Thanks to the diligent research of Kristi Hawthorne, we now know that on April 9th 1962 an unknown caller rang the Oceanside Police Department and declared “I am going to pull something here in Oceanside and you will never be able to figure it out”. Two days later, in the early hours of April 11th 1962, taxicab driver Ray Davis was found shot to death and dumped in an alley by 1926 South Pacific Street in Oceanside. His vehicle was not located in close proximity to his body, having been driven away by the murderer and abandoned 1.5 miles northwest on the same street. One week later, on April 16th 1962, the same caller rang the Oceanside Police Department again and ominously reminded them of his previous contact by stating “Do you remember me calling you last week and telling you that I was going to pull a real baffling crime. I killed the cab driver and I am going to get me a bus driver next".

Many people have drawn comparisons between this crime and the murder of taxicab driver Paul Stine on October 11th 1969, noting that the sinister phone calls and the promise of a future threat on a bus driver mirrored elements of previous Zodiac activity, and his communications subsequent to the Stine murder which threatened to target school buses and their occupants. However, there were never any phone threats immediately prior to Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Berryessa or Presidio Heights. Or were there?

​When the Zodiac impersonator rang into the Jim Dunbar Show on October 22nd 1969, the caller was asked by the host "Did you try to call us one other time, about two or three weeks ago. Did you attempt to call this program one other time when Mr. Belli was with us?". Bearing in mind that Jim Dunbar and Melvin Belli were working under the premise that this could be the Zodiac Killer, it makes the statement of "Did you try to call us one other time, about two or three weeks ago" very important. It opens up the possibility that the real Zodiac Killer tried to contact the show two or three weeks previous to October 22nd 1969. Allowing for some leeway (2 days either side), we will go with 12 to 23 days ago. This means that the real Zodiac Killer may have tried to phone the Jim Dunbar Show between September 30th 1969 and October 10th 1969. The earliest would have been three days after the Lake Berryessa attack, with the latest phone call the day before the taxicab murder of Paul Stine, just like the threat before the murder of Ray Davis in 1962.     

The host of the Jim Dunbar Show made this specific remark when questioning the fake Zodiac, asking "Did you attempt to call this program one other time when Mr. Belli was with us?". It is fairly obvious that Eric Weill knew nothing about the call to the Jim Dunbar Show "two or three weeks ago" by his lack of conviction. However, the phone caller to the Oakland Police Department at 2am on October 22nd 1969 knew all about this phone call to the Jim Dunbar Show "two or three weeks ago", because the caller to the Oakland Police Department specifically requested either Melvin Belli or Francis Lee Bailey to appear on the show.

It can be no coincidence that the Oakland Police Department caller and the Jim Dunbar Show caller prior to the Stine murder, both wanted to appear on the TV show alongside Melvin Belli. And with the Oakland Police Department caller providing information to the patrolman who took the call, information about the killings only known to the real Zodiac, it would mean that the real Zodiac Killer did ring the Jim Dunbar Show in the days before the Stine murder. There would have been less reason for Eric Weill to want to appear on a San Francisco TV show before the Stine murder because no Zodiac murders had occurred in San Francisco, but the real Zodiac Killer had every reason to phone the Jim Dunbar TV Show in San Francisco prior to the Stine murder, because he was planning to kill somebody there.   

The phone caller in Oceanside made the threat on the eve of the murder of taxicab driver Ray Davis, and it could have repeated itself on October 10th 1969 had the real Zodiac Killer managed to secure an appearance on the Jim Dunbar Show prior to the murder of taxicab driver Paul Stine. If the receptionist for the show had taken the call seriously (because it was very likely just another case of believing it to be a crank call), we may have heard from the real Zodiac Killer on the Jim Dunbar Show in early October, rather than Eric Weill crying about headaches on October 22nd 1969. If the Zodiac Killer had appeared on the show prior to the Stine murder and proclaimed “I am going to pull something here in San Francisco and you will never be able to figure it out”, before mailing a shirt piece several days after the murder for confirmation, then we may be looking at the Ray Davis case in a totally different light today. After all, he did say months later "I hope you have fun trying to fiygure out who I killed".

Any phone call from the Zodiac Killer prior to the Paul Stine murder would have coincided with the "Good Citizen" letter mailed to Sergeant John Lynch at the Vallejo Police Department on October 7th 1969, stating ''Go to 56 Beach Street. I get the name Jerry, perhaps he knows people or his name is XXXXXXX''. Therefore, we could have had a Zodiac phone call to Jim Dunbar and Melvin Belli promising something sinister in San Francisco, followed by the murder of Paul Stine at the intersection of Washington & Cherry a few days later, by a killer last seen entering Presidio Park by Julius Kahn Playground, just 5,000 feet from Beach Street in San Francisco. Of all the streets to name in the Bay Area, the "Good Citizen" letter author not only chose one less than a mile from Julius Kahn Playground, but chose a street in the direction Zodiac was heading. 

Having failed in his bid to appear on the Jim Dunbar Show with Melvin Belli, probably in early October, he would try again on October 22nd 1969, but this time he used the Oakland Police Department as the conduit by supplying them with details about the murders only known to him and the police. Obviously, what he gave them worked, because the Jim Dunbar Show hastily rearranged their scheduling and contacted Melvin Belli. I sincerely doubt they would have done all this without verification from the Oakland caller that he was indeed the real Zodiac Killer. Unfortunately for Zodiac, his grand declaration was hijacked by a mental patient, who literally stole the show. 

One of the curious aspects of the John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia murders on a Santa Barbara beach on February 21st 1970 was the foldable bone-handled fish knife (with saw blade) found buried in the sand approximately one foot from the bodies. After reading through scores of newspaper articles it is still unclear whether investigators considered this the murder weapon. If they were going to hold back information to the public so that any future confession to the crime could be verified, it almost certainly would be the description of the knife and/or the location it was found, rather than whether it was the murder weapon.

However, investigators described the knife in great detail and exactly where it was found, but failed to reveal whether the knife blade was open and ready for use. It was also confounding why a killer would bury the murder weapon in the sand so close to the victims where it could easily be unearthed by responding officers. Any weapon being used on the victims would have been smeared in blood, which even if wiped down at the scene in darkness, would almost certainly have failed to remove all traces of the victims blood. The easiest option of throwing it into the sea would have been the sensible choice for somebody wanting to quickly separate themself from the murder weapon, but apparently this choice was not taken. Very little of this story makes sense, until we re-evaluate the crime scene from a more logical perspective. 

​It is highly unlikely that John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia were murdered on an isolated stretch of beach at the exact location a knife had previously been buried in the sand. Therefore, it's logical to conclude it was part of the crime. But if investigators were still unsure whether it was the murder weapon months after the attack (which should have been obvious), then it probably wasn't the knife that killed either John or Sandra. That knife was probably taken from the crime scene by his accomplice.

