Back in 1968 the turnout was larger in area and had a double-gated entrance, locked at its center point to guard access to the Benicia Water Pumping Station and nearby ranches. It is sometimes referred to as the Gate #10 turnout. The telegraph pole you see beyond the gate today was inside the gate in 1968, considerably extending the depth of the turnout, along with its width. This basic fact is often overlooked in modern day examinations of the crime scene and murders. Watch the camera rotate anticlockwise in this video, which after two seconds shows the telegraph pole that would have been inside the gated entrance in 1968.
The turnout is located approximately 3.2 miles southeast of Columbus Parkway, and 4 miles from the Blue Rock Springs parking lot, the location of the Zodiac Killer's second attack on July 4th/5th 1969. Earlier on that night, at approximately 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm, an unoccupied white Chevrolet Impala was observed sitting idle in the gravel turnout. This vehicle may have had no connection to the later double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen at 11:15 pm, but its presence on a cold, dark night on at least two occasions in the hours before the attack has aroused suspicion. Two local hunters, Frank Gasser (69) and Robert Connelly (27) stated they had passed the Lake Herman Road turnout at approximately 9:00 pm, heading toward the Marshall Ranch, when they noticed a white 4-door hardtop, 1959 or 1960 Chevrolet Impala parked up at gate #10. At exactly the same time they saw an unidentified truck exit the gate #10 turnout.
![]() The police recalled the details Robert Connelly and Frank Gasser gave, that "a light-colored 1960 Rambler station wagon was parked at the gate. It was parked southwest of where we finally found the car. This discrepancy wasn't noticed at first. They said that when they arrived there at 9:00 pm a white 4-door hardtop, a '59 or '60 Impala, was parked there, and also, a truck coming out of the gate. This coincides with information from Bingo Wesner that when he came out of the gate he saw the same Impala and also saw the red pick-up truck go by". The police report was incorrect and jumped to conclusions. Connelly and Gasser's statement didn't coincide with the statement given by Bingo Wesner, who never stated that he saw the Chevrolet Impala while exiting the gate. See here.
After Connelly and Gasser left the Marshall Ranch at about 11:05 pm, they headed back to the Gasser Ranch toward Benicia. Robert Connelly added "that the Rambler was parked on the bank. That would be on the south side. He did not see any person in the car. He estimates he left the area between 11:00 pm and 11:15 pm. He remained at the Gasser's house about an hour and then left out through Highway 21, through the Jameson Canyon and headed home, arriving about 12:30 am". ![]() Bingo George Wesner (33), a local sheepherder, stated in the police report that "he was checking his sheep at approximately 10:00 pm and he observed a white Chevrolet Impala Sedan parked by the south fence of the entrance to the pumping station. He also observed a red Ford pick-up truck with wood side boards in the area". Prior to 10:00 pm he had passed the truck of Frank Gasser and Robert Connelly at the Marshall Ranch as he headed to the field by gate #10 to check his sheep. This is when he noticed the red pick-up truck "in the area". At approximately 10:00 pm while checking his sheep and walking in the field adjacent to the turnout (Gate #10), he noticed the parked and empty white Chevrolet Impala facing the gate. Or he noticed the Chevrolet Impala when driving into Gate #10 to check his sheep. The statements in the police report made assumptions on behalf of Bingo Wesner that were totally incorrect. Read this for a full explanation.
At approximately 11:00 pm, Peggy and Homer Your were returning from Sacramento, heading west on Lake Herman Road because Homer Your wanted to check some pipes near the Marshall Ranch, as he worked for a construction company laying pipes in the area. As they passed the turnout Peggy Your would recollect the young couple in the Rambler and described her observations in the police report: "As they were driving west on Lake Herman Road at the turn off to the Benicia Water Pumping Station, she observed a Rambler station wagon parked with front end heading east, there were two Caucasians in the front seat, male and female, when the lights from the car came upon the station wagon, the male sat up in the seat. Mrs Your said it was a cold night and she noticed no frost on the station wagon". They proceeded toward the Marshall Ranch which was located approximately 30 seconds driving time beyond the turnout, where they encountered the two raccoon hunters Frank Gasser and Robert Connelly as they turned into the gated entrance of the ranch. They noticed one of the men had a long-barreled gun, while the other had a flashlight, so decided to reverse and head east back to Benicia. When they passed the turnout for a second time, the Rambler of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen was still there. The time was now a few minutes after 11:00 pm. ![]() Also during the late hours, William Crow and his girlfriend were testing his girlfriend's sports car and driving in the Lake Herman Road area between 9:30 pm and 10:00 pm, At some point during these 30 minutes they were parked in the Gate #10 turnout, facing towards the road, when they noticed a car coming from the direction of Benicia. Just after it had passed by the turnout it braked sharply and started reversing back towards them. William Crow, fearing that something wasn't right and employing a degree of caution, deemed the best approach was to leave the turnout immediately and head off in the direction of Benicia, but was followed closely by the vehicle tailgating his rear bumper.
