Code Breakers Identify Air Force Vet As Zodiac Killer, But We Have Another Theory | Bobby Burack

In 2021, a nonprofit investigation group called Code Breakers claimed to have uncovered the identity of the notorious Zodiac Killer. The group identified the man as Gary Francis Poste, an Air Force veteran.

Law enforcement officers swiftly dismissed the case, despite some intriguing circumstantial evidence. But Code Breakers has not conceded. Rather, the group doubled down on its claim this week, criticizing the FBI for not investigating the lead sternly enough.

Specifically, the group claims the bureau marked Pose as a suspect in 2016 but failed to apply ample resources to confirm or rule out him as the Zodiac Killer.

“The felon has been secretly listed as the Zodiac ‘suspect’ in Headquarters’ computers since 2016 – with his ‘partial DNA’ safely secured at the feds’ Quantico, Virginia lab,” Case Breakers said in a press release Thursday.

"The team said the FBI has a partial DNA sample of Poste’s in its database but has failed to utilize the sample in its investigation into the serial killer responsible for five confirmed murders in northern California in the late 1960s," the New York Post adds.

The group — a team of more than 40 former law enforcement investigators, journalists, and military intelligence officers — also says it collected its own DNA sample of Poste, who died in 2018, and wants the FBI to test it against the DNA evidence of Cheri Jo Bates, a woman who was murdered in 1996.

Code Breakers, as do various online sleuths, believe the Zodiac was responsible for Bates' death in Riverside. However, Riverside police told Fox News Digital in 2021 that they "100% believe our Cheri Jo Bates case is not affiliated with the Zodiac case."

More on the significance of Bates in a bit.

The case for Gary Francis Poste stems primarily from uncovered evidence and photos from Poste’s darkroom, with a notable image that features scars on his forehead that match spots on a sketch of the Zodiac:

Via Fox News.

Intriguing, though hardly conclusive.

As OutKick readers know, we don't buy that Gary Francis Poste was the Zodiac. Instead, we are proponents of Mac Theory.

As in William McDuff Andrew.

Earlier this year, true crime expert Mike Morford released a podcast connecting Andrew to the Zodiac. Morford presented the case on his website, ZodiacKiller.net, as follows:

*Mac grows up in Vallejo living in apartments connected to his father’s realty business 500 feet from intersection of Springs and Tuolumne

*June 1968, MacGruber graduates from Chico State College

*December 20, 1968, Faraday & Jensen killed at Lake Herman Rd about 7 miles East of Mac’s parents on outskirts of Vallejo

*July 4, 1969, just before midnight Ferrin & Mageau attacked by Zodiac at Blue Rock Springs about 4 miles North East of Mac’s parents. Mageau described Zodiac as 5ft8, 195-200Lbs, chubby with a large round face, 26-30 years old, no glasses. Mac was 24 years old, 5ft8, 200 lbs, chubby with a large round face and sometimes wore glasses, but not always.

*July 5,1969 30-40 minutes after the Blue Rock Springs attack, Zodiac calls police from phone booth approximately 500 feet from Mac’s parents.

*September 21, 1969, Mac’s cousin in Deer Lodge, MT is examined by a doctor due to illness.

*September 25, 1969 After taking a turn for the worse, Mac’s cousin in Deer Lodge, MT is once again examined by a doctor and it’s determined she has Broncopneumonia.

*September 27, 1969, Zodiac attacks at Lake Berryessa in Napa County. During conversation, Zodiac mentions being an escaped prisoner from a prison, presumed to be in Deer Lodge, MT.

*October 11, 1969, Zodiac kills Paul Stine in San Francisco

*October 13, 1969, Mac’s Cousin dies in Deer Lodge, MT

*October 13, 1969, Zodiac mails letter w/ piece of Paul Stine’s shirt

*1970, Mac shows an address in Chico

*June 19,1970 Officer Richard Radetich gunned down in SF near 643 Waller St

*June 26, 1970 Zodiac writes a letter hinting he killed Radetich

*October 1971, Mac shows an address in San Francisco at 551 Duboce Ave, 0.2 miles from Radetich shooting.

*March, 1971, Zodiac mailed his last letter for almost 3 years

*Spring, 1971, Mac takes a job with the State of CA, unsure what position he had, but by the end of his 30 year career, he was a prison sergeant

*Sometime in 1971, Mac’s future wife moves with her family from another state to Vallejo

*1973, Mac listed as living at his parents new home in Vallejo, still within 500 feet of their previous home

*January, 1974, Zodiac writes his first letter in 3 years

*June, 1974, Mac gets engaged

*July, 1974, Zodiac mailed his last confirmed letter

*October 1974, Mac gets married and moves to Vacaville where he lives 300 feet from a couple who had received in 1969 when they lived in Vallejo, a letter containing baseball tickets from someone claiming to be Zodiac

*December, 1990, possible card from Zodiac mailed from Eureka, CA- a town 200+ miles from Vallejo. Mac purchased property in Eureka area in the 1980’s.

*2014 Mac dies in Oregon

*August 2015 Mac’s widow posts on her blog that she found a box of Mac’s old stuff that she called ‘The Guilt Box’ (Guilt was written on side)Inside the box was a copy of David kahn’s book- The Codebreakers, the same book experts believe Zodiac used as a guide to create his ciphers. Mac’s widow mentions that Mac had originally read the book in 1980(as far as she knows) and lost his original copy. He liked the book so much, he asked her to get him another copy, which is the one found in the box.

MISC:

*Mac’s friends recall him driving or having access to what two different friends called a Volvo, or Volvo like car in the late 60’s.One thought it was Tan or Brown, the other recalled it being Blue.

*Mac’s friends recounted that he was a bit odd, but felt he was harmless. They said he did not date or have any relationships when they knew him prior to end of college. Although Mac hadn’t seen most of these friends since college in 1968, he invited them to be in his wedding in 1974. When one of them found out he had become a prison employee, they were shocked because they felt he was too timid to do that job. None of Mac’s friends recalled him having any interest in The Mikado, The Most Dangerous Game, etc, but they said that their group of friends did read comic books and crime noir style detective magazines

*Mac was licensed for one of his jobs, which was to teach firearms training to prison guards for Pistols, rifles, and shotguns

*Mac possessed fishing and hunting licenses

*Mac’s writing looks quite similar to Zodiac’s

*Mac was heavily involved in Freemasonry in the 1960’s and 1970’s

Mac also resembles the oft-cited sketch of the Zodiac Killer:

Poste has scars on his forehead.

Meanwhile, William McDuff Andrew’s parents lived approximately 500 feet from the phone booth on which Zodiac called the police. His past traces back to various believed Zodiac locations. He owned at least two copies of “The Codebreakers,” the book experts believe Zodiac used to create his signature ciphers.

Perhaps the only counter to the Mac Theory is that he doesn't have ties to Riverside, the site of Cheri Jo Bates' death.

But if the Zodiac is not responsible for Bates' death -- which, again, remains disputed -- the list of suspects shortens while the case of William McDuff Andrew's strengthens.

Code Breakers are right in that the FBI should further explore Gary Francis Poste as a lead. But if/when it does, expect the agency to confirm Poste was not the Zodiac Killer.

And if genealogy can even confirm his identity, expert law enforcement to read the name "William McDuff Andrew" aloud.