"My Name is Zodiac...."

„My name is Zodiac…“

As far as unsolved mysteries go, this one not only takes the cake- it runs off with it too.

The Zodiac killer, responsible for an alleged 37 murders (although only seven victims are confirmed, two of whom survived) made a name for himself by writing taunting letters to the local press. These letters include four cryptograms, three of which remain to be solved to this day. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969.

In April 2004, the San Francisco Police Department marked the case "inactive", yet re-opened the case sometime later. The California Department of Justice has maintained an open case file on the Zodiac murders since 1969.

Often second only to the case of Ted Bundy, the Zodiac remains one of the most horrifying serial murder cases in the realm of crime to this day, and remains unsolved.

Lake Herman Road/ Blue Rock Springs

The first murders widely attributed to the Zodiac Killer were the shootings of high school students Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday on December 20, 1968, on Lake Herman Road, just inside Benicia city limits.

The couple was on their first date and planned to attend a Christmas concert at Hogan High School about three blocks from Jensen's home. The couple, instead, visited a friend before stopping at a local restaurant, and then driving out to Lake Herman Road. At about 10:15 p.m., Faraday parked in a gravel turnout, which was a well-known lovers' lane.

The killer exited a second car, parked nearby- and walked towards the couple, possibly forcing the pair to exit. Jensen appeared to have exited the car first. While exiting the vehicle, Faraday was shot in the head. Jensen was shot after attempting to flee the area.

In a strikingly similar scene shortly before midnight on July 4, 1969, Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau drove into the Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo, four miles from the Lake Herman Road murder site, and parked.

While the couple sat in Ferrin's car, a second car drove into the lot and parked alongside them. The car is said to have then left, returned and parked behind the lovebirds.

The driver of the second car then exited the vehicle, approaching the passenger side door of Ferrin's car, carrying a flashlight and a firearm. First, the killer directed the flashlight into Mageau's and Ferrin's eyes, before shooting each of the victims three times. When Mageau moaned in pain, the killer returned and shot each victim two additional times before driving off.

On July 5, 1969, at 12:40 a.m., a man phoned the Vallejo Police Department, reporting and claiming responsibility for the attack. He also took credit for the murders of Jensen and Faraday six-and-a-half months earlier. The police traced the call to a phone booth at a gas station at Springs Road and Tuolumne, in the close proximity of the victim’s homes and the local police station. Mageau survived the attack despite multiple shot wounds, making him one of  both known survivors.

“Dear Editor, this is the Zodiac speaking…”

On August 1, 1969, three letters prepared by the killer were received at the Vallejo Times-Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Francisco Examiner.

The author included one-third of a 408-symbol cryptogram in each, which the killer claimed contained his identity. The demand was simple: they were to be printed on each paper's front page or he would "cruise around all weekend killing lone people in the night, then move on to kill again, until (he) end(ed) up with a dozen people over the weekend."

 The Chronicle published its third of the cryptogram on page four of the next day's edition. An article printed alongside the code quoted Vallejo Police Chief Jack E. Stiltz as saying "We're not satisfied that the letter was written by the murderer" and requested the writer send a second letter with more facts to prove his identity.The threatened murders did not happen, and all three parts were eventually published.

On August 7, 1969, another letter was received at the San Francisco Examiner with the salutation "Dear Editor, this is the Zodiac speaking". It was the first time the killer had referred to himself by nickname. The letter was in response to the questioning of the authenticity of the letters.

On August 8, 1969, Donald and Bettye Harden of Salinas, California, cracked the 408-symbol cryptogram.

Before more letters would arrive however, further lives would be claimed.

Lake Berryessa/ Presidio Heights

On September 27, 1969, Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were picnicking at Lake Berryessa.  A man approached them wearing a black executioner's-type hood with clip-on sunglasses over the eye-holes and a bib-like device on his chest that had a white cross-circle symbol on it. This symbol would become the Zodiac logo. He approached them, carrying a gun. The hooded man claimed to be an escaped convict and that he needed their car and money to go to Mexico. Using precut lengths of plastic clothesline, Shepard was forced to tie up Hartnell, before being bound herself. Hartnell initially believed it to be a weird robbery, but the killer stabbed both repeatedly. The killer then drew the cross-circle symbol on Hartnell's car door with a black felt-tip pen, and wrote beneath it: "Vallejo/12-20-68/7-4-69/Sept 27-69-6:30/by knife."