The police report stated "he was driving his girlfriend's sports car and he was testing it out and adjusting the motor. He was parked in the open area by the pump station and he observed a blue car, possibly a Valiant coming down the road from Benicia towards Vallejo. They passed his location, stopped in the middle of the road and he saw the white lights of the reverse come on and the car started backing up towards them. Mr Crow put the car in gear and took off at a high rate of speed and the car followed him at a high rate of speed. They did not attempt to gain on him, but when they got to the turn off towards Benicia, William Crow turned towards Benicia and the other car went straight ahead. The subjects were both Caucasians and there is no further identification on the car or the subjects". In a later account, however, his details would change; "I sped up. The car behind me also sped up, and at one point as I was looking over my shoulder, the car behind me came up on my side with its right front fender near the driver’s rear quarter panel and appeared to be moving toward making contact. I shifted to a lower gear and hit the gas. There is a fork in the road where one continues toward Benicia and the other more towards the freeway toward Vallejo. The other car was clearly chasing me and I waited until the last moment and then turned off. The larger car behind me could not make the turn. I went down approximately two hundred yards and stopped in the middle of the road. The other car had stopped shortly after the turn-off. Each of us sat there in the road. Again, youthfully stupid, I yelled about kicking his ---. After some moments, the other car turned around in the roadway and went back down the road from which we had come. I kept making macho statements, but not totally without some sense about me, I drove home. I did not see the car again. I could not see the passenger seat, but the driver was a man with short hair and glasses. I did not see his specific facial features". William Crow was originally quoted in the police report that the vehicle that followed him was possibly a blue Valiant, with two male Caucasians - but this description would also change. "I never told the sheriff who interviewed me that the car I encountered was a Valiant. As I recall, as I was attempting to describe the car, the sheriff came up with a “Valiant”. In the years that have passed, when I have shared the events of that night, I have described the car as a four-door light-colored Chevy". ![]() Another eyewitness, James Owen, a supervisor at Humble Oil in Benicia, was heading along Lake Herman Road to begin his graveyard shift that night. He was estimated to have passed the turnout at approximately 11:14 pm, only moments before the double murder. He recalled in his second statement on December 24th 1968, that when he passed the turnout he saw nobody in or around the two vehicles and estimated they were parked alongside each other at 3 to 4 feet apart. After passing the turnout with his car radio on low volume, he thought he heard a single gunshot one quarter of a mile or 30 seconds beyond the turnout. However, this gunshot was never mentioned to police in his first statement on December 21st 1968, just nine hours after the double murder, in which he estimated the two vehicles to be 10 feet apart - which by all the evidence appears to be the more realistic estimation. Here are his two statements to police;
[1] 12.21.68 "He states he saw two cars parked near the entrance to the pumping station. He stated the car parked nearest was a 1955 or 1956 station wagon, boxy type, neutral in color. The other was parked to the right and abreast of the station wagon. The cars were about ten feet apart. He stated he could not give a description of the make or color of the other car". [2] 12.24.68 "He definitely saw two cars, a station wagon and another vehicle, parked approximately three or four feet to the right of the station wagon. He did not see anyone in the cars or around them. He stated as he traveled approximately one quarter of a mile beyond, he thought he heard a shot". He also stated that "just before he approached the scene, a vehicle passed him going in the opposite direction toward Vallejo. He could give no description of the vehicle. This occurred near the Borges Ranch". The Borges Ranch was situated 1.5 miles past the turnout, not 2.7 miles as described in the police report. See here. The occupant(s) of this vehicle have never come forward despite the extensive news coverage. James Owen also gave an interview in 2012 to Mike Morford on Zodiac Killer Site Forum before his death. Click here for more details. ![]() Approximated around the time of James Owen's sighting, sometime after 11:00 pm, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were parked up in the Lake Herman Road turnout when it is believed the Zodiac killer pulled up beside their Rambler and ordered them both out of the car with a .22 handgun, firing off at least two warning shots that struck the Rambler. One bullet shattered the right rear window and lodged in the left rear wheel well, while the second bullet struck the headliner of the vehicle and was retrieved from the upholstery on the opposite side. The weapon believed to have been used by the perpetrator was considered to be a J.C. Model 80 or High Standard Model 101, with Super X copper coated long rifle ammunition.
Betty Lou is thought to have exited the passenger side of the Rambler, followed by David Faraday. What followed after this is subjective, but what we do know is that David Faraday was shot beneath the lower portion of his left ear causing a fatal brain injury, and he collapsed perpendicular to the right rear wheel of the vehicle. Betty Lou Jensen, apparently fearing the worst, either made a desperate attempt to flee or was ordered to run by her killer. Whatever the case, she was gunned down by five bullets to the right side of her back, eventually falling onto the turnout floor 33 feet from the right rear of the Rambler, before falling backwards [crime scene photograph- caution]. Her head was facing the rear bumper of the Rambler 28 feet away, with her feet facing in a westerly direction. Here is a depiction of the likely order of bullets fired that night in the turnout. IMAGE.
