KILLER WRITER
Who is Robert Graysmith? Author who wrote Zodiac: The True Story of the Hunt for the Nation’s Most Elusive Serial Killer
Find out how author Robert is connected to actor Jake Gyllenhaal
THE identity of the Zodiac Killer has remained one of America’s biggest mysteries.
One person who has claimed to identify the man responsible for the murder spree in the late 60s is author Robert Graysmith.
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Born on September 17, 1942 in Florida, Robert Graysmith is an American true crime author and former cartoonist.
He is known for his work on the Zodiac Killer case.
Robert worked as a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969, when the Zodiac Killer case came to prominence.
He attempted to decode letters written by the killer and became obsessed with the case over the next 13 years.
Killer books
Robert’s investigation into the case led him to write two books on the unknown murderer.
His first book, which was simply titled Zodiac, was released in 1982.
Robert’s second book, Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America's Most Elusive Serial Killer, was published in 2002.
Both books alleged that Arthur Leigh Allen, who died in 1992, was the Zodiac Killer.
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Following the success of these publications, Robert eventually gave up his career as a cartoonist to write five more books on high-profile crimes.
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Immortalized in film
Robert’s book, and his investigation into the serial killer, was made into a film called Zodiac, which was directed by David Fincher and released in 2007.
The movie is set in the '60s and follows a serial killer on the loose in San Francisco.
In the movie, Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert, who is one of the journalists obsessed with learning the killer's identity and bringing him to justice.
Meanwhile, Zodiac claims victim after victim and taunts the authorities with cryptic messages, ciphers, and menacing phone calls.
The film ends with Robert tracking down a man called Arthur Leigh Allen, who he is convinced is the Zodiac Killer.
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