Recently I have been covering the autopsy reports of various Zodiac Killer victims to better understand the dynamics of each crime - and as such - dispel some of the inaccuracies and myths surrounding the four canonical attacks. The final Zodiac murder of Paul Stine in Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969 will be examined using information taken from the autopsy report featured on the once Howard Davis website. Here is an excerpt taken from the coroner's findings; "Both lungs are moderately increased in weight. There is congestion at the base and dependant portions. Multiple intraparenchymal hemorrhages are noted". Lung parenchyma is the substance of the lung that is involved with gas exchange and includes the pulmonary alveoli.
If Paul Stine was of healthy disposition and had no underlying health issues, the multiple parenchymal hemorrhages causing blood to leak into the tissues of the lungs and creating congestion in the dependent portions, can be found in patients with chest trauma. An impact to the chest from such things as the steering wheel can cause parenchymal hemorrhage without injury to the sternum and ribs. "A pulmonary contusion is a bruise on the lung parenchyma. Pulmonary contusion is reported to be present in 23% of patients with significant blunt chest trauma, and occurs most often from automobile collisions with rapid deceleration. Regardless of the mechanism, injury to the lung results in injury to capillaries and the leaking of blood into the lung tissue and alveoli. This collection of fluid in the alveoli interferes with normal alveolar-capillary gas exchange". link. "Chest wall and pulmonary injuries caused by blunt thoracic trauma include many organs, tissues and systems. The age of the patient is important when evaluating a blunt chest trauma. While a trauma in the pediatric age group may not cause a chest wall injury due to bone elasticity, it may lead to serious complications and even death in the elderly population.The best example of acceleration-deceleration damage is motor vehicle accident. The most common condition is the sudden and high-speed deceleration of the anterior thorax, resulting in injury to the vascular structures, bones, soft tissues and organs. At the same time, the presence of steering wheel deformity caused by the driver hitting the steering wheel increases thoracic injuries, complications and mortality" .link..
If Paul Stine was of healthy disposition and had no underlying health issues, the multiple parenchymal hemorrhages causing blood to leak into the tissues of the lungs and creating congestion in the dependent portions, can be found in patients with chest trauma. An impact to the chest from such things as the steering wheel can cause parenchymal hemorrhage without injury to the sternum and ribs. "A pulmonary contusion is a bruise on the lung parenchyma. Pulmonary contusion is reported to be present in 23% of patients with significant blunt chest trauma, and occurs most often from automobile collisions with rapid deceleration. Regardless of the mechanism, injury to the lung results in injury to capillaries and the leaking of blood into the lung tissue and alveoli. This collection of fluid in the alveoli interferes with normal alveolar-capillary gas exchange". link. "Chest wall and pulmonary injuries caused by blunt thoracic trauma include many organs, tissues and systems. The age of the patient is important when evaluating a blunt chest trauma. While a trauma in the pediatric age group may not cause a chest wall injury due to bone elasticity, it may lead to serious complications and even death in the elderly population.The best example of acceleration-deceleration damage is motor vehicle accident. The most common condition is the sudden and high-speed deceleration of the anterior thorax, resulting in injury to the vascular structures, bones, soft tissues and organs. At the same time, the presence of steering wheel deformity caused by the driver hitting the steering wheel increases thoracic injuries, complications and mortality" .link..
"Signs and symptoms of thoracic trauma include: cyanosis of fingers, lips or face, dispnea, tachpnea or bradipnea and contusion". link. Cyanosis is the medical term for a blue, purplish or gray discoloration of the skin, caused by a shortage of oxygen in the blood. Peripheral cyanosis can occur in the extremities such as the hands, fingers and toes. Paul Stine had, according to the coroner, parenchymal hemorrhage in the lungs (reducing oxygen levels in the blood) and dark marks on the dorsal side of his left hand. It is not possible to conclude whether the two conditions are related to one another, but these autopsy findings of blood in the tissue of both lungs is an unusual facet of this case. If the Zodiac Killer had presented the gun earlier in Paul Stine's journey, could the taxicab driver have attempted rapid braking in an attempt to disarm his eventual killer, causing non-fatal steering wheel trauma to his anterior chest region, and causing the Zodiac Killer to strike his legs on the rear of the front seat? Officer Donald Fouke did describe the Zodiac Killer as walking with a "lumbering gait" and "stumbling along like a semi-limp" in the 2007 Zodiac documentary. But how accurate are these recollections 38 years subsequent to the events that night?
It is without doubt that Paul Stine died as a result of one shot to the right side of his head causing massive brain injury, but what occurred during the taxicab journey from the Union Square plaza in San Francisco to the intersection of Washington and Cherry Streets in Presidio Heights? It is unknown when the Zodiac Killer pulled the gun on Paul Stine, despite the common portrayal of a surprise attack occurring during the very last seconds of the trip.
It is without doubt that Paul Stine died as a result of one shot to the right side of his head causing massive brain injury, but what occurred during the taxicab journey from the Union Square plaza in San Francisco to the intersection of Washington and Cherry Streets in Presidio Heights? It is unknown when the Zodiac Killer pulled the gun on Paul Stine, despite the common portrayal of a surprise attack occurring during the very last seconds of the trip.
The injury to Paul Stine's head was described upon opening the cranium as "a small quantity of hemorrhage into the temporal muscles bilaterally. There is extensive fracturing of the base of the skull. The above described entry wound has passed almost directly medially, passing beneath the pituitary gland and sella turcica, the floor of the left orbit and into the midportion of the left temporalis muscle near the zygomatic arch (red circle on diagram)..A smashed and fragmented, copper jacketed lead bullet is found embedded in the left temporalis muscle. There is laceration of the ventral surface of the right temporal lobe. There is marked flattening of the gyri and diffuse hemorrhage into the subarachnoid space".
To sum up the autopsy, the bullet entered just in front of the right ear, traveled at a shallow angle anteriorally and struck the left temporalis muscle (used in chewing). Without knowing the head position of Paul Stine at the moment the gun was fired, makes it impossible to determine where the killer was seated in the taxicab when he delivered the fatal shot. The parenchymal hemorrhages to the lungs of Paul Stine (if not present prior to the taxicab journey) warrants an answer to the possible events that occurred within the taxicab during his final journey on October 11th 1969. The story is not complete.
To sum up the autopsy, the bullet entered just in front of the right ear, traveled at a shallow angle anteriorally and struck the left temporalis muscle (used in chewing). Without knowing the head position of Paul Stine at the moment the gun was fired, makes it impossible to determine where the killer was seated in the taxicab when he delivered the fatal shot. The parenchymal hemorrhages to the lungs of Paul Stine (if not present prior to the taxicab journey) warrants an answer to the possible events that occurred within the taxicab during his final journey on October 11th 1969. The story is not complete.
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