Between 1969 and 1974, the Zodiac Killer sent over twenty letters to Bay Area newspapers, police, San Francisco Chronicle writer Paul Avery, and attorney Melvin Belli. In the third letter he announced “This is the Zodiac speaking,” and he signed his correspondence with a crossed-circle gunsight symbol. The letters were postmarked in San Francisco and Pleasanton, and four of the mailings enclosed cryptograms.
Confirmed correspondence
- July 31, 1969: Chronicle, Examiner, and Vallejo Times-Herald — each with one-third of the Z408 cryptogram (“I am the killer of the 2 teenagers last Christmass…”)
- August 4, 1969: Examiner (“This is the Zodiac speaking.”)
- October 13, 1969: Chronicle — swatch of Paul Lee Stine’s shirt (“I am the murderer of the taxi driver…”)
- November 8, 1969: Chronicle — Z340 cryptogram, the “Dripping Pen” card
- November 9, 1969: Chronicle — bomb diagram (”…I have killed 7 people”)
- December 20, 1969: Melvin Belli — swatch of Stine’s shirt (“…happy Christmass.”)
- April 20, 1970: Chronicle — Z13 cryptogram (“My name is…”)
- April 28, 1970: Chronicle — greeting card
- June 26, 1970: Chronicle — Z32 cryptogram
- July 24, 1970: Chronicle
- July 26, 1970: Chronicle
- October 5, 1970: Chronicle — thirteen-hole punch card
- October 27, 1970: Paul Avery at Chronicle — Halloween card
- March 13, 1971: Los Angeles Times (”…I am crack proof.”)
- January 29, 1974: Chronicle — the “Exorcist” letter