On November 17 1989, the 75th Precinct of the New York police received a letter with the opening words ‘This is the zodiac’. The letter, addressed to the anti-crime department, contained a warning of 12 murders; One for each of the 12 zodiac signs.

The killer claimed one murder had already taken place. With no evidence linking the letter to any actual known murder the police dismissed it as a hoax and nothing more was known for 5 months.

On March 8, 1990 at 1.45 am, Mario Orozco is shot in the back by a mystery assailant whilst walking through Brooklyn. Though the bullet was lodged next to Mario’s spine he survives the attack.

Three weeks later on March 29, 1990 34 year old Ecuadorian Germán Montenedro drunkenly makes his way home after an argument with his girlfriend. Suddenly Germán crashes to the ground, knocked unconscious by the hard pavement. The bullet had punctured Germáns left hand side cutting through his liver, finally resting on the right hand side of his body. Germán awoke in pain, but alive. He was able to reach his fathers house and eventually to hospital. A second survivor of the mystery gunman.

Just 2 days had passed when 78 year old Joe Proce was walking through Queens in the early hours near to his home, when an unknown man approached him. After a brief argument about money Joe turns his back and crashes to the floor having been shot. The bullet would enter his lower back hitting his kidney. Joe’s neighbours called 911, and an ambulance would take Joe to hospital having survived the attack. Joe would later die in hospital (24 June 1990).

The New York Post receives a letter on the 6th June addressed to the editor, it read

This is the Zodiac the twelve sign
Will die when the belts in the heaven are seen

The first sign is dead on March 8 1990 1:45 AM
White man with cane shoot on the back in the street

The second sign is dead on March 29 1990 2:57 AM
White man with black coat shoot in the side in front of house

The third sign is dead on May 31 1990 2:04 AM
White old man with cane shoot in front of house

No more games pigs

All shoot in Brooklyn with .380 RNL or 9mm
No grooves on bullet

The top of the letter would be marked with a large circle intersected with a cross.

It was a further 13 days before the newspaper let the public know of the threats with the headline ‘RIDDLE OF THE ZODIAC KILLER’. Two days after the New York Post printed the Zodiac letter a fourth shooting took place. Larry Parham was asleep on a bench in Central Park when the unidentified assailant now known as the Zodiac shoots him in the chest, the bullet somehow misses his aorta and exits Larry’s body via the right armpit. Due to the early morning hours it would be a couple of hours before an ambulance was on the scene, once again the zodiacs victim would survive the shooting. A note would be found at the scene containing the now familiar circle intersected with a cross.

The New York Post would receive a second letter from the Zodiac.

This is the Zodiac I have seen the post and you say
The note sent to the post not similar to any of
The San Fransisco Zodiac letter you are
Wrong the hand writing looked different it is
One of the same Zodiac one Zodiac

The letter would go on to say

Fourth sign dead shoot in Central Park
White man sleeping on bench with little
Black bag shoot in chest

In addition the Zodiac included a drawing of the original Zodiac killer taken from Robert Graysmiths book about the San Fransisco Zodiac of the 1960’s. In fact New York Post journalists made contact with Robert Graysmith, to ask if he had any insight into these shootings. Graysmith would check that the suspects in the original case had not moved to New York – none had.

The New York police would release a wanted poster of a black man seen speaking to Larry before he was shot. In the subsequent furore police would question several people for ‘looking like’ the suspect. Astrologers would predict that the next victim would be a Leo causing panic amongst Leos.

There would be no further shootings attributed to the Zodiac for over 2 years. August 10th 1992 and the silence would end. Patricia Fonti was walking through Highland Park asking passers by for cigarettes, one particularly helpful man would give her some if she followed him, Patricia obliged. Once secluded Patricia was struck. The first bullet had passed straight through her. Still moving, a second bullet hit but still Patricia would not go down. The Zodiac kicked Patricia, but still no effect. A knife was drawn and Zodiac stabbed Patricia all over her body. She was dead having suffered 2 punctured lungs and a perforated kidney. In total police would find over 100 stab wounds on her body. Patricia was the Zodiacs first direct victim.

