A group known as Case Breakers, made up of a team of investigators that solves cold cases, claims to have “irrefutable” proof that they have identified the infamous Zodiac killer.
The Case Breakers, a nonprofit organization of former law enforcement investigators, military intelligence officers and journalists said they have uncovered a “trove” of evidence including memorabilia, witness testimony, and physical traits that incriminates deceased suspect Gary Francis Poste as the Zodiac – a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area and taunted the police with cryptic messages and symbols.
In a recent statement, the team described how the investigation unfolded:
“When The Case Breakers approached officials about a new Zodiac suspect last spring, five police and state agencies would not cooperate. But last week, the man who runs the 10-year cold case team, Thomas J. Colbert, received a tip from his long-time sources in the remote town of deceased Gary Francis Poste: They had verified the existence of an evidentiary goldmine.”
The investigators said the evidence included gifts of weapons and bullets that Poste had given to locals in the community, as well as six testimonies from witnesses saying Poste had confessed to them of being the Zodiac.
Thomas J. Colbert, head of the cold case team, took “several hours to cautiously box up the historic haul and forward it to the team members, standing by at private forensic labs in three states.”
According to Colbert, his FBI investigators say the new evidence provides “irrefutable” proof that Poste is the killer. A crucial piece of this evidence comes from photographs obtained from Poste’s darkroom that show scars on his forehead similar to the scars on the police composite sketch of the Zodiac.
Case Breakers also linked evidence related to the 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside to the Zodiac and Poste, but Riverside police Officer Ryan J. Railsback said authorities ruled out any connection between her murder and the Zodiac.
“We don’t know how we can be any more clear. The $50,000 private reward is still valid. If someone has any information on the Bates case please come forward.”
While Poste, who was jailed years before his death for shoving his wife down some stairs, was clearly a bad guy, the evidence that connects him to the Zodiac appears to be circumstantial.
Author Tom Voigt, a Zodiac Killer investigator, dismissed the findings in a recent Rolling Stone interview, calling them “completely bogus.” Voigt argued that no witnesses described Zodiac as having scars on his forehead, and said the investigators were merely “matching up lines” with the police sketch.
In response to the findings, the FBI said the case is still open and remains unsolved, and added that “there is no new information to report.”
“The FBI’s investigation into the Zodiac Killer remains open and unsolved. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, and out of respect for the victims and their families, we will not be providing further comment at this time,” the FBI told Fox News.