​The newspaper reports of a knife found buried in the sand sounds like a wilful act on behalf of its owner, but the word "buried" is likely misleading and could simply mean "covered in sand". Imagine for a moment we have a vigorous struggle between two assailants with knives and our two victims, but one of the attackers drops his knife into the sand during the initial struggle, which is disturbed enough by the action of shifting feet (or trodden on) to inadvertently cover it over. In this instance it is easy to see how a clean knife can be "buried" in the sand" absent of any blood, that investigators later had difficulty attaching to the murders. That's because it may not have been the knife that killed anybody - it was a second knife carried by a second assailant, who failed to use it in the attack. This may explain why the couple were beaten and stabbed. Once the second perpetrator lost his knife he likely resorted to using his fists. It is equally possible that the knife fell out of his pocket during an initial struggle (or fight) with the victims, before any knives were to be deployed  After the murders of John and Sandra, any attempt to find his knife could have been brief and unsuccessful in near complete darkness. The frenzied and dynamic attack could easily have encompassed a considerable area of the beach (away from the blanket where the couple initially lay), so it's easy to see how a knife could be difficult to find after a limited search. Or he never even realised it had fell from his pocket because he was the one perpetrator of two who chose not to use it during the attack. The knife being lost by an attacker at the scene of the murders, as opposed to being deliberately buried, makes far more sense after re-examining what was reported in the newspapers. 

This brings into focus the reports of two young men washing wounds at a service station in the area at approximately 1am on Sunday 22nd 1970, alleged to have been received during a fight at the beach. It is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that these wounds could have been acquired through stabbing and punching somebody, but this would have likely placed John and Sandra at "Cemetery Beach" in the hour preceding midnight or just beyond, had these young men been related to the murders.  

The other unusual feature of the double murder was the covering of the bodies with a blanket, that doesn't necessarily indicate that the victims were known to the killer/s. Sometimes a killer will cover the face of a victim in a process called "psychological undoing", that can occur during a frenzied attack. It is a defense mechanism in which a person attempts to atone or erase some negative action. Despite the brutality of the crime inflicted upon John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia, one of the perpetrators (or sole killer) may have had a difficult time looking at the faces of the victims, so the blanket of John and Sandra was used to cover their bodies while the killer/s contemplated their next move. Other than this, there was no other benefit that could possibly be achieved by the covering of two bodies lying on a beach in almost total darkness. Maybe the killers covered the bodies while searching in the sand for the lost knife.

​This has been mentioned in the case of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards who were murdered in 1963 thirty miles west of "Cemetery Beach", where some accounts claim that a towel was placed over Linda's face while she was positioned in the shack. The process of covering a victim's face is not common, but it's certainly well documented in many crimes.   

THE CEMETERY BEACH MURDERS OF 1970 (PT1)

On Saturday February 21st 1970, John Franklin Hood (24), who had served decorated time in Vietnam with the 64th Armoured Division, discharged with the rank of staff sergeant in January after winning the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart, and Sandra Garcia (20), who worked in the California Department of Motor Vehicles, decided to visit a stretch of beach overlooked by Santa Barbara Cemetery at 901 Channel Drive, located at the eastern tip of East Cabrillo Boulevard. About one mile west of the graveyard was the Santa Barbara Inn, and approximately 0.45 miles west at 625 Por La Mar, close to Ninos Drive, construction work had just got underway on the plush Park Cabrillo Apartments, with 312 units being built during the first phase. 

Having visited this area previously, John Franklin Hood, after finishing work at the Wimpy's Drive-In on Saturday, left his parents home at 460 Helsam Avenue in Oxnard to visit his girlfriend Sandra, who lived with her parents at 3088 Calle Pinon in Santa Barbara, where they were last seen leaving for the beach at 6pm. The journey from here was a leisurely 12-15 minute drive to East Beach where they parked their vehicle at a beachfront parking lot.

​I have yet to find the precise location where they parked but it was probably the one closest to their ultimate destination at "Cemetery Beach", which was located just under half a mile east of their vehicle. If they had traveled directly to the parking lot they would have arrived at approximately 6:15pm, with a casual stroll to "Cemetery Beach" placing them there at 6:30pm to 6:35pm, or thereabouts. On February 21st 1970 sunset was 5:47pm, so it was already dark when they began their journey eastwards along the beach. However, it was a full moon that evening, so there would have been limited illumination of 0.1 lux. At the point they reached "Cemetery Beach" the couple would have been 330 meters from East Cabrillo Boulevard, which lay to the north beyond the graveyard. Below is a map depicting the relevant locations. 

At a time yet to be confirmed (but likely between 6:35pm and midnight) the couple were brutally stabbed and beaten (possibly by a fist or blunt instrument).by one or more assailants. John Franklin Hood suffered eleven knife wounds with the majority inflicted to his face and back, whereas Sandra Garcia received the brunt of the vicious attack leaving her almost unrecognizable in what appeared a senseless and motiveless crime. Robbery was effectively ruled out because John's wallet was still on his person and Sandra's pocketbook was left untouched. Their bodies - Hood in Levi's and a T-shirt, and Garcia in Levi's and a blouse - were discovered the following morning by beachgoers under a green blanket, Sandra was lying face up, with John lying face down in the sand.

​Investigators found a four-inch bone-handled fish knife (with a saw blade and regular blade) buried in the sand about one foot from their bodies that they initially concluded must have played a part in the crime, but according to later newspaper reports uncertainty remained if it had any connection to the murders. It really shouldn't have been that difficult to test the knife for blood and answer this question, so I suspect this must have been established at some point in the future. It would have been an unusual coincidence had it been unrelated to the stabbings, although why would a murderer bury the murder weapon within one foot of the bodies rather than just tossing it into the ocean. Investigators stated "We don't know whose it is, but we know it didn't belong to the victims". On February 24th 1970 a newspaper headline entitled "Knife Linked To Murders" appeared to suggest we had clarity regarding the weapon used in the murders, despite immediately following this up with "a four inch blade apparently was the weapon used". This less than decisive language creates more questions than answers - so what happened to John and Sandra that evening or night? 

​The three likeliest possibilities are that John parked his vehicle in the parking lot and the couple were followed by an unknown number of individuals to "Cemetery Beach" and attacked, The second possibility is that their killer or killers just stumbled across them as they lay on the beach in the darkness. Or they inadvertently walked into an area where one or several undesirables were hanging around..The Santa Barbara Cemetery is shielded by steep cliffs from the beacfront except for its western edge, so if the topography was similar in 1970 it is likely the person/s arrived at the location of the murders from either the east or west.

Progress in solving this crime has been extremely limited and little to nothing about these murders has featured in the newspapers in the subsequent 54 years as of 2024. Almost immediately after the attack Detective Commander George told of reports from a nearby service station at approximately 1am on Sunday 22nd 1970 that two young men were seen washing wounds claimed to have been received from a fight at the beach, stating on February 24th 1970 that the individuals may have no connection to the murders, despite their desire to follow up on every clue, no matter how small. It is an obvious statement routinely trotted out by law enforcement, but the bottom line is that these two men may have had something to do with the murders, so this should have been the approach adopted with respect to these individuals until ruled out, not the contrary stance.

