Recently I have been re-examining the likelihood that the Zodiac Killer lived in close proximity to the Springs & Tuolumne payphone in Vallejo at the time he committed the Blue Rock Springs shooting on July 5th 1969, but this doesn't necessarily mean he resided at this location for the remainder of his attacks. Is there any evidence that he may have moved from Vallejo to San Francisco after the Blue Rock Springs or Lake Berryessa attacks, or possibly had a residence and/or business at both locations simultaneously?
Michael Morford, a dedicated and long time Zodiac researcher, has put forward an interesting case for William "Mac" Andrew, who had access to a residence at 623 Tuolumne Street in Vallejo, only 420 feet from the Springs & Tuolumne payphone where Zodiac made the call to Nancy Slover, a dispatcher at the Vallejo Police Department. This suspect and Arthur Leigh Allen are the only two individuals that align with my thoughts of a killer living within a 0.5 mile radius of that payphone. Although Michael Morford has put together a reasonable case for his suspect - and has definitely taken, in my opinion, the correct approach by implementing a search for the Zodiac Killer in proximity to the payphone - I believe he has focused in on the wrong person.
The Zodiac Killer's first three attacks were likely selected because of the remoteness of the locations, but his fourth attack at Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969 was a significant uptick in risk. The chances of being apprehended after the murder of Paul Stine was significantly greater. One of the most widely pushed narratives about this crime, is the notion of a killer who parked his vehicle somewhere in the proximity of Presidio Park for his later escape, before making his way to Union Square (or thereabouts) by either walking, using public transport, or summoning a taxicab - and after an indeterminate period of time - hailed the taxicab of Paul Stine to bring him back to Presidio Heights, commit the murder, and then make inroads to his waiting vehicle and facilitate a quick departure from the area. While this is perfectly feasible, it can also be argued as an unnecessary sequence of events with little corroborating evidence any such thing happened. Let us examine the possibility of a killer who made his escape to a nearby residence or business. Somewhere close to Presidio Park, requiring limited walking time.
Michael Morford, a dedicated and long time Zodiac researcher, has put forward an interesting case for William "Mac" Andrew, who had access to a residence at 623 Tuolumne Street in Vallejo, only 420 feet from the Springs & Tuolumne payphone where Zodiac made the call to Nancy Slover, a dispatcher at the Vallejo Police Department. This suspect and Arthur Leigh Allen are the only two individuals that align with my thoughts of a killer living within a 0.5 mile radius of that payphone. Although Michael Morford has put together a reasonable case for his suspect - and has definitely taken, in my opinion, the correct approach by implementing a search for the Zodiac Killer in proximity to the payphone - I believe he has focused in on the wrong person.
The Zodiac Killer's first three attacks were likely selected because of the remoteness of the locations, but his fourth attack at Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969 was a significant uptick in risk. The chances of being apprehended after the murder of Paul Stine was significantly greater. One of the most widely pushed narratives about this crime, is the notion of a killer who parked his vehicle somewhere in the proximity of Presidio Park for his later escape, before making his way to Union Square (or thereabouts) by either walking, using public transport, or summoning a taxicab - and after an indeterminate period of time - hailed the taxicab of Paul Stine to bring him back to Presidio Heights, commit the murder, and then make inroads to his waiting vehicle and facilitate a quick departure from the area. While this is perfectly feasible, it can also be argued as an unnecessary sequence of events with little corroborating evidence any such thing happened. Let us examine the possibility of a killer who made his escape to a nearby residence or business. Somewhere close to Presidio Park, requiring limited walking time.
The trip sheet of Paul Stine gave a destination of Washington & Maple, but for whatever reason the deceased taxicab driver was found pulled up at the intersection of Washington & Cherry, one block further west. It is clear that the Zodiac Killer intended to exit the taxicab at Washington & Maple because he backtracked east along Jackson Street in the compass direction he had just come from. This likely tells us that the Zodiac Killer's original plan that night was to leave the taxicab at Washington & Maple, head north up Maple, and turn east along Jackson Street, before traveling north up Spruce Street into the Julius Kahn playground, where he was ultimately spotted by an eyewitness running into the park (as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper). This route makes logical sense, because turning east on Jackson after heading up Maple from your intended murder site, would remove you from the eyeline of the crime. His immediate requirement to evade capture was to access the cover of the park and the next available point of entry would have been Spruce Street.
The directional movement of the Zodiac Killer thus far virtually eliminates the notion he would travel in any other direction than east. Police motorcycles would ultimately circle Presidio Park, attempting to find a killer who had possibly sought refuge and needed to escape the attention of the resulting search. If the Zodiac Killer lived in Cow Hollow or the Marina District of San Francisco (on the north-eastern edge of Presidio Park), it would make sense for him to take the shortest route through the park and use cover as much as possible, while heading in a north-easterly direction. This tallies with what the Zodiac Killer stated in his November 9th 1969 letter, when he claimed that "the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west". Presidio Boulevard on the eastern edge of the park and skirted by a wooded area, would have provided the perfect cover for a killer about to escape the park. There is a section of Presidio Boulevard that shifts from south to northwest, exactly as described by the Zodiac Killer. As shown below, if we draw a straight line from Julius Kahn playground through Presidio Boulevard where it switches from south to northwest - and continue that trajectory onwards - we arrive at 225 Mallorca Way, the once home of Jo Anne Goettsche, who previously shared a residence with Donna Lass at 4122 Balboa Street in San Francisco.
