The Zodiac

Killer

** The suspect in the photos above is Jack Tarrance. Jack has been the focus of the Zodiac investigation which was reopened in 2000. Jack Tarrance passed away on August 26, 2006, in Olympia, Washington, at age 78.

Here are the links to the recent media coverage of this story done by CBS. VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW VIEW

It has also been confirmed by Nanette Barto that Jack Tarrance is the author of the Zodiac letters!.

To read Nanette's report CLICK HERE to view the spreadsheetCLICK HERE

To discuss this case with others check out the message board

Many people claim to know the identity of the Zodiac, yet fail to provide any proof. I can assure you that before I accused someone of being a serial killer, I would have to be absolutely certain. I can say for certain that Jack Tarrance was responsible for the Zodiac murders, as well as many others. The reason that Jack was never arrested for the Zodiac murders was because of departmental jealousy amongst law enforcement -- mostly the San Francisco Police Department. On October 5, 2000, I met with FBI Special Agent Ken Hittmeier, and spent a couple of hours presenting my case. A couple of days later, Mr. Hittmeier called me and asked me to bring my evidence to the FBI -- they believed that Jack Tarrance was the Zodiac Killer. Some of the items they wanted from me were letters Jack had sent to me over the years so they could try and get Jack's DNA from under the stamps. I met with Mr. Hittmeier and Special Agent Chris Hopkins, and provided them with the items they requested. The FBI contacted the SFPD and asked them for an original Zodiac letter so they could test it in their lab for DNA. They informed the SFPD that I had compelling evidence linking Jack Tarrance to the Zodiac crimes, and they assured the SFPD that their lab could have results within thirty days. The SFPD refused to send them any evidence and told the FBI that they would do the testing themselves. The FBI agreed to send SFPD the evidence I had provided them with so they could do the DNA testing and see if Jack Tarrance was a match. After two long years, the SFPD comes back with only a partial DNA profile of Zodiac. I found out later that the SFPD had lost all the original Zodiac letters. Three of them were found in the garage of one of the investigators who worked on the case (I won't mention his name). Once evidence leaves the evidence room, it is no longer admissable in court. I would like to thank the folks at the FBI for their efforts in this matter. I would also like to thank the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department for their efforts as well.

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

My name is Dennis Kaufman, and I am Jack's stepson. Jack is the only father I ever knew. He met my mother in South Lake Tahoe in 1970, when I was five years old. Jack was married to my mother for twenty-seven years until she finally became his victim in February, 1999. My mother tried to tell me that Jack was trying to kill her, but I refused to believe her until it was too late. To read about my mother's death CLICK HERE; to continue reading CLICK HERE; to continue CLICK HERE. Here is my mother's DEATH CERTIFICATE. I realized that the man I had grown to know (since the age of five) did not exist. It was all just a disguise to hide the monster that lay beneath it!

In June of 2000, I made a startling discovery after watching a documentary called "Case Reopened" by Lawrence Block, about a serial killer who had eluded police for over thirty years. This killer would murder people and then write letters to Bay Area newspapers to taunt the police for not catching him. His reign of terror began in 1966, and after 1974 he was never heard from again. This killer was known only as "The Zodiac". As I sat and watched this documentary, everything that happened in my life that never made sense to me suddenly made perfect sense. Things like why I went to thirty different schools when I was growing up, or why Jack told me just after I met him that he did not want to live with us, but "I have no choice," as he stated. Every aspect of the Zodiac profile fit Jack so perfectly, so I began searching for something that could prove Jack wasn't Zodiac. If I could find just one thing about Jack that did not match, then there would be no reason to continue with this. But the more I searched, the more I found linking Jack to Zodiac.

Click here to read the background of Jack.

THE EVIDENCE

Let me begin with Zodiac's description which was given on October 11, 1969: A white male 35-45 years old, height of around 5'10" to 5'11", 220 - 240 pounds, with a paunch. Zodiac was described to have been wearing brown, pleated pants with shiny shoes.

At that time, Jack was 41 years old, height of 5'10- 1/2", 225 pounds, with a paunch (VIEW #1). Here is a photo of Jack in 1975 with brown pleated pants and shiny shoes: (VIEW #2). A composite was made of the Zodiac after he was seen that night in 1969, and here is Jack's photo from 1971: (VIEW #3). Here are some other photos of Jack from around that time: (VIEW #4), (VIEW #5). Another composite of the Zodiac was made in Sonoma County in 1975, and here is Jack's photo from 1973: (VIEW #6).

ZODIAC AUTOMOBILES

Zodiac was said to have been driving a white Renault Caravelle, a car similar in appearance to the Corvair. Here is a photo of Jack's second wife standing in front of Jack's car in 1968: (VIEW #7). Zodiac was seen in an ice blue two-door Chevy Impala at Lake Berryessa the day of the attack. Here is a photo from 1971 taken at Stevens Creek of Jack with his ice blue two-door Chevy Impala: (VIEW #8). A white Chevy Impala was seen the night of the Lake Herman murders on December 20, 1968. Here is a photo, taken in 1969, of Jack's white Chevy Impala: (VIEW #9).

ZODIAC WRITING COMPARISON WITH JACK

Here is a comparison of Jack's writing to the Zodiac's: (VIEW #10).

