BODIES ON THE BEACH IN SANTA BARBARA

10/22/2024

The nude and beaten body of a young woman ("Winona" or "Ronnie" Davis) was found on an Isla Vista beach, adjacent to the University of California at Santa Barbara on January 18th 1971 with a cut on her head and a badly mutilated face, which had been covered with a coat. Just under a year previous, on February 21st 1970, John Franklin Hood (24) and Sandra Garcia (20) had been stabbed and badly beaten on Cemetery Beach just 11 miles east of this location. Sandra Garcia was viciously beaten around the head leaving her almost unrecognizable, and a blanket had been placed over her face and body, and that of her partner.

Four months after the Isla Vista murder, on May 10th 1971, Karen Ann Signore (21), a recent student at the University of California at Santa Barbara, was hitchhiking along Sycamore Canyon Road by Coyote Road when she was shot eight times by either a .22 rifle or gun. Stll alive when spotted by a passing motorist at 10pm, she was rushed to hospital but died on the operating table. Karen was shot just 2 miles north (by crow) from the Santa Barbara beach where Hood and Garcia were murdered.

John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia have been loosely connected to the Robert Domingos (18) and Linda Edwards (17) murders on June 4th 1963 at Canada Del Molino beach, 29 miles west of Cemetery Beach.

Like the murder of the Isla Vista female, Linda Edwards was also exposed, because her bathing suit had been cut to reveal her breasts. There were also reports that a towel had been placed over Linda's face, similar in fashion to the covering of the face with a coat, performed by the Isla Vista murderer. The face and bodies of Hood and Garcia had also been covered with a blanket. Three deadly attacks on a Santa Barbara beach within 29 miles of each other, and all the victims may have had their faces covered. Linda had been shot 8 times with a .22 caliber weapon, exactly the same caliber and times suffered by Karen Ann Signore on Sycamore Canyon Road. A further interesting aspect to the shooting murder of.Karen Ann Signore, was that her near lifeless body was found in an area occupied by a "lot of hippie types" with lean-to's and shacks. Linda Edwards was dragged (along with Robert Domingos) to a dilapidated shack used by transients, located near the beach.

There were at least two reports of gunfire on June 2nd 1963, either side of the area where Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards were eventually murdered on June 4th 1963. Eleven teenagers in total reported two bullets whizzing past them as they were standing by their vehicles in a remote area of Gaviota State Park. They had been surfing at the beach that day. They reported that the shooting took place at around mid-afternoon. In another incident seven miles east, three teenagers camping at Tajiguas Creek reported hearing gunshots coming from the beach, just south of their location. The time was given as daybreak. Both sets of earwitnesses descrbed what they thought was the sound of a .22 gun. Four days before the murder of Karen Ann Signore with a .22 weapon, on May 6th 1971, less than one mile from where she was shot, a sniping incident was investigated by Detective William Baker. He said two officers in their patrol car were shot at as they drove along Sycamore Canyon Road.

Joseph Stephen Holt, born on November 8th 1947, would graduate from the Cupertino High School and study political science at the University of California at Santa Barbara, before studying later at UC Berkeley, receiving a bachelor's degree. Joseph Stephen Holt, who murdered Brynn Tainey (27) in 1977 and Carol Andersen (16) in 1979, and is the prime suspect for the murder of Donna Lass (25) in 1970, would have been 23 years old at the time of the Isla Vista murder on January 18th 1971, next to the University of California at Santa Barbara. Karen Ann Signore was also a recent student there.

Putting Joseph Stephen Holt aside for any of the Santa Barbara murders, because he is an unlikely candidate, we have five murders on a Santa Barbara beach from 1963 to 1971, with the possibility that all the victims faces were concealed. Robert Domingos was found face down in the shack, with Linda Edwards placed face up on top of him, with possibly a towel over her face. John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia were covered with a blanket (John face down, Sandra face up), and the Isla Vista female had her face covered with a coat..The murderer of Sandra Garcia and the Isla Vista female, separated by 11 months, had their faces seriously disfigured. Karen Ann Signore, was murdered four months after the Isla Vista victim, 2 miles north of the Hood and Garcia killings.

INDEPENDENT, JANUARY 20TH 1971

JIbberjabber

10/22/2024 11:22:50 pm

The thing about the socks is interesting, I have found a few unsolved murders including in California on beaches back to the 1950s and the victims were naked except for socks (one of them involved a taunting letter mailed from Marin county to Oakland PD).

