On October 22nd 1969 the Oakland Police Department took a call at 2:00 am from somebody claiming to be the Zodiac Killer, requesting that either Melvin Belli or Francis Lee Bailey, high profile lawyers at the time, appear on a chat show hosted by Jim Dunbar later that day. Melvin Belli agreed to appear on the show, to which a man would eventually contact via telephone, claiming not only his name was 'Sam', but by inference that he was the infamous Zodiac Killer.

The Desert Sun newspaper reported "SAN FRANCISCO (UPI)- A man who said he was Northern California’s "Zodiac killer” of five persons talked with a San Francisco attorney by telephone today while television viewers listened in. Attorney Melvin Belli also talked with the man on another, private line, then said he had arranged to meet with him. Police said they had no way of knowing whether the man was "Zodiac,” who has boasted in notes of five killings in the San Francisco Bay area in the last nine months. But they said they did not consider the caller a prankster. The caller first called a police station at 2 a.m. and said he wanted to get in touch wbth either Belli, the attorney who once defended Jack Ruby in Dallas, or Boston lawyer F. Lee Bailey. He asked that one of them be on the morning talk show of disc jockey Jim Dunbar on KGO-TV. Police contacted Belli, who went to the studio. The man, who said his name was "Sam,” called shortly after 7 a.m and said he was the ‘‘Zodiac killer.” He hung up immediately, but called back a total of 12 more times. While Belli and Jim Dunbar, host of the show, pleaded with him to give himself up, the caller said he suffered from recurring headaches and impulses to kill. Finally, the caller agreed to have Belli go to the San Francisco district attorney’s office to see if prosecutors would assure him they would not ask for the death penalty. Belli said that in another call off camera, the man had agreed to meet him at a secret location after the conference with the district attorney".

In January of 1970, a person claiming to be Zodiac rang the Belli residence, spoke with his housekeeper Erna and requested to speak with the flamboyant lawyer, only to be told he was unavailable and out of the country. The caller replied "I can't wait, today's my birthday". This interaction was detailed in a partially redacted FBI file on January 14th 1970. The phone call would have been placed in the days before this urgent request, labeled "instant date January 14th". On February 18th 1970, the caller to the Jim Dunbar Show was identified by San Francisco Police as Eric Weill. They contacted the FBI with the details, but this information did not appear in the newspapers. Eric Weill was almost certainly the responsible for both the Jim Dunbar Show call and the call to Bellii's residence, stating "I can't wait, today's my birthday". Eric Weill was born on January 10th 1940 and his father's name was "Sam".

San Francisco Chronicle reporter, Paul Avery, would later document the Jim Dunbar Show phone call in 1971 (see below), misspelling the name "Eric Weill" to "Eric Weil", accidentally omitting one of the L's. The Zodiac Killer followed the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper coverage throughout his campaign of terror, so couldn't have failed to know the correct spelling of Paul Avery which sat under the title of many articles. So it was rather curious to see that the Zodiac Killer had seemingly added one of the L's back, by inserting it into the reporter's name, changing "Paul Avery" to "Paul Averly" in both the October 27th 1970 Halloween card and March 22nd 1971 Pines card. If the spelling error by the Zodiac Killer was deliberate, could it have been a subtle dig at Paul Avery for his misspelling of Eric Weill in the run-up to this report. However, for this to be the case, Paul Avery would have needed to know the identity of Eric Weill sometime between February 18th 1970 and the writing of this report in 1971, have previously misspelled the name - and the Zodiac Killer to have known this. The only reason for this speculation, is the idea suggested by some, that the Zodiac Killer may have worked for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper and hence his numerous communications mailed to them. This notion would rely heavily on the "Paul Averly" misspelling being deliberate and done for purpose. The problem with this train of thought, is the Zodiac Killer posed as an illiterate communicator throughout his correspondence, so singling out one specific section has its drawbacks.

But there is a strong possibility that the "birthday call" was placed on January 10th 1970, with Eric Weill likely believing, that being honest about his birthday would never lead to his identification. It didn't, but the resultant tracing of the calls to him and the FBI files detailing the "birthday call" just prior to January 14th 1970, further strengthening the case against him. The choice of "Sam" as his chosen name on the Jim Dunbar Show call may also be very close to home.

