A message from the 'Zodiac Killer' has been decoded after more than 50 years.
The alleged serial killer carried out at least five murders in northern California in the late 1960s.
He was dubbed the Zodiac Killer after sending taunting letters and mysterious ciphers to police and local newspapers.
Until now, one of the coded messages, which was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1968, has never been cracked.
Many believe it contains important information about the murders.
The three members of the public, an Australian software engineer, American cryptographer and Belgian software engineer think they have managed to make sense of the coded symbols, letters and numbers.
However, the team of cryptography enthusiasts say the message held no real clues to the killer's motive or identity.
The message is said to read: "I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me.
“I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me."
#Breaking - Our statement regarding the #Zodiac cipher: pic.twitter.com/cJCtlDEbMw
— FBI SanFrancisco (@FBISanFrancisco) December 11, 2020
The FBI's San Francisco division said in a statement: "The FBI is aware that a cipher attributed to the Zodiac Killer was recently solved by private citizens.
"The Zodiac Killer terrorised multiple communities across Northern California and even though decades have gone by, we continue to seek justice for the victims of these brutal crimes.
"Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, and out of respect for the victims and their families, we will not be providing further comment at this time."
Additional reporting by IRN