Stella Medeiros detailed her recollections on page 19/20 of the police report "She states that no cars were going in either direction while she was on the road. When she arrived at the scene, headlights picked up the car and she observed a boy and he had looked like he had fallen out of the open door. The girl was lying on her side facing the road. She had a purple dress on and looked well dressed. She saw only one car at the scene. It looked like a Rambler, grayish in color, it had a chrome rack on the top. She states she drove sixty or seventy miles an hour enroute to Benicia to report the incident. When she saw the police car she honked her horn and blinked her lights to attract the attention of the police officers".
![]() David Faraday was found lying virtually ninety degrees, facing south-westerly, to the rear right passenger side wheel with a gunshot wound to the left side of his head. He was still breathing at the time, but sadly Betty Lou Jensen had suffered catastrophic injuries and detectives were unable to find any signs of life. [autopsy findings]. David Faraday was rushed from the scene, but he too was unfortunately was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Vallejo Hospital at 12.05 am by Dr Siebert.
![]() One of the responding officers to the Lake Herman Road crime scene that night, Pierre Bidou, detailed the night's events. "During that night we had served a search warrant at what we call The Cottage at Lake Herman which was owned by the city of Benicia, a narcotics search warrant my partner and I, we confiscated about a pound and a half of marijuana, which in the 1960s was a big drugs bust, today it wouldn't get very high on the Richter scale. We had left and were heading back to the police department to put the marijuana into evidence and as we drove by we didn't see or observe anybody in that area, there's a turn there (the crime scene turnout) and your headlights shine right in there as you go by. As I was pulling into the lot at the police department we heard the Benicia Police Department dispatcher put out a call of a possible shooting and victims on Lake Herman Road and described the location. My partner and I turned around at that time and responded to the call". Pierre Bidou, Benicia Police Department.
![]() Ten expended bullet casings were found strewn at the scene, one of which was found on the front passenger side floorboard of the Rambler. By the nature of bullet tracts found in the vehicle, it was considered the killer may have fired warning shots into the Rambler to force the couple from the station wagon. However, no fresh tire tracks or footprints were found in the turnout by police, on account of the extremely cold temperature in Benicia on December 20th 1968 - falling to a low of 22 degrees Fahrenheit or -5 degrees Celsius.
Despite the aftermath of a rigorous investigation spearheaded by Detective Sergeant Leslie Lundblad, stationed in Solano County, the horrific murders went unsolved and remain so to this day. Various motives for the murders were considered, including jealousy - with Les Lunblad checking reports that David Faraday had clashed with another youth over Betty Lou Jensen on the Wednesday before the murders. But nothing panned out. "Possibly they were ordered out of the car by the responsible, the boy was shot right at the side of the car and the girl apparently tried to run and she was shot 28 feet further on." Les Lunblad. David Faraday was a popular high school student, Eagle Scout and a member of the Vallejo High school wrestling team, leading some to conclude that David Faraday may have fought back against his attacker, as he 'had been shot in the upper portion of the left ear by a small caliber bullet which penetrated the ear and head. There appeared to be powder burns on the left ear where the bullet had entered. There was a large lump on his right cheek and the hair on his left side was matted with blood.' He also 'held a class ring by the tips of his ring and middle fingers of his left hand'. Investigators, in the months to come, were hitting dead ends and blind alleys, desperate for fresh new leads. But nobody at this point in the investigation could ever have imagined what was soon to transpire, Just shy of seven months later, at 12:40 am in the early morning of July 5th 1969, police dispatcher Nancy Slover was to receive the phone call that would change everything. See Blue Rock Springs.
![]() This marked the start of a bloody campaign of terror by the Zodiac Killer, who would eventually commit further attacks on five people after the Lake Herman Road murders - although many believe he has committed far more - with the Zodiac Killer himself claiming responsibility for the deaths of at least 37 people. But whether this is nearer to the truth, or just the inflated ego of an insane or calculated killer, remains in question to this very day.
![]() The police sketches of the scene are varied, in that when you overlay them, the Rambler changes position in relation to the environment. In other words they are not totally accurate, but the depiction on the left combines all the relevant details. There were 10 shell casings retrieved (marked in red) and 8 bullets recovered - 5 that struck Betty Lou Jensen, 2 from the Rambler and 1 from David Faraday. Two bullets were never located.
It can be noted in the more accurate depiction below, based on actual police measurements, that all but three of the shell casings found on the turnout floor were found in a small cluster in close proximity to the Rambler, suggesting the killer was standing between the cars when he shot both victims. If he had shot David Faraday first, he would literally have had to shoot Betty Lou Jensen from this location, over the top of David Faraday's body. Robert Graysmith stated that the Zodiac Killer followed Betty Lou Jensen, shooting as he chased her across the gravel turnout. This is not possible, because the ejected shell casings would have been found along the path between the rear of the Rambler and where she eventually fell - and as you can see from the diagram, there are none. Below is a more accurate depiction of the casings position based on the police report. The stray shell casing was 20 feet from the right of the Rambler, not 20 feet from David Faraday's head as incorrectly marked in the police sketch. Mike Morford (Morf13) posted a very interesting timeline of the main eyewitnesses movements during the Lake Herman Road double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968, and it demonstrates the very small window of time the Zodiac Killer had available to him, to avoid being spotted. It has been estimated the Zodiac Killer had as little as six minutes to commit the crime unseen. With his permission, the forum post can be read unchanged and in its entirety here.
