A cold case investigative team believes they've identified the most notorious serial killer in Bay Area history.
After years of research, the independent crime solving company "The Case Breakers" told the news outlet they've determined the identity of the infamous Zodiac Killer, who heinously tormented the San Francisco-Bay Area during the 1960s, according to a report from Fox News.
The Zodiac Killer murdered five people across the region and injured two others between December 1968 and October 1969, although he claimed in a letter to have killed as many as 37 victims. In addition to the murders, he was notorious for the cryptic and complex ciphers and riddles he sent law enforcement and the San Francisco Chronicle.
The case breaking team, comprised of over 40 former law enforcement investigators, journalists and military intelligence officers, concluded that the killer was Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018.
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The discovery comes after years of investigation by the company which uncovered forensic evidence and photos from Poste's darkroom.
One of the clues that led to the determination was a photo of Poste with scars on his forehead – matching the marks on a police sketch of the Zodiac Killer. In addition, the team was able to decipher letters from the Zodiac which pointed to Poste, including one that used his whole name.
The team also reportedly believes the killer is responsible for the 1966 murder of an 18-year-old student in Riverside, California, hundreds of miles from the Bay Area. Local authorities refuted the findings, according to the news outlet.
The mystery around the Zodiac Killer has confounded investigators in the decades since and captured the interests of generations. The story has been documented in multiple books and even Hollywood movies, such as the film "Zodiac" in 2007 starring Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr.
Many people over the years have speculated who the killer is, but his identity has never officially been determined.
When reached for comment, San Francisco police told KCBS Radio they are "unable to speak to potential suspects as this is still an open investigation."
KCBS Radio has also reached out to The Case Breakers for comment and has not received a reply.
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