Arthur Leigh Allen is a familiar name among amateur investigators who delve into the darker side of humanity. In this case, his name is frequently associated with one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. History — the Zodiac.
In the grand scheme of things, the Zodiac Killer is small potatoes, outdone by the likes of Gary Ridgeway, Gerald Stano, Ted Bundy, and Dennis Rader, at least in terms of victims.
The only difference is, the Zodiac was never apprehended. All that remains of the Zodiac’s rampage between December 1968 and October 1969 is theory, circumstantial evidence, and innuendo.
Americans are fascinated by serial killers and even more fascinated by the unknowns associated with them. Whether that’s a healthy obsession or not is a topic for another day.
With Netflix’s “This is the Zodiac Speaking” documentary release on the horizon, the trailers have successfully returned Arthur Leigh Allen to the public spotlight. Some believe he is the Zodiac. But who was he?
Arthur Leigh Allen – Background
A Hawaiian resident, Arthur Leigh Allen was born in 1933 before his family moved to Vallejo, California, where Arthur spent many of his formative years.
While there may have been consistencies between Arthur’s childhood and the childhoods of other serial killers (animal cruelty, sexual deviation, etc.), most of what is known about him begins with his adult life and subsequent charges of child molestation.
He was dishonorably discharged from the Navy (carrying a firearm on base) in the 50s before returning home and attending school at Vallejo Junior College and California Polytechnic University.
This is the point in Arthur Leigh Allen’s life when varying stories branch off, heading in different directions.
In fact, he was actually fired for bringing a firearm onto school grounds. For instance, some publications claim that Arthur was fired from his position as an elementary school teacher for child molestation.
In reality, he brought a firearm onto school grounds, repeating his mistake while serving in the Navy. It was only later, when working as a teacher for Valley Springs Elementary School that he lost his job because of child molestation.
Conflating the two separate circumstances is more than just an occasional circumstance. It serves to muddy the waters of Arthur Leigh Allen’s past amid an overarching mystery surrounding the Zodiac Killer. Or, rather, if Arthur is indeed the Zodiac Killer.
Child molestation became a running theme in Arthur’s life. In the mid-1970s, he pled guilty to new charges, though he didn’t serve any prison time.
Will Netflix Claim That Arthur Leigh Allen is the Zodiac?
It’s hard to say, though the trailer for This is the Zodiac Speaking certainly implies that Arthur is the infamous killer.
The problem with entertainment is that it’s just that — entertainment. Subverting expectations is not a surprising tactic within the industry these days. There is no doubt that Arthur was a twisted human being.
But a twisted human being doesn’t a Zodiac Killer make. Unfortunately, he is no longer around for the doubtlessly countless interviews and novel investigations the Netflix documentary will certainly facilitate.
Arthur Leigh Allen died of a heart attack, a side effect of arteriosclerosis heart disease, in August 1992. Judging by the Netflix trailer, there are several people close to Arthur who are willing to speak out against him.
Whether it’s the potential for screen time or genuine emotional and personal driving forces compelling them to conduct interviews is known only to them.
With that being said, barring some surprise revelation in the new Netflix series, there’s not much more than very loose circumstantial evidence tying Arthur Leigh Allen to the murders.
Evidence For Arthur as the Zodiac
Most of the evidence in favor of Arthur being the Zodiac is courtesy of Robert Graysmith, thanks to his book, Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation’s Most Elusive Serial Killer.
Graysmith makes several assertions throughout the book that are at least intriguing.
Two pieces of evidence stand out the most. Don Cheney, a friend of Arthur’s at the time, told police that Arthur essentially confessed. According to Cheney, Arthur claimed he wanted to kill couples at Lover’s Lane.
He also told police that Arthur admired the cover name, Zodiac. The second was a police lineup. One of the surviving victims of the Zodiac Killer, Mike Mageau, chose Arthur from a set of pictures.
Handwriting analysis eliminated Allen as the author of the Zodiac letters. However, Allen was ambidextrous, and Graysmith claims this was enough to fool experts.
Graysmith also claims that the letter to the police ceased when Arthur was arrested on child molestation charges. Arthur also owned a Zodiac watch with symbolism matching those found on Zodiac letters.
Graysmith makes it clear that Arthur’s family firmly believed that Arthur is indeed the Zodiac, which matches well with the general vibes the Netflix trailer presents. His shoes matched the size of prints found at the scenes.
Arthur owned the same windbreaker found at one scene as well, and he was in the area of one of the murders at the time it took place.
The list goes on and on, including claims of witness identification, voice identification, and location convenience.
Evidence Against
The biggest problem with the case of Arthur Leigh Allen is the ballistics and fingerprints. None of which were or are a match for Arthur. Of course, DNA testing was not an established police procedure at the time, though it has become a significant conversation since.
Don Cheney, the catalyst in making Arthur a suspect, changes his story several times in the succeeding years. He incorporates new facts that he failed to mention in original interviews. These “facts” happen to coincide with revelations in book releases and burgeoning theories.
Cheney even told one interviewer about a crime scene that Arthur “told him about,” something Cheney never mentioned in previous interviews. That seems like a pretty important story to tell in interviews one, two, three, four, and five.
