January 31, 2025 • 74 mins
What's your zodiac sign? I'm a Gemini, which is fun to think about, but hold on a minute, that's not really what we are here for on this week's thrilling episode. This episode is all about the zodiac, but not in the way you might expect; rather than discussing your personal zodiac sign, we are diving deep into the chilling story of the deranged serial killer known as the Zodiac Killer. This notorious figure infamously taunted law enforcement, the media, and the world at large, leaving a trail of fear and confusion in his wake. His true identity, his reign of terror, and his shocking levels of narcissism have left everybody scratching their heads for an astonishing 57 years. Join us as we pack a season finale bowl and embark on a gripping discussion about the Zodiac Killer, exploring the mystery that has captivated true crime enthusiasts and investigators alike. We will delve into the details of his crimes, the cryptic letters he sent, and the impact he had on society at the time, making sure to cover every chilling aspect of this dark chapter in criminal history. So, get ready to dive into this intense subject and uncover the secrets that remain hidden even to this day as we discuss the Zodiac Killer.
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Ky - @chronic___chaos Instagram/X
Queen - @QueenReafer Instagram/X/TikTok/Twitch
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Happy 420, I'm Kai and I'm Queen Reefer and you're watching Stone Cold Murder. Just a PSA,
(00:06):
if you have any information to help solve a crime, you can go to Crimestoppers.com to report any
information anonymously. This podcast contains material that might not be suitable for all
audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. Welcome back to season three episode 10 everyone.
(00:27):
This is our final episode of the season. Welcome. Season. The season. I have, as you can see, this nice helmet.
She said this nice helmet. I got it for a Christmas gift exchange. I've got, wait, I can't show you
(00:53):
the logo, but just know, each one of these cans, just know that each one of these cans contains
100 milligrams. I attached this straw and this one, I'm going to get fucked up. So I hope you
guys all join me in the Devotry. All right, help me open these cans too. And I'm just here like,
(01:18):
okay, Queen is going to help me open this can because instructions are
slightly unclear, but I think I got them. What is this? I just pulled a beer. Is it good?
Why is the thing so small? Why is the hole small? That's what I was wondering too. No, I think you
put, no, you push it up. Yeah, it's got to be childproof. How does it taste? Like root beer.
(01:49):
Yeah, you want to try this one? This one's cherry cola. Like root beer with a hint of weed.
I'm like cherry cola waiting for it.
It tastes like a dab afterwards. Bro,
(02:20):
it's like forcing it out. That's crazy.
Now, how are you supposed to drink this all? If it like, don't even, oh, I got it.
(02:43):
You just have to persist. Dude, I'm crying already. I'm really persisting.
It's like a double layer. It's probably childproof.
(03:04):
Three hours later. Can you move it along? I'm all out of time cards. Okay, no. Does it work?
So you're root bearing in cola at the same time? How does that taste?
(03:26):
It tastes pretty good. You want to try it? I'm okay.
Okay. Should I put it on? The last time I had any kind of edibles, I almost missed my flight. So
let's get backwards. No.
(03:47):
I can't wear this the whole time. It's going to fall off my head.
So yeah, I have already chugged an equivalent of one of these and taken plenty of dabs. Let me take
another sip. The bubbles are spicy. Why is it spicy?
(04:10):
Why is it spicy? I actually have a why is it spicy painting that I painted back here.
I'm going to show you. I'm going to share with the class. Wow. Everybody tell her how good her art is.
(04:31):
Wow. What is it spicy? So you ready to get into it? You think? I'm ready. You ready? Oh,
you watched the TikTok I sent you about this case?
It was a month back where someone thought their grandpa was the killer. Yeah, it's very convincing.
(04:55):
I didn't include it in this episode, but I almost did because I almost am on that theory. You know what I mean?
Okay, it's got to be someone's father or grandpa or something. It's got to be someone. So yeah.
(05:16):
So yeah, all right, let's start. Or something. Or something. I mean, that's how it got here.
So are we? No, you're not. I'll do it again. Oh, no, you will. It's so fun.
(05:49):
Okay, see you again. Guys, I just really want you to know that I really am not a mean person.
I really am so kind. Kindest. So I just wanted to put that out there because
all we show on the show is me bullying you. So I wanted to make that crystal clear.
(06:15):
Yeah, she's not a bully at all. She's my favorite person ever.
All right. So nobody ever thinks the lovely, beautiful, most perfect sister in the whole
(06:41):
world is ever evil or mean to me ever. Okay, thank you. All right, let's move on.
Little do they know we're both evil?
We're just like both and the devil is out today. Neither of us are kind. He's getting more kind.
(07:06):
She said.
I don't want to be here no more. Oh, you can take a little joke. No joke for me.
She's my favorite. My family. They're so mean. They say I'm not nice when I try to be a good person.
(07:46):
You were the one saying you were evil.
I did. I was convincing chat that I wasn't evil.
It's used to pay for a friendship.
(08:08):
Tickets started.
You ready? I'm ready. Okay, let's do it again.
Matt, can you do like a little sparkle noise when we hit the our fingers? Ready? One, two, three.
All right, we're ready.
(08:31):
Our story starts out on December 20th 1968 in Vallejo, California. At 8 30 p.m. 17 year old David
Faraday drove his 1961 station wagon to pick up his date who was 16 year old Betty Lou Jensen from
her home. The two were on their first day and were excited to spend the evening together, which
(08:55):
oh cute. Just so adorable. The two of them first visited one of Betty Lou's friends and hung out
for about 20 to 30 minutes. And then about sometime after nine they drove to what was referred to as
Lover's Lane. Yeah, and this is located on Lake Herman Road. Tim, I want to go visit Lover's Lane.
(09:19):
I know it's not so cute. They parked for a bit and did you know what teenagers do?
And they parked for a bit and you know made out or talked or whatever you do on Lover's Lane.
Probably fuck. At 10 30 ish a driver noticed the couple parked on the gravel runoff near the gate
(09:45):
next to like a water pump station. And then again at 11 the two of them were spotted by a different
driver passing by just noted that they saw them. Only same area. Yeah, same area. Only a few minutes
later at 11 10 p.m. a woman named Stella, her mother-in-law and her daughter got into a car to
(10:07):
go pick up Stella's son from a show. They drove down the quiet dark winding road and eventually
came to a small pump station located on Lake Herman Road. Stella noticed a station wagon that was parked
on the side of the road and the wagon's door was wide open and she could see the driver hanging
about halfway out of the car. Oops, not a good sight on a dark winding road. Yeah, that's terrifying.
(10:36):
Yeah, she could also see a young woman laying on the ground near the vehicle. So Stella decided to
drive straight to the police department to report what she had stumbled upon. And actually as she
was driving she actually came upon a police officer and she was flashing her lights to try and get
their attention. And officer Daniel Pita and William Warner took Stella's statement, called in the
(11:01):
report and then headed to the scene. When the police arrived at around 11 20 p.m. they found Betty
Lou Jensen laying face down dead on the scene about 30 feet from her car. Geez. Or from David's car,
I should say. David Faraday was found still breathing, just barely clinging to life. A bullet
(11:25):
had gone through his left ear and then through the back of his head, which, ooh, I couldn't imagine.
Yeah. Police followed him as he was transported to the hospital in hopes that they could maybe get a
statement from him once he arrived. Unfortunately, he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital
(11:45):
from his injuries. So they were unable to talk to either him or Betty Lou. The police who did
stay behind to investigate found several small caliber bullets on the ground and two bullet
holes in the side of the car. Investigators determined that between 11 05 or maybe like 11 10 p.m.
(12:11):
there a salient parked the vehicle about 10 feet from the passenger side of David Faraday's car.
So this is where Betty Lou would have been sitting. He fired several shots at David's car
and then he walked around to the driver's side. They believe none of the first initial shots hit
(12:31):
David or Betty. They believe that the couples tried to scramble to get through the passengers
side door. But then Betty Lou did succeed in getting out of the car because they were she was
found like 30 feet from the vehicle. But as David Faraday was exiting the killer shot him in the
head with the 22 caliber rifle. Why wouldn't why? Why would you try and get out in that situation?
(13:00):
Am I missing something? Why wouldn't you try and drive away? Isn't that all it's like the classic
ask because you like in a scary movie you would see something like that and you would definitely
be like what the fuck? I also have to just um yeah I feel like you know like a scary movie
(13:22):
situation you would be saying that same thing like where the fuck are you getting out but
I don't know maybe in that presented presented in that situation you freak out. Yeah you know
I don't know. Yeah I mean it's easier like to like think of what you would do. Yeah. So you're
(13:42):
actually put in that situation with like all that adrenaline not thinking clearly. Right.
After the attacker shot David the attacker then chased Betty Lou and as she tried to like run
away he fired six shots at her back hitting her five times. Later an autopsy determined that the
bullets hit her heart, liver and right kidney which was what led to the significant blood loss
(14:10):
that she suffered and ultimately her dying. Police theorized that the entire attack only took two to
three minutes so it was a pretty quick attack overall. There were no witnesses to the actual
murder, no usable tire prints, no footprints or honestly no clues really pointing to who could
(14:33):
have done this or why they would have done this to these young lovers and despite the murders
being extensively covered by the media and intense investigations in the following months no suspects
or clues to who or why were found to help point them in the right direction. On top of the lack
of evidence the local police department has not really dealt with a murder in over five years in
(14:58):
this county. Oh wow. So they were very inexperienced in dealing with such a violent crime so I kind
of think that led to a lot of it not being anything being found you know what I mean. This left
everyone stumped as they tracked down a motive and the person responsible for the murders in the
next coming months. On July 4th 1969 22 year old Darlene Farron and 19 year old Michael Magoo
(15:26):
were prepping to go on a little date that night. Darlene was a popular waitress who was actually
married at the time and had met Michael while working and apparently they hit it off so they
were going out that night. Yeah Darlene arrived at Michael's house to pick him out up at around
(15:47):
11 50 p.m. that night and as the couple left Michael's house Darlene drove in the direction of Lake
Herman Road. They planned on getting a little dinner but as they approached the restaurant
Darlene pulled a U-turn and headed towards Blue Rock Springs Park instead. Darlene turned her car
into a parking lot at Blue Rock Springs Park where there were already two cars parked in that parking
(16:12):
lot. This was also another known lovers lane and this was located just two miles from where Lake
Herman Road was where the other incident took place. Darlene parked about 70 feet from the lot
entrance and then as she put her car in park the other two cars that were there just pulled out of
(16:32):
the lot and they were like they didn't want to be around so that was leaving Darlene and Michael
alone in the parking lot together. The two sat parked talking and joking with each other and
Darlene told Michael that she had something to tell him that she hadn't told him before.
As this happened another vehicle pulled into the lot and parked about 80 feet to their left.
(16:57):
The driver turned his headlights off and sat there motionless and then drove off again
which I would be like I don't know if I would stay. Yeah.
About five minutes later a vehicle again entered the lot. Michael thought it might be the same
(17:17):
vehicle that had just drove off but he wasn't actually certain so he was kind of like so this
car parked just a few feet next to Michael's side of the car and then a man got out. Yeah,
we're driving away. Right. Bye. I'm leaving. Michael asked the driver who he was through the
window and as he did that he flashed his flashlight into the car as he approached.
(17:42):
So the couple thought maybe the approaching stranger was maybe a police officer
so they rolled down the windows to hand him their IDs and without speaking the stranger
fired a nine millimeter pistol into the car. One bullet hit Michael in the right arm and the other
hit Darlene in her neck. Without saying a word the shooter then turned around and walked back into
(18:08):
to his car. Michael let out a scream from the pain obviously from getting shot in the arm.
Michael was like fighting and struggling to get himself out of the car but then the stranger
turned back around and realized that he was still alive. That's like oh that's so unfortunate. I know.
