After 55 Years, The TRUE Identity Of Zodiac Killer Has Been Revealed | HO!!

For more than half a century, the Zodiac Killer has haunted the American imagination. His cryptic letters, coded messages, and brutal attacks left a trail of fear and unanswered questions across Northern California.

Now, after 55 years, a team of former FBI agents and forensic experts believe they have finally unmasked the man behind the myth. Their conclusion: the Zodiac Killer was Gary Francis Poste, a military veteran with a violent past who died in 2018. If the evidence holds, one of the most chilling mysteries in true crime history has finally been solved.

A Reign of Terror Begins

The Zodiac’s first confirmed attack occurred on December 20, 1968, along a quiet road in Benicia, California. David Faraday, 17, and Betty Lou Jensen, 16, were shot and killed while parked in a lover’s lane. There was no robbery, no sexual assault—only cold, calculated violence. The killer left no fingerprints, no obvious motive, and no traceable evidence. It was the beginning of a pattern that would paralyze the region with fear.

Six months later, on July 4, 1969, Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau were ambushed while sitting in a parked car in Vallejo, just miles from the first crime scene. The attacker shot both; Darlene died, but Michael survived and described the shooter as a heavyset white man in his 30s, wearing glasses and dark clothing.

This time, the killer called police himself, calmly claiming responsibility for both attacks and providing details only the perpetrator could know.

This was no ordinary murderer. He was controlled, methodical, and—most disturbingly—hungry for attention.

The Zodiac Emerges

The attacks continued. On September 27, 1969, college students Bryan Hartnell and Cecilia Shepard were picnicking by Lake Berryessa in Napa County when a man approached wearing a black hood emblazoned with a white cross-circle symbol. He tied them up and stabbed them repeatedly, then wrote a message on their car door, listing his previous crimes and signing it with the now-infamous symbol. Cecilia died; Bryan survived to describe the chilling encounter.

Two weeks later, on October 11, 1969, cab driver Paul Stine was shot in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights. Witnesses saw the killer calmly wipe down the cab and walk away. Days later, a letter arrived at the San Francisco Chronicle containing a piece of Stine’s bloody shirt—a gruesome token to prove authenticity.

The killer’s letters, taunting law enforcement and the public, soon became as infamous as his crimes. In one, he gave himself a name: “This is the Zodiac speaking.” He threatened schoolchildren, mocked police, and sent ciphers he claimed would reveal his identity. The public was terrified. The police were stymied.

A Game of Codes and Taunts

The Zodiac’s letters were more than confessions—they were psychological warfare. On August 1, 1969, he sent three letters to Bay Area newspapers, each containing part of a 408-character cipher. “If you do not print this cipher by the afternoon of Fri. 1st of Aug 69, I will go on a kill rampage,” he warned. The cipher was cracked by a high school teacher and his wife, revealing a chilling message about hunting people for sport, but no name.

The Zodiac sent more ciphers, including the infamous 340-character code that went unsolved for over 50 years. In 2020, a team of amateur codebreakers finally cracked it—only to find more taunts and no clues to his identity.

The killer’s ability to manipulate the media and law enforcement was unprecedented. He varied his methods, locations, and timing, making it nearly impossible to predict his next move. He was always one step ahead, fueling fear and fascination in equal measure.

A Case Lost in Chaos

The Zodiac’s confirmed attacks ended in 1969, but his letters continued until 1974. Officially, he is linked to five murders and two attempted murders, but he claimed as many as 37 victims. Dozens of other cases remain unsolved.

The investigation was hampered from the start. The crimes spanned multiple jurisdictions—Vallejo, Napa, San Francisco—each with its own police force, procedures, and evidence lockers. Information was fragmented, leads were missed, and suspects slipped through the cracks. Forensic technology was primitive by today’s standards: DNA analysis didn’t exist, and fingerprint comparisons were done by hand.

Over the decades, hundreds of suspects were investigated. Arthur Leigh Allen, a convicted sex offender, was scrutinized for years but never charged. Other names came and went, but none fit all the evidence.

As the years passed, the case grew cold. Evidence degraded, detectives retired, and the Zodiac faded into legend. In 2004, the San Francisco Police Department marked the case “inactive.”

The Case Breakers: A New Approach

But the Zodiac mystery refused to die. In 2021, a volunteer group called the Case Breakers—composed of retired FBI agents, law enforcement officials, forensic specialists, and military intelligence veterans—turned their attention to the case. Unlike official agencies, they had no jurisdictional limits and could pursue leads across state lines. They used modern tools: digital forensics, genealogy databases, and open-source records.

The Case Breakers focused on a name that had long been overlooked: Gary Francis Poste. Poste, a military veteran with a history of violence and a controlling personality, had lived in Northern California during the Zodiac’s reign of terror. He bore scars on his forehead similar to those described in police sketches. Former associates described him as obsessed with military tactics, ciphers, and the Zodiac case itself.

One witness claimed Poste had confessed to being the Zodiac and had buried weapons and personal items in the mountains. The team found photographs of Poste wearing a black hooded outfit with a cross-circle symbol, eerily similar to the Zodiac’s costume at Lake Berryessa. They uncovered writings filled with cryptic phrases echoing the killer’s letters.

The DNA Breakthrough

The most crucial piece of evidence, however, was genetic. A retired law enforcement official provided a decades-old DNA sample from preserved crime scene evidence to a private lab working with the Case Breakers. Using advanced forensic genealogy techniques, the team compared the DNA to public databases and constructed family trees. The result: a strong genetic link to Poste through living relatives.

While official agencies have yet to confirm the match, investigators describe the findings as “highly promising”—the closest science has come to proving the Zodiac’s identity. Forensic DNA expert Dr. Kelly Elkins, who consulted on the project, confirmed that modern technology could analyze minute samples with unprecedented precision.

The Case Breakers also believe that weapons buried by Poste in a remote location could contain fingerprints, blood, or ballistic evidence that would further cement the case—if law enforcement allows excavation and testing.

Resistance and Controversy

Despite the mounting evidence, official cooperation has been limited. Police agencies cite ongoing investigations, incomplete chains of custody, and jurisdictional issues. Some sources suggest that departments are wary of being upstaged by civilians—or of admitting mistakes that let the Zodiac slip away for decades.

Tom Morello, a former Department of Defense investigator and Case Breakers member, summed up the frustration: “Any good investigator takes whatever information they have and follows through with it. Right now, they have nothing. So why wouldn’t they want to consider the valuable evidence we have uncovered?”

For now, the Case Breakers are preparing to release their full report, including witness statements, photographs, and DNA findings. Media outlets are investigating the claims. The public, long obsessed with the Zodiac, waits for answers.

Justice, At Last?

Gary Francis Poste died in 2018. He will never face trial. But for the families of the Zodiac’s victims—and for a nation haunted by his shadow—the truth may finally be within reach. The evidence, say those closest to the investigation, is overwhelming.

The Zodiac Killer, one of America’s most notorious serial murderers, may have finally been unmasked. The mystery that terrorized a generation, inspired countless books and films, and challenged law enforcement for 55 years, could soon be put to rest.

But the case also stands as a cautionary tale. It reveals the dangers of fragmented investigations, the limits of old technology, and the persistence of evil hiding in plain sight. It is a testament to the power of obsession—both the killer’s, and that of those who refused to let him win.

For now, the world waits for official confirmation. But in the eyes of those who have spent years piecing together the puzzle, the silence that protected the Zodiac for so long has finally been broken.

His name is Gary Francis Poste.