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True Crime Friday: Heriberto Seda, the New York Zodiac serial killer


Heriberto "Eddie" Seda was born July 31, 1967. He was a copycat killer of the infamous serial killer known as the Zodiac. As you know the Zodiac Killer was terrorizing California in the sixties. To this date the authorities have identified Gary Francis Poste as the infamous serial. Of course, this cannot be verified because Poste has been dead for years. There were many reasons the Zodiac was not caught some being because of several factors such as police not cooperating with each other, criminals move to different towns and therefore different authorities not connecting the dots. And serial killings was a phenomenon in those days. The police did not have a clue as to what they were dealing with in the early days of serial killings.

Seda’s reign of terror was between 1990 through 1993. He killed three people and wounded six before he was caught on June 18, 1996. Seda was obsessed with astrology just like the California Zodiac Serial Killer and he also sent letters to newspapers and police about his murders. In his letters to authorities, Seda stated he would be selecting him victims based on their zodiac sign. He said would act only at certain times when specific stars were visible. The authorities consulted with an astronomer. Those predictions provided by the astronomer were pretty accurate. He used a gun that was taped together almost looking like a toy gun. At first police thought the Zodiac killer was terrorizing New York, but a handwriting expert determined it was a copycat killer..

The Early Childhood of Heriberto Seda

Eddie as he was known grew up in a very religious household. The family lived in poverty. His mother worked several jobs leaving Eddie and his sister to fend for themselves. She had to work many hours because the father was absent. She did the best she could for her children. Eddie was homophonic, sexism, judgmental and misogynic. He worked as a confidential police informant turning in drug dealers in his neighborhood. He was very protective of his sister Gladys Reyes. Seda was trying to control her life. This would be his downfall.

The Victims of Heriberto Seda

  • Joseph "Joe" Proce, Gemini
  • Patricia Fonte, Leo
  • John DiAcone, Cancer

The Survivors of Heriberto Seda

  • Mario Orozco, Pisces
  • Jermaine Montenesdro, Aries
  • Larry Parham, Gemini
  • James "Jim" Weber, Gemini
  • Gladys Reyes, Gemini
  • Diane Ballard, Libra

The Victims of the Zodiac Serial Killer

  • David Arthur Faraday, 17
  • Betty Lou Jensen, 16
  • Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin, 22
  • Cecelia Shepard, 22
  • Paul Lee Stine, 29

The Survivors of the Zodiac Serial Killer

  • Michael Renault, 19
  • Bryan Calvin Hartnell, 20
Heriberto Seda like his California namesake, the New York murderer used riddles and ciphers to taunt the authorities and the media. The Zodiac killer sent his final letter to the newspaper San Francisco Chronicle in 1974. The killer went silent after the last letter. Seda was caught when he found his sister at home with her boyfriend alone. They got into an argument and Seda shot her in the buttocks. The police were called and Seda was arrested for domestic violence. They took the gun and thought it was a toy one but after testing it found that it was associated with the murders. He also signed the confession about the domestic violence case using his zodiac signature. One of the officers recognized this signature from a previous letter that was sent to the police, and he was charged with the murders. The New York Zodiac Serial Killer was finally caught, and the city could finally have peace of mind from this random killer.

Lady Justice

He was formally charged in the case on June 21, 1996, convicted on June 24,1998, and sentenced to 232 years imprisonment. In prison, Seda began a relationship with Synthia-China Blast, a transgender woman who was serving a sentence for a gang-related murder. The irony of his relationship since he was extremely religious and homophobic.

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