Case 200

The Zodiac

*** Content Warning: gun violence ***

[Part 2 of 4]

On December 20 1968, teenagers David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were gunned down in the middle of the night on a deserted road in Benicia, California. Six months later, another young couple, Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau, were shot in a parking lot in nearby Vallejo.

When an anonymous caller informed the police that he’d committed both attacks, the hunt was on. Investigators found themselves in hot pursuit of an elusive murderer who seemed to enjoy taunting them through letters and cryptic ciphers; a serial killer who signed off his communications with a crosshair symbol and called himself ‘Zodiac’.

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

EPISODE:

Research – Jess Forsayeth and Milly Raso

Writing – Elsha McGill, Erin Munro, Milly Raso and Jess Forsayeth

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas 

Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

 

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RESOURCES

 

BOOKS:

This Is The Zodiac Speaking – Michael Kelleher

Hunted: The Zodiac Murders – Mark Hewitt

Zodiac Unmasked – Robert Graysmith

 

ARCHIVED NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:

Cab driver found slain in Oceanside – Redlands Daily

Cab driver found slain – Progress-Bulletin

New threat to murder busman told – Independent

Oceanside bus and taxi drivers warned of killer – Times-Advocate

Clues sparse in mystery slaying of taxicab driver – The San Bernardino County Sun

Was lean-to meant as slain pair’s pyre? – Daily News

S.F search for death suspect – The San Francisco Examiner

Lompoc slayings – The Los Angeles Times

Body of Lompoc man is found – Santa Maria Times

Quarry worker knifed in back; robbery seen as motive for slaying – The Lompoc Record

Open letter to accused ‘Sandy’ – The Lompoc Record

Hunt still on for ‘Sandy’ – Santa Cruz Sentinel

Suspect ‘Sandy’ possible visitor in Ventura County – Ventura County Star

Gunman kills, robs couple on S.D beach – News-Pilot

‘Thrill-kill’ figured in newlyweds’ death – Independent

Search intensified for eccentric beachcomber – The Lompoc Record

Santa Ana patrolman in hobo camp arrest of ‘man on the beach’ – The Lompoc Record

Clues in honeymooners slaying hits dead end – The Sacramento Bee

Teenagers slayer still at large – Sunday Times-Herald

Vallejo Teenagers slain on dark road –  Daily Independent Journal

Friends quizzed in slaying of teen pair near Vallejo –  The San Francisco Examiner

Clues are lacking in Vallejo slayings – The Sacramento Bee

Teens seek reward to nab killer – The Sacramento Bee

Teenagers slayer still at large – Sunday Times-Herald

Vallejo police seek attacker of pair –  The Sacramento Bee

Coded letter says killing…is fun, tells of three victims –  Los Angeles Times

Code Clue by Vallejo ‘Killer’ Sent Examiner – The San Francisco Examiner

Coded Clue in Murders –  The San Francisco Chronicle

Cipher Killer’s’ New Letter – The San Francisco Examiner

Coed stabbing victim dies – The Press Democrat

Couple attacked by hooded man – The Napa Valley Register

‘About Unbelievable’ Says Ranger White – The Napa Valley Register

Knife killer could strike again, declares Napa County Officer – The Napa Valley Register 

