Robert Graysmith

Robert Graysmith (born Robert Gray Smith; September 17, 1942)^[1] is an American true crime author and former cartoonist. He is known for his work on the Zodiac killer case. In recent years, Graysmith has faced scrutiny from other online sleuths, who have called various aspects of his books fraudulent, and inaccurate. ^[2]

Robert Graysmith

Robert Gray Smith

September 17, 1942

Pensacola, Florida, U.S.

Author, cartoonist

Zodiac (1986)

Margaret Ann Womack

(m. ; div. )

Melanie Krakower

(m. ; div. )

Career[edit]

Graysmith worked as a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969, when the Zodiac killer case came to prominence. He attempted to decode letters written by the killer and became obsessed with the case over the next 13 years. Graysmith wrote two books about the case; his 1986 book Zodiac was the basis for the 2007 film by the same name. He eventually gave up his career as a cartoonist to write five more books on high-profile crimes, one of which became the basis for the film Auto Focus (2002).^[3]

Personal life[edit]

Graysmith was married to Margaret Ann Womack, a nurse, from 1963 to 1973. He then married Melanie Krakower in 1975, but they divorced in 1980. He directly attributes his failed marriage to his intense interest in the Zodiac case.^[1]

In popular culture[edit]

The film Zodiac (2007), directed by David Fincher, was based on his books and featured Jake Gyllenhaal as Graysmith.^[4]

. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1986. ISBN 978-0-312-89895-3.

Zodiac

. New York: Onyx. 1990. ISBN 978-0-451-40255-4.

The Sleeping Lady: the trailside murders above the Golden Gate

. New York: Crown Publishers. 1993. ISBN 978-0-517-59209-0.

The Murder of Bob Crane: who killed the star of Hogan's Heroes?

. Washington, D.C.: Regnery. 1997. ISBN 9780895263971.

Unabomber: a desire to kill

. Washington, D.C.: Regnery. 1999. ISBN 978-0-89526-324-7.

The Bell Tower: the case of Jack the Ripper finally solved

Ghostfleet. Washington, D.C.: Regnery. 1999. 978-0-89526-271-4.

ISBN

. New York: Berkley Books. 2002. ISBN 978-0-425-18332-8.

Zodiac Unmasked: the identity of America's most elusive serial killer revealed

. New York: Berkley Books. 2003. ISBN 978-0-425-19190-3.

Amerithrax: the hunt for the anthrax killer

. New York: Berkley Books. 2009. ISBN 978-0-425-23014-5.

The Laughing Gorilla: a true story of police corruption and murder

. New York: Berkley Books. 2010. ISBN 978-0-425-23231-6.

The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower

Black Fire: the true story of the original Tom Sawyer. New York: Crown Publishers. 2012. 978-0-307-72056-6.

ISBN

Shooting Zodiac. Los Angeles: Monkey's Paw Publishing, Inc. 2021. 978-1-73658-005-9.

Robert Graysmith