Michael Morford wrote an excellent article on the June 8th 1967 murders of Enedine Molina (35) and boyfriend Fermin Rodriguez (36) near Pleasanton, California. This was covered on this site and discussed on Zodiac Killer Site forum.
Below I shall detail this double murder using a visual from Google Maps and only the newspaper reports that covered the story, to sequence the order of events that night. Here is a layout of where the victims were found in relation to the March 22nd 1970 abduction of Kathleen Johns on Highway 132, west of Modesto, and the city of Pleasanton where Zodiac mailed the Los Angeles letter on March 13th 1971.
Below I shall detail this double murder using a visual from Google Maps and only the newspaper reports that covered the story, to sequence the order of events that night. Here is a layout of where the victims were found in relation to the March 22nd 1970 abduction of Kathleen Johns on Highway 132, west of Modesto, and the city of Pleasanton where Zodiac mailed the Los Angeles letter on March 13th 1971.
Click visual to enter Google maps
Click for Zodiac Killer Site forum "According to detectives Regional Park Naturalist Richard Angel called the Santa Rita sheriff's substation last night (Thursday June 8th 1967) and reported hearing two shots in the park area at 10:05 pm. The woman's body was discovered about 11:00 pm just outside the remote Sunol Regional Park. The body was found by Deputy George Robinson, the first man to arrive at the park. Mrs Molina had been shot in the back (and possibly left wrist). It appeared she had been running when she was shot, deputies reported.
On his way back to the substation about 2:30 am (Deputy George Robinson) spotted a station wagon parked along Vallecitos Road about six miles from the park, stopped to check it and found Rodriguez's body. He had been shot in the left breast and shoulder bone. The bullets entered his body from the front deputies said. The murder weapon was believed to be a .22 caliber revolver. No gun was found".
Detectives ordered weekend roadblocks to canvass individuals. "The weekend roadblocks were in the areas of Geary Road and Calaveras Road. Captain Tom Houchins said officers questioned persons between 10:00 pm and midnight, believed to be the timespan when the two were killed. Houchins said there is the possibility that another car was involved.
A Mountain View man, Joe Martinez of 1819 Birch Street (ex-husband of Enedine Molina), turned himself in at the Sunnyvale Police Station this morning after hearing he was wanted for questioning. He was later released by Sunnyvale Police and Alameda County sheriff's officers. Captain Tom Houchins, in charge of the investigation said "as of now we have no suspects".
Detectives investigated suspicious events in the run-up to the double murder: "Investigation of the two June 8 murders in Sunol has disclosed that each of the victims had been followed several times by an unidentified driver. Each also received mysterious phone calls over a period of many months, according to reports from Alameda County Sheriff's deputies." The daughter of Molina "told detectives the family had been receiving disturbing telephone calls at her mother's residence since July. She said that whoever called didn't speak and that all that could be heard over the phone was heavy breathing (reminiscent of the 01:30 am calls on July 5th 1969, after the BRS attack). The daughter said the calls usually were made between 10 and 11 am, or between 7 and 8 pm, and that her mother was usually not home when they were received. Detectives also reported that the daughter told them she had overheard her mother say that a car followed her when she was out. Substantially, the same story was given detectives by Mrs Lydia Rodriguez, widow of Fermin Rodriguez, who was found murdered in his car parked along Vallecitos Road. Mrs Rodriguez said her husband had also complained about a car following him. On another occasion, she said, her husband had told her he had seen the strange car parked in front of his house, but could not describe the driver".
On his way back to the substation about 2:30 am (Deputy George Robinson) spotted a station wagon parked along Vallecitos Road about six miles from the park, stopped to check it and found Rodriguez's body. He had been shot in the left breast and shoulder bone. The bullets entered his body from the front deputies said. The murder weapon was believed to be a .22 caliber revolver. No gun was found".
Detectives ordered weekend roadblocks to canvass individuals. "The weekend roadblocks were in the areas of Geary Road and Calaveras Road. Captain Tom Houchins said officers questioned persons between 10:00 pm and midnight, believed to be the timespan when the two were killed. Houchins said there is the possibility that another car was involved.
