In the aftermath of the Lake Herman Road double murder on December 20th 1968, law enforcement combed the turnout for ballistics evidence well into the next day. A supplemental investigation report listed the 2 bullets removed from Betty Lou Jensen's body at autopsy, the bullet retrieved from her panties and the bullet found on her "blood splattered path" on the turnout floor. It described this bullet as exiting from the center of her stomach and falling to the ground without penetrating the front of her dress. Only 4 of the 5 bullets were noted. There were 5 bullet holes in the rear of her dress and only one to the front of her dress. The bullet wound mentioned as passing through her stomach was described at autopsy as the one that entered "the tip of the right 12th rib, 3 and 1/2 inches from the midline", penetrated the liver and exited "below the xyphoid process and 1/2 an inch from the midline". This is entry wound 4 on the diagram, described in the supplemental investigation report as being found near her body in the turnout - backing up the contention that this was very probably the final shot fired by the Zodiac Killer that night, as Betty Lou Jensen was hunched forward, before collapsing backwards onto the ground.  Both the bullet found in her panties and the bullet that fell to the ground had both lost such velocity through her body, that neither penetrated the front of her dress.  

The exit wound (furthest red circle to the left in the diagram) is described at autopsy as "over the left interior chest laterally and left margin of the breast, in the 4th intercostal space and 5 and 1/2 inches from the sternum". This is the bullet wound that caused the hole in Betty Lou Jensen's dress and had an extreme right to left trajectory, fired by the Zodiac Killer as her right side was predominantly facing him at very close range. If this bullet had lost comparable velocity to the other two bullets that exited her body, it should have been found just a few feet to the right of the Rambler, close to the cluster of shell casings that peppered the turnout floor. Yet this bullet was seemingly never retrieved from the Lake Herman Road turnout, despite an extensive search by law enforcement. In fact, this bullet was never documented as submitted items in the Department of Justice report either (see below).

So what happened to this bullet? Despite traveling across her body at an extreme right to left trajectory, can we expect this bullet to have retained a markedly higher velocity than the other two "exited bullets", that it flew out of the much larger turnout of 1968? Or did the Zodiac Killer retrieve this bullet from the turnout floor using his "pencil flashlight", to later mail in a letter alongside the shirt piece of Paul Stine, thereby proving he was responsible for the murders of the "people in the north bay area" as well. The opening section of the October 13th 1969 letter referring to the San Francisco murder through the evidence of the shirt piece, with the bullet being the evidence for his following line of "I am the same man who did in the people in the north bay area". This (if it happened) would be two crime scenes where the Zodiac Killer took evidence away, with Lake Berryessa being the crime scene where he left evidence behind.  

Bearing in mind we have two documents that have failed to itemize the same bullet that exited Betty Lou Jensen's dress, it is rather unusual that a 1995 BBC2 documentary called "Great Crimes and Trials" stated that "any doubts about the killer's identity were dispelled the next day when a letter from Zodiac arrived at the San Francisco Chronicle. With it was a bloodstained piece of the driver's shirt and a bullet from the same pistol that had killed Jensen and Faraday". We do come across errors in newspapers and documentaries, but considering we do have a "missing bullet" from the Jensen/Faraday murders, this outrageous claim doesn't seem so outrageous after all. It certainly isn't unusual for law enforcement to withhold evidence from the public to distinguish between any future hoaxers and the real murderer in any crime. But was this one instance? 

The myth of the Zodiac Killer has been thrust back into the limelight in 2023 with the release of a two-part documentary on Peacock featuring Thomas Henry Horan. It is fair to say that the majority of the Zodiac community do not believe in the concept of separate individuals committing the four canonical crimes, with a fictional character called "Zodiac" being sold to the public through a series of communications. However, the myth of the Zodiac Killer that has been shaped by the consensus narrative for over 50 years, can be seen and heard on discussion forums and Youtube videos every single day. Once a falsehood becomes embedded as truth in the Zodiac community, it is practically impossible to derail. When a murder victim is discovered, the injuries viewed in relation to the environment at the crime scene (such as Lake Herman Road) and at autopsy, can tell you a story to better understand how the murder unfolded. If you ignore the findings at autopsy, as detailed in the cases of Cheri Jo Bates, Betty Lou Jensen, Darlene Ferrin, Cecelia Shepard and Paul Stine, you run the risk of misinterpreting the mechanics of the crime. 

The five entry wounds on the right side of Betty Lou Jensen's back, extending from the 5th intercostal space (upper back) to the posterior iliac crest (lower back) has led some to believe this relatively tight grouping (bearing in mind Betty Lou Jensen was fleeing from her assailant at night) is indicative of a killer who was proficient with firearms and likely an expert marksman with possible ties to the military or law enforcement. This notion is ill-conceived. The idea that the Zodiac Killer began firing at Betty Lou Jensen when the flat of her back was facing the shooter is rooted in myth and legend, but it is a myth that is practically impossible to eradicate after 54 years of reinforcement by the vast majority of the Zodiac community. It arises because people fail to read the autopsy report, just like the case of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, who was stabbed 6-9 times, rather than the excessive double-figure count that is widely perceived. There is no evidence from Lake Herman Road to suggest that the Zodiac Killer was an expert marksman. The upper two (possibly three) entry wounds to the back of Betty Lou Jensen had an extreme right to left trajectory (with accompanying gun shot residue), that indicates these shots were delivered at very, to reasonable, close range. It is no coincidence that all five shots struck the right side of her back, because her right side was predominantly facing the killer when he opened fire.

One bullet at autopsy was described as penetrating "from right to left through both atrium". Further information from the autopsy report of the lungs describes "three through and through bullet wounds, corresponding to the three bullet wounds of entry on the right posterior chest cage and one bullet wound through the left lung, in line with the wound through the heart. They are associated with extensive hemorrhage of both lungs". In other words, the bullet wounds traveled across her body. A further "bullet wound over the posterior iliac crest (5 and 1/2 inches from the midline) penetrates the deep muscles and exits to the right of the umbilicus (3 and 3/4 inches to the right of the naval). This bullet had a narrower trajectory, but still traveled on a right to left trajectory. Look at the entry wounds [1], [2] and [3] in comparison to the two bullets that remained in Betty Lou Jensen's body (and one exit wound), shown by the upper three red circles in the diagram. The direction of these three bullets passed from right to left through the body, with at least two of the bullets fired at Betty Lou that night showing an extreme right to left trajectory.

The cluster of six shell casings on the turnout floor and the final resting position of Betty Lou Jensen, strongly indicates that the young girl ran from east to west, from somewhere close to the open passenger door, when the Zodiac Killer first began targeting her. If the Zodiac Killer had been standing closer to the Rambler than Betty Lou Jensen, then her right side would have been predominantly facing the Zodiac Killer as she fled westwards. The lower two entry wounds on her back exhibiting a narrower right to left trajectory are indicative of the greater distance between shooter and victim as she fled. The cluster of six casings may also indicate that Betty Lou Jensen was fired upon six times, with the Zodiac Killer missing once. Although bullets can be deflected by the internal structures of the body, the extreme trajectory of at least two of the three uppermost wounds to her back, with all five wounds exhibiting a right to left trajectory, strongly negates the premise of a killer marksman who fired from a position immediately behind Betty Lou Jensen. At least three of the five shots were delivered at very close range, before Betty Lou Jensen had even passed the rear of the Rambler (and possibly its rear door on the right side). The further she moves away from the killer, the straighter the trajectory the bullets become when they enter her body. Bullets [4] and [5] that strike the lower torso of Betty Lou Jensen show less right to left deviation, with both producing exit wounds.

Bullet number [5] entered her body "over the crest of the posterior right iliac bone and 5 and 1/2 inches from the midline", struck her right kidney and exited her body "3 and 3/4 inches to the right of the umbilicus". The kidneys are located at the base of the rib cage (12th rib) at the costovertebral angle. This bullet was found in the panties of Betty Lou Jensen at autopsy 

One bullet wound (likely the final one fired by the Zodiac Killer) entered by "the tip of the right 12th rib, 3 and 1/2 inches from the midline", penetrated the liver and exited "below the xiphoid process and 1/2 an inch from the midline" (a trajectory from right to left). This is bullet [4] and the exit wound is shown immediately above it in red [E] on the diagram above (and in blue from the front of the body here). There is every chance that Betty Lou Jensen was bent forward at the hips when this bullet struck and it traveled through her body at a fairly acute angle (see below). It is incorrect to believe that the first three shots to her heart and lungs would be immediately fatal. This is not necessarily the case in injuries to such vital organs. Betty Lou Jensen managed to travel 28.5 feet from the rear of the Rambler. For the first three shots (1, 2 and 5) she would likely have been running in an upright position (or very close to upright), before hunching forward (bullets 3 and 4) and eventually falling backwards.​

RE-EXAMINING THE AUTOPSY REPORT OF CHERI JO BATES [PART ONE]

Betty Lou Jensen Autopsy:
There are five bullet wounds of entry on the right side of the back: three on the posterior chest cage and two over the right lower posterior lumbar areas. From up downwards:
[1] The first is located in the 5th intercostal space, 3 and 3/4 inches right of the midline.
[2] The second is in the 8th intercostal space, 5 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
[3] The third is in the 9th intercostal space, 1 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
[4] The fourth in the tip of the right 12th rib, 3 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
[5] The fifth is over the crest of the posterior right iliac bone and 5 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
​There are three exit wounds:
​[1] The first is over the left interior chest laterally and left margin of the breast, in the 4th intercostal space and 5 and 1/2 inches from the sternum.
[2] The second is in the anterior abdominal wall, below the xiphoid process and 1/2 an inch from the midline.
[3] The third is laterally and 3 and 3/4 inches to the right of the umbilicus.

