The Zodiac crimes have been analyzed over and over again, almost to the point of now being questioned whether any or each of the attacks are related to one another and this is not difficult to do. To play devil's advocate in dismantling each crime is as simple as looking for an alternative theory, which is no bad thing, however when the alternative theory is less likely or more outlandish than the original, based on just speculation, it just provides another dark avenue to get lost within. All the Zodiac crimes are different from one another, and no doubt the murder of Paul Stine at Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969 would never have been contemplated as a Zodiac murder had the killer not sent the swatch of Paul Stine's shirt and bragged so vociferously about it in his subsequent letters. The same questions have surfaced about the murder of Cecelia Shepard and attempted murder of Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969, a crime labeled as 'so far removed' from his previous acts of evil, that it must come under serious doubt as a Zodiac crime. One reason given is that the murderer for the entire duration of his interaction with the couple, never once mentioned the word Zodiac. So what. Why should he. No doubt in all his crimes, his intention was to leave nobody alive, so any mention of himself being Zodiac is superfluous. He also never mentions the name Zodiac in either of his phone calls at Main Street, Napa or the corner of Springs Road and Tuolumne, Vallejo, or for that matter to Michael Mageau at Blue Rock Springs, the second attack of the series. It has been said the reason for this, is that he had not come up with the name Zodiac at this particular juncture. The fact is, nobody knows for sure when the killer settled on the name Zodiac and his murderous intentions were the only real thing we do know about this man.
The attack at Lake Berryessa has come under heavy scrutiny, in particular the handwriting on the car door of Bryan Hartnell's white 1956 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Was it really the Zodiac's or a copycat or even that the killer wrote it at all and further speculation that the phone call in Napa may not have been him either, so here we will return to basics once more and contemplate what we do know, before moving on.
The attack at Lake Berryessa has come under heavy scrutiny, in particular the handwriting on the car door of Bryan Hartnell's white 1956 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Was it really the Zodiac's or a copycat or even that the killer wrote it at all and further speculation that the phone call in Napa may not have been him either, so here we will return to basics once more and contemplate what we do know, before moving on.
The alleged Zodiac brutally stabbed Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard at least 16 times, in what has been called a frenzied attack, with a long bladed knife, kneeling besides the victims and striking down into the back of Bryan Hartnell at least six times, before thrusting the blade into Cecelia Shepard at least ten times, penetrating her back and abdomen, as she was rolling around, clearly terrified by her ordeal. After the attack he walked back up the incline and departed the scene.
Writing on the car door was found (see inset), believed to have been penned by the Zodiac Killer after the attack. But crucially there was no mention of any blood being retrieved and analyzed from the car door under later forensic examination. Some fingerprints however were retrieved. Bryan Hartnell clearly states, under interview, he cannot remember whether the attacker wore gloves or not. So let us examine this conundrum.
If the killer had not wore gloves, then any fingerprints on the car door, one may argue, could surely have not been his.
He had struck, with force, both victims using a long bladed knife at least 16 times, possibly securing them with his free hand, thrusting the knife back and forward, in what was described as a frenzied attack, yet no blood whatsoever transferred onto either hand. So if the fingerprints on the car door were his, are we to believe that all the blood released at the scene of the horrific attack simply bypassed both his striking and accompanying hand, or he had wiped his hands down so thoroughly after the attack, that he had removed every last trace. If he had donned gloves during the attack and leaned on the car door, blood smears would be evident, which they were not. If he had worn gloves during the attack, which seems the most likely from a standpoint of gripping the knife, as well as concealing his fingerprints, then removing them, to now lean on the car door in the aftermath seems, on the face of it rather stupid. He had covered his entire body with a costume to conceal his identity, yet left his hands exposed to plaster the car door with blood free fingerprints and palm prints. Does this sound logical. If he wore gloves, he clearly didn't want his writing hand to smear blood onto the car door where he was trying to write, and unless he was ambidextrous, he was no doubt writing with the same hand he ferociously attacked Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell with. The same hand that was closest to any blood spatter and impact area. However if he was ambidextrous and chose to write on the car door with his least preferred hand or alternative hand, then his writing may justifiably vary from its usual pattern, that he wrote his letters with.
