LAKE HERMAN ROAD- THE SEQUENCE OF SHOTS

12/16/2017

This is a representation of the likely order of the 10 shots fired in the Lake Herman Road turnout on December 20th 1968, resulting in the murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen. Each bullet/s fired is represented by four colors, red, green, yellow and blue. This may also be the order the weapon was discharged. [1] The shot into the headliner of the Rambler [2] The shot traveling above the Rambler (shots 1 and 2 can obviously be interchanged). [3] The shot into the rear window [4] The murder of David Faraday [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] The six shots fired at Betty Lou Jensen, with one missing the young girl. The respective casings for each of the ten shots have been allocated the corresponding color.
This representation will be explained in greater detail below.

[1] The killer parked approximately 10 feet alongside the Faraday Rambler. The killer exited the driver side door of his vehicle and immediately fired at the Rambler. The distance creating a relatively flat trajectory, with the bullet striking the headliner and embedding in the upper portion of the Rambler on the left side of the vehicle. The casing flew behind the shooter and bounced off the metallic surface of his vehicle, coming to rest by the red circle, approximately 20 feet from the right side of the Rambler.

[2] The second shot immediately following the first, with the casing flying to the right and rear, likely striking the hood of the assailant's vehicle and coming to rest by the front of his vehicle, 14 feet to the right side of the Rambler.

[3] The killer approaches the Rambler and fires off his third shot (green line) into the right rear window, just above the window liner. The bullet came to rest in the left rear wheel well of the Rambler. By calculating the angle of the bullet trajectory of approximately 17 to 19 degrees to the horizontal, we know that the shooter based on a height of 5'10", had to be standing no more than 4-5 feet from the Rambler. With an extended arm, this would place the gun 25-30 inches from the Rambler window when fired. So, unless the shooter walked backwards after this shot and fired into the headliner, this was likely the third shot that night, as the killer approached the couple's vehicle. The ejected casing flies to the rear, somewhere in the region of the green circle, measured at 8'2" from the right side of the Rambler. The positions of these circles are only approximations based on the measurements given in the police report.

[4] The couple are forced from the vehicle and David Faraday is callously executed with a bullet to the left side of his head (just under the ear). He is standing with his back to the Rambler, and the casing ejects to the rear, traveling either directly or indirectly off the Rambler door, coming to rest on the front passenger floorboard of the Rambler (yellow line and circle).

[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] The shooter takes a step or two forward and fires at Betty Lou Jensen as she flees into the distance. The first shot at extremely close range left gunpowder residue on her dress, despite this however, she would reach 33 feet from the rear of the Rambler before collapsing backwards, ultimately being discovered 28 feet from the Rambler (where the policeman is shining his torch in the background). The casings are ejected in the blue grouping - close to the right side of the Rambler. The dark blue circle representing 1 of the 6 shots he fired at Betty Lou Jensen, that possibly missed their target.

Two bullets were never retrieved from the scene, indicating they either missed Betty Lou Jensen while she was running for her life, missed the Rambler on the shooter's approach to the vehicle, were fired into the air as a warning, or were a combination of these possibilities. However, considering the tight grouping of six casings close to the vehicle, it is arguable, they were fired from the same location. It is unlikely the shooter would miss the Rambler standing right next to it. He likely missed the Rambler when initially exiting his vehicle, the two bullet casings at 14 and 20 feet striking his vehicle and coming to rest in the respective positions shown below.

If you have any alternative thoughts on the sequence of shots fired on December 20th 1968, or opinions on the Lake Herman Road double murder, please leave your contributions in the comments section below.

Drew

12/16/2017 02:17:08 pm

This is great Richard, thanks for continuing your dogged pursuit of this most confusing of narratives. I think this is the most clear and logical breakdown yet. As usual though I have several likely unanswerable questions for you!

Do you think that both kids exited the passenger side (Betty Lou first) and then David was shot while exiting? I doubt knowing this detail would be all that helpful but it is just so torturous to be unable to lay out the entirety of the most likely scenario. Are you still tentatively on the side of a solo shooter at LHR and throughout the Zodiac murders?

I'm curious, did the history channel illuminate anything at all for you? I was interested in the bloody gloves until coming to the conclusion that it should have been apparent to investigators if the gloves had been used in the killer's front seat activities. The placement and degree of bloodiness was not described in the show at all to my recollection and such a description should be all the information required. Did you know there was blood on the gloves? I thought the gloves were in the front and that Zodiac was likely unaware of them. After becoming convinced that the Lake Berryessa assailant was gloveless I have come to accept the 'air plane cement wasn't entirely effective' explanation.