Lake Herman Rd Timeline- Taken from the Reports The timeline of events for 12/20/68 on Lake Herman Rd is an interesting one, and includes some questionable details. One thing is sure, for being a dark, cold night on a quiet, lonely road, there seem to have been a good amount of witnesses and cars at and around the crime scene. An examination of the timeline is in order, but I will not attempt to ‘discredit’ ANY of the witnesses, but will merely point out the approximate established times as taken from the reports, as well as details included therein. The first, and perhaps most interesting witness, was William Crow. WILLIAM CROW- At aprox 9:30 to 10:00, Crow and his Girlfriend claim that they were parked on that very spot where Faraday & Jensen would be murdered a little over an hour later. There were no other cars parked there. Crow claims that while parked at the spot checking out his girlfriend’s new car, a blue car, possibly a Valient, passed them coming from Benicia to Vallejo, and then suddenly stopped in the road and started to back up. Crow, sensing danger, quickly pulled out, and the other car followed them at a high speed before Crow was able to quickly turn off, losing the blue car behind them. The car that chased Crow apparently contained two white males. PEGGY & HOMER YOUR- At aprox 11:00 pm, Mr & Mrs Your passed the crime scene while out checking pipes for her Husband’s job. As they passed the pump station(the turnout), they saw Faraday’s Rambler, with a ‘boy’ sitting in the driver’s seat, with the ‘girl’ resting on his shoulder, certainly based on what she witnessed, there was no sign of foul play at 11:00pm, just a young couple parked in a quiet area enjoying their time together. Mrs Your went into detail even stating that when her headlights his Dave’s car, Dave put his hands on the steering wheel. It’s obvious that she is providing great detail here, and while Ray Grant would have you believe that the kids were kidnapped earlier, and that Mrs Your was lying, or making these details up, there is ZERO evidence to support Ray’s ‘theory’. The Yours went down the road a ways, then turned around and worked their way back, and again saw the Victims and their car a couple minutes later, still in the same previous positions. The car was facing “EAST TOWARDS THE FIELD, LEFT OF THE GATE”.When the yours turned around at the Marshall Ranch, they noticed the raccoon hunter’s red truck. (Connelly & Gasser), and “at this time, the car was NOW FACING OUT TO THE ROAD”, and that there were “TWO WHITE MALES IN THE CAR”. There’s a bit of confusion here, because the report mentions “TWO MEN IN THE CAR”, which should read as, “IN THE TRUCK”. And also, it’s not clear from the report, but is likely to be assumed, that the car that was “NOW FACING OUT TO THE ROAD” was Faraday’s, and that the “TWO MEN IN THE CAR” were actually the two hunters in the truck. In a later report about 3 months after the incident, Mrs Your continues to say that she saw the two victims in the Rambler, and again mentions that when their headlights shined on the young Caucasian couple, consisting of a boy, and a girl, the boy adjusted himself, moving in his seat. She also once again details the hunters, and their clothing. Nothing changes in her description of the scene or the cars. She estimates that she encountered the hunters and saw the Rambler at about 11:15-11:18pm. Mr. Your describes the same details, and estimated that they were at the scene between 11:00 & 11:20pm. (The Yours clock was found to be off by____minutes). THE HUNTERS (FRANK GASSER & ROBERT CONNELLY) - First statement to police on 12/21/68, The hunters claim they hunted until 11:00pm or so, and they noted the time as Connelly had looked at his watch. Time was approximate, and could have been 10:50 or 10:55pm. They stated that it took them about 3-5 minutes to walk to their truck. In his 2nd statement to police, Connelly stated it may have taken up to 10 minutes to walk back to the truck. Connelly stated that they arrived at the truck, and were there about 5 minutes when a car came in and turned around. This car belonged to the Yours.After the Yours turned around, the hunters sat there about another 5 minutes, and then drove off. Connelly estimated that they left the area between 11:05 & 11:15pm. If we assume that the hunters started walking back to their truck at Connelly’s earliest estimated time of 10:50pm, and it took them 3-10 minutes to get to their truck, they arrived at the truck about 10:53 to 11:00pm. They sat there until approximately 10:58 to 11:05pm, at which time they saw the Yours turn around. They then sat there another 5 minutes or so, until approximately 11:03 to 11:12, before they left. JAMES OWEN- James Owen estimated that he passed the scene at 11:20pm. Owen estimated that he left his home in Vallejo for work at Humble Oil at about 11pm, heading towards Benicia. Police determined that Owen’s clock was 6 minutes fast, and that he really would have left at about 10:54pm putting him on the scene at about 11:14. In fact, 11:14 appears on one of the sketches, and the sketch shows Owen’s car passing the scene, and shows Faraday’s car in it’s spot, with a 2nd mystery car parked to the right of it, which is what Owen claims he saw as he went by. Owen’s account may perhaps be more important than any other witnesses, as he is the last person to see the Victim’s car prior to it being found at aprox 11:20pm by Stella Borges, along with it’s two occupants, dead on the road beside it. In short, police think that Zodiac killed the two victims between 11:14pm, and 11:20pm, when Borges found the bodies. Also of note, Owen states that he saw no people in the cars, or anywhere around them, which would include two dead bodies on the ground. Police stated that “it takes 19 minutes to travel the distance from his home to the crime scene”, which again, puts him there at 11:14pm. STELLA BORGES- Stella Borges is the person that found the two victim’s dead, and she is the first person known to be at the crime scene following the last person to pass the scene before the couple was killed.