The Case Breakers (CB) have been given a specific High Sierra location to dig up guns allegedly connected to the Zodiac Killer — a California psychopath who is suspected of shooting, stabbing or choking to death as many as 12 victims between 1962-70.
Remaining a mystery for decades, the volunteer investigators now believe Gary Francis Poste (40-year-old photo) has been unmasked as the perpetrator — through a combination of evidence involving shell cartridges, photos, fingerprints, cryptic writings and DNA harvested from his old clothing and a blood relative. The CB also claims to have identified more former crime scenes with the Zodiac’s MO and signature, on a trail stretching from San Diego to Lake Tahoe.
An Outlaw-Turned-Whistleblower initially tipped these astonishing developments to the team, which is led by former FBI Special Agents and U.S. Marshals. Sources verified this turncoat had escaped from Poste’s criminal “posse,” which roamed the mountains for decades. Now in his 50s, the whistleblower is both ashamed and angry: “He groomed me into a killing machine.”
Subsequent collaborative eyewitnesses, court affidavits, Poste’s mountain-trip videos, recorded police interrogations, 50 private letters, and a secret escape map are among the evidence uncovered by the sleuths. The former feds call this new documentation “irrefutable.”
Meanwhile, at least one alleged Zodiac fatality is still unaccounted for: Nurse Donna Lass. A local journalist who spent years deciphering these Zodiac coded messages and algorithms believes he now knows where her remains are. A geophysicist with Ground Penetration Radar has been approached.
With the goal of bringing all these families closure, the CB, in its 12th year, plans to excavate.
FYI (2023): Investigation is preparing to go into field production. For historic Zodiac documents, see the bottom of website’s homepage.
I have followed this case for many years and yet I am still not sure that a full DNA profile of the Zodiac has ever been created. I was aware of the possibility that he may have licked the stamps of the letters sent to the newspapers and authorities. If there is a full genetic profile, my question is has the team conducted genetic genealogy studies to see if any of his relatives are alive?
from what i saw in a press release, poste has at least a living grandson, and it looks like they have poste’s DNA, too
Hello, the team’s goal is to get the departments to work together and compare the DNA.
Do we know if a DNA profile exists and who is in control of it? Thanks.
This is very exciting. I imagine you would have already performed some sort of timeline and psychological profile of this guy. I’d love to know more about that. Because nobody seems to be asking why he murdered these people. His life events could probably answer those questions. Including why he stopped. I have my own ideas about the possible answers. But I’m also thinking about what he left behind. The Zodiac would never make a direct confession, but he definitely would have wanted to leave some cryptic clues for the police and public. I wonder where he left it and what form it was in? Can’t wait to learn more about this guy’s life so I can draw more theories from it. Fascinating! Great work!
Will casebreakers try to match fingerprints of Poste to the fingerprints left on on Paul Stines cab?
Is that an avenue you can try? OR have thought about pursuing?
if they knew about dna back then they may have collected some from the cab or the Modesto survivor other than that he didn’t leave much chance for dna collection. he was hooded masked n gloved in Berryessa stabbing and shot ppl outside. ballistics seem to be the best bet if a cache is unearthed. if there is dna then game set match if it matches or maybe some 23n me stuff can be done just like Joseph James DeAngelo Jr.
I think all Zodiac killer investigators should close ranks and speak with one voice on this issue. What Riverside may be doing is to public relations themselves from not sharing information on this case. The Zodiac killer cases have a history of Law Enforcement jurisdictions hiding information. If Riverside can withhold information to the 40 member Casebreakers then they can do it to any Zodiac killer investigator. I hope Cheri Joe’s family comes forward and speak to the press about this issue. It is a 50 years old unsolved murder case.
What incredible developments in this long standing unsolved serial killer case. I really believed his identity would never be known.
Great work ……great achievement for law enforcement and for some closure for his many victims.
Thank you
This indeed sounds promising, but forgive me for my skepticism. I would like to hear more confirmation from other agencies before I fully sign-on to this. It does appear intriguing and plausible – and I do hope it is the actual identification/solution, but at the moment I need more convincing. What is the reaction from SF area law enforcement agencies to this breaking update?
Our hope is to get the departments to work together and compare the DNA.
I was wondering the same thing about if GFPoste had any living relatives that can offer DNA to compare to the partial DNA profile found on a licked stamp?
Keep up the great work! And thank you for helping to make our world a safer place.
Thank you
Actually if the DNA is uploaded to gedcom they can go back pretty far on family matches and then make a family tree and go back down. Like with 3rd and 4th great grandparents descendants a person has many cousins . Its been done before by C.C. Moore. I see that they are looking into the police departments working together. But Id find out if C C Moore could do it. I am genealogist and I feel like thats the best way. Some type of familial DNA match to the actual killers DNA would be the clincher. For me anyway.
I agree 100%. The question is does that DNA profile exist? If so, we can start a public campaign to force them to share the data with other, more capable, investigators. C.C. is more than capable of handling the task if she had data to work with. There is a possibility that the killer is still alive if it is not Poste. The idea that he could go unpunished due to departments locking down that data is totally unacceptable.
Does Tom Voigt know about the case being solved???
Tom Voigt is a moron.
I second that.
Good work everyone!
What evidence have you found? Very curious.
