THE MURDER OF JANET MALLICOAT

12/16/2018

Just a few months after the apprehension of Karl Francis Werner for the murders of Kathie Ann Snoozy (15), Debra Gaye Furlong (14) and Kathy Bilek (18), who all suffered extensive stab wounds to their body, Janet Lynn Mallicoat (21), a San Jose State college senior, was stabbed approximately 130 times in her 63 Keyes Street office where she worked as a part-time receptionist for the Regal Map Company. She had then been set on fire with a flammable liquid and a pair of scissors were found protruding from her head. There was no evidence of sexual assault or robbery. Her employer, George Andrews had traveled to San Francisco on business leaving her alone in the office. Janet Mallicoat was murdered on Thursday August 26th 1971, exactly 44 days after the mailing of the Monticello card which claimed a connection to the Kathy Bilek murder and an inferred connection to the murders of Kathie Snoozy and Debra Furlong.

The Monticello card read "Near Monticello Shought Victims 21 ...... In The Woods Dies April". The 'Monticello' mentioned in the pasted card was a neighborhood containing the Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park, where Kathy Snoozy was laid to rest. See article. The Regal Map Company office was situated just 1.40 miles from the neighborhood of Monticello.

With the amount of stab wounds inflicted on the young woman, this crime drew parallels to the other three murders - but with Karl Francis Werner locked away, the possibility of a copycat emerged.

The Zodiac Killer was undeniably claiming the August 1969 San Jose murders in his November 8th 1969 'Dripping Pen' card. The author of the Monticello card was insinuating his involvement in the Kathy Bilek murder. Thwarted, and proven a liar by the arrest and incarceration of Karl Francis Werner, was the murder of Janet Mallicoat a response by the Zodiac Killer in order to shed doubt on the arrest? Highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened. The pouring of flammable liquid on the body suggests otherwise, and points to an altogether different individual. Miss Mallicoat, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Mallicoat of 1617 Noreen Drive, had 130 stab wounds to her head, neck and upper body in what appeared a frenzied and uncontrolled attack. The Santa Clara County coroner, John Hauser, freely admitted that his estimation of the stab wounds was conservative in nature.

The San Jose Police Department, a target of a potential Zodiac correspondence on November 21st 1969, was situated 3 miles northwest of the 63 Keyes Street office The letter on November 21st 1969 (with accompanying code) was described in the FBI files: "after a cursory analysis, officers of the San Jose, California PD, believe widow in message may be Mrs (redacted), San Jose, California. San Jose PD instituting 24 hour surveillance on Mrs (redacted)".

Richard

12/16/2018 05:47:22 am

Just over a month prior to the 1987 'Zodiac' letter stating "cars make nice weapons" and threatening to run over kids, this happened "September 12th 1987, Jose Santo Bugarin (26) and Rodolfo Alvaro (31) were traveling on King Road, San Jose, California when their car slammed into four children playing on the front lawn of a residence, killing three and injuring one. The driver then backed over the bodies and left the scene. Both were apprehended a short time later. "Bugarin was arrested on three counts of second-degree murder. Alvaro also was arrested on murder charges."
In view of San Jose influence recently, I looked for any possible hit and run cases in San Jose just after the October 28th 1987 letter.

Just under 3 months later, "On January 16, 1988, Sonya Calzadias was found sprawled in the slow lanes of Highway 101 and the Guadalupe River Bridge. At the time, her death was classified as a hit and run accident. Approximately six months later, physical clues led police to reclassify this as a murder and start an investigation. Calzadias died of injuries sustained when struck by a car."

Not saying it is Zodiac or related to the 1987 letter, but worth a mention.
https://coldcasesmaps.com/coldcase/sonya-calzadais/

Richard

12/16/2018 05:47:58 am

Location:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Guadalupe+River+Trail,+California,+USA/@37.3709304,-121.9313538,3228m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x808fcca15de8e7e3:0xa447061452503d58!8m2!3d37.3744479!4d-121.932839

Rubislaw 32 link

12/16/2018 06:25:33 am

Thanks for putting a ''hit and run'' forward,as an explanation,for that 1987 unconfirmed letter,Richard.

My inclinations are,that the letter is a fake Zodiac letter.

I like the reference to Herb Caen,in that Zodiac was too ''sheepish and shy'' to ever address his ''hero'' directly.

But that is the limit on persuasion,for me.Zodiac refers to his car,also,as his ''death machine''.He must have forgotten,then,that a ''death machine'' was what he used to call his bomb.