TIMELINE AND LOCATION

Donna Lass disappeared on on September 6, 1970, in South Lake Tahoe. She was living at 3893 #6 Pioneer Trail, South Lake Tahoe, in the Monti Verdi Apartments. Jack was living with us during the time Lass disappeared, and we lived about one mile from her at 3715 #7 Blackwood Road, South Lake Tahoe, in the Leawood Apartments. Jack's daughter Lana worked at the same casino as Donna Lass, at the same time she disappeared.

The San Francisco Chronicle received a postcard from The Zodiac on March 22, 1971, and at the bottom it said "Peak through the pines pass Lake Tahoe areas.": (VIEW #15). Jack was living in Lake Tahoe then: (VIEW #16) (VIEW #17)

After Zodiac mailed the postcard that the S.F. Chronicle recieved on March 22, 1971, he went silent for three years. Something must have happened in Zodiac's life. On March 22, 1971, Jack was put on probation for one year, and was given specific orders from the court that he not possess any guns. Jack was ordered to appear on March 17, 1972, for further evaluation: (VIEW #18).

After almost three years of silence, Zodiac sent a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle on January 29, 1974: (VIEW #19). The following month, the Chronicle received another letter from Zodiac: (VIEW #20). Three months later on May 8, 1974, Zodiac mailed another letter: . Then, just two months later on July 8, 1974, Zodiac mailed a letter once again to the San Francisco Chronicle: (VIEW #21). Zodiac was never heard from again. On March 17, 1974, Jack was arrested for poaching in Eldorado County, and was sentenced on July 10, 1974. He was taken right from court into custody where he spent the next thirty days. This is the first time Jack had to do time in jail: (VIEW #22).

Zodiac quoted phrases from The Mikado in some of his letters: (VIEW #23). The Mikado is the Emporor of Japan. Jack was sent to Japan in 1955 while in the U.S. Navy: (VIEW #24). Jack met a woman in Japan and married her under Japanese law. Her name was Iko. Shortly after Jack married Iko, he was sent back to the U.S. without notice and was never able to return. It is a good possibility that Zodiac was at Treasure Island at some point and was inspired by a movie that was playing there called "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island". In the movie, there was an evil villian called Dr. Zodiac who enjoyed taunting the police. Jack was sent to Treasure Island in 1954 for twenty-six weeks while serving in the U.S. Navy: (VIEW #25).

MISCELLANEOUS EVIDENCE LINKING JACK TO ZODIAC

In one of Zodiac's letters, he used the phrase "fiddle and fart around": (VIEW #28). The FBI had determined that this phrase had originated in or around Lubbock, Texas. Jack was from Lubbock Texas: (VIEW #29).

In October of 1970, Zodiac sent a Halloween card to the San Francisco Chronicle. At the bottom of the card was a strange symbol: (VIEW #30). The police eventually learned that the symbol was found on large steel flange beams. The police felt that Zodiac may have worked around these steel beams at some point. Jack worked for a large steel company in 1950: (VIEW #31).

Some of the Zodiac letters were written on Eaton Bond paper. Blank pieces of old Eaton bond paper were found in Jack's storage in July, 2001. These items were turned over to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department: (VIEW #32).

Zodiac left shoe prints at Lake Berryessa that were a Size 10-1/2. The prints were clear enough to determine that the shoes that Zodiac was wearing were a rare military shoe called "Wingwalkers". They were designed for walking on the wings of airplanes, and they were not sold to the public. Jack wore a size 10-1/2, and would have had access to these rare military shoes when he was an aircraft supply Sergeant in the U.S. Airforce: (VIEW #35)

Zodiac's profile stated that he was perversely in love with his mother. Jack always had a very strange relationship with his mother. Jack had his mother's first name (Flova) tatooed on his right arm beneath a heart. Jack told me she was the only woman worthy of being tatooed on him.

Zodiac had some knowledge about explosives. Jack had purchased a large quantity of dynomite in October 1976, in northern Minnesota: (VIEW #36), (VIEW #37). We lived in Cotton, Minnesota only a few months until it got so cold we had to leave. In December 1976, we moved to Austin, Texas and Jack brought the dynomite with us. Eventually it became unstable and had to be removed by the bomb squad.

This is Jacks hypnosis symbol, in his own writing: (VIEW).

After months of gathering evidence, I felt I had enough to getlaw enforcement to listen. On October 5, 2000, I went to the FBI in Sacramento Ca. and met with Special Agent Ken Hittmeier, with whom I spent a couple of hours there presenting my case.

I have personally witnessed the politics surrounding this case, and it is such a high- profile case that it seems every agency wants to say, "I'm the one that solved it." During my personal investigation, I made some bizzare discoveries that are almost unbelievable. Yet, the facts found are accurate and completely undeniable! Once I discovered the "truth" surrounding this case, the"truth" became more mysterious than the mystery itself! This is a real-life tragedy for the victims' families, as well as myself. When I am able to tell my life story, you will realize that this is a situation where the truth is by far stranger than fiction!! Dennis Kaufman


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All materials within this site are copyright by Dennis Kaufman. For comments or questions contact me by e-mail at dennisk95610@yahoo.com?subject=zodiac. Thank you.