In the article https://thehill.com/homenews/news/575590-cold-case-team-says-it-has-identified-the-zodiac-killer Bill Procter, a former police officer of 40 years said “They’re not talking about what they have, which means that anybody else who comes to the table might have a reasonable argument that an outside organization’s information is as valuable, if not more valuable, than what the police department has already done”. I think they want the DNA sample comparison before they fully confirm the case.
Thank you for your message. Our hope is that the departments will work together and compare the DNA.
Why would professional (or otherwise) investigators break the news first, then claim they intend to go to a site to find the proof? Normal procedure is to get ALL your facts straight first, including DNA/fingerprints evidence etc., then break the story to the press. So please forgive my skepticism.
Hello, Thank you for your comment. The buried guns are in a remote location that requires a chopper and we are in the process of arranging. We are hoping to get the departments to cooperate and compare the DNA as per our previous requests.
In the Union Democrat Newspaper February 2016 edition Gary poste is mentioned as having been arrested at the age of 78. Page two, bottom right corner
I am little confused about the connection from the Bates killing in Riverside to Poste definitively being the zodiac killer. The supporting evidence appears to be just the few words in the letters being the same, similar shoe prints, and a scar that looks similar. There is some good reason to suspect him as the riverside killer and to compare the DNA. However, even if he is confirmed to have killed her, how does this prove he is the Zodiac killer? Did the whistleblower explicitly say he was the zodiac killer or have any proof?
Thank you for your comment. Yes, the whistleblower confirmed he is the Zodiac. Our goal is to get the departments to work together and compare the DNA.
after the paul stine murder , sfpd cops stopped the zodiac , questioned him let him go ,, no one ever followed up on that w a sketch or any more details ,,,this case has more questions than answers
Are any of these cops still alive that stopped the man we think was the actual Zodiac killer? If so, can the Case Breakers interview any of them and see if Poste rings a bell?
Good idea.
I no one of the police that stopped him was killed stoping a robbery a few months after the zodiac sighting. His partner was alive as of 2007 when he appeared in a documentary for the zodiac film.
Thank you!!! <3
Where was his darkroom located?
Impressive work! So glad y’all were able to make so many developments in this case. Hopefully, the Riverside PD changes their mind about testing the Bates case DNA or you are able to test the DNA profile Vallejo PD was testing for. Y’all have done amazing and I’m sure you’ll find the evidence you need wherever you have to look!
Where did he learn the skill of coding for ciphers? Also, any pictures of him with glasses on as per sketch?
I am a native of Riverside CA. I was in High School in 1966. The church my family attended was across Magnolia Ave. from the Bates murder site. We were in church Sunday, Oct. 30, 1966, just hours before the murder. Chilling to think about. I have a close friend who was a child then. Cheri Jo Bates was my friend’s babysitter. My friend lived down the street from the Bates family in Riverside. Do the investigators know if Mr. Poste liked or used blue felt tip markers? The Zodiac used blue markers to do his many northern California letters. Mr. Poste was in the Air Force. Zodiac boot marks were traced to Navy bases. Could an Air Force airman get them? Just wondering. Hopefully, the Poste family will cooperate with investigators. Did Mr. Poste travel a lot? Was he at March AFB in Oct., 1966? Was he familiar with Vallejo and its surroundings? Did he like “The Mikado” musical play? Did he have experience with codes and/or cyphers? Did he wear horn-rimmed glasses in the 1960’s and 1970’s? Keep looking. Hopefully DNA comparison can be done. Thank you HB
Thank you for your comment. Our goal is to get the departments to work together and compare the DNA.
Could this group of “killers” be linked to the murder of my uncles fiancé. Judith Ann Hakari went missing after her shift at Sutter hospital in early March of 1970. Her body was found several weeks later in the Sierra’s (Weimar) some witness said he saw a group of well dressed young men with a shovel and a trunk open in that area prior to her body being found. My uncle passed away a few years ago never knowing what happened to her.
Have they tested the finger print left at the cab murder with the finger print of the cab driver? Also, how many of the letters have been deciphered?
would ballistics even be viable all these years later? Unless they were weatherized, steel will rust out if buried. There wont be anything left if theyve been sitting for 50+ years under dirt
I’ve personally been down this rabbit hole over 20 yrs.to me he matches a lot of the eye witness description the hair color and build.I personally believe that zodiac killed chery jo bates in riverside. The paint splattered watch at her murder scene is a good clue pointing at Poste.
I been on this a long time and yes the scars on poste head look a lot like the sketch of zodiac although in all my reading n watching I’ve never heard any references to scars on his forehead.their obviously visible in the sketch but I never heard them referred to as scars.if I could be shown evidence of them being referenced to as scars that would convince me.to me he checks all the blocks.
Is there evidence of him being in the areas of the murders around the time of the killings?
Im also anxious to see his name in the cyphers n how that works.
Of all the suspects he’s in my top 2 n I’m leaning towards poste.
The killing n letters stoping the year he married is a good indication as well. Put him in the areas of the crime and release the cypher evidence il be sold.
I really think you got the right guy my gut says it’s him. Great job and best of luck moving forward. Thanks.
I will say it again gary francis poste looks like the young zodiac sketch, 30’s and him at 78 is a dead ringer for the age progressive sketch?! Too many egos and book sales are in danger of saying case solved and closed, shame on those stopping justice for victims & families after all these years-
Hello! Thank you for your important work.
Where can we see this documentary and when does it release?
Sincierly, Anna