THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE ZODIAC KILLER-ZODIAC MANIAC BY GLENN WALL

10/23/2019

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A half-century after the shadowy killer known as Zodiac terrorized Northern California, the case remains stubbornly stalled despite the massive gains made in solving cold cases in recent years. Writer Glenn Wall introduces a new suspect, and theory to explain why. Supported by witness statements, documentation, and evidence, he builds a case against a ruthless killer whose criminal escapades and playing of the U.S. criminal justice system were too much a threat to many people who held power in high places to ever be allowed to see the light of day … until now.

In addition to the above book, Glenn Wall has previously investigated the murder of Valerie Percy (21), who was beaten and stabbed to death in her home on September 18th 1966 in Kenilworth, Illinois.

Valerie Percy and her Kenilworth home

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A dark morning. Waves on Lake Michigan. An elegant home on the beach, and a senatorial candidate at home with his close knit family in one of Chicago's wealthiest suburbs. This is the unlikely setting for the most notorious, and baffling cold case murder of the 1960s. Valerie Percy...pretty, smart, 21 years old and a key aide for her father, Charles Percy... beaten and stabbed to death by an intruder. The only witness - her stepmother. The killer escaped to a beach and disappeared into thin air. Glenn Wall revisits the long cold case. He explores the players, the place, and posits a compelling theory of who did it, a violent, disturbed individual who was raised a two minute walk from Percy's home, and ultimately died at the hands of his own family. Features 22 never before seen photographs.

17 Comments

Glenn Wall

10/23/2019 12:35:54 pm

Many thanks, Richard.

Never did I expect that researching the Valerie Percy murder (Illinois, 1966) would eventually (and I mean 6 or 7 years later) lead me to the Zodiac case.

It was years before, quite unexpectedly, that I first heard of this suspect, ran across him outside of the context of Percy case, let alone Zodiac. He was unlike any criminal I have heard of. His story is incredible.

Others have considered him as a Zodiac suspect but, I believe, have been too quick to count him out, which appears to have prevented them from seeing a substantial amount of evidence that implicates him for Zodiac’s crimes (much of it I wasn’t aware of.) It certainly required some digging. Fortunately, much of it was in familiar ground.

Because a lot of it comes from the Percy case. I was fortunate to have access to its investigators (past and present who are/were remarkable detectives) and more. I hope anyone who has interest in either of those cases will consider what turned up before these pages were written.

Michael

10/23/2019 12:45:50 pm

https://outlet.historicimages.com/products/neb53013

Shawn

10/23/2019 05:02:37 pm

Hello Glenn Wall,

What makes your suspect more relevant than the many suspects already put forth.

If you know the basic zodiac story.

Most anyone can find bits and pieces for certain suspects and plug them into the zodiac story.

The most basic piece of fact would be the suspect would had to be in California and on the ground at Lake Herman Road turnoff around 11:30pm December 20th 1968, at Blue Rock Springs park on July 4th, 1969 about 11:30pm, at Lake Berryessa on September 27th, 1969 at about 6pm and in San Francisco at Washington and Cherry street on October 11th, 1969 at around 10pm

Can you place your suspect at any of these locations on those dates? or even in California?

Glenn Wall

10/23/2019 05:30:29 pm

Hi Shawn,

he lived in San Francisco from roughly '65 to mid '69 (was in Fresno but maintained a home in Pacific Heights during that time as well.) I can put him in So. Cal. starting in 1962. I can't speak for the other suspects with the exception of the most well known one. I don't want to tell you about what I consider to be the strongest evidence that he was Zodiac (as it would ruin the book for you), but I can tell you that I have documents that verify that he was disabling cars by pulling their wires in '65, and that he had red in his hair as was seen by the Stein witnesses, and that he was a very good fit for Shepard and Fouke's description of the suspect, and that he employed Melvin Belli in '64, and was alone at the time Zodiac complained of being lonely, and that he lived in the direction witnesses saw him leaving after the Stine murder. In fact, as Zodiac said, my suspect lived exactly two blocks east of park where the cops were searching for him, the one Zodiac later said where the cops never got within two blocks of him and were to the west. You want more? It's in the book.

Shawn

10/23/2019 07:04:34 pm

There is a William Thoresen who had a residence at 2801 Broadway in the Pacific Heights section of San Franciso in the late 1960's.

https://ibb.co/g9zvFPH

Are you saying Thoresen walked 9 blocks from Washington and Cherry to 2801 Broadway after killing Stein? Via Lion Street Steps onto Broadway?

Zodiac was last seen entering Julius Kahn park.

Shawn

10/23/2019 07:21:21 pm

Foukes described the Zodiac with the generous age range of 35 to 45.

It appears Thoresen was only 31 or 32 in 1969.

At least 2 other witnesses testified to seeing a 40 year old man leaving the scene that night and entering Julius Kahn park.

Shawn

10/24/2019 06:11:45 am

Below is an interesting article about Thoresen from 1967. He does look slim.

In the article it reads "and he has such a crippling stammer that sometimes he "freezes" and cannot speak for hours"

That would be a strike against against him vs a calm, cool and collect Zodiac calling the Police after murders at Blue Rock Springs and Lake Berryessa.

Also Bryan Hartnell never spoke of any type of speech impediment.

Not trying to be Downer Danny. But you have to take into account the dis-connections along with the connections.

http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/White%20Materials/White%20Assassination%20Clippings%20Folders/Miscellaneous%20Folders/Miscellaneous%20II%20Arms%20Caches/Misc%20II-Arms%20009.pdf

KayElleSF

10/25/2019 03:05:40 am

Fyi - Glenn addresses the speech impediment issue in his book. If you go to the "Look Inside" page on Amazon for the book, it is discussed there. Pretty interesting stuff.

art

10/23/2019 09:56:13 pm

Thanks Glenn. Just read the book, very nice compact writing style, thank you for this contribution. A couple things 1) sorry but I don’t understand the FBI/conspiracy theory. 2) the google images of the suspect show him as rather slender or at most average build, with long face - not heavyset or stocky. Other than that there are indeed some interesting connections. Did you find any handwriting samples from the suspect?