In addition,a reference to Toschi,when any recognition of individual cops,was beneath him....and,didn't he know that Toschi had been transferred,out of Homicide,nine years past [?].

Plus,an inexplicable nod to the VPD,in postscript.

The letter gets a resounding ''fake'',from me.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/16/2018 08:17:35 am

No nearer,on the ''threatened widow'',Richard,with the San Jose November 21st 1969 letter.

I believe that the letter is genuine,not least because of how swift,LE acted,in response to it.

But something I had forgotten....November = 8.Surely this must be a claim,that Zodiac had accomplished his eighth victim [?]

So,between the Dripping Pen Card of November 8th,and November 21st San Jose letter,Zodiac the ''eighth victim'',in just 13 days,maximum.

Sounds like ''bull'' [?].

Though Zodiac,may have gone on to claim Ms.Davis or Ms.Roberts,to ''make good'' on the eighth victim,by inference,by the time of the Belli letter [December 20th].....we are just left with a further threat of the ''elusive'' eighth victim,in the Fairfield December 7th letter.

The odds must favour Zodiac ''not'' having actually committed a murder,representing an ''eighth victim''.....although that could be close,to stating the obvious [?].

Richard

12/16/2018 08:25:18 am

Leona Roberts sounds the most convincing, because the December 7th Fairfield letter had no count, but the December 16th Bleeding Knife of Zodiac had 8 drops of blood, indicating the 8th happened between these dates. Although taking Zodiac or whoever at their word is not possible.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/16/2018 08:27:09 am

With reference to the above,the likeliest scenario,is that ''November = 8''...is ''bull'',from Zodiac.

But,it does point to the credulity,of Zodiac using one of his bloodied shirt swatch pieces [?].

Richard

12/16/2018 08:53:33 am

The Zodiac (author) chose to mail the November 21st correspondence to San Jose Police Department, and he must have either [1] given her name, which police deduced the exact identity of from recent events, possibly covered in the newspapers, such as the murder of a male-hence Zodiac (author) referenced "widow", or [2] He didn't give the woman's name, but described some recent events related to the woman, again, likely covered in the newspapers, from which police deduced the identity of. Zodiac loved reading the newspapers and responding in kind to articles contained therein, so it is extremely likely because of the "widow" reference (assuming he used that word) had recently lost her husband, possibly in October, but more likely in November, in the run up to the November 21st correspondence. Zodiac would likely have referenced a traumatic event to create maximum impact, capitalizing on it by threatening the woman. My guess is her husband was murdered by somebody, and Zodiac was likely claiming it by writing November = 8. Then went on to threaten her. The alternative is he was promising her as the eighth victim. Either the San Francisco Chronicle, or more likely, a San Jose paper ran an article sometime in November mentioning the murder of this male individual. I bet the article had quotes from the lead detective, or somebody connected to San Jose PD, which is why the author of the correspondence addressed the letter to this individual at the police station. I have looked extensively without any luck, but with a newspapers.com account I bet the answer can be unearthed.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/16/2018 09:42:23 am

Yes,so ''true and telling'' that ''Zodiac would likely have referenced a traumatic event...''

I see now,that you are homing in on the ''November = 8'' being an inference,by Zodiac,that he could have been responsible,for having widowed the woman.

Nice one.

All I could do,was establish that there was a ''Mr.and Mrs.Wilfred Snoozy'',and a ''Mr.and Mrs.Charles Furlong''.

I'll bear in mind,what you have said,as a pointer to further investigations,on unearthing the identity of the widow.

About to home in,on this November 1969 magazine,employed for the purposes of the Leo and Cancer cards......hopefully.

Richard

12/16/2018 09:47:55 am

Or claiming "that he could have been responsible,for having widowed the woman", just like he did with Richard Radetich. Either way, she can be found.

Richard

12/16/2018 12:08:59 pm

Michael Morford wrote an excellent article on the June 8th 1967 murders of Enedine Molina (35) and boyfriend Fermin Rodriguez (36) near Pleasanton, California.
https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/the-sunol-park-slayings

Thanks to Mike Morford's posts on Zodiac Killer Site forum "Lydia P. Rodriguez, who I believe was the Widow of the man killed in 1967 in the link above, lived at 1666 Scotty Street ,San Jose in 1972."
This is only 3 miles by crow from the Monticello neighbourhood, and 2 miles from 63 Keyes Street. Unfortunately her name doesn't fit the redacted text, indicating the widow's name should be 5 or 6 letters.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Monticello,+San+Jose,+CA,+USA/1666+Scotty+St,+San+Jose,+CA+95122,+USA/63+Keyes+Street,+San+Jose,+CA,+USA/@37.3107363,-121.8708043,9443m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x808e3310e5ce9989:0xe45bc9a34fe07e5e!2m2!1d-121.8701368!2d37.3003699!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fcd331773f4d5:0x6f4eb7f61d3af77a!2m2!1d-121.8412493!2d37.3359672!1m5!1m1!1s0x808e3335b933570b:0x3d9bb62e30be11bf!2m2!1d-121.8771407!2d37.3205125!3e0