At approximately 2:00 am on October 22nd 1969, somebody called the Oakland Police Department claiming to be the Zodiac Killer and wanting to appear on the KGO-TV Jim Dunbar Show that day. The caller requested that prominent attorney Francis Lee Bailey take his call on the television program, but added that if he was unavailable, he would accept the high profile San Francisco lawyer, Melvin Mouron Belli as an alternative. During the beginning of the call (6:30 am) to the Jim Dunbar Show the person identified himself as "Sam" when asked for a less ominous name. Despite the Oakland Police dispatcher believing that "Sam" was the same individual that they had spoken to, some people have still questioned whether the real Zodiac Killer called the Oakland Police Department at 2:00 am, but his place was taken by a mental patient called Eric Weill, identifying as "Sam".

It is fairly clear that the caller to the Oakland Police Department was the same man who rang in to the Jim Dunbar Show, and the Zodiac Killer was never in the loop. One reason for believing this to be the case, may lie in the choice of the name "Sam" as an alternative for the "Zodiac Killer". Why would Eric Weill choose the name "Sam"?

The caller to Oakland Police Department made a specific request for criminal defence attorney Francis Lee Bailey, who was previously hired by the brother of Sam Sheppard, found guilty in the brutal murder of his wife Marilyn in 1954. In 1966, F. Lee Bailey successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that Sheppard had been denied due process, winning a re-trial. A not guilty verdict followed. Was this the inspiration behind Eric Weill's choice of attorney and the name "Sam", both inextricably linked by a high profile court case a few years earlier. However, this was getting on for three years ago.

In August 1969, just two months prior to the Oakland Police Department and Jim Dunbar Show calls, Sam Sheppard debuted as a professional wrestler against Wild Bill Scholl - entering under the stage name of "Killer" Sam Sheppard. Therefore, it is quite ironical that the caller on October 22nd 1969 had asked for an attorney who successfully defended Sam Sheppard, who then identified as "Sam" on the Jim Dunbar Show as a replacement for the ominous "Zodiac Killer", just two months after Sam appeared in the "ring" as a "killer". You couldn't write the script.

Sam Sheppard wrestled over 40 matches before his death in April 1970, including a number of tag team bouts with professional wrestler George Strickland as his partner. His notoriety made him a strong draw. 

In the November 9th 1969 'Bus Bomb' letter the Zodiac Killer was clearly agitated by the response he received after mailing the Paul Stine letter on October 13th. In it he stated "This is the Zodiac speaking up to the end of Oct I have killed 7 people. I have grown rather angry with the police for their telling lies about me. So I shall change the way the collecting of slaves. I shall no longer announce to anyone. When I committ my murders, they shall look like routine robberies, killings of anger, + a few fake accidents, etc". The newspaper article that upset him featured Chief of Police Martin Lee, who stated in the San Francisco Chronicle article on October 18th 1969 entitled 'Zodiac Called a Clumsy Criminal,' that Zodiac possibly left his fingerprints on the taxicab, allowed himself to be spotted by three teenagers, and failed to kill all his victims. He went on say "His boast of being in the area we were searching is a lie. We had the whole area flooded with lights. We had seven police dogs and a large number of patrolmen searching the area tree by tree and bush by bush. The dogs are the best in the country. A mouse couldn't have escaped our attention".

The question was; had the Zodiac already attempted or carried out a crime after the October 18th 1969 article that was designed to look accidental or natural, but had possibly failed. After all, his victim count remained at seven by the end of October, which he corroborated in the Dripping Pen Card on November 8th. To do so, we would have to look at attempted crimes claimed by the 'Zodiac Killer' between October 18th and November 8th, in a relevant location.

As seen on the left, a Salesian High School teacher, Daniel Williams had his house broken into, but nothing was taken. A man claiming to be the Zodiac Killer made several threatening phone calls beginning on October 23rd 1969, culminating with the caller saying "You're the dead duck" on November 2nd 1969. Later that day, Williams took a drink from the refrigerator, but fortunately spat it out after noticing a metallic taste. The drink contained enough arsenic to kill.

This in all likelihood is not the Zodiac Killer, however, the targeting of a school teacher is interesting, bearing in mind a Salinas High School teacher, Donald Harden cracked his first cipher, and his 'Dripping Pen' card and second cipher was to arrive in just six days. It could also be argued that this attempted murder - had it been successful - may have looked 'accidental' as the Zodiac would state in the 'Bus Bomb' letter.

Daniel Williams residence was situated at 1234 Bush Street, Martinez, only 9 miles from the location of Zodiac's first crime at Lake Herman Road.
The mystery man during one of his calls talked of "killing the lady in the blue house," but as of yet the meaning behind this utterance is undetermined. 

