THE TIME MACHINE

3/14/2018

Robert Graysmith stated "The operator jotted down the answers (of the phone call by the kids). Immediately, the card was handed to the dispatcher, who leaned forward over his lighted panel, consulted a complex map of San Francisco divided into districts and sectors, and broadcast a general call to all police units, cars, and wagons: an APB". The time was 9.58 pm. 

Fortunately Armond Pelissetti was close by, and Donald Fouke was just passing the intersection of Presidio Avenue and Washington Street. Donald Fouke traveling at 35-40 mph as he stated, and allowing for intersections, would have reached the intersection of Jackson and Maple in 1 minute, where he would have spotted Zodiac at 9:59 pm. Allowing for him slowing down temporarily as he passed the killer (as he claimed), he would reach the top of Cherry in approximately 1 minute 20 seconds (9:59:20). According to the 2007 Zodiac documentary, as Fouke rounded the corner of Cherry Street he bumped into Armond Pelissetti who had made his way cautiously up Cherry Street, checking vehicles and alcoves "so he didn't get his head blown off".

In another stroke of luck, Armond Pelissetti had ditched his patrol car at 9:58 pm and had traveled the entire journey in his 'time machine', that defied the laws of physics. He instantaneously landed at the intersection of Washington and Cherry, didn't spot the teenagers on the street, didn't usher them back to their house, didn't check on Paul Stine, didn't retake the suspect description, and didn't get on the radio and update other officers. He bypassed all this, immediately exiting his 'time machine' and headed just slightly less than 4.6 feet a second walking pace up Cherry Street, to meet Donald Fouke in 80 seconds. In fact, after landing his 'time machine' at the intersection of Washington and Cherry instantaneously at 9:58 pm (the moment he received the dispatch), the teenagers pointed Zodiac out to him, just approaching the intersection of Jackson and Cherry.

However, the Zodiac was fortunately in his own 'time machine,' because he was spotted after his 3 minute walk from the crime scene, at 9:59 pm by Donald Fouke, nearing Jackson and Maple. Zodiac must have left the crime scene at 9:56 pm and reached Jackson and Cherry at 9:57 pm. But, Armond Pelissetti traveling faster than the speed of light was viewing Zodiac at Jackson and Cherry at 9:58 pm. Maybe Zodiac had set up a picnic table at Jackson and Cherry for one minute or more, before moving on.

Looking at it another way- if Zodiac had left the crime scene at 9:56 pm, and was spotted by Armond Pelissetti at 9:57 pm at Jackson and Cherry, then Armond Pelissetti had traveled back in time. He received the radio broadcast at 9:58 pm and was at the crime scene a minute earlier at 9:57 pm, with no traveling time.

If Armond Pelissetti had abandoned his 'time machine' and took just one minute to arrive at the crime scene, exit his vehicle and be approached by the teenagers, who pointed out Zodiac nearing the top of Cherry, then the time is 9:59 pm. Unfortunately though, Zodiac had a superior 'time machine', because he was simultaneously spotted by Donald Fouke at the other end of Jackson Street at the identical time of 9:59 pm. A 1 minute 42 second discrepancy, starting the clock from zero.

But hang on- if Pelissetti spotted Zodiac at 9:59 pm, then Zodiac could have arrived at the intersection of Jackson and Maple around 10:01 pm, where he was spotted by Donald Fouke. However, that would mean that Donald Fouke traveling at 35-40 mph, must have taken 3 minutes for a 1 minute journey - or got lost.

This may have been 1969, but Armond Pelissetti was an avid reader of novels such as the 'The Time Machine' by Herbert George Wells. Pelissetti had experimented with many different designs throughout the 1960s, until the summer of 1969, when he perfected the ultimate time traveling machine, stored in his "basement for 'Back to the Future' use". Sitting in his time machine one mile east of the crime scene, he was able to reach Washington and Cherry 1 minute before the radio broadcast, at 9:57 pm. But the Zodiac was one step ahead as usual. In fact, Zodiac had taken "one giant leap for mankind", superseding the achievements of Neil Armstrong three months earlier, by taking one giant step from Jackson and Cherry, to nearing Jackson and Maple in zero seconds.

