RAYMOND GRANT - THE OPEN DOOR

4/7/2016

Raymond Grant: "I think it's extremely unlikely that the killer was ever ushering the victims between the cars and getting them to cower down, for the simple reason that Owen saw no one in or around the cars, the doors were closed and all the lights were out. If the Zodiac had to jump out of his car and immediately fire a shot into the header above the right rear door, and then run forward and fire another shot into the right rear window to get them to stop and exit the car, wouldn't his own car door have been open? And wouldn't then the interior light of his car have come on? And wouldn't the passenger side door of the Rambler already have been open with the interior light on, as it was when Stella Medeiros came by? Or should we assume that the Zodiac stopped to shut his own door behind him, and then for some reason shut the front passenger side door after forcing the victims to exit, and then for some reason opened it again after he shot them? And let's not forget that the gun he fired at them, and with which he forced them out of his car, had a pencil flashlight at the end of it. So did all those lights magically get extinguished just prior to Owen passing them? I can't believe Owen wouldn't have noticed all those lights on a pitch dark road, in what should have been a deserted turnout."

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Raymond Grant makes a valid point here about the Lake Herman Road murders on December 20th 1968. James Owen passed the turnout but a few short minutes, likely 4-6 minutes prior to Stella Medeiros. She spotted the teenagers lying on the gravel turnout, with the right front passenger side door of their Rambler open. When James Owen passed, he observed two vehicles parked alongside each other and stated in the police report he saw nobody "in or around the cars." It has been suggested that as James Owen approached the turnout, Zodiac realizing he may be viewed committing his crime, forced the couple under gunpoint between the two vehicles out of sight, and once James Owen had passed the turnout and traveled a distance along the road, Zodiac resumed his attack. However, this has one major flaw, as Ray Grant pointed out. The interior lights of both vehicles were not observed by James Owen, so the doors of both vehicles were presumably shut - therefore, once James Owen had passed the turnout and Zodiac had resumed his attack on the couple, what reason would he have for reopening the passenger door before exiting the scene? Also, as Ray Grant alluded to, why would Zodiac after pulling alongside the couple to attack them, with the gun presumably in his right hand, then take the time to shut the door of his own vehicle. These reasons alone pour huge doubt on the idea Zodiac was holding the couple under duress between the two vehicles.

Then we have Peggy Your, who claimed she saw the young couple in the car, even describing their movement within the Rambler. She passed the turnout before both James Owen and Stella Medeiros, which creates a further problem. From Peggy Your, to James Owen, to Stella Medeiros, the young couple apparently vanished and then reappeared on the gravel turnout, because James Owen saw nobody "in or around the cars." If they were not "in or around the cars," where the hell were they?

Raymond Grant went on to say "The other two witnesses, Robert Connley and James Owen, said there was no one in or around the vehicle(s). One's headlights do NOT shine into the turnout when one is coming from the east, driving west. Peggy Your could only have been right if Homer had had his high beams on, in which case they would have hit the driver door window, which was up on a night with the temperature at 22°. So the high beams hit that window for a split second and bounce off, and how does Peggy make out what the teenagers inside that closed window were doing from 350 feet away?
Peggy thought she saw the victims, just as Helen Axe thought she saw the Faraday Rambler when she went by at 10:15 pm. She didn't. But she knew she'd seen a car parked in the turnout, knew the victims were killed there, and somehow her mind just assumed she'd seen the victims moving around inside as she rode by. This phenomenon is called a false or self-generated memory, and it happens all the time to witnesses in criminal cases trying to remember what they saw.
One of the more recent examples is that people watching news coverage of the September 11th attacks believe they saw the North Tower fall in real time. They didn't, because the video feed was showing something else as Tower 1 collapsed. What people saw first was the smoke and debris of the aftermath of the tower's collapse when the cameras cut BACK to it. The networks then showed a replay of the tower falling, but the first thing people saw was the aftermath."

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These are valid arguments - but if this were the case, then nobody actually saw the couple for the entirety of this part of the night until Stella Medeiros viewed the couple lying on the floor of the turnout. His views offer a different explanation to the crime from the one you may read on other platforms, and you can purchase his books by clicking on either or both of the images contained within this article.

From the perspective of a single shooter theory, we are left with the Zodiac Killer drawing up alongside the couple at some point during the late hours of December 20th 1968, exiting his vehicle and forcing the couple from their Rambler, before shooting them in cold blood.
Yet, if neither Robert Connelly or James Owen spotted anybody "in or around the cars," just minutes before the murders and they were not being held under duress out of sight or between the vehicles, it opens up a whole range of new possibilities.
James Owen claimed he heard a shot about a quarter of a mile past the turnout, which traveling at approximately 30 mph amounts to about 30 seconds. If this were true, it puts David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen, and the killer or killers back in the turnout.