I also wonder whether the male DNA on the riverside pants was from blood or not. I don't think they specified and therefore I tend to think it was not necessarily an egregiously overlooked clue but a profile from an investigator or technician or of someone who may have only been near the pants and not necessarily even touched them or Cheri Jo.

Sorry for jumping around here from one odd issue to another... Laurel street was just an error made on the original Oct 13 poster right? Does Laurel street have any possible significance to the Zodiac case that you are aware of?

Thanks Richard for any insight you may have to add to my ramble!

Richard

12/16/2017 02:54:48 pm

These are challenging questions Drew. Obviously I don't have all the answers, just an opinion, but I will give you my thoughts tomorrow, as it's getting late here. Cheers, Richard.

Richard

12/17/2017 01:32:06 am

At the moment I am looking into the 'three doors of the Rambler locked' scenario. I am sure I've read it somewhere. What I don't understand is why investigating officers would either retrieve the Rambler's keys (or travel across the inside of the Rambler) possibly compromising evidence, to open the front driver side door before taking photographs of the crime scene. The photographs taken show the driver side door open. I have always taken it as gospel that both Faraday and Jensen exited the passenger door, so I just want to check any police reports or official documents on this. If anybody can help in this matter it would be great.

Richard

12/17/2017 01:55:40 am

I only consider the two assailant theory an outside chance, but we do have the unexplained encounter of two Caucasian males by William Crow, and the 'one or two' vehicles at BRS leaving and returning 5 odd minutes later as experienced by Michael Mageau. None of these eyewitnesses ever came forward. If the second, more detailed account of the three teenagers at PH is totally accurate, then there has to be two assailants that night. Their second statement of a man opening the driver side door of the taxicab and attempting to haul Stine into an upright position is corroborated by the bloodied fingerprints on the dividing panel between the driver and rear passenger door. You would use your right hand as a brace, to lever Paul Stine upright with your left hand. Their recollection of meeting Pelissetti as he arrived en scene was corroborated by Pelissetti in the 2007 documentary. So all the details seem accurate. If Pelissetti and Lindsey were together at the intersection of Washington and Cherry, while Zodiac was approaching the corner of Jackson and Cherry, then one assailant isn't likely. But whether this is accurate, embellishment or otherwise, I cannot prove after 50 odd years. The biggest argument against two assailants that night could probably be found in the taxicab charges displayed in episode 5 of the History Channel, in which it states "Drivers of taxicabs and sedans shall keep an accurate waybill specifically setting forth the time of hire and discharge, the number of passengers, the origin and destination and the charges authorized and made for each trip." So, if Paul Stine accurately filled in his waybill and stated the destination of Washington and Maple, one would assume he must have also listed the number of passengers. Whether he completed the passenger number section could be argued, but if he did, then the likelihood is, that there was one occupant that night, otherwise this likely would have been unearthed by now.

Richard

12/17/2017 02:31:15 am

The gloves conundrum is a strange one. I always believed the taxicab gloves were discovered in the front section of the taxicab, and although Graysmith isn't always accurate, so did he. He stated " "Just under the dash, Toschi found a pair of dull black leather gloves." But he also referenced these gloves having been left by a previous female passenger. We must however not accept what Graysmith states as fact, because he often twisted facts in an attempt to shoehorn Arthur Leigh Allen into the candidate most likely to be Zodiac. He later in 'Zodiac Unmasked,used these very same gloves to implicate Allen as his prime suspect. They cannot belong to a previous female passenger and be then additionally used as a vehicle to compare to Allen's hand size. It's a contradictory argument. My guess, and it's only that, is that these gloves were not Zodiac's. They could have been Stine's or a previous passengers. Zodiac was detailed by the teenagers as wiping down the front compartment area of the taxicab, but he took Stine's wallet, keys and shirt piece. He may have been searching the interior of the cab for 'souvenirs' and dislodged or dragged these gloves from the dash, to under the dash-nothing more than that. Whether Zodiac had a prior criminal record or not, leaving fingerprints for future comparison to this crime would be rather stupid, had he gloves available to him. By all accounts from what we have been led to believe, not one fingerprint from any letter or crime scene has tallied with another, suggesting he was aware of their evidentiary value and he took precautions. Assuming his claim of airplane cement as the truth, it's perfectly conceivable that when he pulled the trigger that night and performed other tasks, the airplane cement crumbled or detached, leaving his fingerprint ridges exposed, hence the partial prints received. Why he didn't wear gloves rather than cement is another question- he seemingly was confident in his abilities. If they had been his gloves, despite them being XS size 7, I would find it highly unlikely he would simply have left them in the taxicab through forgetfulness. His apparent wiping down of the taxicab is also totally unnecessary if you had gloves available throughout. The gloves were likely not his and somehow became dislodged onto the front floor of the taxicab, which is why they harbored blood residue, which is less likely (although not impossible) if they had resided on the back seat. For that to be the case, the shot to Paul Stine would have had to create a blood spray to the rear. It is not beyond reason, but if the gloves were smothered rather than spattered with blood, then I tend to believe they were discovered in the front of the taxicab, which Graysmith stated Toschi did.