That's why like in those types of situations just I mean I'm sure he was in agonizing pain.
(18:32):
Yeah. Right. Yeah so he was like oh fuck he's still alive he turned around
and then he returned and shot Michael and Darlene two more times each. The attacker climbed back
into his car and then drove off. The first person to hear the shot was a golf course caretaker
(18:55):
who was nearby the crime scene and then there were two or there were three teenagers who drove
into the parking lot and saw the wounded couple and then they went to go get help.
So between both of those people seeing them police arrived at the scene about 12 20 a.m.
(19:16):
and the headlights to Darlene's brown Chevrolet were still on and the sound of the turn signal
clicking with faint music from the radio made the scene just a little bit more eerie as they
got out to investigate which that is creepy right. Yeah it's like a movie scene all of this like this
whole case is kind of like it seems like a made up story almost you know but it's crazy that it's
(19:45):
a real life story so Michael Magoo was found laying on his back outside the passenger door.
He gestured to the officers as they approached the help so he was like help help so he was still alive.
The officer could tell that he had been shot in the chest neck and his left leg and his arm
(20:05):
and his arm yeah well I don't think he probably couldn't tell that but yeah.
She's right Darlene was found slumped against the driver's side door she had been shot twice in the
arm once in her side and then she was in her neck and then she was found still breathing as well.
The ambulance was called for Darlene where she was taken to the hospital
(20:28):
where she was unfortunately pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
Michael only managed to tell investigators that a white man in a brown car was responsible.
Michael was rushed into surgery but once he was in better shape he was able to describe the
attacker a little bit better to police. He described him as a heavy set white man around five foot
(20:54):
eight inches tall and he estimated his weight about 195 pounds to 200 pounds with a large face
and curly light brown hair. The killer wore a dark were dark clothes and no glasses.
Unfortunately these details were not really enough to develop a suspect because it's kind of like
(21:16):
yeah it's kind of generic but it did help at least narrow it down for police to start looking.
At around 12 40 a.m the Layhill police department received a phone call from a pay phone located
two blocks from the police headquarters. The man on the other end of the line said
(21:37):
I want to report a double murder. If you go one mile east on Columbus Parkway to the park
to the public park you will find kids in a brown car. They were shot with a nine millimeter lugger.
I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye. Yeah the voice was steady and emotionless to the point
(22:03):
it gave the 911 operator who is Nancy Solver the chills and what what she said sounded like a
rehearsed confession. So that's gross. That vibes right off the bat we don't like this. No.
So this call was traced to a nearby pay phone and this was at a gas station but when the police
(22:27):
arrived the phone booth was completely empty. Of course he's not going to get caught that easy.
We don't think. You know what I'm gonna stick around. I'm gonna head out. The gas station nearby
had been closed for about an hour by that time so there were no witnesses around to confirm the
(22:47):
identity of the caller which is probably purposeful on his end. Yeah as police investigated it quickly
became clear that just like the first murders of Betty Lou and David there was no evidence or clues
left behind at the scene. However Darlene's husband's parents reported receiving a mysterious phone
(23:10):
call the night of the attack at 1 30 a.m. Yeah they heard heavy breathing and then the caller hung up.
Ew. Yeah isn't that disgusting. So I don't know and it wasn't even her parents it was her husband's
(23:32):
parents. Yeah that's weird. Isn't it? Don't like that. No either. So detectives start to suspect
that part of the killer's intentions were to just strictly mock his victims and the people
surrounding his victims by calling them and just taunting them wherever he could and you'll see this
(23:55):
become more prominent as the case goes on but the family did report receiving annual phone calls on
the 4th of July from someone who identified himself as the Zodiac. Ew. Yeah so like even years and
years after every 4th of July this motherfucker's calling them. So it's like targeted. It's not
(24:16):
just like random people. Yeah or it could be but I'm pretty sure at least a few of them have been
from the killer you know. I think it's interesting that the killer's taunting people like he obviously
takes joy in doing that even to the point of like potentially exposing himself and
(24:36):
like revealing his own voice. Yeah. Because like back then you're not really getting a voice code
like decipher thing or not decipher but like encryptor. Yeah. That's what it's called.
Whatever. A voice disguiser. Yeah. You know. So this letter here was sent on July 31st 1969
(24:58):
to the Vallejo Times, San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner. I'll receive letters
written by someone taking credit for the attacks in Vallejo. The three letters were nearly identical
and read I am the killer of the two teenagers last Christmas at Lake Herman and the girl last
(25:21):
4th of July. All three letters had notable amounts of misspellings and was like a very like the very
first definitive link between the two separate attacks in Vallejo. Like of course they had the
call but before then they weren't like maybe it's not really connected. Maybe it's someone trying to
take credit for it you know. This was like the first official one that they got. He gave a short
(25:46):
list of facts about each crime that only the police and the killer would know since the information
had not yet been released to the press or the public. Gros. Yeah. He gave the brands of the
ammunition used in both murders as well as some specifics about his victims and the number of
shots fired. Which was like that's calculated. Yeah. Like you're counting. Uh-huh. Which is gross.
(26:14):
I don't like that. Yeah. Inside all three letters was a different cryptogram. Each got one third of
the code so each paper got a different one. So they had to kind of like put them together to try
and figure it out. Yeah. Oh I don't like him. I don't like them. Yeah. They combined to form a
(26:35):
408 symbol cipher. The writer claimed in the cipher is my identity. The writer demanded the codes be
printed on each newspaper's front page on August 1st issue. He said if they were not printed on
the Friday morning issue he threatened to quote cruise around all weekend killing lone people in
(27:00):
the night and then move on to kill again until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend.
What a psycho. Yes. I know. The letters were all signed with the symbol resembling the crosshairs
of a gun sight. Oh. Yeah. Freak. And the same symbol was found on the ciphers as well.
(27:24):
So the cryptogram was published on the Friday's edition of the Vallejo News Chronicle
and this was actually the only paper to do so by the zodiac specific deadline. Why. The other two
people did not do it. Why. Why would you fuck around like that. Like you obviously know this
(27:45):
person's capable of like horrendous stuff. Yeah. They said that they didn't want it to like ruin the
image of the paper. So you're just OK with like a dozen people getting killed because of your
stupidity. Yeah. They were like oh we don't know if it's going to be like actually a real thing or
if it's just like this guy bluffing you know. OK. Better safe than sorry. I agree. We're the police
(28:08):
not involved in this at all. In the newspaper they I they were. But so they're just like your
discretion like whatever you want to do. I think they assumed that they were going to do it.
And they do end up doing it but it was like the next day and it was not on the front page.
(28:29):
They did it on like the second and fourth page. That's just stupidity. It is stupid to mess around
with like they were trying to fuck around and find out. Yeah. With other people's lives. Other people's
lives. That's fucking stupid. You're stupid. Yep. It's stupid. Can I say that. Yeah. You're stupid.
(28:49):
Can I say that. So the police chief Jack East still publicly challenged the killer and said we
are not satisfied that the letter was actually written by the murderer and he requested that
the killer send more facts to prove his identity. Now obviously the first letter had a bunch of
(29:11):
information but I think they were trying to like bait him into hopefully messing up and recognizing
that the fame of says killer like a famous that recognizing that a fame fame obsessed killer like
the Zodiac is what I was trying to say would be tempted to respond back. Yeah. He was like he wants
(29:32):
that. Yeah. He wants that credit but it's also smart to like maybe try and get more information
out of him like just on the fact like we don't think it's you. So his ego is like oh let me prove
it. Exactly. But then they get more information out of him. I'm like more of a like suspect.
Totally. Whatever. It's easier for him to slip up to. Exactly. So yeah they were hoping that he
(29:58):
would be tempted to respond back. Obviously. Oh that's what I was going to say. I'm assuming he
didn't because they were hoping he would. Sorry I read way too much into things so just go ahead.
Again. My next line was and they were right. On August 4th the examiner received a letter that
(30:20):
started Dear editor this is the Zodiac speaking this letter marked the debut of the Zodiac's name
and the first time the killer called himself by this nickname. So nobody else was really calling
him the Zodiac. He was calling himself. Hey. The Zodiac. The second letter to the media was much
(30:45):
longer than the first and the killer did just as the chief requested. He provided more information
about both murders including details to the minute about how he shot Michael and described the golf
course caretaker from the second murder. He also revealed that he had taped a flashlight to his gun
(31:08):
in order to aim easily in the dark. That's why they saw that flashlight shining. It wasn't a
fucking flashlight. Well it was but taped to his fucking gun which is scary. Yeah that's not cool.
Yeah. The killer alluded back to his cipher staying quote when they do crack it they will have me
(31:29):
and this is this is it. Dang. That's crazy. Like what in the fuck. Fucking Morris code bro.
Yeah. So both the FBI and the CIA attempted to decrypt the Z408 cipher on August 5th.
(31:52):
Two people in Salinas California a couple named Donald and Betty Hardin cracked the code. So
they said that the key to cracking the code was looking for the word kill and the phrase
I like killing. So given the context of the letter the couple guessed that one if not both of these
(32:14):
would be used in the letter. So by guessing that and guessing correctly yet again they were able to
crack the code which is interesting. The message was filled with intentional misspellings and I
say intentional because the police believed that this killer was a very smart individual who was
(32:36):
trying to disguise himself as someone who's stupid. Yeah who's not. Yes. And they were in this
second letter or the cipher. It was. So the message was intentionally filled with misspellings
(32:56):
and it referred to a short story called the most dangerous game. The zodiac explained killing
was a way of collecting slaves for his afterlife. Yeah. Ew. Yes. So the full text of the decoded
cipher reads I like killing people because it is so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game
(33:21):
in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal and you could see these misspellings
of all to kill something gives me the most thrilling experience. It is even better than
getting your rocks off with a girl. The best part is that when I die I will be reborn in paradise
(33:47):
and all that I have killed will become my slaves. I will not give you my name because you will try
to slow down or stop my collecting of slaves for my afterlife. Ew. I hate him. Yeah. Is that what
you thought that code would say? Ew. No. And like the misspellings are like they're gross.
(34:12):
They're weird. You can obviously tell it's an intentional. Yeah. Like it's not like a dyslexic
thing. No. It's to throw people off. It's like really bad. Yeah. Like it was hard for me to read
some of it. Paradise. Yeah. Yeah. It's like obviously so. And it's stupid. It's stupid parts of the
words. Yeah. So cracking this code really didn't lead them much closer to solving the zodiac's
(34:38):
identity nor did it really reveal any promising things to help point them in the right direction.
Didn't he say though like once you crack those you'll know who I am. Yeah. But then he said
I'm not going to reveal my identity because you will try to slow me down or stop my collecting
of slaves. Well he said collecting yong. Collecting yong. And atop. Atop my collecting yong.
(35:07):
Yeah. So. Yeah. No. It's just interesting isn't it? Yeah. So that's why we're going to take our first
smoke break. Yay. And this smoke break is brought to you by the drink.
(35:30):
Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck.
Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck.
Stella's joined us. The pod dog. Yes. I finished my drinks. Queen reefer has planted crops.
(35:53):
We're at her back from our smoke break. On September 27th, 1969 at 4 p.m. 20 year old Brian
Hartnell and 22 year old Cecilia Shepard students from Pacific Union College were having just a
little picnic on a small island in Lake Barissa. That's so cute. I know. So the two of them were
(36:21):
having their little picnic. It's having a nice little time enjoying their time together. And
Cecilia noticed a man watching them which is terrifying. Yeah that. Don't ruin my picnic.
That's scary. I don't like that. So the man came back from like behind a tree with a black hood
(36:43):
on his face. No. Yeah. That's even worse. Yeah. And like clip on sunglasses on top of it. And wore
like a bib with a three by three crosshair symbol on it. So that's the little symbol right here.