This would also pour doubt on the couple being held under gunpoint, out of sight, in their own vehicle. For this to be the case, not only would Zodiac have closed his own driver side door (as stated earlier), but once James Owen had passed by, he would then need to have forced the couple to exit the Rambler from within, closed the doors of the Rambler and started shooting. This would then negate the idea of warning shots being fired into the headliner and rear window of the Rambler to initially drive the couple from the vehicle. Totally unnecessary if you are already in the Rambler. The pattern of events is debatable, but my guess is at least one or more of the eyewitness statements are factually incorrect to make sense of Lake Herman Road in the December of 1968.

10 Comments

Greg H.

4/7/2016 10:30:59 pm

Something I had read recently is that there was gunpowder evident on one of Betty Lou's bullet wounds. What this means is that the shot was fired from a fairly close range. This potentially obviates the idea that he was some expert marksman as well as the belief that he was using the flashlight taped to the gun barrel, as has been said before...My belief is that Zodiac deliberately opened the passenger door to shine a light, as it were, on the scene he'd induced for it to be discovered by the next passing vehicle. In lieu of calling in his crime, as he'd later do, this was a devious way of allowing his actions to be seen. It certainly plays into the egoism he'd later be known for. Though this was less audacious than a phone call or scribbling his monkier on a car door, it was nevertheless evidence of a desire for attention. Regarding his own interior light being invisible, most cars have a switch that allows this light to be disabled. I'd guess in an attempt to cloak himself in darkness he could have easily shut it off...You think it's possible Zodiac may have entered the Rambler?...Could the 'warning shot' actually have just been a stray bullet that missed its target?

Richard

4/8/2016 05:49:27 am

There were supposedly two warning shots, but if the killer had entered the Rambler, we would have to suppose Zodiac pulled in alongside the Rambler, exited his vehicle and shot off the two warning shots, then realizing James Owen was approaching, entered the back seat of the Rambler to get out of sight and force the couple to duck out of sight. The two problems with this scenario is why would Zodiac close his vehicle door if he is rushing out of his vehicle to quickly contain the Rambler from leaving. But more importantly, if the Zodiac had fired the initial two shots, then realized Owen was approaching, then surely Owen would have heard these shots, like he supposedly did with the single shot he heard one quarter of a mile past the turnout. Could the warning shots be stray bullets. Anything is possible, but we would have to assume these stray bullets were when Zodiac started attacking the couple, so why does James Owen only hear one shot. Also had he just forced them out of the Rambler, he would have been very close to Faraday and Jensen, so he would have to be the worst marksman in the world, considering he had allegedly attached a sighting flashlight to his gun. David Faraday was struck by a close contact wound, Betty Lou Jensen must have been a matter of inches away after Zodiac fired the first shot at her, as you pointed out, because of the small speck of gun residue on her dress, so he got close and personal to kill the couple, in direct contrast to two wayward shots into the Rambler.
But like I said earlier, if the first two shots of the night at the Rambler were warning shots to force them from the vehicle, and one was heard by James Owen, then Zodiac couldn't have been inside the Rambler as Owen passed. It's a strange one.

Greg H.

4/8/2016 11:51:53 am

I will reply to this in more detail when I have some time..But could it be that we are confused on the timing of events?..
First, how does Owen know there is no one inside the vehicles?..It was pitch-dark with no streetlights, how does he come to the conviction that no one could have been inside the cars, or really around the cars either?..He's presumably on a leisurely drive, albeit late at night, not expecting to observe anything out of the ordinary..
Regarding the timing of Owens hearing only one shot..There were what -10? 11 shots fired?..Why is it that he only hears one shot?
My conjecture is that Zodiac had just pulled up behind the Rambler just when Owens followed behind and passed by them. Zodiac was still sitting in his vehicle when Owens approached and could have easily lowered his head below the window-line to avoid Owens's detection and make the car appear unoccupied.
Once Owens is gone, Zodiac bides his time to make sure the coast is clear and then proceeds with the single 'warning shot' which is what Owens hears further down the road. When Zodiac then escalates with his attack shortly later Owens is already out of earshot and doesn't hear the additional gun shots.
I don't have much of an issue regarding the interior light of Zodiac's car being invisible. Any shrewd criminal would just flip off the switch to give himself the benefit of the cover of night.

