IN THE WOODS DIES APRIL

12/26/2016

Judith Hakari

Many crimes have been suggested as possible Zodiac attacks, too numerous to mention, so sometimes the only course of action is to analyze murders and disappearances with commonalities, employing geographical profiling and possible routes or thoroughfares used by the killer. In a previous article we noticed several such events that occurred along two main travel routes, extending all the way from the Highway 132 abduction of Kathleen Johns on March 22nd 1970 to the disappearance of Donna Lass from South Lake Tahoe on September 6th 1970. One direct route encompassing Interstate 5 and Interstate 80 passes Sacramento, the scene of three murders in 1970, often mentioned in Zodiac circles.

Nancy Bennallack

Judith Hakari was a nurse at Sutter Hospital, who disappeared heading back to the Markston Apartments on March 7th 1970, her body eventually discovered just off Interstate 80. Nancy Bennallack was murdered on October 25th 1970 in her apartment, a residence close to Interstate 80. Carol Beth Hilburn was murdered on November 14th 1970, again extremely close to Interstate 80. This thoroughfare has strong connections with the Bay Area, passing straight through the heart of Vallejo.
To examine these connections in greater detail visit:
http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/cruising-the-interstate.

Denise Kathleen Anderson

Two years ago, a link was forged between the 30 year old murder case of Koy Ien Saechao (48) and Choy Fow Salee (40) and the possible 1986 Zodiac letter, and here we will attempt to do the same with another suspected Zodiac correspondence, regarding the case of missing Denise Kathleen Anderson, although unfortunately here we have very little information to work with.
Denise Kathleen Anderson (22), who resided in Sacramento, was last seen on April 13th 1971 by her roommates at approximately 05.30 am- and as of writing her disappearance still remains a mystery- although foul play is suspected. Bearing in mind the Interstate 80 route from Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe, we have disappearances and murders on March 7th 1970, September 6th 1970, October 25th 1970 and November 14th 1970, of Hakari, Lass, Bennallack and Hilburn respectively. Three of which occurred very close to their apartments. What occurred with Denise Kathleen Anderson after last being seen by her roommates is unknown, but her disappearance (and possible murder) again took place in Sacramento, near Interstate 80, only five months after the murder of Carol Beth Hilburn and exactly one month after the Zodiac 'Los Angeles' letter mailed on March 13th 1971, claiming 17+ victims. In this correspondence Zodiac stated "If the Blue Meannies are evere going to catch me, they had best get off their fat asses + do something. Because the longer they fiddle + fart around, the more slaves I will collect for my after life."
The question is, was Denise Kathleen Anderson one of them. With so little to go on, we may never know, but exactly three months later on July 13th 1971 a potential Zodiac correspondence, listed in the FBI files, was received by the San Francisco Chronicle, described as a picture with pasted letters. The wording read:
'Near Monticello Shought Victims 21 ...... In The Woods Dies April'
The first thing that needed answering was whether April was the name of the victim or the month of the murder.
Using the age range Zodiac was known to have targeted, no woman bearing the name April could be unearthed and the April 11th 1971 murder of Kathy Bilek was attributed to Karl Francis Werner, who was responsible for the double murder of Kathy Snoozy and Deborah Furlong. However the disappearance of Denise Kathleen Anderson has yet to be resolved.

Click to enter Google Maps

The next thing to determine was 'near Monticello'.
The southern section of Monticello Road is only 16 miles from Vallejo and 2.4 miles from the Main Street payphone, where the Zodiac Killer placed his second phone call to police after the double stabbing and murder at Lake Berryessa. Interstate 80 travels from Sacramento towards Vallejo, and skirts past Monticello Road only 13 miles to the southeast.
Had the Zodiac headed from Sacramento to Vallejo after abducting Denise Kathleen Anderson and exited Interstate 80 at the closest point to Monticello Road, it would be a mere 6 miles to a notable section of Wooden Valley Road. This area is surrounded by dense woods, the perfect attack/disposal site for a serial killer, and being only 7 miles shy of Monticello Road would certainly fit the criteria of being 'near Monticello'.
Monticello Road heads northwards to Lake Berryessa, now covering the land mass once known as the town of Monticello, flooded over by the damming of Putah Creek in 1957. Any reference to Monticello by the Zodiac Killer would not be surprising, based on his previous historical references within his correspondence, namely The Mikado, and bearing in mind his third attack on Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa.
This connection may not be as strong as the Sacramento double murder of Koy Ien Saechao and Choy Fow Salee on April 22nd 1986 and the 1986 Zodiac correspondence, however we have a dense wooded area just off Interstate 80, en route from Sacramento to Vallejo, near Monticello, and a woman's disappearance in April, in accordance with the noted timeline of three previous murders in 1970.
Regardless of whether this is a Zodiac crime, it is another tragedy for the family and friends of Denise Kathleen Anderson, who badly need answers in this long overdue cold case. If you can help please contact the Sacramento Police Department.

http://www.nampn.org/cases/anderson_denise.html
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/a/anderson_denise.html
http://zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=1353

4 Comments

Greg H.

