I thought I would take another look at the December 16th 1969 Fairfield letter in which Zodiac stated "I will kill more people than you cops can count so look for more blood". The Zodiac Killer accompanied his lined letter with the large drawing of a knife entitled "The Bleeding Knife of Zodiac". I had always believed this to be a crude reference to the brutal stabbing of Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell on September 27th 1969, however, the answer may lie elsewhere - to be found in the November 12th 1969 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle.
In an article with the header "I've Killed Seven, The Zodiac Claims" by Paul Avery, the article begins with "San Jose Girls May Be Victims" and continues "Beyond leaving several cryptic clues indicating that the newly revealed killings occurred last August, possibly in San Jose, Zodiac's latest correspondence - a long rambling letter and a contemporary greeting card - revealed nothing as to who the two victims were".
Law enforcement and the newspapers had long posed the question as to whether Zodiac had any involvement in the brutal stabbing murders of the two young San Jose girls. The two teenagers, Debra Gaye Furlong (14) and Kathy Ann Snoozy (15), had been savagely attacked with a short-bladed knife on August 3rd 1969. Therefore, it didn't come as much of a surprise when the Zodiac Killer bolstered his victim total to seven murders on November 8th 1969, when he mailed the 'Dripping Pen Card' to the San Francisco Chronicle. After the attack on Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa, followed by the message on the car door, a depiction of a fountain pen dripping with blood probably seemed like an apt choice by the Zodiac Killer.
I couldn't help noticing the similarities between the Dripping Pen and Dripping Knife of Zodiac, particularly because of the seven blood drops falling from the knife correlating with his "I've Killed Seven" claims in the greeting card and the addition of "Aug" in his chronological victim count. We know he was responsible for five murders, that of David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen, Darlene Ferrin, Cecelia Shepard and Paul Stine - but had now tagged victims six and seven onto his running total. These two extra victims were Debra Furlong and Kathy Snoozy.
Five weeks later, on December 16th 1969, he effectively rejoiced in these murders by mailing the "The Bleeding Knife of Zodiac" correspondence, which depicted seven drops of blood falling from a knife - one for each victim - and fashioned like his Dripping Pen card. The Zodiac Killer, inspired by the Deborah Furlong and Kathy Snoozy murders on August 3rd 1969 and its coverage on the front page of the Chronicle three days later, launched his callous knife attack at Lake Berryessa seven weeks later, resulting in the premature death of Cecelia Shepard. The Zodiac Killer was hoping the attack on the shores of Lake Berryessa would augment the belief of law enforcement to his involvement in the San Jose murders. This is why he wrote August on the Dripping Pen card, bumped his total up to seven and then boldly exhibited the "The Bleeding Knife of Zodiac" on December 16th 1969 with seven drops of blood.
Law enforcement and the newspapers had long posed the question as to whether Zodiac had any involvement in the brutal stabbing murders of the two young San Jose girls. The two teenagers, Debra Gaye Furlong (14) and Kathy Ann Snoozy (15), had been savagely attacked with a short-bladed knife on August 3rd 1969. Therefore, it didn't come as much of a surprise when the Zodiac Killer bolstered his victim total to seven murders on November 8th 1969, when he mailed the 'Dripping Pen Card' to the San Francisco Chronicle. After the attack on Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa, followed by the message on the car door, a depiction of a fountain pen dripping with blood probably seemed like an apt choice by the Zodiac Killer.
I couldn't help noticing the similarities between the Dripping Pen and Dripping Knife of Zodiac, particularly because of the seven blood drops falling from the knife correlating with his "I've Killed Seven" claims in the greeting card and the addition of "Aug" in his chronological victim count. We know he was responsible for five murders, that of David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen, Darlene Ferrin, Cecelia Shepard and Paul Stine - but had now tagged victims six and seven onto his running total. These two extra victims were Debra Furlong and Kathy Snoozy.
Five weeks later, on December 16th 1969, he effectively rejoiced in these murders by mailing the "The Bleeding Knife of Zodiac" correspondence, which depicted seven drops of blood falling from a knife - one for each victim - and fashioned like his Dripping Pen card. The Zodiac Killer, inspired by the Deborah Furlong and Kathy Snoozy murders on August 3rd 1969 and its coverage on the front page of the Chronicle three days later, launched his callous knife attack at Lake Berryessa seven weeks later, resulting in the premature death of Cecelia Shepard. The Zodiac Killer was hoping the attack on the shores of Lake Berryessa would augment the belief of law enforcement to his involvement in the San Jose murders. This is why he wrote August on the Dripping Pen card, bumped his total up to seven and then boldly exhibited the "The Bleeding Knife of Zodiac" on December 16th 1969 with seven drops of blood.
December 16th 1969 Four days later, on December 20th 1969, the Zodiac Killer mailed the Melvin Belli letter containing a piece of Paul Stine's blood-soaked shirt, confirming its authenticity. Ironical then, that the Zodiac Killer wrote "look for more blood" in his previous correspondence. The Melvin Belli letter attempted to depict a killer who was losing control and searching for a ninth and tenth victim. Bearing in mind the two brutal attacks perpetrated with a knife, was the Melvin Belli letter attempting to paint a picture of a bloodthirsty maniac, looking for two more victims picnicking alongside a scenic backdrop?
The drawing of a 'bleeding knife' not a direct reference to the "by knife" phrase written on the car door of Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa, but more of a triumphant claim of his involvement in two brutal knife attacks in the Bay Area. It would take nearly two years to conclusively expose this deception, coming with the arrest of Karl Francis Werner in late April of 1971. Regardless, the Zodiac Killer wasn't finished yet.
The drawing of a 'bleeding knife' not a direct reference to the "by knife" phrase written on the car door of Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa, but more of a triumphant claim of his involvement in two brutal knife attacks in the Bay Area. It would take nearly two years to conclusively expose this deception, coming with the arrest of Karl Francis Werner in late April of 1971. Regardless, the Zodiac Killer wasn't finished yet.
RSS Feed