​With no subsequent information available regarding this sighting it is reasonable to conclude these two youths were never found. Anybody tending wounds to their person in close proximity to a beach where two vicious murders had recently occurred, where the victims were brutally stabbed and beaten to death, should have been given high priority. John Franklin Hood was clearly a man who knew how to handle himself, so it's very likely it required two people to overpower the young couple. Investigators attempted to trace the movements of the slain couple before they went to the beach, but with Sandra telling her parents at 6pm they would be back soon, where would they have possibly gone, bearing in mind the beach was already shrouded in darkness before they left 3088 Calle Pinon in Santa Barbara? With no reported sightings from establishments in close proximity to the beach, it could be considered likely that they headed straight to "Cemetery Beach" with no detours. 

One unusual aspect of the crime was the green blanket devoid of any knife marks. After the killer or killers had beaten and stabbed their victims numerous times in what must have been a dynamic attack, why did they deem it necessary to place the victims alongside each other on the beach and cover them up with the couple's blanket? If they were unknown to the victims what purpose could this possibly serve in near complete darkness? Then, inexplicably, choose to bury the murder weapon next to the victims (assuming this knife was the one used in the attack}. The chances of the couple remaining perfectly aligned on the beach after such a brutal attack, in which John and Sandra must have fought vigorously for their lives, so that the perpetrator/s could neatly place a blanket on top of them requiring no movement of the bodies, I suspect is highly unlikely. Therefore, after the murders, this would have required the deliberate action of relocating the bodies before covering them up. Sandra Garcia was found face up, with John face down, just like the position of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards after their bodies were relocated and placed inside the shack in 1963, thirty miles west of this crime. For those people who consider the Gaviota Beach murders to be the signature of the Zodiac Killer, cannot fail to notice that this crime has equal, if not more relevance to the Lake Berryessa attack, with the "Cemetery Beach" murders occurring within the Zodiac timeline, in which the Bay Area murderer still sought victims nine and ten on December 20th 1969 , and then confirmed his ten victims on April 20th 1970, either side of this double murder. I don't believe the Gaviota or East Beach attacks were the work of the Zodiac Killer, but I don't understand why one can be accepted without the other, 

Hope for a resolution in the Zodiac case was buoyed by the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo in 2018 through the use of genetic genealogy. The identification of the Golden State Killer gave hope to an ailing Zodiac investigation where many communications had the possibility of being tested and any DNA retrieved used to identify the family tree of our killer.

If the Hood and Garcia murders were ever linked to the Zodiac Killer, it would be strange quirk of fate that Robert Offerman and Debra Manning, a couple murdered by ​Joseph James DeAngelo in Goleta in 1979, would be buried in Santa Barbara Cemetery just a few hundred feet from the location where John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia lost their lives to the Zodiac Killer nine years earlier. However, that is a big if.

​The Santa Barbara Cemetery is the resting place of many Hollywood stars, that unfortunately became the silent witness to the tragic final act of a young couple on February 21st 1970, whose lives may have ended, but whose story shouldn't be forgotten.  

THE CEMETERY BEACH MURDERS OF 1970 (PT2)

Here are seven in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. The Ballistics. The Shack. The Rope. The Beach. The Ammo. Pistol or Rifle? The Final Analysis. ​

Drew Beeson, host of the Zodcast YouTube channel, and Ross Geraci, creator of the Planet X Filmworks YouTube channel, had an excellent discussion on the Gaviota Beach murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards on June 4th 1963, briefly touching on the press release by Sheriff John Carpenter in November 1972. They were almost certainly correct when considering the reasoning behind the press release and who it was about. The conversation covered all aspects of the double murder in great depth, including a potential link to the Zodiac Killer crimes in the Bay Area of northern California. The YouTube video has a running time of 2 hours and five minutes. Please subscribe to their channels and click the bell for notifications of future releases.  

​There are two key statements within the press release that reveal why Sheriff John Carpenter believed Arthur Leigh Allen was probably responsible for the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards at Canada Del Molino in Santa Barbara. When referencing the double murder, the 1972 press release stated "Over a year ago, Sheriff's Detectives began a thorough study of the case, examining and re-evaluating all aspects of the crime". But why did they re-evaluate the Gaviota Beach murders just over a year ago? The press release was issued early November 1972, so just "over a year ago" could be interpreted as being August or September 1971, when on August 4th 1971 Sgt. Jack Mulanax, Inspector David Toschi and Inspector Bill Armstrong traveled to Pinole, California to interview Arthur Leigh Allen at his workplace. This was preceded by a July 19th 1971 report naming Arthur Leigh Allen as a possible Zodiac suspect, and a March 13th 1971 Zodiac letter implying he had committed more murders down south. 

​The second statement read "We have information, to be investigated further, which may place him in the Santa Barbara area in 1963". Without knowing who the Zodiac was in 1972, how could they possibly hope to place him in the Santa Barbara area in 1963? The simple answer is that they had received pertinent information from Bay Area investigators following their interview with Arthur Leigh Allen just "over a year ago". Arthur Leigh Allen was clearly under suspicion for the Zodiac murders, with the murder of a couple in Santa Barbara an obvious avenue of investigation, based upon Allen's proximity to the crime and his Lake Berryessa statements.

Gian Quasar, an avid Zodiac researcher, wrote "Native Lompoc son, Mike McVicar, remembers Leigh Allen well. Allen struck him as being really weird. But McVicar being a car aficionado, and Allen being quite a car buff, they did go to a few car shows together. McVicar, however, remembers that Leigh lived in Lompoc before 1963. McVicar, and so many others, were also used to seeing Leigh at the local public pool, where he was the lifeguard. McVicar recalls what so many others have recalled about Allen.that “For a fat guy, he was a really good diver". Tom Voigt's website details that from "1959-1962: Allen, attempting to gain his teaching credential, was hired by Santa Rosa Elementary in Atascadero, Calif". Santa Rosa Elementary is 58 miles north of Lompoc and 50 miles north of the Vandenberg Air Force Base Exchange where the ammunition may have been purchased that killed Robert and Linda. Gian Quasar has already concluded that Sheriff John Carpenter was referring to Allen in the press release, stating "It seems unquestionable that Carpenter was referring to Leigh Allen. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Carpenter to have established that Leigh Allen once lived in a trailer near Lompoc". Where exactly he was living is unknown, but its proximity to the Vandenberg Air Force Base, which is 30 miles (by crow) northwest of the Domingos & Edwards crime scene, may have peaked his interest. But there is more. 

If Mike McVicar knew Allen well enough to go to a few car shows together, it must be highlighted that Michael Lee McVicar (who died in 2020 aged 76) was a long time resident of Lompoc, who bought Jeffers Muffler Shop at 126 N F St in 1979, which he ran for 33 years. He had previously worked for Johns Manville in Lompoc from 1964 to 1978. His passion for racing cars overlapped with that of Allen's, and he liked roaming the hills of Miguelito Canyon, catching fish and frogs in the creeks, as well as surfing nearby beaches. Just 10 miles north of the Vandenberg Air Force Base was the Santa Maria drag racing strip, situated at West Foster and Mitchell roads.

It is doubtful investigators overlooked the possibility that if Allen was loosely acquainted with Michael McVicar, there was a good chance that Arthur Leigh Allen may have visited Lompoc many times prior to, and during 1963, relevant to the time period of the murders. The newspaper cutting on the left from the Lompoc Record on May 15th 1963 mentioned the Lompoc Sports Car Club, who not only sponsored a hare and hound rally in the city that same day, but ran other tours and motor events monthly, including a club meeting on the last Sunday of each month. That meeting in 1963 would have taken place on June 30th. Something such as this could have placed Allen in the Lompoc area in the days or weeks prior to the Gaviota Beach murders, had his common interest in car racing with McVicar extended to these functions.