That was on all the letters. Oops. And then he got a hoodie made. Yeah. Or maybe not made but.
(37:06):
Yeah. He had a gun pointed at both of them. And the attacker said that he escaped jail
after killing a guard and needed their car and money to travel to Mexico. He made Cecilia bind
Brian with pre cut length of plastic clove line. And he tightened Brian's bonds because
(37:32):
the ones she tied he said were not tied enough. So he tightened them. And then he made the two
lay face down in the grass. And as soon as the two did he stood over Brian drew a knife and
then stabbed him in the back. Cecilia screamed and watched in horror as Brian was stabbed over
and over and over. Geez. After stabbing Brian several times he then moved over to Cecilia.
(37:59):
By the time his rampage was over Brian had suffered six stab wounds and Cecilia was stabbed 10 times.
Once Brian knew that the killer was gone he crawled his way to Cecilia to try and free each
other. They were both very weak and struggling and losing lots of blood in the process. But
(38:22):
eventually Cecilia was able to untie Brian's wrists and with all of his strength he was able to
sit up and untie her. I hate this. I know it's sad. Cecilia had lost too much blood at this point
and wasn't able to move. So Brian stumbled and like crawled his way to the gravel road to get help.
(38:47):
As he collapsed on the ground and approaching vehicle stop and two park rangers were the ones
that found and tended to Brian and Cecilia and then they wrapped him in blankets until an ambulance
arrived. A fisherman and his son actually reported hearing people screaming for help in the area
(39:08):
and the park rangers were the ones responding to that call. So for lucky for Brian they were
able to find him right away on the road. Just before the first officers arrived on scene at
around 740 the police station received a phone call about the attack. At first they assumed that it
(39:30):
was a park ranger calling to just like inform them about what was happening. The caller claimed and
claimed and reported a double murder. Then right before he hung up he whispered I was the one that
did it and then the call ended. You like him. I know. So the call was again traced to an empty
(39:57):
phone booth just a few miles from the police station. Napa County deputy Dave Collins and Ray
Land responded to the report of the attack. Unfortunately Cecilia Shepard went into a coma
during the transport to the hospital where she never regained consciousness and she died two
(40:20):
days later. So very unfortunate. Brian Hartnell however survived and he was eventually able to
recount his statement. Police on the scene searched the area for any clues or witnesses to the attack.
Coming up with nothing except for the note the zodiac had intentionally left her that.
(40:44):
Oh at the time like at the scene. Mm-hmm. Are you getting more and more bold? I know it's like a
movie right? Yeah I know. He's just like playing with everyone. Yeah he's disgusting. He's an
asshole. I don't like him. I don't like him either. So investigators found that the zodiac killer
hiked 500 yards to Knoxville Road leaving several footprints behind actually. So the zodiac killer
(41:10):
left a note on Ryan's car door. He drew that crosshair symbol on Hartnell's car door with a black
felt pin and wrote beneath it Vallejo 12 20 68 underneath that 7 4 69 under that September 27
(41:33):
69 6 30 under that by knife. So that's the like killings dates? Uh huh. Yep so you can see it
right here. So he made sure to specify September 27th because that was that attack and by knife
because he had not killed by knife before. Mm-hmm that would be his first time.
(42:05):
Oh my god. Sorry I didn't get the warning. Jump scare bro.
This is the composite sketch. That is horrifying. That is like so scary. Like that actually jump
scared me. I know it's terrifying. Could you imagine him looking at you through the forest?
(42:30):
Behind a tree? Oh I'm looking at me in general. I don't want you looking at my direction. No.
Yeah sorry that like took me out when I saw that. He's scary you're right. He kind of looks like
Pinocchio. I wasn't looking and then I looked over and I was like oh scary. Yeah so there's the
(42:51):
composite sketch. Yeah he's scary. I know sorry for the jump scare. Police were able to track down
people who had visited the lake that day in order to see if anyone had seen anything out of the ordinary.
Earlier that same day a suspicious man had been seen around the lake by several people.
(43:15):
A dentist and his son saw a heavy-set man looking at them from a distance before he
like hurried off. Oh well. Like shuffled off. I know. Again the strange man was spotted by
three women at around 2 30 p.m. as they stopped on their way to the lake.
After they arrived at the lake so I guess this was like on their way to the lake.
(43:38):
So after they arrived at the lake they laid out to sunbathe and then they noticed again
he was watching them. I mean you can get up and leave. Uh-huh. So these women worked with a
photographer named Robert McKenzie to create that composite sketch that you just saw.
I'm sorry. Yes that was awful isn't it? That would be the man that they saw watching them sunbathe.
(44:05):
You immediately know. Police then showed the image to all other potential witnesses.
The suspect was described as being roughly six feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds
which matched the description by Cecilia and Brian. Napa County Detective Ken Narlow
(44:28):
was assigned to the case and he worked on solving the crime until his retirement in 1987.
So they believe that the zodiac drove 27 miles from the crime scene to a car washed in like
downtown Napa. There he used a pay phone to call the Napa County Sheriff Department at 7 40 p.m.
(44:53):
He told the dispatcher he wished to report a murder. No a double murder.
And then he confessed to the crime. He did not hang up the phone he just left. Damn.
Oh yeah I hate him. I know. Again. I know. Over and over. I'm just gonna keep saying it.
(45:13):
Yeah it's a frustrating one. He's just like playing around.
He's an asshole. He just likes to toy with people and torment them. Yeah. It's like.
So KVON radio reporter Pat Stanley found the phone off the hook just a few minutes later
(45:37):
after this call. The pay phone was located a few blocks from the Sheriff's office
and detectives were able to lift a wet palm print from the phone but they were never able
to match it to any suspects. So next we're gonna come up on the final victim that is associated
(46:00):
with the zodiac killer. Of course a lot of people do attribute a lot of other murders to the zodiac
killer but this is the last one that he claims. So there may or may not be other murders from him but
this is the last one that we get. Like confirmed. Uh huh. Exactly. So this happened on October 11th,
(46:25):
1969 at 9 40 p.m. in downtown San Francisco. 29 year old Paul Stein was a doctoral student
and drove a cab when he wasn't in class or studying. His shoe started out just like any other. He
clocked in at 9 p.m. and had been driving around for about an hour when someone waved him down for
(46:46):
a ride. Little did he know that this ride would not be like every other ride. The man gave Paul
a destination and it was in Presedo Heights. When the taxi arrived at Washington and Maple
Street the man asked to be driven just one more block down. So this block was Washington and
(47:06):
Cherry and the taxi arrived at 9 55 p.m. Paul parked his taxi and the man in the passenger seat
then shot Paul in the head with a handgun took his wallet and car keys. Three teenagers witnessed
the murder from a house directly across the street from where Paul's cab was parked. Could you imagine?
(47:30):
No. That'd be awful. Like I couldn't even imagine just like looking out the window and like actually
witnessing something like that. No. That would be awful. Yes. Yeah. Terrible.
They saw his body slumped over and laying across the killer's lab.
(47:52):
Nicula's face was clearly visible and lit up by the street light as the teenagers watched the killer
wipe down the vehicle and then go through Paul Stein's clothes afterwards. He left behind two
partial fingerprints and a right hand print. While he was distracted in the cab the kids took the
(48:13):
opportunity to call the San Francisco Police Department. They described the criminal as a husky
white man in a dark or black jacket. The dispatcher misheard the description as being a black jacket
and mistakenly heard black suspect. So when they reported it to the police department
(48:41):
two minutes later they were reporting to look for a black suspect instead of a white man in a black
jacket. So after this call the police department sent two nearby patrol officers to respond to the
incident and they encountered a white man in dark clothing walking towards the Prisito Army base.
(49:08):
They pulled alongside the man and asked if he had seen anything suspicious. Oh my god. The man
confirmed he had seen someone waving a gun and heading east. The officer hurried away
and the Zodiac Killer later claimed that he was in fact the same witness that those two officers
(49:28):
spoke to that night. Which could you imagine? I feel like in description cases like that they
should have to like it should be protocol to like go back and re-listen low key because the phone
calls are recorded. Yeah. Yeah, isn't that crazy? That pisses me. It's like so many of these cases
(49:54):
have just like one tiny little mistake that just changes the trajectory of like the entire case.
Right. Right. It's crazy. Damn. I know. When police arrived on the scene, Paul Stein was declared dead.
The area was searched but by the time the killer had already disappeared. So like we said he had
(50:19):
stumbled upon those cops and he kind of disappeared into the night. The teenage witness helped the
police artists make a composite sketch of the man that they saw in Stein's cab. The two patrol
officers who questioned the witness near the scene realized that it may have been the Zodiac
Duh. They put two and two together. So they also helped develop a sketch of the suspect.
(50:46):
Police assumed that the murder was a result of a robbery that took place but not necessarily
related to the Zodiac killer at all. Which I don't know why they assumed that way. Yeah.
You know, obviously there's it connects later but I don't know. I don't know why they assumed
right off the bat. So on October 14th, he mailed a bloody piece of Stein's t-shirt or shirt that he
(51:12):
was wearing to the San Francisco Chronicle. He included a letter where he boasted about the
murder and claimed to have hid near the crime scene and watched the San Francisco Police
Department search for him. Well, I know. Then this letter he also threatened to shoot a tire on a school
(51:34):
bus. He said that the children would make nice targets. Yeah. This is a quote from him. It's
and I'm sorry trigger warning for everybody. I think I shall whip out a school bus some morning.
Just shoot out the front tire and then pick off the little kitties as they come bouncing out. Oh my
(51:56):
God. Yeah. So this threat was published on October 15th and this obviously caused pandemonium
everywhere. People started freaking out which obviously I would too especially in that area. So
police scrambled to respond but they they had unmarked police cars trail buses throughout the
(52:18):
city. Plain surveyed hideways to look for snipers and bus drivers were given instructions on how to
respond to an active shooter. Which sucks. On October 22nd, 1969, a man named Eric Wheel tricked
attorney Melvin Belly into a conversation on KGO TV's AM San Francisco claiming he was the killer.
(52:44):
Investigators concluded Eric Welley was not the Zodiac killer. But I think they still
played along in the game just to double check. So he called the Oakland police department and
demanded to speak to Melvin Belly or F. Lee Bailey on TV. During the show, Eric Welley told Melvin
(53:09):
Belly that he would not reveal his identity for fear of being executed. He arranged a rendezvous
with Melvin on Mission Street in Daly City. But of course he did not show up to this meeting because
it was not the killer I don't think. So on November 10th, the Zodiac mailed a card with a 340 character
(53:34):
cryptogram. He asked for the code to be printed on the front page. This one was harder than the
first one and it remained unsolved for 51 years. Dang. Yeah. That's a long time. I know. The Zodiac
ciphers were crowdsourced through a variety of websites which led to gradual breakthroughs on
(53:58):
the cipher but it took a long time. The Z340 was deciphered by an international team of
private citizens on December 5th, 2020. Dang. Yeah. 20 in 20 dude. That's crazy right? Yeah.
(54:18):
Yeah. The cryptogram group included American software engineer David Anrek, Australian
mathematician Sam Blake, and Belgian programmer Gar van Jaik. I hope I said I know I butchered
that I'm very sorry. Using a program made by Yaro Van Eik called AZ Decrypt, the team ran a
(54:51):
650,000 possible solutions for this cipher until the program came up with the best possible match.
In the decrypted message, the Zodiac denied being the man who spoke on the AM San Francisco and
explained he was not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me into paradise all the sooner.
(55:15):
Fucking crazy ass. Ew. Yeah. The team submitted their findings to the FBI's cryptograph
Recreateering Records Unit which verified the decryption and concluded the decoded message
gave no further clues to the Zodiac's identity. It read, I hope you're having lots of fun
(55:39):
and trying to catch me. That wasn't me on the TV show, which brings up a point about me. I'm not
afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because now have
enough slaves to work to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradise.
