Netflix has just launched a new documentary series about the Zodiac Killer, and whilst the identity of the killer remains unknown, one of the suspects has been a man called Arthur Leigh Allen.
The murderer killed at least five victims in the Bay Area in the late 1960s, and became known for coded messages sent to local media publications. The police never found who committed the crimes due to a lack of evidence, and to this day the mystery remains unsolved.
However, the Netflix documentary has shed some light on one prime suspect. The three part series centres around the Seawater family, who knew Arthur Leigh Allen and have shocking stories of what they claim he was like. Arthur Leigh Allen was questioned as part of the Zodiac Killer case, but was never convicted.
via Netflix
Who is Arthur Leigh Allen and why do people think he could be the Zodiac Killer?
Arthur Leigh Allen was a former elementary school teacher, and according to police, had a history of child sexual abuse charges. He was a Navy veteran, and lived in Atascadero, California.
Arthur Leigh Allen was a prime suspect in the Zodiac Killer case, as he owned the same caliber of gun that was believed to have been used in the attacks. It was also said that Allen owned a Zodiac watch, and had made comments in the past about wanting to kill people.
Students at his school also said he was known for teaching how to decipher codes, and the Zodiac Killer was known for his coded letters.
In the Netflix series, siblings David and Connie Seawater are interviewed. They allege Arthur Leigh Allen drugged them as children, and would take them to his crime scenes. “We realised we had been to all the murder sites before the murders,” David Seawater said.
They said they witnessed some of the killings. David also claimed Allen confessed to him, and Connie said she too asked him if he was the killer, to which he replied he would “kill her if he told her.” The siblings recalled one trip they took with Allen, which they said was on the same day as the first suspected Zodiac murder.
They said they went to Tajiguas Beach outside Santa Barbara, and were told by Allen to stay in the car. Upon his return, Allen was covered in what appeared to be blood, and was visibly out of breath. 18-year-old Robert Domingos and his 17-year-old fiancé Linda Edwards were killed on the same beach.
Allen was identified in a line up by Michael Mageau, a survivor of the killer, and was taken in for questioning. However, witness testimonies were differing, and Allen was never charged.
When police searched the home Arthur Leigh Allen lived in, several incriminating items such as a Zodiac Sea Wolf wristwatch were found. The watch had the same logo as the one found on the killer’s infamous letters that were sent to newspapers, and detailed the crimes.
via Netflix
However, the most key piece of evidence didn’t point to Allen – he and the Zodiac Killer did not share the same fingerprints.
What happened to Arthur Leigh Allen?
Arthur Leigh Allen spent time in jail, and during this time the Zodiac Killer stopped. Allen was arrested for child molestation in 1974 and spent three years in prison.
Allen died in his home in 1992 after suffering from a heart attack. He was aged 58 at the time of his death and in his last letter, he denied being the Zodiac Killer.
This is the Zodiac Speaking is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
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