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The Zodiac killer

Who is the Zodiac killer?

American serial killer The Zodiac Killer is still at large. Between 1968 and 1969, he is thought to have killed at least five persons in northern California. Sometimes the Zodiac Killer is linked to a previous homicide, the 1966 stabbing death of an 18-year-old college student in Riverside, California.

The crimes

In a secluded spot north of San Francisco in 1968, a young couple was shot to death as they stood by their automobile. Another couple was attacked in identical circumstances a year later, however this time the male victim lived. The murderer called the police after the attacks in order to inform them of the crime and claim credit for the 1968 killings. Another young couple was attacked by the Zodiac Killer later that year, but this time only the man survived. In October 1969, a cab driver who was the final victim was shot.

Because of the killer's mocking letters to newspapers and phone calls to police, the murders received extensive investigation and media coverage. His letters, which were written between 1969 and 1974, frequently began with the words "this is the Zodiac speaking," and were signed with a symbol like a gunsight's crosshairs. Four ciphers or cryptograms were included with the letters, the first of which was distributed to three Bay Area newspapers in three sections in July 1969. The "340 ciphers," so called because of the number of characters it contained, were quickly cracked by two private individuals. I like killing people because it is so much pleasure, the message said in part. With the statement "I hope you are having lots of fun in attempting to catch me," the "340 ciphers," which were sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in November 1969, were finally cracked in 2020 by a group of three amateur codebreakers.

The Unidentified Killer 

The Zodiac case still has many unanswered questions, not the least of which is when the crimes halted. Although this claim is debatable, crime writer Robert Graysmith asserted that the Zodiac killer continued to commit murders well into the 1980s. Vallejo, California, schoolteacher Arthur Leigh Allen (1933–1992), who had been institutionalized in 1975 for child molestation, was the suspect most frequently mentioned during the 1990s when investigators claimed to have identified the Zodiac killer. However, his identification with the Zodiac killer has never been proven.

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Documentary Post

Have you ever wondered about the motivations behind the serial killer and the whole background story of the crimes they committed? Joe Berlinger's documentary is called Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy tapes. Let one of America's most heinous and vicious serial killers speak his own tale. The television show chronicles serial killer John Wayne Gacy's murderous rampage, during which he killed at least 33 adolescent boys and young men. Between 1972 and 1978, this took place in Chicago, Illinois. Unheard audio records from Gacy's early years and thoughts are presented in this documentary. Incorporates interviews with specialists, survivors, and other people who have some connection to the case. Gacy was one of several serial killers who emerged in the 1970s, but he is among the scariest due in part to the fact that he appeared to be an average man, if not a cornerstone of his community. 

The murders perpetrated by John Wayne Gacy are detailed in this documentary. explains in full his past, the disappearance of the young boys, and the killing techniques. Gacy explains his perspective on the events and his intentions in the videotapes. Gacy also gives graphic descriptions of the horrific torture he subjected these victims too. In an interview with his criminal defense lawyer, Bob Motta, Gacy said: "He was absolutely a sociopath, And  his inability to have any kind of empathy was chilling."

I found this documentary to be quite eye-opening. When it comes to comprehending John Wayne Gacy's entire backstory, documentaries are a big aid. I was able to hear the serial killer talking and see pictures of the crime scenes in person. I could understand a lot about him from the interviews just by how he spoke and how he explained his actions. By the time the video is over, I have a complete understanding of his reasons for doing what he did, how he tortured his victims, and how his mind worked while doing it. Also, I paid close attention to the videotapes so that I could study the strategies and questions that the attorneys and prosecutors used to confront him.

This documentary featured interviews with John Wayne Gacy as well as images of the crime scenes and graphic details of the murders. The audience may experience a wide range of emotions as a result of acquiring all this knowledge and seeing it visually. Also, because this documentary is based on real occurrences, viewers may experience emotions such as sadness, fear, disgust, hatred, and suspense. This film's mission is to educate the public about the crimes done by John Wayne Gacy. It is devastating to read that these boys' lives were taken while they were innocent. These graphic facts and images are included in the video to make the viewer more emotionally invested in the story. In addition, Gacy never expressed regret for his behavior in any of the interviews. You are learning how someone killed another individual, therefore feeling the emotions stated above feels very normal.

After watching this documentary and considering all the material, the information in this video is reliable and accurate. The reason is that it tells the killer's story through contemporary interviews and audio recordings of those discussions. The fact that this documentary is based on actual occurrences is another plus. Photos of the victims, crime scenes, and John Wayne Gacy's home were shown.