(Owen) Between Owen, and Borges, their accounts would lead the police to believe there was a tight 6 minute window for zodiac to strike. Borges states that she looked at the clock in her house, and it was 11:10pm. She then left the house driving ‘casually’ over the 2.7 miles until she reached the crime scene. She estimates that she arrived at the scene, 4-5 minutes later, which would be about 11:14-11:15pm. Keep in mind, Owen is placed there at 11:14pm up to this point. Now for something crucial- police checked her clock, and found it to be one minute fast, meaning that she likely would really be there at 11:13-11:14. Well, obviously, this is a huge glaring problem, Owen there at 11:14 seeing two cars and no people or bodies, and Borges being there at 11:13-11:14 and seeing one car and two bodies. Obviously, both of the established times for Owen and Borges can’t be correct. What happened? Borges drove off immediately at speeds of 60-70mph towards Benicia to get help, where she eventually ran into Benicia Police Officer Pitta. From Pitta’s report, he notes that Borges flagged him down at aprox 11:25pm. Pitta then raced to the scene arriving there at about 11:28pm. This is apparently how they established that Borges took 5 minutes to find and make contact with Pitta. They now think that Borges was actually at the scene at 11:20, hence the 6 minute window for zodiac to strike. The police report mentions “the distance was 3.4 miles” from where she found the cops, and the murder scene, and “possibly took her 5 minutes to drive”. One thing police did correct was to verify the accuracy of the clocks of the people on Lake Herman Rd that night. Some were found to be off, and police adjusted the times in their statements. It does not appear in the police reports, but James Owen told me that the police had him drive his route from that night while they accompanied him, and if memory serves, they had him do that more than once. Although the police did some things right, there are also some major issues with their investigation. For example, they allowed James Owen to question a potential witness, a co-worker of his, to see if he had driven by the crime scene the night of the murders. In addition, police asked Owen to hand over two rifles that he owned for ballistics testing, but later when they found out a rifle was not used, they never asked him for his handguns for testing. According to Owen, they also never asked him for prints, or writing samples. For these reasons, and the fact Owen is the last person confirmed to be at the crime scene before Borges found the bodies a few minutes later, he has become my favorite suspect. Owen was the only person at the scene that night without a witness to verify his statements, or provide an alibi for him. He had multiple inconsistencies in his statements to police. In one account he mentioned that the mystery car parked next to the Rambler was 3-4 feet away from the Rambler, and in the other statement, it was 10 feet. The biggest discrepancy of all, was that 9 hours after the crime on 12/21, Owen was giving a statement at the scene of the double murder, likely with chalk outlines on the ground, yet he failed to mention hearing any shots 9 hours before when he passed the scene, yet 3 days later on the 24th, Owen suddenly mentions that he heard a shot after he passed the scene, about a quarter mile up the road. Personally, I find it highly unusual that a witness would leave out a detail like that only 9 hours after the crime when it was fresh in his mind, especially a retired military guy like him who you would expect to be more detail oriented.Whether or not Owen was Zodiac, can be debated, the point is, the window for Zodiac to get in and out unseen, is very tight. Between the hunters leaving and Borges finding the bodies, was likely about 10 minutes. Owen is the only one confirmed to be there in between. The time between Owen passing, and Borges finding the bodies, is really tight, 6 minutes according to police, but it could be as little as 3-4 minutes. The latest time Connelly the hunter thinks they left would be 11:12. Owen was there at 11:14. Borges found the bodies at about 11:20. If Connelly’s and Owen’s times are correct, then Zodiac only had 2 minutes to arrive by some miracle in between 11:12 & 11:14 pm. That would be pretty miraculous. Also, it’s quite amazing that the crime wasn’t taking place when Owen or Borges arrived at the scene. Due to how tight the timeframe is, I think it’s entirely possible that Owen was Zodiac based on the timeframe, and the things I previously mentioned above about Owen. It simply would take the greatest luck for Zodiac to slip in to the scene without being seen just prior to Owen arriving, and slip out just before Borges finding the bodies, and Owen happens to be there at that time. He should have been properly ruled out as a suspect. Thanks to Morf13. |
![]() Above are the 5 bullet paths to Betty Lou Jensen's back (shown by the white lines). The entry wounds in orange produced exit wounds. My best estimate is that the order of the bullets fired that night was 1, 2, 5, 3 and 4. Bullets 3 and 4 striking Betty Lou Jensen as she was hunched over. This would account for the trajectory of these bullets through the body. To read the full analysis, click the image above
LAKE HERMAN ROAD - THE BALLISTICS REPORT
TWO SHOOTERS AT LAKE HERMAN ROAD TEN SHOTS WERE FIRED THE SHOTS INTO THE RAMBLER THE WHITE CHEVROLET IMPALA [PART 3] THE WHITE CHEVROLET IMPALA [PART 2] THE FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM ![]() Patrolman Russ Butterbach had been responding to the Hells Angels pad on Warren Avenue, Vallejo, when he got the call for a 187 at Lake Herman Road. Click image for info.
CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO EXPAND
This is what Pierre Bidou said in the 2007 documentary 'This is the Zodiac Speaking'; "During that night we had served a search warrant at what we call The Cottage at Lake Herman which was owned by the city of Benicia, a narcotics search warrant my partner and I, we confiscated about a pound and a half of marijuana, which in the 1960s was a big drugs bust, today it wouldn't get very high on the Richter scale. We had left and were heading back to the police department to put the marijuana into evidence and as we drove by we didn't see or observe anybody in that area, there's a turn there (the crime scene turnout) and your headlights shine right in there as you go by. As I was pulling into the lot at the police department we heard the Benicia Police Department dispatcher put out a call of a possible shooting and victims on Lake Herman Road and described the location. My partner and I turned around at that time and responded to the call." CLICK THE PHOTOGRAPH TO ENTER LHR TURNOUT
After these murders and the following attack on Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin and Michael Renault Mageau the killer mailed three letters and ciphers/cryptograms to the Vallejo Times Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner to take credit for the murder of the young couple, laying out fine details of the crime only he would be aware of. The three ciphers formed one complete message outlining the psyche of the Zodiac.
See also; Chronicle Letter and Cipher Examiner Letter and Cipher Vallejo Letter and Cipher 1963 June 4th-The Domingos/Edwards Murders
1966 October 30th-The Cheri Jo Bates Murder 1966 November 29th-The Confession Letter 1966 December- The Riverside Desktop Poem 1967 April 30th- The Three Bates Letters 1968 December 20th-The Lake Herman Murders 1969 July 4th-The Blue Rock Springs Attack 1969 July 31st- Vallejo Times-Herald Letter and 408 Cipher Page1 (solved) 1969 July 31st- Examiner Letter and 408 Cipher Page 2 (solved) 1969 July 31st- Chronicle Letter and 408 Cipher Page 3 (87% solved) 1969 July 31st- The Complete 408 Cipher 1969 August 3rd- The Snoozy & Furlong Murders 1969 August 4th- Debut of Zodiac Letter 1969 August 10th- Concerned Citizen Card 1969 September 27th- The Lake Berryessa Attack 1969 October 7th- The Good Citizen Letter 1969 October 11th- The Presidio Heights Murder 1969 October 13th-The Paul Stine Letters 1969 October 14/15th- Zodiac Call to Santa Rosa 1969 October 21st- The Phone Call to Palo Alto 1969 October 22nd- Call to Chat Show 1969 November 2nd- Daniel Williams Poisoning 1969 November 8th-The Dripping Pen Card and 340 Cipher (solved in 2020) 1969 November 9th-The Bus Bomb Letter 1969 November 19th-The Riddler Notes 1969 November 21st-The San Jose Code Letter 1969 November 28th-The Betsy Aardsma Murder 1969 December 7th- Oklahoma Radio Call 1969 December 7th-The 1st Fairfield Letter 1969 December 10th- Forecast for Cancer 1969 December 11th- Forecast for Leo 1969 December 16th-The 2nd Fairfield Letter 1969 December 19th- Zodiac Call to San Jose 1969 December 20th-The Melvin Belli Letter 1970 January 4th- Phone Call to Peggy Trainer 1970 Feb 21st- The Hood and Garcia Murders 1970 March 22nd-The Modesto Attack 1970 April 15th-The Robert Salem Murder 1970 April 20th-"My Name is" Letter, Cipher 3 and Bus Bomb Diagram 1970 April 28th-The Dragon Card 1970 June 18th- Oakland A's Letter 1970 June 26th-The Button Letter Cipher 4 and Map 1970 July 4th-The Sleeping Bag Murders 1970 July 24th-The Kathleen Johns Letter 1970 July 26th-The Little List Letter 1970 Sept 6th-The Donna Lass Disappearance 1970 October 5th-13 Hole Postcard 1970 October 17th- "You Are Next" Postcard 1970 October 27th-The Halloween Card 1971 March 13th-The Los Angeles Letter 1971 March 22nd-The Pines Card 1971 Possibly May- The 148 Character Cipher 1971 July 13th-The Monticello Card 1972 June 29th- The Novato Letter 1973 August 1st- The Albany Letter 1974 January 29th-The Exorcist Letter 1974 February 3rd-The SLA Letter 1974 May 8th-The Citizen Card 1974 July 8th-The Red Phantom Letter 1974 December 27th- Christmas Card 1975 November 3rd- The Belmont Letter 1976 August 26th-The Deep Real Estate Ad 1978 March 13th- The "I Am Back" Phone Call 1978 April 24th-The 1978 Letter 1978 May 2nd- The Channel Nine Letter 1978 July 19th- The Scotch Tape Letter 1981 March 8th- The Atlanta Letter 1982 January (?) - The Santa Claus Card 1986 May 6th- The Freeway Letter 1987 October 28th- The 1987 Letter 1988 February 1st- The McDonald's Letter 1988 February 8th- The McDonald's Letter [2] 1990 September 25th- The Celebrity Cypher 1990 December-American Greetings Card 1991-The Scorpion Ciphers to John Walsh 2001 January 10th- Happy New Year Card Unknown DMV Letter (possibly November 1971) |
With the events at Lake Herman Road for the most part built around eyewitness statements, we shall delve a little deeper into the ballistics evidence gathered from the turnout that fateful night, asking ourselves the question, were David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen murdered by one or more assailants. Ten casings were itemized at the crime scene and 8 bullets were recovered, five that targeted Betty Lou Jensen, one from David Faraday and two were retrieved from the Rambler station wagon, with two never located. Of the ten casings, nine were scattered on the turnout and one was discovered on the front passenger floorboard of the Rambler. These bullets and casings were retrieved and sent off for examination to determine the likely weapon used in the murders, and indeed, if they were actually fired from the same weapon.
