Today is the 33rd anniversary of the Zodiac killer's
Lake Herman Road attack, which killed David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen. The
Faraday-Jensen page has been updated with new information, including police and autopsy
reports. Click here for the
update.
Nov. 11, 2001) The Zodiac Audio page has been updated
to include an MP3 of The Doors' Jim Morrison mentioning the Zodiac killer in a 1970
interview.
Nov. 2, 2001) The lucky winner of the Oct. 30, 1967 Riverside Press
was Bo Edlund of Enfield, Conn. The response was overwhelming; thanks to all of you who
participated.
Oct. 30, 2001) Today marks the 35th anniversary of the murder of
Cheri Jo Bates. In Cheri Jo's memory, I have updated her page with a confidential police
report. Click here for the latest
update.
> By popular demand, I have added a search engine to Zodiackiller.com. Click here to search!
Sept. 27, 2001) Today is the 32nd anniversary of Zodiac's Lake
Berryessa attack that killed Cecelia Shepard and wounded Bryan Hartnell. I have updated
the Berryessa victims' page with many new items, including crime-scene pictures.
Click here to check it out.
> The Riverside Police Department still hasn't acknowledged that DNA testing in the
murder of Cheri Jo Bates produced a conclusive non-match to their top suspect. Meanwhile
in San Francisco, the results of the DNA comparison between Zodiac and top suspect Arthur
Leigh Allen are long overdue. Is anything being done? Let's hope so.
Sept. 3, 2001) MP3 sound files have been added to the Archive
page. Click here for the MP3s.
Aug. 4, 2001) The Arthur Leigh Allen File has
been updated to include a two-page letter Allen wrote to a friend in 1975 while Allen was
incarcerated at Atascadero State Hospital. Allen's handwriting in this letter is much
different than other samples I've collected that strongly resembled Zodiac's handwriting.
However, the content of the letter is very interesting.
July 21, 2001) A source out of the Bay Area has informed me that
Zodiac suspect Rick Marshall is in extremely poor health and deteriorating rapidly at a
San Francisco care facility. If Marshall is Zodiac, this would be an excellent opportunity
for law enforcement officials to obtain a confession. Meanwhile, I've updated Marshall's page to
include some new items of interest, including handwriting samples.
July 4, 2001) Today is the 32nd anniversary of Darlene Ferrin's
death at the hands of Zodiac. Yesterday I spoke with Darlene's sister, Pam, who was hoping
to travel to Vallejo for the anniversary. Due to health problems, she will have to stay
home in Oregon. However, Pam said she will be planting a yellow rose bush today in
Darlene's memory.
June 12, 2001) According to two sources within the Cheri Jo Bates
homicide investigation, recent DNA testing of hairs found in the palm of Cheri's hand were
a conclusive non-match when compared with the Riverside Police Department's (RPD)
top suspect, a man referred to on this website as "Bob Barnett." While this
isn't proof that "Barnett" didn't kill Bates. However, it is a strong indication
that RPD might be on the wrong track.
What about Allen?
In February 2000, Lt. Tom Bruton of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) said,
"When (detectives in Riverside) provide me with those results, I would be happy to
compare them." A DNA comparison would take "about five minutes," Bruton
said, to confirm or deny that the late Arthur Leigh Allen of Vallejo was the Riverside
killer. Unfortunately, Bruton retired last year. Let's hope RPD and SFPD are still willing
to share information.
To comment on the DNA results, click here to
e-mail.
> The last several updates have come in rapid succession. Make sure to scroll down and
check the last few, as there has been a lot going on.
June 8, 2001)
The Arthur Leigh Allen File
has been given its biggest update yet.
> There has been quite a bit of recent attention in the news media about Zodiac-DNA
evidence. However, none of the police departments involved has been very forthcoming about
separating fact from fiction. Here
is a San Francisco Police Department document detailing DNA evidence relating to
Zodiac's letters.
May 25, 2001) The excitement caused by last week's San Francisco Examiner
story was unfortunately a false alarm, as the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has
since stated the Examiner exaggerated immensely when it claimed SFPD was close to
determining Zodiac's identity through DNA testing. SFPD is testing Zodiac evidence,
but apparently it is focused on fingerprints rather than DNA.
> I have updated The Arthur
Leigh Allen File to include several reports that were contained in his immense
Sonoma County file, which I was able to obtain earlier this week while visiting the Bay
Area. The update is a must-read, although the subject matter is definitely disturbing.
> The envelope to Zodiac's bus-bomb letter of Nov. 9, 1969 has been added to Zodiac Letters. I believe this is
the first time the envelope has been reproduced.