The killer/killers are obviously undressing those victims but stopping at the socks for some reason - or maybe even putting the socks back on if the person killed had originally taken them off.

one of the murders was something like the man was naked except for the socks, but the woman was fully dressed except for the socks. That has to be by design that

Seems a bit like a weird signature aspect to a murder and maybe even some sort of sick joke.

I think I read in a BRILLIANT book on criminal profiling by Robert Ressler (he who fights monsters) or if not in there I have picked it up someplace else that if a murderer covers the face of a victim they are doing it out of some sort of care/concern for the victim, but even if there is some truth in that I doubt it applies in the case where someones face has been mutilated. Again I feel like it is a little touch to create an effect on the next person that comes along and removes the face covering.

they get a shock

Some random thoughts:

There is obviously a sniper-on-a-beach MO to some of these cases

I never realised how close those places were to Mexico - if someone was down there from the North lets say, they might have Mexico in their mind because of how close it is, maybe appearing on road signs or maybe even crossing the border. Could be a reason to bring it up during commission of another crime. Baja California seems to be in Mexico from the maps. I dont know if the USA/Mexico border is drawn around that whole strip of land or is Baja a Californian state within Mexico?

Interesting these faces are being mutilated and covered, Zodiac covered his own face which was obviously on one hand so he was not recognised but on the other hand his face covering is possibly more than just any old mask.

I dont know if it is or even even was a recognised law enforcement type term, but some of these killings would likely be identified in the newspapers as "thrill kill" in the absence of any motive.

I wonder if that is even a common word to drop into conversation, Zodiac used it himself in the Z408. had he read that term in a newspaper article and recognised it applied to him to the point he was even proud enough to mention it in writing

Johnny

10/23/2024 01:20:50 am

Yes, Jibby, great input as always!

I can't say it publicly but one poster at Voigts site i have always wondered about if she/ he knows a little bit more then would be appropriate. But im sure thats just insanity on my part.

Richard

10/23/2024 01:38:36 am

Have you seen the taunting letter Jibberjabber, or got the transcript of the wording used. The Marin County connection is interesting. Robert Ressler is one of those rare individuals/criminal profilers who has produced some really good material without bordering into fantasy.

Here's what I wrote last time I covered the Hood & Garcia 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".

Rubislaw32 link

10/23/2024 10:18:39 am

Fascinating about the possible reasons for John & Sandra's blanket left covering their bodies. Certainly food for thought.

In the case of the garroting of Elizabeth McCabe (Dundee UK Feb 1980), her naked body was found with her long woolen jumper draped over her body. Police have surmised that her killer had an element of remorse, after murdering her, and that it represented his desire that she should keep out the winter cold, even in death.

Rubislaw32 link

10/23/2024 10:23:29 am

Elizabeth's naked body that was...

Rubislaw32 link

10/23/2024 12:26:07 pm

Yes Richard, I see that you have covered the Hood & Garcia murders very well and comprehensively in the past. A good-looking couple, and she a very pretty girl. Their 4-year age gap has always been a stand-out for me, and I suspect sexual jealousy at play.

If I was a detective, I would have played close scrutiny to work-colleagues of Sandra's around the same age as her.

With the Zodiac's 9th & 10th victim references in his Belli letter, there is some ''retrospective anticipation'' that he was considering the target of a couple again, after solo victim Paul Stine, and A.N. Other after Stine - the enigmatic ''8th victim''.

Richard

10/23/2024 11:13:24 pm

I'm certainly not advocating for a Zodiac connection Rubi, but the Hood & Garcia murders deserve far more attention than they currently receive, and almost certainly involve two individuals, with one of them losing his pocket knife at the crime scene. There could easily have been two individuals involved in Domingos & Edwards too, due to the fact both bodies were moved a total of 60 feet. In both cases, totally unnecessary actions took place after each crime. The relocation of the bodies in 1963 served little purpose, as did covering the bodies of Hood & Garcia in 1970 on a very dark night on a remote and isolated stretch of beach.

Rubislaw32 link

10/24/2024 01:20:37 am

There are undoubtedly standout murders, and Hood & Garcia is case in point for the close proximity of the attack, ferociousness and apparent pointlessness of it.

There exists some footage by someone wandering around the cemetery that looks on to the stretch of beach (YouTube ?), and one gets a sense of the place. The couple probably stalked prior.

Mike

10/25/2024 01:20:05 pm

Hi Richard.

I hope all is well with you. I was wondering if you had the chance to watch This Is The Zodiac Speaking—a new three-part docuseries on Netflix released this past Wednesday.