Heart: A bullet wound penetrates from right to left through both atrium.
Lungs: There are three through and through bullet wounds, corresponding to the three bullet wounds of entry on the right posterior chest cage and one bullet wound through the left lung, in line with the wound through the heart. They are associated with extensive hemorrhage of both lungs.
Abdominal Cavity: A bullet wound penetrates the liver. A bullet wound penetrates the right kidney, the left is normal.
Head: No injuries or skull fractures.
The bullet wound over the posterior iliac crest penetrates the deep muscles and exits to the right of the umbilicus. One bullet is recovered in the subcutaneous tissue of the base of the anterior neck (left side) and the other bullet in the subcutaneous tissue anterior to the right 7th rib, which it penetrated of the sternum. The entry wounds aperture 3/16 inch in diameter. The exit wounds are larger.

Below is a clearer and more accurate depiction of the bullet casings discovered on the turnout floor alongside Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968, based on the police reports stating that the casings were 1.5 inches, 1 feet and 11 inches, 2 feet, 2 feet and 3 inches, 3 feet, 4 feet and 6 inches, 8 feet and 2 inches, 14 feet and 20 feet from the right side of the Rambler. Nine casings on the turnout floor and one discovered on the right front floorboard of the Rambler. You will notice in the police sketches that the bullet casing at 14 feet is shown to the right of the Rambler, level with its front end, meaning that a second vehicle parked alongside the Rambler at approximately 10 or 12 feet away, would have the casing close to its front bumper.     

One possible scenario has the killer exiting his driver side door and immediately firing off two shots (with at least one aimed towards the Rambler). One shell casings ejects to his rear, bounces off the roof of his vehicle and comes to rest 3 feet to the right of his passenger door. A car measuring 5 feet in width, 12 feet to the right of the Rambler, means the casing would come to rest on the turnout floor about 20 feet to the right side of the Rambler. The police sketch indicating that this casing was found 20 feet from David Faraday's head is incorrect (check the police report). The bullet from this first shot was likely the one that struck the headliner of the Rambler and embedded in its upholstery on the opposite side, with a straight trajectory. The second shot either missed the Rambler, or was fired into the air as a warning shot. The casing ejecting behind and to the right, bouncing off the hood of the vehicle and coming to rest near its front bumper, 14 feet from the Rambler. Shots 1 & 2 are interchangeable. 

The casing at 8 feet and 2 inches is positioned such, that a perpetrator firing a shot into the right rear window at a distance of 2 to 3 feet, would be able to create the downward trajectory depicted in the crime scene photographs, in which the bullet was capable of striking the lower edge of the Rambler rear window and embed itself in the left rear wheel well. This angle of shot could only be achieved by a perpetrator standing relatively close to the window. The ejected casing landing to his rear, about 8 feet 2 inches from the Rambler. This just leaves a cluster of six casings shown in the white elipse above. When the killer executed David Faraday to his left ear (who was facing away from the Rambler and standing adjacent to the right rear wheel of the Rambler), the casing likely ejected to the rear of the perpetrator's gun and landed on the front floorboard of the Rambler (either directly, or it deflected off the open door).         

Betty Lou Jensen was, in all probability, standing close to the open door of the Rambler at this point, somewhere close to the cluster of shell casings. After witnessing David Faraday being shot, her only viable escape route was between the vehicles and past the killer to his left hand side, as we look at the above image. The autopsy tells us that the bullets that struck the right side of Betty Lou Jensen's back had a right to left trajectory (the first three shots had an extreme right to left trajectory). Bullets can be deflected by the internal structures of the body, but it's unlikely this would happen five times. This indicates that the killer fired the first three shots when Betty Lou Jensen was literally alongside, marginally in front and to the left of the killer (who was standing approximately in the position he killed David Faraday). The casings ejected to his rear and landed in the cluster of six (shown above). This suggests that the killer fired 6 shots at Betty Lou Jensen, missing once (as she got further away). The gunshot residue by the uppermost hole on the right side of her dress, indicates that the killer began shooting when she was alongside and to the left of the killer. The next two shots almost immediately afterwards (indicated by the extreme trajectory at autopsy). The final two shots that struck Betty Lou Jensen had a slightly flatter trajectory, which indicated she was further away from her killer at this point.       

Although shell casings can eject from the same weapon differently, this analysis attempts to explain the two wayward casings at 14 & 20 feet with respect to a second vehicle parked alongside the Rambler, along with the cluster of six casings related to the murder of Betty Lou Jensen. It is also clear from the autopsy reports that Betty Lou Jensen wasn't running directly away from her killer when first shot, but running across her killer, with her right side predominantly facing the killer when the first three shots were fired. This can be explained by Betty Lou Jensen running across the turnout in an approximate manner to the one shown above. 

Is it really a viable proposition that more than one person was involved in the murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968? To answer this question, the only reliable way to approach this would be to examine the ballistics evidence in the turnout that night and the details in the Department of Justice Report. We know that only one of the Rambler doors was open when investigators arrived on scene, with the other three locked. Therefore, it was extremely likely that the couple were both forced out of the front passenger side of the Rambler under gunpoint, thereby necessitating Betty Lou Jensen to exit the Rambler first. If two assailants were present in the other vehicle that night, then it's extremely likely that the perpetrator who exited the driver side of the other vehicle, being closer to the right side of the Rambler, fired immediately upon exiting his vehicle into the headliner and back window of the Rambler, not only to dissuade David Faraday from attempting to escape, but to pressure them to leave the passenger side of the Rambler. If both the assailants vacated their vehicle at approximately the same time, it would be extremely risky for the passenger to fire past his partner at the Rambler. While he is negotiating his way around the second vehicle, his partner would have already fired at least two shots towards the Rambler and would be waiting to secure Betty Lou Jensen as she exited the passenger door of the Rambler. At this time, his partner would have arrived ready to secure David Faraday just shy of the right rear wheel.             

With the second assailant facing David Faraday and the gun pressed under the lobe of his left ear, he is effectively rendering David Faraday a spectator to the rest of proceedings. The reason to believe the perpetrator was securing David Faraday from the front rather than the rear is twofold. A gun discharged to the left side of David Faraday's head has a 90% chance of being delivered by a right-handed shooter. One casing was found on the passenger side floorboard, very likely to have been ejected from the position shown above. It either fell directly onto the passenger side floorboard or deflected in off the Rambler door, which was angled in such a way as to facilitate this. Bearing in mind this assailant was overwhelmingly likely to have been right-handed, had he secured David Faraday from the rear, not only would the casing be less likely to have ejected over both of them towards the Rambler door, but David Faraday's feet would unlikely to have been virtually touching the rubber of the right rear tire as he fell to the ground. This strongly suggests that the second assailant was facing David Faraday with the gun pressed behind his left ear - and from this position - incapable of shooting Betty Lou Jensen as she fled westwards across the turnout in a desperate bid for freedom. 

The first perpetrator, who initiated the original offensive, now lets Betty Lou Jensen go and likely orders her to run. He fires immediately, creating the speck of powder found around one of the holes in her dress. He then mercilessly guns her down as she flees into the darkness. If the author of the August 4th 1969 letter was telling the truth, then he is the one using the pencil flashlight attached to his gun. A flashlight that would be completely negated had he been the murderer of David Faraday also. Irrespective of whether this assailant missed Betty Lou Jensen or the Rambler as he approached, he would now have fired off every shot so far that night. The final shot delivered by the second assailant as he faced the terrified and helpless David Faraday.

