Transcript The Zodiac 2012

A Forensic Linguistics Case Study of the Mystery of the Golden Coast Serial Killer:
The Zodiac
Presented By:
Razan S. Badawi
What is Forensic Linguistics?
“… no two people have the same
handwriting. Thus, handwriting is
viewed as being as identifiable as a
fingerprint.“ Nicole Letch (2004)
Types of Linguistic Evidence
Other
Written
Emails, Blogs,
Graffiti ,etc…
Letters
Intellectual
Notes
Property
Ransom
Verbal
Plagiarism
Serial Killers
Suicide
Voice
Fingerprints
Who is the Zodiac?
Main Suspects
Richard Gaikowski
Arthur Leigh Allen
(1936 – 2004)
(1933 -1992)
Research Methodology
"linguistics helps build a profile, not identify an
individual" (Leonard, 2005)
- Linguistic analysis of hand-written evidence:
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Lexical Choice
…
” This is the Zodiac Speaking…...”
Spelling I …
Cipher + Cypher = cyipher !?
Cipher
(ci·pher) Pronunciation: /ˈsīfər/
(also cypher)
noun
1a secret or disguised way of writing; a code.
verb
1 [with object] put (a message) into secret writing; encode.
oxforddictionaries.com
” This is the Zodiac Speaking…...”
Spelling II …
” This is the Zodiac Speaking…...”
Punctuation …
The Zodiac’s Bates letter
that he sent to the
Riverside Police
Department
” This is the Zodiac Speaking…...”
Lexical Choice I
Mailed: July 31, 1969
Sent to: San Francisco Examiner
http://www.zodiackiller.com/ExaminerLetter1.html
Kill (verb):
to deprive of life in any manner; cause the death of; slay.
http://dictionary.reference.com/
” This is the Zodiac Speaking…...”
Lexical Choice II…
Mailed: July 31, 1969
Sent to: San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.zodiackiller.com/ChronicleLetter1.html
Murder (noun):
Law. the killing of another human being under conditions specifically
covered in law. In the U.S., special statutory definitions include murder
committed with malice aforethought, characterized by deliberation or
premeditation or occurring during the commission of another serious
crime, as robbery or arson (first-degree murder) and murder by intent
but without deliberation or premeditation (second-degree murder)
http://dictionary.reference.com/
Results:
Creating a Profile
• Educated
• Knowledgeable
• Well-read
• Religious
• Had a non-stop desire to kill
• Had a god complex
• A linguistic prodigy
References

http://www.zodiackiller.com/Letters.html

http://zodiacrevisited.com/bad-compan/

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/app/view

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/cipher?region=us&q=cipher

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://wordstodeeds.com/2012/02/16/what-exactly-is-forensic-linguistics/

http://www.officialcoldcaseinvestigations.com/showthread.php?t=2788

http://www.zodiackiller.com/SuspectGaikowski.html

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/

http://sapphirelove.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=22&action=print&thread=43
Thank You