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Investigators and true-crime observers are revisiting two of California’s most notorious cold cases after an independent researcher announced he had decoded a long-standing Zodiac cipher. The claim, made public in late April, suggests the serial killer responsible for a string of Northern California attacks in the late 1960s may have begun his crimes more than two decades earlier with the 1947 slaying of Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia. The development has drawn attention from established authors and prompted renewed discussion among law-enforcement veterans who have followed both investigations for years.
A Cipher Long Thought Unsolvable
The Zodiac Killer sent several cryptograms to newspapers during his 1968-1969 crime spree. One of the shortest, labeled Z13, remained unbroken despite decades of effort by amateur and professional codebreakers. Alex Baber, a self-taught cryptographer, now says the 13-character message spells out the name of a man previously identified as a person of interest in the Black Dahlia case. According to Baber, the decoded text reads “Marvin Merrill,” a name that appears in older investigative files on Short’s murder.
Authorities never charged anyone in the Black Dahlia killing, and the case has stood as a symbol of unsolved brutality for nearly eight decades. Baber’s interpretation, if accurate, would place the same individual at the center of both the 1947 Los Angeles murder and the later Zodiac attacks around San Francisco. The claim has not yet been independently verified by law-enforcement agencies, but it has prompted fresh examination of archival evidence from both investigations.
Podcast Brings New Scrutiny
Best-selling author Michael Connelly, whose novels inspired the television series Bosch, has produced a podcast titled “Killer in the Code” that examines Baber’s work in detail. Connelly worked with citizen sleuths and former detectives who once handled the original cases. The series presents the cipher solution alongside forensic and circumstantial details that, according to participants, align the two crimes more closely than previously recognized.
Listeners have heard recordings of interviews with retired investigators who say the new material merits another look. While no official agency has reopened either case on the strength of the podcast alone, the project has succeeded in placing the possible connection before a wide audience. Connelly has emphasized that the goal is to generate leads rather than declare the matter closed.
Why the Timing Matters
Cold-case units across California continue to apply modern forensic techniques to decades-old files. Advances in genetic genealogy have solved other long-dormant homicides in recent years, raising hopes that similar methods might one day identify the Zodiac Killer. The new cipher claim arrives at a moment when public interest in both the Zodiac and Black Dahlia cases remains high, fueled by documentaries, books, and online communities.
Whether the decoded name leads to a conclusive identification or simply adds another layer to an already complex story, the development underscores how persistent amateur analysis can still influence professional review. Law-enforcement officials have noted that any credible lead, even one originating outside official channels, receives consideration when it can be tested against existing evidence.
Looking Ahead
The coming months will likely bring further testing of Baber’s cipher solution and additional episodes from Connelly’s podcast. Families of the victims in both cases have long sought answers, and any progress, however incremental, offers renewed possibility that long-buried facts may finally surface. For now, the cases remain open, their mysteries intact but perhaps a step closer to resolution than they were only weeks ago.
