MYSTERYQUEST: Slaughter in San Francisco

History Channel - Original Air Date: 9/30/09

The new MysteryQuest show looks into San Francisco's Zodiac killer.  For 40 years, the mass murderer held San Francisco in terror, until mysteriously vanishing.  Now MQ will try to see if new forensic techniques can shed new light on the case.  They also follow up new tips and leads.  One of the new suspects is Richard Gaikowski, a now-dead writer and "bon-vivant."  The show also looks at the unsolved cyphers, tries to trace DNA, and has a former operator listen to voice tapes.  Is "Gyke" in the cyper a reference to "Gaik" - a nickname Gaikowski often used.  The operator thinks Gaikowski's voice might be the same, and there are other hints (as well as evidence to the contrary).  But the authorities refuse the show access to DNA evidence -- though MQ has probable Gaikowski DNA for comparison.  (The show sends their evidence to 2 police authorities.)  In the end, the show's experts remain confidence that advances may help finally find the killer -- but for now, the mystery remains.