Netflix's This Is the Zodiac Speaking is about one of the most notorious criminals in the history of Califonia: the Zodiac killer. His reign of terror during the 1960s garnered notable media attention. Over five decades have passed, and the case still haunts many, especially the survivors.
Unlike most murderers, the Zodiac killer's identity remains a mystery. Not only did he kill random people, but also challenged law enforcement and bragged about his crimes through letters which usually started with "This is the Zodiac speaking" and his unique symbol.
The Zodiac killer usually killed people in their cars or when they were in isolated areas in San Francisco, Northern California. This criminal behavior was extensively covered in newspapers and discussed on news channels.
To date, the police and investigators have only identified one suspect as the Zodiac killer: a man named Arthur Leigh Allen. He was a former Navy officer who later became a school teacher and was a convicted sex offender.
This Is the Zodiac Speaking delves into the criminal's case and focuses on how Arthur Leigh Allen became the only suspect but was never proven to be the Zodiac killer. The three-part docuseries features the Seawater siblings who were close to Allen before his dark side was exposed.
Who is Arthur Leigh Allen in Netflix's This Is the Zodiac Speaking?
The only suspect in the Zodiac Killer case, Arthur Leigh Allen was born in 1933. Before he died in 1992, Allen confessed to deceiving the Seawater siblings who called him Mr. Allen and are a part of This Is the Zodiac Speaking.
He met the siblings in 1961 as a school teacher and was assumed to be an incredibly kind man. Little did they know that Allen had sinister intentions about David Seawater's sister.
Since the Zodiac Killer was terrorizing people at that time, one of Allen's former friends, Don Cheney, reported to the police about Allen's unusual behavior in 1969. By 1971, Arthur Leigh Allen was labeled as the first suspect in the case.
An audio from Cheney's 1971 police interview, where he revealed Allen's violent comments, has also been shared in This Is the Zodiac Speaking:
"That phrase about ‘picking the little darlings off,’ I remembered that, and that’s what forced me to go to the police."
Cheney explained that Allen shared his violent desire to shoot at school bus tires and children when they came out of the vehicle. Startingly, his comments were similar to one of the desires mentioned by the Zodiac killer in a letter, where he talked about shooting school buses.
Soon after Cheney's report, the police visited Arthur Leigh Allen at his work and noticed him wearing a Zodiac watch, similar to the serial killer's symbol. The police immediately began to investigate Allen's house but only found hunting knives and animal graves.
Since there was no direct evidence to prove Allen as the Zodiac killer, the police didn't label him as the killer but as the only suspect. The investigation continued as Allen was later convicted of child molestation which again led the police to search his house.
They still couldn't find concrete evidence and the identity of the Zodiac killer remained a mystery. However, when Allen's dark persona was exposed to the world, he called David Sewater who asked him if he was the serial killer.
As seen in This Is the Zodiac Speaking, Seawater was shocked to hear Allen saying "Yes, it was me," leaving him speechless. Despite his confession, the police couldn't directly link him with the Zodiac killer.
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What did the Seawater siblings reveal about Arthur Leigh Allen in This Is the Zodiac Speaking
Investigator and author Robert Graysmith, who appears in This Is the Zodiac Speaking states that the Zodiac killer case "will never die". It's being discussed after almost fifty years with the Seawater siblings explaining how Arthur Leigh Allen, or their kind Mr. Allen deceived them.
The Seawaters met Allen when he joined a school as a teacher and was introduced to David Seawater when he was in grade four. Seawater said he was "nice and so friendly" and even started giving Connie Seawater tuition classes for her betterment.
Since the Seawaters didn't have their father, they gradually started developing a bond with Allen as he would often come for dinner and help Mrs. Seawater. However, when the siblings grew up, they started doubting Mr. Allen and even informed their mother.
When Allen's crimes were exposed, he confessed to drugging the Seawater siblings and tricking them. David Seawater called the police and informed his siblings about Allen's confession.
As seen in This Is the Zodiac Speaking, the Seawater siblings never thought Mr. Allen would be a criminal. He hid his true intentions for years until he was finally convicted.
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This is the Zodiac Speaking is available on Netflix.
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