The ballistics pattern on the turnout floor is consistent with the person who fired off nine shots, with the only casing found inside the Rambler, consistent with a right-handed person securing David Faraday in close proximity to the open passenger door of the Rambler. The Department of Justice ballistics report may also suggest the possibility of two shooters that night. There was one crucial section in the DOJ Report, which stated "All bullets submitted were Western copper coated .22 long rifle bullets, although some were damaged, it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics". Item [1] was the bullet recovered from David Faraday's head. The written police report (excluding the drawings) and DOJ ballistics report, both detail the collection of the nine casings from the turnout floor by Sgt Silva and Dan Horan, but neither makes any mention of the tenth casing initially noted on the Rambler floorboard. This casing was not detailed in the ballistics report (likely towed away from the crime scene and separated from the other nine casings). This means we have one casing never examined to see if it matched the other nine. We also have one bullet fired that night (retrieved from David Faraday's head), that didn't exhibit the same right hand groove class characteristics as the other bullets. The phrasing of the sentence in the ballistics report is extremely crucial.   

It stated that "although some were damaged, it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics". If the bullet fired into David Faraday's head was simply too damaged to compare it to the other bullets, then the report should have read "it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics".  However, the phrase was prefixed with "although some were damaged", suggesting that despite this damage, it was still possible to determine that item [1] didn't have the same characteristics as the other bullets. It also didn't single out the bullet retrieved from David Faraday's head as being damaged, moreover that "some were damaged". Despite some bullets being damaged, "it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics".

If the bullet retrieved from David Faraday's head was connected to the casing ejected from gun used to shoot him, which ejected onto the Rambler floorboard, then we need to find the tenth casing. If this casing exhibited different characteristics to the other nine casings, as the Faraday bullet may have done to the other submitted bullets, then we more than likely had at least two shooters at Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968. If the first assailant (who fired nine shots) had written the August 4th 1969 letter, stating "all I had to do was spray them as if it was a water hose", it was very likely he was telling the truth - because from his perspective - he wasn't the one who delivered the close-contact wound that ended the short life of David Faraday one cold December night. 

The Lake Herman Road murders probably began in similar fashion to the events at Blue Rock Springs Park, with the Zodiac Killer pulling up behind the Rambler of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on the west bank of the turnout. The killer likely blinked his lights and presented a flashlight to convince the couple he was law enforcement, ushering them back towards the eastern side. David Faraday would have made the same assumption as Michael Mageau, believing they were about to be spoken to by police. The technique worked at Lake Herman Road, so why would the killer not adopt a similar approach six-and-a-half months later. This version of events will differ to the widely held view of a killer pulling up alongside the Rambler in the turnout.

Captain Daniel Pitta recorded being flagged down by Stella Medeiros at 11:25 pm, who described the two victims laying on the turnout floor. He radioed Benicia Police Department, where Officer Pierre Bidou had just pulled into the parking lot with his partner. Pierre Bidou stated "During that night we had served a search warrant at what we call The Cottage at Lake Herman which was owned by the city of Benicia, a narcotics search warrant my partner and I, we confiscated about a pound and a half of marijuana, which in the 1960s was a big drugs bust, today it wouldn't get very high on the Richter scale. We had left and were heading back to the police department to put the marijuana into evidence and as we drove by we didn't see or observe anybody in that area, there's a turn there (the crime scene turnout) and your headlights shine right in there as you go by. As I was pulling into the lot at the police department we heard the Benicia Police Department dispatcher put out a call of a possible shooting and victims on Lake Herman Road and described the location. My partner and I turned around at that time and responded to the call". Captain Daniel Pitta would have took the details from Stella Medeiros and relayed them to the Benicia Police Department dispatcher, who then "put out the call", which was heard by Officer Pierre Bidou as he pulled into the parking lot. He stated he immediately turned around and headed back to the Lake Herman Road turnout. 

The journey time from the Lake Herman Road turnout to Benicia Police Department is approximately 7 minutes, so if the Captain Daniel Pitta radio call came in about 5 minutes after Pierre Bidou arrived at Benicia Police Station, he would have passed the Lake Herman Road turnout about 12 minutes previously, placing him leaving The Cottage at about 11:13 pm, just one minute before the reported time of James Owen (who saw two vehicles parked alongside each other on the eastern edge, with nobody in or around them). It is fairly evident that Officer Pierre Bidou passed the turnout just one or two minutes prior to James Owen, but "didn't see or observe anybody in that area, because there's a turn there (the crime scene turnout) and your headlights shine right in there as you go by". This is shown clearly in the Zodiac documentary in 2007. However, you will notice that a vehicle parked on the west bank (closest to the approaching vehicle) could easily go unnoticed.

When Officer Pierre Bidou passed the turnout at about 11:13 pm (after leaving The Cottage), the Rambler was in the turnout, but was positioned on the west bank facing into the gate. This was the position that Robert Connelly described in the police report, when "he insisted the Rambler was parked on the bank, facing into the gate". On the map above, the position of the Rambler has been marked with a blue cross, next to the bank slope. Robert Connelly maintained this recollection over two interviews on the 21st and 24th December 1968. The simple explanation is that Robert Connelly noticed the Faraday Rambler, whereas Officer Pierre Bidou didn't. A vehicle parked on the bank slope on the near extreme right of the image above, could easily be missed. But the Rambler was certainly there throughout.

It was estimated that Robert Connelly and Frank Gasser left the area (heading to Benicia) at approximately 11:05 pm. Officer Pierre Bidou passed the turnout at approximately 11:13 pm. That means the Rambler was sitting on the west bank for eight minutes, but had then relocated just one minute or so later when James Owen passed. This must have been the crucial period when the Zodiac Killer pulled up behind the Rambler and ushered it back across the turnout. It may very well have been seconds before James Owen passed. Had it been too long, then Owen would have either seen the attack or the bodies laying on the turnout floor (which he didn't). He also failed to see any occupants in or around the vehicles. They had to be situated in their vehicles. He most likely just failed to notice them.     

Evan from Texas has recently uploaded a video to Youtube exploring the claims of Thomas Henry Horan and adding some very interesting extra information. This material is extremely relevant, bearing in mind a recent article on this site entitled Squealling Tires and Raceing Engine. The column in the July 6th 1969 Vallejo Times-Herald newspaper with regard to the Blue Rock Springs attack, quoted George Bryant as saying he heard "the car take off at a high rate of speed, peeling rubber and cutting corners". The police added that "He wasn't sure, but he thought it was headed to the freeway". It was believed that the Zodiac Killer was responding to this newspaper article in the August 4th 1969 Debut letter, when he stated "I did not leave the cene of the killing with squealling tires + raceing engine as described in the Vallejo paper. I drove away quite slowly so as not to draw attention to my car". However, he used the words "squealing and tires" in identical fashion to the Blue Rock Springs police report of "he then heard a car take off at super speed and it burned rubber and was squealing its tires as it sped along the road".  This has led some to believe that the killer had access to the police reports.  

Below I will cover just a small part of Evan's excellent video, with respect to somebody who may have had access to the police reports when compiling his July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969 letters. The entirety of the video can be viewed here. It contains a lot more information on this topic, presented over 32 absorbing minutes.

There are two snippets from the police reports below, which includes the Captain Daniel Pitta police report from Lake Herman Road and page 20 of the Lake Herman Road police report. The Zodiac Killer could be argued to be copying the police reports when writing his July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969 letters, just switching or reversing the odd word to disguise the fact. The Captain Daniel Pitta police report in respect to David Faraday, stated "Victim #2 was lying face up". The Zodiac Killer wrote "the boy was on his back". The Captain Daniel Pitta police report in respect to David Faraday, stated he was found "with his feet to the right rear wheel". The Zodiac Killer wrote that David Faraday was left in the turnout "with his feet to the car". He had changed "face up" to "on his back". He had changed "his feet to the right rear wheel" to "his feet to the car".

In respect to Betty Lou Jensen, the Captain Daniel Pitta police report stated she was found with her "head to the east". The Zodiac Killer wrote that Betty Lou Jensen was left in the turnout with her "feet to the west". He had changed "head" to "feet". He had changed "east to west". The Blue Rock Springs police report stated "The girl was lying on her side facing the road". The Zodiac Killer wrote in the July 31st 1969 Examiner & Vallejo Times-Herald letters, that "the girl was on lyeing her right side". He had added the word "right".

This means, that through two sets of communications on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969, the Zodiac Killer provided an uncanny selection of facts that appeared to mimic the wording in the Lake Herman Road police report, Captain Daniel Pitta police report and Blue Rock Springs police report. When Vallejo Police Chief Jack E. Stiltz asked the claimed killer of David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen and Darlene Ferrin for "more facts to prove it", did the Zodiac Killer go back to the police reports once again, using the word "squealling" in his reply on August 4th 1969? Or is this one big coincidence?

The Zodiac Killer chose to describe Darlene Ferrin at Blue Rock Springs as wearing "patterned pants" and "paterned slacks". The Blue Rock Springs police report on page 13 described her as a "WFA wearing a white and blue flowered slack dress" - and wearing a "slack dress" on page 2.