(56:04):
So they are afraid of death. I am not afraid because I know that my new life is a life.
Is my new life is life will be an easy one in paradise death. That is so hard. I know it's
so hard to listen to. It's hard to listen to and it's fucking hard to read because it's all fucking
(56:25):
misspelled. And it's purposefully written this way to seem crazy. On November 9th the Zodiac
mailed a seven page letter to the Chronicle. In this he claimed he was stopped and questioned by
two policemen three minutes after he shot Stein. He threatened to blow up a school bus and included
(56:50):
a diagram of a bomb. The Zodiac boasted to police that they would never catch him because
I have been clever for them. I have been too clever for them, he said. One year after the Lake
Herman Road murders on December 20th the Zodiac mailed a letter to Melvin Belly. He enclosed
(57:12):
another swatch of Paul Stein's shirt. He pleaded please help me I'm drowning. I cannot remain
in control for much longer. Yeah. The remainder of 1970 the Zodiac continued to communicate with
authorities and press by mail. In a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle postmarked April 20th
(57:36):
he wrote my name is blank. It followed by a 13 character cipher which has not been definitively
solved yet. In the same letter the Zodiac denied responsibility for the fatal bombing of a San
Francisco police station in Golden Gate Park. Um because that had happened that year but it was not
(58:01):
him. So he wanted to make it clear it was not him but it's like not me. Not me. I'm not taking
responsibility for that. He added there is more glory to killing a cop than a Sid because a cop
can shoot back. He's a freak. He's a freak. He also included a diagram of another school bus bomb
(58:26):
and at the bottom of the diagram he wrote his little signature which was the crosshairs equals
10 and then San Francisco police department equals zero. So he's just taunting. Yeah. He just wants
to fuck with people and he's like yeah he's a little fucking bully. On April 28th 1970 the Zodiac
(58:52):
mailed the greeting card to the Chronicle. He wrote I hope you enjoy yourselves when I have my
blast in all caps. On the back of the card the Zodiac threatened to use his bus bomb unless two
things happened. One the Chronicle should write about his bomb and people should wear some nice
(59:14):
Zodiac buttons. I hate this bitch. Yeah he's so full of himself. You guys should wear buttons with
my little like crosshair thing. That's like the annoying part is because a lot of these like
serial killers get joy of people talking about them and they think it's a game so then they get
(59:36):
even more hotheaded the more like tension they get. Yep. But it sucks because you have to give
their this attention to like these cases but it just fuels them even more. Right. I fucking hate him.
I know it's terrible. In the letter to the Chronicle postmarked June 26 1970 the killer was upset.
(59:57):
No one was wearing the Zodiac buttons. Yeah who would you fucking idiot. He claimed I punish them
in another way. I shot a man sitting in a park in a parked car with a 38. This may have been a
reference to a murder of the like of a San Francisco Sergeant Richard Rayditch. He was shot
(01:00:21):
through the window of his squad car by an unidentified gunman during a routine traffic
stop. His murder is unsolved but the San Francisco police department denies that the Zodiac was a
suspect in the case. So it's just a coincidence I think. An interesting dimension. A Philip 66
(01:00:41):
road map of the San Francisco Bay area was enclosed with the letter. At Mount Diablo the
Zodiac drew a modified crosshair symbol as a compass rose. The cardinal points were labeled
zero comma three comma six comma nine. Clockwise from the top the Zodiac confirmed that the zero
(01:01:10):
to be set as the Mag North. The letter concluded with a 32 character cipher.
This fucking bitch bro. I know he's such a bitch. Here's the cipher here. God. He's pissing me off.
I know. And I think that's why he wins. He just wants to fucking piss everybody off. He's fucking
(01:01:31):
pissing me off. Yeah. The Zodiac claimed that the map and the cipher would reveal where he had
buried his bombs. This one had never been definitively decoded and no bomb was ever located.
So I wonder if like some of this stuff he's just fucking with them. Like there's actually nothing
but some like some stuff he's just fucking with them. Yeah. To fuck with them. Just to
(01:01:56):
waste their time. Yeah. I think you're right. In a letter postmarked July 24th 1970 the
Chronicle to the Chronicle the Zodiac again complained about no one wearing the fucking button.
Fuck off. He claimed to have a little list which included the women and her baby. He drove around
(01:02:19):
for several hours. The details matched a woman named Kathleen Johns and description of her abduction
on March 22nd for four months earlier. So he you know there was these were just ones that people
are trying to like match in you know to try and fit. This one wasn't like definitively tied to the
(01:02:48):
Zodiac but people suspect. It's just like little coincidence. Yeah. Two days later on July 26th
the Zodiac mailed another letter to the Chronicles. He again said that as some you know someday it
may happen I have a little list adding his own lyrics about potential victims. The letter was
(01:03:14):
signed with a large Zodiac symbol and a new score that said equals 13 San Francisco police department
zero. On October 7th 1970 the Chronicle received a three by five inch card nicknamed the 13 hole
punch card signed by the Zodiac with the symbol crosshair symbol and a small cross reportedly
(01:03:42):
drawn in blood and 13 holes were punched across the card and then on October 27th 1970 Paul Avery
received a Halloween card signed by Z alongside with the Zodiac symbol. A handwritten note that said
peekaboo you are doomed. I have to like take deep breaths at this point because I'm really angry.
(01:04:10):
Yeah he's just like writing a fucking movie. Like he's just going he's spiraling at this point. Yeah
I'm just like he just wants attention. Yeah he wants the attention. He wants them to talk about
him again. Yeah exactly. Oh my god. You're so right. The Chronicle of course covered his
threats on the front page. No we're doing it. The cards postmark was from the San Francisco
(01:04:34):
mailbox that afternoon. The implication of a 14th Zodiac victim was speculated based on the phrase
14 found in the card. Paul Avery refused police protection and instead started carrying a pistol
on him for protection. Who's Paul Avery again? He was the one that got sent the Halloween card.
(01:04:59):
Is it just some random person? I think he worked for the Chronicle. Okay gotcha. Yeah
his colleagues wore an I'm not Avery button to work so that they hopefully wouldn't get murdered.
Oh my god I would too if I was Avery. Yeah right shortly after the Halloween card Paul Avery also
(01:05:21):
received an anonymous letter about the parallels between the 1966 murder of Sherry Joe Bates
and the Zodiac in a March 13 1971 letter to the Los Angeles Times. The Zodiac again taunted police
(01:05:41):
and claimed 17 victims this time. So who knows if he's actually still killing or if he's just
fucking with them or bullshitting you know. I'm just toying and toying and toying and toying.
Zodiac remained silent for three years after all that and then just when you thought you had heard
(01:06:03):
the last of him and his pygmy pygmy fucking attitude the Chronicle received a letter from
the Zodiac postmarked January 29 1974 from San Mateo County. It complained that the colonists
count Marco needed to feel superior to everyone else and praise the exorcist in 1973 as the best
(01:06:30):
satirical satirical I'm sorry comedy that had ever been seen. So he was just like pissed about
this guy like the exorcist. So yeah he was pissed about the fucking exorcist in this letter and
then he concluded the letter with the new score that said me equals 37 San Francisco. He's just
(01:06:55):
bullshitting at this point. Zero. Yeah I don't think he like has anymore. I think he's just
bullshitting at this point. I agree. I totally agree. Because 17 to 37. Right. Come on now. Within
three years and then there's also not any mention of other like murders taking place. Right. Right.
So I think he's just bullshitting because he's a fucking bitch. He's a bitch. A psychiatrist named
(01:07:19):
David Van Nuse theorized that the Zodiac stopped killing because he had a multiple personality
disorder which I thought was interesting. It may have lessened over time as often it can
which could also explain the reduced intensity of the Zodiac's letters.
Many more unconfirmed Zodiac letters were sent to the media but they were never obviously
(01:07:48):
sure if they were still the Zodiac or if it's like a copycat or whatever.
On August 1st 1973 a letter was mailed to Albany Times Union in New York. The return address was
just the Zodiac symbol. The writer promised to kill again on August 10th. A three line code in
(01:08:11):
the letter was supposed to reveal the name and location of the victim. FBI crypt analyst deciphered
the code as it was redacted so we can't see. Damn. By the Albany Medical Center. This is only the
(01:08:32):
beginning. No murder match the details in the letter and no handwriting was definitive to match
the Zodiac. So they don't really think it was a Zodiac killing. Then it was maybe a copycat but
they're not really sure. So I included that. It's interesting that they like retracted.
I know it was because it was a victim I think but I wonder if it was I don't know what the
(01:08:56):
circumstance is. Yeah that sucks but it also kind of makes sense. Yeah. Why they did.
Yeah. The Chronicle also received an anonymous letter postmarked July 8th 1974 complaining that
an anti feminist columnist Marco Sopini the letter was signed the red phantom red with rage.
(01:09:26):
I don't know. They were just saying that he was anti feminist.
And I'm not really sure why a lot of these people think that it's the Zodiac other than
I guess the way the letters were written. How high are you. I'm pretty high. Why your eyes
(01:09:47):
am I not making sense. No you are making sense. Your eyes are so small now like so small.
I love it. I just caught a glimpse in the monitor and I was like oh she hi hi.
I love that for you queen. Yeah.
(01:10:11):
Yeah.
So there's no consensus regarding the number of victims the Zodiac killer
accurate like actually killed or the length of his criminals free but in 1976 the San Francisco
(01:10:32):
police department detective Dave Toshi said we know for sure he at least that he killed at
least six and the Zodiac had a personal box score of 37 Robert Gray Smith estimated about 49 Zodiac
victims many high profile murders and attacks in the 1960s and 70s were seen as possible
(01:10:57):
Zodiac crimes but none of them had been like confirmed. Over the years many people have
guessed and speculated on who the Zodiac killer could be but we haven't gotten any closer to
revealing his true identity and all of these murders remain unsolved to this day.
(01:11:19):
I fucking hate him. I know. I actually do. I know he's a psychopath.
An egotistical attention whore of a psychopath. I don't know which one pisses me off more.
(01:11:40):
OJ Simpson or the Zodiac killer. I hate them both so much.
Yeah or those are your top like two ones for the whole season. Yeah. Yeah.
Because they just make me mad. Yeah you're fucking insane aren't you. I'm trying to like
think of the craziest one that we've had.
(01:12:05):
The guys in the ceiling. I was just thinking about that. That one's crazy.
Or the two mistaken identities. That one's wild. They're all so fucked up.
They're horrible. They're all horrible.
Any thoughts on this one? Fuck you. Yeah. I mean I don't know if he could be even still alive to
(01:12:31):
this day but really old. Which is crazy. Oh no Kylie. Oh never mind. I thought your camera froze
because you were just in that post for a minute. I was listening.
They all. I don't know. I don't like it. I just hate that he's like toying with the police.
(01:12:56):
Yeah. Just to get that attention. Yeah. He's the attention whore for sure. Yeah. Not a fan.
Not a fan either. Is that what you thought the case would be when you requested it?
I don't even remember requesting it. Like I remember us talking about it but I don't remember
like me saying hey we should do this. So it was a surprise. Yeah. Because when you told me for
(01:13:21):
weeks like you requested this one I'm like how am I gonna remember what I requested? Yeah.
Oh here it was. Here it was. Excuse me. I'm so hard. Thank you for joining us for our season 10.
Oh not season 10. Season three episode 10. Our final episode of this season. We'll be back soon
(01:13:48):
with season four. Season four and some more cases for you guys. Let us know what you guys think in
the comments below. And also during our little season break make sure you follow our socials
(01:14:09):
because we'll be posting some more clips that you haven't seen before. So if you want to keep
up with us during the little break make sure you follow our socials. Yeah until next time stay high.
