The Zodiac Killer Case Revisited

In today’s world, murderers aren’t a surprising thing, as long as they are fictional. Plenty of TV shows and movies have plot lines around murder, but what about real life? As Scott Bonn states in his writing, of the approximate 15,000 murders in the United States, only 1 percent are serial killings, amounting to about 150 victims per year, with between 25 and 50 serial killers active at any given time. There are plenty of statistics on serial killers. 1 in 20 had the same three characteristics as a child: bedwetting, fire setting, and torturing animals. Animal torture is a common indicator that the child will be violent in the future. Also, over 30 percent of murderers use killing as a way for their sexual arousal (Stone). A murderer

Back on October 3, 1974 at approximately 10:45pm two Memphis police officers were on patrol and received a complaint from dispatch to respond to a burglary in progress (Tennessee v. Garner, 1986). Officers Leslie Wright and Elton Hymon took the call and responded to the location in question (Tennessee v. Garner, 1986). After arriving, a neighbor told the two officers she heard glass breaking next door and “they” were breaking into the home (Tennessee v. Garner, 1986). While officer Wright radioed back to dispatch the situation, officer Hymon proceeded to the backyard of the home (Tennessee v. Garner, 1986). Hymon then heard a door slam and seen a person running across the lawn towards a chain link fence, later identified as Edward Garner

Darlene Ferrin, a close friend of the first two victims, was the next victim of the Zodiac. On Friday, July 4th, 1969, Darlene made arrangements with friend Michael Mageau to go to the movies. Darlene picked Michael up from his apartment that evening, and from the beginning it was apparent that they were being followed. Darlene took many country back roads and traveled at very high speeds to try to lose the pursuing vehicle, but with no success. The vehicle forced Darlene’s car off of the road and into the parking lot of the Blue Rock Springs Golf course. Once the pursuer had sufficiently blocked them from any further movement in the car, he stepped out of his vehicle with a lantern in his hand. “Mike could feel intense heat throughout his body. He had been shot. The bullets were still being fired as Darlene slumped over the

Although serial killers come in all shapes and sizes, there is a general profile that criminologists go by when trying to profile a criminal. The typical serial killer is a white male in his late 20s to early 30s, kills within his own race, his targeted victims share specific characteristics, and his method of murder is “hands on” in means of strangulation. The types of serial killers include visionaries, missionaries, lust killers, thrill killers, gain killers, and power seekers. Depending on the type of serial killer, their profile may change; for example, certain clues from missionary-type killers can help decide their religious affiliation. Also, certain types of serial killers may generally have different age groups. Most serial

Crime occurs every day, all over the world. Most crime is unreported or is unknown to the vast majority of the populations. Over time, crime has grown to become a normal part of society and typically people are not surprised to hear that a crime has been committed. Most crimes are dealt with and forgotten, however a few crimes grab the media’s attention and are highly publicized, ultimately giving the criminal their 15 minutes of infamy. Ted Bundy was one of these criminals. Bundy was a law student in Utah and during the 1970’s, he assaulted, raped and murdered at least 30 known women with some criminologists suspecting as high as nearly 100 victims. The tactics he used along with the extent of his killings is how Bundy acquired his long lasting infamy and notoriety as one of America’s top 10 most wanted during his time. Our true focus here is explaining why these murders occurred; truly understanding the motivation behind Bundy’s actions and finding the roots of causation which could lead a person to commit such serious crimes.

Ever heard of the zodiac killer? He was a serial killer who operated in northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in 5 states between December 1968 and October 1969. The general profile for a serial killer is a person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern. There are many types of serial killers. There are natural born killers who are born willing to kill someone, insane killers which have mental and physical disorders and criminaloids who do not exhibit specific traits. The childhood of a serial killer would typically be someone who is neglected by their family mainly their mothers. They tend to be antisocial and have anger issues. Poor families often cannot provide what the child always wants so they might commit crimes to get want they want. Abused children have a higher chance of being killers also because they have a lot of built up aggression and anger. All can lead to substance abuse which is never a good thing to mix in with a potential serial killer in the making. General behavioral progression from pre-crime to post-crime are that they use killing as a source of relief. Before committing a serious crime they could have built up anger and hatred. They is a high possibility that they are suffering from depression and anxiety too. After killing someone the killer feels relieved. They also feel