We also know that 10 shots were fired at Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968, because that too is in the police report. The Zodiac Killer also described the brand of ammo as Super X, which can be found in the Department of Justice report here.
When the Zodiac Killer wrote in the October 13th 1969 letter "This is the Zodiac speaking. I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington St + Maple St last night, to prove this here is a blood stained piece of his shirt", was he aware of the Washington and Maple destination on the taxicab trip sheet? This destination was not mentioned in the October 12th 1969 San Francisco Chronicle newspaper article, or anywhere prior to the Zodiac Killer mailing the Paul Stine letter.

Evan from Texas plans to do some follow up work on the Zodiac Killer in upcoming videos. Please stay tuned. 
Zodiac Killer Peer Review on Youtube

Not only did a shell casing go missing from the crime scene to the submitted items at the Department of Justice, but one bullet was also missing from both the police report and the Department of Justice records. Ten shots were fired that night - 5 shots to the back of Betty Lou Jensen (recorded at autopsy), 1 shot into David Faraday, 2 shots into the Rambler and 2 were unaccounted for, believed to have missed their intended target. Betty Lou Jensen had five entry wounds and three exit wounds, however, only two bullets were ever recovered from outside the body of Betty Lou Jensen. These were noted in the Supplemental Investigation Report and Department of Justice files (shown below). In total, only seven bullets were ever retrieved. One bullet is missing from the record. At autopsy it was determined that 6 bullets were fired into both victims - and with the two bullets retrieved from the Rambler it was determined 8 bullets had been fired in total - yet only 4 of the bullets related to Betty Lou Jensen were noted in the DOJ Report below.

Betty Lou Jensen Autopsy:
There are five bullet wounds of entry on the right side of the back: three on the posterior chest cage and two over the right lower posterior lumbar areas. From up downwards:
[1] The first is located in the 5th intercostal space, 3 and 3/4 inches right of the midline.
[2] The second is in the 8th intercostal space, 5 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
[3] The third is in the 9th intercostal space, 1 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
[4] The fourth in the tip of the right 12th rib, 3 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
[5] The fifth is over the crest of the posterior right iliac bone and 5 and 1/2 inches from the midline.
​There are three exit wounds:
​[1] The first is over the left interior chest laterally and left margin of the breast, in the 4th intercostal space and 5 and 1/2 inches from the sternum.
[2] The second is in the anterior abdominal wall, below the xyphoid process and 1/2 an inch from the midline.
[3] The third is laterally and 3 and 3/4 inches to the right of the umbilicus.

Heart: A bullet wound penetrates from right to left through both atrium.
Lungs: There are three through and through bullet wounds, corresponding to the three bullet wounds of entry on the right posterior chest cage and one bullet wound through the left lung, in line with the wound through the heart. They are associated with extensive hemorrhage of both lungs.
Abdominal Cavity: A bullet wound penetrates the liver. A bullet wound penetrates the right kidney, the left is normal.
Head: No injuries or skull fractures.
The bullet wound over the posterior iliac crest penetrates the deep muscles and exits to the right of the umbilicus. One bullet is recovered in the subcutaneous tissue of the base of the anterior neck (left side) and the other bullet in the subcutaneous tissue anterior to the right 7th rib, which it penetrated of the sternum. The entry wounds aperture 3/16 inch in diameter. The exit wounds are larger.

Here we will analyze the sequence of shots at Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968 from the perspective of two assailants and two shooters. When the Debut of Zodiac letter arrived at the San Francisco Examiner on August 4th 1969, was the author recalling the murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen from his perspective only. The letter stated "All I had to do was spray them as if it was a water hose; there was no need to use the gun sights". In the video below, it is shown that the assailant who fired 9 shots was the person with the pencil flash light attached to his gun. He exclusively targeted the Rambler and Betty Lou Jensen. His accomplice executed a subdued David Faraday with one shot to the head at point blank range, who was not "sprayed" with a bullet as the author had implied. So was the author of the Debut of Zodiac letter the main protagonist that night, recalling the murders from his perspective only.

Benicia Herald: "Bidou and his partner had served a warrant on a Lake Herman Road cabin Dec. 20, 1968, and were on their way to deposit some marijuana in the police department’s evidence locker when they were dispatched back to Lake Herman Road. Initially, they were told a woman was lying outside a car; they thought they were being sent to a crash. Police at first speculated it might have been a crank call, but the officers headed back north. But when they arrived, Bidou realized it was no crank call and no car accident. Instead, it was a sinister crime scene". It is reported that Stella Medeiros was the only eyewitness to see the stricken couple lying on the turnout floor, who then raced off to Benicia and flagged down Captain Daniel Pitta, recorded in the Benicia Police report at 11:25 pm. It was estimated that Stella Medeiros passed the turnout at approximately 11:20 pm. Captain Daniel Pitta would have then radioed into the Benicia Police Department reporting the details and requesting possible assistance. Coming from a experienced officer over the radio, it is difficult to understand how this could be interpreted as a "crank call". A call indicates a telephone call, and not a radio message. This opens up the possibility that somebody other than Captain Daniel Pitta called the Benicia Police Department at around the same time and reported something that was interpreted as an accident on Lake Herman Road. The last reported eyewitness to have passed the turnout prior to Stella Medeiros was James Owen, who was traveling to his graveyard shift at Humble Oil in Benicia.   

How many times have we passed a certain area and seen somebody lying on the ground and made the assumption that the person has had too many drinks or taken drugs, and just continued on our way, reluctant to get involved. Is it possible that James Owen was driving to work that night and noticed one or both victims lying on the turnout floor and just assumed it was teenagers worse for wear? In other words, his initial reaction was different to that of Stella Medeiros. He continued on to Humble Oil in Benicia and parked up at around 11:18 pm to 11:19 pm. He then entered his place of work, and upon refection, considered that the wise decision was to ring the Benicia Police Department and report that he had seen a "woman lying outside a car" in a turnout. The time of any such phone call would have been very close to 11:25 pm (possibly slightly before) with the unsure nature of the phone call possibly resulting in the police dispatcher considering it a crank call. If a phone call was received by Benicia Police Department reporting a "woman lying outside a car", we only know of one other eyewitness who passed the turnout immediately prior to Stella Medeiros, who could possibly have made this call at around the same time as Captain Daniel Pitta's radio message. That person was James Owen. 

In an interview with Michael Morford in 2012, he stated "As I was getting ready to leave work the next morning, a worker on the morning shift came in talking about the crime. When I left work, I passed the scene, and there were police there working, so I stopped and told them what I had seen.”

Having now been informed of the gravity of the crime, he did the dutiful thing by informing the police of his recollection of the second vehicle in the turnout, but how would it have been received in light of the double murder, had he now admitted seeing the young girl lying on the turnout floor and just drove on past without seeking the immediate help of police, and making what was described as a "crank call" (possibly lacking urgency). Was James Owen reluctant to admit what he saw in the turnout that night because of his misinterpretation of the crime scene on his way to Humble Oil, and how it may have been viewed by police? Is it possible he saw one or both victims on the turnout floor and didn't make the phone call, making him even more reluctant to reveal the whole truth to police?

In the police report James Owen stated 'that just before he approached the scene, a vehicle passed him going in the opposite direction toward Vallejo. He could give no description of this vehicle. This occurred near the Borges Ranch'. The occupants of this vehicle never came forward - which leaves the possibility that this vehicle could have played some part in the crime. James Owen's gave a second statement on 12.24.68: "He definitely saw two cars, a station wagon and another vehicle, parked approximately three or four feet to the right of the station wagon. He did not see anyone in the cars or around them. He stated as he traveled approximately one quarter of a mile beyond, he thought he heard a shot."  It is this statement that makes little sense from the standpoint of other eyewitnesses.

The couple were spotted in their vehicle shortly after 11:00 pm by Peggy and Homer Your, but 10 minutes later, according to James Owen, they had completely vanished from the turnout. He didn't mention the doors of either vehicle being open. So, if the Zodiac Killer had driven the young couple from the Rambler, but noticed James Owen approaching the turnout and hidden David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen out of sight, we would have to assume he closed the door of his vehicle and the Rambler, and then later reopened the passenger side door of the Rambler for some unexplained reason - because this is how it was discovered by responding officers. The actual crime makes much more sense if the couple had already been shot when James Owen approached the turnout and simply misinterpreted what he saw. Had there been a second vehicle present at that time, then James Owen would have passed the turnout with Zodiac still on scene, but possibly out of sight. If there was no second vehicle, then the car traveling toward Vallejo by the Borges Ranch could have been the Zodiac Killer. 

But the bottom line is, that had a phone call been received by Benicia Police Department - described as a "crank call" - then the person who made this phone call had to have passed the turnout very close to the time of Stella Medeiros. If it wasn't James Owen, it may have been the Zodiac Killer himself.   