Stay safe. And thank you for watching. Bye bye. Till next time. Bye. Say well.
(01:14:33):
Hey guys thanks for watching. If you enjoyed the show please like subscribe and hit the
notification bell so you know when we drop our next episode. If you want to see more of the host
Kai follow her at chronic chaos on all socials. Also follow Queen Reefer at Queen Reefer on all
socials. And if you'd like catch her on Twitch where she streams Monday and Friday.
Happy 420, I'm Kai and I'm Queen Reefer and you're watching Stone Cold Murder. Just a PSA,
(00:06):
if you have any information to help solve a crime, you can go to Crimestoppers.com to report any
information anonymously. This podcast contains material that might not be suitable for all
audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. Welcome back to season three episode 10 everyone.
(00:27):
This is our final episode of the season. Welcome. Season. The season. I have, as you can see, this nice helmet.
She said this nice helmet. I got it for a Christmas gift exchange. I've got, wait, I can't show you
(00:53):
the logo, but just know, each one of these cans, just know that each one of these cans contains
100 milligrams. I attached this straw and this one, I'm going to get fucked up. So I hope you
guys all join me in the Devotry. All right, help me open these cans too. And I'm just here like,
(01:18):
okay, Queen is going to help me open this can because instructions are
slightly unclear, but I think I got them. What is this? I just pulled a beer. Is it good?
Why is the thing so small? Why is the hole small? That's what I was wondering too. No, I think you
put, no, you push it up. Yeah, it's got to be childproof. How does it taste? Like root beer.
(01:49):
Yeah, you want to try this one? This one's cherry cola. Like root beer with a hint of weed.
I'm like cherry cola waiting for it.
It tastes like a dab afterwards. Bro,
(02:20):
it's like forcing it out. That's crazy.
Now, how are you supposed to drink this all? If it like, don't even, oh, I got it.
(02:43):
You just have to persist. Dude, I'm crying already. I'm really persisting.
It's like a double layer. It's probably childproof.
(03:04):
Three hours later. Can you move it along? I'm all out of time cards. Okay, no. Does it work?
So you're root bearing in cola at the same time? How does that taste?
(03:26):
It tastes pretty good. You want to try it? I'm okay.
Okay. Should I put it on? The last time I had any kind of edibles, I almost missed my flight. So
let's get backwards. No.
(03:47):
I can't wear this the whole time. It's going to fall off my head.
So yeah, I have already chugged an equivalent of one of these and taken plenty of dabs. Let me take
another sip. The bubbles are spicy. Why is it spicy?
(04:10):
Why is it spicy? I actually have a why is it spicy painting that I painted back here.
I'm going to show you. I'm going to share with the class. Wow. Everybody tell her how good her art is.
(04:31):
Wow. What is it spicy? So you ready to get into it? You think? I'm ready. You ready? Oh,
you watched the TikTok I sent you about this case?
It was a month back where someone thought their grandpa was the killer. Yeah, it's very convincing.
(04:55):
I didn't include it in this episode, but I almost did because I almost am on that theory. You know what I mean?
Okay, it's got to be someone's father or grandpa or something. It's got to be someone. So yeah.
(05:16):
So yeah, all right, let's start. Or something. Or something. I mean, that's how it got here.
So are we? No, you're not. I'll do it again. Oh, no, you will. It's so fun.
(05:49):
Okay, see you again. Guys, I just really want you to know that I really am not a mean person.
I really am so kind. Kindest. So I just wanted to put that out there because
all we show on the show is me bullying you. So I wanted to make that crystal clear.
(06:15):
Yeah, she's not a bully at all. She's my favorite person ever.
All right. So nobody ever thinks the lovely, beautiful, most perfect sister in the whole
(06:41):
world is ever evil or mean to me ever. Okay, thank you. All right, let's move on.
Little do they know we're both evil?
We're just like both and the devil is out today. Neither of us are kind. He's getting more kind.
(07:06):
She said.
I don't want to be here no more. Oh, you can take a little joke. No joke for me.
She's my favorite. My family. They're so mean. They say I'm not nice when I try to be a good person.
(07:46):
You were the one saying you were evil.
I did. I was convincing chat that I wasn't evil.
It's used to pay for a friendship.
(08:08):
Tickets started.
You ready? I'm ready. Okay, let's do it again.
Matt, can you do like a little sparkle noise when we hit the our fingers? Ready? One, two, three.
All right, we're ready.
(08:31):
Our story starts out on December 20th 1968 in Vallejo, California. At 8 30 p.m. 17 year old David
Faraday drove his 1961 station wagon to pick up his date who was 16 year old Betty Lou Jensen from
her home. The two were on their first day and were excited to spend the evening together, which
(08:55):
oh cute. Just so adorable. The two of them first visited one of Betty Lou's friends and hung out
for about 20 to 30 minutes. And then about sometime after nine they drove to what was referred to as
Lover's Lane. Yeah, and this is located on Lake Herman Road. Tim, I want to go visit Lover's Lane.
(09:19):
I know it's not so cute. They parked for a bit and did you know what teenagers do?
And they parked for a bit and you know made out or talked or whatever you do on Lover's Lane.
Probably fuck. At 10 30 ish a driver noticed the couple parked on the gravel runoff near the gate
(09:45):
next to like a water pump station. And then again at 11 the two of them were spotted by a different
driver passing by just noted that they saw them. Only same area. Yeah, same area. Only a few minutes
later at 11 10 p.m. a woman named Stella, her mother-in-law and her daughter got into a car to
(10:07):
go pick up Stella's son from a show. They drove down the quiet dark winding road and eventually
came to a small pump station located on Lake Herman Road. Stella noticed a station wagon that was parked
on the side of the road and the wagon's door was wide open and she could see the driver hanging
about halfway out of the car. Oops, not a good sight on a dark winding road. Yeah, that's terrifying.
(10:36):
Yeah, she could also see a young woman laying on the ground near the vehicle. So Stella decided to
drive straight to the police department to report what she had stumbled upon. And actually as she
was driving she actually came upon a police officer and she was flashing her lights to try and get
their attention. And officer Daniel Pita and William Warner took Stella's statement, called in the
(11:01):
report and then headed to the scene. When the police arrived at around 11 20 p.m. they found Betty
Lou Jensen laying face down dead on the scene about 30 feet from her car. Geez. Or from David's car,
I should say. David Faraday was found still breathing, just barely clinging to life. A bullet
(11:25):
had gone through his left ear and then through the back of his head, which, ooh, I couldn't imagine.
Yeah. Police followed him as he was transported to the hospital in hopes that they could maybe get a
statement from him once he arrived. Unfortunately, he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital
(11:45):
from his injuries. So they were unable to talk to either him or Betty Lou. The police who did
stay behind to investigate found several small caliber bullets on the ground and two bullet
holes in the side of the car. Investigators determined that between 11 05 or maybe like 11 10 p.m.
(12:11):
there a salient parked the vehicle about 10 feet from the passenger side of David Faraday's car.
So this is where Betty Lou would have been sitting. He fired several shots at David's car
and then he walked around to the driver's side. They believe none of the first initial shots hit
(12:31):
David or Betty. They believe that the couples tried to scramble to get through the passengers
side door. But then Betty Lou did succeed in getting out of the car because they were she was
found like 30 feet from the vehicle. But as David Faraday was exiting the killer shot him in the
head with the 22 caliber rifle. Why wouldn't why? Why would you try and get out in that situation?
(13:00):
Am I missing something? Why wouldn't you try and drive away? Isn't that all it's like the classic
ask because you like in a scary movie you would see something like that and you would definitely
be like what the fuck? I also have to just um yeah I feel like you know like a scary movie
(13:22):
situation you would be saying that same thing like where the fuck are you getting out but
I don't know maybe in that presented presented in that situation you freak out. Yeah you know
I don't know. Yeah I mean it's easier like to like think of what you would do. Yeah. So you're
(13:42):
actually put in that situation with like all that adrenaline not thinking clearly. Right.
After the attacker shot David the attacker then chased Betty Lou and as she tried to like run
away he fired six shots at her back hitting her five times. Later an autopsy determined that the
bullets hit her heart, liver and right kidney which was what led to the significant blood loss
(14:10):
that she suffered and ultimately her dying. Police theorized that the entire attack only took two to
three minutes so it was a pretty quick attack overall. There were no witnesses to the actual
murder, no usable tire prints, no footprints or honestly no clues really pointing to who could
(14:33):
have done this or why they would have done this to these young lovers and despite the murders
being extensively covered by the media and intense investigations in the following months no suspects
or clues to who or why were found to help point them in the right direction. On top of the lack
of evidence the local police department has not really dealt with a murder in over five years in
(14:58):
this county. Oh wow. So they were very inexperienced in dealing with such a violent crime so I kind
of think that led to a lot of it not being anything being found you know what I mean. This left
everyone stumped as they tracked down a motive and the person responsible for the murders in the
next coming months. On July 4th 1969 22 year old Darlene Farron and 19 year old Michael Magoo
(15:26):
were prepping to go on a little date that night. Darlene was a popular waitress who was actually
married at the time and had met Michael while working and apparently they hit it off so they
were going out that night. Yeah Darlene arrived at Michael's house to pick him out up at around
(15:47):
11 50 p.m. that night and as the couple left Michael's house Darlene drove in the direction of Lake
Herman Road. They planned on getting a little dinner but as they approached the restaurant
Darlene pulled a U-turn and headed towards Blue Rock Springs Park instead. Darlene turned her car
into a parking lot at Blue Rock Springs Park where there were already two cars parked in that parking
(16:12):
lot. This was also another known lovers lane and this was located just two miles from where Lake
Herman Road was where the other incident took place. Darlene parked about 70 feet from the lot
entrance and then as she put her car in park the other two cars that were there just pulled out of
(16:32):
the lot and they were like they didn't want to be around so that was leaving Darlene and Michael
alone in the parking lot together. The two sat parked talking and joking with each other and
Darlene told Michael that she had something to tell him that she hadn't told him before.
As this happened another vehicle pulled into the lot and parked about 80 feet to their left.
(16:57):
The driver turned his headlights off and sat there motionless and then drove off again
which I would be like I don't know if I would stay. Yeah.
About five minutes later a vehicle again entered the lot. Michael thought it might be the same
(17:17):
vehicle that had just drove off but he wasn't actually certain so he was kind of like so this
car parked just a few feet next to Michael's side of the car and then a man got out. Yeah,
we're driving away. Right. Bye. I'm leaving. Michael asked the driver who he was through the
window and as he did that he flashed his flashlight into the car as he approached.
(17:42):
So the couple thought maybe the approaching stranger was maybe a police officer
so they rolled down the windows to hand him their IDs and without speaking the stranger
fired a nine millimeter pistol into the car. One bullet hit Michael in the right arm and the other
hit Darlene in her neck. Without saying a word the shooter then turned around and walked back into
(18:08):
to his car. Michael let out a scream from the pain obviously from getting shot in the arm.
Michael was like fighting and struggling to get himself out of the car but then the stranger
turned back around and realized that he was still alive. That's like oh that's so unfortunate. I know.
That's why like in those types of situations just I mean I'm sure he was in agonizing pain.
(18:32):
Yeah. Right. Yeah so he was like oh fuck he's still alive he turned around
and then he returned and shot Michael and Darlene two more times each. The attacker climbed back
into his car and then drove off. The first person to hear the shot was a golf course caretaker
(18:55):
who was nearby the crime scene and then there were two or there were three teenagers who drove
into the parking lot and saw the wounded couple and then they went to go get help.
So between both of those people seeing them police arrived at the scene about 12 20 a.m.
