CECELIA SHEPARD MURDER- CONCEIVED ON AUGUST 4TH 1969

10/28/2019

The Zodiac Killer committed the senseless slayings of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968. Six and a half months later he would follow this up with a second attempted double murder at Blue Rock Springs Park on July 4th 1969, in which sadly, Darlene Ferrin would succumb to her devastating injuries. Approximately one month later, the Zodiac Killer mailed three letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald announcing that he was responsible for the three murders and attempted murder, while challenging authorities to decode a 408 character cipher. The Zodiac Killer threatened the newspapers, stating "If you do not print this cipher by the afternoon of Fry.1st of Aug 69, I will go on a kill ram-Page Fry. night. I will cruse around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again, until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend". Imagine his horror when the two main newspapers failed to bow to his threats, with the San Francisco Chronicle placing the story on page 4 of the August 2nd 1969 edition, and the San Francisco Examiner demoting him to a lowly page 9 on August 3rd 1969. The problem was further compounded, with Vallejo Police Chief Jack E. Stiltz even questioning the validity of the author and "urged the writer to send more letters, with more facts to prove his connections to the crimes."

The Zodiac Killer in his haste to prove he was the killer responsible for three people, immediately sent a letter to the San Francisco Examiner on August 4th 1969 - and despite the Examiner printing his letter the same day, in which he declared "This is the Zodiac Speaking" and that he "was not happy to see that he did not get front page coverage", imagine his utter disbelief when he discovered that the San Francisco Examiner had again relegated his letter supplying more details of the crimes to page 4. It equally wouldn't have escaped his attention, that on the front page of the same paper it featured the double knife slaying of two young girls from San Jose. Deborah Furlong (14) and Kathy Snoozy (15) had been brutally stabbed while picnicking on a grassy knoll on August 3rd 1969. The Zodiac Killer had now murdered three people, nearly killed Michael Mageau and sent four communications (including three cryptograms), yet he was still unable to command front page coverage. But now he knew exactly what was required - and it was staring him squarely in the face on page one. August 4th 1969 was not only the day he announced his pseudonym to the world, but the day he realized that a brutal stabbing was required to secure himself front page coverage. This was the day the fate of Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard would be sealed, almost two months in the making.

Forever the narcissist, the Zodiac Killer couldn't believe his luck when he happened upon three young girls on the shores of Lake Berrryessa by Smittle Creek. I am sure for a brief moment he could see the headlines flash in front of his eyes: "3 Girls Stabbed, Sunbathing Murders, Footprint Clue". However, the Zodiac Killer for whatever reason, decided against the attack, returned to his vehicle and drove away. Fortunately, the three young women from Pacific Union College would escape the wrath of the Zodiac Killer - but he was not done yet. Approximately two hours later and eight tenths of a mile south, the Zodiac Killer would reappear and set his sights on the 1956 White Karmann Ghia of Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard, before traversing the 510 yard hillside descent to the area of the picnicking couple. Driven by an insatiable desire to secure front page coverage, he proceeded to callously stab the young couple sixteen times before finally returning up the hillside and out of sight. The thoughts of the San Jose murders of Deborah Furlong and Kathy Snoozy - and the headline news they generated - were probably in the forefront of his mind when he approached the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and pulled the black marker pen from his pocket. He proceeded to write on the car door of Bryan Hartnell's vehicle, to leave you in no doubt that he was mimicking the murders of the two young girls from San Jose. He wrote "Vallejo 12-20-68, 7-4-69, Sept 27-69 - 6:30 by knife". If you ever wondered why he wrote the time 6:30 on the car door, even though he rang in the crime just seventy minutes later, then the newspaper article below may give you a clue. This is the article from the San Francisco Examiner on August 4th 1969 - the very reason why the Zodiac Killer arrived at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969 in the first place.

This annotation of 6:30 on the car door of Bryan Hartnell's vehicle was supposed to mark the time that the young couple at Lake Berryessa failed to return home also.

21 Comments

Richard

10/28/2019 01:18:29 pm

Sorry about the deletion of the previous article. I misinterpreted the wording on the August 4th 1969 Examiner newspaper, which resulted in an erroneous presentation. I apologize that it took some comments with it.

Shawn

10/29/2019 06:31:37 am

"The Zodiac Killer in his haste to prove he was the killer responsible for three people, immediately sent a letter to the San Francisco Examiner on August 4th 1969 - and despite the Examiner printing his letter the same day"

It might be more informative if you can include a image of the Zodiac August 4th 1969 article printed in the Examiner the same day as the young girls murders made the front page.

The "6:30" time seems like a direct connection. But there are so many dots with connections points.

