Synopses & Reviews
California was thrown into a paralysis of fear in 1969, distraught over the unsolved murders of the Zodiac killer. The Zodiac became the most elusive and frustrating adversary ever encountered by the law enforcement community in the San Francisco Bay Area. A series of letters, allegedly written by the murderer himself and published in local newspapers, only added to the mystery and panic. Over 30 years after he exploded onto the headlines of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Zodiac serial killer remains an enigma that is unparalleled in the history of crime in America, and the case remains unsolved. Violence expert Michael Kelleher and psychologist David Van Nuys attempt to provide a glimpse into the mind of this mysterious murderer.
Kelleher and Van Nuys reconstruct the crime scenes, delve into the records, and psychoanalyze the Zodiac's letters to newspapers and the law enforcement agencies. The facts of the case and the fragmentary glimpses of the Zodiac's psychodynamics that came through his letters forced the authors, reluctantly, to draw a conclusion that is sure to be controversial-namely, that the Zodiac suffered from multiple personality disorder. They also debunk many popular legends and myths about the case, laying out the limited facts that we do have on the notorious Zodiac.
Review
Anyone who is interested in true crime or American history needs to read this book. It is a tremendous and well carried out effort by the authors and also has the power to transport the reader back in time to a place in history where peace and tranquility were shaken to the core by a man in a mask who has yet to meet his date with Lady Justice. This book reminds us all about the frailty of human life and our beliefs about safety and secruity and about how simply these can be taken away from us by a stranger.Criminal Justice Review
Review
Michael Kelleher and David Van Nuys have combined journalistic and psychological skills to resurrect the Zodiac Case and give it new life. I was among the uniformed officers searching for Zodiac 30 years ago. Back then, we were never provided the kind of specific facts and theories so well compiled by Kelleher and Van Nuys, nor did we have these psychological profiling capabilities available to us. This excellent rendering of Zodiac's evil psyche could have made a difference. As it is, this deft analysis raises the possibility that the Zodiac may still be among us. We may get him yet!Alan W. Benner, Ph.D San Francisco Police Department 35 years service, retired as SFPD's Chief Psychologist
Review
A thrilling detective story, one that many of its readers will not be able to put down. Kelleher and Van Nuys have done their homework in spades; the result is a book that explores those dark and dangerous dimensions of the human psyche that many people tend to ignore. The authors make a compelling case that the Zodiac was suffering from a dissociative identity disorder, in other words that 'multiple personalities' were involved in his crimes.Stanley Krippner Saybrook Graduate School
Synopsis
Two experts look back at the most enigmatic and frustrating adversary ever encountered by the law enforcement community in the San Francisco Bay Area, whose killings remain unsolved to this day.
Synopsis
California was thrown into a paralysis of fear in 1969, horrified by the elusive Zodiac serial killer. The Zodiac became the most enigmatic and frustrating adversary ever encountered by the law enforcement community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Over 30 years later, the Zodiac killings remain unsolved. The authors analyze the Zodiac's crimes and supply psychological insight to his letters providing a glimpse into the mind of a mysterious murderer.
Table of Contents
Introduction
In the Beginning
Heyday of Murder
Murder, Fear, and Uncertainty
Taunting
Slipping Away
Killing In Silence?
The Return
Legends, Myths, and Facts
Portrait of a Killer
What Will We Ever Know?
Appendixes
Bibliography
Index