The utilization of a knife and the glorification of the crime on the car door opened a new era in the Zodiac Killings.

At 7:40 p.m., the killer called the Sheriff's office from a phone booth to report his crime. The phone was found, still off the hook, minutes later only a few blocks from the sheriff's office. Detectives were able to lift a palm print from the telephone but were never able to match it to any suspects.

Hartnell survived and gave detailed descriptions of the killer and crime scene to the press.

Napa County Sheriff Detective Ken Narlow worked on solving the crime until his retirement from the department in 1987.

On October 11, 1969, a man entered the cab driven by Paul Stine at the intersection of Mason and Geary Streets in San Francisco requesting to be taken to Washington and Maple Streets in Presidio Heights. For reasons unknown, Stine drove one block past Maple to Cherry Street; and was then shot once in the head. He was observed by three teenagers across the street, who called the police and observed the man wiping the cab down before walking away towards the Presidio.

The radio dispatcher allegedly gave warning to be on the lookout for an African-American suspect, and as a result, officers drove past the killer without stopping. This mistake in descriptions remains unexplained. A sketch of the murderer was developed.

The San Francisco Police Department investigated an estimated 2,500 suspects.

Further letters arrive.

On October 14, 1969, the Chronicle received another letter from the Zodiac, this time containing a piece of Paul Stine's shirt, proving his involvement in the crime.

At 2:00 p.m. on October 20, 1969, someone claiming to be the Zodiac called Oakland PD demanding that one of two prominent lawyers appear on Jim Dunbar’s morning talk show. One lawyer agreed and someone claiming to be the Zodiac called several times, claiming to be called Sam. The lawyer, Melvin Belli, agreed to meet with him-but the suspect never showed up. The following month, the Zodiac mailed a card with another cryptogram consisting of 340 characters.

 The 340-character cipher has never been cracked.

On December 20, 1969, exactly one year after the murders of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, the Zodiac mailed a letter to Belli, including another swatch of Stine's shirt.

Johns’ Abduction

On the night of March 22, 1970, Kathleen Johns, seven months pregnant and in the company of  her 10-month-old daughter beside was driving from San Bernardino to Petaluma .While heading west on Highway 132 near Modesto, a car behind her began honking and flashing its lights. The man in the car parked behind her stated her rear tire was “looking funny” and offered assistance. Upon finishing, the man drove off. While driving away, the wheel instantly came off of Johns´ car.  The man returned, offering to drive the stranded family to the nearest gas station for help. For approximately 90 minutes they drove back and forth around back roads, and each time Johns asked why he was not stopping, he would change the subject. Ultimately stopping at an intersection, the man told Johns that he was going to kill her and then throw the baby out after her. Johns jumped out with her daughter and while hiding in a field, the man drove off. 

During her statement, Johns noticed the police composite sketch of Paul Stine's killer and recognized him as the driver.

There are numerous conflicting accounts of the Johns abduction, leading many to believe Johns made inaccurate statements about the incident.

The Zodiac continued to communicate with authorities for the remainder of 1970 via letters and greeting cards to the press. In a letter postmarked April 20, 1970, the Zodiac wrote, "My name is _____", followed by a 13-character cipher. The letter included a diagram of a bomb the Zodiac claimed he would use to blow up a school bus. At the bottom of the diagram, he wrote: "ZODIAC = 10, SFPD = 0".

Zodiac sent a greeting card postmarked 28 April 1970, to the Chronicle. Written on the card was, "I hope you enjoy yourselves when I have my BLAST". On the back of the card, the Zodiac threatened to use his bus bomb soon unless the newspaper published the full details he wrote. He also wanted to start seeing people wearing "some nice Zodiac buttons.”

On June 26, 1970, the Zodiac stated he was upset that he did not see people wearing Zodiac buttons. He also claimed responsibility for a murder the police have assured he is in no way linked to. Included with the letter was a Phillips 66 map of the San Francisco Bay Area. On the image of Mount Diablo, the Zodiac had drawn a crossed-circle similar to the ones he had included in previous correspondence. At the top of the crossed circle, he placed a zero, and then a three, six, and a nine, so the annotation resembled a clock face. The accompanying instructions stated that the zero was "to be set to Mag. N." The letter also included a 32-letter cipher that the killer claimed would, in conjunction with the code, lead to the location of a bomb he had buried and set to go off in the autumn. The bomb was never located. The killer had signed the note with "ZODIAC = 12, SFPD = 0."