The reason I ask is because I found one single part of it really interesting. The family the docuseries focuses on, the Seawaters, bring up the Albany Letter and if I remember correctly you believe this letter to be an authentic Zodiac communication (as do I). This family was friends with Arthur Leigh Allen in the early 1960s through 1990 and Allen was obsessed with one of the daughters named Connie. Connie’s mother’s maiden name was Hensley. The family was stunned to see the name Connie Henly decoded in the Albany Letter in the History Channel’s Hunt For Zodiac episode. Connie says in the docuseries that she received phone calls from Allen while she was living in Upstate NY—three hours from Albany.

I realize the Dave Oranchak solution of Connie Henly is not confirmed but still find it to be an incredible coincidence that those two nearly identical names would come up in this case irrespective of one another.

Would love to know your thoughts.

Mike

Richard

10/25/2024 05:01:00 pm

I don't question the Albany letter Mike because it's absolutely genuine for numerous reasons - too many to name here. I have sent you my latest findings on a possible nurse aged 48 in 2002. But I don't know her previous address when she was 19 in 1973. Maybe you can find whether this lead is a dead end or not.

One suggestion by David Oranchak for the name of the woman in the Albany letter was Connie Shenly (as shown below), but this name (in the short format) has not been found in any relevant and recent newspaper articles prior to August 1st 1973 . As David pointed out, some of the characters in the cryptogram are less than clear, so there is margin for error when attempting to decode the cryptogram. Between Nick Pelling and David Oranchak, the name "Consuelo" was put forward as a possibility because this could be reasoned based on the first eight characters of the cryptogram and the newspaper article unearthed by David Oranchak in comments. The newspaper article from the Times Record in New York on April 20th 1973 mentions the upcoming wedding of Miss Barbara Jeanne Zonitch of Watervliet and F. Michael Consuelo on Friday, August 17th 1973. She is detailed as a graduate of Troy High School in 1965, who was working at the Albany Medical Center Hospital at the time. Although "Consuelo" is a surname in this instance, when used as a forename it is sometimes shortened to "Connie". The threat to kill such a woman on the latest available Friday (August 10th) before her wedding, may be something the Zodiac Killer factored into the equation. When the Zodiac Killer mailed this letter on Wednesday, August 1st (or possibly a day earlier) he had every opportunity to select Friday, August 3rd 1973, but for whatever reason chose the weekend before the wedding. Of course, this assumes many things, such as whether this woman was ever the chosen target at all. However, she did work at the Albany Medical Center, she had an upcoming wedding one week after the proposed attack, and her married name fits into 5 of the first 8 characters of the cipher, despite the remaining 4 characters of the first 12 remaining problematic (unless these 4 are not part of the name, and are a mistake connected to the word "only" in the cryptogram message, which should have originally read "this is the beginning").

Mike

10/25/2024 05:21:45 pm

Hi Richard.

Thanks so much for your response. You and I discussed the Albany letter a while back and yeah, I totally agree with you that it is an authentic Zodiac letter. The reason I wrote you just now though was because of the new Netflix three-part docuseries I just watched on a family’s relationship with Arthur Leigh Allen. Allen was obsessed with the daughter, Connie. Allen was manipulating the mother—last name Hensley. Extremely close to Connie Henly. I find it to be an incredible coincidence if that’s all it is. It’s worth a viewing for that alone although I think there’s a few more interesting things throughout. Hope you’re doing well.

Mike

Rubislaw32 link

10/25/2024 05:53:28 pm

I agree also, Richard, that the letter is authentic Zodiac. But, on current uncertainty over the symbols depicted, a debate over the actual plain text solution could ''run and run''.

I have come up with an alternative solution, but I wouldn't hold my breath that it is wholly correct. There seems to be consistencies with some symbols, but doubt with others.

I think it would be helpful if it could be established who actually holds custody of the original letter and cryptogram. Now we have Dave Oranchak appealing for anyone with a better copy. What with the FBI being case Intelligence processors at the time of the letter, one assumes that they would end up with its custody.

Is ''Doranchak'' therefore inferring that FBI's Dan Olson who originally fed him the bones of the solution claimed by the FBI, doesn't have access to a better copy ?

Goodness knows.

Richard

10/25/2024 11:17:55 pm

For the Albany letter name (if Hensley) to be connected to Allen someway, we would have to conclude either Allen wrote the Albany letter and was playing around, or somebody who knew Allen wrote it. However, if Hensley was the correct decoding, yet the individual didn't work at the Albany Medical Center, the letter effectively loses its credibility and impact. Whatever name decodes in the first section of the cipher, I strongly suspect it is either a nurse or employee of the facility, otherwise it has little purpose in creating fear and negates the credibility of its author. It is an odd connection with Allen and the family, but I suspect it's just an interesting coincidence.

