The MYTH of the Zodiac Killer?

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MYS405: Did the Zodiac Killer ever exist? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli investigate one of the most controversial claims in true crime research: that the Zodiac wasn’t a single serial killer at all—but a myth stitched together from unrelated crimes.

Beginning with the four canonical attacks in Northern California between 1968 and 1969, Jimmy carefully reviews the evidence that first convinced authorities—and the public—that a single perpetrator was responsible. Young couples attacked in secluded areas. A cab driver murdered in San Francisco. Phone calls placed within minutes. Letters mailed to newspapers. A cryptogram. A strange crosshair symbol. And a name: Zodiac.

But English professor Thomas Henry Horan has argued that this entire narrative may be a constructed “metanarrative”—a hoax born of media amplification and investigative assumptions. Were the crimes truly connected, or did letters and symbolism artificially fuse separate cases into a single legend?

Jimmy breaks down the case point by point:

  • Do different weapons mean different killers?
  • Are the witness descriptions too inconsistent?
  • Can fingerprints from public spaces really prove anything?
  • Does the shift from lovers’ lane attacks to an urban taxi murder break the pattern?
  • Or does the accumulation of phone calls, coded letters, costume symbolism, and even a piece of a victim’s shirt create a compelling chain of evidence?

Are we looking at a criminal mastermind—or a narrative illusion? Rather than dismissing the hoax theory outright, Jimmy “steel mans” it, presenting its strongest arguments before weighing them against the documented evidence. Along the way, he explores criminal sophistication, forensic limitations, and how media framing can shape public perception. By the end, the question remains open—but the early links between the crimes appear stronger than critics suggest. Next week, Jimmy and Dom will test whether the hoax theory can truly account for all the evidence. Mystery demands both skepticism and reason. This episode brings both.

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