​It is extremely likely that the interest shown in Allen by investigators in the Bay Area, coupled with his Santa Rosa Elementary and Lompoc connections, were the driving force behind the press release of Sheriff John Carpenter in 1972. Allen's admission in a 1971 interview to having bloody knives in his possession the day of the Lake Berryessa attack, when Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were bound and brutally stabbed on September 27th 1969, must also have peaked their interest with respect to the Domingos & Edwards murders.

​If there was a possibility that Allen, strongly suspected in 1971 to be the Zodiac Killer, could be placed in the Lompoc area, 30 miles northwest of a double murder in 1963, that bore similarities to the Lake Berryessa attack in the mind of investigators, it may explain the confidence expressed within the press release when they wrote "we have found that there appears to be a high degree of probability that this subject is responsible for the double murder in our county". That "subject" being Arthur Leigh Allen. This confidence may have been premature, and might explain why no follow up to this press release has ever seen the light of day.   

In 1972 Sheriff John Carpenter of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Deprtment issued a press release strongly implying that the Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards murders were the work of the Zodiac Killer with "considerable evidence". Quite frankly, the press release is a word salad of very little substance, providing not one piece of evidence linking these two crimes together. Sheriff Carpenter stressed that there were "significant similarities" between the Zodiac and Gaviota murders that investigators "were not at liberty to disclose at this time".

Fifty-two years later, this evidence has failed to materialize. Most people understand the concept of investigators keeping certain information close to their chest so as not to compromise what they are working on, but their failure to produce these compelling links between the Lake Berryessa crime on September 27th 1969 and the Gaviota Beach murders on June 4th 1963 over the past few decades, questions the integrity of these claims. The statement in the press release of "we are not using the notoriety of the Zodiac to dispose of a difficult case" despite the qualifier attached to it, has effectively consequenced the thinking we see in Zodiac forums today, where some cite the Gaviota Beach crime at Canada Del Molino as early Zodiac activity. 

​With no evidence presented of any rope being directly involved in the murders of Domingos & Edwards, coupled with the rank speculation of "Linda being forced to tie up Robert with some type of binding", we are left with a couple murdered by .22 caliber Winchester Western Super X long rifle ammunition, the kind used at Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968, in two apparently motiveless crimes spanning 5 1/2 years. In November 1972, Sheriff's Detective William Baker (in the company of Sheriff John Carpenter) was quoted as saying at a press conference that it has now been established that Zodiac "could have been in this area" at the time of the Domingos & Edwards slayings. This, if true, is the perfect example of saying absolutely nothing. If the Zodiac Killer "could have been in this area", it is equally possible he "could not have been in this area". So if you establish that Zodiac "could" or "couldn't" have been in the area, you have established precisely zero.

​Here is a modern day example of having no concrete proof of something ever existing or happening but then using that yet established fact to claim a link between two cases. Tom Voigt wrote "As Edwards was forced to bind Domingos at gunpoint with lengths of narrow rope (probably pre-cut), both victims attempted to flee and were shot numerous times. The bodies were dragged approximately 30 feet to an empty shack occasionally occupied by transients. Edwards was placed face up on top of Domingos and the top of her bathing suit was cut open with a sharp instrument (probably a knife), exposing her breasts".

​There is no definitive proof that any rope was used by the murderer of Robert and Linda, no proof Edwards was forced to bind Domingos, no proof that several "lengths" of rope were used, no proof that the killer carried a knife and no proof that either victim ran that day. Even the rope is described as "probably pre-cut", which could be interpreted as "possibly not pre-cut". A few sentences later Tom Voigt wrote "The Domingos-Edwards tragedy has Zodiac's fingerprints all over it: The knife, gun, pre-cut rope and the motiveless assault on vulnerable teenagers at a remote location. It is very unlikely this attack and Zodiac's Lake Berryessa attack were the work of separate individuals". It has yet to be fully established that the Gaviota murderer used a knife, let alone any pre-cut lengths of rope, so why are the fingerprints of Zodiac all over this crime?

​This is the perfect example of confirmation bias, concluding a strong link between two crimes using a bunch of probables that haven't yet been established. The driving force, like Sheriff Carpenter before him, to forge a link between Lake Berryessa and the Gaviota Beach murders with very little "evidence" and nothing more than a desire to create a fascinating story where one doesn't need to be fashioned. The argued Zodiac connection to the Gaviota Beach murders has undoubtedly kept the 1963 slayings of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards in the spotlight more than it would have otherwise been, but these claims are an unnecessary distraction that does little to find the killer of Robert and Linda in 1963. The Zodiac Killer could have been responsible for the Gaviota murders, but we have to separate the difference between "a desire to find the truth" from "a desire for something to be true". It is really quite baffling why a 1972 press release would make such bold claims based on so little, unless the objective was an individual's need for self-promotion, or the necessity to reinvigorate a case that had gone significantly cold by using the Zodiac connection as a springboard.

​One person whose opinion differs markedly on the Gaviota Beach murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards is Zodiac researcher Ross Geraci of Planet X Filmworks, who has recently released an excellent YouTube video on this subject to accompany his previous offerings on the Cheri Jo Bates mystery in Riverside on October 30th 1966, the Ray Davis taxicab murder in Oceanside on April 10th 1962 and the sniper slayings of Johnny & Joyce Swindle at Ocean Beach on February 5th 1964, Each production includes on scene footage from each case, subtly immersing the viewer into the reality of these four unsolved mysteries from southern California, often linked to the crimes of the Zodiac Killer.

​On June 24th 2024 Ross will be making a guest appearance on the Zodcast Channel of Drew Beeson, author of "Sighting in on the Zodiac Killer", to discuss the June 4th 1963 sweetheart murders of the Lompoc High School couple, and whether any connection to the Zodiac Killer exists. Here is a link to the discussion. 

It makes perfect sense that Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards would have been sunbathing on the beach by the water's edge when their murderer approached, rather than in the rugged creek. Therefore, it is no surprise that this is where 15 casings were discovered, 20 feet from the ocean edge, likely fired from a rifle with a tube magazine that had the capacity to hold 15 rounds. What is less clear is the exact chain of events that resulted in Robert and Linda succumbing to their injuries 75 feet from the 15 spent casings of the killer. If the couple had simultaneously ran for their lives from the beach to the creek, how likely is it that they could both survive this distance being shot with .22 caliber ammunition from an "expert marksman"?

If we believe the claim that the murderer fired 20 shots that afternoon, with Robert struck 11 times and Linda 9, it would mean that all 15 shots aimed at the couple hit their target as they ran northwards. If the killer achieved an even spread of shots, hitting one victim 8 times and the other 7, what are the chances that both managed this 75 feet journey? If the spread of shots was more unequal, such as 9 and 6, or 10 and 5, then there must be serious doubts that one of the victims could achieve this distance. Whatever the case, the shooter has a clear line of sight from this position.