29 Comments

Judith

3/14/2018 11:57:38 am

Unless Fouke never saw the actual killer, but some other member of the public walking in a major city. Why don't you believe Zodiac when he says he slipped into the Presidio, and watched with humor the panic by law enforcement?

Richard

3/14/2018 12:57:38 pm

Fouke described the person in the sketch, just "a little older and
heavier." The timing for Zodiac's 2 minute 46 second walk from the crime scene matches perfectly with Fouke's 1 minute journey to the intersection of Jackson and Maple. This is definitely the murderer, because he directed Fouke away from the crime scene, up Arguello Boulevard. The question is, who was the guy in the taxicab spotted by the teenagers. There are two answers- 2 perpetrators, or either the teenagers or Donald Fouke's account is flawed.
I do believe Zodiac entered the park, by Spruce, spotted by eyewitnesses detailed in the October 12th 1969 Chronicle article.

Richard

3/14/2018 01:01:54 pm

This is a timeline based on a single perpetrator.
https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/presidio-heights-minute-by-minute

Judith

3/14/2018 10:26:46 pm

The guy the kids saw in the taxi cab was the murderer. You have no way of confirming if the man that Fouke saw was the killer. You are discounting Kathleen John's account as well? But say Fouke had to meet the murderer? How do you know for sure which way zodiac turned when he got to the top of cherry? Because Fouke saw some old guy shuffling along in a outfit with no obvious signs of blood and gray hair in the back? But Kathleen Johns was staging a car insurance fraud? What did the Zodiac Killer really look like?

Richard

3/14/2018 11:20:04 pm

In fairness Judith, the Kathleen Johns article was entitled "abduction or not" and was created to promote discussion on the topic. My opinion on each crime is not always represented by the article- sometimes they are and I will say so- other times I will offer up an alternative 'theory' for consideration and people can make up their own mind.
I believe this crime was likely committed by one person. The man in the taxicab was the killer, as was the man on Jackson Street. The likely answer is either the account of the three teenagers or Donald Fouke is incorrect in some way. In terms of which way Donald Fouke turned when he got to Cherry, I took his words in the 1989 'Crimes of the Century' documentary, which was nearly 20 years before the 2007 Zodiac documentary, when his memory should have been better. He stated after passing the subject on Jackson ""We proceeded on Jackson Street towards Arguello continuing our search, as we arrived at Arguello Street the description of the suspect was changed to a white male adult, believing this suspect was possibly the one involved in the shooting we entered the Presidio of San Francisco and conducted a search on West Pacific Avenue, the opposite side of the wall and the last direction we observed the suspect going, we did not find the suspect."
Donald Fouke stated this, and it makes sense- because his journey into West Pacific Avenue to the Julius Khan playground, continuing his search, before returning back to Cherry would take approximately 2-2:30 minutes. Now Pelissetti has time to do all the things he said he did, and meet Fouke at the top of Cherry.
What I would like Judith or anybody, is forget what I have presented above. Start Donald Fouke off at 9.58 pm passing Washington on Presidio Avenue travelling at 35-40 mph, and Armond Pelissetti say 30 seconds from the crime scene at 9.58 pm, and get both officers to meet at the top of Cherry like they said in the 2007 documentary, and make the timeline fit. Also, what made Donald Fouke continue along Jackson Street after passing the subject and head towards Arguello, rather than to the crime scene, he is payed to respond to. I have given an answer to this, but I want to hear an alternative. For a version of events to be taken seriously, such as 2007, it cannot defy the law of time and motion. If somebody can give me an alternative scenario that covers all bases I will be more than happy to run with it. In the Zodiac story, the most crucial people in the case are the eyewitnesses- they are the only link from the crime to now. But without a cogent timeline of events, our understanding of the crime will forever be flawed. What I do know, is that it's a police officer's duty to head to the crime scene when receiving a dispatch about an assault + robbery of a taxicab driver, not head away from it, as Donald Fouke did according to his statement above. My question is, if Zodiac didn't direct him there, why was he heading in this direction.
And why has this version been conveniently dropped, to a completely different version of events.