Before the advent of the Rigel software system, utilizing the geographic profiling techniques of criminologist Dr. Kim Rossmo, a rudimentary form of geographic profiling was used by Stuart Kine before the capture of the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe. This is mentioned by Dr. Kim Rossmo in a 1998 NCIS Conference, stating "I’m sure people in this room are familiar with this case. This is an example of an investigation going awry because of geography. The tape that was sent to the investigators from someone claiming to be the Yorkshire Ripper led to analysis of the accents, they felt there was a Geordie accent, the person was from the Sunderland area, and they focused on that part of England which was about a hundred miles away from where the crimes were occurring. That was wrong. Sutcliffe lived close to the area. Interesting, and I’m not sure how many people are aware of it, but shortly before Sutcliffe’s arrest through work by some patrol officers, a Home Office scientist by the name of Stuart Kine did a sort of basic geographic analysis of the crimes and was quite successful as it turned out in his predictions".  He was in fact very accurate, bearing in mind the size of the killing field - and by literally sticking pins in a map - highlighted an area somewhere by Shipley, only 6 miles from the 6 Garden Lane, Bradford address of Peter Sutcliffe. View geoprofile.

Covered extensively in previous articles, had the Zodiac Killer worked a conventional Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 profession and had lived in the Vallejo area at the time of his murders, we would expect to see his first two Friday attacks relatively close to his home base. Unconstrained by time on Saturday, the Zodiac Killer would be able to venture further afield for his attacks - which is exactly what happened. However, we now have another tool in our arsenal, highlighted in this short but informative video by BCU professor Craig Jackson. Here is a small extract: "Wherever the Yorkshire Ripper was based, the time of his murders would be a vital clue to where he lived. So, if one of the Yorkshire Ripper's victims was murdered in the early evening, 8 o' clock or 9 o' clock at night, that individual could be based very far away from where the Yorkshire Ripper's base was. But if the victim was murdered in the very small hours, midnight, or one or two in the morning, that victim would probably be very close to where the Ripper's base was, assuming that the Ripper would have to be home at a reasonable time to be with their partner or families, or friends who they lived with". The type of victim targeted, the areas they frequented and their availability also has to be factored into the target backcloth. Therefore, we will use the Zodiac Killer's four attacks and see if they conform to a home base in Vallejo.

If the Zodiac had left his house to search for victims on a Friday in the area of Columbus Parkway and Lake Herman Road, then he likely had a knowledge that young courting couples or lone individuals may be found in these remote locations. He has a mental map of the area and an optimal time he would like to return to his residence - but he knows that this sort of victim targeting is unreliable. Sometimes the opportunity may present itself immediately, while other times he may have to do several passes before a suitable target or targets appear. He has to factor this into his thinking when leaving his residence. In other words, if he wants to arrive home no later than 12:15 am, he has to allow for this when leaving his residence. In respect to Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs Park, he could have left his residence at 10:00 pm to allow for this "hit and miss" technique of trawling the eastern edge of Vallejo. This may have accounted for the earlier suspicious sightings on December 20th 1968, prior to the eventual double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen.

If we apply the model of professor Craig Jackson to our killer, then an attack at approximately 11:15 pm at Lake Herman Road and midnight at Blue Rock Springs Park, would suggest a killer who lived close by and was aiming to return home sometime in the late evening to early morning hours. If the Zodiac Killer had lived near to the Springs Road and Tuolumne Street payphone, he would have arrived home at around 11:30 pm on 12/20/68, and 12:15 am on 07/04/69. The Zodiac Killer's attack at Presidio Heights would not have been affected by a "hit and miss" targeting technique. Had the murder of taxicab driver Paul Stine been planned ahead of time, he would know where he was to find his victim, where he was going to murder the taxicab driver and where his escape route lay before him - including his journey time back to Vallejo. Paul Stine was murdered shortly before 10:00 pm on 10/11/69. The Zodiac Killer (had he parked his vehicle near the Presidio Park) would have about 5-15 minutes of walk time, followed by a 50 to 60 minute journey home via the Golden Gate Bridge. At the latest, he would arrive home at approximately 11:15 pm. Therefore, his window of time to arrive back at his residence after three of his attacks, would fall within one hour of each other (between 11:15 pm and 12:15am) - although it may be slightly more.     

The Lake Berrryessa crime is altogether different. If we believe that the Zodiac Killer targeted areas he was familiar with, then he knew that the outskirts of eastern Vallejo, in the secluded areas of Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs during the weekend or holiday season, was likely rich pickings for courting "couples" or "stray people" in the night. The sheer fact he wrote about killing "over a dozen people" at the weekend, showed an element of confidence in these surroundings, despite the obvious braggadocio displayed.

The Presidio Heights area must also have been familiar to him, to risk such an audacious attack in a built-up area of San Francisco. Dr. Kim Rossmo summed it up perfectly: ​​"The San Francisco murder differs significantly from the Zodiac's other crimes. Up to this point he was hunting in locations that had a good probability of containing his desired victims. Target selection was a function of area, not of an individual. However, it is unlikely the Zodiac was successful in all his searches; serial killers typically engage in extensive hunting activities, and for every attack there are many unsuccessful search attempts. In San Francisco, however, the Zodiac controlled the situation through his selection of victim type. The need for such control could be indicative of the distance the Zodiac had to travel to the crime site. Criminals who travel longer distances to offend are less likely to use uncertain target selection techniques".

His familiarity with Lake Berryessa (09/27/69) was also obvious. The Zodiac Killer knew on this occasion that a targeted attack in the late evening hours (close to midnight), similar to Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs Park, was wholly uncertain with respect to finding a suitable victim or victims in this location. But he knew that a late afternoon or early evening attack within the expanse of Lake Berryessa, would be the safest bet, The location, on this occasion, effectively governed the earlier attack time. When this constraint was unburdened during his first, second and fourth attacks (assuming he lived in Vallejo and went directly home), his arrival time to his residence would have always fell within a 60-75 minute window of time. If the Zodiac Killer had a preconceived time he wanted to return home by, then Vallejo by the payphone was a perfect fit for a good night's sleep - as well as not arousing suspicion - had he been married (with children).     

To fully understand the true picture of the events of Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968 we first have to place the Faraday Rambler in its correct position when discovered by police. It wasn't situated with its front end parked on the eastern bank, it was at least 25-30 feet from the eastern bank, not parked in a position one would have expected David Faraday to choose as the ideal location in the turnout. The photographs of the crime scene clearly show no turnout bank in front of the Rambler, and in addition, the police sketches vary wildly. As one would expect, the police sketch with the measurements should be the most accurate - and this shows a distinct distance from the Rambler front end to the turnout edge. Using simple trigonometry, the distances recorded by police, the telegraph pole, photographs and newspaper images, it is a relatively easy task to find the exact position of the Rambler. It can be determined that the longest measurement on the police sketch must read 93'1" as opposed to the widely believed 73'1" (it just hasn't been written clearly). If you enter Google maps and measure the 53'3" from the telegraph pole in any degree of a north-westerly direction, you will observe how far the front end of the Rambler must be away from the turnout edge. Now widen the turnout (as it would have been in 1968) and you will see the distance increase markedly. This is extremely important because it changes the whole dynamic of the Lake Herman Road events that night, especially when we factor in eyewitnesses who believed the Rambler was literally on the eastern bank and the testimony of Robert Connelly, who on two occasions stated the Rambler was facing into the turnout alongside the western bank. An eyewitness statement conveniently ignored because it doesn't appear to fit the widespread narrative of a killer pulling alongside the Rambler on the eastern bank, exiting his vehicle and attacking the young couple. If Robert Connelly and Frank Gasser are correct, the whole attack may have unfolded in a completely different manner and explain why David Faraday's Rambler was parked so far from the turnout edge.

The 50 feet measurement above is a combination of the length of the Rambler (16ft), Betty Lou Jensen's height (just over 5ft) and the distance of 28'6" her head was measured from the rear of the Rambler. The final resting position of the Rambler doesn't rely on eyewitness testimony or recollections by police, because it can be definitively placed in its correct position by using the feet and inches of exact measurement. Positioning the Rambler approximately 25 to 30 feet away from the turnout edge, closer to the middle of the turnout, is not the natural position to park in a lovers lane retreat and may be explained by the observations of Robert Connelly - the last person to have seen the Rambler alone in the turnout. The final location of the Rambler more indicative of a position not chosen by David Faraday. If this position was not through choice, then he must have been forced there from the position noted by Robert Connelly (facing toward the gate on the west bank).