This documentary paid close attention to the specifics of the John Wayne Gacy case. Which worked well since it gave the audience a clearer comprehension of the entire back story. Now, the story is told through previously unheard archived audio recordings made while Gacy was in prison, interviews with those connected to the case, and testimony from one of the surviving victims. The director also shows some incredibly gruesome old footage of police removing bodies from the killer's buried them in the crawlspace at Gacy's suburban Chicago home. According to Berlinger, the excavation film is extremely terrible and has never been seen before. "We discussed how much of that excavation film should be used, but we believed it needed to be there in order to convey the tragedy of what was happening below." This documentary unequivocally demonstrates what a monster John Wayne Gacy is as a person. The creators achieved this by giving the public access to such gory facts and by demonstrating how Gacy would behave.

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Scavenger Hunt Blog Post

The resources offered were of great assistance in supplying new information regarding serial killers. I was able to uncover a ton of helpful books and articles, from which I gained a ton of fresh, important knowledge. Seeing a documentary was also recommended as a fantastic resource. As I can visualize everything and retain it better in this way, I personally preferred this one. Typing anything into the search bar made it simple to find articles about serial killers. As I typed in terms like "murder" or "serial killers," several results appeared. Finding a book on the subject in the library was one of the difficulties. The approach was challenging initially because I didn't know where to look. But I got help and discovered what I was looking for. However, I wasn't pleased with the little selection of books when I arrived at the section where they would be. I do wish there were more books about serial killers. Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, The Zodiac Killer, and others are among them. Reading books on their history actually helps me grasp the entire process, in my opinion. The library might not have all the materials I require, but there are a lot of websites and movies available that include a lot of the data I need. Furthermore, when I was researching the subject of serial killers, I came across numerous articles and books that discussed what characterizes serial killers as well as how their minds work.

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Profile Post

American nonfiction author and professor of forensic psychology Katherine Ramsland. Ramsland writes in the criminal, forensic science, and supernatural genres. She teaches criminal justice and forensic psychology at DeSales University as well. Also, she has made appearances on more than 200 magnetized shows and crime documentaries. is a consultant on CSI, Bones, and The Alienist and an executive producer of Murder House Flip. Author of 68 books and more than 1,500 articles. This covers The Psychology of Death Investigations, How to Capture a Killer, and The Mind of a Murderer. She collaborated with Dennis Rader, the BTK serial killer for his autobiography. She now expressly came to Desales to teach forensic psychology, concentrating on her area of specialization: severe offenders. She wants to teach students how to locate and get ready for the numerous chances in forensic psychology because she has firsthand experience with its thrill.

Katherine Ramsland conducted an interview as the main source. During this interview, she was questioned about her work on a number of occasions. Could you explain how your forensics research and work are incorporated into the classroom? Also, how do you keep work and personal life separate? Do you consider everyone as a possible killer or has your personal life or worldview been impacted by working in forensics? Have your job caused you to worry about your family's or friends' safety? One of the many books Katharine Ramsland has written would serve as a secondary source. How To Capture A Killer is a book that chronicles the development of forensic science through the "catch stories" of some of the most infamous murderers, dating back nearly a century.

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Dennis Rader

On March 9, 1945, Dennis Rader was born in Pittsburg, Kansas. Before being apprehended and confessed in 2005, this American serial killer had killed 10 people over the course of three decades. He went by the nickname "BTK" because he killed, tortured, and bound his victims.

Background story 

In Kansas's Wichita, Rader was raised. He later stated that as a young man, he had killed animals and experienced violent, bondage-related sexual fantasies. He served in the US Air Force during the 1960s, and in 1970 he came back to Wichita, where he got married and had two kids. He worked a variety of occupations, including a brief stint working in a factory for the Coleman Company, which produced camping gear. He completed his criminal justice degree from Wichita State University in 1979. In 1991, he started working for the home security business ADT around this time and moved to Park City, Kansas, to serve as a compliance officer. Rader led boy scouts and was an active member of his church.

His first Murder

Rader killed his first person on January 15, 1974, by strangling four family members, including two children, in their Wichita home. Coleman had employed the mother. Despite the fact that none of the victims had been sexually abused, semen was discovered at the scene. Rader removed a watch from the house and collected them as souvenirs. In April 1974, Rader specifically targeted a 21-year-old Coleman employee. But after sneaking into her home, he ran across her brother, who shot him but managed to flee. Prior to feeling, Rader fatally stabbed the victim. During that year, he wrote a letter describing the January murderers and threatening to "chain, torture, and kill" them using the abbreviation "BTK." He left the note in a book at the Wichita public library, and it was eventually recovered by the police.

Details of his other killings 

Rader murdered five more women over the following two decades. In March 1977, after locking her and her three small children in the bathroom, he strangled his sixth victim. With the passing of his subsequent victim in December 1977, Rader became irate at the lack of media attention. He asked, "How many people do I have to kill before I receive a name in the media or any national publicity," in a letter to a local TV station. The ensuing media coverage contributed to the fear. Then, in 1985, Rader waited eight years before killing a neighbor at her house. He reportedly transported her body to his church later on, where he shot pictures of her being held in servitude. In 1986, a 28-year-old mother of two was murdered; in 1991, Rader carried out his second homicide. A 62-year-old woman is strangled in her isolated home. After that, the cases were closed.