Alex Lewis

3/31/2018 08:04:27 am

Richard.. Don't be so ridiculous! Time travel is theoretically possible but remains Science Fiction!

You know very well Richard what Don Fouke stated in the Documentary when aaked "What did you see as you came down this road?" Officer Donnie Fouke Off stated...

"Well... My headlights went on to an individual who was teleporting in the shadows of the trees at the time" The Sgt continued with an admittion saying: "I think i second guessed Myself that night...(We) Should have stopped and talked to the teleporter, but We didnt!

Armond is not privilage to know anything as He gets halfway down Cherry Street when A citizen shuts his front door rather forcefully with A...

***BANG ***

**HIGH PITCHED SCREAM**

...SHOTS FIRED!! OFFICER DOWN!! HELLLLLLLLLP! ! "

Armond collapsed om Cherry sidewalk & I have a Document stating:

'Eight yr old witness in collapse of Aromnd Identified Fouke as pulling up and Pissesing himself with laughter at His esteemed colleague Army Felloffasetti.

Alex Lewis

4/1/2018 05:10:58 am

Judith, Uou asked Richard: "Why don't you believe Zodiac when he says he slipped into the Presidio, and watched with humor the panic by law enforcement?"

Well puttibng aside the fact that Zodiac, being a wanted for several homicides, may have causr to tell a few fibs, then I, speaking for myself only, dont believe him and my reasons for that i can answer in no better way than Chief of the Homicide Division did. Chief Martin Lee had read the first letter sent by Z in which he took credit Saying "I am the murderer of rhe taxi driver..." before going on to suggest: "The police could have caught me last night if they had searched the park properly... "

Lee saw this and knew this statement by the killer was outright false and a load of rubbish and so Martin Lee personally responded to this claim via Paul Avery's Crime Reporting for The SF Chronicle and Paul Averys Article headline read:

"Zodiac - 'Clumsy, A Liar & a possibly a latent Homosexual' is the opinion of Martin Lee, Chief of Homicide Inspectors."

Lee knew that Zodiacs claim was extremely unjustified and simply not true and he took to defending his Dpt. & colleagues by declaring:

"He (Zodiac) is a liar! We had that entire area cordoned off and surrounded and had several fire trucks with search lights that lit up that entire area? We had Seven dogs and a small army of police who searched that entire area tree by tree & bush by bush. A mouse couldn't have escaped our attention!" The Chief then ended by emphatically stating:

"He is a Liar... He was NOT in that park!"

Alex Lewis

4/1/2018 06:31:14 am

And I have to say, I 100% agree with Him. This part of the Zodiacs movements in the general Presidio event is where Myself & Richard have a difference of opinion, or have in previous discussion at least.

However, because Richard is a grown up individual with No suspect bias, He doesn't call upon His Army of Moderators to respond to My non complia.....My Non Agreement in opinion and moderate. Me immediately!! :-)

I see why Richie opts for Z being in the Presidio, pointing to statements made by witnesses who suggested a Man had been spotted dashing into or through the Presidio Grounds. And so, as such, this theory is more than reasonable and I wouldn't say I am opposed to the possibility of a Z going into that area/grounds at all that night, no. Where I do have confidence in His not being present in there is during the huge search effort, or, the time He clais to be in there.

I am not believing He got trapped and surrounded and tben, as SFPFD Officers encircled Him, He outwitted all their many efforts _
& vast amount of resources they used that night by seizing the opportunity to obscure himself from view & avoid being apprehended by flawless plan to.. .. 'hide behind tree' or masterplan of 'duck behind bush' brilliance.

