The Zodiac Killer's 340 Cipher Solution

About

The Zodiac Killer's 340 Cipher Solution refers to a series of side-by-side image macro memes in which people post mock solutions to the infamous serial killer the Zodiac Killer's long-studied coded message.

Origin

On December 11th, 2020, CNN^[1] reported that three amateur codebreakers solved the Zodiac Killer's 1969 coded message to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969 known as the "340 Cipher." The three sleuths David Oranchak, a software developer in Virginia, Jarl Van Eycke, a Belgian computer programmer, and Sam Blake, an Australian mathematician cracked the cipher last week, but have been working on the decoding the killer's messages since 2006. The message said:

"I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me
That wasn't me on the TV show which brings up a point about me
I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice all the sooner
Because I now have enough slaves to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradice so they are afraid of death
I am not afraid because I know that my new life will be an easy one in paradice death."

That day, Twitter ^[2] @ChrisLowes83 tweeted the message. The tweet received more than 20,000 like and 4,800 retweets in less than one week (shown below, left). Hours later, Twitter^[3] user @DoorHinge9 tweeted the coded message alongside the I'm Actually at My Capacity copypasta. The tweet received more thn 4,500 likes and 450 retweets in less than one week (shown below, right).

Spread

Later that day, on December 11th, 2020, Twitter^[4] user @kingxworm posted the image with the Anonymous Letter to Sammi from the MTV reality TV series Jersey Shore. The post received more than 74,000 likes and 16,000 retweets in less than one week (shown below, left). Others shared the cipher with they caption, parodying the initial tweet. It reads, "Unreal day in the Zodiac case as someone has solved the 340 cipher after 50 years" (shown below, center).

Throughout the day, others shared variations of the meme. Twitter^[5] user @Colinoscopy tweeted a variation that parodies of Apple Notes app apologies letters from celebrities. The tweet received more than 149,000 likes and 13,000 retweets in less than one week (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References