On Saturday February 21st 1970, John Franklin Hood (24) and Sandra Garcia (20) decided to visit the quiet retreat of East Beach, Santa Barbara one evening, when they fell victim to a knife-wielding assassin similar to the attack on Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard at Lake Berryessa five months earlier - and more importantly - contained within the umbrella of known Zodiac crimes and letters. John F. Hood and Sandra Garcia were set to become married and were enjoying the evening tranquility lying on a blanket under a full moon, when a knife-man, carrying a bone-handled 4" blade approached them taking them by surprise - and despite evidently fighting back against their attacker, both unfortunately had their lives cruelly snatched away on that fateful night. John Hood suffered 11 stab wounds, the majority inflicted to the face and back, while Sandra Garcia received the brunt of the attack leaving her almost unrecognizable, in what appeared a senseless and motiveless crime. Like the Berryessa attack, robbery and a sexual motive were absent and the remote location apparent - but is it possible this little publicized double murder could be the work of the Zodiac Killer. Speculation will take us no nearer the truth, so let us examine the Zodiac letters and suspected crimes around the relevant time period and see if we can unearth any possible clues to push the Hood and Garcia case back into the limelight and into forefront of our minds.
Santa Barbara coastline What we know of the Zodiac Killer, is that he kept a running total of victims contained in his correspondence. The Melvin Belli letter mailed on December 20th 1969 and the "My Name is.." letter mailed on April 20th 1970 are of particular interest in this regard. The Melvin Belli letter stated "I am afraid I will lose control again and take my ninth and possibly tenth victim". This is important because the next correspondence to claim 10 victims was the "My Name is.." letter, mailed 2 months after the Hood/Garcia murders on February 21st 1970 and the immediate correspondence after the Melvin Belli letter. The wording in the Melvin Belli letter does not tell us whether the ninth and tenth victims are to be separate attacks or one combined attack, but what the Zodiac has been best known for is attacks on couples and the Hood/Garcia murders fits this template. However, there is something more important to bear in mind when we look at the 13 Symbol cipher on April 20th 1970, particularly the phrase contained within the letter stating "I have killed ten people to date".
Let us look at the notable dates of Zodiac events from the Melvin Belli letter to just prior to his mailing of the "My Name is.." letter. The Melvin Belli letter was mailed on the anniversary of the Lake Herman Road murders on the 20th, the Hood/Garcia murders were on the 21st and the highly debated Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns took place on the 22nd. The key numbers to remember here are 20, 21 and 22, followed by the 'My Name is..Letter'. Within this letter the Zodiac gave us a 13 Symbol cipher containing four Zodiac signs, but apparent was the highlighted three 8's or three Taurus symbols circled.
An astrological chart shows a full moon denoted as a circle and the "My Name is.." letter was mailed on April 20th 1970 to the San Francisco Chronicle. So let us look at an astrological chart of San Francisco on this date, bearing in mind that a full moon is regarded a full moon either side of it waxing and waning above 95% illumination. In astrology, the Zodiac sign of Aries runs on average from March 21st to April 19th and Taurus takes over on April 20th (the date this letter was mailed) until May 20th. There are four full moons in April (shown here on the astrological chart), in which one falls in Aries and three fall in Taurus (the exact configuration on the 13 Symbol cipher). However, the most important thing is the full moon circled Taurus symbols. They fall on the 20th, 21st and 22nd, exactly the same dates as the Melvin Belli letter, the Hood and Garcia murders and the Modesto abduction in the run up to this letter, with the 21st being the center point of the cipher as a whole. Take a look here for a visual representation.
Let us look at the notable dates of Zodiac events from the Melvin Belli letter to just prior to his mailing of the "My Name is.." letter. The Melvin Belli letter was mailed on the anniversary of the Lake Herman Road murders on the 20th, the Hood/Garcia murders were on the 21st and the highly debated Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns took place on the 22nd. The key numbers to remember here are 20, 21 and 22, followed by the 'My Name is..Letter'. Within this letter the Zodiac gave us a 13 Symbol cipher containing four Zodiac signs, but apparent was the highlighted three 8's or three Taurus symbols circled.
An astrological chart shows a full moon denoted as a circle and the "My Name is.." letter was mailed on April 20th 1970 to the San Francisco Chronicle. So let us look at an astrological chart of San Francisco on this date, bearing in mind that a full moon is regarded a full moon either side of it waxing and waning above 95% illumination. In astrology, the Zodiac sign of Aries runs on average from March 21st to April 19th and Taurus takes over on April 20th (the date this letter was mailed) until May 20th. There are four full moons in April (shown here on the astrological chart), in which one falls in Aries and three fall in Taurus (the exact configuration on the 13 Symbol cipher). However, the most important thing is the full moon circled Taurus symbols. They fall on the 20th, 21st and 22nd, exactly the same dates as the Melvin Belli letter, the Hood and Garcia murders and the Modesto abduction in the run up to this letter, with the 21st being the center point of the cipher as a whole. Take a look here for a visual representation.
The Hood/Garcia murders on February 21st 1970 occurred on a 100% full moon, as did the date of April 21st 1970, depicted by the central Taurus on the My Name is.. "letter'.
On July 5th 1970, Thomas Victor Dolan (17), of Manhattan Beach, Thomas Hayes (19), of Hermosa Beach and Homer Clyde Shadwick (19), of Saginaw Michigan were discovered by a passer-by on a beach in Santa Barbara, which straddled the University of California S.B building. Two had succumbed to their injuries, while the third, Thomas Hayes, had been rushed to hospital in nearby Goleta in critical condition, after the three appeared to have been subjected to a frenzied machete/hatchet and knife attack while camping out in their sleeping bags on the night of July 4th 1970, after hitchhiking back from fireworks celebrations in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Fortunately for Hayes he survived his injuries. The attack seemed motiveless, as the three young men's watches and money remained untouched.
This attack came approximately four months after Hood and Garcia, who were murdered on Saturday February 21st 1970, 16 miles west of these attacks. Both the Melvin Belli letter and Shadwick/Dolan murders were anniversaries of the Zodiac Killer's first two crimes at Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs. But this may be the tip of the iceberg regarding dates employed by the Zodiac Killer. Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Beryessa, Presidio Heights, the Hood/Garcia murders, the Shadwick/Dolan murders and the likely murder of Donna Lass, all had one date in common, but that is another story.
Zodiac Ciphers-Murder In The First.
On July 5th 1970, Thomas Victor Dolan (17), of Manhattan Beach, Thomas Hayes (19), of Hermosa Beach and Homer Clyde Shadwick (19), of Saginaw Michigan were discovered by a passer-by on a beach in Santa Barbara, which straddled the University of California S.B building. Two had succumbed to their injuries, while the third, Thomas Hayes, had been rushed to hospital in nearby Goleta in critical condition, after the three appeared to have been subjected to a frenzied machete/hatchet and knife attack while camping out in their sleeping bags on the night of July 4th 1970, after hitchhiking back from fireworks celebrations in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Fortunately for Hayes he survived his injuries. The attack seemed motiveless, as the three young men's watches and money remained untouched.
This attack came approximately four months after Hood and Garcia, who were murdered on Saturday February 21st 1970, 16 miles west of these attacks. Both the Melvin Belli letter and Shadwick/Dolan murders were anniversaries of the Zodiac Killer's first two crimes at Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs. But this may be the tip of the iceberg regarding dates employed by the Zodiac Killer. Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Beryessa, Presidio Heights, the Hood/Garcia murders, the Shadwick/Dolan murders and the likely murder of Donna Lass, all had one date in common, but that is another story.
Zodiac Ciphers-Murder In The First.
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