# The Man With the Hammer: Gary Poste and the Zodiac Killer Theory Explained

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/crime-time-inc-6621363/the-man-with-the-hammer-gary-poste-and-the-zodiac-killer-theory-explained
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/crime-time-inc-6621363/the-man-with-the-hammer-gary-poste-and-the-zodiac-killer-theory-explained.md
Podcast: [Crime Time Inc](https://stenobird.com/podcast/crime-time-inc-6621363)
Published: 2026-04-08T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/crime-time-inc/episodes/gary-poste
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/64f1fe0ba21165001136d51e/e/69cac7e392d007a76519d40a/media.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/crime-time-inc-6621363/episodes/the-man-with-the-hammer-gary-poste-and-the-zodiac-killer-theory-explained
Duration seconds: 999

## Resource

In this episode, Simon and Tom examine one of the most controversial modern Zodiac Killer suspects: Gary Francis Poste . The story begins with a chilling moment—an elderly man, a simple question, and a violent response with a hammer. That moment would later fuel a nationwide media storm and reignite interest in a case that has remained unsolved for over 50 years. We break down the claims made by the Case Breakers , a team of former law enforcement and intelligence professionals who publicly named Poste as the Zodiac in 2021. Key areas explored in this episode: The hammer incident and the credibility of the sole witness Poste’s background: Air Force service, cryptography training, and life in the Bay Area during the Zodiac murders His move to Groveland, California in 1970 —the same year the Zodiac killings stopped Allegations of violence, control, and disturbing behaviour reported by neighbours The forehead scars and how they compare to the Zodiac composite sketch The controversial cipher theory linking Poste’s name to the Zodiac’s coded messages The connection to the Cheri Jo Bates murder —and why police dispute it Claims of hidden weapons caches and a possible trained group of followers The ongoing mystery surrounding DNA evidence —and why it has never been conclusively compared We also examine strong criticism from leading Zodiac researchers, including Tom Voigt, and explore whether the Case Breakers’ evidence holds up under scrutiny. With no confirmed forensic link—no definitive DNA, fingerprints, or handwriting match—the case against Gary Poste remains entirely circumstantial . So why hasn’t law enforcement fully addressed it? And what happens when a suspect dies before answers are found? The Zodiac case remains officially open. And the question still stands: Was G…

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/crime-time-inc-6621363/episodes/the-man-with-the-hammer-gary-poste-and-the-zodiac-killer-theory-explained/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/crime-time-inc-6621363/the-man-with-the-hammer-gary-poste-and-the-zodiac-killer-theory-explained.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.