Richard

4/8/2016 06:18:21 am

Additionally Gregory, Zodiac allegedly drew up alongside their Rambler about 10 feet away and I am assuming exited his vehicle. Had he approached the vehicle before firing off any warning shots, and ushered both Faraday and Jensen from the front passenger side door, naturally they cannot walk to their left, as the door is in their way, however they can move to their right. If there had been no warning shots the only way Zodiac can gesture to them to leave their vehicle, is to be looking at them side on to the door, as they then exit and move to their right, any shot by Zodiac immediately from this position would not have followed the trajectory the bullets passed. If you look at this image of the one that went through the right window. http://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/8026945_orig.gif It finished up striking the left rear wheel well. As you can see by where it entered, it enters just left of the right rear wheel well through the window, angled downwards and slightly left to right. Had Zodiac ushered the couple from the Rambler and stayed alongside the front door, this angle of trajectory is not possible, neither is the one into the headliner of the vehicle. Had the Zodiac moved along to his left to follow the couple as they exited the Rambler and fired from here, then he is a terrible shot, to fire off two shots so far from each other, at such close range.

Paul

4/9/2016 02:36:03 pm

Why fire any warning shot? He didnt during his second attack, he just fired into the car. Maybe there when the boy exits the vehicle he goes for the gun and an errant shot goes off? He tells his girlfriend to run. Z gets control of the gun back, kills him and guns down the escaping girl.

Susan Johnson

4/9/2016 06:02:32 pm

I appreciate the the discussion of the LHR timeline and the link to the zodiackillertalk site as well--I don't agree with everything written but it has given me new insights into scenarios that never made sense. Here's some thoughts that occur to me regarding the LHR murders:
1. That Helen Axe didn't really see the Rambler parked in the turnout at 10:30 jibes with the report of the 2 cops returning on LHR @ 11ish from the drug bust and not seeing the Rambler, as well as some report I read that they were seen at Mr. Eds earlier (need to look that up again.) 2. I read the statement by the Yours and I believe they were on LHR to inspect some roadwork Mr. Y had done or overseen. She said they were driving very slowly--its not inconceivable that someone inspecting the road would have their bright lights on that time of night. I do believe she saw the couple in the car. 3. If David Faraday had just pulled in 15-20 minutes before the killing it would explain why his engine was still ward, no frost on the window, etc. 4. I've thought that since David was found in possession of his ring--and we know he was planning on asking Betty Lou to go steady--he might have pulled off the road to try and persuade her. It sounds like her parents were strict--maybe she was afraid they wouldn't let her "go steady." 5. I can't come up with a good scenario for them being so late, tho--on the first date, missing curfew, etc. 6. The 3 other crimes had eyewitnesses/victims who survived--and zodiac appears to be some guy who never ran, moved fast--in fact, when I read the descriptions the word that comes to mind is methodical. So I can't see him hurrying or herding Betty Lou and David between cars. I don't think he was very talkative either. Bryan Hartnell's recount of the conversation at LB strikes me as BH trying to keep the zodiac talking (and I know Hartnell says as much.) I don't see zodiac as chatty or persuasive, except with his gun.

Ray Grant link

4/21/2016 12:59:07 am

"Something I had read recently is that there was gunpowder evident on one of Betty Lou's bullet wounds. What this means is that the shot was fired from a fairly close range."

There was a single granule of GSR near the uppermost wound on Betty Lou's back, which means the gun was fired at the absolute limit for GSR—about five feet—since otherwise there would either be MORE GSR or NO GSR.

"Regarding his own interior light being invisible, most cars have a switch that allows this light to be disabled. I'd guess in an attempt to cloak himself in darkness he could have easily shut it off..."

That doesn't explain his door not being open when James Owen drove by. And did the victims also shut their interior light off? And why wasn't their door open when Owen drove by?

"Betty Lou Jensen must have been a matter of inches away after Zodiac fired the first shot at her, as you pointed out, because of the small speck of gun residue on her dress, so he got close and personal to kill the couple, in direct contrast to two wayward shots into the Rambler."

If the shooter had been just inches away from Betty Lou, there would have been a lot of GSR on her dress, even if his first shot had missed, and there wasn't. Which means that the first shot was the uppermost wound, and it was fired when she was right at the limit for GSR, about five feet.

"First, how does Owen know there is no one inside the vehicles?..It was pitch-dark with no streetlights, how does he come to the conviction that no one could have been inside the cars, or really around the cars either?"

Because there were no lights on in or around the parked cars, and because his own headlights would have flooded both cars as he reached the crest of the hill.

"My conjecture is that Zodiac had just pulled up behind the Rambler just when Owens followed behind and passed by them."

Not possible. Owen had to climb the hill for about 30 seconds to get to the turnout, and he'd have seen the Zodiac car pulling in.

"I don't have much of an issue regarding the interior light of Zodiac's car being invisible. Any shrewd criminal would just flip off the switch to give himself the benefit of the cover of night."

