05/21/2026
Lance Voss is not the Zodiac killer.
Recently, there's been talk of Lance Voss as a suspect in the Zodiac Killer case. This is mostly location and proximity based because Voss lived in San Jose, California in 1968 and 1969 when the Zodiac murders took place combined with the existing suspicion that Voss committed murders locally in the Lewis Clark Valley.
A popular saying among some Serial Killer Theorists is "you can't rule it out," but that's just not true. We absolutely can, and should, rule it out and we can do that by looking at the available evidence.
One of the biggest reasons to rule it out is that Lance Voss does not match any of the witness descriptions. Instead, Voss is almost the exact opposite of every detail as described by witnesses.
All the witnesses described the Zodiac man a bit differently, but they agreed on some points generally. They all describe him as an age 30s to mid 40s heavier white man with a round face and of average height.
From https://zodiackillerfacts.com/Descriptions.htm:
"Michael Mageau described the suspect at the Blue Rock Springs Park shooting as a “WMA, short, possible 5’8”, was real heavy set, beefy build... not blubbery fat, but real beefy, possibly 195 to 200 [lbs] or maybe even larger... short curly hair, light brown almost blond... with a large face.”
Bryan Hartnell stated that the attacker had brown hair and when asked to explain he said, “‘Cause I saw it from where the goggles fit... I looked so closely to find out. And when he turned you know they kind of flittered... I could see his hair. It looked kinda greasy.” Bryan told me, “I remember when I was first talked to, I mean, I had the guy being a walrus, you know... He had one of those Sears-type of jackets, you know, those can be either lined or unlined, and if it’s lined, a person could be thin, if it’s unlined the person would be heavy... I mean, he’s not obese.”
Witnesses at the Stine scene provided this description: “White Male Adult, in his early forties, 5'8", heavy build, reddish-blond ‘crew cut’ hair, wearing eyeglasses, dark brown trousers, dark (navy blue or black) ‘Parka' jacket, dark shoes.” This description was subsequently adjusted for the SFPD composite sketch which published this description: WMA 35-45 years old, 5'8" Reddish brown hair, Crewcut, Heavy Rim Glasses, Navy blue or black jacket.
Officer Don Fouke offered variations of his descriptions, including: In 1969: “The suspect that was observed by officer Fouke was a WMA 35-45 Yrs about five-foot, ten inches, 180-200 pounds. Medium heavy build- Barrel chested- Medium complexion- Light-colored hair possibly greying in rear (May have been lighting that caused this effect.) Crew cut- wearing glasses- Dressed in dark blue waist length zipper type jacket (Navy or royal blue) Elastic cuffs and waist band zipped part way up. Brown wool pants pleated type baggy in rear (Rust brown) May have been wearing low cut shoes. Subject at no time appeared to be in a hurry walking with a shuffling lope, Slightly bent forward. The subject’s general appearance- Welsh ancestry.” And again in 1989: “The individual I saw that night was a white male adult, approximately 35-45 years of age, five feet ten inches tall, 180-210 pounds.”
The suspect at the Stine scene was said to have brown or blond hair, possibly with a red tint. A small reddish brown hair was discovered behind a stamp used by the Zodiac, indicating that this description may be accurate."
Contrary to these descriptions, Lance Voss was younger in years and looks than the described Zodiac man. Voss would have been around 20-22 during 1968 and 1969 as he was born in late 1947, putting him at around 8 to 15 years younger than the youngest age in the ranges given by witnesses.
Voss was also not heavy set or beefy. He did not have a round face. To the contrary, Voss has always been described and appeared in photos as slender or thin.
Lance Voss was also abnormally tall. More than 6 feet tall. Some sources put him at 6 ft 5in. Far too tall for any of the witness descriptions.
Voss was so tall and thin that the Snake River Killer Podcast reported that during his time in the military Voss' shipmates called him "Ichabod Crane" after the tall thin character of the same name. Voss' physical appearance is more Slender Man than Zodiac killer.
Any suspect can change their weight, use makeup or masks, wear wigs, or shave their heads to look different and avoid being recognized. However, one feature a suspect cannot change is above average height. Platform shoes can help people look taller, but there is no opposite device to make yourself appear shorter.
In the Zodiac case, none of the witnesses described a very tall and slender younger man as the killer. None. All the witness reported seeing a heavy or beefy man of average height, with a roundish face, between 30 to 45.
The only real similarities Zodiac and Voss are that they both are white and men. No doubt some Theorists could create a through line based on these two descriptors, but that doesn't actually mean that similarity is evidence....it could just be apophenia.
So, in 68-69 Lance Voss was a young, slender, very tall man. And the person witnesses described as Zodiac was a middle aged or a little younger, heavy set or beefy, with a round face, and who stood at an average height, probably around 5 ft 8in to 5ft 10in.
Witness descriptions in general can differ from the actual offender and may be wrong. That is not in dispute. Witnesses can and do get things wrong.
But to consider Lance Voss a serious suspect, you would need to totally and completely ignore all the witness descriptions from each and every witness. Maybe one or two witnesses can get a detail or two wrong. One witness might remember the person wrong. But it is very unlikely that all the witnesses in this case are each separately so completely wrong about who they saw that they would all consistently describe someone who is the opposite of the real killer in nearly every described characteristic. It's preposterous.
This is the actual evidence in the Zodiac case, where real people related what they saw to the police. This isn't some fictional story where we get to write in details to shift the case narrative towards or away from someone with a plot device. We can't just play with the meanings of words to shift the case towards an ending with our favorite suspect. This is not fan fiction.
This is actual history and actual fact and the ending—the identity of the criminal—was set in the late 60s. Set into history with blood and pain and violence. We cannot just write someone into guilt with words and clever connections.
This is not a choose your own adventure story. These are real people's lives. And throwing out ridiculous theories and suspects does a disservice to the case and is insulting to the real victims who lived through and died by these real details.
Lance Voss has never been a serious suspect in the Zodiac case, he has only been suggested by people who do not know the facts and evidence. The people who suggest Voss are not trying to solve anything based on facts and evidence. They're trying to create a serial killer story based on words and feelings.
Zodiac Killer FACTS - The EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS and/or IDENTIFICATIONS
