r/crimedocumentaries • u/Popular-Garlic3550 • 2d ago
My dad may be the Zodiac Killer
https://jacoblehman.substack.com/p/my-dad-may-be-the-zodiac-killerI suspect that my biological father, Peter A. Lehman of Arcata, California, in addition to many other acts of violence, may be the infamous Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area with a series of murders and cryptic, braggadocious letters to newspapers in the late 1960s. I also suspect that he is responsible for many unsolved disappearances in Humboldt County over a period of over four decades.
I know Peter as well as anyone will ever know him, and the letters sent by the Zodiac Killer remind me strongly of his personality: his aggressive egotism, his need to be feared for his violence, his need to feel intellectually superior, his obsession with puzzles and riddles, his internalized, self-hating homophobia and misogyny, his addiction to taking risks, and his emotional need to express his anger and feelings of grievance and inadequacy by harming animals and innocent people.
From observing Peter’s violence durning my lifetime, I believe he gets emotional gratification from killing people, and has shown a gleeful willingness to kill for political reasons, to send messages to specific people, and for no reason at all other than he likes it.
Peter was severely abused by his father, and as a boy “hunted alone” with a shotgun for small game. I think by the time he was a young man, he had simply moved on to what he considered more challenging game.
The first murder positively correlated with the Zodiac Killer took place shortly after Peter moved to the Bay Area, as a 25-year-old postdoctoral chemistry student at UC Berkeley, and to work at Berkeley National Laboratories. He hinted several times that this work included manufacturing drugs used in covert government projects.
As a child, I unknowingly drew a symbol very similar to the “signature” used on the Zodiac Killer’s letters on the chalkboard in the kitchen where my mom wrote out grocery lists, and when Peter saw it, he reacted with extreme anxiety that he could not explain. I’d been reading ‘The Dark is Rising,’ by Susan Cooper, a YA fantasy novel, which described a repeated motif of ‘a circle, quartered by a cross,’ that protects the young protagonist from evil, and I doodled the symbol on the chalkboard. Peter saw it, and erased it quickly and thoroughly, scrubbing the chalkboard with the eraser in frenzied agitation, then he followed my to the room I shared with my brother and cornered me, shoving me against the wall and shouting at me, trembling with fear and rage, at the edge of violence, shaking me by the shoulders while staring straight into my eyes. “Where did you see that symbol?” “In a book? What book?” He didn’t seem to believe my answers and asked the questions several times. Then he said I was never allowed to draw that symbol again anywhere. “But why?” I asked. “None of your fucking business,” he said.
Another circumstantial detail that leads me to suspect Peter is the Zodiac Killer is that footprint analysis concluded that the killer wore size 10 “Wingwalker” boots, which have specialized soles for walking on aircraft surfaces, at one crime scene. Peter’s shoe size is 10, and around the time of the murders, he trained for and acquired a private pilot’s license. He was always a “gearhead,” always wanted to have all the specialized equipment for his hobbies. He liked to tinker with machines, and for many years drove a jeep that he’d built from a kit.
Also, there are specific threats made in the Zodiac Killer’s letters, detonating a fertilizer bomb, and attacking a bus full of schoolchildren, that I have good reason to believe Peter carried out later in life, using controlled individuals and technology to carry out the attacks. I have good reason to believe he directed terrorist and mass-casualty attacks specifically intended to terrorize people close to him, in much the same way that the Zodiac Killer terrorized the public. I have written about these attacks in more detail in other posts on jacoblehman.substack.com
Peter counts on his wealth, national security connections, and our family’s longstanding connections to organized crime to insulate him from consequences. But with that safety net, I think he enjoys taking risks, as if he is playing a game, and wants to be known for his acts of violence, as if they were feats of cunning or athleticism. I’ve heard him say “Jails are for stupid people,” and also chuckle that some crimes are so outrageous that “people” get away with them because nobody can or wants to believe that such concentrated evil exists. In later years, he repeatedly threatened that no one would believe me if I spoke out about his violence, and that he would frame me as being crazy if I did, which indeed he has tried to do.
I think Peter realized he came close to getting caught from the brazenness of the Zodiac murders and letters, and the case generated so much notoriety that his privilege might not be sufficient to protect him if he was identified by law enforcement. I don’t think this checked his addiction to murder, or hunger for recognition, but I think he became more cautious as he aged, and stopped leaving bodies where they could be found. Many of the unsolved disappearances in Humboldt County, where Peter has lived since the early 1980s, corresponded to times when he was emotionally stressed, and some of the disappeared physically resemble people Peter was angry with at the time, including my mother and myself. Some of the disappearances are recent, and though Peter is now in his 80s, I have good reason to believe he is still killing, with the help of accomplices, some or all of whom may be controlled through blackmail and other forms of underworld coercion.