Bullets and casings exhibit identifiable markings. In regards to the casings there are notable features imparted before and as the casing is ejected from the weapon, including firing pin impressions, breech marks, ejector marks and extractor marks. The bullets will exhibit class characteristics such as lands and grooves, that include number, depth and width, all dependent on the barrel rifling unique to that firearm. These lands and grooves, cut left or right, cause the bullet to spin as it is fired from the weapon, creating left or right class characteristics visible on the ejected bullet.
The police report states that 'Five Super X .22 cartridge cases found at scene by coroner Dan Horan were turned over to RO at the crime scene' and 'Four Super X cartridge cases found at scene by Sgt Silva were turned over to RO at mortuary'. These casings, along with the bullets, were sent to the Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation where they were examined. This document again details these 9 casings only in an itemized list:[1] Bullet from Faraday's body. [2] Two bullets from Jensen's body. [3] Bullet found in panties of Jensen. [4] Five Super X .22 cartridge cases found at scene by coroner. [5] Four Super X cartridge cases found at scene by Sgt Silva. [6] One bullet found on top of 1961 Rambler. [7] One bullet found in floor mat, left side storage area of 1961 Rambler. [8] One bullet found on ground near Jensen's body. [9] Purple dress of Jensen.
There were ten casings discovered at the crime scene, but only nine were itemized to be tested, which are the the ones found by Sgt Silva and Dan Horan. It is of high probability that these 9 casings were the ones recovered from the turnout floor and not the casing situated on the front passenger side of the Rambler. It was essential the casings were ultimately retrieved from the turnout floor, but was the casing inside the Rambler marked on the police sketches then left in situ when the Rambler station wagon was towed away for closer examination, ultimately separating this cartridge from the other nine. Hence the Department of Justice report only highlighting nine casings for testing "Examinations have been conducted of all the bullets and cartridge cases present in items 1 through 8." This means that likely only nine casings were tested, leaving the possibility that the tenth casing found in the front passenger side floorboard of the Rambler was never compared to the other casings. This may be extremely important if we can link this casing to the bullet used in the murder of David Faraday, and identify that the firearm used in this instance was separate to the one used to discharge the other nine bullets, thereby implicating a second weapon and second shooter.
The Department of Justice report stated that the submitted items corresponded with the use of a J C Higgins 80 pistol, "although it must not be assumed that the exhibits must have been fired in such a weapon." However, it does state a crucial piece of information, that the bullet fired into David Faraday did not contain the same class characteristics as the other seven submitted bullets. What it actually said was 'All bullets submitted were Western copper coated .22 long rifle bullets, although some were damaged, it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics.' Item [1] was the bullet recovered from David Faraday. This does not indicate the bullet as distinct and separate, but it certainly couldn't be definitively linked either, opening up the possibility it may have originated from a second firearm. If any one bullet recovered that night was to show different characteristics to the others, it could be argued that it is not surprising it came from David Faraday, if there were two assailants that night.
The first assailant triggers the events that night, firing off warning shots into the Rambler. The couple exit the vehicle and are contained by assailant [1] and assailant [2]. Without speculating on the order of the murders, the first assailant who fired into the Rambler secures Betty Lou Jensen, then unleashes a further barrage of gunfire as she flees westwards, accounting for nine casings. The second assailant who has secured David Faraday, murders him with a single shot to the head, accounting for one casing and the bullet that didn't exhibit 6 right hand twist characteristics. There is every reason to believe that the assailant responsible for firing into the Rambler from close quarters is the same person who secured Betty Lou Jensen, as she was first to exit the Rambler as he was approaching the vehicle.
