Zodiac Killer

Murder of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards

Seniors Robert Domingos (18) and Linda Edwards (17) were bound with rope, shot repeatedly with a .22 rifle, dragged into an abandoned shack, and doused with accelerant before the fire failed to ignite.

1. Domingos and Edwards arrive at a secluded Gaviota State Park beach.
2. A lone attacker confronts the couple, binds them with pre-cut lengths of rope, and opens fire at close range with a .22 rifle.
3. The attacker drags the bodies into a makeshift shack, places personal belongings inside, and attempts to ignite a fire with matches.
4. The bodies are discovered the next morning, and investigators begin a homicide inquiry.

Murder of Cheri Jo Bates

RCC freshman Cheri Jo Bates (18) was lured from her stranded Volkswagen Beetle after her ignition was disabled, ambushed in a dark alley, and brutally stabbed multiple times with a short-bladed knife.

1. Bates studies in the RCC library, then finds her Beetle's ignition and distributor disabled outside.
2. A person offering assistance lures Bates to an alleyway on Terracina Drive, where she is attacked and stabbed multiple times.
3. A groundskeeper discovers Bates's body, and Riverside police begin a homicide investigation.

Lake Herman Road Double Homicide

On a remote lovers' lane, David Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) were shot by a stranger with a .22 semiautomatic pistol; Faraday died of a contact shot to the head, Jensen was shot five times in the back.

1. Faraday and Jensen arrive and park at the Lake Herman Road turnout for a date.
2. A passing motorist notices the couple parked at the turnout.
3. The attacker fires warning shots, orders the victims from the car, kills Faraday, and shoots Jensen as she flees.
4. The crime scene is discovered shortly after 11:10 PM.

Lake Herman Road Double Homicide

On a remote lovers' lane, David Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) were shot by a stranger with a .22 semiautomatic pistol; Faraday died of a contact shot to the head, Jensen was shot five times in the back.

1. Faraday and Jensen arrive and park at the Lake Herman Road turnout for a date.
2. A passing motorist notices the couple parked at the turnout.
3. The attacker fires warning shots, orders the victims from the car, kills Faraday, and shoots Jensen as she flees.
4. The crime scene is discovered shortly after 11:10 PM.

Blue Rock Springs Park Shooting

Just before midnight on July 4, an assailant shot into a Corvair, wounding Michael Mageau (19) and killing Darlene Ferrin (22) with a 9 mm handgun.

1. Ferrin and Mageau are shot in their car by an assailant using a flashlight and a 9 mm pistol.
2. The killer calls Vallejo police from a payphone at Springs Road and Tuolumne Street, claiming responsibility for this attack and the Lake Herman Road murders.

Blue Rock Springs Park Shooting

Just before midnight on July 4, an assailant shot into a Corvair, wounding Michael Mageau (19) and killing Darlene Ferrin (22) with a 9 mm handgun.

1. Ferrin and Mageau are shot in their car by an assailant using a flashlight and a 9 mm pistol.
2. The killer calls Vallejo police from a payphone at Springs Road and Tuolumne Street, claiming responsibility for this attack and the Lake Herman Road murders.

Lake Berryessa Stabbings

College students Bryan Hartnell (20) and Cecelia Shepard (22) were ambushed by a hooded assailant who bound them and stabbed each repeatedly; Shepard died two days later, Hartnell survived.

1. Hartnell and Shepard are approached by a man in a black hooded costume with a white cross-circle symbol.
2. The assailant forces the couple to lie face-down and binds them with plastic clothesline.
3. The attacker stabs Hartnell six times and Shepard ten times with a large knife.
4. The killer writes the cross-circle symbol and prior attack dates on Hartnell's car door before leaving the scene.
5. The killer calls Napa police from a payphone to report the attack.

Lake Berryessa Stabbings

College students Bryan Hartnell (20) and Cecelia Shepard (22) were ambushed by a hooded assailant who bound them and stabbed each repeatedly; Shepard died two days later, Hartnell survived.