Radar sent packages to the media or simply left items around Wichita

A local newspaper published an article in 2004 on the 30th anniversary of Radar's first killers that made the assumption that the murderer had either passed away or been imprisoned. In response, Rader sent photos of the victim's body and numerous pieces of evidence from his ninth murder, including a picture of the victim's driver's license. He left items throughout Wichita or mailed parcels to the media throughout the following year. He frequently kept drawings, criminal mementos, such as photographs and written descriptions of the murders, as well as dolls that were posed to simulate the many fatalities in cereal boxes—possibly a reference to the term "serial killer"—as well as cereal boxes.

How did Dennis Radar get caught and his sentence?

Police made an arrest in January 2005 after discovering a cereal box that included a note from Rader asking if they could track a floppy disk he planned to deliver them. Law enforcement officers said that it would be secure through a classified ad. He subsequently mailed them a disk, which the police were able to locate promptly at his church, where he was the congregation's president. The semen discovered at the first crime scene was then compared to Rader's DNA. As soon as he was taken into custody in February 2005, he admitted to the crimes and expressed dismay that the police had misled him. Rader entered a guilty plea in June, and two months later he was given 10 consecutive life sentences.

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How do a serial killer's mind function and the story of Ted Bundy

According to  John Parrington, “serial killers characteristically lack empathy for others, couples with an apparent absence of guilt their actions. At the same time, many can be superficially charming, allowing them to lure potential victims into their web of destruction. 

Ted Bundy

Background story 

Born on November 24, 1946, Ted Bundy. In Burlington, Vermont, he was raised. He is well-known as a rapist and serial killer in America.  An infamous criminal from the late 20th century was also among them. He was diagnosed as a psychopath. Bundy was raised in a very strict environment with numerous issues of abuse and violence, which had an impact on his development. But later in life, he had a successful academic career due to his intelligence and social abilities, and he also formed a number of seemingly typical emotional relationships with women. Despite his seeming stability, he killed several young women and sexually assaulted others in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, and Florida.

In the end, Bundy admitted to killing 36 young women in several states during the 1970s. Now, according to analysts, the final number may be closer to 100 or maybe more. It will never be established how many women Bundy killed. He killed in a grisly manner that was consistent. Before beating them to death, he frequently raped his victims. Around 1974, Bundy began his killing spree. Many women in the Seattle area and surrounding Oregon went missing during this time. He frequently pretended to be hurt in order to get his vitcims to go in his car.

When Bundy relocated to Utah in the fall of 1974 to start law school, women also started going missing there. He was stopped by the police the next year. A search of his car turned up ropes, handcuffs, a face mask, burglary tools, and a crowbar. Police started to wonder if this was connected to the heinous acts when he was caught for possessing these tools.

How did Ted Bundy escape prison? 

In 1977, Bundy made two prison breaks. The first time, he made the decision to represent himself in court after being charged with murder in the death of a young Colorado woman. He made his initial escape by jumping through a window while visiting the courthouse library. Eight days later, he was apprehended. Bundy fled from custody once more in December. He lost more than 30 pounds to squeeze through the tiny entrance and climbed out of the hole he had created in his cell's roof. Bundy had a significant advantage against the police since this took 15 hours for authorities to discover that he was missing.

The murder of Chi Omega Soroty House 

Following his second prison break, Bundy eventually traveled to Tallahassee, Florida. On January 14, 1978, Bundy broke into the Florida State University Chi Omega sorority house. He killed two of the four young female residents after attacking them. Kimberly Leach, 12, was kidnapped and killed by Ted Bundy on February 9.

Trail and Death 

Due to his intelligence, Bundy gained some notoriety during his trial. Despite fighting for his life, Bundy was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to death after nine years of incarceration. Bundy was found guilty of the two Chi Omega murders at FSU in July of 1979. He twice received the death penalty. In 1980, he was given a second death sentence for the murder of Kimberly Leach. Ted Bundy was put to death in an electric chair at the Florida State Prison on January 24, 1989.