No interior light in the Faraday vehicle, neither car door is open, and the light from the Zodiac's gun isn't visible, either. Also, the motor of the Faraday vehicle had to be off, since Owen didn't see its brake lights, and since Benicia PD says the engine was only lukewarm when they arrived. That means that David Faraday not only turned the engine on AFTER the Zodiac pulled in, he turned it on after Owen drove by.

"As you can see by where it entered, it enters just left of the right rear wheel well through the window, angled downwards and slightly left to right."

Why would the Zodiac fire close range shots into the car when he can much more easily just thrust the gun into the opened window and order them out? This also makes it much less likely that David can put the car in reverse and get away.

And why would the Zodiac fire close range shots into the car AFTER the victims were already out of the car? How did he manage to fire TWO shots into the right side of the car, only one of which was heard by James Owen, and then fire a single contact wound shot into David's left ear lobe, and then somehow turn and still hit Betty Lou with the first shot from within five feet?

The ballistics of the crime scene require both shooter and victims to behave in a manner that doesn't make any sense. If he fired two shots into the car, you have to assume he did that PRIOR to the victms getting out of the car, but AFTER Owen drives by. So he fires a close range shot into the headliner of the car, and then one into the right rear window with the gun pointed AWAY from the victims. But Owen only hears the first shot. Then the victims get out, and he pulls David up against the rear right wheel with himself between the victim and the car, and fires a shot into his ear, with David falling at a 45° angle toward the front of the car, almost on top of him. But Betty Lou just stands there, and is still within five feet when he hits her with the first shot.

"Why fire any warning shot? He didnt during his second attack, he just fired into the car. Maybe there when the boy exits the vehicle he goes for the gun and an errant shot goes off? He tells his girlfriend to run. Z gets control of the gun back, kills him and guns down the escaping girl."

The shots into the car weren't errant shots. They were placed deliberately.

"She said they were driving very slowly--its not inconceivable that someone inspecting the road would have their bright lights on that time of night. I do believe she saw the couple in the car."

I don't recall Peggy Your saying anything about Homer driving slowly. In any case, how fast they were driving wouldn't alter the fact that the headlights don't shine into the eastern side of the turnout when a car is coming from the east. And the high

Ray Grant link

4/21/2016 10:28:37 am

"She said they were driving very slowly--its not inconceivable that someone inspecting the road would have their bright lights on that time of night. I do believe she saw the couple in the car."

I don't recall Peggy Your saying anything about Homer driving slowly. In any case, how fast they were driving wouldn't alter the fact that the headlights don't shine into the eastern side of the turnout when a car is coming from the east. And the high headlights would hit a spot about 350 feet ahead of the car.

"If David Faraday had just pulled in 15-20 minutes before the killing it would explain why his engine was still ward, no frost on the window, etc."

No, it wouldn't. If the engine had been on since circa 10:45pm-10:50pm, the motor would have been hot by 11:22pm when Benicia PD checked it, more than half an hour later. And if David and Betty Lou were cuddling in a car with the heater off and the temperature at 22°, there would have been frost on the windows.

"I've thought that since David was found in possession of his ring--and we know he was planning on asking Betty Lou to go steady--he might have pulled off the road to try and persuade her. It sounds like her parents were strict--maybe she was afraid they wouldn't let her "go steady."

Betty Lou was dressed quite provocatively that night. If David had asked her to Go Steady, she'd have said Yes. But even if she'd said No, he wouldn't still be holding the ring in his fingers more than two hours later, and he certainly wouldn't have exceeded the curfew if she'd said No.

Richard

4/21/2016 11:47:09 am

Do you consider it a possibility David actually wore the ring, and was planning to remove it in a romantic gesture.

Ray Grant link

4/22/2016 03:28:02 am

"Do you consider it a possibility David actually wore the ring, and was planning to remove it in a romantic gesture."

Stephen Covey's book lists The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit #1 is Be Proactive. David was proactive. He was an Eagle Scout, and I've listed his accomplishments in my book, but the list could have gone on for more than a page instead of just a paragraph.

When David decided he liked Betty Lou, he began driving over to Hogan High every day at lunch time to see her, and drove her and her friends home after school all week.

David had two goals that night:

1. Give the ring to Betty Lou and ask her to go steady.

2. Ingratiate himself with her parents by getting back to the Jensen home by the 11pm curfew.

It's odd that such a proactive person as David was unable to do either of the things he set out to do that night, even though, if one believes the consensus timeline, he had a big two hour cushion after he left Sharon Henslin's house at 9pm. It's almost as if someone else were directing his movements . . .

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RAYMOND GRANT - THE OPEN DOOR

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