Joseph Herbert, cop who cracked case of Zodiac copycat killer, appointed to work for Congress
By Joe KempDaily News
January 8, 2011
The cop whose career skyrocketed after he cracked the case of the Zodiac copycat killer will now be the first NYPD officer appointed to work on a congressional committee, officials said.
Inspector Joseph Herbert, 53, began his new assignment on Wednesday as an expert for the powerful Homeland Security Committee, which Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.) recently took over as chairman.
"Inspector Herbert is just an incredible addition to the committee," King said. "He brings the expertise of the No. 1 counterterrorism police unit in the country. It gives us a tremendous source of knowledge."
King approached Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly a few months ago in search of a suitable person to fill the post. Herbert, a 30-year NYPD veteran, was already at the top of Kelly's list.
"He's so uniquely skilled and qualified for the job," Kelly said. "He's very experienced and will be of great value to the committee."
Herbert, who heads the NYPD's Intelligence Operations and Analysis Section, has picked up dozens of awards during his career.
He grabbed headlines as a homicide detective in 1996, when he helped collar Heriberto (Eddie) Seda, the city's copycat Zodiac killer. Seda murdered three people and wounded four others - shooting them between 1990 and 1993.
The sharp-eyed Herbert matched the notes mailed by the serial killer to the handwriting in a confession penned by Seda in a previous case.