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Reporting the facts and debunking the myths about the Zodiac killer. Produced and written by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com.
Episodes
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
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 Dangerous Game and Charlie Chan at Treasure Island? The new episode of ZODIAC: A TO Z titled "Perfect Crime" examines many possible inspirations and influences, including: the strange case of a cab driver killing and taunting telephone calls to police, the still-unsolved murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, California, the story of the "3X Killer," and more.
Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2020
Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Knight
All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” composed and produced by JM Scherf.
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
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.
Friday Jan 24, 2020
Friday Jan 24, 2020
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 the TV show as well as later calls to Belli's home. As usual, the facts tell a very different story.
Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2020
Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Knight
All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” and “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” and “Creepy Piano Loop” composed and produced by JM Scherf. “Growing Shadows” created by Myuu. Provided by Mediacharge.
Saturday Jan 04, 2020
Saturday Jan 04, 2020
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 decades of confusion and popular myths left some people convinced that the real Zodiac was responsible for the telephone calls to the Dunbar show as well as later calls to the home of Melvin Belli. As usual, the facts tell a very different story in the next episode of ZODIAC: A TO Z titled "Melvin & Sam: The Strange Saga of a Zodiac Impostor."
Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2019
Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Knight
All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” composed and produced by JM Scherf.
Thursday Dec 26, 2019
Thursday Dec 26, 2019
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, common sense, and logic demonstrate that the Zodiac's story is, at best, suspicious and strange.
Watch a video of the Zodiac's possible escape route: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L8PSWjvEh4
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” and “Creepy Piano Loop” composed and produced by JM Scherf.
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
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 who let him go. This controversial claim fueled decades of debate and confusion. Did police let the killer escape justice? Or was the story of the "Zodiac stop" just a desperate lie created by the killer to humiliate his pursuers?
Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2019
Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Knight
All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” and “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” and “Creepy Piano Loop” composed and produced by JM Scherf. “Growing Shadows” created by Myuu. Provided by Mediacharge.
[CORRECTED VERSION: This audio file includes the corrected version of this episode. The original audio contained a geographical error.]
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
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 who let him go. This controversial claim fueled decades of debate and confusion. Did police let the killer escape justice? Or was the story of the "Zodiac stop" just a desperate lie created by the killer to humiliate his pursuers?
Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2019
Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Knight
All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” and “Frozen Orb” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” and “Creepy Piano Loop” composed and produced by JM Scherf. “Growing Shadows” created by Myuu. Provided by Mediacharge.
[NOTE: This audio file contained a geographical error. The SFPD patrol car was parked at the NorthEast corner of Washington and Cherry Streets, not the NorthWest corner, and the witnesses were at the SouthEast corner not the SouthWest corner. A corrected version of this episode has been posted.]
Monday Dec 09, 2019
Monday Dec 09, 2019
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 responded with a rambling letter in which he claimed that police officers had stopped and talked to him but let him go. This controversial claim fueled decades of debate and confusion. Was the killer telling the truth? Did police let him escape justice? Or was the story of the "Zodiac stop" just a desperate lie created by the killer to humiliate his pursuers? The ZODIAC: A TO Z podcast examines this chapter of the Zodiac story in the next episode "Shadows & Fog: The Zodiac vs. The SFPD."
Written and produced by Michael Butterfield for ZodiacKillerFacts.com / Copyright 2019
Voice of "The Zodiac" by John Knight
All music licensed and used by permission. “Run and Hide” composed and produced by Jens Kiilstofte. “Ghost” composed and produced by JM Scherf.
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
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.
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
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 ZodiacKillerFacts article about "The Starliper Solution" and David Oranchak's analysis in the article "Corey Starliper's Zodiac Hoax." [Links: https://zodiackillerfacts.com/main/the-starliper-solution/ - and - http://www.oranchak.com/zodiac/corey/hoax.html ]
Read the article "THE MOST DANGEROUS DADDY OF ALL: Debunking Gary Stewart" and David Oranchak's analysis of the Stewart solution in the article "The Most Pattern Seeking Animal of All." [Links: https://zodiackillerfacts.com/main/the-most-dangerous-daddy-of-all-debunking-gary-stewart/ - and - http://www.zodiackillerciphers.com/?p=573]