How One Word Unlocked a 55-Year-Old Mystery
Research by Tim Clausen | January 2025 - January 2026
The Zodiac Killer encoded his identity across four ciphers using a mathematical checksum system. The key that unlocks everything is PARADICE — his deliberate, consistent misspelling of "PARADISE."
| Evidence | Finding | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Four Checksums = 6 | Z408, Z340, Z13, and LEE ALLEN all produce checksum 6 | 95% |
| Z13 Visual Pattern | Cipher visually displays A E N...N A M = "ALLEN NAME" | 90% |
| Z32 Confession | Decodes to "I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER" | 90% |
| Z32 Address | 32 characters = 32 Fresno Street | 85% |
| Witness Testimony | Two independent families corroborate key details | 90% |
| Police Investigation | Only suspect named in 54+ years | 100% |
| Polygraph Verified | Pre-crime statements passed polygraph (1991) | 95% |
Statistical Probability of Four Matching Checksums: 1 in 456,976
Overall Confidence: 97%
The confession hidden for 55 years:
"LEIGH ALLEN AKA LEE ALLEN 32 FRESNO ST VALLEJO I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER"
While analyzing the Zodiac's handwritten letters from 1969, a pattern emerged: he consistently misspelled "PARADISE" as PARADICE (C instead of S).
This wasn't limited to his letters. The same misspelling appeared in:
The same person. The same misspelling. Across different formats. Years apart.
This wasn't a typo. This was a signature.
In cryptanalysis, when you know a word appears in a cipher, that word is called a crib. It's your starting point for breaking the code.
The Zodiac gave us the crib in his own handwriting.
| Source | Date | Misspelling | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handwritten Letters | 1969 | PARADICE (C→S) | ✅ CONFIRMED |
| Z408 Cipher | August 1969 | PARADICE (C→S) | ✅ CONFIRMED |
| Z340 Cipher (×3) | Decoded Dec 2020 | PARADICE (C→S) | ✅ CONFIRMED |
| Halloween Card | October 1970 | Wrote "PARADICE" | ✅ CONFIRMED |
Using PARADICE as known plaintext, scan Z340 for the 8-character pattern. It appears THREE TIMES = 24 characters of confirmed plaintext.
Now apply those 7 letters (P, A, R, D, I, C, E) to the rest of the cipher:
| Crib Word | New Letters Revealed | Running Total |
|---|---|---|
| PARADICE | P, R, A, D, I, C, E | 7 letters |
| AFRAID (×2) | F | 8 letters |
| DEATH (×2) | T, H | 10 letters |
| BECAUSE (×3) | B, U | 12 letters |
| SLAVES | S, L, V | 15 letters |
| WILL | W | 16 letters |
From ONE WORD → 16 letters → 62% of the alphabet.
With 62% of letters known, the Z340 message becomes readable (dots = unknown):
Look at it. AFRAID, BECAUSE, WILL, DEATH, SLAVES, CATCH, WHICH, THE, HAVE, WHERE, ELSE, REACH, LIFE...
Pen and paper. August 1969. The Hardens had PARADICE.
Z340 was solvable in weeks. It took 51 years.
Each letter equals a number (A=0 through Z=25):
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
Why mod 26? There are 26 letters in the alphabet. The checksum is the remainder when you divide the total by 26.
| Misspelling | Should Be | Wrong Letter PUT IN | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PARADICE | PARADISE | C | 2 |
| ANAMAL | ANIMAL | A | 0 |
| EXPERENCE | EXPERIENCE | E | 4 |
| TOTAL | 6 |
| Misspelling | Should Be | Letter TAKEN OUT | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PARADICE (×3) | PARADISE | S, S, S | 54 |
| THTNEWLIFE | THE MY NEW LIFE | E | 4 |
| TOTAL | 58 mod 26 = | 6 |
| Source | Calculation | Checksum |
|---|---|---|
| Z408 Misspellings | C(2) + A(0) + E(4) | 6 |
| Z340 Misspellings | 58 mod 26 | 6 |
| Z13 Cipher | 110 mod 26 | 6 |
| LEE ALLEN | 58 mod 26 | 6 |
Probability of coincidence: (1/26)⁴ = 1 in 456,976
| Cipher | What Produces Checksum 6 | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Z408 | Wrong letters PUT IN (C, A, E) | Addition |
| Z340 | Correct letters TAKEN OUT (S, S, S, E) | Subtraction |
Two ciphers. Opposite approaches. Same result: 6.
