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RICHARD GRINELL, COVENTRY, ENGLAND
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DOMINGOS AND EDWARDS - THE SHACK

6/10/2024

 
PictureLinda Edwards
The Iodine and later Cyanoacrylate fuming method of lifting latent fingerprints from human skin are developments from the early 1980s and beyond, as was the use of DNA in identifying perpetrators of crime. When Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards were murdered on June 4th 1963 these discoveries were two decades in the making. The notion of a killer leaving anything substantial on either victim in this instance, that could lead police directly to their doorstep, is practically zero.

The murderer of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards on the coastline of Canada Del Molino fired at least twenty rounds that day (possibly more). Despite this area being extremely remote and difficult to navigate it was frequented by many people, including beachgoers and transients such as George Edward Gill who occasionally used the makeshift shack (close to the beach) as a refuge. It was located approximately 30 feet from where Robert and Linda succumbed to their injuries that day.

​The murderer would have been totally aware that despite this area being secluded and nearly 600 feet from Highway 101, it wasn't beyond comprehension that somebody could have heard the gunshots or accidentally stumbled across the murder in progress. The obvious choice for a murderer in June 1963 seeking self-presevation would have been to leave the area immediately, yet the shooter of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards chose to spend the next several minutes dragging both bodies to the shack and placing them inside, one on top of another. The notion of this being performed so as to create a "funeral pyre" of the shack and facilitate the destruction of evidence seems unlikely. The murderer was surrounded by water when he killed the couple, so had every opportunity to wash away any evidence on the bodies using this method, rather than create a fire that would have attracted unwanted attention from afar to the area. But what incriminating evidence would they be destroying, had they just killed the couple at distance? 

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THE SECLUDED SHACK SHROUDED BY TREES
PictureRobert Domingos
Even considering the possibility of blood typing as an evidentiary tool (which isn't person specific), any bleeding injury to the murderer in an altercation with Robert before the murders, would not be an incentive to interact with both bodies subsequent to shooting them, not only transferring blood from the killer to the victims, but possibly transferring blood from the victims to yourself. There is also insufficient evidence to conclude with certainty that the murderer of Robert and Linda ever attempted to burn down the shack, other than scorch marks on the shack and spent matches on the ground devoid of any time stamp. If the person who committed these murders was so hell-bent on destroying evidence that he dragged both victims a total of 60 feet to the shack and attempted to set fire to it, why was he prepared to leave behind numerous bindings at the crime scene (not yet substantiated), shoeprint or bootprint impressions, and scatter 20+ shell casings on the creek bed, that arguably had more (if not equal) evidentiary value than anything he could have left on (or in) the bodies of Domingos & Edwards. The bullets inside the victims are only of use with a weapon to compare to. If the killer takes the rudimentary steps to negate this possibly, then the killer has little to worry about (assuming the firearm has no history). If he was inexplicably attempting to destroy these bullets in a shack fire, he was still leaving the casings.  

​Despite the seemingly obvious choice of immediately leaving the scene after the murders, the killer was still incentivised enough to stay at the crime scene beyond what was necessary. If it wasn't for the purpose of destroying incriminating evidence that realistically wasn't an issue, why did they choose to drag the bodies 30 feet to the nearby shack and conceal them? 

The murderer could have put as much distance between himself and the bodies the immediacy that they fell, but clearly had something else in mind. He may have considered that the purpose he had in mind was worth spending several minutes removing the bodies from view and placing them inside the shack. When nobody came to investigate the gunshots he may have felt safe to proceed with his intentions in the privacy of the shack. In the event that somebody had come to the shack, there may have been more than two victims that day. Newspapers reported that Linda Edwards was placed face-up on top of Robert with her bathing suit cut, exposing her breasts, but was not sexually attacked. The definition of sexual attack/assault has changed markedly from 1963 to 2024, so the observation she was not sexually attacked in the shack is not only contentious, it is unfounded. If the bathing suit of Linda Edwards was deliberately cut, not only do we know this was an attack on her sexually, we have no idea what else occurred in the shack beyond this act and for how long. The murderer could have spent hours in that shack satisfying his sexual desires. I don't want to belabor this unpleasant possibility, but just because there are no obvious signs of further interference, doesn't mean it didn't happen. The killer was incentivised enough to drag two bodies 60 feet, for what? To destroy evidence that almost certainly posed little risk, or to satisfy a desire that was partly evident to all who entered the shack in the aftermath of the crime. The murders were seemingly not enough to satisfy this killer. 