1. Hartnell and Shepard are approached by a man in a black hooded costume with a white cross-circle symbol.
2. The assailant forces the couple to lie face-down and binds them with plastic clothesline.
3. The attacker stabs Hartnell six times and Shepard ten times with a large knife.
4. The killer writes the cross-circle symbol and prior attack dates on Hartnell's car door before leaving the scene.
5. The killer calls Napa police from a payphone to report the attack.

Murder of Paul Stine

Taxi driver Paul Stine (29) was shot once in the head by a passenger in Presidio Heights, and the killer removed a piece of Stine's shirt that he later mailed to the press.

1. Stine picks up a passenger near Mason and Geary Streets, who directs him toward Presidio Heights.
2. At the intersection of Washington and Cherry Streets, the passenger shoots Stine once in the head.
3. Three teenagers across the street witness the killer wiping down the cab and taking Stine's wallet and a piece of his shirt before calling police.

Stine Shirt Letter Sent to the Chronicle

Two days after the Presidio Heights murder, the Zodiac mailed a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle that included a piece of Paul Stine's shirt, proving responsibility for the killing.

Zodiac Sends Letter and Stine Shirt Piece to Melvin Belli

The Zodiac mailed a letter and another piece of Paul Stine's shirt to attorney Melvin Belli, asking for help and proving authenticity.

1. The Zodiac mails a letter to Melvin Belli expressing fear of losing control and includes another swatch of Paul Stine's blood-stained shirt.

Imposter Call to the Jim Dunbar Show

A man claiming to be the Zodiac called the live Jim Dunbar television show to speak with guest attorney Melvin Belli, but the caller was later identified as an imposter named Eric Weill.

1. A caller identifying himself as the Zodiac speaks by phone during a live television appearance by Melvin Belli.
2. Investigators conclude the caller was not the Zodiac and identify him as Eric Weill.

Zodiac Sends Letter and Stine Shirt Piece to Melvin Belli

The Zodiac mailed a letter and another piece of Paul Stine's shirt to attorney Melvin Belli, asking for help and proving authenticity.

1. The Zodiac mails a letter to Melvin Belli expressing fear of losing control and includes another swatch of Paul Stine's blood-stained shirt.

Halloween Card Sent to Paul Avery

The Zodiac mailed a large Halloween card to Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, including the warning 'You are doomed.'

Blue Rock Springs Park Shooting

Just before midnight on July 4, an assailant shot into a Corvair, wounding Michael Mageau (19) and killing Darlene Ferrin (22) with a 9 mm handgun.

1. Ferrin and Mageau are shot in their car by an assailant using a flashlight and a 9 mm pistol.
2. The killer calls Vallejo police from a payphone at Springs Road and Tuolumne Street, claiming responsibility for this attack and the Lake Herman Road murders.

First Letters and Z-408 Cipher Sent

The Zodiac mailed his first three letters to the Vallejo Times-Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Francisco Examiner. Together they contained the 408-symbol cipher and a demand that the messages be published.

1. Donald and Bettye Harden solve the Z-408 cipher, revealing a taunting message about killing people.

First Letters and Z-408 Cipher Sent

The Zodiac mailed his first three letters to the Vallejo Times-Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Francisco Examiner. Together they contained the 408-symbol cipher and a demand that the messages be published.

1. Donald and Bettye Harden solve the Z-408 cipher, revealing a taunting message about killing people.

Imposter Call to the Jim Dunbar Show

A man claiming to be the Zodiac called the live Jim Dunbar television show to speak with guest attorney Melvin Belli, but the caller was later identified as an imposter named Eric Weill.

1. A caller identifying himself as the Zodiac speaks by phone during a live television appearance by Melvin Belli.
2. Investigators conclude the caller was not the Zodiac and identify him as Eric Weill.