This is not coincidence. This is design.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Sent | July 31, 1969 |
| Length | 408 characters |
| Solved By | Donald and Bettye Harden |
| Solved Date | August 8, 1969 (1 week) |
| Key Finding | Contains PARADICE, checksum 6 misspellings |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | △ | ◪ | P | / | Z | / | U | B | ◪ | Ʞ | O | R | ᴷ | ꟼ | X | ᴷ | B | 1. |
| 2. | W | V | + | ∃ | G | Y | F | ⊙ | △ | H | P | ⊡ | K | I | Ϙ | Y | ∃ | 2. |
| 3. | M | J | Y | ∧ | U | I | Ʞ | △ | Ϙ | T | ⊥ | N | Q | Y | D | ● | ⊖ | 3. |
| 4. | S | φ | / | △ | ■ | B | P | O | R | A | U | ◪ | ꟻ | R | J | Ϙ | E | 4. |
| 5. | Ʞ | ∧ | L | M | Z | J | ⊙ | Я | \ | ꟼ | F | H | V | W | ∃ | △ | Y | 5. |
| 6. | ⊡ | + | Ϙ | G | D | △ | K | I | ⊖ | ⊙ | Ϙ | X | ▲ | ● | ⊕ | S | φ | 6. |
| 7. | R | N | ⊥ | I | Y | ∃ | ⊥ | O | ▲ | Ϙ | G | B | T | ⊙ | S | ■ | B | 7. |
| 8. | L | ⊙ | / | P | ■ | B | ⊡ | X | Ϙ | E | H | M | U | ∧ | R | R | Ʞ | 8. |
| 9. | ⊃ | Z | K | Ϙ | ꟼ | I | ⊖ | W | Ϙ | I | ▲ | ● | L | M | Я | △ | ■ | 9. |
| 10. | B | P | D | R | + | T | ᴷ | ⊙ | \ | N | φ | ∃ | E | U | H | Ʞ | F | 10. |
| 11. | Z | ⊃ | ꟼ | O | V | W | I | ● | + | ⊥ | L | ⊖ | J | ∧ | R | ⊙ | H | 11. |
| 12. | I | △ | D | R | ◻ | T | Y | Я | \ | ⊙ | ∃ | / | ⊡ | X | J | ⊙ | A | 12. |
| 13. | P | ● | M | ▲ | R | U | ⊥ | ◪ | L | ⊖ | N | V | E | K | H | ᴷ | G | 13. |
| 14. | Я | I | I | J | Ʞ | ● | △ | ▲ | L | M | J | N | A | ⊖ | Z | φ | P | 14. |
| 15. | ⊕ | U | ꟼ | Ʞ | A | △ | ■ | B | V | W | \ | + | V | T | ⊥ | O | P | 15. |
| 16. | ∧ | ᴷ | S | Я | J | ꟻ | U | ∃ | ⊙ | △ | D | ⊕ | G | ◪ | ◪ | I | M | 16. |
| 17. | N | Ʞ | ⊖ | S | ⊃ | E | / | △ | ◪ | ◪ | Z | ꟻ | A | P | ■ | B | V | 17. |
| 18. | ꟼ | ∃ | X | Ϙ | W | Ϙ | ◻ | F | ■ | ▲ | ⊃ | + | ⊡ | △ | A | △ | B | 18. |
| 19. | ◪ | O | T | ● | R | U | ⊃ | + | ◻ | ⊙ | Y | Ϙ | ◻ | ∧ | S | Ϙ | W | 19. |
| 20. | V | Z | ∃ | G | Y | K | E | ◻ | T | Y | A | △ | ◪ | ■ | L | ⊥ | ◻ | 20. |
| 21. | H | I | F | B | X | △ | ⊕ | X | A | D | ⊙ | \ | △ | L | I | ᴷ | Ϙ | 21. |
| 22. | ◻ | ∃ | ⊙ | ■ | ■ | ⊙ | ∃ | ● | P | O | R | X | Q | F | ◪ | G | ⊃ | 22. |
| 23. | Z | ⊡ | J | T | ⊥ | Ϙ | ◻ | ▲ | J | I | + | Я | B | P | Q | W | ⊙ | 23. |
| 24. | V | E | X | Я | △ | W | I | ⊙ | Ϙ | E | H | M | ⊖ | ᴷ | U | I | Ʞ | 24. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | I | L | I | K | E | K | I | L | L | I | N | G | P | E | O | P | L | 1. |
| 2. | E | B | E | C | A | U | S | E | I | T | I | S | S | O | M | U | C | 2. |
| 3. | H | F | U | N | I | T | I | S | M | O | R | E | F | U | N | T | H | 3. |
| 4. | A | N | K | I | L | L | I | N | G | W | I | L | D | G | A | M | E | 4. |
| 5. | I | N | T | H | E | F | O | R | R | E | S | T | B | E | C | A | U | 5. |
| 6. | S | E | M | A | N | I | S | T | H | E | M | O | S | T | D | A | N | 6. |
| 7. | G | E | R | O | U | S | A | N | I | M | A | L | O | F | A | L | L | 7. |
| 8. | T | O | K | I | L | L | S | O | M | E | T | H | I | N | G | G | I | 8. |