Ten months later (4 June 1993) Jim Weber would be shot in the buttocks, but would survive. The next victim would not. The Zodiac would shoot Joseph Diacone through the neck at close range just before midnight on 20th July 1993. October 2nd 1993 and the Zodiac would strike again. Diane Ballard would be shot through the neck the bullet missing vital arteries but lodging against her spine. The Zodiac runs away believing Diane was dead, but she survived the shooting.

It was 4 years into the New York shootings 3 people are dead a further 6 shot the police had no arrests and no clue to the assailant. On the 10th March 1994 officer Brian Fleming stopped a Hispanic male on suspicion of carrying a weapon. When searched, Officer Fleming found a 3 ½” dagger and a zip gun which when disarmed was found to hold a .22 calibre bullet. Heriberto Seda was subsequently arrested for possession of a gun. Seda’s fingerprints would be taken, as is normal procedure, and placed in the cells awaiting arraignment the next day. At arraignment Seda was granted bail. In an error by the police the gun was labelled incorrectly, was never tested and was destroyed. All charges were dropped, the records sealed and his fingerprint card destroyed by order of the court. Seda was a free man.

The New York Post would receive a further letter from the Zodiac on the 3rd August 1994 admitting to the shootings of Patricia Fonti & Jim Weber. Also included on the letter were the words

Sleep my little dead how we loathe them

And

NYPD 0
Zodiac 9

The Zodiac would again disappear. The NYPD, having got fingerprints taken from the Zodiac letters, would now routinely check anybody arrested within the area to see if there was a match. None were found. One Zodiac suspect would have his urine secretly tested in the hope of a DNA match (a DNA sample was retrieved from the saliva from the zodiac envelopes). The result was negative.

June 18th 1996 and Heriberto Seda and his half sister Gladys (known as Chachi) were arguing in their humble home because Chachi had invited a friend (Wilbur Rios) over, they were laughing. Seda considered that sinful and demanded that he leave. Chachi turned her back on her brother and was shot in the buttocks with a .41 shotgun. In pain Chachi managed to escape the flat to the neighbours’ who dialled 911. Wilber Rios meanwhile was barricading himself into one of the bedrooms.

Shortly after midday NYPD officers arrived at the scene responding to a ‘10-34’ and were greeted with shots fired from the 3rd floor window. An exchange of gunfire between Seda and NYPD officers ensued. Fifteen minutes into the siege and negotiations began between Seda and DS Joey Herbert. After three hours of slow talking, and no shots, Seda suddenly decided to surrender and asked for Joey Herbert to escort him out. When police officers entered Seda’s room they discovered an array of weapons including nine pipe bombs and a crossbow.

Heriberto ‘Eddie’ Seda was arrested by Detective Danny Powers and charged with 15 counts of attempted murder and multiple counts of possession of deadly weapons and explosives. Asked to write a confession Seda duly obliged. He was asked to rewrite the confession and include the shooting at the cops. Seda happily rewrote it. Once again Powers read the confession and spotted the use of symbols, including one that looked like a cross. Powers talked to Joey Herbert about his idea, Joey read through the note paying particular attention to the handwriting and became excited, exclaiming, “This is the Zodiac”. Copies of the Zodiac letters were quickly retrieved for comparison. Seda’s fingerprints were also taken, and questioning began again on the suspect.

Joey Herbert & Louie Savarese talked to Eddie about the shoot out, Seda politely discussed it. As soon as the conversation turned to the Zodiac Seda clammed up, looking at the floor. The detectives had their answer. Meanwhile the fingerprints were being compared to the Zodiacs. It took 3 expert opinions before the answer came. Zodiac and Heriberto Seda were the same person. At 8.00 pm the officers told Seda to confess who he was. No reply. After almost 3 hours of persuading, badgering and shouting, Seda began to come clean about the shootings, eventually signing a written confession. Seda would be charged as the Zodiac killer.