A cipher sent by the killer, deciphered by a couple, chillingly stated, “I like killing people because it is so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all to kill.”
Despite this, Mann urges caution in assuming both killers might be the same individual. He emphasizes, “One of the things we have to be careful about is confirmation bias.”
Mann explains that if one is convinced their suspect is also the Zodiac killer, finding something like “the Zodiac Hotel” could be seen as confirmation bias, a pitfall to avoid.
Julia Cowley, a former FBI profiler, supports Mann’s perspective, highlighting significant differences between Short’s murder and the Zodiac’s crimes.
