Arthur Leigh Allen

Arthur Leigh Allen is/was probably the best known Zodiac suspect. He was neither arrested, nor cleared.

While there was never anything to arrest him on, there was a mountain of circumstantial evidence that linked him to the Zodiac.

- Zodiac appeared to have a navy influence. Allen's dad was in the navy.
- Allen wore a Zodiac watch (go to the Zodiac Watches in the Links section), ring, and quoted some phrases the Zodiac used.
- People claimed they remembered Allen saying he was going to kill people and call himself the Zodiac.
- Allen was close to the areas of where each murder occured.

But at the same time, there were things that pointed away from Allen or were just inconclusive.

- Zodiac had a crew cut, Allen was balding and did not really match the composite. No wig's were ever found in Allen's home(s).
- Not one piece of evidence has been identified as Allen's.
- Allen passed a 10 hour lie detector. But some dispute these results for a number of reasons. Some say he's a sociopath who can overcome his conscience. Another problem is these tests are not 100% and they depend on the person perfoming the test.

A colorized image of Allen's mugshot

Allen in his basement
Watch a movie I made of Allen morphing into the Zodiac.

Towards the last few years of his life Allen began giving interviews. Sometimes choosing to hide his face. He denied that he was the Zodiac, even weeping in an interview. Did Allen know that he did not have much time left? If he wasn't the Zodiac then perhaps he wanted to clear his name in a slowly dying, deathbed confession. But Allen had no kids, very little family members, not many friends and a convicted pedophile. So he had very little family to want to protect from being associated with the Zodiac. Allen was already looked upon as scum for being a pedophile, his denial of being the Zodiac would not do much to make him look better. So there did not appear to be much of a reason for Allen to lie. However if he was the Zodiac, perhaps his denial was a final stab at police. You never caught me and you never will.

Arthur Leigh Allen died in 1992.

If Allen was not the Zodiac then his link to the Zodiac case is partially due to the coincidences, and partially due to the fact that he seemed to enjoy and bring on some of the attention.

If Allen was the Zodiac, then his legacy will be someone who was smart, but lucky. He danced on the fine line that separated him from getting caught.

For a highly detailed timeline of Arthur Leigh Allen, click here and go to zodiackiller.com.