Kim Rossmo Kim Rossmo is a Canadian criminologist who specializes in the investigative methodology of geographic profiling, which can be used to narrow down the likely home residence or "anchor point" of an offender. He used this technique to identify Vallejo as one of the areas of high priority in the search for the Zodiac Killer, while concluding that San Francisco should be given a lower probability score. It is true that the vast bulk of Zodiac communications were mailed from San Francisco, but dropping off letters into mailboxes in the 1960s and 1970s carried little to no risk, so this would have been the perfect way to lead investigators toward the conclusion that the Zodiac Killer may have lived in San Francisco, when your mailings are at least six times that of your kill sites. These letters could have been mailed from anywhere, yet almost all carried the postmark of San Francisco, which appears counterintuitive to somebody residing in that location.
The software was created to determine the likeliest anchor points of the Zodiac Killer by using key locations, such as the four attack sites at Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Berryessa and Presidio Heights, and the two payphones at Vallejo and Napa - but the software was not designed to include the mechanics of the crime and the contents of the letters. We know for a fact that the journey time by car to the Springs & Tuolumne payphone from the parking lot at Blue Rock Springs is approximately 9 to 10 minutes in duration. And we know for a fact that the Zodiac Killer made the phone call to police dispatcher Nancy Slover at 12:40am. If the Zodiac Killer left the parking lot at about midnight, we absolutely have 30 minutes of unaccounted time. The question has always been, what did the Zodiac Killer do with these 40 minutes?
The software was created to determine the likeliest anchor points of the Zodiac Killer by using key locations, such as the four attack sites at Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Berryessa and Presidio Heights, and the two payphones at Vallejo and Napa - but the software was not designed to include the mechanics of the crime and the contents of the letters. We know for a fact that the journey time by car to the Springs & Tuolumne payphone from the parking lot at Blue Rock Springs is approximately 9 to 10 minutes in duration. And we know for a fact that the Zodiac Killer made the phone call to police dispatcher Nancy Slover at 12:40am. If the Zodiac Killer left the parking lot at about midnight, we absolutely have 30 minutes of unaccounted time. The question has always been, what did the Zodiac Killer do with these 40 minutes?
Michael Mageau (19) Some people have suggested that the Zodiac Killer, having been exhilarated by his attack at Blue Rock Springs, parked up his vehicle and pleasured himself. Other suggestions offered, include a Zodiac Killer who went to a drive-in and purchased some food. The biggest problem with ideas such as these is that they do not take into account the known facts and what was written in the August 4th 1969 Zodiac letter. Sure, the Zodiac Killer could have penned some falsehoods, but when his written text matches the known facts, we have to re-evaluate the notion of a killer who just drives around Vallejo, masturbating or eating burgers, or both, for just shy of 40 minutes. Although it has been offered previously on this site that the Zodiac Killer may have received blood transfer to his shirt when leaning over the front passenger seat to fire the final two shots at Michael Mageau (because two bullet casings were found on the rear passenger floorboard), it cannot be proven beyond doubt that this was the case. Therefore, we are unable to use this as incontrovertible proof of a killer needing to immediately return home to change his clothes before making the payphone call to Nancy Slover. However, it is important to remember as a probability or possibility.
The one thing we do know to be true from the Zodiac Killer's August 4th 1969 letter, is that the last three descriptors he gave of Michael Mageau, was a boy who "leaped backwards" into the rear of the Corvair and was "thrashing out very violently with his legs" when he shot him in the knee. The Zodiac Killer's last recollection of Michael Mageau was that of a boy very much alive when he struck the 19-year-old victim in the knee. We had a young man who had "leaped" over the front seat, before "thrashing" about very "violently" as he tried to avoid the final two shots (that entered his hip and thigh). Officer Richard Hoffman, who immediately summoned an ambulance upon his arrival at about 12:10am, described Michael Mageau as coherent, before asking him a series of questions and acquiring some limited information about the shooter and his vehicle, which was broadcast over the airwaves to all police units as early as 12:15am to 12:20am. Michael Mageau would have arrived at the Intensive Care Unit at Kaiser Hospital at about 12:45am, where he ultimately underwent surgery for his injuries and survived. Michael Mageau's injuries bled profusely but none of his injuries were immediately life threatening. This is why he was able to survive for upwards of 45 minutes after being shot four times.
The one thing we do know to be true from the Zodiac Killer's August 4th 1969 letter, is that the last three descriptors he gave of Michael Mageau, was a boy who "leaped backwards" into the rear of the Corvair and was "thrashing out very violently with his legs" when he shot him in the knee. The Zodiac Killer's last recollection of Michael Mageau was that of a boy very much alive when he struck the 19-year-old victim in the knee. We had a young man who had "leaped" over the front seat, before "thrashing" about very "violently" as he tried to avoid the final two shots (that entered his hip and thigh). Officer Richard Hoffman, who immediately summoned an ambulance upon his arrival at about 12:10am, described Michael Mageau as coherent, before asking him a series of questions and acquiring some limited information about the shooter and his vehicle, which was broadcast over the airwaves to all police units as early as 12:15am to 12:20am. Michael Mageau would have arrived at the Intensive Care Unit at Kaiser Hospital at about 12:45am, where he ultimately underwent surgery for his injuries and survived. Michael Mageau's injuries bled profusely but none of his injuries were immediately life threatening. This is why he was able to survive for upwards of 45 minutes after being shot four times.
