A REVISED TIMELINE AT LAKE BERRYESSA

2/18/2025

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia of Bryan Hartnell

Zodiac researcher Jibberjabber has made an extremely good case that Ronald Henry Fong (39) (in his boat) heard the cries of Bryan Hartnell closer to 6pm, meaning that the attack on the young couple was likely just shy of the hour. In the statement of Ronald Fong the first time recorded for the cries for help was 6:00pm, corrected to 6:15pm. Bryan Hartnell stated that after the attack Ronald Fong had "stayed there watching us for about 15 minutes", with Ronald Fong stating that he didn't leave immediately because he thought it was a joke. So this may explain why we have the two times of 6:00 and 6:15pm in the report (see below).

If the Zodiac Killer had left the crime scene at say 5:58pm, it would have taken him about 7 minutes to walk 510 yards uphill to the 1956 White Karmann Ghia of Bryan Hartnell. Two minutes to write the message on the car door and remove/conceal his costume, has the Zodiac Killer signing 6:30 at approximately 6:07pm. The journey time walking north from the car of Bryan Hartnell to Smittle Creek Day Use Area (5600 Knoxville Road) is 0.8 miles. Police noted that this was the location of the Dr. Rayfield & Son sighting of a man walking north across the hillside. Across less than favorable terrain, this journey time would have taken the Zodiac Killer approximately 25 to 30 minutes. This means that the Zodiac Killer would be passing Smittle Creek at about 6:32 to 6:37pm.

In his submission to police "Dr Rayfield stated that about 6:30 pm the previous evening (September 27th), he and his son had parked their car north of Park Headquarters in the general area of the crime scene. They stated they went down towards the beach area when David noticed a white male adult subject walking in the area, described as about 5'10", heavy build, wearing dark trousers, a dark shirt with red in it, long sleeves". They had parked their vehicle at 6:30pm, but by the time they had got their belongings from the car, traveled down towards the beach and spotted the "subject at a distance of about 100 yards", it was likely closer to 6:32 to 6:35pm. The exact time the Zodiac Killer would have passed this area from the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.

The police report stated that "at 3:30 pm she and her two girlfriends parked their vehicle at a location two miles north of the A & W Root Beer stand on Knoxville Road". These were the three women from Pacific Union College who noticed the suspicious voyeur on the hillside. This location, 2 miles north of the A & W Root Beer stand at 5100 Knoxville Road, is at Smittle Creek. The same location that Dr. Rayfield & Son would notice the male subject 3 hours later. Two unusual occurrences, either side of a brutal stabbing, in which two independent sets of eyewitnesses at the same location, felt the need to report to police what they saw that day. An image of the man observed by the three women appeared in the newspapers.

One of these girls described the man as having "straight dark hair neatly combed". Looking at the hairstyle in the image on the left, the front of the hair is shown being combed back. This hair only has to be a few inches long, so that when the executioner's hood is pulled over the head in preparation for the attack, the hair at the front is displaced and dragged forward. This may have been the dark, greasy hair spotted by the eyelets of the hood by Bryan Hartnell.

This could suggest that the Zodiac Killer was stalking the hillsides of Lake Berryessa for upwards of 3 hours looking for suitable victims, just like he may have done at Lake Herman Road, parking his white Chevrolet Impala in the turnout and venturing into the adjoining fields in the hours before the double shooting on December 20th 1968. A murderer prepared to diligently look for victims over a protracted period of time. At Lake Berryessa we had three incidents reported to police spanning 3:30pm to 6:30pm, within 0.8 miles of one another, of which two were at the same location of Smittle Creek. But was it the Zodiac Killer stalking the hillsides that day, with a vehicle parked slightly north of the Rayfield sighting?
Thanks again to Jibberjabber.

17 Comments

Jibberjabber

2/17/2025 11:27:57 pm

Thanks Richard, there may be mileage in or maybe not but I think it is a useful reminder that there is room to challenge the accepted facts in this case even after 55 years. The only person who pinpointed the time was Zodiac himself, do we have to take what he wrote as the truth? It is definitely in the ballpark of timelines but there could be some flexibility which could make what other people saw before or after the stabbing more relevant. I am wondering now why did Zodiac even feel the need to write the time I don't think he ever wrote a time in any other correspondence. It was obvious he was the killer he had referenced his other crimes, he made a phonecall about an hour later so what was the point of adding a time stamp? I personally think it was a deception so that if investigators did speak to David Rayfield they would doubt the man he saw was Zodiac as he was supposedly stabbing Bryan and Cecilia at the same time as being spotted by Rayfield. The addition of the time seems almost to give an alibi🤔

