This Is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer

This Is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer
by Michael D. Kelleher, David Van Nuys

This Is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer
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Book Summary Information

Author: David Van Nuys, Michael D. Kelleher
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-12
ISBN: 0275973387
Number of pages: 280
Publisher: Praeger

Book Reviews of This Is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer

Book Review: Analyzing Zodiac.
Summary: 5 Stars

"This is the Zodiac speaking" is an investigation into the Zodiac killings.
What makes this book interesting is the psychological analysis by Mr. Van Nuys,chair of the Psychology Dept. at Sonoma state University.

A quote from page 6 lays out the objective of the book- "We will begin this fascinating journey with facts-solid irrefutable facts and nothing more."
With that in mind,the authors avoid speculating on the personal identity of the Zodiac killer.

The authors explain the differences in the Riverside and Zodiac letters. They make a compelling argument for different writers based on the style of the letters with a different emphasis. By that reasoning,the man who murdered Cheri Jo Bates was not the Zodiac.

The Santa Rosa hitchhiker murders were examined for possible links to the Zodiac. They seem to be un-related on various levels.

It's obvious from the aftermath of the Stine murder that luck played no small part in the Zodiac avoiding discovery and arrest. You get the sense that he never recovered from his close call with the SFPD immediately following the cab driver's murder.

"Overall,it appears that Zodiac was deteriorating psychologically and had now relegated himself to engaging in a strange fantasy dance with the media."-page 140.

The British language connection was intriguing. Although witnesses state that he had no accent,one has to wonder where that connection came from. Were one of his parents of British origin?

The change in tone in some of the letters,notably three from 1974,was examined. This "denoted a change in Zodiac's psyche that probably related to his ongoing and significant psychological disorder." He may very well have had two personalities. Another interesting theory has the change in tone as a positive result of therapy or medication.

This book doesn't solve the Zodiac killings,but it does shed light on the psychology and evolution of the killer.
After reading this book I have to wonder if Zodiac didn't succomb to suicide or by some means become more psychologically stable?
We may never know the answer. I recommend this book as a clear,sensible investigation of the Zodiac murders.


Summary of This Is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer

California was thrown into a paralysis of fear in 1969, distraught over the unsolved murders of the Zodiac killer. The Zodiac became the most elusive and frustrating adversary ever encountered by the law enforcement community in the San Francisco Bay Area. A series of letters, allegedly written by the murderer himself and published in local newspapers, only added to the mystery and panic. Over 30 years after he exploded onto the headlines of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Zodiac serial killer remains an enigma that is unparalleled in the history of crime in America, and the case remains unsolved. Violence expert Michael Kelleher and psychologist David Van Nuys attempt to provide a glimpse into the mind of this mysterious murderer.

Kelleher and Van Nuys reconstruct the crime scenes, delve into the records, and psychoanalyze the Zodiac's letters to newspapers and the law enforcement agencies. The facts of the case and the fragmentary glimpses of the Zodiac's psychodynamics that came through his letters forced the authors, reluctantly, to draw a conclusion that is sure to be controversial-namely, that the Zodiac suffered from multiple personality disorder. They also debunk many popular legends and myths about the case, laying out the limited facts that we do have on the notorious Zodiac.

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