Richard

12/17/2017 03:07:42 am

From the autopsy report on CJB it is highly likely that for a significant proportion of the attack the assailant was astride CJB (on top of her) stabbing her from above. This is what the lacerations, abrasions and stab wounds on her body suggest. If the killer used a small 3 inch or less pocket knife that 'broke' as he claimed in the Confession letter, then this may well have been the moment the hinge mechanism on the knife collapsed, striking his fingers. If he was astride her mid-portion, as he rose back to his feet and stepped away, it's perfectly conceivable one drop of blood from his finger could fall onto her trousers. If the Confession letter is by the killer, one can see that he stated that the knife broke, then he finished the job by cutting her throat. The knife breaking may have effectively culminated the attack, therefore if he cut his finger at this juncture, there may only be one small drop of blood residue on her trousers as shown in the History Channel documentary. A small 2.5-3 inch pocket knife would not be my choice if this had been a carefully pre-planned attack. Many assailants using knives often cut themselves in attacks such as these and I always believed this was the case here. There was a trail of blood leaving the alleyway to Terracina Drive, possibly indicating the killer's exit route. Had this been blood dripping from the knife as he walked away, one could expect the droplets to diminish in size the further you walk. If you were bleeding and didn't realize this, then it could be argued the blood drops would remain constant in size for the length of the alleyway. One would have thought that after the attack he would immediately pocket the knife, meaning that any constant blood drops observed on the alleyway floor could likely be his, dripping blood from a hand or finger wound. The pattern and size of the droplets would tell you his likely direction of travel and if the droplets were even in size, whether it was from a constantly bleeding wound. However, we have to bear in mind the constitution of the ground the blood is falling onto. It isn't like analyzing blood distribution on the walls or floor of a house. Any male DNA retrieved from CJB that originates from blood or semen would be significant. Other forms of contact could be easily explained away.

Richard

12/17/2017 06:43:18 am

Here it states three doors were locked, so I guess that answers that one. So why did they open it before taking the crime scene photographs. I know it probably didn't make any difference in the end, but when you enter a crime scene, you don't alter things around before photographing and documenting the evidence.

http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=827&fullsize=1

Drew

12/17/2017 10:58:17 am

Thanks so much Richard! The Rambler photos should have been handled better. Why we don't have any interior photos is just nuts to me. Clearly when there are no witnesses everything at the scene is potentially important. Pretty easy for me to say I suppose.

I wonder if police have an unreleased photo of David half in/half out of the passenger doorway (as those Lundbald quotes suggest he was initially discovered) before an officer had to enter through the passenger door themselves to retrieve the keys. Of course I hold out zero hope for unreleased photos here but if those doors were locked windows up and David was half in/half out, then they must have removed him before unlocking the doors and taking photos. Maybe they thought administering medical attention could save him at that point, which would clearly take priority over the photos... not that that would explain why he was not officially reported as being discovered still part way in the car.

Anyways thanks again for all of the thoughts!

Richard

12/17/2017 11:13:41 am

It was Pierre Bidou who stated David Faraday was still in the passenger seat, half in, half out, on four occasions.
At 11:17 and 11:45 in this one video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFp9s3cwkms&feature=youtu.be&t=11m9s

Drew

12/17/2017 11:24:49 am

Bidou, of course, thanks, I was trying to perform off-book there for a minute! Your head must be just overflowing with these details, especially after transcribing all those articles. Have you considered doing a new podcast in the wake of the History channel series?

Richard

12/17/2017 11:44:58 am

I will soon Drew- some people may have to decipher my English accent.

Drew

12/17/2017 11:53:11 am

Deciphering your accent is half the fun Richard!

