MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Outrage as FBI can't find Brian Laundrie but Zodiac killer gets identified by 'frown'

A team of specialists called the Case Breakers told Fox News that it has identified the killer as Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018

The Zodiac Killer, who has gone down in American history as one of the most prolific serial murderers, terrorizing San Francisco communities in the 1960s with a series of slayings and leaving behind his cryptic notes to authorities and the media, has been now identified by a team of specialists.

A team of specialists called the Case Breakers, who investigate cold cases, consisting of more than 40 former law enforcement investigators, journalists, and military intelligence officers told Fox News that the group has identified the killer as Gary Francis Poste, who died in 2018. The Zodiac Killer has been linked to five murders in 1968 and 1969 in the San Francisco area by the FBI. Poste has recently been linked to a sixth murder in Southern California.

RELATED ARTICLES

Gabby Petito: From downright bizarre to intriguing, all the theories on the Internet

Who deactivated Gabby Petito's Instagram? Missing hiker's account disappears for 4 hours

How did the Case Breakers identify the Zodiac killer?

The Zodiac Killer build up his notoriety by taunting authorities with complex ciphers in letters sent to newspapers and law enforcement, threatening more terror if the messages weren’t printed. The serial killer has been a popular culture inspiration in books, music, television, and films for a number of years. The character has appeared in films as Clint Eastwood’s 1971 'Dirty Harry' and the TV series 'American Horror Story,' which used him as the basis for their fictional stories.

As time went by and the Zodiac Killer remained unidentified, several theories on who he was have emerged over the years. The latest claim by the Case Breakers on the Zodiac killer's identity stems from new forensic evidence in the case. According to the group, Poste’s darkroom photos show scars on his forehead that allegedly match scars on a sketch of the Zodiac.

The group has also managed to decipher the coded letters sent by the Zodiac killer, in which he claimed to have killed as many as 37 people. The letters apparently yielded Poste’s name as the killer. The Case Breakers also claimed to have discovered an alternate message based on Poste’s full name. “So you’ve got to know Gary’s full name in order to decipher these anagrams,” former Army counterintelligence agent Jen Bucholtz said to Fox. “I just don’t think there’s any other way anybody would have figured it out.”

'So we can identify the zodiac killer, but we can’t find Brian Laundrie'

The fact that the FBI identified the Zodiac Killer but is still unable to find Brian Laundrie despite searching for him for weeks led to Twitter brutally mocking the agency. 

Petito and Laundrie had embarked on a cross-country trip back in July and on September 1, he returned home without her in the van they had traveled in together during the trip. Laundrie has reportedly not been seen since September 14 and was confirmed 'missing' on September 17. This led police to search the nearby Carlton Reserve for Laundrie, but with zero luck so far. Since then, Gabby's body has been discovered in a Wyoming park by the authorities. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed the vlogger's death was a homicide but the immediate cause of death is still unclear as police are still waiting for the final autopsy results.

"Lmao they identified the Zodiac Killer before they found Brian Laundrie I mean I called it #BrianLaundrie," one of them wrote, while another noted, "How tf do you identify the Zodiac Killer before you find Brian Laundrie? 2021 is wild." A third commented, "They caught the Zodiac Killer before that Brian Laundrie guy." The next added, "So we can identify the zodiac killer, but we can’t find Brian Laundrie. I have more faith in a cracked out Dog than the FBI at this point." One more quipped, "You’re telling me they found the zodiac killer before they found brian laundrie." Another said, "No way they solved the zodiac killer case before finding brian laundrie."

One more remarked, "The FBI is trying to deviate the question on where is Brian Laundrie…by identifying the Zodiac Killer by his forehead frown lines." A commenter tweeted, "I think this week can be summed up thusly: If Dog the Bounty Hunter finds the Zodiac Killer before Brian Laundrie does, I'll never garden again." Another stated, "So the Zodiac Killer has been identified! Gary Francis Poste - died 2018. At this rate they will find Brian Laundrie next century!" A person reacted with, "Yo they found the zodiac killer before brian laundrie not a good look fbi." One more wrote, "A group of people on the internet figured out who the Zodiac Killer is after 50+ years, yet the cops still can’t Brian Laundrie."