Police Documentation Proving Arthur Leigh Allen's Self-Identification
Evidence from Police Reports, Witness Statements, and Victim Testimony
This page compiles all evidence from police reports, witness statements, and victim testimony proving that Arthur Leigh Allen consistently identified himself as "Lee Allen" - the exact name encoded in the Zodiac ciphers.
| Source Type | Documentation | Date |
|---|---|---|
| POLICE Official Records | "Arthur Leigh Allen aka Lee Allen" | 1971 |
| SELF-ID Police Interviews | "I go by Lee Allen" | 1971-1992 |
| WITNESS Ralph Spinelli | Knew him as "Lee Allen" | 1991 |
| WITNESS Donald Cheney | "Went by his middle name, spelling it 'Lee'" | 1971 |
| VICTIM Darlene Ferrin | Stalked by man named "Lee" | 1969 |
The investigation files contain the following official designation:
The "aka" (also known as) designation in official police reports is significant - it indicates Allen was formally recognized by law enforcement as using "Lee Allen" as an alternate identity.
Source: Police informant reports from July 1971 investigation
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | August 4, 1971 |
| Location | Union 76 refinery, Pinole, California |
| Officers Present | Inspector David Toschi (SFPD), Detective Mulanax (Vallejo PD), Inspector Bill Armstrong (SFPD) |
| Allen's Employment | Junior Chemist |
During this interview and subsequent interviews spanning 21 years (1971-1992), Allen consistently told investigators:
This was not a single instance - it was repeated behavior across multiple interviews spanning 21 years. Allen consistently identified himself as "Lee Allen" to the very investigators hunting the Zodiac Killer.
Inspector Armstrong later called Allen "the most viable suspect" they had encountered during the investigation.
This demonstrates that people who knew Allen in casual contexts knew him by this shortened name.
Donald Cheney, the friend who first reported Allen to police on July 15, 1971, confirmed:
Cheney specified the spelling was "LEE" (3 letters), not "LEIGH" (5 letters). This matches the cipher extraction exactly.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Victim | Darlene Ferrin, age 22 |
| Date of Murder | July 4, 1969, Blue Rock Springs Park |
| Method | Shot with 9mm Luger |
This is direct victim testimony connecting Allen's known alias "Lee" to stalking behavior before one of the confirmed Zodiac murders. Ferrin worked just 1/10 mile from Allen's home.
Darlene Ferrin reports being stalked by "Lee"
Ferrin murdered at Blue Rock Springs
Cheney/Panzarella report Allen to police
Toschi, Mulanax, Armstrong interview Allen; he says "I go by Lee"
Allen consistently identifies as "Lee Allen" in multiple interviews
Spinelli identifies Allen as "Lee Allen" to authorities
Allen dies of heart attack
The Z340 cipher extraction produces "LEE ALLEN" - not Arthur, not Leigh, but the exact working name Allen used in daily life and told police he preferred.
Allen spelled his name "LEE" (3 letters), not "LEIGH" (5 letters, which would require a G). The cipher extraction matches this precise spelling.
The name "LEE ALLEN" appears in:
When police interviewed Allen, he literally announced the name encoded in his ciphers:
He said this directly to Inspector Toschi - the detective hunting him - believing they would never make the connection. For 56 years, nobody did.
Arthur Leigh Allen was the only suspect ever publicly named by police in the Zodiac investigation. Out of approximately 40 suspects investigated, Allen was the only one police had sufficient confidence to publicly identify.
The evidence was strong enough to risk public disclosure. Legal barriers (fingerprint/handwriting exclusions) prevented prosecution, not lack of investigative certainty.
The police documentation conclusively establishes that Arthur Leigh Allen:
"I will not give you my name" - The Zodiac Killer, November 1969
"I go by Lee Allen" - Arthur Leigh Allen to police, 1971
The killer told us his name. It just took 56 years to hear it.