Glenn Wall

10/24/2019 06:14:09 am

Thanks, Art. Check the photos of him on the cover and inside his wife's book (look at the width of his shoulders, neck, wrists) and what I said about a certain deceptiveness to his build. His upper torso was wide. Depending on how he was standing when photographed, and how he was dressed, makes a difference. No writing samples have turned up though Zodiac borrowed his idea of communicating with police and the media (from a criminal/case in the 40s, if I recall correctly) and last I remember looks to have copied, down to the way the originals were written. So his actual writing style may have varied, just like my suspect's natural way of speaking. Vs. when he had rehearsed or was playing a role (as his wife said.)

Glenn Wall

10/24/2019 07:35:10 am

I am not a fan of conspiracy theories, by the way. But I do believe in coverups.

That said, starting in December ’66, the FBI thought the subject in question to be a prime suspect for the Percy murder but did not share this information with police investigating the crime in Illinois, where numerous people in law enforcement could have provided additional incriminating info on him. But three years later, when he dies, the Feds find that he killed an additional 12 people, plus inexplicably (sarcasm intended as he was rich, and known to resort to bribery) was soon sprung (when not spared) from prison numerous times after committing rape, and violent assaults.

Doesn’t make the FBI, and people in high places in the justice system, (not to mention the ruling class) look very good. After all, Thoresen wasn’t just a dangerous criminal, he was a complete lunatic, as crazy as his family was rich. And his weapons hoarding had been all over the media. He was hiding in plain sight.

Meanwhile, Percy’s father has become a U.S. Senator, and the head of the FBI does not lack enemies. Percy is now a powerful guy. The Thoresen file makes numerous people in high places look extremely bad. So it’s not a stretch to say that they would benefit if it was implied that Zodiac was still out there. There are more “Zodiac” letters and suspect’s wife writes a book wherein there are stories that do not add up.

Meanwhile, the pressure was off. They knew Zodiac was dead. There would be no more attacks, no more phone calls, and no more sightings. Additionally, it wouldn’t require much to imply that he was still among the living. Law enforcement controlled the flow of information.

It took over a year to connect the Bates case to Zodiac, and it took a newspaper reader with initiative to do so. Kenilworth, the suspect’s hometown, and where Percy was slain is over 1,800 miles from San Francisco. There’s incredible evidence there that implicates him and ties him to Zodiac. But police in Illinois aren’t investigating Zodiac. The Percys left the state almost three years before anyone heard of Zodiac, and would never return. The Percy case was cold as ice by then. Anyone who realized the connections in 1970 appear to have had plenty of reasons not to share it. There could never be a conviction.

Otherwise, other than the early letters, there’s nothing that followed that can be proved to have been produced by Zodiac. Meanwhile, Toschi is caught writing bogus letters. It’s an amazing story. A print version should be available by early next week.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/24/2019 05:14:54 am

Looking forward to reading your book,Glenn Wall.

What a beautiful young woman,and such a senseless murder.

After 5 years,as a gumshoe detective,I ''came in from the cold'',and started to embrace the internet,as a means of investigating.It was around this time,that I started to investigate possible links,two murders,within 11 months,in Dundee,Scotland.

That's when the Zodiac case hit me,fair and square,between the eyes....and my immediate thoughts,turned to possible ''outlier'' cases.

One of which,was the case of Valerie Percy....and seem to remember,being very taken by this case,and spending about 3 weeks,reading up,about it.

Subsequently,I became inclined,to ''reign in'' on the quantity of murders,that the Zodiac could have realistically committed....and with this,elected to eliminate the Valerie Percy murder.

But,I have never forgotten her,and with your book just out,I look forward to becoming re-aquainted and ,I am sure,learn much more on this case.

So,''Thank you'',Glen Wall,in advance.

blue belly

10/24/2019 04:50:48 pm

Glen - Hello

I like this book of your's.

Since everybody seems to be putting-in their two cents - I wanted to add mine.

No need to worry about the notion of the conspiracy theory. All mob and gang related crime is a conspiracy. And there are more government conspiracy type crimes uncovered every day too.

Conspiracy is just a secret by two or more to do something criminal.

Don't be worried of being labeled a conspiracy nut.
We are merely putting forward conjecture.
And we can't do that fearing what the control freaks might say. Let them sit around all day worrying - we may say something outside their bubble. Let's never allow them to control the narrative. They are chicken. You are daring.

10/30/2019 09:32:29 am

Oops Glenn sorry!

Taylor

2/2/2020 08:16:07 am

Really enjoyed the book. Did you ever find anything that could link WT to cryptography ?

Glenn

2/2/2020 09:16:08 am

Thanks, Taylor. The biggest reasons I would suspect him in that regard are not direct, but just the obvious hoarding of military weaponry and connections to those who sold to or supplied militias. FYI, there will be a revised and expanded version out ASAP (though I don't know just when that will be yet, motiving it along as fast as possible, will likely be dealing with the hurdles of a publisher. It could grow by about 20%. I had not anticipated this last year or would have held the release, of course.)

Taylor

2/3/2020 10:03:35 am

Thanks for the reply, Glenn. Would love to read more of your work on the case. The writing style and tendency to stick to the facts made it a great read. Up next on my reading list - Sympathy Vote!

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE ZODIAC KILLER-ZODIAC MANIAC BY GLENN WALL

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