BLACK DAHLIA / ZODIAC — SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT (UPDATED)-A documented timeline of prior publications and evidentiary patterns

April 26, 2026
Birch Bay, Washington 

With renewed national media attention revisiting the question of whether the Black Dahlia and Zodiac cases may be linked to a single offender, I am updating and reposting my earlier work to clarify the historical record.

The core connections being discussed today—that the Black Dahlia and Zodiac cases may involve the same suspect—were first documented in my 2009 publication, Most Evil, and expanded in Most Evil II (2015).

What follows is not argument. It is the documented record.

Pattern and “Thoughtprints”

Over the years, I have documented a recurring behavioral pattern—what I have referred to as “thoughtprints”—in which victims are posed near streets or locations that relate symbolically to the crime, the victim, or the offender. This pattern appears across multiple cases and jurisdictions.

Composite Sketches and Suspect Appearance

Composite sketches and later artist renderings from the Zodiac investigation have varied over time, with several interpretations suggesting an older individual than initially believed.

Eyewitness Description — San Francisco PD, Officer Don Fouke
SFPD Officer Don Fouke, along with his partner Eric Zelms, encountered a male subject leaving the scene of the Paul Stine murder. At the time, they did not realize he was the Zodiac.
The individual stated he had seen “a man with a gun going down the street,” and the officers proceeded in that direction.
Officer Fouke later described the individual as a white male adult, approximately 35–45 years of age, stocky build, wearing glasses. In subsequent interviews, Fouke indicated the subject appeared older—closer to his late forties.

Contemporary Photographs — 1962 and 1969

                                                     
1962  Dr. George Hodel (age 55)        1969, Manila Times, Dr. George Hodel (age 61)

These images may be compared with contemporaneous eyewitness descriptions from the period.

Published Record

2009 — Most Evil (Dutton) First published analysis linking the Black Dahlia and Zodiac cases. Conclusion: sufficient evidence to warrant law enforcement DNA testing to include or exclude Dr. Hodel. (Los Angeles Times Best Seller List, No. 2)

2015 — Most Evil II (Rare Bird Books) Expanded investigation with additional evidence and analysis. Conclusion: the cumulative evidence supported identification of Dr. Hodel as the Zodiac.

The purpose of this post is to restate the documented timeline and underlying evidence. Readers are encouraged to review the original work and source material.