A bombshell investigation claims to have solved the case of the Zodiac killer – and it's currently under review by the FBI.
The case of the Zodiac killer is one of the most notorious crimes in US history. Taking place in California between 1968 and 1969, a sadistic killer attacked young couples in various locations in the greater San Francisco area.
After carrying out his vicious attacks, the killer would send cryptograms to local newspapers, taunting law enforcement over their inability to catch him.
He is confirmed to have attacked at least seven victims, two of which survived, and claimed responsibility for a further 37 murders in the state.
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Despite the notoriety of the case, police were never able to nail down a suspect, leading to numerous suspects and conspiracy theories over the years.
The latest of which has linked the Zodiac killer to another high profile California murder, the Black Dahlia.
According to a new investigation, published by MailOnline, independent investigators believe they've uncovered evidence to suggest that a man named Marvin Margolis was responsible for the Black Dahlia murder and the Zodiac killings.
And the evidence is currently under review by the FBI.
What are the links between Marvin Margolis and the Zodiac killer?
The claims have been put forward by investigator Alex Baber, who shared a wealth of evidence which he believes connects Margolis - also known as Marvin Merrill - to both cases.
Baber's evidence includes a sword brought home by Margolis from his time serving in Japan during WWII, which he believes was used in the killing of two of the Zodiac victims.
Circumstantial evidence also places him in the correct geographical location at the time of the Zodiac killings, as well as one case which is believed to be linked to the killer.
Another piece of evidence cited by Baber includes a 1992 sketch of a nude woman named 'Elizabeth' drawn by Margolis. Claiming the drawing was a deathbed confession, Baber says the handwriting has similarities to the letters sent by the Zodiac killer.
He also notes distinctive markings on the woman's chest, which be believes resemble injuries which had been inflicted on Elizabeth Short. Injuries which weren't made public until after his death in 1994.
The final clue from the drawing came after digitally enhancing the image, which Baber says uncovered the word 'ZoDiac' hidden beneath the ink.
"It's irrefutable. It's just mathematically impossible for it not to be him," Baber added.
"With all the connections, either he's the unluckiest man in the history of the world - in the wrong place at the wrong time, every time - or he's the perpetrator."
Margolis would die in California in 1993, without ever being charged in either case.
The Zodiac case isn't the only case which Baber claims Margolis is responsible for, with the sleuth also believing he killed Elizabeth Short, known posthumously as the Black Dahlia, in January 1947. A case which predates the Zodiac killings by over two decades.
Margolis had been known to Short prior to her death, with investigators believing the pair had begun dating after meeting in Chicago the previous summer. The pair lived together with friends in a Los Angeles apartment in October 1946. However, the relationship would unravel, with Short allegedly confiding in friends that she believed a jealous ex-boyfriend may endanger her life.
On 15 January 1947, her mutilated body would be discovered in an LA park.
What has the family of Marvin Margolis said about the claims?
Contrary to claims made by Baber, Margolis' son has denied the claims that his father was responsible for either case.
Branding the theory a 'speculative cesspool' he told the outlet: "I don't believe that dad did it.
"[The Black Dahlia murder] was 20 years before I was born. I would love for the families to have peace in the Zodiac killings. But there’s just no way it was my dad."
Who are the other Zodiac killer suspects?
Margolis isn't the only name put forward by investigators, with Navy veteran Arthur Leigh Allen considered to be the prime suspect for the Zodiac killer case.
Gary Francis Poste is another name put forward by a group sleuths, known as the Case Breakers, in 2021.
Despite the evidence and numerous suspects, none of the above men were ever charged over the killings and the case of the Zodiac killer remains unsolved.
Topics: Crime, True Crime, US News, Conspiracy Theory
Brenna Cooper