May 18, 2001) Today's San Francisco Examiner features a big
story on a possible break in the Zodiac case. Additionally, several other Bay Area
news-media outlets have stories scheduled, including FOX-TV and KCBS Radio. I'll be in San
Francisco in the next few days and hope to dig up some additional information.
May 15, 2001)
New pictures of Betty Lou Jensen and Paul
Stine have been added to their pages in The Victims section of this site.
Neither picture had been published anywhere prior to this update. (Thanks to John Henslin
and Geneva Stine.)
> I've spent the last week sifting through a large package of materials I received
regarding possible Zodiac victim Cheri Jo Bates, including several Ramona High School
yearbooks from the mid-1960s. (Cheri graduated from Ramona in 1966.)
Shockingly, one of the yearbooks contained a cross-circle symbol, Zodiac's
future signature.
> The premiere issue of Forbidden Internet magazine is now available. One of the
feature stories is about websites that focus on serial killers. Thankfully, this site was
given high marks in the story.
April 30, 2001) KOVR-TV in Sacramento, Calif. featured this site
tonight during a segment on DNA testing in the Zodiac case. If you saw the segment and
would like to comment, send e-mail to info@zodiackiller.com.
> I've added a page to The Arthur Leigh Allen File that documents what is known
of his teaching history, as well as a class portrait of Allen from 1966. If you went to
public school in California during the late 1950s and 1960s, the Zodiac suspect might have
been your teacher. Click here to
find out.
April 12, 2001) I often
get asked who my sources are and where I get my information. A list of my sources can be found here.
> While there is nothing new to report in the Cheri Jo Bates/DNA investigation, this
week I made contact with Michael Bates, brother of possible Zodiac victim Cheri Jo Bates.
Michael has been extremely helpful and insightful and I'm looking forward to my future
conversations with him.
> Click here to
read a couple of vintage newspaper articles about the Cheri Jo Bates murder.
March 11, 2001) Last week I was
lucky enough to speak to Lt. JoAnn West of the Vallejo Police Department. While she
couldn't divulge specifics, West made it clear that DNA testing is happening within
the Zodiac investigation. Apparently the testing includes, but is not limited to, suspect
Arthur Leigh Allen.
March 5, 2001) I've published a nearly perfect reproduction of the
desk-top poem found in the Riverside City College library in 1967. The writing was
eventually attributed to Zodiac. To check it out, visit Zodiac Letters.
Feb. 18, 2001) After viewing video of Arthur Leigh Allen I sent her
last week, Kathleen Johns didn't hesitate to inform me tonight that Arthur Leigh Allen was
definitely not the man who abducted her in 1970. (The first segment on the tape
features an interview with Allen.) In 1991 Kathleen had been shown a picture of Allen by
the Vallejo Police Department, but the video was the first time she had gotten a good look
at him and heard his voice.
> Sacramento's KOVR-TV has a Zodiac feature scheduled for Monday's evening news. If
you're in that area of California, please e-mail
me your thoughts on the segment.
Jan. 29, 2001) During filming of the America's Most Wanted
feature on the Zodiac case (which aired in December 1998), I was flown to San Francisco to
act as a consultant for their reenactments. Click here for behind-the-scenes photos.
> Every month I receive e-mail asking if the rumors of a "Zodiac shack" are
true. (Ever since 1969, various counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have been rumored
to feature Zodiac's hideout, i.e. the "Zodiac shack.") While I can't vouch that
Zodiac actually occupied a particular dwelling, I can say for sure that one such rumored
place is located here.
Jan. 8, 2001) Just over a week ago I interviewed Don Cheney, the
man who was most responsible for Arthur Leigh Allen becoming a Zodiac suspect. (In 1969,
Allen allegedly confided in Cheney that he would kill couples at random, write taunting
letters to the police and call himself "Zodiac.") Click here for the details of our
meeting.
Dec. 24, 2000) As a Christmas present for all of the loyal visitors
to this site, I've posted the first 22 pages of the Lake Berryessa police report.
Dec. 13, 2000) Paul Avery has died.
The former reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle was probably best known for his
active involvement in the Zodiac case, including being highly instrumental in the success
of this website.
Dec. 6, 2000) Think you know who Zodiac is? Always been suspicious
of that weird guy down the street? Click
here to report a suspect to Zodiackiller.com.
Nov. 23, 2000) Tuesday I spent almost 90 minutes on the phone with
the Riverside Police Department's (RPD) lead detective on the Cheri Jo Bates murder case,
Steve Shumway. According to Shumway, the DNA samples taken from Bates and her suspected
killer are back from the FBI's laboratory in Quantico, Va. and are now "being
retested at a lab in Berkeley, Calif." RPD has believed for 30 years it knows who
killed Bates and has been attempting to gather enough evidence to file murder charges
against the suspect. Shumway attributed recent delays in the investigation to the fact
that "this is California's first case involving Mitochondrial DNA, so we are moving
very carefully."