(19:16):
and the headlights to Darlene's brown Chevrolet were still on and the sound of the turn signal
clicking with faint music from the radio made the scene just a little bit more eerie as they
got out to investigate which that is creepy right. Yeah it's like a movie scene all of this like this
whole case is kind of like it seems like a made up story almost you know but it's crazy that it's
(19:45):
a real life story so Michael Magoo was found laying on his back outside the passenger door.
He gestured to the officers as they approached the help so he was like help help so he was still alive.
The officer could tell that he had been shot in the chest neck and his left leg and his arm
(20:05):
and his arm yeah well I don't think he probably couldn't tell that but yeah.
She's right Darlene was found slumped against the driver's side door she had been shot twice in the
arm once in her side and then she was in her neck and then she was found still breathing as well.
The ambulance was called for Darlene where she was taken to the hospital
(20:28):
where she was unfortunately pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
Michael only managed to tell investigators that a white man in a brown car was responsible.
Michael was rushed into surgery but once he was in better shape he was able to describe the
attacker a little bit better to police. He described him as a heavy set white man around five foot
(20:54):
eight inches tall and he estimated his weight about 195 pounds to 200 pounds with a large face
and curly light brown hair. The killer wore a dark were dark clothes and no glasses.
Unfortunately these details were not really enough to develop a suspect because it's kind of like
(21:16):
yeah it's kind of generic but it did help at least narrow it down for police to start looking.
At around 12 40 a.m the Layhill police department received a phone call from a pay phone located
two blocks from the police headquarters. The man on the other end of the line said
(21:37):
I want to report a double murder. If you go one mile east on Columbus Parkway to the park
to the public park you will find kids in a brown car. They were shot with a nine millimeter lugger.
I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye. Yeah the voice was steady and emotionless to the point
(22:03):
it gave the 911 operator who is Nancy Solver the chills and what what she said sounded like a
rehearsed confession. So that's gross. That vibes right off the bat we don't like this. No.
So this call was traced to a nearby pay phone and this was at a gas station but when the police
(22:27):
arrived the phone booth was completely empty. Of course he's not going to get caught that easy.
We don't think. You know what I'm gonna stick around. I'm gonna head out. The gas station nearby
had been closed for about an hour by that time so there were no witnesses around to confirm the
(22:47):
identity of the caller which is probably purposeful on his end. Yeah as police investigated it quickly
became clear that just like the first murders of Betty Lou and David there was no evidence or clues
left behind at the scene. However Darlene's husband's parents reported receiving a mysterious phone
(23:10):
call the night of the attack at 1 30 a.m. Yeah they heard heavy breathing and then the caller hung up.
Ew. Yeah isn't that disgusting. So I don't know and it wasn't even her parents it was her husband's
(23:32):
parents. Yeah that's weird. Isn't it? Don't like that. No either. So detectives start to suspect
that part of the killer's intentions were to just strictly mock his victims and the people
surrounding his victims by calling them and just taunting them wherever he could and you'll see this
(23:55):
become more prominent as the case goes on but the family did report receiving annual phone calls on
the 4th of July from someone who identified himself as the Zodiac. Ew. Yeah so like even years and
years after every 4th of July this motherfucker's calling them. So it's like targeted. It's not
(24:16):
just like random people. Yeah or it could be but I'm pretty sure at least a few of them have been
from the killer you know. I think it's interesting that the killer's taunting people like he obviously
takes joy in doing that even to the point of like potentially exposing himself and
(24:36):
like revealing his own voice. Yeah. Because like back then you're not really getting a voice code
like decipher thing or not decipher but like encryptor. Yeah. That's what it's called.
Whatever. A voice disguiser. Yeah. You know. So this letter here was sent on July 31st 1969
(24:58):
to the Vallejo Times, San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner. I'll receive letters
written by someone taking credit for the attacks in Vallejo. The three letters were nearly identical
and read I am the killer of the two teenagers last Christmas at Lake Herman and the girl last
(25:21):
4th of July. All three letters had notable amounts of misspellings and was like a very like the very
first definitive link between the two separate attacks in Vallejo. Like of course they had the
call but before then they weren't like maybe it's not really connected. Maybe it's someone trying to
take credit for it you know. This was like the first official one that they got. He gave a short
(25:46):
list of facts about each crime that only the police and the killer would know since the information
had not yet been released to the press or the public. Gros. Yeah. He gave the brands of the
ammunition used in both murders as well as some specifics about his victims and the number of
shots fired. Which was like that's calculated. Yeah. Like you're counting. Uh-huh. Which is gross.
(26:14):
I don't like that. Yeah. Inside all three letters was a different cryptogram. Each got one third of
the code so each paper got a different one. So they had to kind of like put them together to try
and figure it out. Yeah. Oh I don't like him. I don't like them. Yeah. They combined to form a
(26:35):
408 symbol cipher. The writer claimed in the cipher is my identity. The writer demanded the codes be
printed on each newspaper's front page on August 1st issue. He said if they were not printed on
the Friday morning issue he threatened to quote cruise around all weekend killing lone people in
(27:00):
the night and then move on to kill again until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend.
What a psycho. Yes. I know. The letters were all signed with the symbol resembling the crosshairs
of a gun sight. Oh. Yeah. Freak. And the same symbol was found on the ciphers as well.
(27:24):
So the cryptogram was published on the Friday's edition of the Vallejo News Chronicle
and this was actually the only paper to do so by the zodiac specific deadline. Why. The other two
people did not do it. Why. Why would you fuck around like that. Like you obviously know this
(27:45):
person's capable of like horrendous stuff. Yeah. They said that they didn't want it to like ruin the
image of the paper. So you're just OK with like a dozen people getting killed because of your
stupidity. Yeah. They were like oh we don't know if it's going to be like actually a real thing or
if it's just like this guy bluffing you know. OK. Better safe than sorry. I agree. We're the police
(28:08):
not involved in this at all. In the newspaper they I they were. But so they're just like your
discretion like whatever you want to do. I think they assumed that they were going to do it.
And they do end up doing it but it was like the next day and it was not on the front page.
(28:29):
They did it on like the second and fourth page. That's just stupidity. It is stupid to mess around
with like they were trying to fuck around and find out. Yeah. With other people's lives. Other people's
lives. That's fucking stupid. You're stupid. Yep. It's stupid. Can I say that. Yeah. You're stupid.
(28:49):
Can I say that. So the police chief Jack East still publicly challenged the killer and said we
are not satisfied that the letter was actually written by the murderer and he requested that
the killer send more facts to prove his identity. Now obviously the first letter had a bunch of
(29:11):
information but I think they were trying to like bait him into hopefully messing up and recognizing
that the fame of says killer like a famous that recognizing that a fame fame obsessed killer like
the Zodiac is what I was trying to say would be tempted to respond back. Yeah. He was like he wants
(29:32):
that. Yeah. He wants that credit but it's also smart to like maybe try and get more information
out of him like just on the fact like we don't think it's you. So his ego is like oh let me prove
it. Exactly. But then they get more information out of him. I'm like more of a like suspect.
Totally. Whatever. It's easier for him to slip up to. Exactly. So yeah they were hoping that he
(29:58):
would be tempted to respond back. Obviously. Oh that's what I was going to say. I'm assuming he
didn't because they were hoping he would. Sorry I read way too much into things so just go ahead.
Again. My next line was and they were right. On August 4th the examiner received a letter that
(30:20):
started Dear editor this is the Zodiac speaking this letter marked the debut of the Zodiac's name
and the first time the killer called himself by this nickname. So nobody else was really calling
him the Zodiac. He was calling himself. Hey. The Zodiac. The second letter to the media was much
(30:45):
longer than the first and the killer did just as the chief requested. He provided more information
about both murders including details to the minute about how he shot Michael and described the golf
course caretaker from the second murder. He also revealed that he had taped a flashlight to his gun
(31:08):
in order to aim easily in the dark. That's why they saw that flashlight shining. It wasn't a
fucking flashlight. Well it was but taped to his fucking gun which is scary. Yeah that's not cool.
Yeah. The killer alluded back to his cipher staying quote when they do crack it they will have me
(31:29):
and this is this is it. Dang. That's crazy. Like what in the fuck. Fucking Morris code bro.
Yeah. So both the FBI and the CIA attempted to decrypt the Z408 cipher on August 5th.
(31:52):
Two people in Salinas California a couple named Donald and Betty Hardin cracked the code. So
they said that the key to cracking the code was looking for the word kill and the phrase
I like killing. So given the context of the letter the couple guessed that one if not both of these
(32:14):
would be used in the letter. So by guessing that and guessing correctly yet again they were able to
crack the code which is interesting. The message was filled with intentional misspellings and I
say intentional because the police believed that this killer was a very smart individual who was
(32:36):
trying to disguise himself as someone who's stupid. Yeah who's not. Yes. And they were in this
second letter or the cipher. It was. So the message was intentionally filled with misspellings
(32:56):
and it referred to a short story called the most dangerous game. The zodiac explained killing
was a way of collecting slaves for his afterlife. Yeah. Ew. Yes. So the full text of the decoded
cipher reads I like killing people because it is so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game
(33:21):
in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal and you could see these misspellings
of all to kill something gives me the most thrilling experience. It is even better than
getting your rocks off with a girl. The best part is that when I die I will be reborn in paradise
(33:47):
and all that I have killed will become my slaves. I will not give you my name because you will try
to slow down or stop my collecting of slaves for my afterlife. Ew. I hate him. Yeah. Is that what
you thought that code would say? Ew. No. And like the misspellings are like they're gross.
(34:12):
They're weird. You can obviously tell it's an intentional. Yeah. Like it's not like a dyslexic
thing. No. It's to throw people off. It's like really bad. Yeah. Like it was hard for me to read
some of it. Paradise. Yeah. Yeah. It's like obviously so. And it's stupid. It's stupid parts of the
words. Yeah. So cracking this code really didn't lead them much closer to solving the zodiac's
(34:38):
identity nor did it really reveal any promising things to help point them in the right direction.
Didn't he say though like once you crack those you'll know who I am. Yeah. But then he said
I'm not going to reveal my identity because you will try to slow me down or stop my collecting
of slaves. Well he said collecting yong. Collecting yong. And atop. Atop my collecting yong.
(35:07):
Yeah. So. Yeah. No. It's just interesting isn't it? Yeah. So that's why we're going to take our first
smoke break. Yay. And this smoke break is brought to you by the drink.
(35:30):
Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck.
Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck. Chuck.
Stella's joined us. The pod dog. Yes. I finished my drinks. Queen reefer has planted crops.
(35:53):
We're at her back from our smoke break. On September 27th, 1969 at 4 p.m. 20 year old Brian
Hartnell and 22 year old Cecilia Shepard students from Pacific Union College were having just a
little picnic on a small island in Lake Barissa. That's so cute. I know. So the two of them were
(36:21):
having their little picnic. It's having a nice little time enjoying their time together. And
Cecilia noticed a man watching them which is terrifying. Yeah that. Don't ruin my picnic.
That's scary. I don't like that. So the man came back from like behind a tree with a black hood
(36:43):
on his face. No. Yeah. That's even worse. Yeah. And like clip on sunglasses on top of it. And wore
like a bib with a three by three crosshair symbol on it. So that's the little symbol right here.
That was on all the letters. Oops. And then he got a hoodie made. Yeah. Or maybe not made but.
(37:06):
Yeah. He had a gun pointed at both of them. And the attacker said that he escaped jail
after killing a guard and needed their car and money to travel to Mexico. He made Cecilia bind
Brian with pre cut length of plastic clove line. And he tightened Brian's bonds because
(37:32):
the ones she tied he said were not tied enough. So he tightened them. And then he made the two
lay face down in the grass. And as soon as the two did he stood over Brian drew a knife and
then stabbed him in the back. Cecilia screamed and watched in horror as Brian was stabbed over
and over and over. Geez. After stabbing Brian several times he then moved over to Cecilia.