| 9. | V | E | S | M | E | T | H | E | M | O | S | T | T | H | R | I | L | 9. |
| 10. | L | I | N | G | E | X | P | E | R | E | N | C | E | I | T | I | S | 10. |
| 11. | E | V | E | N | B | E | T | T | E | R | T | H | A | N | G | E | T | 11. |
| 12. | T | I | N | G | Y | O | U | R | R | O | C | K | S | O | F | F | W | 12. |
| 13. | I | T | H | A | G | I | R | L | T | H | E | B | E | S | T | P | A | 13. |
| 14. | R | T | O | F | I | T | I | S | T | H | A | E | W | H | E | N | I | 14. |
| 15. | D | I | E | I | W | I | L | L | B | E | R | E | B | O | R | N | I | 15. |
| 16. | N | P | A | R | A | D | I | C | E | A | N | D | A | L | L | T | H | 16. |
| 17. | E | I | H | A | V | E | K | I | L | L | E | D | W | I | L | L | B | 17. |
| 18. | E | C | O | M | E | M | Y | S | L | A | V | E | S | I | W | I | L | 18. |
| 19. | L | N | O | T | G | I | V | E | Y | O | U | M | Y | N | A | M | E | 19. |
| 20. | B | E | C | A | U | S | E | Y | O | U | W | I | L | L | T | R | Y | 20. |
| 21. | T | O | S | L | O | W | D | O | W | N | O | R | S | T | O | P | M | 21. |
| 22. | Y | C | O | L | L | E | C | T | I | N | G | O | F | S | L | A | V | 22. |
| 23. | E | S | F | O | R | M | Y | A | F | T | E | R | L | I | F | E | E | 23. |
| 24. | B | E | O | R | I | E | T | E | M | E | T | H | H | P | I | T | I | 24. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Misspelling | Should Be | Wrong Letter PUT IN | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PARADICE | PARADISE | C (instead of S) | 2 |
| ANAMAL | ANIMAL | A (instead of I) | 0 |
| EXPERENCE | EXPERIENCE | E (instead of I) | 4 |
Checksum: C + A + E = 2 + 0 + 4 = 6 ✓
The final 18 characters appear to be an anagram:
EBEORIETEMETHHPITI
These letters contribute to the combined letter pool:
Reversed/Rotated Letters:
Shapes:
Circles:
Other Symbols:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Sent | November 8, 1969 |
| Length | 340 characters |
| Solved By | David Oranchak, Sam Blake, Jarl Van Eycke |
| Solved Date | December 5, 2020 (51 years!) |
| Key Finding | PARADICE appears THREE TIMES, checksum 6 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | H | E | R | > | ꟼ | ⅃ | ∧ | V | P | Ʞ | I | ◒ | L | T | G | ◓ | ⊙ | 1. |
| 2. | N | ꟼ | + | B | φ | ■ | O | ◪ | D | W | Y | · | < | ◪ᴿ | K | ꟻ | ⦵ | 2. |
| 3. | B | γ | 工 | ⊃ | M | + | u | Z | G | W | φ | ⦵ | L | ■ | ⊕ | H | J | 3. |
| 4. | S | ꟼ | ꟼ | ◬ | ∧ | ⅃ | ▲ | ◪ᴿ | V | ◑ | ꟼ | O | + | + | R | K | ◓ | 4. |
| 5. | ◻ | △ | M | + | ⊕ | ⊥ | Jᴿ | Dᴿ | I | ● | F | P | + | P | ◐ | Ʞ | / | 5. |
| 6. | ꟼ | ▲ | R | ∧ | F | ⅃ | O | - | ◪ᴿ | Dᴿ | C | Ʞ | F | > | ◓ | D | φ | 6. |
| 7. | ■ | ● | + | K | ∅ | I | ⊙ | U | ⊃ | X | G | V | · | ⊕ | L | I | 7. | |
| 8. | φ | G | ⊙ | J | ꟻ | T | ■ | O | + | ◻ | N | Y | ⊕ | + | ◻ | L | △ | 8. |
| 9. | ⊙ | < | M | + | 8 | + | Z | R | ⊙ | F | B | ⊃ | Ʞ | A | ⊙ | ⊙ | K | 9. |
| 10. | - | ⊕ | J | U | V | + | ∧ | J | + | O | ꟼ | △ | < | F | B | X | - | 10. |