Richard

2/18/2025 12:15:48 am

When he encountered Dr. Rayfield he had supposedly already written on the car door, so he could have put a slightly different time in case he passed any potential eyewitnesses (as you said). But what about another option. We know that Dr. Rayfield estimated the time he parked up that evening at 6:30pm, but what if it was somewhere between 6:27pm and 6:33pm, and Zodiac only took 18-20 minutes to hastily walk the 0.8 miles from the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. If this was the case, Dr. Rayfield may have seen Zodiac slightly before 6:30pm. If Zodiac had walked onwards (say from 6:27pm) to his vehicle 2 minutes northwards, got in his vehicle and driven south past the crime scene area in about 2 minutes, the time would now be around 6:30pm. Maybe Zodiac decided to write on the car door now, not immediately after the stabbings. This would render the time of the writing on the car door correct. Maybe his marker pen was in his vehicle, not on his person during the attack.

Richard

2/18/2025 01:01:49 am

I've added a map above Jibberjabber, so you can see a potential turnout where Zodiac could have parked. If Rayfield had seen Zodiac at say 6:27pm, he could have driven south back to the Karmann Ghia in about 3 minutes, making the car door time correct, had it been done on his exit route from Lake Berryessa. Slightly more risk putting his vehicle in close proximity to the crime scene, but it wouldn't be the first time Zodiac took chances. The writing couldn't have taken any more than one minute to achieve.

Richard

2/18/2025 03:26:12 am

There is another reason he may have written the time on the car door. The Zodiac couldn't have been certain when the victims were going to be found (dead or alive), but by pinpointing the time of the attack it cemented the Zodiac Killer to the actual murders or attempted murders. Had both died on scene, as Zodiac probably expected, any autopsy would have given an approximation of the time of death. If this tallied with the time on the car door, it would have gone some way of proving that the writer was actually the killer. The Zodiac Killer may have been adding another layer of proof after being questioned by Vallejo Police Chief Jack Stiltz when he mailed the July 31st 1969 letters.

JIbberjabber

2/18/2025 09:38:39 am

That's interesting! I agree it is more likely he had a marker pen in a vehicle than on him, I think the writing on the car was just something that came to him when he realised the white paint of the car would be a good canvas for a black marker pen. I dont think the writing on the car was necessarily planned although I think he likely always planned to make a phone-call after the crime. Personally I have always found it strange/interesting he had a permanent marker pen on him. What was he marking up when not writing on victim's cars🤔

Rubislaw32 link

2/18/2025 10:24:32 am

Certainly something to ponder, Jibberjabber.

I suspect that the Zodiac always intended to leaving a ''tally'' message of some sort, if he felt he had the time. Perhaps he envisioned that he would do this on a car's windscreen or windows (?). But, given the lightness in colour of Bryan's car, the bodywork seemed a better idea . All things considered, key to the Zodiac's persona, was his need to communicate, while perpetuating his menace. And, so it seems, he was looking at varied ways to do this.

Jibberjabber

2/17/2025 11:31:37 pm

Also worth pointing out to readers as you will know and maybe most do anyway there are variations of the LB composite some showing a leaner face. I will see if I can find them and upload them, I believe the Napa register definitely published a couple of slightly different images of strange guy

Richard link

2/17/2025 11:57:17 pm

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/published/sketch_1.gif?1502837932

Johnny

2/18/2025 01:45:22 pm

The Beryessa sketch dont look much like Chester ( much to rounded facial shape ). So maybe if we go after that picture it could be another individual. Of the known POI's perhaps Rick Marshall? Someone else?

Its a bit similar as Morfords suspect aswell. Bujok handsome, but
maybe it could be him aswell.

He looks like a real creep in this sketch...

Richard

2/18/2025 09:13:00 pm

Take it with a pinch of salt Johnny. What the police should have done was separate the three women and created three independent sketches or composites. Then, if all three looked almost identical it would have carried more weight. The same should have been done at Presidio Heights with the Robbins kids and Donald Fouke.

The mystery of whether the three women saw Zodiac could easily have been resolved by taking footwear impressions from where the man was seen walking. But there was no mention of this being attempted in the police report. Another opportunity in a long list of opportunities missed. Had the footwear impressions matched those at the crime scene, it would have proved that the seemingly different individuals at Lake Berryessa and Presidio Heights were actually the same person, and tell you everything you need to know about the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.

Rubislaw32 link

2/18/2025 09:57:59 pm

Yes, Richard. Albeit a Saturday, the summer was over. It was an overcast day and breezy at Lake Berryessa.

There was hardly anyone there, and it seems that the park rangers were actually able to count how many tourists did turn up.

Extraordinary - given the magnitude of the crime.

Richard

2/19/2025 12:16:02 am

And it was dark by the time park rangers and police arrived, making the investigation a little more difficult. The writing on the car door wasn't observed until after 8pm, making the phone caller definitely the killer, despite claims made by some that this caller was listening to police broadcasts.

Rubislaw32 link

2/19/2025 02:38:12 am

So it appears, Richard, that Ken Narlow took a team out for the next two days. Combing and checking for anything the Zodiac might have left behind. Including shoe/boot impressions. Cigarette butt-ends, probably ?

Then, the incident two days after the attack, when a man entered Moskowite Corners, hurriedly asking for directions. Sadly, a Mr Thompson was unable to give further witness evidence, on account of dying in a tradesman's accident. Certainly could have been the Zodiac, getting nosy and coming back (?) - then felt scared-off by a police presence he wasn't expecting, still in the vicinity. And, as a consequence, losing his sense of direction.

james

2/21/2025 03:08:05 am

Allen is the best suspect- forensics might not mean as much in this case as once thought. I think Allen back in september of 69 had enough hair to be the zodiac, he starts losing his hair in 71. i could be wrong and he might not be the zodiac but he has connections to this case even the riverside killing with taking a leave of abscence from work and being in riverside the weekend of.

Richard

2/21/2025 04:16:40 am

I will have to leave this thought with somebody else James, because I am one of the rare people who believe Allen has been ruled out with DNA from the 1978 letter, which I don't doubt for a second is be genuine. Anybody who does believe Allen is Zodiac has to dismiss the 1978 letter, unless we go down the route of people licking other people's enveopes, which Graysmith used to keep Allen in the frame. I don't think his suggestion is realistic. If you didn't like the glue from envelopes you would just use water, which wasn't done. I know many dismiss the 1978 letter, but I can't speak for these people. If you believe Allen is Zodiac that is fine. We all have to go with what we believe.

Johnny

2/21/2025 02:55:15 pm

The best i have heard according to Allen as Zodiac is in the documentary ( from 2007? ) of a gentleman saying, that in outer aspects he seems interesting but when you look closer you can't even find the tiniest proof of him being the Zodiac. If Allen was Zodiac it would be a sensation like no other!

Richard

2/21/2025 10:43:46 pm

I certainly don't doubt Johnny, the best case put forward for Zodiac is Allen, however, there is a big difference between "best case" and "beyond a reasonable doubt" case. For me, the absolute biggest thing going for Allen being Zodiac, is the location of his residence to the payphone. We have a shooter at BRS, whose last recollection of the attack was "He ended up on the back seat then the floor in back thashing out very violently with his legs; that's how I shot him in the knee ". In other words, Michael Mageau was still very much alive. So the idea this killer, taking into consideration a description could be over the police airwaves in the next 40 minutes, would remain in his vehicle with the gun, driving around the area, wearing possibly bloody clothing from leaning into the Corvair, and then make a phone call at 12:40 in close proximity to the police station, defies logic to me. Not to mention the likelihood he saw the black man talking to police at 12:50am or beyond. These arguments benefit Allen as a suspect, but Lieutenant Tom Bruton and Inspector Vince Repetto of the San Francisco Police Department, stated that DNA retrieved from the 1978 communication produced no match to Arthur Leigh Allen or Lawrence Kane.

Allen is a relatively decent suspect compared to the others, especially if one believes the 1978 letter is a hoax. But I'm not one that does. In fact, we may as well dismiss the majority of "authenticated" Zodiac communications, because the majority of them have less evidence for being Zodiac as the 1978 letter. Again, ask the majority of Zodiac sleuths, excluding "handwriting and tone" for one single reason why the April 20th 1970 letter was authored by the Zodiac Killer. See how many answers you get Johnny. I will guarantee you will hear " because the letter looks and sounds like Zodiac". Try using this argument in a court of law.

A REVISED TIMELINE AT LAKE BERRYESSA

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