Number 6: The Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer, next to Jack the Ripper, is probably the most infamous unidentified serial killer in western history. His body count ranges from five to as many as 36. What makes him different from the Ripper is that he managed to do this in the age of blood tests and polygraphs, all while sending letters to newspapers bragging about his actions and mocking the police. Like Jack the Ripper and Ed Gein, his story has been the basis of dozens and dozens of pieces of media.

The reason the Zodiac is such a feared and intruiging murderer is the fact that he toyed with the entire state of California for years. Not only was he killing people with apparent impuignity, but he then sent cyphered messages to newspapers across the city claiming that if they weren't printed he would kill again. He basically fought a bull and didn't get the horns.

Considering the fact that the Zodiac Killer mentioned several films in his letters (including The Excorcist and Badlands), there's a distinct possibility that he lived to see an entire crop of movies based on his misdeeds. What's more strange is that not only has he appeared in films as a characters, but so have the policemen tasked with finding him ("Dirty Harry" Callahan and Bullitt were two such characters). So, how strange is that? The Zodiac Killer could have gone to a film only to watch a version of himself get gunned down by none other than Clint Eastwood. Unfortunately nothing like that ever happened to the Zodiac Killer, who remains a free man to this day (assuming God didn't serial kill him).

The investigation of the murders have also been adapted directly at least three times, the most recent being the critically acclaimed but under-appreciated Zodiac directed by David Fincher, which is probably the most accurate treatment of the story. Sure, he's a psychopathic killer and a sadistic monster who made a total mockery of both the police and human life in general, but on positive side. . . wait, what were we talking about?

James Kislingbury for Citadel Interactive © 2009 

Photo courtesy of Photographer's Choice

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