(37:59):
By the time his rampage was over Brian had suffered six stab wounds and Cecilia was stabbed 10 times.
Once Brian knew that the killer was gone he crawled his way to Cecilia to try and free each
other. They were both very weak and struggling and losing lots of blood in the process. But
(38:22):
eventually Cecilia was able to untie Brian's wrists and with all of his strength he was able to
sit up and untie her. I hate this. I know it's sad. Cecilia had lost too much blood at this point
and wasn't able to move. So Brian stumbled and like crawled his way to the gravel road to get help.
(38:47):
As he collapsed on the ground and approaching vehicle stop and two park rangers were the ones
that found and tended to Brian and Cecilia and then they wrapped him in blankets until an ambulance
arrived. A fisherman and his son actually reported hearing people screaming for help in the area
(39:08):
and the park rangers were the ones responding to that call. So for lucky for Brian they were
able to find him right away on the road. Just before the first officers arrived on scene at
around 740 the police station received a phone call about the attack. At first they assumed that it
(39:30):
was a park ranger calling to just like inform them about what was happening. The caller claimed and
claimed and reported a double murder. Then right before he hung up he whispered I was the one that
did it and then the call ended. You like him. I know. So the call was again traced to an empty
(39:57):
phone booth just a few miles from the police station. Napa County deputy Dave Collins and Ray
Land responded to the report of the attack. Unfortunately Cecilia Shepard went into a coma
during the transport to the hospital where she never regained consciousness and she died two
(40:20):
days later. So very unfortunate. Brian Hartnell however survived and he was eventually able to
recount his statement. Police on the scene searched the area for any clues or witnesses to the attack.
Coming up with nothing except for the note the zodiac had intentionally left her that.
(40:44):
Oh at the time like at the scene. Mm-hmm. Are you getting more and more bold? I know it's like a
movie right? Yeah I know. He's just like playing with everyone. Yeah he's disgusting. He's an
asshole. I don't like him. I don't like him either. So investigators found that the zodiac killer
hiked 500 yards to Knoxville Road leaving several footprints behind actually. So the zodiac killer
(41:10):
left a note on Ryan's car door. He drew that crosshair symbol on Hartnell's car door with a black
felt pin and wrote beneath it Vallejo 12 20 68 underneath that 7 4 69 under that September 27
(41:33):
69 6 30 under that by knife. So that's the like killings dates? Uh huh. Yep so you can see it
right here. So he made sure to specify September 27th because that was that attack and by knife
because he had not killed by knife before. Mm-hmm that would be his first time.
(42:05):
Oh my god. Sorry I didn't get the warning. Jump scare bro.
This is the composite sketch. That is horrifying. That is like so scary. Like that actually jump
scared me. I know it's terrifying. Could you imagine him looking at you through the forest?
(42:30):
Behind a tree? Oh I'm looking at me in general. I don't want you looking at my direction. No.
Yeah sorry that like took me out when I saw that. He's scary you're right. He kind of looks like
Pinocchio. I wasn't looking and then I looked over and I was like oh scary. Yeah so there's the
(42:51):
composite sketch. Yeah he's scary. I know sorry for the jump scare. Police were able to track down
people who had visited the lake that day in order to see if anyone had seen anything out of the ordinary.
Earlier that same day a suspicious man had been seen around the lake by several people.
(43:15):
A dentist and his son saw a heavy-set man looking at them from a distance before he
like hurried off. Oh well. Like shuffled off. I know. Again the strange man was spotted by
three women at around 2 30 p.m. as they stopped on their way to the lake.
After they arrived at the lake so I guess this was like on their way to the lake.
(43:38):
So after they arrived at the lake they laid out to sunbathe and then they noticed again
he was watching them. I mean you can get up and leave. Uh-huh. So these women worked with a
photographer named Robert McKenzie to create that composite sketch that you just saw.
I'm sorry. Yes that was awful isn't it? That would be the man that they saw watching them sunbathe.
(44:05):
You immediately know. Police then showed the image to all other potential witnesses.
The suspect was described as being roughly six feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds
which matched the description by Cecilia and Brian. Napa County Detective Ken Narlow
(44:28):
was assigned to the case and he worked on solving the crime until his retirement in 1987.
So they believe that the zodiac drove 27 miles from the crime scene to a car washed in like
downtown Napa. There he used a pay phone to call the Napa County Sheriff Department at 7 40 p.m.
(44:53):
He told the dispatcher he wished to report a murder. No a double murder.
And then he confessed to the crime. He did not hang up the phone he just left. Damn.
Oh yeah I hate him. I know. Again. I know. Over and over. I'm just gonna keep saying it.
(45:13):
Yeah it's a frustrating one. He's just like playing around.
He's an asshole. He just likes to toy with people and torment them. Yeah. It's like.
So KVON radio reporter Pat Stanley found the phone off the hook just a few minutes later
(45:37):
after this call. The pay phone was located a few blocks from the Sheriff's office
and detectives were able to lift a wet palm print from the phone but they were never able
to match it to any suspects. So next we're gonna come up on the final victim that is associated
(46:00):
with the zodiac killer. Of course a lot of people do attribute a lot of other murders to the zodiac
killer but this is the last one that he claims. So there may or may not be other murders from him but
this is the last one that we get. Like confirmed. Uh huh. Exactly. So this happened on October 11th,
(46:25):
1969 at 9 40 p.m. in downtown San Francisco. 29 year old Paul Stein was a doctoral student
and drove a cab when he wasn't in class or studying. His shoe started out just like any other. He
clocked in at 9 p.m. and had been driving around for about an hour when someone waved him down for
(46:46):
a ride. Little did he know that this ride would not be like every other ride. The man gave Paul
a destination and it was in Presedo Heights. When the taxi arrived at Washington and Maple
Street the man asked to be driven just one more block down. So this block was Washington and
(47:06):
Cherry and the taxi arrived at 9 55 p.m. Paul parked his taxi and the man in the passenger seat
then shot Paul in the head with a handgun took his wallet and car keys. Three teenagers witnessed
the murder from a house directly across the street from where Paul's cab was parked. Could you imagine?
(47:30):
No. That'd be awful. Like I couldn't even imagine just like looking out the window and like actually
witnessing something like that. No. That would be awful. Yes. Yeah. Terrible.
They saw his body slumped over and laying across the killer's lab.
(47:52):
Nicula's face was clearly visible and lit up by the street light as the teenagers watched the killer
wipe down the vehicle and then go through Paul Stein's clothes afterwards. He left behind two
partial fingerprints and a right hand print. While he was distracted in the cab the kids took the
(48:13):
opportunity to call the San Francisco Police Department. They described the criminal as a husky
white man in a dark or black jacket. The dispatcher misheard the description as being a black jacket
and mistakenly heard black suspect. So when they reported it to the police department
(48:41):
two minutes later they were reporting to look for a black suspect instead of a white man in a black
jacket. So after this call the police department sent two nearby patrol officers to respond to the
incident and they encountered a white man in dark clothing walking towards the Prisito Army base.
(49:08):
They pulled alongside the man and asked if he had seen anything suspicious. Oh my god. The man
confirmed he had seen someone waving a gun and heading east. The officer hurried away
and the Zodiac Killer later claimed that he was in fact the same witness that those two officers
(49:28):
spoke to that night. Which could you imagine? I feel like in description cases like that they
should have to like it should be protocol to like go back and re-listen low key because the phone
calls are recorded. Yeah. Yeah, isn't that crazy? That pisses me. It's like so many of these cases
(49:54):
have just like one tiny little mistake that just changes the trajectory of like the entire case.
Right. Right. It's crazy. Damn. I know. When police arrived on the scene, Paul Stein was declared dead.
The area was searched but by the time the killer had already disappeared. So like we said he had
(50:19):
stumbled upon those cops and he kind of disappeared into the night. The teenage witness helped the
police artists make a composite sketch of the man that they saw in Stein's cab. The two patrol
officers who questioned the witness near the scene realized that it may have been the Zodiac
Duh. They put two and two together. So they also helped develop a sketch of the suspect.
(50:46):
Police assumed that the murder was a result of a robbery that took place but not necessarily
related to the Zodiac killer at all. Which I don't know why they assumed that way. Yeah.
You know, obviously there's it connects later but I don't know. I don't know why they assumed
right off the bat. So on October 14th, he mailed a bloody piece of Stein's t-shirt or shirt that he
(51:12):
was wearing to the San Francisco Chronicle. He included a letter where he boasted about the
murder and claimed to have hid near the crime scene and watched the San Francisco Police
Department search for him. Well, I know. Then this letter he also threatened to shoot a tire on a school
(51:34):
bus. He said that the children would make nice targets. Yeah. This is a quote from him. It's
and I'm sorry trigger warning for everybody. I think I shall whip out a school bus some morning.
Just shoot out the front tire and then pick off the little kitties as they come bouncing out. Oh my
(51:56):
God. Yeah. So this threat was published on October 15th and this obviously caused pandemonium
everywhere. People started freaking out which obviously I would too especially in that area. So
police scrambled to respond but they they had unmarked police cars trail buses throughout the
(52:18):
city. Plain surveyed hideways to look for snipers and bus drivers were given instructions on how to
respond to an active shooter. Which sucks. On October 22nd, 1969, a man named Eric Wheel tricked
attorney Melvin Belly into a conversation on KGO TV's AM San Francisco claiming he was the killer.
(52:44):
Investigators concluded Eric Welley was not the Zodiac killer. But I think they still
played along in the game just to double check. So he called the Oakland police department and
demanded to speak to Melvin Belly or F. Lee Bailey on TV. During the show, Eric Welley told Melvin
(53:09):
Belly that he would not reveal his identity for fear of being executed. He arranged a rendezvous
with Melvin on Mission Street in Daly City. But of course he did not show up to this meeting because
it was not the killer I don't think. So on November 10th, the Zodiac mailed a card with a 340 character
(53:34):
cryptogram. He asked for the code to be printed on the front page. This one was harder than the
first one and it remained unsolved for 51 years. Dang. Yeah. That's a long time. I know. The Zodiac
ciphers were crowdsourced through a variety of websites which led to gradual breakthroughs on
(53:58):
the cipher but it took a long time. The Z340 was deciphered by an international team of
private citizens on December 5th, 2020. Dang. Yeah. 20 in 20 dude. That's crazy right? Yeah.
(54:18):
Yeah. The cryptogram group included American software engineer David Anrek, Australian
mathematician Sam Blake, and Belgian programmer Gar van Jaik. I hope I said I know I butchered
that I'm very sorry. Using a program made by Yaro Van Eik called AZ Decrypt, the team ran a
(54:51):
650,000 possible solutions for this cipher until the program came up with the best possible match.
In the decrypted message, the Zodiac denied being the man who spoke on the AM San Francisco and
explained he was not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me into paradise all the sooner.
(55:15):
Fucking crazy ass. Ew. Yeah. The team submitted their findings to the FBI's cryptograph
Recreateering Records Unit which verified the decryption and concluded the decoded message
gave no further clues to the Zodiac's identity. It read, I hope you're having lots of fun
(55:39):
and trying to catch me. That wasn't me on the TV show, which brings up a point about me. I'm not
afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because now have
enough slaves to work to work for me where everyone else has nothing when they reach paradise.
(56:04):
So they are afraid of death. I am not afraid because I know that my new life is a life.