In a letter to the Chronicle postmarked July 24, 1970, the Zodiac took credit for Kathleen Johns' abduction, four months after the incident.

On October 7, 1970, the Chronicle received a three-by-five inch card signed by the Zodiac with the Zodiac Logo drawn with blood. The card's message was formed by pasting words and letters from an edition of the Chronicle, and thirteen holes were punched across the card.

The Final Chapters

After cases in Santa Barbara, Lake Tahoe and Riverside, all of which have been challenged as being Zodiac Killings, numerous letters were received by the Chronicle. Reporter Paul Avery was singled out and threatened, making front page news. The Chronicle then received a letter from the Zodiac, postmarked January 29, 1974, praising The Exorcist as "the best satirical comedy“ that he had ever seen. The letter included a snippet of verse from The Mikado and an unusual symbol at the bottom that has remained unexplained by researchers. Zodiac concluded the letter with a new score, "Me = 37, SFPD = 0".

Further letters that were received remain unverified.

Arthur Leigh Allen

Arthur Leigh Allen was the prime suspect in the Zodiac murders and the only suspect served search warrants by police. He was never charged with any Zodiac-related crime, and his fingerprints did not match those left by the killer of the taxi cab driver.  In 1992, twenty-three years after the shootings, survivor Michael Mageau identified Allen as the man who shot him, from a photo lineup of 1968 driver's license photos.

Allen died in 1992 from kidney failure.

                                                                       ***

All unsolved mysteries tend to get to me. The fact that it couldn’t be solved tends to challenge something in me, and make me want to read up on the case even more.  It triggers the thirst of knowledge of wanting to know how such a criminal ticks, but at the same time never dampens the degree of evil it must take to be able to commit these crimes. So there I stand:  trying and wanting to understand; but still in disgust of the brutality of the crime. This guy got away with murder for sure.

Popular Culture: Zodiac, directed by David Fincher, is based on the two non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith: Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America's Most Elusive Serial Killer. Filming locations included San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it opened in theaters nationwide on March 2, 2007. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. , Mark Ruffalo,  Brian Cox , and John Carroll Lynch.

KARLA HOMOLKA AND PAUL BERNARDO: The "Barbie and Ken" of Serial Killers

Karla Homolka was born an the 4th of May in Port Credit, Ontario in Canada and was sentenced to  prison for the manslughter of two Ontario teenage girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kirsten French, as well as the rape and death of her own sister, Tammy Homolka.

 ...deal with the Devil...

The sentence followed a plea bargain in which Homolka agreed to testify against Paul Bernardo in return for immunity. Due to the nature of her crimes however, immunity was not an option, and she plead guilty to 3 counts of manslaughter, in return of a 12 year sentence.

  ...innocent victim of a muderous man?

Paul Bernardo, also born in Ontario, was sentenced to 25 years in Prison for murder, rape and numerous other offences, and later declared a "dangerous offender", making it unlikely that he will ever be released. He was long suspected as the "Scarbourough Rapist," and admitted to the rape of numerous victims that were  not initially brought in connection with his person.

Schoolgirl Killer murders- Tammy Homolka

"I wanted to give Paul Tammy's virginity for Christmas..."

Upon his engagement to Karla Homolka, Paul Bernardo's behaviour suggested an infatuation with Karla's younger sister Tammy. He expressed this to Karla, who seemed all to eager to help. On July 24, 1990 the couple lured Tammy into their home and served her a meal of Spaghetti, previously laced with stolen Valium. 

Karla looked on as Paul raped her younger sister. 

After spending the summer flirting with Tammy, Paul and Karla struck on December 23, 1990 yet again. They proceeded to administer sleeping pills to the then 15 year old Tammy in an egg-nog drink, undressed her and, using a Halothane soaked cloth to prevent her from protesting, filmed themselves while raping her. 

Tammy Homolka began to vomit, and subsequently died. The criminal couple called 911, and Tammy was pronounced dead at St. Catherines General Hospital a couple hours later.

UNBELIEVABLY, despite a huge burn mark on her face (from the rag) and the suspicious actions of the pair, this death was ruled "accidental." Death by choking after vomitting from consumption of alcohol.