Pouring over the evidence meticulously compiled over the years makes it obvious that Arthur is indeed the killer. However, social media and the media are generally very good at spreading hyperventilated innuendo and terminology.
The reality is this: Unless Netflix has something hidden up its sleeve, there is not a single tangible source of physical evidence linking Arthur Leigh Allen to the Zodiac murders. Not one. Circumstantial? Sure. Physical evidence? Nada.
Graysmith also makes several claims in his book that were later refuted by witnesses.
For instance, Graysmith claims that Arthur’s sister-in-law saw Arthur with codes that resembled the codes in the Zodiac’s handwritten letters. Under hypnosis, she reproduced these codes, which Graysmith published in his book.
The only problem? Arthur’s sister-in-law says that it never happened. Most of the hoopla surrounding Arthur Leigh Allen seems like more of a “give me a man, and I’ll find the crime” than an actual pursuit of justice.
What Angle is Netflix Pursuing?
It looks like the new This is the Zodiac Speaking will primarily focus on Arthur Leigh Allen as the Zodiac.
We know that there are elements of Robert Graysmith’s book that turned out to be complete fabrications of reality. However, the directors of Netflix’s new documentary, Ari Mark and Phil Lott, lean heavily on Graysmith’s word.
“We had access with him in a way that nobody has really had. He really put this in perspective for us.”
-Ali Mark, Co-Director of This is the Zodiac Speaking
Robert Graysmith has the benefit of being a published author, which lends him a degree of credibility and authority on the subject matter. He is convinced of Arthur Leigh Allen’s guilt, as are a large segment of those who follow Graysmith’s work.
It doesn’t help that the media references him preceded by the words “expert,” and there is little doubt that Ari Mark’s and Phil Lott’s version of events will elevate Graysmith as well. To be fair, the directors claim to have new evidence that law enforcement has not seen.
Robert Graysmith’s Inaccuracies
To determine whether or not Netflix is walking us down the right path concerning Arthur Leigh Allen’s guilt, it’s necessary to place their inspiration under a magnifying glass.
‣ Robert Graysmith’s book offers evidence that Arthur is a highly credible suspect. However, investigators lost all interest in Arthur after the 1970s.
‣ Despite Graysmith’s claims, the FBI, Vallejo PD, Napa County Sheriff’s Dept, Solano County Sheriff’s Dept, and San Fransisco PD all determined that Arthur was not a viable suspect.
‣ Robert Graysmith’s books on the Zodiac have been widely discredited and improperly sourced, yet his books and the man himself are strong inspirations for this docu-series.
‣ Investigators Bill Armstrong (SFPD) and Fred Shirasago (California DoJ) both investigated Arthur Leigh Allen. Both had nothing but colorful pejoratives for Robert Graysmith’s chapter on Arthur.
‣ Officer Don Fouke (on-scene response to one of Zodiac’s victims) claims that Graysmith’s book is fictional.
‣ This claim is repeated by several officers and investigators on the case at the time, including SFPD’s Armand Pelissetti, Ken Narlow of the Napa Co. Sheriff’s Dept., Vallejo Police Dept Dispatcher Nancy Slover, and the list goes on.
‣ Graysmith used the changing story of a young man who supposedly recognized Arthur Leigh Allen’s voice in his book, altering the date of the statement to account for the witness’ changing statements.
‣ Graysmith implicates the suspect’s use of a car to commit one of his crimes, omitting the fact that the police had already determined that it was highly unlikely that the suspect did so.
‣ Graysmith claims to have “discovered” a road that no one else knew about — a road in which Arthur Leigh Allen used to depart his home, commit the murders, and return. The road doesn’t exist.
Unfortunately, the list goes on and on and on.
Ultimately, Who Was Arthur Leigh Allen?
If there is one thing Graysmith, Film Director David Fincher, and Netflix Docuseries Directors Ari Mark and Phil Lott have all accomplished, it’s making the world believe that Arthur Leigh Allen was the Zodiac Killer.
Arthur Leigh Allen was a child molester and a generally unruly individual. He thought highly of himself, even though, generally speaking, he was an absolute nobody.
He reveled in the idea that people thought of him as the Zodiac Killer, but only until the accusations became more of a burden than a red carpet to fame.
Arthur was lucky to avoid any extensive prison time, as prison is not a great place for child molesters. He broke the law when it suited him, such as bringing firearms into schools and onto military bases. Ultimately, he died of a heart attack, leaving this world with far too much infamy attached to his name.
There are likely to be new revelations in Netflix’s upcoming docu-series. However, it remains the reality that Arthur has yet to be linked physically, in any form or fashion, with the Zodiac murders.
This is the Zodiac Speaking, which will likely be an entertaining dive into the dark recesses of a serial killer’s mind.
Unfortunately, like Jack the Ripper, the identity of the Zodiac Killer will remain a mystery.
This Is The Zodiac Speaking drops on Netflix on October 23.
The post This Is The Zodiac Speaking: Who is Arthur Leigh Allen? appeared first on TV Fanatic.
Source: TV Fanatic
