Professor tracks Zodiac Killer
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by Joey Chenoweth on September 18, 2008 at 4:00 am under News
For the past eight months, Steve Dewhurst, an associate professor of forestry at NAU, has been a key part in an investigation that might have uncovered the real identity of the infamous Zodiac Killer, along with several Flagstaff connections from the suspect’s past.
Until now, the Zodiac killer was believed to have killed as many as 37 people in northern California in the 1960s, and the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) investigation of the killings have been left unsolved.
However, Dewhurst’s findings have identified the killer as J.W. Tarrance Jr., who had not previously been considered a suspect by the SFPD. Tarrance died in 2006 at the age of 78.
“This guy is the unexpected,” Dewhurst said. “The SFPD had it wrong. Neither the perpetrator or the crimes are what they thought they were.”
Dewhurst also found Tarrance had lived in Flagstaff twice, from 1993 to 1995, and in 1999. Dewhurst said the connections run even deeper.
“There are unsolved crimes from the Flagstaff area from the time that he was here that fit his M.O.,” Dewhurst said, referring to local crimes’ similarities to the Zodiac’s killings. “Initial analysis results show a very strong pattern to what he was doing. The circumstantial case is a virtual perfect fit between J.W. Tarrance Jr., the Zodiac crimes and a number of other unsolved homicides.”
Throughout this year Steve Dewhurst, a forestry professor at NAU, has been helping the FBI with the Zodiac Killer case. Steve Dewhurst had submitted a theory to the FBI about the Zodiac Killer's identity but it wasn't until this year that the FBI had evidence corraborate the theory. - Nathaniel Morrissey/The Lumberjack
The Zodiac Killer received his name from a series of letters he sent to various Bay Area newspapers that took responsibility for his recent murders. He signed each letter only with a symbol of the zodiac and told the newspapers to publish the letter on the front page, or else he would go on a killing rampage.
The circumstances surrounding the murders and the inability to come close to catching the killer have made the Zodiac one of the most famous serial killers in American history.
Dewhurst has been working alongside Dennis Kaufman, a painter from Sacramento who is also the stepson of Tarrance, and therefore had most of the alleged evidence in his possession.
Among this evidence was the executioner-style hood the Zodiac wore when he was carrying out some of his murders, a knife that seemed to have blood on it and 36 rolls of undeveloped film taken by Tarrance. Those pictures are believed to have dead bodies on them, a fact that would potentially associate the Zodiac with other unsolved crimes.
After these murders are solved, Dewhurst estimates the Zodiac will actually be connected to more than 100 crimes.
Other evidence includes military records, legal records and various personal documents found in a Flagstaff storage locker in 2000 that were a critical part in the investigation. All evidence has been turned over to the FBI, so they can try to substantiate the evidence with scientific proof.
“[The FBI] has never seen anything like this before,” Dewhurst said.
Dewhurst became involved with the case when he was looking through his family history and discovered there was a death in the family, which might have been connected with Jack Tarrance.
Also, Dewhurst said he was drawn into the case by his fascination with spatial patterns, which in the case of the Zodiac would be the patterns in the locations of his killings.
“I was also interested in the geospatial features of the crimes,” Dewhurst said. “I study spatial patterns. I thought I could use my spatial analysis skills to help with the case.”
After looking more into the case for a few months, he decided to contact Kaufman, who had suspected his stepdad of being the Zodiac for eight years, to offer his assistance.
“[Dewhirst] saw my Web site and he recognized Jack and got into touch with me,” Kaufman said. “He went with me to meet the FBI. He’s been helping me financially, and by collecting geographic maps.”
Dewhurst has also purchased the book rights from Kaufman and is currently writing his own, with the goal of completing it in the next few months. The book will detail the investigation and the new facts behind the Zodiac.
Dewhurst has been taking part in this case on his own time, independent of his job at NAU.
Lisa Nelson, NAU director of public affairs, who has also been in touch with the FBI, said NAU has had no involvement with this case.
“[Dewhurst’s] investigations were not connected with his university responsibilities,” Nelson said.
Dewhurst said he knows suspicions of a hoax will be raised by these new discoveries, but he does not believe that is the case here.
“I think the chance of it being a hoax is very small,” Dewhurst said. “There’s too much evidence and it’s too consistent.”
Dewhurst and Kaufman said they are continuing to work together.
“There are a lot of unsolved homicides across the country,” Kaufman said. “We’re going to try to put stuff together and maybe solve some of them.”
Although nobody has ever been charged for the crimes of the Zodiac, the SFPD had long suspected Arthur Allen Leigh, a California school teacher, of being the killer. However, DNA tests cleared Leigh in 2002.
16 Comments
what about the fingerprint left in the cab. was it his?
This is a hoax perpetrated by Kaufman for money. Tarrance does not fit the profile and his recorded conversations imply that Tarrance was talking about his war days not killing people.
John, can you spell l-i-b-e-l? Unless you can back up your accusations perhaps it might be in your best interest to wait until the FBI completes its investigation. Why do I think that you have your very own favorite suspect? Chill.
Most of Kaufman’s evidence doesn’t even rise to the level of flimsy. Some of it: “Zodiac was said to have been driving a white Renault Caravelle, a car similar in appearance to the Corvair.” is hilarious.