Bearing in mind the October 22nd 1969 Jim Dunbar radio show, in which Zodiac was supposed to call in, it is hardly surprising we may get a crank call by somebody claiming to be Zodiac beginning on October 23rd 1969. The only difference here, was it appeared the caller was prepared to back up his threat with action. The original caller to the Oakland Police Department at 2:00 am on October 22nd 1969 may however, not be the same person as the hoaxer, who ultimately called the Jim Dunbar show and spoke to Melvin Belli.

​The phrase 'dead duck' may originate from "Never waste powder on a dead duck," first recorded in 1829. Bearing in mind the use of arsenic powder, an ironic choice of words. 

On October 22nd 1969 the Oakland Police Department took a call in the early morning hours from somebody claiming to be the Zodiac, requesting that either Melvin Belli or Francis Lee Bailey, high profile lawyers at the time, appear on a chat show hosted by Jim Dunbar later that day. Melvin Belli agreed to appear on the show to which a man would eventually contact via telephone, claiming not only his name was 'Sam', but also by inference that he was the infamous Zodiac Killer.
Three people had heard the voice of the Zodiac Killer, Bryan Hartnell who survived the brutal attack in Napa and two police dispatchers Nancy Slover and Dave Slaight, who all categorically stated that the man called 'Sam', who rang into the Jim Dunbar show was not the same voice they had recalled from the Blue Rock Springs and Lake Berryessa attacks and therefore not the Zodiac. It was believed that Eric Weil, a mental patient was responsible for the hoax call to the Jim Dunbar show in the October of 1969. It is unknown whether the original caller to the Oakland Police Department was the real killer.  
However, just three and a half months later on February 5th 1970 a second phone call would arrive during an on air interview by Jim Dunbar with a movie producer. The caller claimed to be the Zodiac Killer.  

SAN FRANCISCO (UP!)- A man claiming to be the Zodiac killer of five persons held another on-the-air conversation today with television personality Jim Dunbar. Two police inspectors closeted themselves with Dunbar at station KGOTV immediately after the one-sided conversation, which consisted mainly of Dunbar asking questions and repealing fragments of answers. “When headaches come on, you kill to get relief?” Dunbar asked at one point. “What other stuff you been on besides glue?” Last October 23, Dunbar and attorney Melvin Belli, a guest on his early morning talk show, held a bizarre conversation with a man who said he was Zodiac. Belli set a meeting with the man, who did not show up. Today's call interrupted an interview by Dunbar with a movie producer.
Police believe Zodiac is responsible for five killings in Northern California in the last 13 months. In a series of taunting cryptograms and letters to newspapers and police he has boasted of killing seven and threatened to kill more. Dunbar’s side of the conversation was recorded but not the other voice. The station said something had gone wrong with the monitor on the caller’s voice. The conversation ran, in part, like this: "What other stuff you been on besides glue? Oh, gas? flow do you get? Oh. Do you still have parts of the shirt you sent the newspaper? Oh. . , . Did the victim make a move on you? In other words, you thought he was going to move? .... Did you have the 9 mm gun? Oh, three guns. What, four guns? How could you conceal four guns?
‘‘When headaches come on, you kill to get relief? . . . Chief evil is what ? . . . Sonny Barger of Hell’s Angels?. Meridith Hunter—you are going to do it yourself to bring justice on the Meridith Hunter murderer? Oh. . . Were you anywhere near Altamont for the rock concert? Oh, you knew it was a hoax? . . . You weren’t there?. . . . “You hate Yellow Cabs? . . . Is that why you killed Paul Stine? . . . You want Belli to represent you? . . . You want life in prison, not death?. m m Why Friday 13th? Is that a bad day? ... You say you’re a tranquility smoker? ... Oh, for 10 years? How can you say that when you’re only 18? . . . What usually brings your headache on? You go without sleep? Months? .. . Are you gassed now? . . . Why do you mix booze with drugs? "Why don’t we get together before Friday 13th? ... You say southwest corner of the Tonga Room? You have a girl? Oh, two. Pretty young, you say, 21 and 24? . . . Tell me one thing you told Belli that I don't know, or wrote to him that nobody else knows. I won't repeat it.”

The Tonga Room is a tiki bar established in 1945 in the Fairmont Hotel, Fairmont, San Francisco, 950 Mason St, San Francisco. The Tonga Room is 10 minute walk from the intersection of Mason and Geary Streets.