Bearing in mind that the Zodiac Killer would have factored in the condition of Michael Mageau when he left the crime scene, and contemplated the possibility his description and vehicle had the potential to be over the airwaves in the next few minutes, can a reasonable argument be made that the Zodiac Killer just parked up his vehicle on the street and began masturbating, or visited a local eatery and ordered a burger and fries? This would have required a Zodiac Killer performing totally unnecessary activities for close to 40 minutes, after delivering nine shots to a young couple in a parking lot, while possibly still in possession of the weapon, covered in gun shot residue, and driving a vehicle that Michael Mageau could reasonably have identified. What makes far more sense, is a killer who mitigated this risk and headed straight home to dispose of his vehicle, clothes and weapon, before heading to the payphone on foot and delivering his murderous message. Let us look at some other options.
Our killer lived in Richmond, Berkeley, El Sobrante, Santa Rosa, Napa or San Francisco - and instead of heading directly home and making the phone call somewhere along the way in relative safety - he decided to hang around Vallejo or Benicia in his vehicle for the purpose of whatever story we can make up, with no supporting evidence to show why he would choose this option. Leaving the crime scene at Blue Rock Springs with Michael Mageau very much alive appears to contradict the notion of a killer living in Richmond or San Francisco, yet choosing to wilfully remain in the area of Vallejo when the airwaves could conceivably have been filled with "be on the lookout" for this particular man, driving this particular car, who if randomly stopped is sitting on a goldmine of evidence. The Zodiac Killer may have been many things, but was he a killer who totally disregarded the fact he could see Michael Mageau still kicking and screaming when he fired his ninth and final shot shortly after midnight on July 5th 1969, just before he re-entered his vehicle and drove away from the parking lot?
We also know that after the payphone call was traced a policeman was sent from the Blue Rock Springs parking lot to secure the Springs & Tuolumne payphone at approximately 12:50am (or slightly later), so it could be dusted for fingerprints. Bearing in mind that the Zodiac Killer told of an encounter with a black male by the payphone while he was talking to Nancy Slover, what possible other locatiions could the Zodiac Killer have ever meant, when he stated on August 4th 1969 that "The man who told police that my car was brown was a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed". The Zodiac Killer could only have seen the policeman who was sent from Blue Rock Springs to the payphone at about 12:50am. This being the case, would the Zodiac Killer really have sat in his vehicle close to the payphone for at least 9 minutes after ending the call with Nancy Slover, with the chance his vehicle description was floating across the airwaves? Or was it more likely he arrived to the payphone on foot, absent of his vehicle and other incriminating evidence? There is more than enough reason to believe that the Zodiac Killer lived within a half mile radius of the Springs & Tuolumne payphone
WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT1]
WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT2]
WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT3]
WATCHING THE POLICE AT THE PAYPHONE
"THRASHING ABOUT VERY VIOLENTLY"
SEARCHING FOR THE PAYPHONE WITNESS
THE ZODIAC KILLER-A VALLEJO RESIDENT
Our killer lived in Richmond, Berkeley, El Sobrante, Santa Rosa, Napa or San Francisco - and instead of heading directly home and making the phone call somewhere along the way in relative safety - he decided to hang around Vallejo or Benicia in his vehicle for the purpose of whatever story we can make up, with no supporting evidence to show why he would choose this option. Leaving the crime scene at Blue Rock Springs with Michael Mageau very much alive appears to contradict the notion of a killer living in Richmond or San Francisco, yet choosing to wilfully remain in the area of Vallejo when the airwaves could conceivably have been filled with "be on the lookout" for this particular man, driving this particular car, who if randomly stopped is sitting on a goldmine of evidence. The Zodiac Killer may have been many things, but was he a killer who totally disregarded the fact he could see Michael Mageau still kicking and screaming when he fired his ninth and final shot shortly after midnight on July 5th 1969, just before he re-entered his vehicle and drove away from the parking lot?
We also know that after the payphone call was traced a policeman was sent from the Blue Rock Springs parking lot to secure the Springs & Tuolumne payphone at approximately 12:50am (or slightly later), so it could be dusted for fingerprints. Bearing in mind that the Zodiac Killer told of an encounter with a black male by the payphone while he was talking to Nancy Slover, what possible other locatiions could the Zodiac Killer have ever meant, when he stated on August 4th 1969 that "The man who told police that my car was brown was a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed". The Zodiac Killer could only have seen the policeman who was sent from Blue Rock Springs to the payphone at about 12:50am. This being the case, would the Zodiac Killer really have sat in his vehicle close to the payphone for at least 9 minutes after ending the call with Nancy Slover, with the chance his vehicle description was floating across the airwaves? Or was it more likely he arrived to the payphone on foot, absent of his vehicle and other incriminating evidence? There is more than enough reason to believe that the Zodiac Killer lived within a half mile radius of the Springs & Tuolumne payphone
WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT1]
WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT2]
WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT3]
WATCHING THE POLICE AT THE PAYPHONE
"THRASHING ABOUT VERY VIOLENTLY"
SEARCHING FOR THE PAYPHONE WITNESS
THE ZODIAC KILLER-A VALLEJO RESIDENT
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