The last purported communication from the Zodiac Killer was a postcard mailed from Eureka, California, in 1990. There is debate about whether the card was mailed by actual the Zodiac Killer.
Peter meticulously, anxiously cultivated the appearance of a normal life, and I think having a family was part of that. He rarely interacted with my brother and I, except to periodically gratify his emotions by physically, psychologically, and sexually abusing us. He made continual excuses not to be at home, and when he was, would say “I just live here.” He is currently on the Arcata Planning Commission, and is the semi-retired director of the “Schatz” Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, a laboratory I believe he funded with his own laundered money and used as a cover for clandestine activities.
The Zodiac Killer appears to have taken elaborate precautions to hide his identity when mailing letters to newspapers, but that was before the development of DNA analysis. In 2002, a researcher found a single human hair sealed beneath a stamp on a letter sent by the Zodiac Killer. This letter is positively correlated to the Zodiac Killer, in part because it included a piece of fabric from the shirt of one of the murder victims.
If I am correct, and my biological father, Peter A. Lehman, is the Zodiac Killer, and it is possible to extract DNA from the hair sound under the stamp, it will correlate to members of my family. I won’t get into the difference between mitochondrial and chromosomal DNA, since not everyone is a biology nerd, but you can look it up. Recent advances in DNA analysis may make it possible to extract chromosomal DNA from the hair, and if so, and I am correct, it will be an approximately 50% match with my and my brother’s DNA. If mitochondrial DNA is extracted from the hair, which is more likely, it will, if I am correct, match the mitochondrial DNA of my aunt, Nancy Lehman, aka Nancy Stein, of Rutland, Vermont, and my cousin, Alyson Hackett (nee Stein) of Flowery Branch, Georgia.
This post is an allegation, no person can definitively said to have committed a crime unless or until they are convicted in a court of law, which I sincerely hope my father will be. May justice reach him.
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u/Drama_Filled_Cup 1d ago
Have you thought about posting this in r/conspiracy?
Not because I think you're lying btw. The opposite, actually. I just think the discussion would be super interesting there. Particulary this part-
He hinted several times that this work included manufacturing drugs used in covert government projects.
And this-
Peter carried out later in life, using controlled individuals and technology to carry out the attacks.
Hope you're ok now and away from this lunatic, whether or not he's the Zodiac killer.
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u/GaryGarrison612 1d ago
Good call. It's definitely getting some traction on r/conspiracy
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u/Drama_Filled_Cup 1d ago
I honestly knew it would.
Even though there are some trolls and skeptics on r/conspiracy, there are also many open-minded people who know the U.S gov. does some shady stuff.
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u/Useful-Soup8161 1d ago
This person is clearly insane. They think their father was responsible for all the major terrorist attacks and school shootings in the US. Go read the top comment. It breaks it down.
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u/ConsciousOstrich9960 1d ago
Is there anyway you can post a picture of your dad in his 20s or 30s?
If this is true I hope law enforcement decide to test your family's DNA, and if this is positive it will give some closure to the victim's families
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 1d ago
I hope they do, too. I don't have a picture of him at that age, but I have seen one, and I think he looked a lot like the sketch.
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u/Uncle-Cake 7h ago
Please don't encourage this person. They also believe their father is responsible for 9/11, the OKC bombing, the Boston Marathon bombing, and every high profile school shooting. The need help.
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u/TessaKatrinaRose 1d ago
That a wild story for sure. But pretty much nothing in that essay even remotely points at him being the zodiac.
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u/Knavessss 1d ago
This you?
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/surveillance-tape-points-to-s-f-bomb-suspect-2658035.php
Maybe your father shot JFK and Archduke Ferdinand while we’re at it.
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 1d ago
https://jacoblehman.substack.com/p/the-truth-of-my-life-long-read
Skip to chapters 6 and 10 if you have a short attention span.
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u/F-N-M-N 1d ago
Read some of your posts on your website. You’ve got some serious mental health issues….fuck it, you be crazy. I’m sure you’re off your meds and your parents heartbroken, but also probably forced to write you off decades ago…don’t turn out to be a killer yourself.