To discover why David Faraday would move his vehicle from the east bank to the west bank may be explained by the recollections of Peggy Your, the eyewitness immediately preceding Robert Connelly. She stated "As they were driving west on Lake Herman Road (toward Vallejo) at the turn off to the Benicia Water Pumping Station, she observed a Rambler station wagon parked with front end heading east, there were two Caucasians in the front seat, male and female, when the lights from the car came upon the station wagon, the male sat up in the seat. Mrs Your said it was a cold night and she noticed no frost on the station wagon". The Rambler in its original position catches the headlights from oncoming vehicles in either direction, so it is perfectly feasible that David Faraday opted to move his vehicle to the west bank for more privacy. He was clearly still visible to Robert Connelly at approximately 11:05 pm on the west bank, but he may have thought this a better spot for the courting couple. Since the Rambler was the only vehicle spotted in the turnout when Robert Connelly passed, it is clear that David Faraday changed the position of the Rambler to the west bank by his own choice, and therefore, the reason behind his thinking is fairly immaterial. The only question that remains is, what caused the Rambler to move from the west bank to the red position below (the final resting position observed by police). 

We can pick and choose eyewitness testimony to suit our theory of how the crime unfolded, but unless a valid reason can be found for discounting such testimony, then it cannot be overlooked. Robert Connelly stated the Rambler was on the west bank a few minutes before our next eyewitness, James Owen, passed the turnout. In that brief period a second vehicle had arrived and the Rambler had moved back over toward the east side of the turnout (the red position above). The reach of James Owen's headlights as he was traveling toward Benicia may explain why he could only see a "dark car" alongside the Rambler at the periphery of the light. Robert Connelly (also traveling toward Benicia) noticed the Rambler but couldn't see the occupants - probably because the young couple were in the reclined position in a less illuminated section of the turnout. The time difference between Robert Connelly and James Owen passing the turnout may have been as little as five minutes. In this short window of time the Rambler had moved and the second vehicle had arrived. There is a high probability that these two events are related to one another, bearing in mind the unnatural position of the Rambler discovered by police, approximately 25 to 30 feet from the eastern bank facing southeast (the compass directions on the police sketch are slightly off). This is a position most unlikely to have been chosen by David Faraday of his own volition - and if we believe the twice repeated testimony of Robert Connelly - then the Zodiac Killer must have forced this change of position.     

The Zodiac Killer could conceivably have pulled up behind David Faraday (as shown above) thereby blinding their vehicle in light, in similar fashion to Blue Rock Springs. The Zodiac Killer may have flashed his headlights, and with David Faraday possibly believing it to be police and/or under instruction, reversed and pulled his vehicle into its final resting position, with the Zodiac Killer pulling alongside. Whatever the case, his Rambler changed position from the west bank to the position shown in the December 21st 1968 KRON footage below. This would explain the three shifts in position of the Rambler through three sets of eyewitnesses, however, what it doesn't explain is the statement of James Owen that "he did not see anyone in the cars or around them". The Zodiac Killer, being just beyond the periphery of light, would explain why he was not visible, but as for David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen we can only speculate. The simplest answer, is that James Owen simply failed to notice them - or depending on the time difference between Zodiac and James Owen reaching the turnout - they may have been removed from the vehicle. The Faraday Rambler must have been in three different positions from 11:00 pm onwards, because if we take the Robert Connelly testimony as accurate, then the Rambler moved from east to west in the turnout and back again. It therefore couldn't have ended up in the identical position it was first noted. David Faraday was an extremely intelligent and responsible young man, who would certainly not have parked his vehicle in the odd position detailed at the crime scene by police. The Rambler was coerced into that position - and the Zodiac Killer is the only viable candidate. 

The Lake Herman Road double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968 were committed by more than one person, and quite possibly by somebody that they knew. These are some of the claims that have circulated the internet for many years - but what is the truth? The fact of the matter, is that nobody knows, because there are no living eyewitnesses to the crime. What transpired in the hours and days after the murders have shaped our understanding regarding the mechanics of the crime, in which a picture was painted of a Zodiac Killer who pulled into the turnout alongside the courting couple, immediately exited his vehicle and fired warning shots at the Rambler in order to force the young couple from the vehicle. Both David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen exited through the passenger side door and were summarily murdered by a callous and brutal murderer. David Faraday was executed at near point blank range behind his left ear (evident by the powder burns detailed at autopsy), while Betty Lou Jensen was gunned down as she fled westwards across the turnout, eventually collapsing to her knees approximately 33 feet from the rear bumper of the Rambler, before falling backwards. The position of the bodies and ballistics evidence suggests this to be the truth, however, there is nothing to corroborate the notion the couple were ever forced from the vehicle at all. In an interview shortly after the murders, this hypothesis was ruminated upon by Detective Sergeant Les Lunblad and has pretty much stuck for fifty years, despite the fact it is equally possible they could have been attacked while returning to their vehicle. The shots to the rear window and headliner of the Rambler do not tell us whether both victims were in the station wagon during the initial attack. David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen could have been arriving back to their vehicle, and as David courteously opened the passenger side door for Betty, the attack began. The two shots may have been fired at the couple in the turnout but missed their intended target, or fired into the Rambler to show the assailant/s meant business.        

If we take the literal statement of James Owen to be the truth, that "He definitely saw two cars, a station wagon and another vehicle, parked approximately three or four feet to the right of the station wagon. He did not see anyone in the cars or around them. He stated as he traveled approximately one quarter of a mile beyond, he thought he heard a shot", then we have to conclude that the occupants of both vehicles were somewhere other than in or around the vehicles. Either concealed in the darkness on the west side of the turnout, or not in the turnout at all.

This is backed up by James Owen's approach to the turnout, in which he saw no vehicle (headlights or taillights) entering the turnout from either the east or west side. See here. Therefore, the vehicle sitting alongside the Faraday Rambler when he passed the turnout had been sitting there for at least 30 seconds without any attack beginning. If James Owen did actually hear a shot 30 seconds after he passed the turnout, this would indicate that the assailant/s in the unknown vehicle didn't begin the attack for at least one minute after arriving at the turnout. This length of time could be even longer if the rogue vehicle arrived shortly after the two raccoon hunters, Robert Connelly and Frank Gasser, had departed the scene. The two vehicles could have been sitting alongside each other for several minutes (possibly unoccupied) before anything transpired. If a strange vehicle pulled into the turnout alongside David Faraday, with headlights on and engine running, why would David Faraday have resolutely sat there for one minute without pulling away, let alone several minutes. Unless of course, he knew the occupants of the second vehicle.

On page 53 of the police report it states "Responding officer talked to Debbie Faraday, WFJ 16 years, sister of David. She relates the following David told her on the afternoon of Friday 12/20/68 that he was going out to Lake Herman Road that night because a bunch of the kids were going out there that night." Was David initially comfortable or unconcerned by the arrival of the vehicle that James Owen observed? Were the couple even in the turnout at this juncture?    

The Zodiac Killer kept his victims at arm's length in his three other confirmed attacks. At Blue Rock Springs he fired immediately upon arriving at the brown Corvair while Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin were effectively trapped in the confines of their vehicle. At Lake Berryessa he kept his distance, handing the bindings to Cecelia Shepard to secure the most likely threat, Bryan Hartnell. At Presidio Heights it was a callous execution, blindsiding Paul Stine with a deadly shot to the right side of his head. Yet, at Lake Herman Road, the 'lone killer' did something completely different.

In his August 4th 1969 'Debut of Zodiac' letter he described his targeting mechanism for killing in the dark: "What I did was tape a small pencel flash light to the barrel of my gun. If you notice, in the center of the beam of light if you aim it at a wall or ceiling you will see a black or darck spot in the center of the circle of light about 3 to 6 inches across. When taped to a gun barrel, the bullet will strike in the center of the black dot in the light. All I had to do was spray them as if it was a water hose; there was no need to use the gun sights". Forming a circle of light 3 to 6 inches across, is suggestive of a killer who wanted to accurately target his victims in the dark turnout at distance, not suggestive of a killer who was going to negate the purpose of the flashlight targeting system, by approaching David Faraday and shooting him in the left side of his head from mere inches away. The caution he displayed in all his other three crimes, not only abandoned here, but totally disregarded, and completely at odds with the apparent preparation of his weapon for sighting purposes. He could easily have shot David Faraday from the front the moment he stepped from the Rambler, keeping a reasonable distance from him. Apparently, his targeting system seemed to work on Betty Lou Jensen, a moving target, as she fled across the darkened turnout, but in the case of a relatively static target in David Faraday, it required him to approach within touching distance to fire off one shot to the left side of David Faraday's head. It has been considered that possibly David Faraday fought with the assailant, but is it likely this would have transpired with a gun and flashlight focused on him at distance when he exited the passenger side door, and charged with a responsibility to safeguarding Betty Lou Jensen at just 17 years of age? There was never any need for the Zodiac Killer to ever get close to David Faraday. There was never any need to allow them to exit the vehicle in the first place, as he successfully demonstrated at Blue Rock Springs Park.   

The disproportionality of the injuries inflicted to David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, unlike the following two attacks, may indicate that David Faraday was secured by a second shooter, either from the front or rear. A shot fired from a gun pressed to his left ear from this position could feasibly eject a cartridge casing into the open door of the Rambler, either directly, or via the framework of the door. The cartridge casing found on the floorboard of the passenger side was likely the casing not tested at the Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. Remaining in the Rambler, it likely got separated from the other 9 casings. See here.

