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The Zodiac Killer wanted to cause the most pain and terror in the shortest amount of time possible. He worked in this manner to achieve his sadistic satisfaction without getting caught. His ultimate goal was terror and fear. An examination of the crimes committted by the Zodiac will show this method of operation in action.
Note: In an attempt at being expeditious in getting this site up, I have copied some of my previous posts for content here. Some of the comments might appear familiar, and somewhat disorganized, for that reason.
I don't think a person has to engage in sex in order to be a sexual sadist. Sadism and sexuality combined exist in a culture that intertwines the two in a way that to some, they become one. There are many perverse creatures out there who get off (sexually) on many different things seemingly unrelated to sex. Zodiac attacked the female victims more violently and with an apparent glee. Zodiac wrote letters describing his acts and the victim's suffering. He was not, nor did he, go out with a bang like Charles Whitman. Killing in his sadistic manner was his pastime, his recreation. He did not plan to die. If Zodiac wasn't a serial killer in the true sense of the word, then neither was Bundy.
In Zodiac's own words:
"I like killing people because it is so much fun." "To kill something gives me the most thrilling experience. It is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl."
Zodiac's attention was focused on the females, that is why we have two male survivors. Yes, he killed males, too. He got off on killing. Any crime scene profiler or investigator will tell you that multiple attacks (gunshots or stabbing) indicate a more passionate means of murder than a single shot or stab.
From everything I have seen regarding the Zodiac killer, it is more than obvious that Zodiac attacked the female victims with much more vigor and energy than the males. He attacked males, too, but he was nervous around females.
The Confession letter is very sexual in nature. In it the author describes his plan to display his future victims genitalia, as well as speaking of his victims breasts. The letter also points to a motive for some of his murders.
Zodiac didn't spend much time at the scene of his crimes. He took souvenirs and wrote letters to relive his "experience."
Real live girls made Zodiac nervous. Hartnell said that he went "hog wild" on Shepard; going into "some type of frenzy".
Even Michael D. Kelleher says (in a book recommended to me as proof to the contrary) that "It is as if violence had replaced the act of sexual intercourse." There are many other references to Zodiac connections of sex and violence in the book, as well.
It is as if violence had replaced the act of sexual intercourse -p21
He may be intensely jealous of the sexual intimacy of' couples and hunts them for that reason. -p51
Zodiac was probably not driven by a bizarre, twisted sexual compulsion in the ordinary understanding of such a motivation. ..." -p59
However, in both cases it was the female victim that drew his strongest reaction -p60
His crime signature gave evidence that the killer focused most of his wrath against the female victims -p64
My impression is that this repeated penetration expresses deep rage and perhaps is also tinged by some sexual expression. -p72
Once again, the killer focused his rage on the female victim and once again the male victim survived. .. -p74
The pattern of Zodiac's attacks seem to indicate that even though he targeted female victims for the brunt of his wrath, it was their male companions that he feared most. -p87
perhaps just as relevant in this case, the adolescent male who boasts about the number of his sexual conquests. -p98
This raises the question as to whether he also derives some kind of sexual gratification from killing. That would be another reason for stabbing a victim so many times-because it felt so good to the killer. -p107
Zodiac's attacks were not overtly sexual in nature (although this may have been an indirect motivation), and he spent very little time with his victims, -p181
The sense of power, intimidation , and complete domination of the teenagers would have been tantamount to an orgasmic experience for the killer-a substitute for the completely absent or exceptionally painful sexual encounters of his past life. -p223
Above excerpts from "This is the Zodiac Speaking" Michael D. Kelleher and David Van Nuys
I will concede that there were other motivations besides sex in the Zodiac murders. However, I feel it is unwise to discount the role that Zodiac's violence played in his own sexual desire. I feel very strongly that his attacks, especially against women, were substitutes for the sex he could not have. I think Kelleher has expressed some degree of recognition of this, as well, as indicated above. As much as it may appear, I am not trying to put Zodiac in the same league as Kemper and Carpenter (as the F.B.I. apparently has), though I do find there are some similarities that cannot be ignored.
If Zodiac didn't enjoy killing, why did he brag so much about his crimes? If his crimes weren't sexual in nature, why did he compare them to sex?
I believe Zodiac expressed his sexual motivation in his letters. I believe police reports and other documents indicate an attacker obsessed with female genitalia. These documents indicate a concentrated effort by the Zodiac to penetrate that area of the female body. I am certain there are FBI profilers and psychologists that have reached a similar conclusion. Certainly, all of Zodiac's victims were not female. This does not rule out the possibility that Zodiac received some sort of sexual gratification from his attacks. Whether all of his attacks were sexual in this manner, or just the attacks on female victims, is, like so many aspects of the Zodiac case, very much debatable.
