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Killer In The Code

Michael Connelly

Killer In The Code: Solving The Black Dahlia & Zodiac Cases, a new podcast from bestselling author Michael Connelly.

Self-styled cold case consultant Alex Baber believes he has a set of life skills that allow him to find the hidden beneath the hidden. These skills took him down a two-year path to solving two of the most infamous murder cases in history, The Black Dahlia and Zodiac killer cases. With no badge and no law enforcement training, has Baber closed the cases that have baffled law enforcement for more than half a century? Some of the top minds in homicide and code-breaking work believe so and stand by his findings. Killer In The Code follows Baber on his investigative journey across the country as he uses cryptology, genealogy, AI, and finally long hours of basic gumshoe work to identify a suspect that has taunted and eluded authorities for decades. Along the way startling new evidence in both cases is discovered, all of it pointing unequivocally toward one man who lived in a dark world and may have intentionally left a “smoking gun” behind so that one day he would be discovered by someone who viewed the open cases as one puzzle missing just a few key pieces. Alex Baber found those pieces and solved the puzzle. Killer In The Code tells the story. Learn more on killerinthecode.com.
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  • 12 episodes
  • Avg 31 min
  • English
  • S2 · E2
    Wednesday · 32 min

    Chapter 12: Probable Cause

    Two long experienced judges weigh in on the case against Marvin Margolis. https://killerinthecode.com/.

    • Transcript
  • S2 · E1
    Wednesday · 41 min

    Chapter 11: From The Grave

    Marvin Margolis’s military file is a gold mine of information, including his own description of the harrowing wartime experience that sent him down a dark path. https://killerinthecode.com/.

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E10
    February 19 · 23 min

    Chapter 10: New Age Sherlock

    Inspired in equal parts by Alan Turing and Arthur Conan Doyle, Alex Baber is a citizen sleuth who believes no case is unsolvable. A profile of this unconventional investigator. https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E9
    February 12 · 29 min

    Chapter 9: Last Man Standing

    An update on the investigation and an interview with William J. Mann, author of Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood. https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E8
    February 5 · 34 min

    Chapter 8: The Round Table Part 2

    Part 2 of the discussion amongst the investigators answering questions from listeners. https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E7
    February 5 · 31 min

    Chapter 7: The Round Table Part 1

    An update on the investigation. Part 1 of the discussion amongst the investigators answering questions from listeners. https://killerinthecode.com/.

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E6
    January 29 · 26 min

    Chapter 6: A Mind For Murder

    Who was Marvin Merrill? A deep dive into the suspect’s life reveals possible connections to unsolved cases from every place he ever lived.  https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E5
    January 15 · 21 min

    Chapter 5: The Zodiac Motel

    Alex Baber’s search for the ‘torture room’ where Elizabeth Short was murdered. https://killerinthecode.com/.

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E4
    January 8 · 37 min

    Chapter 4: Code Makers and Breakers

    When Ed Giorgio’s cryptology team confirmed Alex Baber’s codebreaking, they uncovered a key piece of evidence themselves and a startling connection to Elizabeth Short. https://killerinthecode.com/.

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E3
    January 6 · 42 min

    Chapter 3: El Diablo

    Alex Baber finds a clue in the last Zodiac cipher that unlocks a direct connection to the Black Dahlia. https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E2
    Dec 23, 2025 · 23 min

    Chapter 2: The Smoking Gun

    Alex Baber’s gumshoe work leads to the discovery of undeniable physical evidence linking two of most infamous murder cases in history. https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
  • S1 · E1
    Dec 22, 2025 · 30 min

    Chapter 1: The Hidden Beneath The Hidden

    Cold case consultant Alex Baber cracks the Zodiac Killer’s most difficult cypher and it leads to a stunning revelation. https://killerinthecode.com/

    • Transcript
Showing 1–12 of 12 episodes