From the Archives: Before the Recent Headlines — Most Evil I & II: Linking Black Dahlia to Zodiac
August 5, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington Recent media coverage of the Team Connelly/Baber investigation has generated renewed public interest in the George Hodel case and its possible connection to the Zodiac murders. Many readers have asked where they should begin. The following presentation is the complete Introduction to my 2015 book, Most Evil II, read…
Read MoreA Stroke of Skill:”Marlin Mike” to Circumnavigate Manhattan Island on August 8, 2026
August 3, 2026 Birch Bay, Washinton Just keeps on stroking. Twenty Bridges Swim Around Manhattan Island Photo courtesy Nathaniel Johnston After successfully completing his cross-Channel swim from England to France, my son, Mike “The Marlin” Hodel, celebrated his 49th birthday just last week. Now he’s preparing…
Read MoreProud Papa Part III — HE MADE IT! Michael Sean Hodel Completes the English Channel in 10 Hours 48 Minutes
July 9, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington Proud Papa Part III HE MADE IT- Official Time 10 hrs-48 mins. This morning my son, Michael Sean Hodel, successfully completed his English Channel swim from Dover to France. As I understand it, Channel rules are simple and beautifully understated: you reach France, touch the rock, climb back aboard…
Read MoreUPDATE- Michael Sean Hodel’s English Channel Swim-Son about to take a Dover Dive and Head for France
July 8, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington Proud Papa Part II UPDATE — Michael Sean Hodel’s English Channel Swim Looks like Michael Sean is now aiming to begin his English Channel swim on the morning of Thursday, July 9, British time, which will be the evening of Wednesday, July 8, U.S. time. Michael was a swimming…
Read MoreUpcoming Interview: Voices from the Grave — Black Dahlia Avenger/Zodiac Linkage, Friday, July 10, at 5 PM (PST))
January 5, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington This Friday at 5 PM I’ll be joining my longtime friends Karen Smith and Alisa Statman on Voices from the Grave for a conversation about the Black Dahlia case, the Sowden House, and the Black Dahlia / Zodiac linkage explored in my work over the years. Karen, Alisa, and…
Read MoreBLACK DAHLIA MYTH-BUSTING: THE “MISSING WEEK” THAT NEVER WAS
July 3, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington Happy 4th of July! How an LAPD Police Bulletin Helped Create a Black Dahlia Legend—and How the Witnesses It Generated Destroyed It For decades, one of the most repeated claims in the Black Dahlia case has been that Elizabeth Short “disappeared” after she was dropped off at the Biltmore…
Read MoreFrom the Archive: The 2009 National Radio Tour That First Linked Dr. George Hill Hodel to the Black Dahlia and Zodiac Murders
June 29, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington Purloined Letter No. 1Rediscovering the complete national radio tour for Most Evil (September 22, 2009). Every so often, the archive yields an unexpected surprise. A few days ago, while organizing what I now call the Steve Hodel Master Reference Library, I came across an old CD whose existence I…
Read MoreThe Historical Record-My Black Dahlia–Zodiac Research and the Materials Provided to Alex Baber (2022–2023)
June 26, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington The June 21, 2026, publication of The Sunday Times article describing Alex Baber’s AI-assisted investigation into the Zodiac Killer has prompted me to document the chronology of my interactions with Mr. Baber and the research materials I provided to him during 2022–2023. My purpose is to preserve an accurate…
Read MoreTHE 1947 JEANNE FRENCH MURDER HEELPRINT EVIDENCE REVISITED: AN INTERNATIONAL TRACKING EXPERT REVIEWS THE EVIDENCE
June 16, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington For decades, researchers examining the February 10, 1947 murder of Jeanne French have cited a detail contained within the original LAPD investigation: a partial heel impression reportedly found on the victim’s body. Excerpted reference to “heel prints” from LAPD’s 1947 Jeanne French murder summary: According to the…
Read MoreL.A. Lone Woman Victim Ruth Spaulding—and Two Forgotten Portraits
June 8, 2026 Birch Bay, Washington After more than two decades of research into the George Hodel story, I have learned that some of the most interesting discoveries arrive unexpectedly. Today, researcher Eddie Lepper brought to my attention something I had never seen before: two portraits of Ruth Spaulding painted during the 1930s by noted…
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