As one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th century, the Zodiac Killer has been the subject of numerous movies, books, and documentaries over the years. Now, yet another new docuseries on Netflix focusing on the notorious murderer has risen to the top of the charts less than a day after it premiered, proving that the infamous case that’s never been solved still manages to captivate our collective consciousness. Rising to prominence in the late 1960s, the Zodiac took the lives of five people that we know of, and delivered four strange ciphers to Bay Area newspapers in California, two of which remain a mystery to this day.
Per Netflix, the three-part docuseries titled This is the Zodiac Speaking took the number one spot on TheShockNews of the streamers’ Top 10 TV series less than 24 hours after it was released on October 23. Directed by Phil Lott and Ari Mark, its focus might seem familiar, as the production narrows in on Arthur Leigh Allen as the prime suspect, which was the main talking point of David Fincher’s outstanding 2007 film Zodiac. The theory has long been touted by Robert Graysmith, who worked as a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle when the serial killer was active, and got so caught up in the case that it has since consumed his life. Fincher’s film was based on his highly-scrutinized 1986 book, the title of which bears the same name as the director’s movie.
This is the Zodiac Speaking examines Allen more in depth, and covers his relationship with the Seawater family, who became close with him while their father was in a mental health facility. So much so that the family went on vacations with him, and the children, David, Connie, and Don, considered him to be a patriarchal figure. David even goes so far as to reveal in the docuseries that Allen confessed to him personally before his death in 1992 that he was, indeed, the Zodiac Killer.
Was Arthur Leigh Allen Really the Zodiac Killer?
While Fincher’s movie and the Netflix docuseries would have you believing that yes, Allen really was the Zodiac, it should be noted that there was never enough evidence to actually charge him with the murders. Despite their best efforts, police were unable to definitively match handwriting samples, and ballistic and fingerprint analysis ruled him out as the serial killer. While it may be fun to speculate, the true identity of the Zodiac remains as confusing as some of the cryptic ciphers he penned.
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Other names have been tossed out there over the years for potential suspects, including Gary Francis Poste, Earl Van Best Jr, Ross Sullivan, and Louis Joseph Meyers, all of who have since passed away, so again, there’s no evidence definitively linking them to the killings. As such, the case remains unsolved, which is why it’s continued to intrigue us for so many years. The mere thought of the Zodiac still being alive is enough to send amateur sleuths on a quest to find his identity, and code breakers near and far taking a crack at his cryptograms. As long as his identity remains a puzzle, there’s little doubt that This is the Zodiac Speaking will be the last we’ve heard on the subject.
- Release Date
- October 23, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Network
- Netflix