Rubislaw32 link

10/25/2024 11:41:12 pm

Thanks Richard - I think your answer is as good as any might venture or give.

Some of us are simply seeking the truth of the matter. I would suggest that there are, at least, implications of ''foul play'' as to the accuracy depicted of some of the symbols constituting the cryptogram, as presented to date.

The only consolation I find is that case custodians CA DOJ, for whom the FBI were supposed to be in service of - hopefully did receive a faithful quality copy from the FBI, originally - and can make up their own minds, as to whether the FBI are playing with a straight bat or not, over the claimed cryptogram solution.

JIbberjabber

10/25/2024 11:46:03 pm

Well the Netflix documentary was better than I thought it would be and I think it handled the Allen issue quite well, what I mean by that is the documentary gave a good overview of the Zodiac case for people who are new (inc possible pre-canonical) and was not saturated solely with Allen coverage.

Seemed to be a good 50/50 split. Like the Fincher movie, generally good at presenting the case on the surface BUT THEN goes in the wrong direction (IMO) to focus on Allen.

I have said this before and I will say it again, Graysmith does not seem as hot on Allen in the 1986 book. If he thought Allen was the Zodiac by 1986 it is not clear from the book, infact I think he prefers Rick Marshall from how I am reading the book (If Marshall was Donald Jeff Andrews).

one thing always annoys me, I dont think it is right to describe Lake Herman Road as simply a "back-road" or a road that no one ever went to except young people wanting to get it on, you only have to look at the map and it is a routine into Vallejo from I-680. There seems to be a clock-wise & anti-clockwise way in and out of Vallejo from the EAST traffic corridor (I680 via LHR, or I80 on to I780 which joins back up to I680), I have never seen anyone in any book, documentary, movie etc ever acknowledge that but when I started researching the case and went to Google maps it was one of the first things I noted

I think it could be relevant to consider someone might be on LHR who is not just out wanting to "neck" in a car or travel to the oil plant or granite mines, they may have been coming in from one of the larger Californian highways to the East.

I dont think the Seawater's are lying or at least they seemed sincere, but I do not believe for a second they were at Gaviota beach waiting in the car while Allen did his thing, same for Riverside.

Graysmith, Toschi and anyone else who would go with a "hunch" over forensic evidence are simply wrong wrong wrong in my opinion.

I feel the same thing when I keep reading that RPD "know" who killed Cheri Jo Bates but they cannot prove it. WRONG, if you cannot prove it then you do not know who killed her, you have your theories / assumptions and biases, but you have no proof.

I am now doubting the dates of Cheney & Allen's conversation - I got the impression from the show it came AFTER the canonical Zodiac crimes and not before - Cheney said on the tape recorder he last saw Allen in new year 69 if that is 31/12/1969 then they had the conversaton after the whole canonical crime period?.

Also Allen's name seemed to be known by the police & press by the late 80s/early 90s perhaps? - it could have been known by other people eg Ralph Spinelli before the majority of California did.

Although all in all I think Allen actually was pretending to be Zodiac for a while / for some reason maybe he got a kick out of it. That explains his official & unoffocial links to the case better than his complete lack of forensic evidence in my opinion.

I am not sold on the Albany letter being from Z myself, the handwriting is way off and the cipher symbols are not exactly consistent with previous efforts, plus it is not as neatly presented either. Regardless of how bat shit crazy Zodiac's writing was, I think he always presented his ciphers neatly.

Could Allen be the author of the Albany cipher (but not the Zodiac)?

Did you see the clip where Toschi said they were "swamped" with tips, then Zodiac would later write his basement was "swamped" out with the rain. I wonder if the Toschi clip pre-dated the Zodiac letter and Z was using a word that Toschi had used, I dont think swamped is a very common word but at the same time both contexts are likely apt so maybe they both used it indepedantly.

Great documentary and would love to debate it some more

Mike

10/26/2024 01:38:56 pm

Thanks Jibber, thanks Richard.

I really appreciate your feedback. I’ve read a lot of the Zodiac books with suspects ranging from Arthur Leigh Allen, Earl Van Best, William Grant, Paul Doerr, Ted Kaczynski, and Kjell Qvale—all interesting reads and yet I don’t think any of them are Zodiac. I have watched every movie, documentary and TV show/special on Zodiac since I was 13 (I’m now 52) and still have no idea who Zodiac is/was.