Richard

10/29/2019 06:56:44 am

I already placed a link in the article to click Shawn (in blue). But I'll add the article visually if you prefer.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/28/2019 02:15:54 pm

Well...the '' 6:30 '' time related to the Snoozy/Furlong murders is a ''cracking spot'',Richard....which ever way one looks at this.

How long have you known about this ?

Yes,it is certainly possible ''plans'' were in motion,for the Zodiac,when the ''6:30'' time was first published [Aug 4th].

Previously,I have always felt that ''humiliation'' over the publication of the Harden's 408....plus ''events'' taking place,over the Tate LaBianca murders,were responsible for the Zodiac's considerations to ''project murders'',as took place at Lake Berryessa and Presidio Heights.

It is still possible that,for example,the Zodiac kept newspaper cuttings [...as with this Aug 4th article...]....then using them as inspiration,at a future date.

But anyway....that ''6:30'' time,has been staring us in the face,all these years,as an integral part of the writing on Bryan's car door.

And this Aug.4th article,at least,offers us an explanation.

Richard

10/28/2019 02:50:24 pm

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/more-than-just-by-knife-pt2

I wrote about it here in March this year, but thought I would expand upon it in more detail. Somebody on one of the forums asked for reasons why the Zodiac decided to add the time on the car door, when it seemed rather unnecessary and superfluous. I always considered the switch from gun to knife was driven by the lack of front page coverage, so the adding of 6:30, by knife was effectively a statement of "remember the San Jose murders, do I get headline coverage now". It is no real surprise that two communications later, he adds the month of "Aug" precedent to "Sept" on November 8th 1969 with his dripping blood pen card. I cannot say for certainly that this is the reason for 6:30, but it's an explanation nonetheless.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/28/2019 03:18:15 pm

I think that the '' 6:30 '' combined with a knife attack...must pretty much ''seal the deal'' as the influence,Richard.

Then,of course,the almost indisputable fact that the Zodiac claimed Snoozy and Furlong,in his ''7'' in the Dripping Pen postscript.

From now on it's ''plainly the case'' that that is how the Zodiac came up with '' 6:30 ''.

I would have thought that,it twigged with Toschi and Armstrong ( ? ).

Richard

10/28/2019 04:23:19 pm

The above newspaper article may give credence to his initial targeting of the young women first. Three (instead of two) would certainly have usurped in his mind that attack in San Jose. Not to mention the 12-inch knife/bayonet instead of the pocket knife used on August 3rd. When this attack was aborted, he found the next best thing by writing on the car door with the 6:30 reference. The question being, if the Zodiac was the man staring at the sunbathing girls, had he murdered them, would he have written on their car door - and would it have read 4:30 by knife. But when this attack fell through, he had the added bonus of the time now matching the Snoozy/Furlong reference in the paper. Would he have written 6:30 regardless? The choice of destination for his third attack at Berryessa did parallel the San Jose murders in respect to a secluded picnic area, and of course the time. There is of course the possibility that the 3 girls spotting a suspicious man was unrelated to the Zodiac Killer. Either way, there are parallels.

10/28/2019 06:22:15 pm

Excellent observations, Richard! I missed whatever you deleted, but obviously it was unimportant if you deleted it. I forget, wasn't he watching the girls around 4:00-4:30, but left, and then they left? If so, maybe his plan was to return closer to 6:00-6:30 but they thwarted him by leaving. Regardless, I think you hit the nail on the head.

Richard

10/29/2019 01:55:41 am

Good point JD, he did after all leave willingly (assuming it was him). The other article asked the question on whether somebody had solved the 408 cipher before the Harden's because they had isolated 18 symbols. I thought that these could have been the 18 unsolved symbols at the foot of the cipher, indicating therefore that to do so, they must have solved the other 390. But I found another newspaper article that negated this idea. Here is the original article that led to my erroneous conclusions.
https://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/published/august4.jpg?1572267423

Richard

10/29/2019 02:53:28 am

The Zodiac wrote the month of "sept" on the car door, and he listed the months on the Dripping Pen Card to bolster the fact the two were connected. That is why I considered that the Dripping Pen Card was specifically chosen with the words "I just washed my pen and I can't do a thing with it", to symbolize the blood on it when he wrote on the car door. "You won't get the bad news for a while" followed by another communication on November 21st 1969, again concerning San Jose and a threat on another woman. That communication too referenced the word "thing", by stating "There's no doubt I will do my Thing!". This coming only 13 days after the Dripping Pen Card. I believe he continued the San Jose theme from car door to Dripping Pen to this latest communication on 11/21/69. He even wrote November = 8. This communication is often overlooked, but its theme is consistent with everything that preceded it, dating back to August 4th 1969 when he latched onto the San Jose double murder.

