Amateur Codebreakers Crack Zodiac Killer's Message After More Than 50 Years
Bad news for Ted Cruz -- last week, a group of amateur codebreakers were able to decipher one of the Zodiac Killer's messages from 51 years ago, bringing a new meaning to the old adage of "better late than never." Back in 1969, the mysterious killer, who committed five murders in the late 1960's and was ultimately never caught, sent a cryptic message, known as "340 cypher" to the San Francisco Chronicle. Now, more than a half-century later, a dream team consisting of an American software developer, a mathematician from Australia, and a computer programmer from Belgium, say they've cracked the code, revealing this very unsettling, spelling-error-rife message:
"I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me," reads the note, which was written with no punctuation and in all capital letters, according to CNN.
"That wasn't me on the TV show which brings up a point about me
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I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice all the sooner
Because now I have enough slaves to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradice so they are afraid of death
I am not afraid because I know that my new life will be an easy one in paradice death."
While the show in question seems to be The Jim Dunbar Show, where someone alleging to be the Zodiac Killer called in two weeks before the letter was sent, it's unclear whether or not "paradice" is an error or a potential enigmatic clue. Spelling mistakes aside, since the story broke last Friday, San Francisco's FBI issued a statement on Twitter acknowledging the revelation.
"The FBI is aware that a cipher attributed to the Zodiac Killer was recently solved by private citizens," posted the organization's San Francisco division. "Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, and out of respect for the victims and their families, we will not be providing further comment at this time."
Creepy. Well, We're onto you, Ted Cruz. "uh oh" is right.
For more internet nonsense, follow Carly on Instagram @HuntressThompson_ and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.
Top Image: Wikimedia Commons/Wikimedia Commons