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The story of John Wayne Gacy

On March 17, 1942, John Wayne Gacy was born. In Chicago, Illinois, he was raised. Although Gacy seemed to lead a fairly typical middle-class lifestyle, his father was an abusive alcoholic. He also had health problems when he was young. Gacy eventually got married and went to Iowa with his wife in 1964. He managed the Kentucky fried chicken businesses owned by his father-in-law when they were residents of Iowa. In the end, the couple did have two kids. Now, allegations of sexual assault against one of his male employees in 1968 led to Gacy's wife divorcing him. He ultimately received a 10-year sentence at Anamosa State Prison. Nevertheless, he was only sentenced to a portion of his sentence before being released for good behavior.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-wayne-gacy-confesses

In the end, Gacy relocated once more to Chicago, where he established a contracting business and remarried. He gave off the impression of being a respectable businessman, but he was actually a sexual predator. John Wayne Gacy killed his first person in 1972. Male teenagers who worked for his business were his victims. He persuaded these boys back to his house where he would commit horrible acts. He eventually killed them. The murderous clown was another nickname for John Wayne Gacy. He acted as a clown at kid's parties and charitable events under the name Pogo the Clown.

What was he sentenced to?

It was December 22, 1978, when John Wayne Gacy confessed to police to killing over two dozen boys and young men. As well as burying their bodies under his home in Chicago. Gacy was given the death penalty and sentenced to death on March 13, 1980. He was executed by lethal injection at the Stateville Correctional center on May 10, 1994. 

I found this case to be quite interesting. The reality is that businessman and sexual predator John Wayne Gacy led separate lives. His crimes were quite unsettling. The idea that he would play games with the young boys after luring them into his home was also shocking. Gacy would, sadly, rape, torture, and kill his victims.

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Cold cases and unsolved mysteries are the main topics of this site. I find it to be quite intriguing because I am very interested in this subject. In a similar manner, we are both writings. Your blog is based on cold cases, but mine is about serial killers. I noticed that you included a lot of crucial details and videos that were useful in helping me comprehend the entire narrative. Also, I liked how you added your personal opinion here. When you stated that she was making strange gestures with her arms and was possibly communicating with someone off-camera.I agree with you because it appears that she was struggling and that someone was standing behind her. After reading everything I  definitely plan on watching this show to learn more information and see what really occurred.  

Plunge head first into my post!

One of the first cases that caught my eye was the case of Elisa Lam. Ever since seeing this case on the Netflix show, "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel", I was immediately intrigued by all mysteries unsolved.

In accordance with Publishers Weekly, a book they reviewed known as Gone at Midnight: The Mysterious Death of Elisa Lam, states that "Investigative journalist Anderson looks into the case of 21-year-old Elisa Lam, a student diagnosed as bipolar who vanished from L.A.'s seedy Cecil Hotel one day in 2013, in this outstanding debut. As days went by, residents of the hotel began to complain about the water quality and pressure."

After almost 3 weeks, a maintenance worker proceeded to the roof to inspect the hotel's water tanks. Unfortunately he ultimately found Elisa nude and deceased floating in one of them. The coroner ruled her death an accident by drowning with her manic-depressive illness being a determinant.

According to CBC News, "Medication was found among her belongings, but tests were inconclusive as to the presence of the medication in her bloodstream."

Jake Anderson explores this case in his novel and ponders as to whether this was self slaughter, a psychotic breakdown, or if something more sinister is involved here. Something about this case just does not sit right with me especially the elevator footage. In this footage Elisa is seen to be making strange gestures with her arms, which makes me wonder if she was communicating with someone off-camera.

To this day, web sleuths are still currently trying to search for the truth about what happened to Lam on February 1st, 2013. As outlandish as this case may seem, it gets even more puzzling. While watching the Netflix show, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, I came to a few theories.

As you can see in the gif below, there seems to be another foot in the footage. The movement of that foot does not go along with the movements of Elisa. I also found it strange that the elevator doors never shut and the only way for that to occur is someone continuously pressing the button right?? This all may sound a bit farfetched but that is for you to decide.

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Introduction

The topic is going to be based on famous serial killers and the crimes they committed. Also, going over any mental illnesses that the serial killer was diagnosed with. I will provide a full detailed back story on each serial killer and describe the crimes they committed. Including also, the aftermath of their crimes and the consequences. In my blog, I will provide pictures of the killers, their stories, and any links I use. I will dive into this topic and give the audience a full view of everything. There are many other websites that information about serial killers. However, I want those who read my blog to be engaged in it and want to read more about it. I usually accomplish this by including a detailed cover page. I'll also use keywords to let the audience know what information I'm delivering. Key terminology like victim, crime, overkill, and their charges will be presented. To give more insight the definition of crime “is proscribed by law and subject to punishment. It can also be an omission of an act, namely a failure where the law imposes a duty to act”(Finkelstein.)

A few of the individuals that will be highlighted on this site include Ted Bundy, The Zodiac Killer, John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz, and Dennis Rader.

I find this subject truly interesting because I enjoy learning about the characteristics of serial killers, observing the emotions on their faces, and reading about the crimes they have done. As previously indicated, I will be outlining the crimes carried out by these serial killers while refraining from including any images or glorifying details