in satanic conspiracy theories. In the syndicated tabloid TV show Now It Can Be...
Jun 12, 2021•41 min
This episode of the ZODIAC: A TO Z podcast examines two questions: Was there any connection between the Zodiac victims? Was the Zodiac a police officer or somehow involved in law enforcement? Some theories may seem like compelling explanations, but the facts tell a very different story. Written and produced by MICHAEL BUTTERFIELD for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2021 Voice of The Zodiac by John Knight All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” and “Frozen Orb” composed and pr...
May 22, 2021•35 min
This episode examines puzzling questions, including: Did two or more suspects commit the Zodiac crimes together? Was Arthur Leigh Allen the Zodiac? Why did police interview Allen shortly before the last known Zodiac murder? Will authorities discover “Zodiac DNA” which could finally solve the case? If so, what are some possible endgame scenarios? Was the Zodiac responsible for the murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside and the strange writings associated with that unsolved case? Did the Zodiac kee...
May 03, 2021•43 min
On March 24th, 2019, I joined a discussion panel assembled at the "Death Becomes Us" true crime festival in New York for a live bonus episode of the Monster podcast titled MONSTER: From Atlanta to the Zodiac, with producer/narrator Matt Frederick, producer/host Payne Lindsey, executive producer Donald Albright, and producer Meredith Stedman. The first segment focused on the Zodiac mystery while the second examined the controversial case of the Atlanta child murders. In this bonus audio clip of t...
Apr 10, 2021•4 min
This bonus episode examines other persistent myths about the Zodiac case, including claims about the attack at Lake Berryessa and the shooting at Blue Rock Springs Park, and, Robert Graysmith’s claim that he had discovered a “hidden” road which led from the crime scenes directly to the home of his suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen. Note: This episode includes dramatic readings. Some audio clips were obtained from older recordings with some audio deficiencies but have been presented here for informatio...
Mar 24, 2021•27 min
This episode examines 10 popular myths about the case: The Zodiac was an expert marksman, the Zodiac crime scenes form a giant “radian angle,” the Zodiac crimes were linked to the Manson “family,” the Zodiac crimes were done by copycat killers or were a hoax, The Zodiac killed dozens of victims, The Zodiac took credit for crimes he did not commit, police were about to arrest a major suspect but he died, The Zodiac called a TV show with attorney Melvin Belli, the Zodiac investigators did not coop...
Mar 24, 2021•54 min
In this “unfiltered” review, Michael Butterfield (ZodiacKillerFacts.com) examines the FX/Hulu documentary series “The Most Dangerous Animal of All,” featuring Gary Stewart’s claims that his father Earl Van Best Jr. was the Zodiac killer. Stewart and his co-author Susan Mustafa claimed that their suspect was implicated by fingerprints and DNA evidence, handwriting analysis, and proposed cipher solutions. As usual, the facts tell a very different story. Note to the listener: A previous episode sta...
Feb 09, 2021•38 min
Listeners sent several messages requesting a new episode addressing various questions and thoughts about the new solution to the Zodiac's 340 cipher, which was recently solved by Jarl Van Eycke, Sam Blake, and David Oranchak (ZodiacKillerCiphers.com). Topics include: What does the new solution indicate about the Zodiac's skills as a code maker? Can the methods used to solve the 340 cipher be applied to the killer's two remaining unsolved ciphers? Did the Zodiac really believe that his victims wo...
Jan 17, 2021•20 min
51 years ago, the Zodiac sent his now-infamous "340 Cipher," a clue which became one of the most baffling mysteries in true crime cryptography. Many people claimed they had solved the cipher, but their solutions were not valid. Now, decades after the killer sent this hidden message, the Zodiac's "340 Cipher" has finally been solved by computer programmers Jarl Van Eycke, Sam Blake, and David Oranchak of ZodiacKillerCiphers.com. Listen to the incredible story behind the solution in this special e...
Dec 14, 2020•31 min
David Oranchak (ZodiacKillerCiphers.com) joins Michael Butterfield to talk about the new YouTube video series titled “Let’s Crack Zodiac,” an examination of the Zodiac’s ciphers as well as the proposed solutions, various theories, and possible methods to decipher the killer’s mysterious messages. Topics include: the solution to the killer’s 340 symbol cipher created by Robert Graysmith and his claim that his solution was confirmed by the American Cryptogram Association, and the recent FX/Hulu do...
Dec 03, 2020•49 min
The next episode of the ZODIAC: A TO Z podcast features an interview with David Oranchak (ZodiacKillerCiphers.com) about his new YouTube series “Let’s Crack Zodiac,” an examination of the Zodiac’s ciphers as well as the proposed solutions, various theories, and possible methods to decipher the killer’s mysterious messages. Produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2020 All music licensed and used by permission. “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte....