If He got as far as turning down Maple off of Jackson, drops through the Wall and across West Pacific Avenue into Julius Khan Park Area before police had the area surrounded with Himself pinned in/down with that cordon then....well barring evidence coming to light showing Zodiac was some late 20th Century Versin of The eatrly 20th Century British Phantom dubbed 'Spring Heeled Jack (So Named due to his ability when cornered to leap away, vaulting up over 15Ft walls & onto buildings rooftops in excess of 45-50Ft high) then I do not believe Mr Z and concur with Mr Lee and His assessment of Zodiacs claim.....

"Mr ZoZo, Sir...... Is it not an accurate statement Sir to suggest that you are full of Shit?"

Judith

3/14/2018 04:32:16 pm

Fouke spoke with this man? Forgive me but I don't recall that? I believe this account has thrown off investigators for years looking for some old man for Zodiac. The cops he did speak to and waived off never came forward due to embarrassment.

Lemonboy

3/14/2018 05:20:05 pm

I think Foulke is trying to cast some doubt that he talked to Zodiac by maybe placing another imaginary person around the crime scene. I believe Zodiac did talk to Foulke that day.

Lemonboy

3/14/2018 05:22:57 pm

Seems suspicious that the person was just”a little older”.

Alex Lewis

4/4/2018 04:28:55 pm

Judith, as to the question of 'Was it The Zodiac Fouke spotted and allegedly spoke with or a random innocent man?' then lets put aside whether the male and Don conversed and accept for the moment he simply visually spots A WMA..

The White Male Fouke observes on Jackson street is described by Don as follows:

"I noticed, on the North side of the street, A White Male Adult. He was wearing A derby type three quarter waist length zipper jacket (zipped part way up) with a regular flap down collar (Navy/Dark Blue in colour). Brown or rust brown coloured pleated type trousers. Wore an engineering type boot, tan in colour."

Two shorts weeks prior to this Oct 11 description, Bryan Hartnell was stabbed by a man that he gaves the following description as...

"Dark Blue parka type jacket the type with collar you can wear turned up. Old pleated type pamts/trousers, baggy at the rear. Cant remember what shoes he wore now..." stated Bryan.

However, thanks to footwear impressions found and cast, we know The attacker wore boots, specific make being 'wingwalkers' A Type of boot issued to Air Force Employees who's job, as the boots name implies, requires them to walk on the wings of Aircraft. This, you may say, is an Engenieers type boot.

So, either Fouke spots an innocent WMA who just happens to be dressed almost completely identically to Zodiac as described by Hartnell and now by a cop in an area and within minutes of a Zofiac attack in Presidio Heights and the two are complete coincidence and not same individual (The odds of which are simply astronomical) or, 1 + 1really is simply going to eauate to Two and both Surviving Victim and Trained Observer are describing the same individual.

Drew

3/14/2018 08:34:55 pm

I love this multiple time machines theory Richard, now it all makes sense!

Richard

3/14/2018 10:38:05 pm

This will be the last time for this 'timing' thing, I promise Drew.

Drew

3/15/2018 08:07:18 am

Don't promise that man! I really enjoyed the article including the playful exasperated tone and I appreciate the frustration you must have that virtually no one in the Zodiac community focusses on the impossible discrepancies between these accounts.

The reality must be that one or more of the reported times are incorrect but we can't just leave it at that. Navigating through these testimonies to find the scenario with the least amount of contradictions is very worthy blogging material as far as I am concerned. If I wasn't off to work I'd bug ya for even more on this! Cheers.

Alex Lewis

4/4/2018 04:45:25 pm

Drew states: "I love this multiple time machine theory Richard..." and I have to wholeheartedly agree! I did fear Richard has been around Me far too much and sarcastic, tongue in cheek humorous article writing had rubbed off but that is not a bad thing.

For example, i literally had a good 90 seconds of laughing out loud, quite literally, at the articles: "Meanwhile, Armond Pelissetti, travelling faster than the speed of light..."

Judith

3/14/2018 10:39:51 pm

Go on Google Maps street view, if you keep walking straight up Cherry Street it ends in a loop, there is a footpath there that takes you straight into the Presidio. Why would the Zodiac make a right hand turn and continue to walk through city streets after he's just committed a murder? He went into the Presidio just like he said.