Writing on the car door was found (see inset), believed to have been penned by the Zodiac Killer after the attack. But crucially there was no mention of any blood being retrieved and analyzed from the car door under later forensic examination. Some fingerprints however were retrieved. Bryan Hartnell clearly states, under interview, he cannot remember whether the attacker wore gloves or not. So let us examine this conundrum.
If the killer had not wore gloves, then any fingerprints on the car door, one may argue, could surely have not been his.
He had struck, with force, both victims using a long bladed knife at least 16 times, possibly securing them with his free hand, thrusting the knife back and forward, in what was described as a frenzied attack, yet no blood whatsoever transferred onto either hand. So if the fingerprints on the car door were his, are we to believe that all the blood released at the scene of the horrific attack simply bypassed both his striking and accompanying hand, or he had wiped his hands down so thoroughly after the attack, that he had removed every last trace. If he had donned gloves during the attack and leaned on the car door, blood smears would be evident, which they were not. If he had worn gloves during the attack, which seems the most likely from a standpoint of gripping the knife, as well as concealing his fingerprints, then removing them, to now lean on the car door in the aftermath seems, on the face of it rather stupid. He had covered his entire body with a costume to conceal his identity, yet left his hands exposed to plaster the car door with blood free fingerprints and palm prints. Does this sound logical. If he wore gloves, he clearly didn't want his writing hand to smear blood onto the car door where he was trying to write, and unless he was ambidextrous, he was no doubt writing with the same hand he ferociously attacked Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell with. The same hand that was closest to any blood spatter and impact area. However if he was ambidextrous and chose to write on the car door with his least preferred hand or alternative hand, then his writing may justifiably vary from its usual pattern, that he wrote his letters with.
There have also been question marks over the handwriting itself, with certain alphabetical letters appearing incompatible with known handwriting samples from his letters. Well, even the writing on the car door is incompatible with itself. He writes the letter E three times and each one is different. He writes the number 6 three times and each one is different. He has just stabbed a couple 16 times, his adrenaline is possibly high, he is squatting or kneeling down in front of a car door, parallel to his writing surface, far removed from the position he would adopt writing from the comfort of his home, he was writing above and below his natural midpoint, on a cambered door, possibly faster than normal, so any comparison to his letters cannot be applied without factoring these differences into the equation. His palm was also most likely free of contact from the car door. If it wasn't, surely blood transfer would have occurred, regardless of whether the assailant was wearing gloves or not. Yes, he could have took the gloves off, but which is worse, smearing blood on the car door or placing your hands on the car door. The Zodiac Killer was undoubtedly a merciless killer, but was he a dumb fool also, as some would lead us to believe. He could have stabbed the couple without gloves, then donned a pair to write on the car door, but this seems unnecessary, when simply he just needed not to touch the door with either his fingers or palm, and again, if he possessed gloves why logically would any fingerprints found on the car door be his.
In terms of the writing, our next task is to sit at a table with pen and paper at hand and write the Zodiac wording from the car door, and then follow this up by squatting in front of a wall, with some paper pinned to it, and write the same wording, without resting your palm and see the results. It will not be the same and never will be, let alone all the contributing factors that faced the Zodiac Killer at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969.
The final option suggested by some, is that he wrote on the car door before attacking the couple. This would circumvent the blood issue, but would have relied heavily upon his modus operandi going exactly to plan as he intended, which it would seem it did, otherwise the only smear on the car door may have been in black ink.
To view a comprehensive discussion on this topic and pursue other lines of reasoning, please visit the following thread at the ZodiacKillerSite Forum. Or click the banner below, to join or access the main index page.
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=806
In terms of the writing, our next task is to sit at a table with pen and paper at hand and write the Zodiac wording from the car door, and then follow this up by squatting in front of a wall, with some paper pinned to it, and write the same wording, without resting your palm and see the results. It will not be the same and never will be, let alone all the contributing factors that faced the Zodiac Killer at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969.
The final option suggested by some, is that he wrote on the car door before attacking the couple. This would circumvent the blood issue, but would have relied heavily upon his modus operandi going exactly to plan as he intended, which it would seem it did, otherwise the only smear on the car door may have been in black ink.
To view a comprehensive discussion on this topic and pursue other lines of reasoning, please visit the following thread at the ZodiacKillerSite Forum. Or click the banner below, to join or access the main index page.
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=806