Is my new life is life will be an easy one in paradise death. That is so hard. I know it's
so hard to listen to. It's hard to listen to and it's fucking hard to read because it's all fucking
(56:25):
misspelled. And it's purposefully written this way to seem crazy. On November 9th the Zodiac
mailed a seven page letter to the Chronicle. In this he claimed he was stopped and questioned by
two policemen three minutes after he shot Stein. He threatened to blow up a school bus and included
(56:50):
a diagram of a bomb. The Zodiac boasted to police that they would never catch him because
I have been clever for them. I have been too clever for them, he said. One year after the Lake
Herman Road murders on December 20th the Zodiac mailed a letter to Melvin Belly. He enclosed
(57:12):
another swatch of Paul Stein's shirt. He pleaded please help me I'm drowning. I cannot remain
in control for much longer. Yeah. The remainder of 1970 the Zodiac continued to communicate with
authorities and press by mail. In a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle postmarked April 20th
(57:36):
he wrote my name is blank. It followed by a 13 character cipher which has not been definitively
solved yet. In the same letter the Zodiac denied responsibility for the fatal bombing of a San
Francisco police station in Golden Gate Park. Um because that had happened that year but it was not
(58:01):
him. So he wanted to make it clear it was not him but it's like not me. Not me. I'm not taking
responsibility for that. He added there is more glory to killing a cop than a Sid because a cop
can shoot back. He's a freak. He's a freak. He also included a diagram of another school bus bomb
(58:26):
and at the bottom of the diagram he wrote his little signature which was the crosshairs equals
10 and then San Francisco police department equals zero. So he's just taunting. Yeah. He just wants
to fuck with people and he's like yeah he's a little fucking bully. On April 28th 1970 the Zodiac
(58:52):
mailed the greeting card to the Chronicle. He wrote I hope you enjoy yourselves when I have my
blast in all caps. On the back of the card the Zodiac threatened to use his bus bomb unless two
things happened. One the Chronicle should write about his bomb and people should wear some nice
(59:14):
Zodiac buttons. I hate this bitch. Yeah he's so full of himself. You guys should wear buttons with
my little like crosshair thing. That's like the annoying part is because a lot of these like
serial killers get joy of people talking about them and they think it's a game so then they get
(59:36):
even more hotheaded the more like tension they get. Yep. But it sucks because you have to give
their this attention to like these cases but it just fuels them even more. Right. I fucking hate him.
I know it's terrible. In the letter to the Chronicle postmarked June 26 1970 the killer was upset.
(59:57):
No one was wearing the Zodiac buttons. Yeah who would you fucking idiot. He claimed I punish them
in another way. I shot a man sitting in a park in a parked car with a 38. This may have been a
reference to a murder of the like of a San Francisco Sergeant Richard Rayditch. He was shot
(01:00:21):
through the window of his squad car by an unidentified gunman during a routine traffic
stop. His murder is unsolved but the San Francisco police department denies that the Zodiac was a
suspect in the case. So it's just a coincidence I think. An interesting dimension. A Philip 66
(01:00:41):
road map of the San Francisco Bay area was enclosed with the letter. At Mount Diablo the
Zodiac drew a modified crosshair symbol as a compass rose. The cardinal points were labeled
zero comma three comma six comma nine. Clockwise from the top the Zodiac confirmed that the zero
(01:01:10):
to be set as the Mag North. The letter concluded with a 32 character cipher.
This fucking bitch bro. I know he's such a bitch. Here's the cipher here. God. He's pissing me off.
I know. And I think that's why he wins. He just wants to fucking piss everybody off. He's fucking
(01:01:31):
pissing me off. Yeah. The Zodiac claimed that the map and the cipher would reveal where he had
buried his bombs. This one had never been definitively decoded and no bomb was ever located.
So I wonder if like some of this stuff he's just fucking with them. Like there's actually nothing
but some like some stuff he's just fucking with them. Yeah. To fuck with them. Just to
(01:01:56):
waste their time. Yeah. I think you're right. In a letter postmarked July 24th 1970 the
Chronicle to the Chronicle the Zodiac again complained about no one wearing the fucking button.
Fuck off. He claimed to have a little list which included the women and her baby. He drove around
(01:02:19):
for several hours. The details matched a woman named Kathleen Johns and description of her abduction
on March 22nd for four months earlier. So he you know there was these were just ones that people
are trying to like match in you know to try and fit. This one wasn't like definitively tied to the
(01:02:48):
Zodiac but people suspect. It's just like little coincidence. Yeah. Two days later on July 26th
the Zodiac mailed another letter to the Chronicles. He again said that as some you know someday it
may happen I have a little list adding his own lyrics about potential victims. The letter was
(01:03:14):
signed with a large Zodiac symbol and a new score that said equals 13 San Francisco police department
zero. On October 7th 1970 the Chronicle received a three by five inch card nicknamed the 13 hole
punch card signed by the Zodiac with the symbol crosshair symbol and a small cross reportedly
(01:03:42):
drawn in blood and 13 holes were punched across the card and then on October 27th 1970 Paul Avery
received a Halloween card signed by Z alongside with the Zodiac symbol. A handwritten note that said
peekaboo you are doomed. I have to like take deep breaths at this point because I'm really angry.
(01:04:10):
Yeah he's just like writing a fucking movie. Like he's just going he's spiraling at this point. Yeah
I'm just like he just wants attention. Yeah he wants the attention. He wants them to talk about
him again. Yeah exactly. Oh my god. You're so right. The Chronicle of course covered his
threats on the front page. No we're doing it. The cards postmark was from the San Francisco
(01:04:34):
mailbox that afternoon. The implication of a 14th Zodiac victim was speculated based on the phrase
14 found in the card. Paul Avery refused police protection and instead started carrying a pistol
on him for protection. Who's Paul Avery again? He was the one that got sent the Halloween card.
(01:04:59):
Is it just some random person? I think he worked for the Chronicle. Okay gotcha. Yeah
his colleagues wore an I'm not Avery button to work so that they hopefully wouldn't get murdered.
Oh my god I would too if I was Avery. Yeah right shortly after the Halloween card Paul Avery also
(01:05:21):
received an anonymous letter about the parallels between the 1966 murder of Sherry Joe Bates
and the Zodiac in a March 13 1971 letter to the Los Angeles Times. The Zodiac again taunted police
(01:05:41):
and claimed 17 victims this time. So who knows if he's actually still killing or if he's just
fucking with them or bullshitting you know. I'm just toying and toying and toying and toying.
Zodiac remained silent for three years after all that and then just when you thought you had heard
(01:06:03):
the last of him and his pygmy pygmy fucking attitude the Chronicle received a letter from
the Zodiac postmarked January 29 1974 from San Mateo County. It complained that the colonists
count Marco needed to feel superior to everyone else and praise the exorcist in 1973 as the best
(01:06:30):
satirical satirical I'm sorry comedy that had ever been seen. So he was just like pissed about
this guy like the exorcist. So yeah he was pissed about the fucking exorcist in this letter and
then he concluded the letter with the new score that said me equals 37 San Francisco. He's just
(01:06:55):
bullshitting at this point. Zero. Yeah I don't think he like has anymore. I think he's just
bullshitting at this point. I agree. I totally agree. Because 17 to 37. Right. Come on now. Within
three years and then there's also not any mention of other like murders taking place. Right. Right.
So I think he's just bullshitting because he's a fucking bitch. He's a bitch. A psychiatrist named
(01:07:19):
David Van Nuse theorized that the Zodiac stopped killing because he had a multiple personality
disorder which I thought was interesting. It may have lessened over time as often it can
which could also explain the reduced intensity of the Zodiac's letters.
Many more unconfirmed Zodiac letters were sent to the media but they were never obviously
(01:07:48):
sure if they were still the Zodiac or if it's like a copycat or whatever.
On August 1st 1973 a letter was mailed to Albany Times Union in New York. The return address was
just the Zodiac symbol. The writer promised to kill again on August 10th. A three line code in
(01:08:11):
the letter was supposed to reveal the name and location of the victim. FBI crypt analyst deciphered
the code as it was redacted so we can't see. Damn. By the Albany Medical Center. This is only the
(01:08:32):
beginning. No murder match the details in the letter and no handwriting was definitive to match
the Zodiac. So they don't really think it was a Zodiac killing. Then it was maybe a copycat but
they're not really sure. So I included that. It's interesting that they like retracted.
I know it was because it was a victim I think but I wonder if it was I don't know what the
(01:08:56):
circumstance is. Yeah that sucks but it also kind of makes sense. Yeah. Why they did.
Yeah. The Chronicle also received an anonymous letter postmarked July 8th 1974 complaining that
an anti feminist columnist Marco Sopini the letter was signed the red phantom red with rage.
(01:09:26):
I don't know. They were just saying that he was anti feminist.
And I'm not really sure why a lot of these people think that it's the Zodiac other than
I guess the way the letters were written. How high are you. I'm pretty high. Why your eyes
(01:09:47):
am I not making sense. No you are making sense. Your eyes are so small now like so small.
I love it. I just caught a glimpse in the monitor and I was like oh she hi hi.
I love that for you queen. Yeah.
(01:10:11):
Yeah.
So there's no consensus regarding the number of victims the Zodiac killer
accurate like actually killed or the length of his criminals free but in 1976 the San Francisco
(01:10:32):
police department detective Dave Toshi said we know for sure he at least that he killed at
least six and the Zodiac had a personal box score of 37 Robert Gray Smith estimated about 49 Zodiac
victims many high profile murders and attacks in the 1960s and 70s were seen as possible
(01:10:57):
Zodiac crimes but none of them had been like confirmed. Over the years many people have
guessed and speculated on who the Zodiac killer could be but we haven't gotten any closer to
revealing his true identity and all of these murders remain unsolved to this day.
(01:11:19):
I fucking hate him. I know. I actually do. I know he's a psychopath.
An egotistical attention whore of a psychopath. I don't know which one pisses me off more.
(01:11:40):
OJ Simpson or the Zodiac killer. I hate them both so much.
Yeah or those are your top like two ones for the whole season. Yeah. Yeah.
Because they just make me mad. Yeah you're fucking insane aren't you. I'm trying to like
think of the craziest one that we've had.
(01:12:05):
The guys in the ceiling. I was just thinking about that. That one's crazy.
Or the two mistaken identities. That one's wild. They're all so fucked up.
They're horrible. They're all horrible.
Any thoughts on this one? Fuck you. Yeah. I mean I don't know if he could be even still alive to
(01:12:31):
this day but really old. Which is crazy. Oh no Kylie. Oh never mind. I thought your camera froze
because you were just in that post for a minute. I was listening.
They all. I don't know. I don't like it. I just hate that he's like toying with the police.
(01:12:56):
Yeah. Just to get that attention. Yeah. He's the attention whore for sure. Yeah. Not a fan.
Not a fan either. Is that what you thought the case would be when you requested it?
I don't even remember requesting it. Like I remember us talking about it but I don't remember
like me saying hey we should do this. So it was a surprise. Yeah. Because when you told me for
(01:13:21):
weeks like you requested this one I'm like how am I gonna remember what I requested? Yeah.
Oh here it was. Here it was. Excuse me. I'm so hard. Thank you for joining us for our season 10.
Oh not season 10. Season three episode 10. Our final episode of this season. We'll be back soon
(01:13:48):
with season four. Season four and some more cases for you guys. Let us know what you guys think in
the comments below. And also during our little season break make sure you follow our socials
(01:14:09):
because we'll be posting some more clips that you haven't seen before. So if you want to keep
up with us during the little break make sure you follow our socials. Yeah until next time stay high.
Stay safe. And thank you for watching. Bye bye. Till next time. Bye. Say well.
(01:14:33):
Hey guys thanks for watching. If you enjoyed the show please like subscribe and hit the
notification bell so you know when we drop our next episode. If you want to see more of the host
Kai follow her at chronic chaos on all socials. Also follow Queen Reefer at Queen Reefer on all
socials. And if you'd like catch her on Twitch where she streams Monday and Friday.
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