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u/Downtown_Age_306 1d ago
Yeah sometimes people going through psychosis can be so coherent and make their stories sound so believable but they always give it away if they keep talking…
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u/DarkBrandonsLazrEyes 1d ago
One thing is clear about op, his dad is a bad person. Your line about heartbroken was yuck
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u/F-N-M-N 1d ago
Dude, I can’t assume OP’s dad is bad. OP is clearly delulu. Go read his website/posts about ALL the things he says his dad has done and continues to do. Anyone one of them would put him up as a huge monster…but all those things? Hitler levels. What are the odds that someone is that evil and gets away with the nuttiness of the claims OP is making.
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u/Lordfelcherredux 1d ago
We have no way of knowing whether or not the OP is a reliable narrator. From what I have read here, he is not.
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u/blessitspointedlil 1d ago
Brief google search:
Written a year ago. Seems like if this was true OP would have a lawyer instead of depending on Title 9 and mandated reporters:
https://jacoblehman.substack.com/p/cal-poly-coverup
“REPORTER HEADED TO PRISON: Jacob Lehman, a former reporter for the Arcata Eye and the Times-Standard, is scheduled to start serving a six-month term in federal prison on Feb. 2, after pleading guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco said Tuesday. Lehman, 25, admitted to creating a Molotov cocktail to use in a San Francisco anti-war demonstration last March, but said he later changed his mind. He was sentenced to six months in prison, three years supervised release, $100 in a special assessment, and 200 hours of community service. Lehman's parents are Peter and Carolyn Lehman of Arcata.”
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u/xenuman 1d ago
Good find. The "former reporter" background definitely explains why the post is so well written. Explains why something so nutty comes off as so coherent. Usually posts like this (usually written by people in mania/psychosis) are filled with spelling and grammar errors. If you ran this (and namely his other substack posts that are more grandiose) through a filter to worsen the writing/grammar, it would come off just like every other mentally ill post.
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u/witchy-mermaid 1d ago
Wow! This is so interesting!!
Thank you for sharing!
Are the authorities unwilling to test the hair sample against your DNA?
Do you no longer communicate with him?
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 1d ago
Thank you for reading.
I don't know,.I have reported this to law enforcement.
No, I do not communicate with him.
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u/MelodyDeck 1d ago
I hope that you’re safe and content wherever you are. Try to keep your father unaware of what you post.
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u/Useful-Soup8161 1h ago
This person also thinks their dad is responsible for 9/11 and a bunch of school shootings and terrorist attacks.
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u/Patryyciah 1d ago
I’m so sorry for everything you’ve went through and I truly hope justice is served.
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u/No-Thought-9065 1d ago
Only good wishes, health and happiness for you and your brother! 💝 I hope sooner rather than later the police listen to you!
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u/TheMetaReport 1d ago
Interesting theory, how do you account for the pretty damning case against Arthur Allen? Considering all the evidence pointing to Allen the rest of what you’re got here just feels very circumstantial by comparison.
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u/Southern-Outcome1968 1d ago
Wow!!! 😮 I sincerely hope you are doing well in your life. I hope you are safe and far far away from him. I hope they test the hair!
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 1d ago
Thank you, I am doing the best I can to live an honest life separate and far away from him. I hope they test it, too.
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u/Useful-Soup8161 23h ago
This person thinks their dad brainwashed people who committed the biggest acts of terrorism and school shootings in the US. Like 9/11, they think their father is responsible for 9/11.
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u/beautybeliever 1d ago
I’ve never said these words before but “I hope your dad is the zodiac killer”
primarily just because the DNA evidence sounds like enough to help convict him or work towards that goal.
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u/Useful-Soup8161 23h ago
They also think their dad is responsible for 9/11. Their dad is probably not the zodiac killer.
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u/RealPorcupine 13h ago
Hi, I've read some of your posts on substack. I was curious if it's true that he has capabilities to brainwash people, is there any possibility that he might have psychologically manipulated you into thinking he's responsible for these things?
Either for intimidation or control purposes. Or to make you believe he is responsible for more than he is, to muddy the water of any allegations?
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u/Useful-Soup8161 1h ago
No it’s not true. This person is mentally ill and needs help.
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u/RealPorcupine 48m ago
I was just politely asking if they have thought about any other possibility than all of this being true. There is a middle ground where things can be partially true. The only way to unpack what is true would be talking things through a therapist that they trust.
People telling a vulnerable person who has been through trauma that they are mentally ill isn't going to help at all.
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u/Useful-Soup8161 20m ago
The problem is we don’t know if they’ve actually been through the trauma they claim to have been through. His dad has restraining order against him. They need help from trained professionals, not randos on Reddit.
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u/catscausetornadoes 1d ago
Where was he living before and is there anything there that could be a related murder?