12/27/2016 10:45:28 pm

Why do you think it is that this correspondence has never been released? Based on the linked FBI file it seems this is the only purported Zodiac letter never to see the light of day.
There are definitely compelling circustances between the note and the geography of these missing women to suggest culpability on the part of Zodiac. My only reservation, though, is in looking at the statistics and reading into the multitudes of homicides that were happening in that region during this period.
It's not only true with Zodiac, but when I review other cases there are inevitably a few or sometimes many more peripheral murders that were taking place at the same time. When this happens it obviously leaves detectives and researchers at a loss trying to understand who was responsible for what.
I think it's a sad but critical fact to understand--murders happen at an alarming rate within certain regions and eras..Northern California in the 60s and 70s was a dangerous place to be living.
Watch this opening scene to the Stallone movie "Cobra"--It's been satirized by some, but he reels off some eye-popping figures..."In America, there's a murder every 24 minutes...." (And it's from Stallone, so I know it's accurate) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Bn-_j-4Mw

Richard

12/28/2016 01:24:22 am

I don't know why this correspondence wasn't released, it seems no less or more valid than the 13 Hole postcard or Pines card, just pasted material. It wasn't DNA tested according to the SFPD analysis report. Yes, not only murders back in the 60's and 70's, but the disappearances of men, but mainly women are quite staggering. Some obviously will be by choice, but the combination of murders and disappearances in the whole country may suggest serial killers are not the rare breed we once thought, probably occurring in the several hundreds at any given time. In terms of violent eras, I looked at Vallejo back in the late sixties and early seventies and the murder rate today is quite amazing, when I compare it to my home town of Coventry which has a population of 316,000, but nowhere near the murder rate of Vallejo. Actually tying in the disappearance of Denise Kathleen Anderson with this card is extremely difficult, as the information on these cold cases are almost non existent. What I find staggering is the police departments have failed to solve these cases in 40-50 years and yet the information you gather from these missing or murder pages are pointless, often a picture and body characteristics. If the police truly want the help of the public, it is high time they released everything they have, because it's no use keeping information back sitting gathering dust, but they won't, which is why the vast majority of these cases will never be solved. Several FBI requests have been submitted for the 'Woods Dies
April ' card without success, which to me is inexplicable. It's a pasted card for God's sake, and 45 years old. What possible reason could there be for withholding it,... it defies logic, but they still want the public's help. Cooperation is a two way street. I am a firm believer Gregory, that if we had access to all the Zodiac material and the use of forensic and police computer databases, this case would be solved by the end of 2017. However I am pretty certain, that while the police sit on this information and refuse to share everything, it has as much chance of being solved as Jack the Ripper, zero. The people who have all the information and resources are time limited with current police work, many amateur sleuths have too much time on their hands but cannot access any information, it's a hopeless merry-go-round, and i'm afraid an unnecessary one. People sometimes use the word 'amateur sleuths' as suggestive that these people are less intelligent than the police, but I strongly disagree. While there are excellent police and detectives in the country, they effectively are constrained by time and work because they are paid (some may take their work home with them), but for some amateur sleuths it's a passion, that doesn't require a cash incentive and are forensically savvy. Anyway I'm tossing the soap box away now, over to you Gregory.

Richard

12/28/2016 01:47:00 am

Furthermore Gregory I contacted South Lake Tahoe Police regarding Donna Lass, the Sacramento Police Department regarding the 1986 letter and two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, one who has previously dealt with Zodiac related themes, and not one single reply. They simply aren't interested in anything new, but occasionally they will regurgitate the same old anniversary story on the Zodiac murders, which everybody has read a thousand times. The TV exposes only want the sensationalist stories of color over substance. I contacted William Phelps of Dark Minds and while he did reply, thinking I was somebody else, he said he would get back to me, but this hasn't materialized. I enjoyed the Dark Minds series dealing with serial murderers and thought the Zodiac case would have been the ideal case they hadn't addressed, but obviously not as yet. My point being, knowing these are busy people, every time you hit a brick wall, you wonder whether it's worth it anymore.

Greg H.

12/28/2016 11:44:58 pm

I agree with you Richard. It's an uphill battle. But I'm a firm believer in the "don't give up" philosophy toward life. The deck may seem stacked at times, but at any instant the tide can turn and you find your efforts have not been for naught.
I think the 'familial DNA' angle is crucial in trying to get a leg up on the Zodiac case. Obviously the odds are slim the killer himself will be found by a direct DNA match. But if there is a relative of his in the system it greatly helps the chances of developing sound new leads.
This is how the "Grim Sleeper" case, rather recently, was solved. But with Zodiac, as you say, it doesn't appear as though it's being actively investigated within the corridors of the relevant police precincts. I envision the day when we go into our local supermarket and they have at-home DNA kits for sale on the shelf next to the tomatoes. Then us web sleuths might really be able to finally gain some ground.
Have to get to bed now, mate.. Keep up the good fight.. Talk to you soon...

IN THE WOODS DIES APRIL

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