Alex Lewis

12/22/2017 03:40:01 pm

I still favor a killer out there on foot without a vehicle. How can drivers of vehicles literally second behind James Owen and even a car Owen Himself stated went passed Him going the other way within 5-10 seconds of Himself passing the turn out, and not one other vehicles drivers or passengers affirm JAmes Owens version and state they too saw a second vehicle in that gravel turn area?

If Z pulled in and exited his own car and began heading toward Davids then David could and likely would have pulled away out of that area. They were, as it appears to me at least, ambushed in a blitz attack that gave the two teens no chance to get away.

Also, 'Second Vehicle' proponents have to explain how they believe Zodiac simply drove away after shooting both victims and manages again, like the gated gravel turn out, has no witnesses come forward to give a statement saying they recall a car travelling at toward Benicia or Vellejo at the approx given time.

Davids autopsy noted a red mark on his neck with a swelling of the lower jaw that the pathologist notes "as is consistent with a forceful impact of a fist of blont object" or words to Tha effect. I've always suspected that David Faraday is the inspiration for Zodiac's comment "Some of them Fought, it was Horrible!"

Alex Lewis

12/22/2017 03:52:41 pm

Oh and not forgetting the indentation or depression found in the soil on the other side of the fence just adjacent to the gate. The report even states it was a depression consistent with a persons kneeling in that spot on one knee.

Kinda how you may want to if you had, lets say, a rifle you were aiming at a target with. The one spent round discovered was, after all, a spent cartridge bullet identified as a long jacketed rifle round.

Drew

12/22/2017 04:07:13 pm

Gian Quasar has proposed that David tried to wrestle him. I think the shooter got him just as he was coming out of the passenger side and didn't give him a chance.

As for a car-less Zodiac, I have certainly entertained the idea. Considering the witnessed car next to the Rambler and the White Impala sightings as coincidences is tough though. The 'prank call' which came so quickly after the crime would also need to be discarded if Zodiac didn't have a car nearby to escape in and go directly to a phone booth.

If Zodiac was a night hunter it would explain a great deal though and I think it is a worthwhile hypothesis. Very interesting about the knee impression. I hadn't caught that.

Ray Jenkins

12/22/2017 04:39:52 pm

I wonder about those gloves too. Strange, I recall reading some place that they were left on the back seat. Is it possible that these were trophied by the Zodiac from an earlier crime scene and he left them there for the police as a taunt. There is so much the public has not been told.

Ray Jenkins

12/22/2017 05:00:53 pm

If the killer was on foot he must have had a car parked somewhere nearby. He also must have been wearing his thermal underwear and gloves. The reason I say this is it was reportedly a very cold and dark night. So cold in fact that the ground was frozen, meaning there were no footprints and no tire tracks left behind at the scene (according to the police report). It was 22 degrees outside and very dark.

I have yet to really understand how cold weather can prevent tire tracks and have almost been prompted on a few occasions to contact Mythbusters about this. It seems to me that dry gravel and dirt will not freeze solid, unless there has been rain. But even in this case I would presume that the weight of a car would be sufficient to still make some kind of an impression. This whole "frozen dirt" thing has always left big questions for me. Wouldn't that be a bit like saying "It was too cold for fingerprints"?

My feeling is if he had been wandering about the roads on foot and stumbling about in the dark with only a flashlight to guide him, he may have been feeling a bit numb and this would have impaired his vision, his reflexes and his trigger finger. It seems more likely to me that he was in a car. But I am willing to believe he may have left his car hidden somewhere nearby. I know there have been some rumors over the years that the Zodiac lived nearby, but these seem to have been quickly dismissed by the authorities.

Ray Jenkins

12/16/2017 04:40:33 pm

"The killer exited the driver side door of his vehicle and immediately fired at the Rambler."

That is actually the first time I have read this, or at least the first time it has really sunk in for me. :-O

And wow, what an insane and frenzied attack, brutal and callous in the extreme.

A friend once pointed out to me that the Zodiac may actually have been a poor shot. Unless he was right up close to somebody, he often missed his target and sent bullets going anywhere. Poor eyesight or some physical malady perhaps left him a bit off balance and unco-ordinated. Or perhaps he was just so frenzied in his intent that he kept pulling the trigger, shooting at anything that moved.

It often seems to me that he may have been an amateur gun enthusiast (hobbyist) rather than a professionally trained shooter and marksman. He seemed to care little about conservation of rounds, just firing away at everybody and everything in sight. He may have had one good eye to aim with, but even it may not have been the best vision-wise. He may have had the stance right, perhaps from what he had read in books, but even then he may have stood off kilter due to some physical malady. Instead of pressing the trigger he may have been pulling on it quite hard and frenzied.