The Schoolgirl Killer murders- Leslie Mahaffy

"Karla, we have a playmate..."

Leslie was born on July 5th and at the time of her killing, she was a grade nine student in Burlington, Ontario. After attending a funeral and missing her curfew, Mahaffy was unable to gain entrance to her home and called a friend for permission to sleep over. This however, also proved futile. After ending the call, she was intercepted by Bernardo and kidnapped. Homolka was not present at the time of the kidnapping. 

Bernardo and Homolka raped the fourteen year old girl, and videos of the assault were shown during their trial. Leslie's blindfold began to slip during the assault, which she allegedly commented, resulting ultimately in the fact that Homolka became paranoid at the idea of being identified. She murdered Leslie the following day, with a lethal dose of Halcion. The couple used a circular saw to cut the body into pieces, embedding each piece in cement blocks and disposing of them in Lake Gibson.

The Schoolgirl Killings- Kirsten French

Kirsten French was kidnapped at knife-point in St. Catherine's while returning home from school. Having fallen for Homolka's trick question of asking directions, she was forced into the couple's car and taken to the Homolka home. Over a period of three days, easter weekend, the couple filmed themselves beating, raping and degrading Kirsten. She was forced to consume large amounts of alcohol and was never blindfolded, leading to believe that the intention to murder her was never in question. The actual cause of death was difficult to determine due to conflicting statements made by both Homolka and Bernardo. Her body was found, relieved of her hair, in a ditch near north Burlington.

Trial

The trial of Karla Homolka lasted mere minutes, She recieved a 12 year sentence on two counts of manslaughter in exchange for her testimony against Paul Bernardo. The plea bargain was met with a public outcry of rage and misunderstanding in Canada. It was also sealed, before the exact extent of her involvement in the rapes was identified. She refrained from applying for parole and was released, conditionally, on July 4, 2005. These conditions were later lifted.

Paul Bernardo's trial took place in 1995. On September 1 he was convicted on numerous charges, including two first-degree murder charges and  two aggravated sexual assaults, and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was later named a "dangerous offender", making it unlikely he will ever be released. He is serving his sentence at Kingston Penitentiary, under solitary confinement. 

Bernardos trial included testimony by Homolka and videotapes of the rapes. It was subject to a publication ban, which was negated by many internet sources, citing the first Amendment. Although canadian media was censored by the ban, it did not prevent nearby US sources from reporting on the case.

*****

Note from the author:

The case of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo is so full of conflicting testimony and facts that it is extremely hard to find an accurate account. I researched this case thoroughly, but the truth is I could fill pages and pages with gruesome details. It is hard to even read about these cases and maintain a journalists opinion of not being in the opinion. I want to make it very clear that I am just as disgusted as any of you reading. Growing up in Ontario, I have been familiar with this case for a long time.  Many of the facts are distorted, conflicting and many of the accounts copied from other serial killers.

The fact that Homolka is now free and has a child of her own raises tons of questions that need to be asked. Can she be a mother? Can she love a child? What damage will be done to the child when he finds out who his mother is/was? Was she a victim of a murderous man? How could she sacrifice her own sister in the way she did? 

Let me know what you all think. I need to get a coffee and think about happier things for a couple of minutes...

  -T.

BETTY BRODERICK. The case of the betrayed wife who took justice, and a gun, into her own hands.

"Because I wanted him to listen to me."

These are the words of Betty Broderick, born November 7th, 1947 in Eastchester, NY, upon being asked why she brought a handgun into the home of her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, on the evening of November 5, 1989. 

On this evening, Betty Broderick shot the gun several times while Dan Broderick and his newly- wed wife Linda Kolkina were sleeping. Leaving both of them in a blood soaken bed to die, she removed the telephone from the room and left.

....how is he supposed to listen to you now, Betty? ...how is anyone supposed to listen? You deafened us all with the shot.

Betty Broderick initially met Dan Broderick at a football game and fell in love. She wanted a big, catholic family and so, she believed, did Dan as well. Betty charmed Dan's family with her beauty, sophistication and manners, and the two were married on April 12, 1969 in Eastchester.

