Two of California's most chilling and enduring murder mysteries may finally be solved, with a new investigation claiming a single man was responsible for both the Zodiac killings and the murder of the Black Dahlia.
In a world exclusive, the Daily Mail can reveal that investigative consultant Alex Baber has concluded, after a years-long probe, that the same individual carried out both barbaric crime sprees, separated by two decades. The suspect has been named as Marvin Skipton Margolis, who later used the alias Marvin Merrill.
The Suspect: Marvin Margolis
Born in Chicago in 1925, Marvin Margolis served as a Navy corpsman with the 1st Marine Division during the Second World War. His military records, obtained by a grand jury, paint a picture of a disturbed individual. Described as 'resentful' and 'apathetic' with an affinity for 'aggression', he was discharged on 50 percent mental disability grounds.
Crucially, his service provided him with medical and surgical training, skills that would later be evident in the precise mutilation of the Black Dahlia. He also returned from the war with a Japanese Nagoya rifle and a distinctive Type 30 bayonet—a weapon that would later be linked to a Zodiac attack.
After the war, Margolis moved to Los Angeles and enrolled as a medical student at the University of Southern California in 1946. It was during this time he entered into a brief, allegedly volatile relationship with aspiring actress Elizabeth Short—the future Black Dahlia.
Connecting the Crimes: From Dahlia to Zodiac
The murder of Elizabeth Short in January 1947 horrified the nation. Her body was found severed in half at the waist in a Los Angeles park, with a grotesque 'Glasgow smile' carved into her face. Due to the surgical precision of the cuts, police focused on medical students. Margolis, as Short's ex-boyfriend with medical training, quickly became a suspect and was named among 22 individuals in the 1949 grand jury investigation.
According to Baber's theory, the inspiration for the 'Zodiac' moniker came from the location of Short's murder. He believes she was killed at the Zodiac Motel in Lynwood, which had opened in June 1946. This theory is supported by the discovery of a canvas ice bag marked with a 'Z' found near her body.
After Short's murder, Margolis fled LA, changed his name to Marvin Merrill, and moved around the country. He returned to California a few years before the Zodiac's first confirmed attack in December 1968.
The Zodiac killer terrorised Northern California between 1968 and 1969, murdering at least five people and taunting police and media with cryptic letters and ciphers. Baber asserts that Merrill's background fits the profile: his military code-breaking connections, his possession of the bayonet used in the Lake Berryessa attack, and his presence in the Bay Area through his work and business interests.
Cracking the Ciphers and a Deathbed Confession
Central to Baber's investigation is the claim to have solved the Zodiac's unsolved ciphers. The Z13 cipher, long believed to contain the killer's name, has been decrypted using AI, newly released Census data, and classic cryptography. Baber states the solution reveals the name: Marvin Merrill.
Perhaps the most damning piece of physical evidence is a sketch drawn by Merrill in 1992, while he was dying of cancer. The drawing depicts a nude woman named 'ELIZABETH', with injuries resembling those inflicted on Short. Using image-enhancement software, Baber's team found what appears to be the word 'ZoDiac' hidden beneath the ink. To Baber, this amounts to a deathbed confession linking both cases.
Merrill's youngest son has provided over 200 items of physical evidence for forensic analysis, including the sketch, handwriting samples, and business documents. Independent handwriting analysis has already indicated a match between samples from Merrill's possessions and a letter sent by the 'Black Dahlia Avenger' in 1947.
Law Enforcement and Expert Scrutiny
Baber's investigation has gained traction with active law enforcement. He has met with the California police departments responsible for the Zodiac case and presented evidence to an interagency group that includes the San Francisco Police Department and the FBI. The LAPD's robbery-homicide division has also been directed to review the findings related to the Black Dahlia murder.
The findings have been backed by several experts. Ed Giorgio, former Chief US Codemaker and Codebreaker at the NSA, agrees that Baber has solved the Z13 cipher. Retired LAPD homicide detectives Mitzi Roberts and Rick Jackson have also publicly stated they believe the cases are solved, calling the evidence 'overwhelming'.
However, Merrill's son, while cooperating with the investigation, remains skeptical. He told the Daily Mail he does not believe his father committed the crimes, calling the theory 'a speculative cesspool'.
For the victims' families and the last surviving Zodiac victim, Bryan Hartnell, this investigation offers a final, fragile hope for answers after more than half a century of mystery. As Baber stated, the goal is to ensure that 'the bad guy can't get away,' and to provide long-awaited closure before it is too late.