​If newspaper reports of 26 casings being found that day were true (and the killer was unlikely to miss as he approached the stricken couple where they fell and fired at point blank range), it would make the shooter less of an "expert marksman", striking the couple 9 times from the 15 shots as they ran for their lives. An even spread of 5 and 4 hits (depending on the part of the body struck) would give Robert and Linda a greater chance of achieving 75 feet in distance than all 15 shots hitting their mark as previously discussed. 

One thing that would make the killer less accurate when he began shooting, is [1] he was disoriented after a fight, or [2] if Robert and Linda were at a greater distance from him when he began firing. If Robert had been involved in a confrontation with the man and landed some blows on the individual before shouting at Linda to run, then it's conceivable that the couple put some distance between themselves and the shooter as he got back to his feet and steadied himself. However, this would be an extremely risky option if the man wasn't fully incapacitated. Although people don't always behave rationally in times of stress, striking a man in possession of a rifle who is grounded but fully conscious, then deciding to run with your girlfriend into 75 feet of open space, doesn't appear to be the wisest option. Especially if he had previously threatened Linda with the weapon, ordering her to bind Robert with rope.

​In absence of certainty that any fists were exchanged that afternoon (despite the autopsy making this an option), one possibility is that Robert got into a verbal confrontation with the killer which put a severe dampener on the couple's day out. Deciding that it was probably best to head home after this unsavoury encounter, they may have opted to walk away from the beach, but the third party, devoid of any anger control, chose to escalate the matter into unwarranted territory and started firing at the couple. Even if some blows were traded between Robert and the unknown individual on the beach, maybe Robert didn't believe the man would resort to the level of firing his weapon at them. Any number of scenarios could have occurred on June 4th 1963, but the notion of a man firing 15 shots at Robert and Linda the moment they started running away from him, which all hit their mark, appears like the least likeliest option based on the 75 feet distance they both managed to achieve. 
​
Autopsy surgeon, Dr. John Blanchard, said there were some powder burns on the bodies and estimated that the couple had been dead for at least 24 hours at the time of their discovery, implying that the killer fired the initial 15 shots from a fixed position and then moved to the location where the couple fell, stood over them, and ruthlessly shot them from near touching distance. He then chose to drag both bodies approximately 30 feet northwards into a nearby shack, effectively removing the victims from sight. There could have been any number of reasons behind this unusual decision.

Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
​The Ballistics. The Shack. The Rope. The Beach. The Ammo. Pistol or Rifle?

​It was reported that "detectives found 15 empty .22 brass casings toward the mouth of the creek approximately 20 feet from the ocean", ​fired from an "assassin about 25 yards away (75 feet), who then moved in", suggesting that these 15 casings were grouped at this location. Sheriff Webster stated "We know that the maximum number of bullets contained in a 22-caliber rifle tube-type magazine is 15 and a clip magazine is nine". Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that there was a shooter standing by the mouth of the creek in a fixed position (75 feet from where the couple eventually fell), who fired 15 quick-fire shots from a rifle with a tube magazine. These were likely the shots fired at the couple from distance, before the murderer moved in close to complete his attack. If 20 shots were fired that afternoon, it would mean 5 shots were delivered while the killer was standing over Robert and Linda. If ​26 shots were fired, it would mean 11 at close range. Below I have placed this information into the topography.

From everything we have read, it has been concluded that the murderer of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards dragged each body approximately 30 feet to a nearby shack (a total of 60 feet), which gives the impression that both Robert and Linda fell to the ground in roughly the same position before being moved. Therefore, if we go with the widespread claim that the couple simultaneously ran for their lives along this 75 feet path away from the shooter, how likely is it that both would succumb to their injuries in almost the same spot? Did one likely stop to help the other? Or is it more reasonable to conclude they were walking away from an individual and both were shot close to the position they fell (95 feet from the ocean). For example, they may have been walking 50 to 60 feet away from the killer when he opened fire, which disabled them to some extent, before they both managed (under continued gunfire) to muster another 15 to 25 feet before collapsing. Would this scenario place the couple closer together, at a location 30 feet from the shack?

The grouping of 15 casings 20 feet from the ocean appears to suggest that the killer fired 15 continuous shots from a rifle with a tube magazine, before walking toward the couple and reloading as he went. Had he been in possession of a .22 caliber handgun like Lake Herman Road, one might expect the shooter to have ejected 10 casings 20 feet from the ocean at this fixed position, reloading his weapon as he moved northwards and resuming firing as he approached the couple (or when he arrived at the stricken pair). It is unlikely he would have fired 10 shots from a handgun, stood still and reloaded, fired another 5 shots from the same position, and then moved forward. If the location of the casings is accurate, everything points to a killer who used a rifle on June 4th 1963. 

This excerpt from Zodiac Killer Facts is typical of the consensus theory behind the Gaviota murders: "No one knows the precise timing and sequence of the events that followed, but, at some point, a man apparently confronted Robert and Linda. He was armed with a .22 caliber weapon, possibly a rifle. Investigators believed that the man produced pre-cut lengths of rope and ordered Linda to tie-up Robert’s hands. After that, the man may have tried to bind Linda’s hands, but, Robert somehow freed himself and fought back long enough for the couple to run away. The man apparently shot both Robert and Linda in the back and they fell to the ground together"..This sequence of events is highly unlikely because it requires us to believe that an assailant pointing a gun at Linda and ordering her to tie up Robert, got close enough to the couple for Robert to tackle the perpetrator. After the struggle with the man, rather than stay in the fight and make sure the man was disarmed before they left, it is theorised that Robert and Linda ran away into 75 feet of open space with a man positioned behind them armed with a rifle (who had already threatened them with it). This man then fired 15 shots at the fleeing couple who both managed to run 75 feet each before they fell, despite the fact it is claimed he fired 20 shots in total and struck the couple 19 or 20 times. This would mean that the killer, a very good marksman, managed to hit Robert and Linda at least 14 times as they ran a combined total of 150 feet away from his position (with Linda struck once in the right leg). Is it a realistic proposition that both would travel this distance before succumbing to their injuries? Betty Lou Jensen managed to run just 28 feet from the rear of the Rambler after being hit 5 times on December 20th 1968 with the same ammunition. There is something about the Gaviota Beach story that just doesn't ring true.

Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
​The Ballistics. The Shack. The Rope. The Beach. The Ammo. The Final Analysis. 

There was a consistency of newspaper reporting in June 1963 that told of "one empty and three partly filled ammunition boxes near the bodies" and "four similarly marked ammunition boxes found next to the bodies". They carried the lot number TL21. Somebody contacted detectives claiming they had bought ammunition with this lot number from a Pelch and Son store at 1201 State Street in Santa Barbara two months earlier, but after investigators followed up this lead it was discovered that the claims were unfounded. 

Detectives received a telegram from the Midwest manufacturer of the Winchester brand bullets stating "Super X Lot TL21: Quantity packed: 40,960 boxes of 50s (bullets per box). No idea where shipped". However, Sheriff Webster did find this manufacturer's lot number was sold at the base exchange of the Vandenberg Air Force Base, 30 miles (by crow) northwest of the crime scene. If each ammunition box contained 50 bullets, the four boxes at the crime scene once contained 200 bullets. If three were partly filled (let's say 50% filled), there could have been approximately 75 bullets in boxes 1, 2 and 3 (and some in box 4 before being used).

