Zodiac Case: Every Suspect That Was Seriously Considered
1. Arthur Leigh Allen
When political cartoonist and former San Francisco contributor Robert Graysmith posited Arthur Leigh Allen as the Zodiac, he may not have anticipated the cultural impact his research has since had.
His 1986 novel Zodiac, based on 13 years of in depth research, was adapted into the blockbuster movie of the same name. If there's any name you've heard touted as the Zodiac, it's probably Arthur Leigh Allen.
Allen's personal history is shady, reportedly torturing animals in his youth and acquiring a criminal record which includes violent crimes against children . One childhood friend even claimed Allen said he wanted to go on a killing spree under the moniker of ‘Zodiac.’
Allen first came to the police's attention due to his proximity to the Lake Berryessa attack in 1969, and his home was searched numerous times in the following decades - often due to crimes unrelated to the Zodiac.
Many detectives who worked the case believed that they'd found their man, but unfortunately the case against Arthur Leigh Allen is almost entirely circumstantial. But although there was never enough concrete evidence to pin this man solidly to these crimes, many people believe the identity of the Zodiac to be unofficially solved.