Book claims Zodiac Killer was author's father

A new book to be published by HarperCollins could hold the identity of the infamous Zodiac Killer within its pages. The Most Dangerous Animal of All, written byGary L. Stewart reveals the author's belief that the notorious Zodiac Killer was in fact his biological father. The book is released next week in the UK, but is already available in the US where it is - it's fair to say - grabbing quite a lot of attention.

The identity of the Zodiac killer, active in the 60s and 70s in California, has never been established. That is despite an extraordinary amount of time spent on the case and  killers own letters to police and media alleging to contain clues as to his own identity.

Stewart though believes the killer was his father, and in an interview with People told that he thinks the killers victims resembled his mother, Judith Gilford, a 14 year old who Best ran away from home with in 1963. Best was later arrested and imprisoned for offences inclusing raping a minor.

Speaking about the book HarperCollins spokesperson, Laura Lees, has offered:

"Years of research led Gary to the conclusion, after he launched a search for his biological father shortly after his birth mother made contact with him. He also says he unearthed forensic evidence among the clues he found."

The author's evidence is included in the book, and the cover displays an image of Best some may feel compelled to compare to a police artist's sketch of the Zodiac killer.

Earl Van Best though, if he was the killer, died in 1984. And the San Francisco Police Department have refused to compare the author's DNA with that held on file.

Stewart says the evidence was "the last thing" he wanted to find when looking into his past, having been contacted by Gilford in 2002.  But he does hope the book may "bring some closure to the families of my father's victims".