Okay, guys, you won’t believe the rabbit hole I fell down today. It all started with me just randomly thinking about the Chinese Zodiac, right? Then, boom! My brain somehow made a pit stop at the infamous Zodiac Killer case. I know, totally out of left field. And I just couldn’t shake it off. So I did what any curious person would do – I started digging.
First, I hit up Google, just to refresh my memory on the basics. I was reading about the creepy letters he sent and all that jazz. Then, I stumbled upon some articles mentioning this guy, Arthur Leigh Allen, who was apparently the main suspect. Never convicted, though. Died in ’92. But here’s where it got weird(er).

I found this old news bit about a dude in Albany, New York. Calls himself the “Chinese Zodiac Killer” – like, what? This guy, Jesse Bartlett, was claiming some really messed up stuff in his letters. It was just insane. Said he killed people and did all of these horrible things to their bodies. So of course I’m glued to my screen at this point.
So I kept digging and digging. Turns out, this Bartlett guy was no joke. Cops found a bunch of weapons in his place when they finally caught him. It wasn’t clear if he really killed anybody like the real Zodiac, but just the fact that he was inspired by him is creepy as hell. It made me wonder, how many copycats were there? Were all these “Chinese Zodiac Killer” letters from the same guy, or were there multiple nuts running around?
I spent a good chunk of my afternoon going through old news reports and some pretty sketchy conspiracy theory websites, trying to piece it all together. Honestly, it’s a total mess. There’s like, zero solid info on this “Chinese Zodiac Killer” beyond the Albany guy. It’s all speculation and rumors. It seems like the police maybe tried to keep it under wraps, or maybe they just didn’t take it seriously. I mean, who would believe a “Chinese Zodiac Killer”?
Here’s the kicker, though. I found a mention of this TV show where someone claiming to be the Zodiac Killer called in. In one of his letters, the real Zodiac actually denied it was him. Said he had “enough slaves” already. Chilling, right? But it makes you think – if the real Zodiac was watching, did this “Chinese Zodiac Killer” copycat stuff piss him off? Was he flattered? Did he even care?
- Looked up the original Zodiac Killer case – refreshed my memory.
- Found info on Arthur Leigh Allen, the main suspect who was never convicted.
- Discovered the “Chinese Zodiac Killer” in Albany, Jesse Bartlett.
- Read about Bartlett’s arrest and the weapons found in his home.
- Searched for more info on other potential “Chinese Zodiac Killer” copycats.
- Found mention of a TV show call-in and the real Zodiac’s denial.
Honestly, this whole thing left me with more questions than answers. It’s like this weird, unsolved mystery within an unsolved mystery. And it all started with a random thought about the Chinese Zodiac. The internet is a wild place, man.