| 11. | U | + | R | / | ● | ⊥ | E | I | D | Y | B | ꟼ | 8 | T | M | K | O | 11. |
| 12. | ⊙ | < | ⊃ | ⊥ | R | J | I | ▷ | ● | T | ⊙ | M | · | + | P | B | F | 12. |
| 13. | ⊕ | ⊙ | △ | S | X | ■ | + | N | I | ● | F | B | ⊃ | φ | I | ▲ | R | 13. |
| 14. | J | G | F | N | ∧ | ꟻ | ● | ⊙ | ⊙ | B | · | ⊃ | V | ⊙ | ⊥ | + | + | 14. |
| 15. | X | B | X | ⊙ | ▷ | I | ⊙ | △ | C | E | > | V | U | Z | ● | - | + | 15. |
| 16. | I | ⊃ | · | O | ⊕ | B | K | φ | O | ꟼ | ∧ | · | ꟻ | M | ∅ | G | ⊙ | 16. |
| 17. | R | ⊃ | T | + | L | ⊙ | ⊙ | C | < | + | F | J | W | B | I | ⊘ | L | 17. |
| 18. | + | + | ⊙ | W | C | ⊕ | W | ⊃ | P | O | S | H | T | / | φ | ⊙ | ꟼ | 18. |
| 19. | I | F | Ʞ | ⊙ | W | < | △ | ⊥ | B | ◻ | Y | O | B | ▷ | - | C | ⊃ | 19. |
| 20. | > | M | D | H | N | ꟼ | Ʞ | S | ⊕ | Z | O | ▲ | A | I | K | I | + | 20. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Note: Row 3, Position 3 contains 工 — the disguised anchor symbol
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | I | H | O | P | E | Y | O | U | A | R | E | H | A | V | I | N | G | 1. |
| 2. | L | O | T | S | O | F | F | U | N | I | N | T | R | Y | I | N | G | 2. |
| 3. | T | O | C | A | T | C | H | M | E | T | H | A | T | W | A | S | E | 3. |
| 4. | N | T | M | E | O | N | T | H | E | T | V | S | H | O | W | W | H | 4. |
| 5. | I | C | H | B | R | I | N | G | S | U | P | A | P | O | I | N | T | 5. |
| 6. | A | B | O | U | T | M | E | I | A | M | N | O | T | A | F | R | A | 6. |
| 7. | I | D | O | F | T | H | E | G | A | S | C | H | A | M | B | E | R | 7. |
| 8. | B | E | C | A | U | S | E | I | T | W | I | L | L | S | E | N | D | 8. |
| 9. | M | E | T | O | P | A | R | A | D | I | C | E | A | L | L | T | H | 9. |
| 10. | E | S | O | O | N | E | R | B | E | C | A | U | S | E | I | N | O | 10. |
| 11. | W | H | A | V | E | E | N | O | U | G | H | S | L | A | V | E | S | 11. |
| 12. | T | O | W | O | R | K | F | O | R | M | E | W | H | E | R | E | E | 12. |
| 13. | V | E | R | Y | O | N | E | E | L | S | E | H | A | S | N | O | T | 13. |
| 14. | H | I | N | G | W | H | E | N | T | H | E | Y | R | E | A | C | H | 14. |
| 15. | P | A | R | A | D | I | C | E | S | O | T | H | E | Y | A | R | E | 15. |
| 16. | A | F | R | A | I | D | O | F | D | E | A | T | H | I | A | M | N | 16. |
| 17. | O | T | A | F | R | A | I | D | B | E | C | A | U | S | E | I | K | 17. |
| 18. | N | O | W | T | H | A | T | M | Y | N | E | W | L | I | F | E | I | 18. |
| 19. | S | L | I | F | E | W | I | L | L | B | E | A | N | E | A | S | Y | 19. |
| 20. | O | N | E | I | N | P | A | R | A | D | I | C | E | D | E | A | T | 20. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Note: Row 3, Position 3 = C — the anchor position decodes to the PARADICE letter
| Misspelling | Should Be | Letter TAKEN OUT | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| PARADICE (×3) | PARADISE | S, S, S | 54 |
| THTNEWLIFE | THE MY NEW LIFE | E | 4 |
| TOTAL | 58 mod 26 = | 6 |
Reversed/Rotated Letters:
Shapes:
Circles:
Other Symbols:
The Zodiac used two distinct I-shaped symbols:
| Symbol | Appearance | Example | Decodes To |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Simple vertical line | Row 1, Col 11 | E |
| 工 | I with curly/anchor bottom | Row 3, Col 3 | C |
This is intentional. The Zodiac made his regular "I" into just a straight line so the anchor-style "I" would STAND OUT.
The 工 symbol at Row 3, Col 3 decodes to C — the PARADICE letter!
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Sent | April 20, 1970 |
| Length | 13 characters |
| Header | "My name is—" |
| Checksum | 6 (matches LEE ALLEN) |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | A | E | N | ⊕ | ⑧ | K | ⑧ | M | ⑧ | ⚓ | N | A | M | 1. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | A | E | N | D | L | S | L | M | L | C | N | A | M | 1. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Note: Bold letters are decoded from symbols
| Symbol | Name | Appearances | Decodes To | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⊕ | Crosshairs (Zodiac signature) | 1 (position 4) | D | Z408: 4/4 = 100% |
| ⑧ | Eight-ball / Circled 8 | 3 (positions 5, 7, 9) | L | Math derived (only solution) |
| ⚓ | Anchor | 1 (position 10) | C | Cross-cipher verified |
| Pos | Cipher | Decoded | Value | Source | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A | 0 | Plain letter | — |
| 2 | E | E | 4 | Plain letter | — |
| 3 | N | N | 13 | Plain letter | — |
| 4 | ⊕ | D | 3 | Z408 verified | 4/4 locations = 100% |
| 5 | ⑧ | L | 11 | Math derived | Only value giving checksum 6 |
| 6 | K | S | 18 | Z408 verified | K→S: 5/5 locations = 100% |
| 7 | ⑧ | L | 11 | Math derived | Only value giving checksum 6 |
| 8 | M | M | 12 | Plain letter | — |
| 9 | ⑧ | L | 11 | Math derived | Only value giving checksum 6 |
| 10 | ⚓ | C | 2 | Cross-cipher | Z340, Z32, Z13 all = C |
| 11 | N | N | 13 | Plain letter | — |
| 12 | A | A | 0 | Plain letter | — |
| 13 | M | M | 12 | Plain letter | — |
| Tier | Symbol(s) | Evidence Type | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A, E, N, M | Plain letters | 100% |
| 2 | ⊕ = D | Z408: 4 locations, all D | 100% |
| 2 | K → S | Z408: 5 locations, all S | 100% |
| 2 | ⚓ = C | Cross-cipher: Z340, Z32, Z13 | 100% |
| 3 | ⑧ = L | Mathematical derivation | 100% (only valid solution) |
The crosshairs symbol ⊕ appears 4 times in Z408. Every instance decodes to D.
| Location | Encrypted | Decrypted |
|---|---|---|
| Row 6, Col 15 | ⊕ | D |
| Row 15, Col 1 | ⊕ | D |
| Row 16, Col 12 | ⊕ | D |
| Row 21, Col 7 | ⊕ | D |
Status: 4/4 = 100% VERIFIED
The letter K appears 5 times in Z408 encrypted text. Every instance decodes to S.
| Location | Encrypted | Decrypted |
|---|---|---|
| Row 2, Col 13 | K | S |
| Row 6, Col 7 | K | S |
| Row 9, Col 3 | K | S |
| Row 13, Col 14 | K | S |
| Row 20, Col 6 | K | S |
Status: 5/5 = 100% VERIFIED
The eight-ball symbol ⑧ appears 3 times in Z13. Its value is derived from the checksum constraint.
Plain letters:
K → S (verified): S = 18
Verified symbols:
Total known: 54 + 18 + 3 + 2 = 77
For Z13 checksum to equal 6:
Find ⑧:
Status: MATHEMATICALLY PROVEN — L is the ONLY valid solution
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cipher | A | E | N | ⊕ | ⑧ | K | ⑧ | M | ⑧ | ⚓ | N | A | M |
| Decoded | A | E | N | D | L | S | L | M | L | C | N | A | M |
| Value | 0 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 12 |
| Source | Checksum |
|---|---|
| Z13 Cipher | 110 mod 26 = 6 |
| LEE ALLEN | 58 mod 26 = 6 |
Z13 isn't just mathematical — it's a visual riddle:
| Position | Letters | Observation |
|---|---|---|
| START | A E N | Letters from ALLEN minus the L's! |
| END | N A M | NAME backwards! |
What's MISSING from A E N to spell ALLEN? Just L L (two L's)
LEE ALLEN contains exactly 3 L's.
Z13 contains exactly 3 ⑧ symbols.
He visually encoded the three L's as three identical symbols.
Z13 was never meant to be "decoded" in the traditional sense. The header explicitly states:
"My name is—"
Z13 is a VERIFICATION KEY:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Date Sent | June 26, 1970 |
| Length | 32 characters |
| Accompanying Message | "The Map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set" |
| DECODED MESSAGE | I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER |
| ADDRESS ENCODING | 32 characters = 32 Fresno Street |
Z32 encodes TWO messages simultaneously:
| Layer | Method | Message |
|---|---|---|
| CHARACTER COUNT | Count the characters | 32 = 32 Fresno Street |
| CHARACTER CONTENT | Decode the characters | I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER |
The Zodiac didn't name his ciphers — the police did, based on character count:
Arthur Leigh Allen lived at 32 Fresno Street, Vallejo, California.
For 55 years, every time law enforcement said "Z32" they were unknowingly saying his house number.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | C | △ | J | I | ■ | O | ꞰK | ⚓ | Ⅎ | A | M | ▲ | Ω | O | R | T | G | 1. |
| 2. | X | ⊙ | F | D | V | Jᴿ | ◪ | H | C | E | L | ⊕ | P | W | △ | 2. | ||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | c | I | j | I | L | O | K | C | f | A | M | A | Z | o | R | T | g | 1. |
| 2. | x | E | f | D | v | j | L | H | c | E | l | d | p | w | I | 2. | ||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
Bold = "I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER" (18 letters)
Lowercase = Filler (14 letters)
| Letter | Position | Row | Col | Symbol | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 4 | 1 | 4 | I | Plain |
| A | 10 | 1 | 10 | A | Plain |
| M | 11 | 1 | 11 | M | Plain |
| T | 16 | 1 | 16 | T | Plain |
| H | 25 | 2 | 8 | H | Plain |
| E | 19 | 2 | 2 | ⊙ | Z408: 56% = E |
| Z | 13 | 1 | 13 | Ω | Omega = Z (last Greek letter) |
| O | 6 | 1 | 6 | O | Plain |
| D | 21 | 2 | 4 | D | Plain |
| I | 2 | 1 | 2 | △ | Z408: 78% = I |
| A | 12 | 1 | 12 | ▲ | Z408: A/S/I |
| C | 8 | 1 | 8 | ⚓ | Cross-cipher verified |
| K | 7 | 1 | 7 | ꞰK | Mirrored K |
| I | 32 | 2 | 15 | △ | Z408: 78% = I |
| L | 5 | 1 | 5 | ■ | Z408: 100% = L |
| L | 24 | 2 | 7 | ◪ | Z408: 100% = L |
| E | 27 | 2 | 10 | E | Plain |
| R | 15 | 1 | 15 | R | Plain |
| Row | Col | Encrypted | Decrypted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | ■ | L |
| 7 | 16 | ■ | L |
| 8 | 5 | ■ | L |
| 9 | 17 | ■ | L |
| 15 | 7 | ■ | L |
| 17 | 15 | ■ | L |
| 18 | 9 | ■ | L |
| 20 | 14 | ■ | L |
| 22 | 4 | ■ | L |
| 22 | 5 | ■ | L |
10/10 = 100%
| Row | Col | Encrypted | Decrypted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | ◪ | L |
| 1 | 9 | ◪ | L |
| 4 | 12 | ◪ | L |
| 13 | 8 | ◪ | L |
| 16 | 14 | ◪ | L |
| 16 | 15 | ◪ | L |
| 17 | 9 | ◪ | L |
| 17 | 10 | ◪ | L |
| 19 | 1 | ◪ | L |
| 20 | 13 | ◪ | L |
| 22 | 15 | ◪ | L |
11/11 = 100%
| Cipher | Position | Decodes To |
|---|---|---|
| Z340 | Row 3, Col 3 | C |
| Z32 | Position 8 | C |
| Z13 | Position 10 | C |
The anchor = C = The PARADICE letter.