​If these bullets were the ones used by the killer of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards, then this practically negates the idea of a murderer that was known to the victims, who trailed them to the crime scene with prior knowledge of their movements that day. The idea that such a person (or persons) would lump around four boxes of ammunition to Canada Del Molino, place them inside the shack, murder the young couple using but a fraction of this ammo, then depart the crime scene in absence of three partly filled boxes of bullets they never had to bring to the crime scene in the first place, is quite ludicrous. Everything points to a killer who was either in the shack just before the arrival of Domingos & Edwards, or a person who kept his ammo in the shack and was traversing the coastline at the point they arrived at the beach. He could have encountered the couple while returning to the shack.       

Bringing four boxes of ammunition (possibly up to 200 bullets) to the shack, suggests somebody who was preparing to spend some time at this location. It is reasonable to hypothesise that the casings from these bullets may also have been found along the coastline beyond the site of the murders. It could be argued that this was a killer who was familiar with the shack and the area around Canada Del Molino. Somebody who had visited this stretch of coastline many times before.

​If the murder of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards was a spontaneous act of rage following a conflict between Robert and the killer as explored in a previous article, and not a long premeditated act by somebody who bought the ammunition for the purpose of murder, then the Vandenberg Air Force Base as the point of purchase for this ammunition, could be more important to this case. If the murderer wasn't a wandering transient but somebody who lived at a fixed address, it is likely he would use the "least effort principle". He may want to buy ammunition in bulk to save money, however, he wouldn't likely travel a great distance from his home to achieve this. Most people (pre-internet) would shop locally within reason. If our killer bought this ammunition with the express intention of murdering somebody with it, then he wasn't likely to purchase it from an establishment close to his home and risk the possibility of it being traced.

​On the other hand, ammunition purchased without malice aforethought isn't likely to require any caution. So if our killer bought the ammunition at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, it is possible he either worked there or lived nearby, such as Lompoc or Mission Hills..One investigative avenue employed by detectives was to search for transients known to use the shack, as well as locating and interviewing individuals who frequented Canada Del Molino in the days, weeks or months prior to June 4th 1963, who may have crossed paths with somebody in possession of weaponry and a regular visitor to this stretch of coastline (who stopped visiting the area after the murders). If they knew such an individual, who also worked or lived in the region highlighted below, then that would be as good a place as any to start.

Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
​The Ballistics. The Shack. The Rope. The Beach. Pistol or Rifle? The Final Analysis.

One big problem we encounter as Zodiac researchers, is that most of us get introduced to the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards on June 4th 1963 through a Zodiac Killer lens. Even if we don't believe a connection exists between the Gaviota murders and the Zodiac killings, we can often be influenced by the overarching rhetoric that attempts to explain how things unfolded in 1963 through the mirror of Lake Berryessa. It is easy to make the presumption that the murderer came across Robert and Linda at Canada Del Molino that day and decided to murder them for no other reason than he wanted to. In other words, just like the Zodiac Killer, nothing precipitated the murders but his desire to claim victims. We can inadvertently project the psyche of the Zodiac Killer into the mind of the individual who crossed paths with the young couple at Gaviota Beach several years earlier. But what if we reverse the Gaviota murders on June 4th 1963 back in time, to find out what may have happened on the beach. .

Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards were discovered in a dilapidated shack 30 feet from the beach in their bathing costumes, with Linda stacked on top of Robert with her one-piece bathing suit cut open and her breasts exposed. If the mindset of the killer at this point was driven by a sexual urge to expose Linda's breasts, what was he thinking about several minutes earlier when he encountered the young girl on the beach in a bathing suit in the company of Robert? Is it really beyond comprehension that he said something inappropriate about Linda, thereby invoking a response from Robert who would understandably be protective of his girlfriend, irrespective of the obvious danger this could entail. Something such as this could easily have led to a confrontation of escalating intensity between Robert and his eventual murderer. Robert may have got the better of this person physically after blows were exchanged, but decided it probably best that he and Linda, having had their day ruined, depart the beach and head back to their vehicle parked alongside Highway 101. Bruising on the face and hands of Robert at autopsy has been noted.

​Approximately 75 feet into their return journey, beyond the mouth of the creek, the enraged individual who had just received a beat down from Robert, maybe wasn't prepared to leave it there. He could have got back to his feet - humiliated and vengeful - raised the weapon and fired numerous bullets into the backs of both Robert and Linda as they walked away, before approaching their stricken bodies and ruthlessly dispatching several more rounds. Although presumed by many Zodiac researchers that the couple may have been fleeing for their lives away from the beach, they may not have been running anywhere. They could have been blindsided by a callous killer, totally unaware of any danger when they headed northwards toward the brush. Any confrontation between Robert and the unknown individual would have seemed less risky to Robert had the murderer possessed a concealed handgun and clips (or only an argument had occurred between Robert and the eventual killer). Had the individual been carrying a rifle, any conflict would obviously have had increased jeopardy for the couple. Investigators are not sure what type of weapon was used that day but suspect it was a rifle. 

Until such time comes that we have definitive proof of pre-cut lengths of rope being retrieved from the crime scene in 1963, all we have is a Santa Barbara newspaper report from November 6th 1963 that states "A rope found at the murder scene had two marlin hitches, an uncommon knot", and a typed report detailing a "3/8 inch rope found with several marlin hitch knots, commonly used by weavers". This could be a random piece of rope left on the beach by anybody in the recent past and unconnected to the crime, or it could have been carried to the location by the Gaviota Beach murderer who became separated from it during the confrontation with Robert Domingos, inadvertently leaving it behind when he departed the crime scene. So it is perfectly feasible that it played no significant part as a restraining tool precedent to the double murder, even though we may wish to apply greater relevance to it. The chain of events described here may be totally wide of the mark, but they were achieved by focusing primarily on this crime, free from the confirmation bias in Zodiac circles, that attempts to forge a union with Lake Berryessa by rewinding back the hands of time from 1969 to 1963 and transplanting elements of one into another. The only clock we need to turn back is from shack to beach, to understand if one action was followed by another over a period of just a few minutes.  

Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
The Ballistics. The Shack. The Rope. The Ammo. Pistol or Rifle? The Final Analysis.

Here are snippets of text from three Zodiac websites regarding the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards on June 4th 1963: "Apparently the killer approached while they were sunbathing. As Edwards was forced to bind Domingos at gunpoint with lengths of narrow rope (probably pre-cut), both victims attempted to flee and were shot numerous times" [1]. "No one knows the precise timing and sequence of the events that followed, but, at some point, a man apparently confronted Robert and Linda. He was armed with a .22 caliber weapon, possibly a rifle. Investigators believed that the man produced pre-cut lengths of rope and ordered Linda to tie-up Robert’s hands. After that, the man may have tried to bind Linda’s hands, but, Robert somehow freed himself and fought back long enough for the couple to run away" [2]. “Zodiologists” have tried to accentuate that cut rope or other bindings were used on Domingos and Edwards. I have never confirmed this. This is their innocent attempt to draw closer parallels between the Zodiac’s MO at Lake Berryessa in 1969 and the Domingos/Edwards murders" [3].