While Honeymooning on a carribean cruise, the first doubts about the marriage arose. Betty often complained that their first sexual experiences were inadequate for both, and besides other problems the pair seemed to be disgruntled upon return. None the less, Betty returned from her Honeymoon pregnant with her first child, Kim. After quitting her job and committing herself to homemaking and motherhood, four children would follow. Lee, Daniel, Rhett and a baby boy who remained unnamed until passing, four days after birth.

Betty's dream of the big family had come true.

Dan Broderick had, at this point, had completed a medical degree and decided to combine this with a further degree in law, instead of further pursueing medical training. After enrolling at Harvard Law School, Dan completed his studies (all the while with Betty in the background holding down jobs to support the family) and together they relocated to San Diego where he found success as a medical malpractice attorney. The marriage, at this point, had almost fully deteriorated.

Enter the other woman.

Dan hired Linda Kolkina, a former airline attendant, as his assistant and began an affair with her. Although Betty initially suspected the affair, Dan denied it on numerous occasions. After finally moving out of the family home and taking custody of the children (which Betty demanded he so do) a lengthy and complication divorce settlement ensued in which Betty Broderick extensively complained of unfair treatment, due to Dan's legal background.

Why is that not surprising to me?

Anger, desperation, betrayal and obsession all manifested well inside Betty, as she made constant threats toward, and harrassed, her ex husband and his new wife to the point where she was served with a letter from Dan's lawyer containing threats of legal retaliation.

On the evening of November 5, 1989 Betty Broderick entered the home of Dan Broderick by means of a stolen key (out of the purse of her daughter) and made her way into the master bedroom. Here she shot both Linda and Dan Broderick to death and removed the phone, eliminating any chance of a still-surviving Dan Broderick to call for help. 

"...because I wanted them to listen to me." 

She has shown little to no remorse for her crime. I

In a highly publisized interview with Oprah Winfrey, Broderick claims she was "sorry that (he) decided to live a lifestyle that was so far away from the truth" and that people claimed he  was "the american joke."  Her demeanor as the betrayed wife who took matters into her own hands was further cemented by her general inacceptance of her actions resulting not only in a crime, but also in the deaths of two human beings. 

He had it coming.

Broderick is currently serving a two-term of 15-years-to-life sentence at the California Institute for Women in Corona, California. She was eligible for parole in January of 2010. It was denied for lack of remorse or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. She may apply again in three years time.

*****

So, did anyone "get away with murder?" Betty Broderick has fascinated me for some time. Her inabiltiy to own up, her calm and yes, almost self-assured demeanor. Her ability to polarize the country. Sure, she was sentenced. She is paying for it. But was her sentence justified? Is she a hero? Or a villain? What about Dan? Let me know what you guys think. -T.

Getting Away With Murder....The Journey begins...

I have been dreaming this one up for awhile now....so here it goes:

How many times have you come across a piece of news and thought: THIS is news? 

Ok, ok...maybe news...but NEWSWORTHY?! 

The thing that always gets me is realizing by speaking to friends or even perfect strangers: the things that interest us, drive us forward and make us curious are as diverse as the people who's destinies we so willingly scrutinize. The opinions we negate or agree upon. The actions we condone, condemn, support and/or loathe.

So while I am yawning, others are wide awake and holding their breath, waiting to see what will happen next. While I sit on the edge of my seat and feel my pulse start to race, others are bored. to. death.

The constant search for entertainment. The constant craving to be taken out of ones own comfort zone and to be able to live vicariously through the situation of another. To be allowed to judge. To be able to voice an opinion.

I know mine. I wanna hear yours. It is the media`s job to inform us all, but what information is interesting to whom, and why?  That is what I wanna know...

So, each week I will post an article covering a current event and give you the scoop. The "as is". My own opinion included. Then I will ask you the question: 

Did someone get away with murder here? 

 Is it news? Is it newsworthy? What went wrong? What went right? What would you have done differently?  Is it the truth? Or a lie? Have we been duped? What can we learn from the situation, if anything at all?

It is, in a sense, my own personal talk show blog, and you are the guest! 

So let me know what you think and leave your comments in vast amounts! 

I plan on spending a majority of time on promoting the blog and finding subscribers, so that the discussions that I sincerely hope will emerge will be as enthralling as possible. I can't wait to find you all, and look forward to discussing the news with you! 

Don't hesitate to Email me with any suggestions or comments. There is only one rule here: Be kind. 

I never confuse "nice" with "weak". You shouldn't either.

-T.