The Department of Justice report stated that the submitted items corresponded with the use of a J C Higgins 80 pistol, "although it must not be assumed that the exhibits must have been fired in such a weapon." However, it does state a crucial piece of information, that the bullet fired into David Faraday did not contain the same class characteristics as the other seven submitted bullets. What it actually said was 'All bullets submitted were Western copper coated .22 long rifle bullets, although some were damaged, it was possible to determine ALL but Item [1] had 6 right hand groove class characteristics.'  Item [1] was the bullet recovered from David Faraday. This means that the bullet recovered from David Faraday at autopsy and the casing untested at the Department of Justice could have been fired from a second weapon and second shooter, possibly securing David Faraday by the right rear wheel of the Rambler. This would have been the person arriving from the distant (passenger) side of the second vehicle, and not responsible for the shots into the Rambler, the securing of Betty Lou Jensen (who exited the Rambler first) and the five shots that peppered the right side of her back when she ran across the turnout. In other words, the accomplice had no sighting implement on his gun and was wholly responsible for securing David Faraday as he left the Rambler after Betty Lou Jensen. With Betty Lou Jensen secured first, David Faraday would have had little option but to comply.

This appears to have been confirmed by the killer, who incorrectly stated in the August 4th 1969 'Debut of Zodiac' letter "All I had to do was spray them as if it was a water hose; there was no need to use the gun sights".  What the author of the letter should have said, was "All I had to do was spray her as if it was a water hose; there was no need to use the gun sights". He may have been writing the letter from his perspective, not the perspective of his accomplice. This order of events is perfectly feasible, and can be backed up by the wording contained in the 'Debut of Zodiac' letter and by the ballistics evidence (or more accurately, the lack of ballistics evidence). Other than timing of the shots into the Rambler, the premise of two shooters in the Lake Herman Road murders is still applicable. The great big thorn in the pattern, or order of events, is the testimony of James Owen, which suggests that David Faraday hadn't left the turnout for upwards of one minute after the second vehicle arrived, and the assailant or assailants didn't begin the attack in the same timeframe. In fact, James Owen "did not see anyone in the cars or around them." David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen had limited time to walk any significant distance after being spotted by Peggy and Homer Your at approximately 11:00 pm. If they had left their vehicle (or turnout on foot) with the occupant/s of the second vehicle, would this be more likely with people they knew, or the Zodiac Killer, who subsequently never physically extricated the victims from their initial position?

Even if two people were responsible for the murders on December 20th 1968, this doesn't imply there were two killers throughout the four canonical attacks. They may, or may not have continued after this attack. They could have teamed up for the Blue Rock Springs attack, when an unknown vehicle parked alongside Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin minutes before eventual shooting began. They could have individually been responsible for the Lake Berryessa and Presidio Heights attacks, in an attempt to create the most daring attack of all, and hence the seemingly conflicting descriptions given. On the other hand, it may simply have been one individual, and we are looking for something that never was.  

We are nearly upon the 50th anniversary of the brutal murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen aside Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968. This crime was not featured in the 2007 David Fincher movie 'Zodiac', primarily because nobody knows for sure exactly how the crime unfolded. The widely held narrative, is of a killer who pulled up alongside the Rambler of the courting couple, exited his vehicle, and fired at least two shots into the Rambler to force them out onto the turnout. He immediately proceeded to shoot David Faraday at near point blank range in the head, then fired five shots into the back of Betty Lou Jensen as she fled across the turnout in a westerly direction. He then got back in his vehicle and headed off into the night. Had the David Fincher movie shown this version, it would have been pure fiction. 

James Owen was the last eyewitness before the murders and saw two vehicles parked alongside each other. He claimed "He did not see anyone in the cars or around them". 
The only moving vehicle James Owen saw that night passed him by the Borges Ranch heading towards Vallejo. He saw no vehicle in front of him on Lake Herman Road as he traveled towards Benicia, and saw no vehicle entering the turnout from the other end as he headed towards it. He would have had an unobstructed view of the headlights and taillights of another vehicle amounting to at least 30 seconds traveling in either direction, before it entered the turnout. Therefore, when he passed the turnout, the vehicle parked only 10 feet to the right of the Rambler had been there for at least 30 seconds, but could have been sitting alongside the Rambler for a maximum of 8 minutes. This is explained in more detail in the article 'The Impasse on Lake Herman Road'. 

The two raccoon hunters, Frank Gasser and Robert Connelly, exited the area at about 11:05 pm, with James Owen passing the turnout sometime between 11:10 and 11:14 pm, giving the Zodiac Killer a window of approximately 4-8 minutes to park in the turnout. The earlier he arrived, the longer his vehicle sat alongside the Rambler with no murder. The idea that the Zodiac Killer, having already forced the couple from the Rambler, then noticed James Owen approaching and hid David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen behind one of the vehicles, is extremely flawed. Why didn't James Owen hear the shots fired at the Rambler if he was close enough to the turnout for the Zodiac to notice him approaching? James Owen mentioned no doors open on either vehicle, and never saw "anyone in the cars or around them". This would leave the Zodiac Killer having to close both vehicle doors before James Owen arrived, and then reopen the Rambler door before he left, as this was how it was found by responding law enforcement. It would also require Zodiac 'escorting' the couple back to the original position they exited the Rambler, before shooting them - because this is where the bullet casings were grouped. It is these bullet casings that gave rise to the notion they were killed immediately upon exiting the vehicle.     

How long the vehicle sat beside the Rambler before James Owen arrived is unknown. If it was a few minutes, then we have to question the whole narrative of a killer pulling alongside the Rambler, immediately exiting his vehicle, and firing upon the young couple.

James Owen may have noticed both vehicles, but failed to notice the occupants. This would again rely on both Zodiac doing nothing the moment he parked alongside the Rambler, and David Faraday doing nothing for at least 30 seconds, when an unknown vehicle parked just 10 feet to his right in a dark lonely turnout. This is not the picture painted for the last 50 years. Had both vehicles been parked next to each other for several minutes before James Owen arrived, could we conclude that David Faraday knew the occupant/s of the second vehicle and therefore wasn't initially alarmed? Or were David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen and the occupant/s of the second vehicle even in the turnout at this point in time? Either way, the narrative of a Zodiac Killer immediately acting upon his arrival at the turnout doesn't hold water. The double murder at Lake Herman Road on December 20th 1968 will probably remain the most puzzling of all the four Zodiac attacks, testimony to the brutality shown that night, and ultimately beginning a search that hasn't ended nearly a half-century later.

Just over a year ago we ran an article outlining the missing evidence at Lake Herman Road. Not only did a shell casing go missing from the crime scene to the submitted items at the Department of Justice, but a bullet was also missing from both the police report and the Department of Justice records. Ten shots were fired that night - 5 shots to the back of Betty Lou Jensen, 1 shot into David Faraday, 2 shots into the Rambler and 2 were unaccounted for, believed to have missed their intended target. Betty Lou Jensen had five entry wounds and three exit wounds, however, only two bullets were ever recovered from outside the body of Betty Lou Jensen. These were noted in the police report and Department of Justice files below. In total, only seven bullets were ever retrieved. One bullet is missing from the record. 

​"But any doubts about the killer's identity were dispelled the next day when a letter from Zodiac arrived at the San Francisco Chronicle. With it was a bloodstained piece of the driver's shirt and a bullet from the same pistol that had killed Jensen and Faraday". Had the Zodiac Killer walked towards the stricken Betty Lou Jensen to check on her status and retrieved a bullet from the turnout floor for 'future use"? This may explain why only two of the three exit wound bullets were recovered from Betty Lou Jensen at the crime scene. The police reporting of Presidio Heights was less than transparent in the aftermath of the Paul Stine murder. It wasn't too difficult to confirm that the bloodstained piece of shirt came from the corpse of the taxicab driver, but if a bullet had also been mailed with the letter, this would require interdepartmental cooperation from police involved with the murder of Jensen and Faraday to run a ballistics check. This may be the reason the details of the bullet were withheld from the newspapers until confirmation was acquired, or left out altogether. The police have openly admitted some evidence has been withheld from the public domain. 

The October 13th 1969 letter was only the second time the killer had announced himself as the 'Zodiac', so despite linking himself with the Stine murder using the swatch of shirt, he may have wanted to leave no doubt in the mind of investigators that he was also the "same man who did in the people in the north bay area". In effect, bringing all four crimes under the banner of the Zodiac Killer.

Tom Voigt made a good point regarding the Lake Berryessa attack on the Zodiackiller.com message board, stating "I've always felt that Zodiac might have written a letter regarding the Berryessa attack, perhaps to the Napa newspaper, and since it wasn't printed (for whatever reason) he decided to include physical evidence in future letters".

