Posted on 08/29/2008 3:23:39 PM PDT by LibWhacker
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Exclusive; The Zodiac Killer attacked at least eight people, terrorizing the Bay Area and taunting police in the 60's and 70's. Thursday, the FBI confirmed to CBS13 they are now running laboratory tests on some items that may link a suspect to the killer.
The evidence was given to the FBI by a Pollock Pines man who also claims he recently found the disguise worn by the Zodiac Killer during one of his attacks.
"The identity of the Zodiac Killer is Jack Tarrance. He's my stepfather," says Dennis Kaufman.
Eight years of Dennis Kaufman's life has been consumed with attempting to prove the only father he's known since he was five-years-old is none other than the Zodiac Killer.
"This a handwriting comparison I did," says Kaufman, showing handwriting samples claiming to be his father's and the Zodiac Killer's, which bear a striking similarity. Similarities Dennis says are no coincidence.
"The composite is a dead ringer," says Kaufman, showing composite sketch of the killer next to his stepfather's -- a resemblance that is undeniable between pictures of Jack Tarrance and descriptions of the zodiac.
Dennis also claims his stepfather, in a taped phone conversation, indirectly admitted being the zodiac killer.
"If I wrote a book and said I think my stepfather is the Zodiac Killer they wouldn't believe me," says Kaufman.
Jack Tarrance died in 2006. Dennis claims that while going through Tarrance's belongings, there were disturbing findings including a knife still covered with what could possibly be dried blood.
"It could be a knife he barbecued with or a knife he murdered someone with," says Kaufman.
Jack also left behind rolls of undeveloped film. Dennis plans to hand over the film to the FBI. On one of the rolls Dennis did develop, there were numerous gruesome images.
"Appeared to be people who were murdered," explains Dennis.
Just recently, Dennis remembered his stepfather asking him several times about the old PA system which led Dennis to take it apart.
"When I first opened it up that did affect me. My heart skipped a couple of beats when I saw it," he says.
The material folded and tucked inside, Dennis believes, may unmask the zodiac killer.
"It was a black hood with a zodiac on it," Dennis explains.
Dennis holds up a black hood with the zodiac sign on it. It's similar to the hood worn during the vicious 1968 Lake Berryessa attack, which is the possible key evidence connecting his stepfather to the killings. He also believes there are dozens more victims which were never linked to the Zodiac, including Dennis' own mother who, he claims, was suffocated.
"She sat there and told me Jack was trying to kill her and I didn't listen. I can only imagine how she felt. Imagine how scary that would be. That is what kept me going this whole time," says Dennis.
The FBI confirmed they are running DNA tests on items that Dennis gave them.
Dennis says there are postage stamps sent to him by his stepfather. Authorities are trying to get DNA profile of Jack Tarrance to compare to A DNA profile of the Zodiac Killer. The FBI told CBS13 they could get those results back any day.
Thanks for posting this. I just watched the Zodiac movie with Robert Downey last week, and this article is pretty intriguing.
I’ve followed this case very closely and have studied numerous police reports and read both books on the subject; seen the interviews of the surviving principles. In my opinion, this case ended when Allen died in 1992. The ONLY conclusive proof of the real Zodiac was at the Lake murder and only Allen weighed enough to have left the boot print. If anyone wants further proof, see the “Director’s Cut” of the film of last year.
Virtually all of the Zodiac cultists are out of their ever loving minds. They are in my view mentally ill and have no life outside of their obsession. Every week, some new suspect is trotted out. It’s pure craziness.
Ha, ha—wasn’t that smooth. I do want to know though.
That must be truly scary to know you came face to face with evil like that.
What a house!
The RCC slaying of Cheri-Jo Bates in '66 has been a close interest of mine for many years and I'd always wished that the Zodiac investigators would have established a connection to her case.
I have to read Graysmith's book again.
Yes, his name is Steve Hodel and he is amazing. He was a decorated LAPD detective, now retired, who saw some photos in his late father’s possession of a woman he thought might be the famous Black Dahlia. As it turns out now, it is entirely possible that the photos never were of Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, but Hodel’s inspiration to find out more about the famous unsolved murder, as well as his father’s AMAZING underworld and prominent life in 1940s L.A., makes for the absolute best true crime story ever written.
And he has solved the Black Dahlia case. It really was his own father.
If any of you like true crime, you must read this book. (The Black Dahlia Avenger - and get the latest version with the most facts. Steve is working on the second book.)
I remember there was a young girl picked up by the Night Stalker (or was it the Hillside Strangler - one of the serial killers of the 1980s in L.A.), and he had her captive in his car and went looking through her wallet. She had a photo of the actor Peter Lorre in her wallet because he was her grandfather. When the killer asked her about it and she said it was her grandfather, he threw her out of the car.
Her late grandfather saved her life.
Sadly Albert Popwell, who played the bank robber, died recently. Eastwood used him in a number of his Dirty Harry films.
Steve Hodel, that’s it! His dad was George Hodel. It was a great book. I read a lot of true crime, but I had to put that one down a few times because it freaked me out so bad.
About a year or two ago there was an American Express commercial filmed in that house. Every single time it was on I thought of the depravity that went on there. Even if there weren’t multiple murders, the nasty “parties” were enough to churn anyone’s stomach and make them uncomfortable.
Hillside strangler
Well, okay, you can try reading minds, or you can try paying attention. One works, one doesn’t. But to each his own!
Yes, that book shows a genius (George Hodel) prodigy gone TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY wrong.
I also gasped when I saw that move about Howard Hughes with Leo Di Caprio playing Hughes... That movie was filmed there as well (I believe that was the house where he was refusing to come out of his bedroom?). What a creepy house. I keep meaning to drive by it but Steve says you can’t see much from the street, just the outer doors. What an absolutely perverted and sick human being.
We know Elizabeth was terrified of him before she died. But why? What could she have done to anger him that much?
http://thezodiackiller.digitalzones.com/
Zodiac Case Dealt Harsh Blow by Fraudulent Doc Examiner
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-753342
A Brief History of People Who Claimed To Know the Zodiac Killer’s Identity
http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/05/a-brief-history-of-people-who-claimed-to-know-the-zodiac-killers-identity/370058/
[snip] Evidence against: Hodel’s father would have been a few decades older than the Zodiac Killer was believed to be. Like Dennis Kaufman, Hodel also claims his father was the Black Dahlia murderer and the Lipstick Killer. Oh, and the Jigsaw Murderer in the Philippines. The LA Times’ Daily Mirror called his book where he tried to connect his father with the Zodiac murders “a joke,” noting that Hodel says his father’s shoe size was 10E, like the Zodiac Killer, but one of his other purported victims was killed by someone wearing a size 6 or 7 shoe. Also, in some cases, the handwriting samples Hodel offers up as his father’s to compare to the Zodiac Killer’s actually came from Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia victim. Or maybe she’s the Zodiac Killer, too). [/snip]
https://www.sites.google.com/site/zodiackillernotjacktarrance/
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