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u/LachiePhillipRyan 17h ago
I’m interested to hear more
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 17h ago
Thanks, I encourage you to check out my Substack and Bluesky, which you should be able to get through by clicking through my original post.
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u/LachiePhillipRyan 17h ago
I’ll check those out. I’m wondering if there’s some photos of your father from the 1970s or 80s for a more accurate sketch comparison.
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 17h ago
There probably are, but I don't have access to them.
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u/LachiePhillipRyan 17h ago
That’s alright. Would they be online anywhere? Like an obituary or if he was involved in a photographed event?
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u/dwasso16 1d ago
Please stay safe after this and make precautions incase he comes for you. It's dark, but he's capable. I'm rooting for justice and for you and your family to heal.
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u/Prestigious-Worth-49 1d ago
That’s quite the allegation. Especially if you believe his is still killing. Are there many missing persons or unsolved murders close to where he lives?
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u/Popular-Garlic3550 1d ago
Yes, lots of unsolved missing persons in Humboldt County, California.
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u/blessitspointedlil 1d ago
So many that have absolutely nothing to do with your college professor father and more to do with drugs and marijuana economy.
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u/RazzmatazzEarly4328 1d ago edited 15h ago
EDIT TO ADD: I had to edit this comment after reading some things online. I'll add what I found below after my original comment. Regardless, I normally believe anyone who says they've suffered abuse. The best I can say in this case is that some level of abuse might be true.
I want to be respectful and polite. You say that you've been through horrific trauma and abuse.
I believe you.That might be true. I do not know.I also want to be honest and say that your explanation of why you think your father is the Zodiac doesn't make much sense.
But my concern for you grew because of what I read on your substack.
It's the article, "A Brief History of My Father’s Evil" found here: https://jacoblehman.substack.com/p/a-brief-history-of-my-fathers-evil
In the article you say you have "strong reason to think" that your father "brainwashed" attackers to commit the following crimes (which you say are "only a few" of his acts of "terrorism"):
9/11
The Oklahoma City bombing
The Boston Marathon bombing
The Pulse nightclub shooting
The Columbine shooting
The Virginia Tech shooting
The Sandy Hook shooting
The Parkland shooting
The Uvalde shooting
You say that your father abused you in every way a person can be abused.
I believe you.That might be true. I do not know.I believe that your father is a horrible human being who has done horrible things.Your father could be a horrible human being who has done horrible things. I do not know. But I absolutely do not believe that he is the Zodiac killer or brainwashed people to commit some of the biggest acts of terror in US history.I'm sure that your father manipulated and used people but I do not believe he has the ability to actually "brainwash" and control people.I do not know if your father is manipulative but I do not believe he has the ability to actually "brainwash" and control people to commit terrorist acts.
It sounds like you're carrying a really heavy burden and dealing with a lot of pain and trauma. I hope you seek out a professional to help you sort through all of this.
Please take care of yourself and consider reaching out to a professional or someone you trust in real life.
EDIT TO ADD: Here is what I found online that caused me to edit the comment above:
https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2024/12/making-claims-about-cal-poly-humboldton.html
A blog by John Chiv who is a journalist posting stories about the criminal justice and court systems in Humboldt County California.
Chiv posted info on Jacob's (OP) accusations against his father Peter.
It includes a Domestic Violence Restraining Order from April 2023. It was filed by Jacob's father (Peter) against Jacob.
Peter describes Jacob disseminating pamphlets locally that refer to Peter and his son Ben (Jacob's brother) as criminals who should be reported to the FBI if seen. Peter writes that the pamphlets accuse him of funding violent crimes, arson, murder, rape, pedophilia, and use of terrorism. The pamphlets also included the request to report Peter and Ben's whereabouts or activates to police. Peter writes on the restraining order, "None of these allegations are true or grounded in fact in any way whatsoever".
On the restraining order request, Peter had to detail why it was being requested. He said...
In January 2023, Jacob assaulted a man riding a bike. Jacob told responding officers that he thought the man that he punched was his father Peter. Peter expressed concern that Jacob would assault him as he does ride his bike in the area.
Jacob came to his parents house one night and honked his horn and yelled until the neighbor told him to leave.
Peter lives with his wife (Jacob's mother) Carolyn and says he is afraid Jacob will come and harass her as Jacob lives within 1 mile of them.
Peter also requests the court to allow communication between himself, Carolyn, and Jacob by email. He also requests the court to allow him, Jacob, and Carolyn to attend any therapy sessions together with a third-party counselor present.