Six in depth articles examining the murders of Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards. 
The Ballistics. The Rope. The Beach. The Ammo. Pistol or Rifle? The Final Analysis.
​

Richard link
6/10/2024 03:51:33 pm

Go on to any major websites and forums and you will read the speculation that "Edwards was forced to bind Domingos at gunpoint with lengths of narrow rope (probably pre-cut). So why would a 17-year-old girl from Lompoc High School choose to tie up Robert using a rope with several Marlin hitch knots (and where did she learn this). This report stated it was a 3/8 inch rope with several Marlin hitch knots, commonly used by weavers. There was also a Santa Barbara newspaper from 1963 that described a rope found at the crime scene as "a rope with two marlin hitches, an uncommon knot". Obviously not that uncommon for a 17-year-old girl, that under the threat of murder chose to tie Robert up with a technique involving two or more marlin hitch knots. If the rope found near the murders has anything to do with murders I doubt Linda fashioned several knots of this type to secure Robert. Unless people contend that all these knots were pre-prepared by the killer that remained intact when Robert broke free. Click link in my name.

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/published/171767656581246781-4-doc.png?1717685197

Rubislaw32 link
6/11/2024 08:03:13 am

Nice press shot of the shack, Richard. The first time I've had a real sense of what it looked like.

My inclinations are that the perpetrator was essentially living out of his car at the time. Then, came across this spot for ''night time'' accommodation. His feathers were then a little ruffled when he found there were ''trespassers'' as such - who turned out to be young lovers Robert & Linda.

The Zodiac read about this case - and it may well have imprinted certain influences on him. Even possibly visiting the crime scene for himself.

Richard
6/11/2024 09:23:36 am

Yes, certainly a stranger to them Rubislaw. I have an idea for an alternative simpler explanation to how this crime went down, which I obviously can't prove, but it requires approaching these murders having a fresh look, without being influenced by everything we've read before. I may cover it in one final look. The Zodiac influence has often slanted the facts in this case. The Zodiac certainly would have seen the press coverage from 1972 onwards linking him to this crime. But so many of his letters to the Chronicle may never have seen the light of day.

Rubislaw32 link
6/12/2024 05:50:42 am

As someone who believes that the Zodiac did know Darlene (perhaps one third of Zodiac followers):

From the (admittedly unreliable) Husted Report:

Karen, Darlene's regular babysitter, quoting Darlene:

''He doesn't want anyone to know what I saw him do. I saw him murder someone.''.

That sounds thoroughly unlikely ? But, if Karen misheard Darlene slightly, thus:

''He doesn't want anyone to know what I saw him do. I saw how he murdered someone.''.

Could be (?) that the Zodiac took Darlene to a murder site that had stirred the Zodiac - and re-enacted what took place from what he had read.

Trouble for the Zodiac (?) was, that he did such a good job explaining, that Darlene got spooked and it left her wondering if he wasn't actually the perpetrator, himself.

''Zee & Dee'', like ''Kit & Holly'' - but actually ''killing time'', in Southern California, 1965.

Russ Thompson
6/14/2024 12:25:34 pm

Enjoy your thorough observations on this case!
Q: Do you know the dimensions of "the shack" [height, width, depth]? I have seen pics but nothing that provides good scale.
I have read a report stating that the shack backed up to the hillside as its rear wall, but I also do not know if accurate....

Richard
6/14/2024 03:39:26 pm

From what I've gathered Russ, the "door" to the shack is on the east side and the rear of the shack backs into the hillside on the west.
https://youtu.be/TgApd1bz5LA?si=QlwNwGai34rw772e&t=161

I can only estimate the shack size like you Russ. Approximately 6 feet long, 3 feet wide is my guess. Height about 4-5 feet.

Drew
6/14/2024 05:58:09 pm

Great article Richard! I too feel that several of the alleged consistencies between this crime and the one at Lake Berryessa could well be imaginary.

Richard
6/14/2024 10:25:39 pm

Thanks Drew. I believe there is a tendency with the Zodiac case to want a connection to exist between Lake Berryessa and 1963. But believing and wanting does not cut the mustard. What are we left with for certain if we remove the bindings. We have a couple murdered with a gun by water with Western Super X. That is basically it.

Russ Thompson
6/20/2024 10:01:56 am

The murderer could have spent hours in that shack satisfying his sexual desires."The murderer could have spent hours in that shack satisfying his sexual desires."

Yes, and that type of post-mortem behavior is common murderous sociopaths. They have no compunction "handing" the corpses of those they murder - even for long periods of time after death.

I am merely saying that it does argue against a "rage" killer and favors that of a premeditated act. I do not submit that Zodiac was involved, but perhaps another bad actor of his ilk.


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