10/29/2019 03:03:36 am

Thanks for the additional info. Actually, I did see the article and just didn't realize you had deleted it. The 18 unsolved symbols came to my mind as well when reading the newspaper article, but reading it again I guess he "isolated" 18 symbols total out of 408.

Richard

10/29/2019 03:07:31 am

I know we have discussed similar before Rubislaw, but it needs reminding that even the Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1969 brings up the word "thing" again for the third time.
[1] So lonely I could do my thing
[2] There's no doubt I will do my Thing.
[3] I cannot reach out for help because this thing in me won't let me.

The losing of control, with the recent reference to knife attacks, could indicate that the Belli Letter was insinuating two more attacks (nine and ten) on two more women or girls in San Jose. After all, he had just stated "November=8" in the San Jose threat on a widow only a month earlier.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/29/2019 04:53:31 am

Yes indeed,Richard....and a possible ''fourth'' in the offing (?) :

Benicia High School note postscript :

'' I'm gona do my thing at Qir School ''

Circa autumn 1972....now,wouldn't that be something,if LE admitted,that this note,was actually on October 31st 1972 (?).

Qir earthquake - Mullins inspiration - murder of homeless man in ''A Clockwork Orange''.Plus,of course the possible ''WJGrant'' connection.

'' 6:30 '' made my day ,yesterday....so much more seems possible,with an extra step,along the way....

Rubislaw 32 link

10/29/2019 05:27:42 am

....just looking at Herbert Mullin,again...

Born on April 18th ....the anniversary of the 1906 SF earthquake.A schizo...needing to kill,to stave off eathquakes ( ? ).

First victim,homeless Lawrence White,October 13th 1972 (...so,would not suit a Halloween date,for Benicia Note...)

But,then we have the purported reason why death threats went to Stanley Kubrick...the beating of a homeless man,to death,in ''A Clockwork Orange''.

But..back to Bryan's door....''6:30'' adds to ''By Knife''...and ''no mention'' of Benicia...as characteristics of significance ( ? ).

Rubislaw 32 link

10/29/2019 05:46:07 am

...naturally,I think that the Benicia Note is Zodiac authentic.Benicia Police allow Lafferty a copy....just as the Vallejo Police allow Lafferty,a copy of the Celebrity Cipher....and as claimed by Lafferty,he was informed that the two were ''linked''.

By ''what'' is a question ( ? )....''Forensics'' ( ? )..

And,still possible that the Benicia Note is 1973...as opposed to 1972.

Richard

10/29/2019 06:32:43 am

The Zodiac Killer never once mentioned Benicia in his correspondence despite LHR just being inside the jurisdictional line of Benicia and mentioned numerous times in the newspapers. The Zodiac simply thought that section of Lake Herman Road was part of Vallejo, and may have subconsciously thought it was because he probably entered from the Vallejo end. That is why he likely just wrote "Vallejo" on the car door, rather than any surreptitious meaning. The list of dates on the car door just evidence he was the Zodiac Killer, followed by the seemingly pointless "by knife" attribution. Although "by knife" was a defiant statement of "do I get front page coverage now". The 6:30 may have been another pointer.

The Benicia note I still can't get my head round Rubislaw. Every time I look at it, it screams schoolchildren or adolescents as the author, with a distinctly childish make up in the way it's written. I will take another look, but everytime I do, it appears a rather immature note, lazily pinned in Benicia. It is even badly worded even by Zodiac standards - and that is saying something. Like with all Zodiac (or alleged Zodiac) communications, the person has usually been inspired by something they have read regarding the Zodiac Killer in the newspapers. This note was likely prepared in the December of 1973, just two months after the Albany Letter on August 1st 1973. That communication was a direct response to a two-page article on Zodiac in the New York Daily News just 9 days later. Look for newspaper articles referencing Zodiac or bombs in the November or December of 1973. I also see 2 youths were held in 1974 for a series of phoned bomb threats on Benicia High School, so it is highly conceivable it was these two 14-year old jerks were responsible for the note as well. To me, it looks like it was created by a child with half a brain, and the 2 kids arrested seemed like the perfect candidates for half-wittedness.

However, what is extremely interesting, is the December 16th 1969 Fairfield Letter we both consider genuine Zodiac material, because not only is it written the same as the December 7th 1969 Fairfield Letter, but the December 7th letter uses the same wording as the authenticated Melvin Belli Letter, which arrived only 13 days later. This was crucial because neither of the Fairfield letters were released to the public until recent years. So, how did the author of the Benicia High School note manage to replicate the design of the "Bleeding Knife of Zodiac" drawing which was never publicized.
I gather the Benicia High School note was a blood smear with the notation of "Guess who thiz hiz blood of". But could it have been designed like a knife? Probably not, and just a matter of seeing shapes where none are, but a question nonetheless. Here is the Bleeding Knife of Zodiac and Benicia note side by side.

https://zodiackillersite.com/download/file.php?id=5604

http://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/bleedingknifeofzodiac1_1_orig.png

Richard

10/29/2019 06:44:48 am

In the comparison you see the general shape of a curved blade in both. The two images have "Zodiac" written on the underside, tending towards the right. The Benicia note has "crosshairs" partly imitating blood drops, like the Bleeding Knife. One uses "bleeding", one uses "blood". One uses "of", and so does the other. It thoroughly depends on whether you see any correlation or not. I tend to go with two stupid kids, bur the comparison was worth investigating.