On August 17, 1981 during the morning hours a murder was committed, James Dvorak was beaten to death in Canova Beach, Florida in the wooded area of Brevard County. During the morning after the murder was committed a driver gave a ride to a hitchhiker near where the crime happened, the hitchhiker was wearing a yellow t-shirt with the words “Surf it” and the t-shirt was all bloody. According to the driver there was also blood smeared on his legs and shorts. The driver agreed to give the hitchhiker a ride to a tavern that was three miles away, but not before that the driver performed oral sex on the side of the road before he dropped him off at the tavern. Later the driver noticed that the hitchhiker had forgotten his t-shirt on the truck, which then later the driver disposed it at a

A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant break which can also be called a "cooling off period” between them. There are different types of serial killers. Some are mission oriented serial killers; others are visionary killers. There are equally power and control killers and thrill or hedonistic killers. There are many serial killers in the world at large with different motives for killing. Some people are serial killers on their own while others kill as a couple. In this case, we will talk about serial killers as a couple. We have the Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo who have a mix of hedonistic killers and power and control killers. We equally have Ray and Faye Copeland which also falls under power and control killers. The paper will focus on the background, victims, and trail of Ray and Faye Copeland and Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo.

Thirty-one years ago on Thursday, February 14, 1985, at about 2:00 a.m., Donna Jean Nichols was shot at very close range in the head, specifically behind the ear. In addition to the head, she was shot in the hand. The death of Nichols had nearly been instantaneous. Her body was found in a parking area along Brainerd road in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The witness, Arlinza Mobley, was just gathering cardboard and boxes discarded from businesses when he came upon another car that had just turned the tail lights on and sped away. Once the car was gone, Mobley thought he noticed a pile of rags, which turned out to be Nichols’ body.

On January 31, 2013, while walking to the courthouse in Kaufman County, Texas, Mark Hasse was shot and killed. Two months later, on the Saturday before Easter 2013, Mike and Cynthia McLelland were murdered in their home. Medical examiners testified that Mike and Cynthia were each shot numerous times (“Eric Williams Murder Trial Begins in Rockwall”). Prosecutors said the couple died in a “torrent of lead” (“Eric Williams Found Guilty in Kaufman Co. Murder Trial”).

Lucas Kelleher/ Street Law 10/3/08 The Zodiac Killer The Zodiac Killer is a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. His identity to this day still remains unknown. The Zodiac coined his name in a series of taunting letters he sent to the press. His letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers), three of which have yet to be solved. The Zodiac murdered five known victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. Others have also been suspected to be Zodiac victims, but they have been ruled inconclusive. The lack of consensus about the number of victims, the inability of law enforcement

What do Adolf Hitler, The Zodiac Killer and, The Misfit all have in common? They are psychopathic murderers. Psychopaths do not feel therefore they cannot have morals in the same way normal people do. In “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor the character known as the Misfit loses the battle with his conscience and is proven to be immoral.

On November 27th, 1976 Mr. Adams’ car ran out of fuel and he was forced to walk to the nearest gas station (Radelet, 2011). Shortly after this Mr. Adams was given a ride by local teenager David Ray Harris who was driving a stolen vehicle. The two then spent the day together, even going to see a drive in movie. That night Mr. Adams returned to a motel where he was staying. Mr. Harris, now alone, was stopped by Officer Wood and his Partner Teresa Turko shortly after midnight. Officer Wood was shot and killed by Harris, who sped off too quickly for Officer Turko to get a plate number or a good look at the shooter. Directly after this Mr. Harris drove home and for the next few days, bragged to his friends

Serial killers traumatize entire communities and cause tremendous disturbance to everyone. The Gilgo Beach serial killer is also known as the Long Island serial killer and Craigslist Ripper is said to have been responsible for 10 to 17 murders. The killer is said to target those who work in the sex industry and is believed to have been active for more than 20 years. Although the killer has been active more than 20 years the police are nit anywhere near to catching him. This essay will take a look at the investigation of the serial killer, take a look at who some of the victims were and finally give my opinion on how the case is being handled. It is important to note that the identity of the killer has not been identified therefore there has not been a trial and a sentencing. Also for the purpose of this essay I will be referring to the Unsub as The Gilgo Beach serial killer or simply as the killer.

On March 3rd 1991, Los Angeles Police chase a vehicle that was driving erratically. When the vehicle came to a stop after reaching speeds of nearly 120 mph, a total of four cruisers arrived to the scene, including six patrol officers and a sergeant. Of those officers were Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno, Rolando Solano, Tim and Melanie Singer, and Sergeant Stacey Koon. (Linder 2001)