The FBI believes that there are between 25 and 50 active serial killers in the United States at any given moment. The global number of serial killers are undoubtedly far greater. The preponderance of these real-life monsters operate solely in the shadows, but over the decades, a few have chosen to walk into the spotlight by contacting the police and the media.
Frequently, these outreach initiatives take the form of letters. In other instances, these individuals may continue at large indefinitely. Despite their propensity to harass authorities and communities with letters, which could lead to their identification. Below we have listed some of the most disturbing letters ever delivered by the most notorious unidentified serial killers:
The Zodiac Killer killed at least five people in Northern California between 1968 and 1969. The first three strikes targeted couples, and the two victims were high schoolers on a first date. In two additional instances, he killed the ladies but spared the men. The last known victim was a San Francisco cab driver. The Zodiac Killer addressed letters to media outlets during the killing spree. The letters provided crime scene evidence to establish the claims’ validity.
After killing three of five known victims in August 1969, the Zodiac Killer mailed three letters to Bay Area newspapers. Each letter carried one-third of a 408-symbol cryptogram revealing the suspect’s name. The killer threatened to kill again if the letters weren’t published.
A California couple deciphered the cypher a week after the letters were dispatched. The Zodiac Killer said he was collecting slaves for the hereafter and that revealing his identity would interfere with his intentions. After murdering the last two known victims in November 1969, the Zodiac Killer wrote a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle containing a new mystery. The cryptogram was referred to as the Z-340, or simply 340, due to the fact that it comprised 340 characters.