When Vallejo Police Chief Jack E. Stiltz asked the Zodiac Killer for more proof that the letter writer and killer were the same person in the August 3rd 1969 Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, the Zodiac Killer could have supplied the bullet at this juncture, but as we know, the Zodiac Killer didn't always play by the rules. This may point to the fact that the killer had a broader agenda and always intended to kill in San Francisco. There had been a spate of taxicab robberies in San Francisco in the months prior to the Paul Stine murder, so by inserting a bullet from the murder of Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday into the October 13th 1969 letter, this notion or connection would be completely dispelled. The narrator in the 1995 'Great Crimes and Trials' documentary may have made a gross error in statement, but to add to the Stine letter "a bullet from the same pistol that had killed Jensen and Faraday" from thin air, considering the missing bullet at Lake Herman Road, begs the question nonetheless.       

The long held narrative of Lake Herman Road is of a couple, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, pulling into the Gate #10 turnout and parking on the east side facing the field. They remained parked here throughout, when at sometime after 11:10 pm the Zodiac Killer parked alongside them and forced them from their Rambler with two shots striking the right rear window and headliner of the vehicle. The problem is that none of the eyewitness testimony supports this being the case. It is easy to write off eyewitness testimony because it makes the overall story difficult to explain, however, you do so at your peril. This was the case with Robert Connelly, who testified twice on December 21st 1968 and December 26th 1968. In his first statement the police detailed "a light colored 1960 Rambler S/W that was parked at the gate. It was parked southwest of where we finally found the car. This discrepancy wasn't noted at first." In the second interview "Connelly insists that the Rambler was parked on the bank. That would be the south side. He did not see any person in the car." Detectives concluded this was probably due to the victims having reclined the seat and were in a prone position. The seat was later found in this position at the crime scene. Rather than conforming to the story depicted by Peggy and Homer Your, James Owen and Stella Medeiros, he maintained and insisted the Rambler was parked alongside the west bank, facing south towards the gate/fence. This was turned into a crude sketch.

The dimensions of the sketch are not totally accurate with respect to the road, however, the Rambler has moved position from that described by Peggy and Homer Your, who headed to Benicia only a matter of minutes before Robert Connelly and Frank Gasser.
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As they passed the turnout Peggy Your would recollect in the police report: "As they were driving west on Lake Herman Road at the turn off to the Benicia Water Pumping Station, she observed a Rambler station wagon parked with front end heading east, there were two Caucasians in the front seat, male and female, when the lights from the car came upon the station wagon, the male sat up in the seat. Mrs Your said it was a cold night and she noticed no frost on the station wagon". She went on to say "at the time she saw the boy sitting in the driver's seat and the girl against his shoulder. When the lights of their car flashed on the Faraday car, the subject in the driver's seat put his hands on the (steering) wheel of the car. Mrs Your had noticed this action. When the Your's returned a few minutes later, after having turned around, subjects in the Rambler were still sitting there in this position. The car was facing east towards the field at the left side of the gate." 

David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen had been parked in the turnout for a considerable period of time at this point- so why would they change the position of the vehicle in the turnout? The Rambler's seats were in the reclined position, after all, they weren't in the turnout playing scrabble - they wanted some privacy, hence their choice of location. Peggy Your described David Faraday sitting up in the vehicle on one occasion, and also described him placing his hands on the steering wheel. Clearly he was disturbed by the headlights and approach of vehicles on Lake Herman Road. The next eyewitness along the road was Robert Connelly, who not only described the change in position of the Rambler, but that he didn't see any occupants in the Rambler. It is perfectly reasonable to assume David Faraday moved the Rambler into a position seeking more privacy, reversing the vehicle across the turnout onto the west bank, facing south. From this location the Rambler would be free from encroaching headlights in either direction. The reason Robert Connelly saw no occupants in the Rambler can be explained by the vehicle being shrouded in relative darkness, or that the couple were in the reclined position. This hypothesis isn't foolproof, but it would explain the movement of the Rambler immediately after Peggy and Homer Your headed to Benicia, and before Robert Connelly passed the turnout for the final time.             

Using the measurements given in the police report, it is not too difficult to discover that the Rambler also changed position from the sketch based on Peggy Your's positioning of the Rambler, to the final sketch of the Rambler as police would have found it.
This lends credence to the Robert Connelly sighting of the Rambler, having reversed across the turnout to the west bank, before returning back to the position found by police (different from Peggy Your's). This contradicts the long held narrative of a static Rambler throughout, and is supported by the actual statements of the eyewitnesses.

The testimony of James Owen, the last person to pass the turnout before the murders, also depicts a Rambler devoid of occupants, but a Rambler flanked by an unknown vehicle. Therefore, we have consecutive eyewitnesses detailing a Rambler without any visual on the occupants inside. If the Zodiac Killer arrived at the turnout from Vallejo, he could easily have approached the Rambler from the rear, as it was sitting on the west bank, thereby forcing David Faraday back across the turnout as he attempted to leave. The turning circle of the Rambler may have required this movement. The Zodiac Killer then pulled up alongside the Rambler and forced the couple to halt their vehicle in its tracks with shots to the window and headliner.
"Lunblad said the bullets were small caliber, that it appeared the Faraday youth stopped his car when a slug was fired through a rear side window of the family station wagon he was driving. Once the vehicle stopped, the two young people were helpless at the hands of the slayer." Vallejo Times-Herald 12/22/68. These shots could be argued unnecessary had the killer immediately parked alongside using the current narrative. Why not immediately point the gun towards the passenger side window? But the James Owen testimony puts a massive spanner in the works.           

James Owen was traveling towards Benicia and reported seeing no vehicles ahead of him.
On the right is a straight section of Lake Herman Road before the ill-fated turnout. It is 765 meters (0.475 miles) of unobstructed road. Traveling at 30 mph (calculated based on police reports of a 19 minute journey), this section of road would take approximately 50 seconds to negotiate. So if Zodiac had traveled from Vallejo in the same direction as James Owen, then he had to be in excess of 50 seconds ahead of James Owen as he pulled into the Gate #10 turnout. Had Zodiac been closer to James Owen, he would have seen the Zodiac Killer's taillights ahead of him.

If the Zodiac Killer had approached the turnout from the Benicia end, then James Owen as he approached from Vallejo would have had unobstructed eyes on the turnout entrance at least 282 meters (0.175 miles) before arriving at it. That is at least 20 seconds viewing time. James Owen never saw the Zodiac Killer enter the turnout, so at a bare minimum, it is reasonable to argue that Zodiac had already been present in the turnout for approximately half a minute prior to James Owen passing it. It may have been much longer.
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When James Owen passed the turnout he saw no occupants in either vehicle parked on the east side. When you consider the reaction of David Faraday when Peggy Your drove past the turnout earlier: "When the lights of their car flashed on the Faraday car, the subject in the driver's seat put his hands on the (steering) wheel of the car" and "when the lights from the car came upon the station wagon, the male sat up in the seat," it doesn't make any sense whatsoever that a strange vehicle occupied by the Zodiac Killer could actually pull into the turnout alongside the Rambler, and David Faraday doesn't react at all - continuing his romantic tryst in the reclined seats of the vehicle for a bare minimum of 30 seconds. Additionally, why had Zodiac just sat in his vehicle for the corresponding amount of time doing nothing. The obvious thing for Zodiac to have done, would have been to pull up alongside the Rambler and strike immediately - not read a newspaper first. Had he done this, James Owen would have seen the victims on the turnout floor - which he obviously didn't.    

The idea the couple were forced from the vehicle and hidden out of sight makes equally little sense. James Owen reported seeing no car doors on either vehicle open. Had Zodiac shut the Rambler door when he observed James Owen's vehicle approaching and hidden the couple behind the vehicles, why was the Rambler door discovered open by responding police officers? James Owen also never heard the two shots into the Rambler window or headliner, as he claimed to have possibly heard one shot a quarter of a mile past the turnout. If he did hear this shot, why didn't he hear the two shots on his approach? He may have been out of range on his approach to the turnout to hear the initial two shots. But the further he is away, the longer Zodiac did nothing after forcing the couple from the Rambler.

The testimony of James Owen provides a major stumbling block in creating a reasonable narrative for the happenings of December 20th 1968. ​Without the presence of the second vehicle it doesn't help matters, because the couple were back over on the east side of the turnout without being forced there. We would have to believe they moved to the west bank for privacy, as described by Robert Connelly, then decided to move back across the turnout into a similar position (but not the same), as described by Peggy Your.​ The long held narrative of a killer arriving alongside the Rambler on the east bank, exiting his vehicle, shooting at the Rambler and executing the young couple almost immediately after they exited their vehicle, doesn't work. David Faraday and the Zodiac Killer would have displayed at least 30 seconds or more of inactivity upon their encounter in the turnout, and this makes little sense from either perspective.