Caravelle: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Renault_Caravelle_1964_003.JPG
Corvair: http://www.corvair.org/csaindex.php
It bore a slight resemblance – very slight – to the Corvair Corsa, a less popular model, but even that is a stretch, and he never mentioned the Corsa so I may be giving him an out he may not have known existed.
He received an initial report from the FBI months ago and after an initial “inconclusive” finding about the time of the publication of this article. He hasn’t reported a thing of substance since. It makes one wonder if he was told of the DNA evidence, “Sorry, no match” and is withholding it.
Oh, Tom….it’s over. First you were wrong about BTK, now you’re wrong about Zodiac. Oh yeah–and you’re a stalker. The FBI will be announcing Tarrance WAS the Zodiac in late March or early April. What a sad, sad man you are.
Wrong Tom chump. I never made any comment anywhere at all about BTK, I never had any interest in the case, and as for Jack being the Zodiac, psst want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?
Isnt the name of the main suspect in the case Arthur Leigh Allen, and not Arthur Allen Leigh?
To MIkey who wrote on:March 28, 2009 at 5:19am
“The FBI will be announcing Tarrance WAS the Zodiac in late March or early April. What a sad, sad man you are.
You happened to be wrong in your estimation of the release date/time frame.
Care to make another estimation?
>You happened to be wrong in your estimation of the release date/time frame.<
Let’ see, he was wrong about me, he was wrong about the time frame, and he’s wrong about what it is that the FBI is allegedly doing (I suspect they finished a long time ago). Kaufman claims he found a hood that looked like the one used in the police drawing of the man described by the surviving victim of the Lake Berryesa killings, Brian Hartnell. If the FBI says that Jack Tarrance’s DNA is on that hood it will mean nothing as far as his guilt is concerned unless that hood can be connected to the crime itself. Otherwise it’s a part of a costume with the owner’s DNA on it. If the FBI can link that hood to the crime and to Jack Tarrance, then Kaufman has something. Kaufman turned over the hood to the FBI in August 2008.
Isn’t anyone curious as to why Zodiac/Tarrance wouldn’t burn the hood after so many years?
And yes the name of the best suspect to date is Arthur Leigh Allen, although there are problems there, too.
TOm Wrote:
….”And yes the name of the best suspect to date is Arthur Leigh Allen, although there are problems there, too”
I agree with that statement, Tom.
Chris
:)
Lets focus on what we can agree on: Tom Voigt is a convicted stalker.
Whether or not Tom Voight is a stalker, a werewolf, or the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln is well beside the point of this article, which is the assertion that Dennis Kaufman has some kind of proof that Jack Tarrance was the Zodiac Killer, and this professor believes him. Kaufman, to date has nothing but the most tenuous circumstantial evidence and a lot of hope. Circumstantial evidence is fine. In fact in court, the judge will tell the jury that it is of equal value to direct evidence, but it has to be connected to the crime or in this case to any crime the Zodiac may have committed. If not, then it is useless. So if it is a fact that Jack Tarrance owned a hood like the one the Zodiac used at Lake Berryessa, it is meaningless unless that hood can be connected to the Lake Berryessa crimes. We might wish to ask why he would keep such a thing all these years and not destroy it.
And for the record, “Tom” is a common name. It happens to be my real first name, and I now regret not using a different one for this little thread, but I am not Tom Voight, I’ve heard of him, and his website, but I know almost nothing about him.
Dewhurst is a professor in the Forestry department – exactly what about that background makes him an expert in analyzing images of the rolls of film? Since he evidently has no expertise in that field and since his analysis of Kaufman’s pictures is laughable, I believe that we can dismiss Dewhurst as another in the long line of kooks that have aligned themselves with Kaufman.
If Mr. Dewhurst had a real desire to find the z killer he would get as far away from dennis as possable unless he really is only after fame. Denni8s has released pictures he said came from a roll of film that jack had. This roll of film has some pictures of ayoung man now known as the tattoo man. This is Dennis’s sisters boyfriend Noel Shaw, that fell to his death from about 30 or 40 feet from a railroad bridge. Dennis’s sister from Mich. sent him the pics some time ago. He died in 96. Just anouther one of Dennis’s lies. All it would take is someone to really look at the evidience. Mr. dewhurst you should be emberassed with yourself and some what ashamed, you say you know what it is like to loose someone to a violient death how can you blindly support Dennis and continue to harm the poor victims families and dredge up memories of a dead loved one who died before his time. Check your facts.
richard larsen, had written;
“Denni8s has released pictures he said came from a roll of film that jack had. This roll of film has some pictures of ayoung man now known as the tattoo man. This is Dennis’s sisters boyfriend Noel Shaw, that fell to his death from about 30 or 40 feet from a railroad bridge. Dennis’s sister from Mich. sent him the pics some time ago. He died in 96. Just anouther one of Dennis’s lies.”
Mr. larsen, if the information you had provided in your post is in fact true, this would undoubtebly change things.
This would also suggest, depending on a few things, that Dennis Kaufman may possibly be guilty of manipulation of and falsifying information pertaining to a criminal investigation.
I suppose we’ll just have to wait and se what transpires in all this.
Chris
Dennis also released a statement on his message board saying that the zodiacs DNA belonged to Danny T Reynolds, only for it to be revealed on cbs13 that there is only a partial dna profile of the zodiac so no dna match can be made.