Ep 9. Zodiac Killer: I Am the Zodiac, Part 1

Very Scary People season 1 episode 9, titled "Zodiac Killer: I Am the Zodiac, Part 1," delves into one of the most notorious and elusive serial killers of all time, the Zodiac Killer. The first part of a two-part episode, it explores the history of the Zodiac's killings, the cryptic messages he left behind, and the various suspects who have been investigated over the years.

The episode begins with a chilling recounting of the Zodiac's first known attack, in 1968, in which he shot and killed two people in a parked car in Vallejo, California. From there, the episode goes on to detail the Zodiac's pattern of killings over the course of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the murders of two young women in a remote area near Lake Berryessa, California, and the shooting of a taxi driver in San Francisco. In each case, the Zodiac left behind cryptic messages written in code, taunting the police and the public alike.

As the episode unfolds, we are introduced to a number of people who have been accused over the years of being the Zodiac Killer. These include Arthur Leigh Allen, a convicted child molester who was reportedly obsessed with the case, and who was investigated extensively by the police but ultimately never charged; Ross Sullivan, a former mental patient who bore a striking resemblance to the police sketch of the killer, and who disappeared shortly after the final Zodiac murder; and even Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, who was a suspect for a time due to the similarities between the Zodiac's messages and Kaczynski's own manifesto.

We also hear from survivors of the Zodiac's attacks, including Bryan Hartnell, who was with one of the Zodiac's victims near Lake Berryessa when the killer struck, and who was himself stabbed multiple times by the Zodiac; and Michael Butterfield, an author and Zodiac expert who has spent years researching the case and working to decipher the killer's messages.

Throughout the episode, we are presented with a fascinating, and at times unsettling, portrait of one of the most enigmatic and terrifying figures in modern American history. The Zodiac continues to captivate and horrify people to this day, and "Zodiac Killer: I Am the Zodiac, Part 1" is an excellent exploration of his crimes and the enduring mystery that surrounds them.