Police have said that the Zodiac Killer case is still open, despite claims from independent investigators, Case Breakers, that the serial killer has been 'identified'.
The FBI and police in California disputed claims that new evidence pointed to Gary Francis Poste as the scheming killer, whose identity has been under wraps for the last 52 years.
They told the San Francisco Chronicle that any evidence found by the group was entirely “circumstantial.”
Advert
The San Francisco Police Department concurred, stating that nothing yet looked concrete and the case was not closed.
The Case Breakers are made up of a team of over 40 detectives, journalists and military intelligence officers, and have been working on cold cases for 10 years.
They published their findings on Wednesday morning, stating that they had proof that Poste - who died in 2018 - was the killer.
Advert
Evidence they cited included how similar photos of Poste were to a 1969 police sketch of the killer, in particular their identical forehead scars.
Plus, they also stated they had found hidden anagrams that revealed their suspect’s name.
The group also claimed to have linked the Zodiac case to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, California back in 1966.
Riverside police have firmly debunked any connection between her murder and the Zodiac Killer.
Advert
“Is there a chance that (the Case Breakers suspect) killed Cheri Jo Bates? No,” Police Officer Ryan Railsback told the Chronicle.
However, the Case Breakers are adamant.
“I absolutely feel we solved this case,” said Tom Colbert, a member of the Case Breakers, to The Chronicle.
“There’s no ego here,” he said. “We do this to solve cases.”
Poste has not yet officially been named a suspect by police, so watch this space to see what they conclude over the next few weeks, and whether anything changes...
Advert
The Zodiac Killer is thought to be linked to over 30 murders between 1968 and 1969 in San Francisco. He also famously wrote ciphered letters to the press, which contained dark, taunting and disturbing messages.
Nowadays, people may know the cast best from its dramatisations, including Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: True Crime, News