Not one of these websites can confirm that pre-cut lengths of rope were ever produced by the killer on June 4th 1963, or that the perpetrator forced Linda to tie up Robert. Regardless of these facts, it hasn't dissuaded people from making comparisons to the Lake Berryessa attack on September 27th 1969 and fashioning this speculation into fact in order to augment a link between the two. It is akin to conjuring up a story about a crime and using this fiction to forge connections to other crimes. Fifty-two years ago in 1972, Sheriff John Carpenter in a press release stated he is "not at liberty to disclose at this time" other information that suggests a link between Lake Berryessa and the Gaviota Beach murders. We are still waiting.

​Many people have speculated that the murderer handed pre-cut lengths of rope to Linda Edwards under gunpoint, requesting that she tie up Robert, before moving in to secure Linda. However, before he can do so, Robert breaks free from his bindings and an altercation ensues between him and the killer. After which they run for their lives. This story is widely parroted in Zodiac circles despite little to no evidence supporting these claims.

​There is a Santa Barbara newspaper from November 6th 1963 that states "A rope found at the murder scene had two marlin hitches, an uncommon knot", and a typed report detailing a "3/8 inch rope found with several marlin hitch knots, commonly used by weavers". If this single rope was instrumental in the commission of the crime, are we to conclude that when the killer threatened Linda under the promise of death to tie up Robert, she took the pre-cut rope and proceeded to bind Robert using two or more marlin hitch knots - or use a regular knot? She was a 17-year-old girl from Lompoc High School. Did investigators examine her background to discover whether she had knowledge of such a knot? Regardless, it isn't the obvious choice of knot used to restrain an individual, let alone one employed by a 17-year-old high school student, who would have used it more than once that day. And if Robert had freed himself from the binding, would these knots still be present in the rope? It is possible that this single piece of rope could have been left on the beach by anybody who had recently frequented this location. After 61 years, if investigators have proof that pre-cut lengths of rope were used in the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards, the time to prove this is surely now. Without the pre-cut lengths of rope and the claim of Linda being ordered to tie up Robert, what remains that links Lake Berryessa to the Gaviota Beach murders?

Even considering the possibility of blood typing as an evidentiary tool (which isn't person specific), any bleeding injury to the murderer in an altercation with Robert before the murders, would not be an incentive to interact with both bodies subsequent to shooting them, not only transferring blood from the killer to the victims, but possibly transferring blood from the victims to yourself. There is also insufficient evidence to conclude with certainty that the murderer of Robert and Linda ever attempted to burn down the shack, other than scorch marks on the shack and spent matches on the ground devoid of any time stamp. If the person who committed these murders was so hell-bent on destroying evidence that he dragged both victims a total of 60 feet to the shack and attempted to set fire to it, why was he prepared to leave behind numerous bindings at the crime scene (not yet substantiated), shoeprint or bootprint impressions, and scatter 20+ shell casings on the creek bed, that arguably had more (if not equal) evidentiary value than anything he could have left on (or in) the bodies of Domingos & Edwards. The bullets inside the victims are only of use with a weapon to compare to. If the killer takes the rudimentary steps to negate this possibly, then the killer has little to worry about (assuming the firearm has no history). If he was inexplicably attempting to destroy these bullets in a shack fire, he was still leaving the casings.  

​Despite the seemingly obvious choice of immediately leaving the scene after the murders, the killer was still incentivised enough to stay at the crime scene beyond what was necessary. If it wasn't for the purpose of destroying incriminating evidence that realistically wasn't an issue, why did they choose to drag the bodies 30 feet to the nearby shack and conceal them? 

The murderer could have put as much distance between himself and the bodies the immediacy that they fell, but clearly had something else in mind. He may have considered that the purpose he had in mind was worth spending several minutes removing the bodies from view and placing them inside the shack. When nobody came to investigate the gunshots he may have felt safe to proceed with his intentions in the privacy of the shack. In the event that somebody had come to the shack, there may have been more than two victims that day. Newspapers reported that Linda Edwards was placed face-up on top of Robert with her bathing suit cut, exposing her breasts, but was not sexually attacked. The definition of sexual attack/assault has changed markedly from 1963 to 2024, so the observation she was not sexually attacked in the shack is not only contentious, it is unfounded. If the bathing suit of Linda Edwards was deliberately cut, not only do we know this was an attack on her sexually, we have no idea what else occurred in the shack beyond this act and for how long. The murderer could have spent hours in that shack satisfying his sexual desires. I don't want to belabor this unpleasant possibility, but just because there are no obvious signs of further interference, doesn't mean it didn't happen. The killer was incentivised enough to drag two bodies 60 feet, for what? To destroy evidence that almost certainly posed little risk, or to satisfy a desire that was partly evident to all who entered the shack in the aftermath of the crime. The murders were seemingly not enough to satisfy this killer. 

Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
The Ballistics. The Rope. The Beach. The Ammo. Pistol or Rifle? The Final Analysis.​

After watching the excellent Planet X Filmworks YouTube video produced by Ross Geraci about the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards on June 4th 1963, I have attempted to delve further into their case and analyse the ballistics evidence. The limited information we have is from newspaper coverage, so I have cross-checked different statements to achieve a reasonable hypothesis for the events that day.

​After their arrival at the coastline, presumed to be sometime in the afternoon hours, the young couple were mercilessly gunned down by a fusillade of shots to the back as they attempted to escape from the beach and their attacker, ending up a distance of about 75 feet north from where the shooter initially began firing, before the callous killer approached the couple where they lay and fired the remaining shots from close range (apparently leaving gunshot residue on the victims).
​
Based upon the shell casing distribution, detectives stated that the "assassin fired from about 25 yards away (75 feet), then moved in". How far the couple were from the shooter when he started firing is unknown, but according to investigators it appeared that Robert and Linda had ran 25 yards from the initial point of contact before collapsing to the ground. According to newspaper reports on June 11th 1963, detectives found 15 empty .22 brass casings toward the mouth of the creek approximately 20 feet from the ocean, ejected from what they believed was a fast-firing automatic weapon. It has been reported that in total 26 casings of Super X long rifle were recovered from the crime scene, which appears to contradict earlier claims by some newspapers of 20 casings found. A bobby pin (a type of hairpin) probably belonging to Linda Edwards was found in the deep creek waters. Coroner's autopsy surgeon, Dr. John P. Blanchard, stated that Robert Domingos was shot eleven times, while Linda Edwards was targeted eight times (with one bullet shattering her right leg). If we take the lesser total of 20 shell casings recovered from the crime scene according to several newspapers, it indicates that the shooter reloaded the weapon as they walked towards or stood over the stricken pair. Ejected casings were found strewn along the creek bed and gully close to a dilapidated shack.​

