Zodiac Killer Reportedly Identified, Linked to Another Murder

A team of cold-case investigators believe they have finally identified the infamous "Zodiac Killer," and that he died three years ago. The team is called The Case Breakers, and according to a report by Fox News they have named Gary F. Poste as the true Zodiac Killer. Poste passed away in 2018.

"The Case Breakers" has more than 40 members including former law enforcement, military officers and journalists. The group used evidence gathered by past investigations and modern technology to re-examine the case of the Zodiac Killer. They landed on several clues linking Poste to the serial murder, but if so, he is no longer alive to answer for his crimes. They also believe they can link Poste to several other murders that were never attributed to the Zodiac Killer.

Photos of Poste show that he had scars on his forehead matching the limited descriptions of the Zodiac Killer that were obtained. The Case Breakers say that they obtained these pictures from Poste's personal darkroom. There is other forensic and physical evidence to consider, but of course, in the case of the Zodiac, the ciphers are of particular interest.

Former U.S. Army counterintelligence agent Jen Bucholtz provided the greatest insight there. She told reporters that there was one note which provided a completely different message if the letters of Poste's name were removed from it. She said: "So you've got to know Gary's full name in order to decipher these anagrams. I just don't think there's any other way anybody would have figured it out."

The Case Breakers also found evidence linking Poste to the 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates, which police do not typically consider a part of the Zodiac Killer's spree. However, the group argues that this is a case of stubbornness that needs to be overcome. Meanwhile, reporters have not been able to contact Poste's family for comment.

They did, however, reach some of Poste's former neighbors, including a woman identified only as Gwen. She said that Poste and his wife were decent next-door neighbors who babysat her on occasion when she was a child, but that Poste was "controlling and abusive towards his wife." She also revealed that Poste spent a lot of time mentoring his son and his friends, including teaching them all to shoot firearms.

"He lived a double life," Gwen said. "As I'm adult thinking back, it all kind of makes sense now. At the time when I was a teenager, I didn't put two and two together until I got older. It hit me full-blown that Gary's the Zodiac."

Meanwhile, another man named Hans Smits said that he helped hide a "whistleblower" from Poste and his "criminal posse." The whistleblower was named Wil, and said that Poste "groomed" him and other young men into "a killing machine." He said that they frequently roamed the High Sierra region in northern California and that they witnessed Poste burying murder weapons in the woods.

Officially speaking, the Zodiac Killer case is still open and in the hands of the FBI. The agency did not provide a comment for Fox News' report, and it is not clear if they are following any of the leads provided by The Case Breakers.

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