In the December of 1968 it all began. Not the murders of five innocent people, as if that wasn't enough, but the falsehoods, embellishment and deception that has marred this case for nearly fifty years. It started with some of the eyewitness testimony after the murders, extended during and after the Arthur Leigh Allen witch hunt, and has continued to the present day, where the Zodiac case now resembles a bloated carcass of fiction. In 1968 he was described as a "madman" or "psychopath." He transformed into a "latent homosexual" and an "intelligent and cunning criminal," who liked to play chess with the police and newspapers. But he is a lot more than that today. He is a master criminal and genius, part of a grand conspiracy, a complex hoax perpetrated by multiple individuals, that permeates to the heart of law enforcement and government officialdom. The only thing he hasn't seemingly acquired yet, is his own version of the Batmobile, however there is still time.
If the Zodiac Killer were alive today, looking in the mirror, it wouldn't be Alzheimer's disease that stopped him from recognizing himself, it would be the descriptions attributed to him in numerous Facebook and forum posts up and down every country in the world.
One may be forgiven for believing this is akin to Darwin's theory of evolution, or the metamorphosis of a chrysalis into a butterfly, however it has much more in common with creationism, where facts and reality are set aside, to pursue a self serving belief of importance. The claim to absolutely know who the Zodiac is, to have definitively solved the ciphers beyond any shadow of doubt and thereafter routinely demean anyone who questions your hypothesis, is somebody who is symptomatic of an ever growing problem highlighted by Andy Warhol, that "in the future everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame." Unfortunately it is far worse than fifteen minutes. If you don't listen the first time, that Facebook post will be repeated ad infinitum, until you are beaten into submission. The problem today, is you will not get noticed with an ordinary story, it has to be headline grabbing, it has to be sensational, it has to sell. What we are left with is fiction, that new recruits to the Zodiac case have to wade through to get to the truth, and undoubtedly they will find it much harder with every passing year.
You will often read this; "People don't believe my claims because they will realize their ideas, they have long held for years, have been wrong." Or "Now that I have solved the case people are upset, because their sleuthing days are over." The self importance is oozing from every pore in their body. Modesty is not a word they understand.
Thomas Horan described the Zodiac period as the 'Great Zodiac Hoax.' He is correct in one respect, but is nearly half a century out. The greatest Zodiac hoax is occurring now, being perpetrated on the keyboards of the modern world, by people who have attempted to shift the Zodiac case to the next level of creationism, where evidence is irrelevant.
Many people were excited when the DNA advancements were applied to the Zodiac case. Had the DNA not ruled out their suspect, one could guarantee this would have been shouted from the rooftops, presented in their book or routinely quoted on the internet, as further corroborating evidence that their suspect was indeed Zodiac. However, when it ruled out their suspect, the DNA was presented as 'contaminated' or that the stamps and envelopes were licked by somebody else. If they truly believed that the DNA was worthless as evidence, why did they bother submitting their suspect sample in the first place. It is a no lose situation for them, and clear evidence that these people are not seeking the truth, they are seeking self promotion.
Blinkered detective work, where belief is promoted over evidence has stained many murder investigations, and the Zodiac case is no different. Having a firm suspect you believe is Zodiac is fine, but when you carry this suspect in the back of your mind when analyzing a particular murder or crime scene, it will affect your impartiality.
The perfect example to illustrate this, is the sketch generated from eyewitness testimony at Presidio Heights. The truth of the matter, is that eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. The sketch may be a good visual representation of the Zodiac Killer, on the other hand it may not. However, if your suspect looks exactly like the sketch, you will endeavor to promote the validity of the sighting, while if your suspect looks nothing like the sketch, the reverse will be the case. The neutral and objective approach has been lost. Another example is when somebody is challenged on whether their suspect was even in Northern California on the date of one of the Zodiac murders. The response is thrown back at you, to prove that he wasn't. It is clear that this is the worst argument in history. The onus is squarely on the claimant.
The exchange of ideas, theories and presentations in the Zodiac case is the healthy alternative to the self righteous and sanctimonious individuals that have now infected the Zodiac case. The unfaltering belief they are 100% correct and the rest of us need to wake up and behold them like a glowing beacon, like minions to a superior being. Conviction is great, but misplaced superiority should be rejected at every turn.
The Zodiac case has taken a downturn in recent years, where many individuals simply don't discuss the various aspects of the case, but unrelentingly pursue a personal driven agenda of self promotion, and only they have the answer. The internet is littered with these individuals, who have managed to turn a criminal investigation into a circus. Thomas Horan authored the books 'The Great Zodiac Killer Hoax of 1969' and 'The Great Zodiac Killer Hoax of 1986.' If this hoax were the case, one could now argue that the hoaxed have now become the hoaxers, with evidence that wouldn't even enter the courtroom toilet.
