Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Zodiac is Back! (not)

Amateurs really should not attempt to be clever because it is usually their downfall. Such is the case of the murdered seven month pregnant marine, Army Spc. Megan Lynn Touma. This poor woman, excited about her wonderful future life - engaged, pregnant,and a fine career as a dentist technician in the military - transfers to the base of her fiance and ends up day the next day.

She had not reported for duty but it took a couple of more days for the motel personnel to find her corpse in a bathtub in the motel room, a "Do Not Disturb" sign (I'll bet) hanging on the door.

Now, the story takes a turn toward the bizarre. The police receive a letter from someone claiming to be the woman's killer. He confesses to the crime and then goes on to say he is taking on the persona of Zodiac, the infamous serial killer of the 1960s who was never identified.

Yes, he is the next Zodiac, is using his trademark, and left that very same symbol in the room of the murdered marine.

All right, bub. The police are not impressed and neither am I. No serial killer did in Ms. Touma. First of all, serial killers don't go for big, obviously pregnant females. Secondly, where were you, Mr. Fiance, while all this was going down? Let me back up.

Ms. Touma arrives in Fort Bragg and doesn't let you know she is coming. She stays in a motel room near the base and you don't go and see her. She disappears and you don't notice. I find this a bit odd, don't you?

So, while you are oblivious to your fiance's arrival in town, Mr. Serial killer is writing a rather peculiar letter to the police. He can't spell and has atrocious grammar - as all uneducated serial killer losers do - yet, there are in this letter, two odd phrases which seem to be rather unusual for this dolt. The letter writer says, "The following is to inform...," language common to legal, police, or military statements to the public. Secondly, the letter writer gives the date as 17 June as opposed to June 17, indicative of someone who has spent time abroad, is from another country, or in the military.

My guess is Ms. Touma's fiance did go to the motel the night she arrived and he took care of a problem he found a bit annoying; a woman and a life long commitment to a child (or at least achild support payment).

Then, realizing that he was probably going to be the one and only suspect, he returned a day later to the motel room (ignored that Do NOT DISTURB sign) and scrawled the Zodiac signature in the room and then sent the letter to the police.

Law enforcement is now searching another marine's house. Is it the fiance's house? We still are not getting an answer on this.

But, I guess they think Zodiac hasn't come back.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown