Here is a different version to the story of Blue Rock Springs on July 4th/5th 1969.
The Zodiac Killer pulled up approximately 10 feet to the rear of the couple and exited his vehicle just after midnight on July 5th 1969, approaching the passenger side door of Darlene Ferrin's brown 1963 Corvair. He shot five times through the open window into both victims, as Michael Mageau propelled himself into the rear of the Corvair. The Zodiac Killer then retreated, before returning to shoot both victims twice more.
Seven bullet casings were found to the right side of the car (not marked on the police report). Two bullet casings were discovered on the rear floorboard of the Corvair, because the killer had leaned into the vehicle to take aim at Michael Mageau who had sought refuge there. When investigators arrived they found this:
Seven bullet casings were found to the right side of the car (not marked on the police report). Two bullet casings were discovered on the rear floorboard of the Corvair, because the killer had leaned into the vehicle to take aim at Michael Mageau who had sought refuge there. When investigators arrived they found this:
The turn signal lever is moved up to signal right and moved down to signal left, so it's very likely Darlene Ferrin struck or intentionally depressed this lever subsequent to Zodiac beginning the attack. The police report stated the handbrake was not secured, the ignition was set to on, and the transmission was in first gear. The ignition switch of a Corvair is turned to START when firing up the engine. Once the engine starts the ignition switch must be released immediately. The ignition switch then returns to ON position for normal operation of the vehicle. Darlene Ferrin's Corvair was in the ON position. The engine will not start if the transmission is in gear. The gear shift lever must be placed in neutral before starting the engine.
Here is the drawing of the crime scene at Blue Rock Springs. Described as Bullet Slug, this is drawn at the back end of the Corvair, several feet to its right side (at least 10 feet from the passenger door). A slug is a term used for a bulky solid ballistic projectile. It is "solid" in the sense of being composed of one piece; the shape can vary widely, including partially hollowed shapes. The term is occasionally applied to bullets (just the projectile, never the cartridge as a whole). This is probably one of the bullets that struck Mageau in the rear seat, passing through his hip and becoming trapped in his clothing, before falling from his trousers once outside. He was struck four times. Two passed through his upper body and struck Darlene Ferrin, and one was recovered by Dr. Jantzen from his left thigh during surgery. The one depicted on the parking lot floor, near Michael Mageau, was likely the fourth.
Darlene Ferrin Michael Mageau described a vehicle pulling alongside the couple about 5 minutes prior to the actual shooting: "The driver turned the lights off on the car and pulled around to the left or east side of their car, approximately 6 or 8 feet away and sat there for a minute. He asked Dea if she knew who it was and she stated "Oh, never mind". When either the same vehicle, or another vehicle arrived several minutes later and parked behind them, Darlene Ferrin may have understandably been unnerved.
There is a strong possibility she prepared the Corvair for departure, not fully confident that the man approaching the passenger side of her vehicle was law enforcement. She may have released the handbrake while in neutral, turned the engine on, depressed the clutch pedal and placed the Corvair into 1st gear as a precautionary measure, while having her hands readied on the steering wheel. The approaching Zodiac Killer, fearing the driver may have been preparing to drive away, opened fire the instant he reached the passenger side window of the vehicle. He would have targetted Darlene Ferrin first, as she was the person who could foil his successful attack. She is immediately struck by two bullets in the arms, causing four entry and four exit wounds. Her foot disengages from the clutch pedal and the vehicle stalls. Responding officers would find her Corvair with the handbrake released, ignition on and transmission in 1st gear.
There is a strong possibility she prepared the Corvair for departure, not fully confident that the man approaching the passenger side of her vehicle was law enforcement. She may have released the handbrake while in neutral, turned the engine on, depressed the clutch pedal and placed the Corvair into 1st gear as a precautionary measure, while having her hands readied on the steering wheel. The approaching Zodiac Killer, fearing the driver may have been preparing to drive away, opened fire the instant he reached the passenger side window of the vehicle. He would have targetted Darlene Ferrin first, as she was the person who could foil his successful attack. She is immediately struck by two bullets in the arms, causing four entry and four exit wounds. Her foot disengages from the clutch pedal and the vehicle stalls. Responding officers would find her Corvair with the handbrake released, ignition on and transmission in 1st gear.
Michael Mageau Darlene Ferrin received nine entry wounds and seven exit wounds, despite only being struck directly five times. The first two shots that night were likely aimed at Darlene Ferrin because she was the principal threat to thwarting Zodiac's plans. The killer fired off the first of two shots into the vehicle, striking Darlene Ferrin just above the right wrist as she was gripping the steering wheel. This traveled straight through both arms just above the wrist. Her right arm came across her upper body towards her face (either manually or by the resultant force), as the second bullet entered her right upper arm 5 1/2 inches above the elbow on the lateral side, exiting and striking her left upper arm 3 1/4 inches above the elbow. The whole story is explained extensively in the article Blue Rock Springs-The Sequence of Shots.
There is every chance that Darlene Ferrin was spooked by the approach of a vehicle behind them in the Blue Rock Springs parking lot and made the neccessary steps for a quick exit from the scene. The notion that both Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin just sat passively in the Corvair readying their identification to display to the approaching man, is not backed up by the ballistics evidence or the condition her vehicle was found in by responding officers that morning. Darlene Ferrin's preparatory steps suggest she was within a whisker of driving away that night, and the Zodiac Killer was fully aware of that possibility. Had this not been the case, then the events of Blue Rock Springs may have unfolded exactly as they did at Lake Herman Road, only six-and-a--half months earlier.
There is every chance that Darlene Ferrin was spooked by the approach of a vehicle behind them in the Blue Rock Springs parking lot and made the neccessary steps for a quick exit from the scene. The notion that both Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin just sat passively in the Corvair readying their identification to display to the approaching man, is not backed up by the ballistics evidence or the condition her vehicle was found in by responding officers that morning. Darlene Ferrin's preparatory steps suggest she was within a whisker of driving away that night, and the Zodiac Killer was fully aware of that possibility. Had this not been the case, then the events of Blue Rock Springs may have unfolded exactly as they did at Lake Herman Road, only six-and-a--half months earlier.
Within one or two minutes after the Zodiac Killer departed the scene, Jerry, Roger and Debbie, who were heading along Columbus Parkway looking for a girl who Roger knew, entered the area of Blue Rock Springs from the northwest. Scouring the parking lot, they noticed the brown Corvair without any lights on. Debbie brought their vehicle to a stop on the road, as they decided whether to check on the Corvair's occupants for Roger's friend. It was at that point the Corvair's lights burst into life, followed shortly thereafter by the sound of somebody screaming. Debbie backed up her vehicle and positioned it so that her high beams shone in the direction of the stricken couple, noticing Michael Mageau lying beside the open passenger door of the Corvair. When Jerry approached the severely injured Mageau, he begged Jerry to get help, stating "I'm shot, the girl's shot, get a doc". All three left the scene and drove the 2.5 mile journey to Jerry's home at 938 Castlewood Drive in Vallejo and made the call to police at 12:10 am.
The statement of George Bryant (caretaker's son), who lived only 800 feet from the parking lot, stated that he heard shots at about midnight. Jerry, Roger and Debbie likely arrived at the parking lot at approximately 12:04 am, with the Zodiac Killer having left the crime scene only a matter of minutes earlier. They would have departed the parking lot at 12:05 am for the four minute journey to 938 Castlewood Drive, so as to place the call to police about a minute later, at 12:10 am. This suggests that despite Darlene Ferrin having sustained nine entry wounds and seven exit wounds, which included four entry and exit wounds to her wrists and arms, she had the presence of mind to valiantly switch on her main lights and left blinker lights to attract attention to both her and Michael's desperate plight as Debbie's vehicle stopped on the road. This act may have encouraged Debbie to reposition her vehicle on the road and shine her main beams toward the Corvair, ultimately highlighting the hapless Michael Mageau in the darkness of the parking lot. It is without doubt the actions of Darlene Ferrin helped save the life of Michael Mageau, but unfortunately, actions that would come too late to save her.
The statement of George Bryant (caretaker's son), who lived only 800 feet from the parking lot, stated that he heard shots at about midnight. Jerry, Roger and Debbie likely arrived at the parking lot at approximately 12:04 am, with the Zodiac Killer having left the crime scene only a matter of minutes earlier. They would have departed the parking lot at 12:05 am for the four minute journey to 938 Castlewood Drive, so as to place the call to police about a minute later, at 12:10 am. This suggests that despite Darlene Ferrin having sustained nine entry wounds and seven exit wounds, which included four entry and exit wounds to her wrists and arms, she had the presence of mind to valiantly switch on her main lights and left blinker lights to attract attention to both her and Michael's desperate plight as Debbie's vehicle stopped on the road. This act may have encouraged Debbie to reposition her vehicle on the road and shine her main beams toward the Corvair, ultimately highlighting the hapless Michael Mageau in the darkness of the parking lot. It is without doubt the actions of Darlene Ferrin helped save the life of Michael Mageau, but unfortunately, actions that would come too late to save her.
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