The directional movement of the Zodiac Killer thus far virtually eliminates the notion he would travel in any other direction than east. Police motorcycles would ultimately circle Presidio Park, attempting to find a killer who had possibly sought refuge and needed to escape the attention of the resulting search. If the Zodiac Killer lived in Cow Hollow or the Marina District of San Francisco (on the north-eastern edge of Presidio Park), it would make sense for him to take the shortest route through the park and use cover as much as possible, while heading in a north-easterly direction. This tallies with what the Zodiac Killer stated in his November 9th 1969 letter, when he claimed that "the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west". Presidio Boulevard on the eastern edge of the park and skirted by a wooded area, would have provided the perfect cover for a killer about to escape the park. There is a section of Presidio Boulevard that shifts from south to northwest, exactly as described by the Zodiac Killer. As shown below, if we draw a straight line from Julius Kahn playground through Presidio Boulevard where it switches from south to northwest - and continue that trajectory onwards - we arrive at 225 Mallorca Way, the once home of Jo Anne Goettsche, who previously shared a residence with Donna Lass at 4122 Balboa Street in San Francisco.
Donna Ann Lass At the time of the Paul Stine murder on October 11th 1969 Donna Lass worked at the Letterman General Hospital in Presidio Park and lived at 4122 Balboa Street, San Francisco. However, according to Robert Graysmith she moved from this address a few months later and relocated to 225 Mallorca Way in the Marina District. If a few months was three or four, Donna Lass could have moved to 225 Mallorca Way in January or February 1970 Either way, it is possible she moved into an area where the Zodiac Killer was currently living (in 1970), and living when he murdered Paul Stine on October 11th 1969 - and why he may have latched onto the young nurse (who he probably referred to in the March 22nd 1971 "Pines Card").
In an interview with Michael Morford on the Zodiac Speaking podcast, Jo Anne Goettsche gave the impression she moved to 225 Mallorca Way without Donna Lass. If this was the case, it was still evident that the two young women remained friends during their time in San Francisco, and likely visited each others homes before Donna eventually moved to South Lake Tahoe in early June 1970. She would go missing from the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino in Nevada just three months later, on September 6th 1970. The Zodiac Killer may have become aware of Donna Lass through Jo Anne Goettsche.
If the Zodiac Killer had walked through the park to the area of Presidio Boulevard where "the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west", he would likely exit the park by the intersection of Lyon and Union streets. This location would leave 15 to 20 minutes (just under a mile) to reach 225 Mallorca Way. That is if the Zodiac Killer lived somewhere in the vicinity of this address, which afforded him the opportunity to have crossed paths with Jo Anne Goettsche and Donna Lass.
Interestingly, on October 7th 1969, just four days before the Paul murder, somebody mailed a letter to Sergeant John Lynch of the Vallejo Police Department, mentioning Beach Street in the correspondence and claiming to be the Zodiac Killer (this was the same person who mailed the Concerned Citizen card on August 10th 1969). In San Francisco, Beach Street is joined to Malloca Way, with the once residence of Jo Anne Goettsche only 450 feet away.
In an interview with Michael Morford on the Zodiac Speaking podcast, Jo Anne Goettsche gave the impression she moved to 225 Mallorca Way without Donna Lass. If this was the case, it was still evident that the two young women remained friends during their time in San Francisco, and likely visited each others homes before Donna eventually moved to South Lake Tahoe in early June 1970. She would go missing from the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino in Nevada just three months later, on September 6th 1970. The Zodiac Killer may have become aware of Donna Lass through Jo Anne Goettsche.
If the Zodiac Killer had walked through the park to the area of Presidio Boulevard where "the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west", he would likely exit the park by the intersection of Lyon and Union streets. This location would leave 15 to 20 minutes (just under a mile) to reach 225 Mallorca Way. That is if the Zodiac Killer lived somewhere in the vicinity of this address, which afforded him the opportunity to have crossed paths with Jo Anne Goettsche and Donna Lass.
Interestingly, on October 7th 1969, just four days before the Paul murder, somebody mailed a letter to Sergeant John Lynch of the Vallejo Police Department, mentioning Beach Street in the correspondence and claiming to be the Zodiac Killer (this was the same person who mailed the Concerned Citizen card on August 10th 1969). In San Francisco, Beach Street is joined to Malloca Way, with the once residence of Jo Anne Goettsche only 450 feet away.
Of course, I have no way of knowing for certain that the Zodiac Killer lived within a 0.5 mile radius of the Springs & Tuolumne payphone, before moving to San Francisco prior to the Paul Stine murder. But he may have remained on foot after leaving both the payphone and Paul Stine crime scene. However, if the Zodiac Killer was walking towards a home or business in the Marina District on October 11th 1969, and walking towards a home or business by the Springs & Tuolumne payphone on July 5th 1969, then by checking a city directory such as the one published by R.L. Polk & Company, it may be possible to find a common name or business to both locations. If we find such a person or place, then we may be in business. It would be great if the members of the Zodiac Discord forum could find a directory that covers both the Marina District from 1969 to 1972 and the 0.5 mile radius around the Vallejo payphone in 1969. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
EXTRA READING: OUR KILLER LIVES HERE
EXTRA READING: OUR KILLER LIVES HERE
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