This is where the 'missing' casing comes into play, that is, the tenth casing not documented in the Department of Justice report and the one observed lying on the front passenger floorboard of the Rambler station wagon. With David Faraday standing by the right side of the Rambler, facing away, a weapon pressed up to his head from this position would likely eject the casing to the shooter's rear, in a direct line with the open door of the Rambler, either deflecting off the door or landing unimpeded onto the passenger side floorboard. If the bullet that killed David Faraday was distinct and separate to the other tested bullets, this 'missing' casing may hold all the answers. If the markings on this casing are similarly unique compared to the other nine casings, then it is not inconceivable that a link exists between the bullet and casing used to murder David Faraday, and may implicate a second assailant on December 20th 1968.
There should have been a further item listed in the Department of Justice report: [10] 'One Super X cartridge case found on the front passenger side of the Rambler station wagon.' But there wasn't. www.zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=74&pid=922#top_display_media
Bullets and casings exhibit identifiable markings. In regards to the casings there are notable features imparted before and as the casing is ejected from the weapon, including firing pin impressions, breech marks, ejector marks and extractor marks. The bullets will exhibit class characteristics such as lands and grooves, that include number, depth and width, all dependent on the barrel rifling unique to that firearm. These lands and grooves, cut left or right, cause the bullet to spin as it is fired from the weapon, creating left or right class characteristics visible on the ejected bullet.
The police report states that 'Five Super X .22 cartridge cases found at scene by coroner Dan Horan were turned over to RO at the crime scene' and 'Four Super X cartridge cases found at scene by Sgt Silva were turned over to RO at mortuary'. These casings, along with the bullets, were sent to the Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation where they were examined. This document again details these 9 casings only in an itemized list:[1] Bullet from Faraday's body. [2] Two bullets from Jensen's body. [3] Bullet found in panties of Jensen. [4] Five Super X .22 cartridge cases found at scene by coroner. [5] Four Super X cartridge cases found at scene by Sgt Silva. [6] One bullet found on top of 1961 Rambler. [7] One bullet found in floor mat, left side storage area of 1961 Rambler. [8] One bullet found on ground near Jensen's body. [9] Purple dress of Jensen.
There were ten casings discovered at the crime scene, but only nine were itemized to be tested, which are the the ones found by Sgt Silva and Dan Horan. It is of high probability that these 9 casings were the ones recovered from the turnout floor and not the casing situated on the front passenger side of the Rambler. It was essential the casings were ultimately retrieved from the turnout floor, but was the casing inside the Rambler marked on the police sketches then left in situ when the Rambler station wagon was towed away for closer examination, ultimately separating this cartridge from the other nine. Hence the Department of Justice report only highlighting nine casings for testing "Examinations have been conducted of all the bullets and cartridge cases present in items 1 through 8." This means that likely only nine casings were tested, leaving the possibility that the tenth casing found in the front passenger side floorboard of the Rambler was never compared to the other casings. This may be extremely important if we can link this casing to the bullet used in the murder of David Faraday, and identify that the firearm used in this instance was separate to the one used to discharge the other nine bullets, thereby implicating a second weapon and second shooter.
The Department of Justice report stated that the submitted items corresponded with the use of a J C Higgins 80 pistol, "although it must not be assumed that the exhibits must have been fired in such a weapon." However, it does state a crucial piece of information, that the bullet fired into David Faraday did not contain the same class characteristics as the other seven submitted bullets. What it actually said was 'All bullets submitted were Western copper coated .22 long rifle bullets, although some were damaged, it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics.' Item [1] was the bullet recovered from David Faraday. This does not indicate the bullet as distinct and separate, but it certainly couldn't be definitively linked either, opening up the possibility it may have originated from a second firearm. If any one bullet recovered that night was to show different characteristics to the others, it could be argued that it is not surprising it came from David Faraday, if there were two assailants that night.
The first assailant triggers the events that night, firing off warning shots into the Rambler. The couple exit the vehicle and are contained by assailant [1] and assailant [2]. Without speculating on the order of the murders, the first assailant who fired into the Rambler secures Betty Lou Jensen, then unleashes a further barrage of gunfire as she flees westwards, accounting for nine casings. The second assailant who has secured David Faraday, murders him with a single shot to the head, accounting for one casing and the bullet that didn't exhibit 6 right hand twist characteristics. There is every reason to believe that the assailant responsible for firing into the Rambler from close quarters is the same person who secured Betty Lou Jensen, as she was first to exit the Rambler as he was approaching the vehicle.
This is where the 'missing' casing comes into play, that is, the tenth casing not documented in the Department of Justice report and the one observed lying on the front passenger floorboard of the Rambler station wagon. With David Faraday standing by the right side of the Rambler, facing away, a weapon pressed up to his head from this position would likely eject the casing to the shooter's rear, in a direct line with the open door of the Rambler, either deflecting off the door or landing unimpeded onto the passenger side floorboard. If the bullet that killed David Faraday was distinct and separate to the other tested bullets, this 'missing' casing may hold all the answers. If the markings on this casing are similarly unique compared to the other nine casings, then it is not inconceivable that a link exists between the bullet and casing used to murder David Faraday, and may implicate a second assailant on December 20th 1968.
There should have been a further item listed in the Department of Justice report: [10] 'One Super X cartridge case found on the front passenger side of the Rambler station wagon.' But there wasn't. www.zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=74&pid=922#top_display_media