Richard

3/14/2018 11:40:13 pm

There is no visible access to somebody into the park from here. For all intent and purposes, to somebody who doesn't live in these houses by the 'loop' of Cherry. It looks visibly as if there is no access.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@37.7895568,-122.457463,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVRKo00uGflNrD29W-3PdRQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Zodiac stated in the November 9th 1969 Bus Bomb letter "p.s. 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of them called me over + asked if I saw anyone acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun & the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I disappeared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again"

This wasn't reported in ANY newspapers, so the author of the letter, who sent a blood stained piece of shirt with this communication, must have been the killer that night. He knew two officers 'passed' him nearing the junction of Jackson and Maple, corroborated by the sighting of Donald Fouke. This is not only proof of his timeline, but proof he didn't enter the park by Cherry. He stated he entered the park at Spruce, "about 1.5 blocks" from his position approaching Jackson and Maple. The set of eyewitnesses at Spruce detail a man virtually identical to the sighting by Donald Fouke, who in turn described a man virtually identical to the three teenagers. Zodiac's travel route is detailed by eyewitnesses the entire route from the crime scene to Spruce and JK playground.

monarch link

3/15/2018 05:20:29 am

I think it is possible Zodiac was headed to the park via Cherry St., it seems likely Zodiac was familiar with the area, I don't think he chose that intersection entirely at random so he must have had some plan in mind.

I think he decided to change direction and turn right on Jackson St. when he saw/heard Pelissetti arrive at the crime scene in order to get out of Pelissetti's line of sight.

Judith

3/15/2018 07:06:33 am

Zodiac says " I was walking down the hill when I was passed by two cops", down the hill. Zodiac had this whole evening planned out, including his Escape Route, complete with taking evidence for future letters. Please don't take any of my comments personally Richard. I too am playing the devil's advocate here because I feel a lot of the so-called Legend of zodiac is based on missed guided facts of the case. Your website is quite excellent and thank you for allowing me to speak out.

Richard

3/15/2018 08:01:47 am

Of course not Judith, I welcome your input. Thanks for the great feedback.

Tom

3/15/2018 04:33:19 pm

The account of the teen age witnesses is undoubtedly the most accurate of any other rendition. Reading these eyewitness accounts is probably the most frustrating aspect of this and other cases. Things that should be so simple become complicated beyond belief. Attempting to create a second by second timeline is a useless endeavor. thank you Judith for your well thought out comments.

Drew

3/15/2018 09:55:40 pm

Hi Tom, I agree about the frustration of these conflicting testimonies, however I greatly benefit from the in-depth timeline analysis. Before Richard took it as his mission in life to figure this out I was completely lost in the fog. I feel the same way about the Lake Herman Road episode.

When you write of the reliability of the teenage witnesses are you just referring to the description of the culprit that they provided or do you extend that faith to Lindsey's story about chasing the killer down the street? I would like to agree that we can trust these recollections but without ever reading a report of the information that they provided (about eye witnessing Zodiac walking down Cherry) I have a hard time accepting it.

Tom

3/24/2018 12:45:09 pm

The point that I am trying to make is that the teenagers account of the events is a lot more credible than the members of the SFPD at the crime scene that couldn't get their story straight about their own movements and what and who they saw.

Connolly

3/19/2018 04:58:35 pm

Richard - I know you've seen this but I think

this might clear things the cartoon man screwed up

the Graysmith Unmasked series on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEagZAJptB0&list=PL3ADC348199FB1FEE