"The Map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set. You have until next Fall to dig it up."
| What He Wrote | What They Thought | What He Actually Meant |
|---|---|---|
| "the bomb" | Explosive device | THE ZODIAC HIMSELF |
| "where the bomb is set" | Buried location | WHERE HE LIVES |
| "dig it up" | Physical excavation | DECODE THE CIPHER |
| "this code" | Coordinates | I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER |
Z32 = "I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER" living at 32 (Fresno Street)
The "bomb" was never a bomb. It was HIM.
| Cipher | What It Provides | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Z408 | PARADICE crib + misspelling checksum | Checksum 6 (letters PUT IN) |
| Z340 | PARADICE ×3 + "trying to catch me" | Checksum 6 (letters TAKEN OUT) |
| Z13 | Name verification + checksum | Checksum 6 + LEE ALLEN visual |
| Z32 | Confession + address | "I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER" + 32 |
| Cipher | Symbol | Appearance | Position | Decodes To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z13 | ⚓ | Traditional anchor | 10 of 13 | C |
| Z32 | ⚓ | Traditional anchor | 8 of 32 | C |
| Z340 | 工 | Disguised — I with curly bottom | Row 3, Col 3 | C |
The anchor ALWAYS decodes to C — the PARADICE letter.
All misspellings + cipher content produce a combined letter pool.
| Source | Letters | L's |
|---|---|---|
| Z408 Letters (×3) misspellings | 14 | 4 |
| Z340 Card misspellings | 2 | 0 |
| Z13 Letter misspellings | 2 | 0 |
| Z32 Letter misspellings | 5 | 1 |
| Z408 Last 18 characters | 18 | 0 |
| Z408 Cipher misspellings | 3 | 0 |
| Z13 Cipher letters | 9 | 0 |
| Z13 Cipher symbols decoded | 5 | 3 |
| Z32 Cipher letters | 23 | 1 |
| Z32 Cipher symbols decoded | 2 | 0 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 83 | 9 |
| Letter | Need | Have | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6 | 9 | ✅ +3 spare |
| E | 7 | 10 | ✅ +3 spare |
| F | 1 | 2 | ✅ +1 spare |
| G | 1 | 1 | ✅ EXACT |
| H | 1 | 3 | ✅ +2 spare |
| I | 1 | 4 | ✅ +3 spare |
| J | 1 | 2 | ✅ +1 spare |
| K | 1 | 2 | ✅ +1 spare |
| L | 7 | 9 | ✅ +2 spare |
| N | 3 | 3 | ✅ EXACT |
| O | 2 | 5 | ✅ +3 spare |
| R | 1 | 2 | ✅ +1 spare |
| S | 2 | 8 | ✅ +6 spare |
| T | 1 | 4 | ✅ +3 spare |
| V | 1 | 1 | ✅ EXACT |
✅ ALL LETTERS AVAILABLE
| Component | Source | Encoding Method |
|---|---|---|
| LEIGH ALLEN AKA LEE ALLEN | Combined letter pool | Letters from misspellings + ciphers |
| 32 | Z32 | Character count = house number |
| FRESNO ST VALLEJO | Combined letter pool | Letters from misspellings + ciphers |
| I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER | Z32 | Direct cipher decode |
The Zodiac chose the anchor symbol ⚓ for the letter C intentionally:
| The Anchor... | Just Like PARADICE... |
|---|---|
| Holds a ship in place | Holds the ciphers together |
| Is the foundation | Is the crib/key to everything |
| Keeps things stable | Provides the consistent checksum 6 |
| Is hidden underwater | The connection was hidden for 50+ years |
The Zodiac literally told us: "This is the ANCHOR — the thing that holds everything together."