The first rule of shooting accurately is to press or squeeze, not pull. Take the slack out of the trigger first. Then squeeze the trigger to the point you start feeling resistance, and then, using constant and increasing pressure to the front of the trigger, not the sides, keep pressing the trigger straight to the rear until the gun fires.

The Zodiac's approach was a bit like the attitude of the American military to the war in Vietnam, or Hitler's solution to bombing London. Saturation bomb the hell out of it! The problem of course is that no matter how many bombs you drop or rounds you fire, there are always many that will miss their targets completely, or those that hit something or someone may actually cause survivable damage.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/17/2017 12:26:01 am

On the surface,or ''face value'',it certainly looks like Zodiac fired a first shot,to scare.

Then second shot,combined with brief instruction for the couple to exit the vehicle,on Betty Lou's side.

Third shot is the execution of David,as he exits the vehicle.

The remaining shots for Betty Lou,as she attempts to flee.

Ray Jenkins

12/17/2017 04:16:05 am

A lot of those final shots missed. He was only a good shot at really close range.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/17/2017 04:34:51 am

I agree,Ray.

Dispatching of David,with one bullet,may have been lucky,for Zodiac.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/17/2017 04:01:30 am

Interesting extra information on the CJB case,Richard.

Perhaps cynically,I just don't believe that the History Channel series,and the pants of Ms.Bates,has added anything additional,to what the CA DOJ,already are aware of.

What we really want to know is,how ''blinkered'' the Riverside Police have been,or indeed,been allowed to have been,all these years.

Clearly,at that time,the political climate,with regard to ''Black Power'',in particular,meant that many provincial pockets of L.A.,saw the FBI and LAPD as ''mud'',in terms of being associated [?].

The Riverside Police just did not want ''Feds'' in their ''back yard'',and cases such as CJB's,may have suffered,as a result.

I believe that it shows the weakness of CA DOJ,at the time.

Though,''easy'' to reflect on harsher times [?].

Ray Jenkins

12/17/2017 04:33:22 am

Yes, the times were a-changing, but the police were very slow to catch up. Local conservatism and a kind of "us and them" mentality was all pervasive.

Some of the incompetence is difficult to believe in the modern context. For example the gun that was used at the Sharon Tate murder scene was thrown by the culprit into a backyard. A young boy found it, but having been well educated about the danger of guns and possibly knowing its importance he did not touch it and promptly reported it to his father. His father did not touch it either, but reported it immediately to the police. An officer came and much to the horror of father and son, he picked the weapon up and handled it, thus potentially destroying any evidence like fingerprints in the process. He was apparently of the belief that the weapon had nothing to do with the Tate murders!

Another complete botch up in the Manson case was when some reporters asked the police if it might be possible if the culprits changed their blood-soaked clothes and disposed of other evidence somewhere along the road. The detectives thought this unlikely, so some reporters took it upon themselves to search the roadsides. Sure enough they came across the grisly evidence, stashed under some bushes. Manson was not even a speck on their radar at that time. I think they just presumed it was the work of some (probably "black") thugs.

So when it comes to the Riverside Police of that time, I tend to ask the same pertinent question that you asked?

Carl Karas

12/17/2017 10:57:11 am

No way to prove it but here's a scenario that might explain a few things. Zodiac fires the first couple shots, hits David with a lucky shot without realizing it. Rushes around to the driver's side to fire at David again, who, mortally wounded but still trying to escape, exits from the passenger side before collapsing. Betty Lou, who has preceded David out the passenger door, stands over David in shock and horror as David falls at her feet. Z comes back around to the passenger side and, as the diagram above seems to indicate, fires several rounds at Betty Lou as she stands still possibly with her back turned to the killer. Then she starts to run, but also now mortally wounded, doesn't get far before falling

Richard

12/17/2017 11:28:46 am

The shot that killed David Faraday was a contact wound behind the ear, shown here
http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=73&pid=921#top_display_media
This shot was an execution style shot, evident from gunshot residue at the contact point. No shots were fired from the driver side of the Rambler Carl, because no casings were discovered on the left side of David Faraday's vehicle.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/17/2017 03:03:53 pm

Yes,the third shot that ''took out'' the unfortunate David.One feels that Zodiac had moved in closer,from his original starting position,by then.

But still a lucky shot,perhaps [?].