Richard

12/16/2018 12:40:09 pm

Did Paul Stine's wife Claudia S Stine / Claudia S Wescott move after his murder. Did she have roots near San Jose.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/16/2018 04:30:21 pm

Thanks Richard,for the info and reference,on Lydia P Rodriguez.I'll have a good look.A bit ''spooky'',that one [?].

As far as I am aware,Claudia continued working for the DMV,and did not move residency,after her husband's murder.

Lyndon Lafferty caught up with Linda,Darlene's sister,three years after her sister's murder...she had remarried,and moved to San Jose.

But that is all,Lyndon mentioned.

It would certainly help,if certain ''seasoned'' Zodiac contributors,who like to talk about ''The friends I have,and the tears that I cry''....would actually ask ''these friends'',like Jerry Johnson,some important questions [?].

But,that's just me bitching,again.

Judith

12/16/2018 09:04:10 pm

All I can add to this is that Peter Plante attended San Jose State for fall 68 and spring 69. Did the victim Janet attend during that year? I can see all these victims were pretty. I wonder how much stalking went into the Zodiac killings.

Rubislaw 32 link

12/17/2018 02:08:08 am

Certainly interesting,Judith,that Peter had held links with San Jose.

If this recent focus on Zodiac's ''activities'' in November and December 1969,tells us anything,then it tells us....

That Zodiac came to realise that,and given the likelihood that his Bay Area residency,was in the Vallejo vicinity,if not Vallejo itself,then he was going to have to ''branch out'',geographically,if he was going to continue with his terror.....and keep the authorities guessing.

So,I believe that bringing San Jose,into his ''operation'',and generally ''south'' of the Bay Area,represents a decision,to keep switching geographical direction.In addition,there are grounds for believing that he held a second residency,that could ave been as far south,as Los Angeles.So,San Jose could have held a ''convenience'' factor,on ''trouble and strife''.

In addition,Zodiac's ''seeming'' constant trips to nearby Fairfield,But also,this might have represented work ''day trips'',to Sacramento.

But,more homing in on what you are more suggesting,Judith....I believe that there is more assessment required,on the very nature of Zodiac's stalking [?].

There is a big difference between stalking,for the purposes of acquiring information,invested for future use.....and,stalking women,in a more ''pervy'' way [?].

Previously,I was more inclined to see Zodiac's stalking,for the ''former'' reasons.

But,perhaps,the need or motivation for stalking,simply became ''open season'',for the Zodiac [?].

Rubislaw 32 link

12/18/2018 09:05:43 am

Thank you Judith,for pointing me back,to your book.

I have just removed it,from my ''Zodiac'' box of ''things'',and will be reading it again,over Christmas.And,with probably a greater understanding of the case,in general.

Just two days to go,before the LHR anniversary.I can hear the deafening silence,of anticipation.

In anticipation of more deafening silence,more than likely [?].

''Pigs might fly'',to coin a well used phrase.

The Bay Area ones,might wish that could.

My best wishes,to those noble guardians of the law,in reality.

Judith

12/19/2018 10:58:55 am

Thank you Rubi
Another thing about San Jose State, when I mentioned to James Selby from CA DOJ during our live meeting that Peter attended San Jose State and was majoring in Criminal Justice, he sort of gulped and said wait a minute, "So did I."
Such irony, that a man assigned to the Zodiac case might have sat in a college classroom with the Killer himself.
Peter said he also sat at a picnic table on campus and had a conversation with the black students who threw the Black Power sign at the Olympics. He got around.

James Mallicoat

8/26/2019 04:28:41 pm

This is about my sister. I was fourteen when she was killed.
I contacted SJPD a few years ago but they did not give me any new info. I left my email above.
Ps. The address of 1614 Noreen is wrong. We lived at 1617 .not important but 1614 then was an orchard.

1/8/2020 01:28:48 pm

James -- If you intended to share your email contact, please share again in the text of your comment so that it doesn't just go to the admin. Thanks. Sorry for your loss and that it hasn't been solved yet.

Comments are closed.

THE MURDER OF JANET MALLICOAT

Archives