Nov 28, 2020•48 sec
In his book The Most Dangerous Animal of All, Gary Stewart claims that his father was the Zodiac. Now, Stewart's theory is the subject of a new documentary/reality TV series airing on the FX Network and also available on Hulu. According to Stewart, he discovered his father's name in the Zodiac codes, matched his father's fingerprint to a suspected "Zodiac fingerprint, and matched his father's handwriting to the Zodiac's writing. Stewart also claims that he has presented more evidence than anyone...
Mar 06, 2020•1 hr 8 min
The strange case of Arthur Covell involving codes, astrology, and murder. Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2020 All music licensed and used by permission. “Ghost” composed and produced by JM Scherf.
Mar 05, 2020•4 min
Did the Zodiac imitate other elusive and notorious killers? Was the Zodiac inspired by popular culture, including fiction, film, and television? This episode examines possible inspirations, including the Batman comic books and series, TV shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Ironside, the films The Most Dangerous Game and Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, the strange case of a cab driver killing and taunting telephone calls to police, the still-unsolved murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside...
Mar 05, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 11
No one knows the motives behind the Zodiac's shocking crimes or what may have inspired him to choose that name and the crossed-circle symbol as his signature. The name and symbol had origins in astrology, and the Zodiac's crimes indicated that he may have been influenced by other killers in history. Was he also inspired by popular culture, including fiction, film, and television? Did the Zodiac imitate the villains and crimes in the Batman comic books and TV series, or in the films The Most Dang...
Feb 17, 2020•1 min
Comments about various topics, including questions about the possibility that DNA evidence could implicate a known suspect such as Arthur Leigh Allen, and, the upcoming television mini-series The Most Dangerous Animal of All, about Gary Stewart's theory that his father was the Zodiac. Produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2020 All music licensed and used by permission. “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte.
Feb 16, 2020•13 min
On October 22, 1969, a man who claimed to be the Zodiac called in to a Bay Area TV show and talked with lawyer Melvin Belli by telephone. A surviving victim and two police dispatchers who talked with the real Zodiac all agreed that the caller known as "Sam" was an impostor, but decades of confusion and popular myths in the books written by Robert Graysmith and the film adaptation by director David Fincher left some people convinced that the real Zodiac was responsible for the telephone calls to ...
Jan 24, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 10
On October 22, 1969, the Oakland police department received a telephone call from a man who claimed to be the Zodiac. He demanded that famed attorney F. Lee Bailey or celebrity lawyer Melvin Belli appear on a Bay Area television talk show. Hours later, Belli and TV host Jim Dunbar spoke by telephone with a man called "Sam" who claimed to be the Zodiac in a televised spectacle. A surviving victim and two police dispatchers who talked with the real Zodiac all agreed that "Sam" was an impostor, but...
Jan 04, 2020•1 min
The Zodiac claimed that he left the scene of his last known murder and encountered two police officers who asked if he had seen anyone acting "suspicious or strange." According to the killer's version of events, he replied that he had seen a man running by waving a gun and then directed the officers in search of the phantom gunman. The Zodiac's story is often repeated as fact, yet this account only raised many more troubling questions which cast serious doubt on the killer's claims. Facts, commo...
Dec 26, 2019•25 min
On the night of his last known murder in San Francisco, the Zodiac narrowly escaped when two police officers passed him as he walked away from the crime scene. He mocked police for failing to capture him. Police then called the Zodiac a clumsy criminal, a liar, and a latent homosexual. The killer was clearly angered by these statements and this appears to have sparked the Zodiac’s obvious hatred of the San Francisco police department. He then claimed that he had been stopped by police officers w...
Dec 18, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 9
On the night of his last known murder in San Francisco, the Zodiac narrowly escaped when two police officers passed him as he walked away from the crime scene. He mocked police for failing to capture him. Police then called the Zodiac a clumsy criminal, a liar, and a latent homosexual. The killer was clearly angered by these statements and this appears to have sparked the Zodiac’s obvious hatred of the San Francisco police department. He then claimed that he had been stopped by police officers w...
Dec 18, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 9
On the night of his last known murder in San Francisco, the Zodiac narrowly escaped when two police officers passed him as he walked away from the crime scene. He then bragged about the attack in his next letter and mocked police for failing to capture him. Police then called the Zodiac a clumsy criminal, a liar, and a latent homosexual. The killer was clearly angered by these statements and this appears to have sparked the Zodiac’s obvious hatred of the San Francisco police department. He respo...
Dec 09, 2019•1 min
Mike Morford (ZodiacKillerSite.com) and David Oranchak (ZodiacKillerCiphers.com) join Michael Butterfield (ZodiacKillerFacts.com) to talk about the 50th anniversary of the Zodiac's still-unsolved "340 Cipher." Produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2019 All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” and “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte.
Nov 27, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 8
David Oranchak talks about proposed solutions to the Zodiac's still-unsolved 340 symbol cipher, known as "the Z340," including solutions created by Zodiac author Robert Graysmith, Corey Starliper, and Gary Stewart (The Most Dangerous Animal of All). Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2019 All music licensed and used by permission. “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” composed and produced by JM Scherf. Read the ZodiacKiller...
Nov 26, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 8