(Please note: My viewpoint is based on the collective documents of suspected cases, as well as confirmed. Even though I have spent some time studying this case (and consider myself quite familiar with it), I readily admit I am in the process of developing my own theories regarding the Zodiac. As I have no favorite suspect at this time, I also have chosen no definite victims. I believe that even if certain events are ruled out as Zodiac attacks, there still isn't enough reason to discard my theory. I think the classic definition of sexual sadist is a bit misleading in as far as what I am trying to convey. I think a more accurate label to pin on the Zodiac would be "pseudosexual behavior;" that is, one who replaces the act of sex with something else. In this case, I would say that the Zodiac replaces sex with violence. I don't know if this term has ever been used before, or if there is another term a psychologist might use instead. Perhaps it is a bit presumptuous for an untrained person as myself to label someone anyway. Too late, its done. In my opinion, based on my own examination of the Zodiac case, i have to define the crimes of the Zodiac as "pseudosexual attacks."
Zodiac was nervous around females, perhaps in fear of them, even when he was in control. Yes, his goal was to kill as quickly as possible (both male and female) before leaving the scene. However, when the opportunity presented itself, Zodiac went for less lethal blows to the areas of the female anatomy that he feared most. I strongly believe that his perverted views of sex were a major motivation behind his attacks. I believe he killed women because he felt rejected by them and killed men because they enjoyed what he could not.
Hartnell stated suspect said, "I'm getting nervous." This was when suspect was tying Miss Shepard's hands, In fact Hartnell stated suspect got real shaky when he was tying Miss Shepard's hands.
When Miss Shepard turned her body over (on back), suspect stabbed her in the lower abdomen. victim stated suspect stabbed miss Shepard much worse than him. suspect went into some kind of frenzy when stabbing Miss Shepard.
(Ranger Sgt.) White stated that he noticed a lot of blood in the girl's groin area.
BUT I SHALL CUT OF HER FEMALE PARTS AND DEPOSIT THEM FOR THE WHOLE CITY TO SEE. - HER BREAST FELT VERY WARM AND FIRM UNDER MY HANDS, BUT ONLY ONE THING WAS ON MY MIND.
"I like killing people because it is so much fun." "To kill something gives me the most thrilling experience. It is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl."
Edwards was placed face up on top of Domingos and the top of her bathing suit was cut open with a sharp instrument (probably a knife), exposing her breasts.
Let's take the confirmed Zodiac Lake Berryessa attack:
Zodiac has both a gun and a knife. His victims are on their bellies, tied up, prone and vulnerable. Does Zodiac take a knife to their throat dealing a slash of near instant death? Does he shoot them in the head, execution style with his gun?
No, he does not. The Zodiac instead stabs them in the back, prolonging their suffering rather than going for the obvious quick kill. He does this while wearing a costume he designed for engaging in such a ritual. Why the get-up if he planned on quickly killing his victims? Why did he want his victims, the only ones to actually see his costume, to view such a morbid disguise if his only plan was to simply kill?
His crime was sexually motivated. He had fantasies about his attacks prior to performing them. When he did attack, the fear and pain inflicted by him brought sadistic pleasure. He would relive this pleasure by writing his letters. Like a pubescent teenager bragging of sexual escapades, Zodiac wanted to boast of his attacks, his "conquests."
All of his talk about prison escape and robbery was just a pretext to get his victims where he wanted them. He wanted them to be in a position where he could kill them with multiple blows from his knife. He wanted the experience to last a little bit longer than a single gunshot to the head would provide. He wanted to hear the screams and see their horror. This is what pleased the Zodiac. This is what drove him.
When he chose victims in a vehicle, he did so because being in a parked car made them sitting ducks. He did not have the option of using a knife in these cases, the victim(s) could fight him off or the second one could escape while he was attacking the first. In these events, he used a gun.
Regarding the sexuality of the Zodiac crimes, San Francisco Detective Dave Toschi said. "Some psychiatrists will tell you he's a latent homosexual or he hates women. I think he gets sexual gratification or pleasure from killing unarmed people. One victim said be was laughing loudly and hideously while stabbing a woman victim."
Did Zodiac really quit killing, or did he:
1.Die?
2.Become incarcerated or institutionalized?
3.Change location?
There are many unsolved murders out there, in California and across the country. There are more bodies lying undiscovered. (For all we know, there may even be other unpublished Zodiac letters.) The Zodiac may have stopped writing to protect his identity, but he would continue to kill as long as he was able, as long as it brought him the gratification he craved. It was the act of killing that he enjoyed.
