El Asesino del Zodiaco acech el norte de California entre diciembre de 1968 y octubre

de 1969. En una carta supuestamente suya confes asesinar a 37 vctimas, aunque

las nicas vctimas confirmadas fueron cuatro hombres y tres mujeres, vctimas de las
cuales solo dos sobrevivieron para dar evidencias sobre la identidad an irresuelta de
este brillante asesino que, al igual que Jack El Destripador, pas a la historia por
burlar a policas e investigadores.
De este modo, debido a que su identidad se desconoce, es todava imposible plantear
una biografa del asesino. Todo lo que se sabe de l es que es un hombre alto, grueso y
corpulento, con anteojos, que tendra entre 26 y 30 aos al momento de cometer sus
crmenes. Tambin es sabido que posee una gran inteligencia, que casi seguramente es
un aficionado a asuntos astrolgicos, que conoce de cdigos y Criptografa, que tiene
un alto grado de egocentrismo y, al igual que muchos otros asesinos seriales, disfruta
obteniendo protagonismo y sembrando temor en los dems
El Asesino del Zodaco atac por primera vez el 20 de diciembre de 1968, cuando
asesin a balazos a Betty Lou Jensen, de 16 aos, y David Arthur Faraday, de 17.
Ambos haban aparcado en Herman Road, California, y fueron sorprendidos por el
desconocido.
El segundo ataque se produjo el 5 de julio de 1969 y las vctimas fueron Darlene
Elizabeth Ferrin, de 22 aos, y Michael Renault Mageau, de 19. Ambos fueron
perseguidos por el criminal hasta el campo de golf de Blue Rock Springs, donde fueron
baleados.
Los dos jvenes recibieron en total ocho balazos. Darlene falleci en el lugar de los
hechos y Michael sobrevivi. l recuerda que el asesino era blanco, corpulento, que
usaba gafas, tena entre 26 y 30 aos y el cabello castao claro, corto, rizado y con
estilo militar.
Esa misma noche el Asesino del Zodaco llam a la polica para informar del crimen.
Han sido abatidos con una Luger de 9 milmetros. Tambin mat yo a los chicos del
ao pasado. Adis, fue lo que escuch la telefonista de una comisara cercana. El
homicida tambin llam a los familiares de la joven, pero solo se escucharon jadeos.
El 1 de agosto de 1969 Zodaco mand tres cartas casi idnticas a tres peridicos: The
San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle y Vallejo Times-Herald. En cada
una daba detalles de sus crmenes e inclua una seccin en lenguaje cifrado.
El tercer ataque se produjo el 27 de septiembre de 1969 y las vctimas fueron Cecilia
Ann Shepard, de 22 aos, y Bryan Calvin Hartnell, de 20. Esta vez Zodaco emple una
capucha ceremonial negra y cuadrada, y apual 24 veces a los dos jvenes, luego de
atarlos en las orillas del Lago Berryessa, cerca de Napa, California.
Bryan logr sobrevivir, pero Cecilia falleci en la sala de operaciones. La ltima vctima
confirmada de Zodaco fue el taxista Paul Lee Stine, de 29 aos, quien fue asesinado
de un balazo en la cabeza por Zodaco el da 11 de octubre de 1969 en la calle
Washington.
Lo ltimo que se supo de Zodaco fue una carta enviada en 1978 al San Francisco
Chronicle, donde deca esperar una buena pelcula sobre l. En mayo de este ao Gary
L. Stewart asegur que su padre biolgico, Earl Van Best Jr., era el Asesino del
Zodaco, basndose en las investigaciones que realiz durante diez aos.

The Zodiac Murderer stalked Northern California between December 1968 and October
1969 In a letter supposedly from him confessed murdering 37 victims, although the
only confirmed victims were four men and three women, victims of which only two
survived to give evidence of the still unresolved identity of this brilliant murderer who,
like Jack the Ripper, made history by outwit police and investigators.
Thus, because his identity is unknown, it is still impossible to raise a biography of the
murderer. All that is known of him is that he is a tall, thick, stout man with glasses,
who would have between 26 and 30 years old when he committed his crimes. It is also
known that possesses great intelligence, which is almost certainly a fan of astrological
issues, who knows Codes and Cryptography, which has a high degree of selfcenteredness and, like many other serial murderers, enjoy getting prominence and
sowing fear in other
The Zodiac Murderer attacks for the first time December 20, 1968, when he shot and
killed Betty Lou Jensen, 16, and David Arthur Faraday, 17. Both had parked on
Herman Road, California, and were surprised by the unknown.
The second attack occurred on July 5, 1969 and the victims were Darlene Elizabeth
Ferrin, 22, and Michael Renault Mageau, 19. Both were persecuted by the criminal to
the Golf Course Blue Rock Springs, where they were shot .
The two young received a total of eight shots. Darlene died at the scene and Michael
survived. He recalls that the murderer was white, heavyset, wearing glasses, had
between 26 and 30 years and the clear, short, curly brown hair with military style.
That same night the Zodiac Murderer called police to report the crime. "They were
killed with a 9mm Luger. I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye, "was what he
heard the operator of a nearby police station. The killer also called the family of the
girl, but only gasps were heard.
On August 1, 1969 Zodiac sent three nearly identical letters to three newspapers: The
San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, and Vallejo Times-Herald. Each
gave details of his crimes and included a section in coded language.
The third attack occurred on September 27, 1969 and the victims were Cecilia Ann
Shepard, 22, and Bryan Calvin Hartnell, 20. This time Zodiac ceremonial and used a
black square hood, stabbed 24 times and the two young after tying on the shores of
Lake Berryessa near Napa, California.
Bryan manages to survive, but Cecilia died in the operating room. The last confirmed
Zodiac victim was the driver Paul Lee Stine, 29, who was shot dead in the head by
Zodiac on October 11, 1969 on Washington Street.
The last heard of Zodiac was a letter sent in 1978 to the San Francisco Chronicle,
where he said wait a good movie about it. In May this year Gary L. Stewart said his
biological father, Earl Van Best Jr., was the Zodiac Murderer, based on the research
conducted for ten years.