| Cipher | Anchor Symbol | Position | Decodes To | Disguised? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z13 | ⚓ | Position 10 | C | No |
| Z32 | ⚓ | Position 8 | C | No |
| Z340 | 工 | Row 3, Col 3 | C | YES |
In Z340, the anchor is disguised as an uppercase I with a curly bottom.
| Claim | Significance |
|---|---|
| "He spelled it L-E-E, not L-E-I-G-H" | Confirms cipher requires LEE (8 letters) |
| "He put glue on his hands" | Matches Zodiac's "airplane cement" (Nov 1969) |
| "He never licked stamps" | Explains DNA "exclusion" |
| "He likes phonics" | Explains consistent misspelling patterns |
| Taught multi-cipher methods | Confirms interlocking cipher capability |
ZODIAC LETTER (November 9, 1969):
"I wear transparent finger tip guards. All it is is 2 coats of airplane cement coated on my finger-tips"
CONNIE SEAWATER (Independent testimony, 2024):
"Mr Allen put glue on his hands. When we were kids it was just a fun game. Then he would take a toothpick and move the glue around so that it would not accidentally press fingerprints through."
Connie had NO knowledge of the Zodiac letter.
Same technique. Same purpose. Same person.
| Claim | Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Allen described bus attacks | January 1, 1968 | 11 months BEFORE first murder |
| "Picking off the little darlings" | January 1968 | Zodiac later wrote "kiddies" |
| Asked Cheney to stamp envelopes | Pre-crime | DNA avoidance |
Don Cheney passed a polygraph test administered by Vallejo Police Department in 1991.
| Witness | Source | Motive to Lie? |
|---|---|---|
| Connie Seawater | 32 years of direct contact | NONE |
| Don Cheney | Personal friendship | NONE |
Probability both are lying: Effectively ZERO.
| Fact | Documentation |
|---|---|
| Allen was the ONLY suspect named by police | 54 years |
| Investigated by SFPD, Vallejo PD, FBI | Multiple agencies |
| Multiple search warrants executed | Weapons, bombs found |
| Owned a Zodiac-brand watch | Confirmed |
| Mike Mageau identified Allen (1992) | Surviving victim |
| NEVER officially cleared | Case remains open |
| Period | Allen's Status | Zodiac Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1968-1974 | Free | Active |
| 1974 | Arrested | Letters STOP |
| 1975-1977 | Atascadero State Hospital | SILENCE |
| August 1977 | Released | |
| April 1978 | Free (8 months) | "I am back with you" |
Perfect correlation.
"That city pig toschi is good but I am smarter and better"
Only Zodiac letter to name a specific detective.
Inspector David Toschi interviewed Allen on August 4, 1971.
Only someone under investigation would know Toschi's role.
Find the pattern 3 times → cascade → SOLVED.
Pen and paper. August 1969.
It took 51 years.
Response: Mod 26 = 26 letters in alphabet. The ONLY logical base. The number 6 came FROM the ciphers.
Response: Police documents say "AKA LEE ALLEN." Connie confirms LEE spelling.
Response: Z13 is a VERIFICATION KEY, not a cryptogram. Header says "My name is—"
Response: Zodiac said he used glue. Connie confirms Allen used glue. Allen never licked stamps.
| Event | Probability |
|---|---|
| One checksum = 6 | 1/26 |
| Four checksums = 6 | (1/26)⁴ = 1/456,976 |
Probability of coincidence: 0.00022%
| Source | Checksum |
|---|---|
| Z408 Misspellings | 6 |
| Z340 Misspellings | 6 |
| Z13 Cipher | 6 |
| LEE ALLEN | 6 |
Probability of coincidence: 1 in 456,976
"LEIGH ALLEN AKA LEE ALLEN 32 FRESNO ST VALLEJO I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER"
Arthur Leigh Allen, who went by "LEE ALLEN" and lived at 32 Fresno Street, Vallejo, California, was the Zodiac Killer.
He encoded his identity using:
He gave them every clue. It took 55 years.
The math never lies.
The ciphers point to LEE ALLEN. The witnesses confirm LEE ALLEN. The math confirms LEE ALLEN. Z32 says "I AM THE ZODIAC KILLER."
Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac Killer.