Shawn

10/29/2019 10:10:24 am

"The Zodiac Killer never once mentioned Benicia in his correspondence despite LHR just being inside the jurisdictional line of Benicia and mentioned numerous times in the newspapers. The Zodiac simply thought that section of Lake Herman Road was part of Vallejo, and may have subconsciously thought it was because he probably entered from the Vallejo end."

I think he was trying to kill in different jurisdictions to hamper the overall investigation as many researchers and LE think.

I think he knew where he killed at LHR was in Benecia but was in a rush or being deceptive when he wrote the incorrect info on Hartnell's car.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/29/2019 07:50:06 am

Certainly taken on board what you articulate,about the Benicia Note,Richard.

All too easy to jump in there,and point out that ''only'' the Zodiac,himself,would know of any similarities between the ''smearing'' and ''bleeding knife''...hence pointing to the Zodiac being responsible for both (?).

And,even if we disregarded the Mullin/Kubrick/Grant links to the Benicia Note postscript...then the thrust of the main message,seems to have,at least ''curiosity'' going for it.

A contrived ''Southern backwater'' person,in the ''immature'' use of English Language.''Byson'' could be '' Bays son ''...from those,more associated with the ''Bayou country''.The making of ''O's'' into target symbols.The use of ''Sould'' instead of ''Should''...and,we've seen ''child reversion'' with the Zodiac.And,almost compellingly,the ''Dog'' referred,is telegraphing the ''DOJ''...Department of Justice.

This note,I think,is deliberately constructed to appear ''child -like'',and still alludes to the threat of a bomb....but way,way,over the heads of even clever thinking adolescents...even though the note,has been ''planted'' at an establishment,where adolescents would be the first suspects.

But,even if one accepted what I have just said....does that make it the work of the real Zodiac ?

Well..Lyndon Lafferty so often confounds one...apart from being,naturally,''suspect led'',with respect to WJGrant.

I still believe that his contributions to the case,will be more and more recognized.But,pointing the finger at the wrong person ( Grant ),as being the Zodiac....didn't help his cause...and,at times,allowed him to get the wrong end of the stick.

It seems to me,for example,that no sooner was he informed that the Benicia Note and Celebrity Cipher,were linked,then his curiosity was satisfied....thinking that it a given that Grant was the author of both....and he,Lafferty,had to merely examine the content of both,to confirm this ''actual fallacy'' for himself.

Hopefully,we will find out,the truth,eventually....and ''God Bless'' Lyndon Lafferty....for we should really be grateful for what he,alone,put on the table.

But...having the wrong suspect,is the ''death knell'' for anyone - period.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/29/2019 11:35:54 am

This ''non-existence'' of Benicia,is a great topic for debate,Shawn.

I agree with you,that the Zodiac would have known the distinction.Even if Zodiac had only found residency in Vallejo,or the Vallejo vicinity since the beginning of 1968....and,what I believe,that we perceive in his road habits,suggest that he was a passionate motorist,with inevitable keeness for navigation,that goes with it.

Old or new to the area...he knew,alright.

But never a mention of Benicia,in any of his correspondences,either confirmed or unconfirmed.And,by the time of Lake Berryessa,with Bryan's door,''in the frame'',nine months had elapsed since Lake Herman Road....which,for all the world to see,was a ''Benicia'' double murder.

As you make a point of question,Shawn....was the Zodiac being deliberately deceptive,by ''keeping to form'',and just employing ''Vallejo'' on Bryan's car door ?

Note with the Benicia Note....a note named after ''Benicia'',only because that is where it was found.And,in the note,itself,the one geographic reference,is ''Lake Herman Road''.....neither Vallejo,nor Benicia....or,an allusion to both....or neither.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/30/2019 01:06:10 am

While this case remains unresolved,we will always want more information,that really counts for something.

And if this topic ''only'' gives us a compelling clue,that the Zodiac desired to leave us,with a Snoozy and Furlong ''false claim'',at the scene of the Lake Berryessa attack....then that is something worth having.

Nice '' 6:30 '' clue found,Richard.

CECELIA SHEPARD MURDER- CONCEIVED ON AUGUST 4TH 1969

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