If you follow the Zodiac case in current media, an unhealthy proportion of what you read and hear, is the self promotion of the individual, who claims to have all the answers, or to have solved the Zodiac case. When you are faced with this claim you need go no further, it's false. When the case is solved, you won't read it in a book first. It will come through official channels.
If the Zodiac Killer were alive today, looking in the mirror, it wouldn't be Alzheimer's disease that stopped him from recognizing himself, it would be the descriptions attributed to him in numerous Facebook and forum posts up and down every country in the world.
One may be forgiven for believing this is akin to Darwin's theory of evolution, or the metamorphosis of a chrysalis into a butterfly, however it has much more in common with creationism, where facts and reality are set aside, to pursue a self serving belief of importance. The claim to absolutely know who the Zodiac is, to have definitively solved the ciphers beyond any shadow of doubt and thereafter routinely demean anyone who questions your hypothesis, is somebody who is symptomatic of an ever growing problem highlighted by Andy Warhol, that "in the future everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame." Unfortunately it is far worse than fifteen minutes. If you don't listen the first time, that Facebook post will be repeated ad infinitum, until you are beaten into submission. The problem today, is you will not get noticed with an ordinary story, it has to be headline grabbing, it has to be sensational, it has to sell. What we are left with is fiction, that new recruits to the Zodiac case have to wade through to get to the truth, and undoubtedly they will find it much harder with every passing year.
You will often read this; "People don't believe my claims because they will realize their ideas, they have long held for years, have been wrong." Or "Now that I have solved the case people are upset, because their sleuthing days are over." The self importance is oozing from every pore in their body. Modesty is not a word they understand.
Thomas Horan described the Zodiac period as the 'Great Zodiac Hoax.' He is correct in one respect, but is nearly half a century out. The greatest Zodiac hoax is occurring now, being perpetrated on the keyboards of the modern world, by people who have attempted to shift the Zodiac case to the next level of creationism, where evidence is irrelevant.
Many people were excited when the DNA advancements were applied to the Zodiac case. Had the DNA not ruled out their suspect, one could guarantee this would have been shouted from the rooftops, presented in their book or routinely quoted on the internet, as further corroborating evidence that their suspect was indeed Zodiac. However, when it ruled out their suspect, the DNA was presented as 'contaminated' or that the stamps and envelopes were licked by somebody else. If they truly believed that the DNA was worthless as evidence, why did they bother submitting their suspect sample in the first place. It is a no lose situation for them, and clear evidence that these people are not seeking the truth, they are seeking self promotion.
Blinkered detective work, where belief is promoted over evidence has stained many murder investigations, and the Zodiac case is no different. Having a firm suspect you believe is Zodiac is fine, but when you carry this suspect in the back of your mind when analyzing a particular murder or crime scene, it will affect your impartiality.
The perfect example to illustrate this, is the sketch generated from eyewitness testimony at Presidio Heights. The truth of the matter, is that eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. The sketch may be a good visual representation of the Zodiac Killer, on the other hand it may not. However, if your suspect looks exactly like the sketch, you will endeavor to promote the validity of the sighting, while if your suspect looks nothing like the sketch, the reverse will be the case. The neutral and objective approach has been lost. Another example is when somebody is challenged on whether their suspect was even in Northern California on the date of one of the Zodiac murders. The response is thrown back at you, to prove that he wasn't. It is clear that this is the worst argument in history. The onus is squarely on the claimant.
The exchange of ideas, theories and presentations in the Zodiac case is the healthy alternative to the self righteous and sanctimonious individuals that have now infected the Zodiac case. The unfaltering belief they are 100% correct and the rest of us need to wake up and behold them like a glowing beacon, like minions to a superior being. Conviction is great, but misplaced superiority should be rejected at every turn.
The Zodiac case has taken a downturn in recent years, where many individuals simply don't discuss the various aspects of the case, but unrelentingly pursue a personal driven agenda of self promotion, and only they have the answer. The internet is littered with these individuals, who have managed to turn a criminal investigation into a circus. Thomas Horan authored the books 'The Great Zodiac Killer Hoax of 1969' and 'The Great Zodiac Killer Hoax of 1986.' If this hoax were the case, one could now argue that the hoaxed have now become the hoaxers, with evidence that wouldn't even enter the courtroom toilet.
If you follow the Zodiac case in current media, an unhealthy proportion of what you read and hear, is the self promotion of the individual, who claims to have all the answers, or to have solved the Zodiac case. When you are faced with this claim you need go no further, it's false. When the case is solved, you won't read it in a book first. It will come through official channels.
