Eddie Seda: The New York Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac Killer who murdered at least 5 people in California in the 1960's was never identified or caught. Did he resurfaced on the opposite side of the country decades later and continue his deadly spree?

New York State's Copycat Zodiac Killer

According to Wikipedia, in 1990 a series of attacks began on residents in New York City. In March, two different men were shot randomly but both survived. Another man was shot in May, but died from his wound. There was another victim in June who also survived. Over the course of three years, a total of three people were fatally shot and six others were wounded. After each crime, taunting letters were sent to the police much like The Zodiac Killer had sent. The messages included codes based on international maritime signal flags. Eventually, these were decoded by New York Post journalist Kieran Crowley with the help of his father-in-law, who was a veteran of World War II cryptography and signals intelligence. The killer's letters to police claimed that he was selecting his victims based on their signs of the zodiac. Writing samples proved that it was not the same person as the killer in California.

A Break In The Case

On June 18, 1996, in an incident unrelated to the murders, a man named Eddie Seda was arrested after a long stand-off with police. Eddie was not a suspect in the New York Zodiac investigation but after he was brought in, he signed a document and drew an odd symbol on the piece of paper. Police investigators recognized the symbol from the taunting letters sent to police years earlier. He was formally charged in the case on June 21, 1996.

The Evidence And Aftermath

The forensic evidence was overwhelming. Fingerprint evidence was found and handwriting analysis determined "a strong similarity" between Seda's statement and the anonymous letters. Police also found DNA on one of the stamps that had been used to mail a letter to police. The DNA was Eddie Seda's. After a six-week trial, a jury found him guilty of both attempted murder and murder. On June 24, 1998. Seda was convicted and sentenced to 232 years in prison. The forensic experts and puzzle decoders played a huge role in capturing him and helped put him behind bars.