Some newspapers stated Robert was hit 11 times, while Linda was struck 9 times, not 8, This would mean that 20 shots were fired that afternoon in a dynamic chain of events  involving two running individuals, in which the shooter hit his intended targets 20 times out of 20. This appears to be remarkable accuracy. Reports of 26 casings retrieved from the scene could be viewed as more realistic. The Independent newspaper on February 8th 1964 stated that "police found 27 brass shell casings in the area", which aligns closer to the previously reported 26 casings. The San Francisco Examiner (on February 8th 1964) when comparing the Domingos & Edwards murders to the later sniper murders of Johnny & Joyce Swindle at Ocean Beach on February 5th 1964, argued a similarity of bad marksmanship in both attacks, writing "Numerous shell casings were found on the cliffs here and in San Diego indicating that the sniper had fired many more bullets than those that hit the victims".​

Using the only information at our disposal we can piece together an approximate retelling of events that afternoon using the statements of ​"assassin fired from about 25 yards away (75 feet), then moved in", "detectives found 15 empty .22 brass casings toward the mouth of the creek approximately 20 feet from the ocean" and "the bodies were dragged 30 feet to the shack". In the image below I have placed these measurements onto the topography of Canada Del Molino. If the lower estimate of 20 shots were fired that day and 15 empty casings were found toward the mouth of the creek, then this leaves 5 shots remaining to be fired at the victims from close range as they lay on the ground (which one could assume all hit their target). Based on the reports of Robert receiving 11 gunshot wounds and Linda 8 or 9, it would mean the shooter achieved 100% accuracy (or missed just once) as the couple ran from the shooter to the position they fell.  If 26 shots were fired that day (15 from distance as they ran), this would leave 11 shots remaining to be fired at the victims from close range. This would mean the shooter achieved 73% to 77% accuracy throughout. Assuming he managed to hit the victims 11 times out of 11 from close range, it would indicate that from his first 15 shots he only managed to hit Robert and Linda 8 or 9 times (missing 6 or 7 times). This would make his accuracy over distance between 53% and 60%. We have newspaper reports claiming either 20 or 26/27 casings retrieved from the mouth of the creek and gully, so which information seems more credible when we consider the unfolding events at Canada Del Molino on June 4th 1963?  

Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
​The Shack. The Rope. The Beach. The Ammo. Pistol or Rifle? The Final Analysis.​

Inspector David Toschi made reference to the Zodiac Killer drawing from Presidio Heights by stating that its significance was overrated and it almost certainly wasted valuable police time chasing down tips based upon it. The sketch today is often argued as an accurate representatiion of the killer by individuals whose "suspect" looks like it, whereas it is rejected as accurate by individuals who see no likeness. Undoubtedly, many calls were received by police from concerned citizens who believed they had spotted the Zodiac Killer walking around town, with these calls more prevalent subsequent to recent newspaper coverage about him. 

One major story about the Zodiac Killer broke in the San Francisco Chronicle on November 16th 1970 about the connection to the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates in 1966. Four months would elapse between this story and the mailing of the Los Angeles letter from Pleasanton on Saturday, March 13th 1971, which hit the newspapers on Tuesday, March 16th 1971  On March 18th 1971 a woman working at a Dublin, California store claimed she rang police on March 11th 1971 about sighting a man who looked just like the Zodiac sketch, but her phone call to Santa Rita police was ignored. Unfortunately, this claim was made after the newspapers released the breaking news of a new Zodiac letter - and with no record of the March 11th 1971 call - this could have easily be dismissed as a woman piggybacking off renewed Zodiac activity. However, an Alameda County sheriff's offiial confirmed that numerous calls were received the weekend before the recent Zodiac letter was published in the newspapers, from persons saying they had spotted the Zodiac Killer in the Dublin area. The Google map location of Dublin is shown as 4 miles north of Pleasanton, where the Los Angeles letter was postmarked. This distance is irrelevant in this case because the two cities actually border one another.    

The police received many phone calls from American citizens claiming they had seen the Zodiac Killer wandering about town, but in this instance there were "numerous calls that poured in" from the Dublin area at the exact time a Zodiac letter was postmarked from Pleasanton, which sat alongside the city of Dublin. Every single Zodiac letter (according to many esteemed Zodiac researchers) was postmarked from San Francisco in 1969 and 1970, until this letter broke with tradition. Downtown Dublin is situated 40 miles (about 50 minutes journey time by car) from San Francisco, from which "numerous people" called in Zodiac sightings over one weekend, as a "confirmed" letter arrived at the Pleasanton sorting office from the Bay Area murderer.

​There are four viable options. [1] The Zodiac Killer was in the Dublin area and was spotted by numerous independent individuals who contacted police, [2] Somebody who looked like the Zodiac Killer sketch was in the Dublin area and was spotted by numerous independent individuals who contacted police. [3] The Zodiac Killer made the phone calls for self-publicity (negated if the calls were established as different people), or [4] The numerous individuals who rang the police were known to one another and manufactured a story that they saw the Zodiac Killer in town, while simultaneously mailing a letter from neighboring Pleasanton and fashioning a hoax. In other words, the Pleasanton letter has nothing to do with the Zodiac Killer. Alternatively, could it be possible that the Zodiac Killer sketch was that accurate, it generated numerous calls from the public, who recognised the Zodiac Killer in Dublin the weekend he mailed the Los Angeles Times letter? As stated previously, sightings of the Zodiac Killer in public were not unusual, but in this instance we had "numerous calls that poured in" from a location 40 miles east of San Francisco, four months after any notable Zodiac activity, in one weekend, when a "confirmed" Zodiac letter was mailed from the neighboring city of Pleasanton. 

The one enduring feature of the Zodiac Killer is his ability to play with words, often using contemporary stories in the newspapers to surreptitiously weave into his communications. But was November 1966 one such instance, when the landmark story of "the confession" heavily featured in the newspapers throughout the year to the chagrin of law enforcement, who would become three years later, the target of mockery and ridicule at the hand of the Zodiac Killer. 

On June 13th 1966 Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that law enforcement in the United States must warn a person of their constitutional rights before interrogating them, or else the person's statements or confession cannot be used as evidence at their trial. Specifically, the Court held that under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the government cannot use a person's statements made in response to an interrogation while in police custody as evidence at the person's criminal trial unless they can show that the person was informed of the right to consult with a lawyer before and during questioning, and of the right against self-incrimination before police questioning, and that the defendant not only understood these rights but also voluntarily waived them before answering questions. 

​Ernesto Arturo Miranda (March 9, 1941 – January 31, 1976) was an American laborer whose criminal conviction was set aside in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona, which ruled that criminal suspects must be informed of their right against self-incrimination and their right to consult with an attorney before being questioned by police. This warning is known as a Miranda warning. Ernesto Miranda had been convicted of kidnapping, rape, and armed robbery charges based on his confession under police interrogation. Wikipedia. 

This was met with dismay by many police departments the length and breadth of the country, who feared the balance of power shifting toward the criminal. with the day-to-day operations of law enforcement being shackled by the ruling of the Supreme Court. A confession was now inadmissable without a prior Miranda warning.from interrogating officers. This may have amused the Zodiac Killer (or author of the Confession letter) when they twice addressed Chief Lambert Kinkead of the Riverside Police Department and headed two letters on November 29th 1966 with "THE CONFESSION", reminding them of a prior "WARNING" they issued to police, typing "Yes I did make that call to you also. It was just a warning". This form of mockery wouldn't have been lost on the Zodiac Killer, had he been present in Riverside during this period. A "just warning" by telephone, followed by a typed confession of murder to police.