A Mountain View man, Joe Martinez of 1819 Birch Street (ex-husband of Enedine Molina), turned himself in at the Sunnyvale Police Station this morning after hearing he was wanted for questioning. He was later released by Sunnyvale Police and Alameda County sheriff's officers. Captain Tom Houchins, in charge of the investigation said "as of now we have no suspects".
Detectives investigated suspicious events in the run-up to the double murder: "Investigation of the two June 8 murders in Sunol has disclosed that each of the victims had been followed several times by an unidentified driver. Each also received mysterious phone calls over a period of many months, according to reports from Alameda County Sheriff's deputies." The daughter of Molina "told detectives the family had been receiving disturbing telephone calls at her mother's residence since July. She said that whoever called didn't speak and that all that could be heard over the phone was heavy breathing (reminiscent of the 01:30 am calls on July 5th 1969, after the BRS attack). The daughter said the calls usually were made between 10 and 11 am, or between 7 and 8 pm, and that her mother was usually not home when they were received. Detectives also reported that the daughter told them she had overheard her mother say that a car followed her when she was out. Substantially, the same story was given detectives by Mrs Lydia Rodriguez, widow of Fermin Rodriguez, who was found murdered in his car parked along Vallecitos Road. Mrs Rodriguez said her husband had also complained about a car following him. On another occasion, she said, her husband had told her he had seen the strange car parked in front of his house, but could not describe the driver".
Calaveras Road entering Geary Road This was a couple attacked while parked up in their vehicle, not dissimilar to the Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs attack. The obvious connection is apparent with respect to the abduction of Kathleen Johns just 28 miles east of where the vehicle of Molina and Rodriguez was discovered. These murders were one and a half years prior to the double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, who were also killed using .22 small caliber ammunition. Then there is the menacing silent phone calls to the 1300 Virginia Street residence of Darlene Ferrin. Yet, these murders also have the trait of jealousy, in the form of a previous partner or husband unable to move forward. What evidence was given to discount Joe Martinez or fail to implicate him we may never know. Detectives stated that "officers questioned persons between 10:00 pm and midnight, believed to be the timespan when the two were killed." They also believed "another vehicle was involved".
The indications from the newspaper reports seem to suggest the murder occurred at approximately 10:05 pm when Enedine Molina was attempting to flee from her assailant after leaving his vehicle. Fermin Rodriguez had likely already been murdered at this point in time - when the killer approached in his vehicle, murdered him and abducted the woman. His body was discovered in his vehicle 6 miles north on Vallecitos Road. The time of his murder was likely 10 minutes earlier at 9:55 pm, assuming the two murders were one continuous sequence of events. Another alternative, could be the killer approached the couple on foot as they were in their vehicle on a dirt turn off, just alongside Calaveras Road (by Geary Road), proceeded to shoot the woman, before forcing the male victim to drive north to Vallecitos Road, murdering him and then fleeing on foot. However, this seems the less likely scenarios of the two.
Whether these murders have any connection to Zodiac is likely never to be proved or disproved half a century on, but being only 38 miles south of Vallejo (as the crow flies) it is worthy of consideration.
Thanks to Michael Morford.
The indications from the newspaper reports seem to suggest the murder occurred at approximately 10:05 pm when Enedine Molina was attempting to flee from her assailant after leaving his vehicle. Fermin Rodriguez had likely already been murdered at this point in time - when the killer approached in his vehicle, murdered him and abducted the woman. His body was discovered in his vehicle 6 miles north on Vallecitos Road. The time of his murder was likely 10 minutes earlier at 9:55 pm, assuming the two murders were one continuous sequence of events. Another alternative, could be the killer approached the couple on foot as they were in their vehicle on a dirt turn off, just alongside Calaveras Road (by Geary Road), proceeded to shoot the woman, before forcing the male victim to drive north to Vallecitos Road, murdering him and then fleeing on foot. However, this seems the less likely scenarios of the two.
Whether these murders have any connection to Zodiac is likely never to be proved or disproved half a century on, but being only 38 miles south of Vallejo (as the crow flies) it is worthy of consideration.
Thanks to Michael Morford.
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