(See the October 1999 update below for more details.)
RPD's diligence is to be commended. Even though Bates was murdered 34 years ago, the
department treats her case with great importance, as if it happened yesterday. There's no
statute of limitations on murder and RPD is proving it.
I can't say the same thing about the Vallejo Police Department (VPD).
In 1991 and 1992, VPD executed search warrants against Zodiac suspect Arthur Leigh Allen.
Even though VPD found many of the potentially incriminating items it was looking for,
including a foot-long knife and Royal typewriter, it has apparently made no attempt at
matching the items to Zodiac.
Lt. JoAnn West, spokesperson for VPD, recently told the San Francisco Chronicle's
Tom Zoellner, "All I can tell you is that all of the evidence we've recovered is
being studied. I can't get into specifics of what that evidence is. We have sent it to a
lab and we are awaiting results."
The facts, and common sense, seem to contradict Lt. West. In order to determine if the
typewriter taken from Allen's home was used to prepare the anonymous Bates-confession
letters, it might make sense to involve the Riverside Police Department. After all, RPD
has the original confessions. To date, even after eight years, VPD still has not contacted
RPD about Allen's typewriter. According to my sources, VPD also has not contacted the Napa
County Sheriff's Department regarding comparing the knife recovered from Allen's home with
the wounds of Zodiac's Lake Berryessa victims.
Luckily, RPD told me it is "more than willing" to cooperate with the typewriter
comparison. Will VPD finally do what should have been done years ago? I'll be contacting
the department within the next week or so for comment.
Nov. 20, 2000)
The Arthur Leigh Allen File has
been updated to include all of the reasons that make Allen the best suspect in the case.
It's a must-read for everybody, as I've included facts never published. It's hard for me
to believe that after reading the information anyone could doubt his viability as a
suspect, but we shall see.
> Due to the recent media attention on her case and the e-mail I've received from
people wanting more details about her disappearance, I have decided to add Donna Lass to
my list of possible victims.
(Although there isn't much evidence supporting the theory that Zodiac was responsible for
her disappearance.)
> Many of you are aware of the involvement former San Francisco Chronicle
reporter Paul Avery had in the Zodiac case during the late 1960s-early 1970s. In fact,
Zodiac even singled Avery out in a Halloween card sent to the Chronicle in 1970.
I've put together a page documenting the seriousness of Zodiac's apparent threat on Avery's life.
Oct. 2, 2000) Saturday I spent several hours with Dr. Howard
Davis, author of The
Zodiac/Manson Connection. While we disagree on who was behind the Zodiac crimes,
Howard's a great guy and excellent researcher.
Sept. 18, 2000) The Learning Channel interviewed me today for its
upcoming documentary, The Ultimate 10: Unsolved Crime Mysteries. No date has been
set, but it might air by the end of this year. I'll post details when I get them.
> According to Variety, 20th Century Fox will soon be making a feature film of
the case called The Zodiac. David Permut (Face/Off) will produce the thriller. No
other information has been released.
> The Arthur Leigh Allen File
has been updated with a new picture of a young Allen on the high dive, plus a page from
Allen's 1967 teacher evaluation.
July 20, 2000) It's taken me 13 hours, but I've finally finished
updating The Victims pages.
I'd like to urge everybody to check out the changes. From Bates to Stine, a ton of new
information has been added.
> Zodiac Letters has been
updated. I've added the cipher Zodiac included in his July 31, 1969 letter to the San
Francisco Chronicle. If you view the page with 800 by 600 screen resolution, the
cipher is almost exactly scale.
> If you need to Contact
Zodiackiller.com, I've added a page detailing all of the ways you may do so. A
USPS address is now available, as well as a way to anonymously send e-mail.
June 13, 2000) This afternoon I was interviewed by Claudia Cowan of
Fox News, San Francisco. Mainly we discussed the dilemma I'm facing regarding the
handwriting analysis (see the June 12, 2000 post below), but we also talked about the
Vallejo Police Department's apparent dubious handling of potentially crucial evidence
taken from suspect Arthur Leigh Allen's home in 1991 and 1992. VPD's George Bawart did an
excellent job in obtaining the search warrants, but it seems the department dropped the
ball with the evidence.
June 12, 2000) A major setback occured just over a week ago, as
APB.com essentially went out of business. The site is still up, maintained by volunteers
hoping for new investors to save the day. Celebrity news editor Jim Edwards was one of 140
to lose his job. Edwards and APB.com had been responsible for a huge amount of recent
exposure for the Zodiac case in general and this site in particular.