All that being said, I do now believe that if the true undisputed solution of the name in the Albany letter is in fact Connie Henly, then Leigh Allen wrote that letter. His repugnant grooming of and obsession with Connie teamed with his disturbing relationship with Connie’s mother, last name Hensley, is way too close to be just a coincidence for me.

I’ve always been interested in the Albany letter because I’m originally from Albany, NY. I was born in Troy, NY. My mom is from Troy originally and went to Troy High School. She went to Troy High with Barbara Zonitch and was friends with Barbara’s older sister Nancy Zonitch. I used to think the Albany letter was targeting Barbara who of course was a nurse at Albany Medical Center and who would soon marry a man with the last name beginning with Con. But I don’t think so anymore.

Johnny

10/27/2024 02:20:14 am

He had two people trying set him up before, couldn't it be them again?
Why would anyone of these three be in Albany though?

Allens forced hospital stay comes after the Albany letter is sent, so even if they have a psychiatric hospital in Albany and Alllen uses a transfered patient, this couldn't have happened.

Maybe Allen used the postal service in some way to make it look that he really posted the letter in Albany?

Just some thoughts over to you...

Rubislaw32 link

10/26/2024 12:22:27 am

I haven't seen it yet, Jibberjabber, but read much of the internet feedback and I think you make worthy points.

I'm simply commenting to make a philosophical point about Allen. Allen pleaded guilty to his molestation charges, and duly served his sentence. But, I think what ticked off LE was that he, at no time demonstrated remorse for what he had done. LE like to see reformed individuals, capable of re-entering free society as someone that can be trusted to keep their noses clean in future.

And, this may be part of the reason he remained a Zodiac suspect, as much as any other. The term ''toxicity'' with regard to certain ex-cons is usually referred to those that have yet to show repentance for their transgressions in the past, and remain a potential problem in society to the cops.

JIbberjabber

10/26/2024 12:51:05 am

I dont know Rubislaw, if LE had its way I think more people would be in jail and for longer. Yes I do believe deep down they want to solve crimes by catching the real perpetrator but they are happy to present a case and if a jury convict, then job well done.

If Allen had went to trial and been convicted for the Zodiac crimes it would be one of the greatest miscarriages of justice ever IMO. Yet Toshich likely would have no issue with locking him up or sending him to the gas chamber, same with Graysmith.

But there is no proof Allen was the Zodiac in my opinion.
The police are an organisation that are lrenumerated, promoted, get better pensions etc based on RESULTS. I dont think it is always in their minds that they get the right person, but as long as they get a case to court and the jury convict then they would sleep soundly in their beds.

I am cynical LOL but the case against Allen really is a good case study in how an almost 60 year old case seems to be ignore forensics and go with questionable circumstantial evidence.

It would be a good experiment, get a jury together and try Allen.
They might even find him guilty of A zodiac murder (which one, or all of them?) but where is the proof??

Rubislaw32 link

10/28/2024 02:40:06 am

''no issue with locking him up'' ? Yes, Jibberjabber - on that point, I agree with you, entirely.

The cops are taught not to judge a suspect on the moral content of what that suspect is accused of. But, it must be difficult for them to ''recuse their consciences'' ?

I have recently witnessed what I believe is a ''close to'' clear-cut case of miscarriage of justice. It's like watching a car-crash in slow motion, and one can only stand back in horror - but helpless.

Sometimes the judiciary have decided to remove someone from free society, because there appears to be no alternatives. Often, these ''victims'' of miscarriage are pretty toxic individuals - but technically, completely innocent.

We live and learn.

Johnny

10/26/2024 12:41:32 am

If the Albany letters is genuine. Why would the Zodiac mail a letter from there?

Was it a Boston drawl Hartnell heard and he visited relatives there and mailed it along the way in New York?

I either can't comment the documentary much im afraid.

Rubislaw32 link

10/26/2024 01:25:35 am

I can only offer a generalised answer to the Albany question, Johnny, although I do have a few others in the fire.

The Zodiac was the most prolific extortionist in criminal history, and liked to combine this with another passion: Tourism.

And, much of this ''tourism'' combined clocking up ''Air miles'', with car hire at the plentiful airports he visited, in order to ''discover America''.

Johnny

10/26/2024 02:56:47 am

Yes, Rubi. I think my best guess would be that he really is a merchant marine and have changed port to Boston.

Comments are closed.

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