Is This Man the Zodiac Killer? His Son Says Yes

Joe Coscarelli in New York Magazine:

The Zodiac Killer, whose serial murders terrorized northern California in the late ’60s, was a man named Earl Van Best Jr., according to a new book by Gary L. Stewart, who happens to be his biological son. Stewart’s The Most Dangerous Animal of All, as we reported Monday, is for sale now from HarperCollins after a top-secret rollout. “I’m really hoping this will bring some closure to the families of my father’s victims,” Stewart tells People.

Although many others have claimed to know the killer’s identity over the years, Stewart’s publisher calls his book’s case “legally sound” — here’s some of the evidence within.

“If you look at Gary’s photo next to the sketch of the Zodiac next to his father’s mug shot, you can see that there is very clearly more than just a passing resemblance,” a HarperCollins spokesperson told Elon Green. “They look alike.”

Best, a now-deceased antique book seller, had been arrested for fraud and the rape of a minor after he tried to elope with Stewart’s mother, who was 13 at the time. After Best left her, she gave the child up for adoption, and it was Stewart’s search for his biological father that led him to supposedly crack the unsolved case.

More here.