Amateur Codebreaker May Have Solved the Black Dahlia and Zodiac Killings

Marvin Margolis, a World War II veteran and premed student, was a suspect in the infamous Black Dahlia murder. He initially lied about his relationship with Elizabeth Short, the victim, concealing that they had lived together. The brutal nature of the crime, with the victim bisected, suggested surgical knowledge, aligning with Margolis's interests. Decades later, the Zodiac killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area, sending cryptic messages to the police. The Z13 cipher, one of the Zodiac's most complex messages, remained unsolved for many years. Alex Baber, a self-taught codebreaker, claims to have cracked the Zodiac's identity and, in doing so, solved the Black Dahlia case. Baber presents circumstantial evidence linking Margolis to both crimes, asserting the solution is irrefutable. However, details of Baber's deciphering of the Z13 cipher are not provided in the summary. The author highlights the lack of an explanation for this key element. A new podcast, "Killer in the Code," by Michael Connelly, details Baber's theory. The podcast's release prompted the recent interest in the cases and Baber's claims.