The Zodiac killer is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, having killed at least five people in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The killer’s taunting letters to the media, containing encrypted messages and boasting of his crimes, have fascinated the public and law enforcement for over 50 years.
Despite numerous suspects and theories over the years, the killer’s identity has remained a mystery. However, a new book by Jarett Kobek suggests that the killer may have finally been identified.
Zodiac Killer Theories and Suspects Over the Years
The search for the Zodiac killer has produced many suspects over the years. The killer’s crimes occurred during a time of social and political upheaval in America, which has led some to believe that the Zodiac may have been motivated by political or social ideology.
Others believe that the killer was simply a deranged individual seeking attention. Some of the most notable suspects over the years include Arthur Leigh Allen, who was investigated by police but never charged; Earl Van Best Jr., who was named as a suspect by his own son; and Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, who was investigated but eventually cleared of any involvement in the Zodiac killings.
Jarett Kobek’s Investigation
Author Jarett Kobek did not set out to solve the Zodiac killer case when he began researching the subject. Instead, he was originally interested in exploring the culture of speculation that had arisen around the case.
However, as he delved deeper into the killer’s writings and the various theories surrounding the case, he began to develop his own theory about the killer’s identity.
The Case for Paul Doerr
Kobek’s investigation led him to focus on Paul Doerr, a man who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and died in 2007. Doerr was a naval documents clerk from Fairfield who shared many similarities with the Zodiac killer.
According to Kobek, Doerr was an abusive father and a prolific writer who shared many interests with the Zodiac, such as how to make a bomb with ammonium nitrate and fertilizer.
Both Doerr and the Zodiac outlined the formula for such an explosive in their writings, which contained the same error.
Similarities Between Doerr and Zodiac
Kobek’s research revealed numerous similarities between Doerr and the Zodiac killer. For example, both men used feathered directional arrows in their diagrams, and both were knowledgeable about cryptography.
Doerr was a member of a right-wing group called the Minutemen, which published a newsletter that contained the formula for the explosive used in the Zodiac killings.
Doerr’s physical description also matched that of the Zodiac, and some of the killings occurred in areas where Doerr lived and worked at the time.
Criticisms to the Doerr Theory
Despite the compelling evidence linking Doerr to the Zodiac killer, there are still many challenges and criticisms of Kobek’s theory.
Some critics have pointed out that there is no concrete evidence linking Doerr to the killings, and that the similarities between him and the Zodiac may be nothing more than coincidence.
Others have suggested that Kobek may have been influenced by confirmation bias, where he saw connections between Doerr and the Zodiac because he was already convinced of his guilt.
Author Jarett Kobek’s book, “How to Find Zodiac,” suggests that Paul Doerr, a San Francisco Bay area man who died in 2007, may be responsible for the Zodiac killer’s murders.
Kobek discovered similarities between Doerr and Zodiac, such as shared interests in pulp novels and comic books, as well as similar writing styles and use of specific symbols.
Both men also wrote about making bombs with ammonium nitrate and fertilizer, and made the same error in their instructions.
Additionally, Doerr was a member of a right-wing group called the Minutemen, which published a formula for making explosives in its newsletter.
The group sometimes used a symbol similar to one used by Zodiac. Doerr’s age, height, and physical appearance also match the description of Zodiac.
Kobek’s findings have gained traction, with some experts calling Doerr the best Zodiac suspect ever surfaced. However, police continue to investigate the case.
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