Murderer Among Us

Durham police are seeking a fourth suspect in the death of a man found shot in a burning car last summer. Police have filed charges against Joshua Bernard McClain, 27, of Durham in the July 26 death of Ly Teng Nhiayi of California. McClain had not been arrested as of Wednesday morning, police said. Nhiayi was found dead inside a burning car in the 5000 block of Guardian Drive around 9:30 p.m., according to police. An autopsy determined Nhiayi had been shot.

A manhunt is underway for whoever killed 19-year-old Mauricio Merlos from El Salvador on Sunday morning in Memphis. I spoke with his brother in Spanish and translated what he shared with us for you.

                       The gunman who killed five people at a bank in Sebring, Florida , has been charged with five counts of first degree murder in what authorities said appears to be a “random act”.

The postmark is 5/2/78 from Anaheim, CA. Bruce Davis lived in Anaheim in 1964. He then moved to Riverside in 1966 finally leaving there in November of that same year. Only one stamp is used on this letter. A popular assumption made is that Zodiac always used double postage on his letters. In keeping with Zodiac's 11/9/69 decision to "change" his ways, he also used only one stamp on the 6/26/70, 7/24/70, 10/5/70, 10/27/70, 1/29/74, 2/14/74 and 7/8/74 letters.

Since the time that researchers began delving into this case it has been hotly debated whether or not two San Francisco police officers talked to Zodiac on the night of 10.11.69 after cab driver Paul Stine was murdered. Zodiac claimed this actually happened in his 11.09.69 letter to the San Francisco Chronicle:

Charles Milles Manson Here is a small section of some artwork done by Charles Manson in December 2000. Note his obsession with crossed circles just like Zodiac had.

1. Open Letter to Bruce Davis' Parole Board by Barbara Hoyt

Dear Board of Prison Terms: My name is Barbara Hoyt. I was a prosecution witness in the many Manson trials, including the Shorty Shea murder trials. I testified against Bruce Davis, Steve Grogan, and Charles Manson. I have now 30 years later watched the parole hearings for Bruce Davis and read the transcripts for Steve Grogan, provided to me by Bill Nelson. Both of them have grossly misrepresented the facts to you. About a week or two after the Aug. 16, 69 sheriff's raid at Spahn's ranch, in the afternoon, I was sitting on a rock in the parking area in front of the boardwalk. Near me were Brenda, Gypsy, and Squeeky. One of them said, as Shorty walked towards George Sphan's house, "there goes Shorty snooping around again" and another one answered her " yea well, he'll be taken care of."

What's In a Name "This is the Zodiac speaking" is the way the Northern California serial killer began some of his correspondence with the media and others. Why did he select this name? What is in this name? The following are some of the possible reasons Dr. Howard Davis gives in his book, "The Zodiac / Manson Connection": The Zodiac killer may have had a belief in astrology. Some professional astrologers see evidence of this within the timing of the Zodiac murders and letter dates. The zodiac represents the 12 signs or "classes" of humanity. He is relaying his message to those 12 classes by his actions. Part of his code symbols, as pointed out by author Robert Graysmith, were taken from the 15th century zodiac alphabet and were used in his first code.

Introduction On October 30, 1966, a dark alley in Riverside, California echoed with the dying screams of 18-year-old Cheri Jo Bates. Many authorities believe that the man responsible for this unsolved murder later became the infamous Zodiac Serial Killer of Northern California.