Zodiac Killer Copycat Claims American Soldier’s Murder

By Pamela Mortimer

Army Spc. Megan Touma, 23, was found dead in a North Carolina hotel room on June 21. Touma, a native of Cold Spring, KY, was discovered in a room at a Fayetteville motel after a foul odor caught the attention of a maintenance supervisor. There was a "do not disturb" sign on the door.

Touma, who was seven months pregnant, had been recently placed in a temporary position at the 19th Replacement Company after completing an assignment in Germany.

Initially, the possibility that Touma committed suicide was considered. Police said Monday that neither the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology nor the State Medical Examiners have been able to determine Touma's cause of death. Currently, the case is being investigated as a homicide.

The author of a letter send to the Fayetteville Observer claimed to be responsible for the death and made blatant references to the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac Killer, one of the most nefarious serial killers in history, was responsible for at least five deaths in California in the late 1960s. He was never caught.

In the letter, the author claims, "I will start using my role-model's signature."

The signature refers to the symbol left at crime scenes by the Zodiac Killer, a circle with a cross through it which the killer scrawled in lipstick on a mirror. A similar symbol was drawn on the letter sent to the Observer.

Police are questioning the letter's credibility, and believe the author's claims are merely an attempt to mislead investigators.

In the meantime, Army's Criminal Investigations Command (CID) and the Fayetteville Police are working hand in hand to solve the case. Chris Grey, a spokesman for the Army's CID, said the Army was "already monitoring the city's investigation into Touma's death" when it officially joined together with the Fayetteville Police.

Fayetteville police spokesman Lt. David Sportsman said the police are still taking the lead in the investigation, but Army investigators have the benefit of "worldwide access" to soldiers who may be able to obtain vital information in Germany.

"As this investigation has matured and because of the obvious link to the U.S. Army, it was expected that Army CID would eventually work this case jointly with our agency," Sportsman said in a statement.

Authorities are considering a soldier assigned to the Fort Bragg-based U.S. Army Special Operations Command as a "person of interest" in the case.