The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating a potential link between the Black Dahlia murder and the Zodiac killings after receiving fingerprints tied to a new suspect. Detective Martin Mojarro, one of two LAPD detectives assigned to the unsolved Black Dahlia case, confirmed that the department is examining fingerprints from Marvin Margolis, a former Marine also known as Marvin Merrill. The fingerprints were provided by Alex Baber, an investigative consultant who claims Margolis is responsible for both the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia) and the Zodiac killings in the late 1960s.
Baber’s findings include solving the Zodiac’s Z13 cipher, a 13-character code allegedly containing the killer’s name, and compiling circumstantial evidence from personal archives linked to Margolis. The LAPD has not confirmed what evidence from the Black Dahlia case will be compared to the fingerprints, but Baber stated that multiple prints exist, including those found on a package sent to the Los Angeles Examiner after Short’s murder.
Background on the Cases
The Black Dahlia murder occurred on January 15, 1947, when Short’s mutilated body was discovered in Los Angeles’s Leimert Park neighborhood. The case remains one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in U.S. history. The Zodiac killings took place in California’s Bay Area between 1968 and 1969, with the killer sending cryptic letters to newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle. Margolis, who served in the Navy during World War II, has been identified as a suspect in both cases due to Baber’s research.
LAPD’s Response
Detective Mojarro acknowledged the significance of the new evidence but emphasized the need for further verification. ‘As an investigator, if it potentially could help, I would absolutely not turn it down,’ he told Fox News Digital. The LAPD has not yet confirmed whether the fingerprints match any evidence from the Black Dahlia case.
Ongoing Investigation
The LAPD’s cold case unit continues to review the new information, though Mojarro noted the challenges posed by the case’s age. ‘This is probably one of the most difficult cases, realistically, because of the time that’s passed,’ he said. The investigation remains active, with no definitive conclusions yet.