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Netflix’s new documentary, This Is the Zodiac Speaking, released on October 23, 2024, gives a fresh insight into the Zodiac killer. The main suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, was close to the Seawater family, who are the focus of the serial. It features interviews with Allen's former students and friends of the killer's victims, giving a detailed look into the case.
In the documentary, more information is sought about the man who terrorized the Bay Area in the late 1960s. The series follows the Seawater family, who reflect on their close relationship with Arthur Leigh Allen, a beloved teacher who entered their lives in 1961. In the first episode, We Called Him Mr. Allen, the Zodiac killer's crimes unfold, Allen emerges as a shocking suspect.
In the second episode, Are You the Zodiac?, after losing touch with him, the Seawaters reconnect years later when their ailing mentor reveals a disturbing secret. In the final episode, Box of Secrets, a peculiar gift and a box of clues bring the siblings closer to uncovering the truth about Allen's possible connection to the Zodiac murders.
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Despite many investigations, the Zodiac killer's identity remains unknown. There were many suspects, but none were caught or charged. The main suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, wasn't found guilty due to a lack of evidence.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking: The crimes of the Zodiac killer
The Zodiac killer perpetrated his initial confirmed homicide in 1966 when an 18-year-old college student was fatally stabbed in Riverside, California. This signified the onset of a sequence of horrific murders in Northern California.
In 1968, a couple was shot adjacent to their vehicle in a secluded region north of San Francisco. In 1969, the Zodiac killer persisted in his assaults, attacking another couple in a similara fashion, although one of the victims survived.
By sending coded messages to local news outlets, the killer made fun of people and the police. In one letter, he even said that he would blow up a school bus full of kids, which made people even more afraid.
The fact that the Zodiac killer was able to avoid being caught made his scary reputation even stronger. He was blamed for killing at least five people, but some people think that he killed more.
The investigation and Arthur Leigh Allen
Arthur Leigh Allen was the main suspect in the case of the Zodiac killer. He was linked to a lot of strange things and had a history of se**ally abusing children.
It's important to note that Allen owned the same caliber gun that's thought to have been used in some of the Zodiac murders. The fact that he had a Zodiac watch with a logo that looked a lot like the killer's famous letters made people even more suspicious.
Investigators also found troubling items during a search of Allen’s home. Incriminating evidence, including the Zodiac Sea Wolf wristwatch, matched details mentioned in the killer's letters. Allen was even identified in a photo lineup by one of the surviving victims.
Yet, despite all these leads, there was one major flaw in the case against Allen: his fingerprints didn’t match those found at the crime scenes, which meant that the police couldn't charge him.
Confession and the Seawater family’s story
The Seawater family, who were close to Allen, provided further chilling accounts in the documentary. David and Connie Seawater, who saw Allen as a father figure, recalled disturbing incidents from their childhood.
They believe that Allen took them to the site of his first murder in 1966. Connie vividly remembered feeling disoriented during that trip, which coincided with the date of one of the Zodiac’s killings.
Years later, as the Seawater siblings pieced together their childhood memories, they began to believe that Allen was indeed the Zodiac killer. David even claimed that Allen confessed to him over the phone in 1992.
Allen allegedly admitted not only to drugging David and molesting Connie but also to being the Zodiac killer. However, their family didn’t believe them at the time, and the confession remained unverified.
The killer’s unsolved legacy
The police never had enough solid proof to arrest Allen, even though he was thought to have confessed and was suspected of many things.
While Allen was in jail for child molestation in the 1970s, the Zodiac killer stopped killing people, which made people think that Allen had something to do with it. There's still no answer to the mystery, though, as Allen died of a heart attack in 1992.
Coded messages and taunts sent by the killer to the media are still some of the most famous parts of the case. Killer's letters, which were full of strange symbols, pushed the police to figure out his code.
The Zodiac's identity remained a secret, even after a lot of research, though. The public and investigators are still interested in finding out who the Zodiac killer really was.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking is available to stream on Netflix.
