Zodiac Killer Mystery Solved After 40 Years

Zodiac's Last Call
Kerry Hamilton

SAN FRANCISCO-- San Francisco was caught in the grips of one of the most deadly and most elusive serial killers of the twentieth century. For two years the city was held hostage as at least five victims were murdered.

The killer evaded the law and taunted both the press and potential victims by disseminating coded messages indicating if he would strike again. One of his notes was not even deciphered. The murderer referred to himself as "Zodiac", a label which has stuck for over forty years.

San Francisco Police re-opened the case in 2007 after a seemingly futile search for the killer. Leads pointed to one potential suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, but DNA evidence appeared to clear him.

In 2008 new evidence began to pour into the California State Police. However, it came from an incredible source. Franklin Howard, of Modesto, California, died in 2008 at the age of 91. Howard donated his entire estate to the California Historical Society due to the fact that he had no children. When the curators at a museum in Sacramento were going through the gifts, it became clear that Howard had a close relationship with another California native, former President Richard Nixon.

Some of the items given to the Historical Society include a folder from Nixon, including personal letters to Howard and his wife Beatrice. Also in the folder were sketches of symbols which were eerily close to those found in the Zodiac case.

Thinking that this was conspicuous, the Historical Society handed the folder to California State Police, which ran a handwriting analysis. Ink depression and pauses appeared to be very similar. In addition, Nixon's letters carried similar grammatical patterns and mistakes as the Zodiac.

Seeking further information, DNA from the Zodiac letters was reexamined. The DNA on the letters were not a match to Nixon's, although more advanced methods pointed to evidence that the letters had canine DNA. It was then speculated that Nixon had his beloved dog Checkers lick the letters shut.

Evidence has piled in on how Nixon was increasingly upset because of his 1962 loss in the California gubernatorial race against Pat Brown. The 5% loss came as a shock to Nixon, who almost clinched the Presidency in 1960 against John Kennedy.

Nixon became despondent over his loss and confidants have stated that Nixon blamed his loss on the "damn hippies." He was particularly resentful towards people in liberal San Francisco, which heavily supported Brown.

The ways that the killings in 1968-1969 were carried out have strongly suggested that the murderer had received military training. In particular, the method of silent assassination with a sidearm was only taught in the United States Navy, which Nixon served in during the Second World War.

Other evidence against Nixon was that on the days that the murders had taken place, he was always within 60 miles of San Francisco. This included in 1969, when he was already President. During each of those nights, recordings of the President are noticeably silent.

Nixon once mentioned the Zodiac killer in his 1968 campaign, stating that if he were elected, "Crime would shake in their boots, as Richard Nixon will have none of it."

Motives for the crime have been debated. One includes anger over the loss in 1962. Another points to Nixon wanting to show that crime was increasing in the late 1960s and how he was the 'law and order' candidate. There is also evidence that Nixon went to school with one of the victims.

The Nixon Estate has not made a formal announcement about these findings, and appears unlikely to do so.

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Nixon!

moar funny pictures

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Oh Snap-- Obama Official Nabbed for Bribery?

Well, first I wanted to make a few things clear. First, it appears that the official is a minor one, and the story is still developing. However, this was supposed to be the most transparant administration in history. However, things are looking a little Nixonesque. Think about it-- tax fraud-- Daschle and... Spiro Agnew. Corruption and not being a crook? Awesome.

But as for the matter at hand: It seemed like a minor security officer working for the President just needed to have $70,000 in his home. And the White House's chief of computers is on leave, as well.

Weird. Not too much has been splashed in the news. If this happened to Bush, it would be front and center, just like those "documents" stating he was AWOL in Vietnam. Good work, media.

Authorities say Acar and Bansal, along with others, defrauded the government through a variety of schemes, including billing the city for items that were never delivered and "ghost" contract employees who did not work. The scheme involved Acar approving falsified bills and splitting the money with vendors including Bansal, who submitted them, court documents alleged.

Bansal, a native of India who turns 42 next week, is a former city employee and the founder and chief executive of Advanced Integrated Technologies Corp. The company has offices in Washington and India and did more than $13 million in business with the District of Columbia government in the past five years, according to court documents.

One contract involved providing computer support for the city's Department of Motor Vehicles. The company also was given a contract to upgrade the city's human resources computer records and sold virus detection software to the city.

Why do I have the feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg?

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The Jumping in Pools List of the Ten Worst Presidents

Sorry, Barack Obama isn't on this list (yet).

10. John Tyler- Almost had impeachment hearings against him.
9. Zachary Taylor- Died after just over a year in office, he was not astute of what one might call "politics."
8. Ulysses S. Grant- A Presidency filled with scandals hurt his view with the voters as a politician, but not a general.

7. Warren G. Harding- Like Grant, his Presidency gives political scandals a bad name.
6. William Henry Harrison- Died within a month of becoming President.
5. Jimmy Carter- Utterly weak in foreign affairs and the economy, his Presidency was described widely as a "malaise."
4. Richard Milhous Nixon- The first and only President to resign; did so because of the Watergate Scandal.
3. Andrew Johnson- First President to be impeached, something which he avoided in the end by just one vote. Also took his Vice Presidential oath of office drunk.
2. Herbert Hoover- Not to be blamed for causing the Great Depression, but he is to be blamed for doing nothing about it.
1. James Buchanan- Practically let the Civil War happen by trying to play both sides of the fence on slavery.

Quote of the Day-- January 9, 2009

Do you realize the responsibility I carry? I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House.

-- John F. Kennedy