When Zodiac wrote about improving his chances of accuracy,in limited light,he explained about employing the use of a small pencil flash light taped to the barrel of his gun.Then he went on to say :

''All I had to do was spray them.''.A bit ambiguous [?].

At LHR,Zodiac's first shot was,in all probability meant as a warning,and to seek their immediate attention.A ''shot across the boughs''.

Well,the bullet ended up in the headliner upholstery in the roof of David's car.

In other words,the inference is,that Zodiac was aiming for ''fresh air'' - and hit the car,instead [!].

Now,it might be an exaggeration to say,but there are grounds for thinking that this cold blooded killer,could struggle to hit a barn door,with a banjo [?].

Ray Jenkins

12/17/2017 04:13:52 pm

Agreed Rubislaw. I like your analogy. I will have to test out an old banjo on our garage door and see how close I have to get before I can hit it. lol! :-)

Ray Jenkins

12/17/2017 05:36:42 pm

Furthermore, the idea of strapping a flashlight to a hand gun suggests a lack of knowledge, proficiency and skills with the use of a hand gun. The use of "tactical light" as it is technically termed, requires the proficient use of both a flashlight and hand gun using both hands. So no taping required!

The Zodiac seems to have been confused with the more widespread use of tactical light on rifles and shotguns, which can indeed benefit from the use of a strap-on light. This was all well prior to the led and laser era.

Perhaps he mentioned this method in his correspondence simply as an idle boast, but never actually used a flashlight strapped to the hand gun.

Ray Jenkins

12/17/2017 05:38:54 pm

It suggests he may have been a kind of "back woods survivalist" in reality.

I meant to include this link in my previous post.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_light

Rubislaw 32 link

12/18/2017 04:05:00 am

Just as ''Gyke'' was a wannabe Che Guevara,I believe that Zodiac was a wannabe....but of a few different types of people.

And,ironically,became his own particular type of person,as a result.

A tragic comedian and narcissist with a curiosity about the spillage of blood,and oblivious to,or in denial of collateral human pain and suffering.

A ''super anti-social being''.

Carl Karas

12/19/2017 06:56:06 am

Contact wound to left side of head. Hmmm. Not fired from driver's side. Well, I didn't say the killer fired from the drivers side, I simply suggested he may have opened the door so the victims would both exit from the passenger side. Let me adjust my scenario. Z has scared them out of the car, comes back around to the passenger side, the two kids just standing together, stunned. Z walks up to David and delivers the contact wound behind the left ear (if from behind Z is a lefty if from the front right handed). David drops, the girl leans over him and gets shot in the back several times, tries to run, couple more shots then she is down

Rubislaw 32 link

12/19/2017 07:29:21 am

It's an interesting scenario,Carl....and not so far from the probable truth.

But,sometimes there is a danger of over complicating what a appears,from all the evidence,to have happened [?].

That,more particularly,it appears that Zodiac never moved from his position,on the couple's ''passenger'' side...apart from varying his distance,from the vehicle.

The first shot...aimed at the ''night sky''......missed,and hit the roof of David's car.

The second shot hit the rear window....and coupled with instructions,from Zodiac,the couple started to emerge from Betty Lou's side.

When Betty Lou was already out,Zodiac shoots at David,as he is in the process of getting out,with his ''lowered'' head providing a sizeable target for Zodiac,who had probably taken a step or two,closer to David's vehicle.

Betty Lou then attempts to flee,and is gunned down.

Carl Karas

12/21/2017 04:59:14 am

I ageee with Drew above. The shot to David exiting the car would have been 'tortuous'. It would also indicate that Z was left-handed, as he'd have been firing from behind David. I don't think he was- from all the evidence so far, letters, etc. David was more likely killed while standing stationary, with Z facing him, pretending to frisk him possibly, then slipping the gun behind his left ear.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/21/2017 06:32:15 am

That is an interesting proposition,Carl.....that Zodiac might have got close enough to David,to inflict a ''point blank'' bullet.

We know that David did receive some gunpowder residue,to the area close to his fatal wound.But it appears,from reports,that the suggestion is,at least,that Zodiac got close to David....but not right up ''and personal'' [?].

Yes,by all accounts,Zodiac does seem to have been ''predominantly'',right-handed.

mark

8/29/2018 04:00:46 am

can you put a photo for the body of victims

Richard

8/29/2018 05:41:31 am

There is no photograph of David Faraday, only Betty Lou Jensen
http://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/1zas_orig.jpg

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/published/department-58.gif?1488826614

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LAKE HERMAN ROAD- THE SEQUENCE OF SHOTS

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