Sully link

4/1/2018 03:38:19 am

Happy Easter Richard Alex & Z gang.
Apologies for incommunicado, had to move due to the CRAZY CA FIRES...
Oct 11, 1969 always gets my attn as 1 night Z DAMN near got collared but due to human error (cowardice?) he limped into a military base and to a lifetime of unanswered/undeserved freedom.
Dispatch gave Z a GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD that eve for sure, agreed. Subsequently Don Foulke, attempting to save LIFE, gave Z a 5 second once over and sped off to the bloody crime scene. Cant see Don having savvy to stop/grill the 'white perp' at that point as he was busy trying to be the good robot cop..
obeying the dispatcher information.
Armond Pellesetti conversely, did have a shot (pun intended) at grilling anyone fleeing that scene but didnt seize the opportunity, for fear of taking a bullet.
Maybe a moot point as Z was probably in the Presidio anyway, hobbling to a get-away car with an ARMY PARKING sticker on his bumper?? Toschi and Armstrong must have researched all Letterman Hospital possibilities, huh.

Witnesses were the 'Game Changers' (fbi lol) for this crime scene but they cudnt capitalize on the kids giving SF homicide leads, plus sketch help. Big kudos anyways to Lindsey & Rebecca for everything they did to give us the Z.
Stine execution woke SFPD up to the cold stealth of 1 heartless serial killer.

Alex Lewis

4/4/2018 06:38:51 pm

Hey Sully, nice to hear from you. As for the dispatcher gjving Z a Get outa jail free card, I dont believe a word of it. Who is this dispatcher, give us a name maybe? Na, no chance. Even if the dispatcher is and was stupid enough to hear 'White' and interpret that and give it as 'Black' then its absolutely irrelevant anyway because Armond states He hurded Lindsey and Rebecca back to their home, briefly spoke to them and "Thats when I was told it was A White Male! I couldn't get to the radio fast enough to let everybody else know". Now Armond is still at the crime scene at this moment he alerts all other units responding so Fouke and Zelms are either immenently about to encounter, or already are stopped speaking with, the White guy. So either way, if you believe this error in description were issued, it still makes no difference because Armond tells us He issues a correction before Don and Eric see the Lumbering man on Jackson street.

And then you have Armond admitting to essentially tip toeing cautiously along Cherry in heightened state of alertness due to "Innumerable Alcoves and parked cars so I went down using every technique i know of so I didn't get my head blown off." How about the technique of going after suspect in your patrol car Armond? This will dramatically reduce the likelihood of a concealed suspect shooting you in the bonce. Plus, it dramatically increases your chances of closing the head start diatance the offender has on you!

What sense does it make or what logical reasoning is Pelissetti operating under to decide to pursue on foot? Especially given the fact that out of Hia own mouth He declares that the very last thing He does before leaving the scene to go after the suspect is dash to his patrol car radio to broadcast an update.

As such, He is at His patrol car! Hes using the car radio! So Armond is either leaning in or sat in to grab and use the radio! Why decide to exit and give chase on foot? Did He reason... "Well, its a lovely evening for a stroll, just make sure I dont get shot in the head while going for said evening stroll around the block...?"

Alex Lewis

4/4/2018 07:14:58 pm

I've joked before that I can envision Armond Stepping on to Cherry st, drawing His revolver and throwing Himself behind a vehicle when a resident sneezes with a window ajar. Or Armond declaring "I walked that way myself, i did not run because there was innumerable alcoves and parked cars..." and Fincher aaking: "Uhh, you determined this after attempting to count them did you? Got to Few hundred then determined there were simply too many to continie your count and, as you suggested, simply: Innumerable!"

If He really was in such a heightened state of fear and alertness, on edge and jumpy, then the dog walker may count his lucky stars that before Armond, as he tells it," I tuned to My right and saw man walking His dog..." that before Armond executed His turn to the right to spot Man and dog, the said Dog did not spot Armond first. Had pooch have done so, the K-9 may have offered Armond A very loud, gutteral and frightening:

'GRRRRR-UFF...RUFF RUFF RUFF!!' cause then see, this may have provoked Armond to spin on His heels as he draws service revolver and Qvale and His pooch are on Maple, near Jackson intersection, on ground, recently deceased!

4/5/2018 01:56:00 pm

HA! Every time I read your comments here, I feel like I'm on a fun ride at a the fair.

THE TIME MACHINE

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