Berryessa Killer Termed a Deviate – The Times

Officials sifting clues in the hunt for murderer – The Napa Valley Register 

Services Held For Victim – The Napa Valley Register 

Officers Check Leads in Berryessa Killing – The Sacramento Bee 

Hartnell: ‘I refused to die’ – The Napa Valley Register

Harnell Leaves Hospital for Return to Classes – The Napa Valley Register

Zodiac Killer — Chilling Portrait of Madness –  The Los Angeles Times 

SF Slayer may be North Bay Killer – The Napa Valley Register 

Zodiac Kills 5th Victim, Again Taunts Police – The Los Angeles Times

Police ask for help in killer search – Oakland Tribune

‘Zodiac’ Jangles Nerves of Napa County People –  The Napa Valley Register 

9mm Pistol is a Gun for Killing – The San Francisco Examiner 

Victim’s brother: A challenge to the Zodiac – The San Francisco Examiner 

 TV “Zodiac” Reneges on Surrender – The San Francisco Examiner 

Zodiac note thrown from passing auto – Ukiah Daily Journal

Police Certain Zodiac Called – The San Francisco Examiner 

Police Swamped By Phone Calls – The San Francisco Examiner 

Slasher Slain to Save Girl – Oakland Tribune 

New Zodiac Call, Threats – Santa Maria Times 

Belli Responds to Plea From Zodiac – The Press-Tribune

Rode with Zodiac, Woman Claims – The San Francisco Examiner  

Zodiac case Tahoe Link Suspected – The Sacramento Bee

Here’s the Zodiac – The San Francisco 

Zodiac Killer Boast of 10 Murders; Letter May Have Given Police Clue – The San Bernardino County Sun  

Park Police Bombed, Berkeley Blast Link Suspected – The San Francisco Examiner

Zodiac Claims 12th Victim – The Press Democrat

Gunman in Dawn Getaway – The San Francisco Examiner 

Zodiac blamed in SF Shooting – Valley Times 

Tahoe Girl May Be Victim of Zodiac – Oakland Tribune 

Hunt for Nurse at Dead End – The San Francisco Examiner 

Zodiac Area Found – The Times Standard

New Zodiac Boast: Claims 13 Victims in Two Notes, Manhunt for Elusive S.F. Killer Enters Second Year – The Los Angeles Times 

Evidence Links Zodiac Killer to ‘66 Death of Riverside Coed – The Los Angeles Times 

Police are Dubious of Zodiac Letter – The Times 

RCC Coed, 18, Slain on Campus: Disabled Car Found Near Victim’s Body – The Press-Enterprise

Letter Writer Admits Killing Riverside Coed – The San Bernardino County Sun

No Clues in Coed Murder – Redlands Daily Facts 

Who, Where is ‘Zodiac’? Officers Seek Local Murders Link – The Sacramento Bee

Breaks Silence: 17-Plus Victims Claimed in Letter by Zodiac Killer – The Los Angeles Times 

Zodiac Killer Surfaces Again With Letter; Hints Toll Is 37 – The Los Angeles Times 

Zodiac Now Using Different Pen Name – Santa Cruz Sentinel 

Zodiac Killer Surfaces Again – The Hanford Sentinel 

The search for a brutal killer continues – The Berkeley Gazette 

In S.F., Sanity is a Relative Thing – The San Francisco Examiner 

Crime Rampage Turns S.F. Into City of Fear – Independent 

Maupin talks about Toschi fan mail – The San Francisco Examiner 

Top Cops Mum; Was the Last Letter a Hoax? – The San Francisco Examiner 

LHS Graduation Hit by Tragedy – The Lompoc Record 

17 Year Old Queried Concerning Gun Theft – The Lompoc Record 

Sniper Said at Scene of Murders – The Lompoc Record 

Zodiac killer may have murdered Lompoc teenagers – The Lompoc Record 

 A Magnificent Obsession with the Zodiac Killer – The San Francisco Examiner 

Sex Suspect to get Examination – The Press Democrat 

Police check Kaczynski for Zodiac Killer Links – The Californian

Amateur Sleuths Gather to Reflect on Years of Fright – The Napa Valley Register 

SFPD Closes Book on Zodiac – The Fresno Bee 

Man Hunted by Ghost of Zodiac Case – The San Francisco Examiner 

Slain Newlyweds Seen Thrill Killer Victims – Ventura County Star-Free Press 

Old Homicide Case Goes to Riverside DA – The San Bernardino County Sun 

Local Officials Checking if Zodiac Involved in Santa Barbara Stabbings – The Napa Valley Register  

Shocking Theory in Zodiac Case – San Francisco Chronicle 

On the Trail of the Zodiac – San Francisco Chronicle 

Gunman kills himself after firing on 3 – The Los Angeles Times

Sniper dies from own pistol shot – Independent

 

ARTICLES:

True Crime Files: Did the Zodiac murder OB newlyweds in 1964? – CBS 8

Did the Zodiac killer murder an Alabama couple in 1964? – Alabama News

The Zodiac Case – Benicia Herald

The Zodiac Killer’s First Known Victims Died 50 Years Ago – SF Weekly

Dave Toschi, 86, Detective who pursued the Zodiac Killer, dies – New York Times

Vallejo police have sent Zodiac Killer DNA to a lab.  Results could come in weeks – The Sacramento Bee

Why The Internet Thinks This Sports Car Mogul Might Have Been The Zodiac Killer –  jalopnik.com 

Zodiac Killer case: DNA may offer hope of solving the mystery – The San Francisco Chronicle

 

VIDEO:

The Zodiac Killer’s First Victims? – Zodiac Killer Official

News 8 footage of Swindle murder crime scene 

The murders of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen 

This is the zodiac speaking 

Zodiac voice on Jim Dunbar 

Is this the real voice of the Zodiac Killer?

The Mikado: Act 1: Behold the Lord High Executioner/I’ve Got a Little List (Song 5) 

Arthur Leigh Allen: The Basement Interviews (Zodiac Killer –1991) 

Zodiac Killer KPIX News Report 1969 

Zodiac Killer – Paul Avery on Zodiac 

Zodiac Killer – Inspector Dave Toschi on Public Response 

Zodiac Killer – Toschi and Maupin Controversy 

Zodiac Killer – Bill Armstrong on Zodiac Bomb Letter 

Did the Zodiac Killer begin his murders in Oceanside, Cal 

Still at Large: LA ch. 4 News – Harvey Hines and Larry Kane 

Richard “Rick” Marshall – Zodiac Killer Suspect

 

OTHER:

Histories and Mysteries: The murder of Ray Davis – Kristi Hawthorne

Who was the individual known as “Sandy” in 1963?

Transcript of News 8 news report of Swindle murder

Archived newspaper articles on the Swindle murder

Death Certificate David Arthur Faraday 

Death Certificate Betty Lou Jensen 

Solano County Sheriff’s Office Report 

C.A. Department of Justice CII Report – Ballistics

Vallejo Police Department Report

Darlene Ferrin Certificate of Death

Ferrin and Psychic Joseph DeLouise

Napa County Sheriff’s Department Report – Collins and Land

Napa County Sheriff’s Department – Zodiac’s Gun

FBI Reports on Fingerprints in Berryessa Case

Napa Sheriff’s County Department Report – The 3 Girls at the Lake

CA Department of Justice/CII Report (Lake Berryessa)

Autopsy Report – Cecelia Shepard

Bryan Hartnell – Interview Transcript

Bryan Hartnell – Transcript of Conversation with the Zodiac

Napa County Sheriff’s Department Report – Hal Snook

Napa Police Department Report – Dispatcher David Slaight

Paul Stine – Certificate of Death

San Francisco Police Department Report by Armand Pelissetti

1971 Report Into Arthur Leigh Allen by Detective Jack Mulanax

1971 Handwriting Report – Arthur Leigh Allen

Sonoma County Sheriff Report Child Molestation Report – Arthur Leigh Allen

Return to Search Warrant, 13 February 1991, Arthur Leigh Allen 

Circumstances which indicate Arthur Leigh Allen is, in fact, the Zodiac Killer – by Detective George Bawart

Riverside Police Department: Letter on Zodiac Connection – by LT Kinkead 

Autopsy Report – Cheri Jo Bates 

Kathleen Johns: San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office Report

Kathleen Johns: Patterson Police Department Report 

Analysis of Zodiac Homicides: CA DOJ

 

WEBSITES:

ZodiacCiphers.com

ZodiacKiller.com – special thanks to Tom Voigt for his assistance in answering queries

ZodiacKillerFacts.com

MK Zodiac

Dave Toschi Wikipedia

California Department of State Hospitals – Atascadero

Zodiac (true crime book) Wikipedia

Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders

tapatalk.com – Ross Sullivan

Duffy Jennings – This is the Zodiac Speaking

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