Unfortunately, the timing of APB's demise couldn't have been worse. The company was
financially backing a handwriting comparison between suspect Arthur Leigh Allen and
Zodiac, to be conducted by a well-respected expert from San Diego. Needless to say, the
project has been dropped. The expert did comment that, based on her initial examination,
"there are enough similarities in the samples to require a thorough exam."
Hopefully, that "thorough exam" will still happen...that is, if someone can come
up with the necessary funds.
> On a more pleasant note, today is Ken Narlow's 70th birthday. Narlow, formerly of the
Napa County Sheriff's Department, has been involved in the Zodiac case ever since the
murder of Cecelia Shepard on Sept. 27, 1969.
Happy birthday, Ken. (And thanks for all your time and help.)
May 31, 2000) My trip to the San Francisco Bay Area was very
successful, as I was finally able to meet with retired Vallejo Police Department detective
George Bawart. Bawart is an expert on the Zodiac case, especially concerning suspect
Arthur Leigh Allen.
May 25, 2000) For the next few days I'll be in the San Francisco
Bay Area on yet another fact-finding mission. As always, certain trustworthy people have
my complete itinerary...just in case.
May 4, 2000) Ever since the San Francisco Chronicle
published Paul Avery's "Zodiac connection" story in November 1970, Riverside
murder victim Cheri Jo Bates has been linked to the Zodiac case. However, the Riverside
Police Department (RPD) has long maintained that Bates was murdered by an ex-boyfriend in
a fit of rage. Until now, a key piece of evidence supporting RPD's claim has been
withheld. With permission from lead detective Steve Shumway, I am revealing a fact that
directly points to the Bates murder as being a classic "crime of passion:"
Cheri Jo Bates was stabbed 42 times.
Traditionally, attacks that result in massive trauma to
the head and face (or numerous stab wounds) are committed by individuals who had a
relationship with their victim. While not impossible, it would certainly be a rarity for a
person to exhibit such rage against a complete stranger. While it is a fact that Zodiac
used a knife at Lake Berryessa in 1969, he seemed to be only interested in inflicting
wounds necessary to kill his victims. Overkill was not exhibited at Berryessa, although
the opportunity was certainly available. In fact, one victim survived the attack.
My suspicion is that Zodiac had ties to the Riverside area and knew of the Bates murder,
but did not commit it. He typed the "confession" letter, as well as the three
subsequent pencilled messages, merely to taunt the police just as he was to do later in
the Bay Area.
To the dismay of RPD, it will probably be forever linked to the Zodiac case...even if it
is able to solve the Bates murder. But I believe the department is definitely on the right
track. I will be stunned if its suspect is ever cleared.
April 25, 2000) Recently I obtained suspect Arthur Leigh Allen's
personnel file from an elementary school where he worked during 1966-68. The file
contained original handwritten and typewritten samples, all of excellent quality.
Arrangements are being made to have the handwritten samples compared to Zodiac's
handwriting, although the process isn't as easy as it sounds. I will also attempt to have
Allen's typed letters analyzed in an effort to identify the typewriter. According to a
1966 FBI report, the typewriter used to prepare the Riverside "confession" was a
Royal Merit Pica 508.
The most startling discovery in Allen's file was an absentee slip dated Nov. 1, 1966. Yes,
within a day or two of the Cheri Jo Bates murder Allen missed work. While I'm assuming
Allen missed Nov. 1, the possibility exists that Allen was absent Oct. 31 and that Nov. 1
was merely the date the slip was filled out. Every attempt will be made to gather more
information. However you interpret the date, this is yet another piece of tantalizing
circumstantial evidence pointing directly at Arthur Leigh Allen's involvement in the
Zodiac crimes.
> For the second day in a row, Zodiac
Letters has been updated. Just added: Zodiac's envelope from his Dec. 20, 1969
letter to Mel Belli, as well as the envelope used for Zodiac's May 8, 1974
"Citizen" letter.
March 31, 2000) While I have made plenty of mistakes since I started
this site about two years ago, I've done my best to get accurate information. That
includes making every effort to speak with individuals actually involved with this case,
rather than relying on second-hand info. Initially, my relationship with America's Most
Wanted opened a lot of doors that otherwise would have been locked tight. Since then,
luckily, the popularity of the Internet has grown to the point that it's now possible to
identify myself as being affiliated with a ".com" without garnering too many
blank stares. Unfortunately, even with great sources, miscommunication can occur. That
appears to be the case with the Cheri Jo Bates/DNA saga. For the last few weeks (or has it
already been months?), I had been posting what I believed to be fact. However, contrary to
what has been posted, the Riverside Police Department (RPD) apparently has not
received any results regarding DNA comparison between Bates and "Barnett," her
suspected killer. The FBI has all relevant materials and any undue delay is a result of
the FBI's workload and not a result of incompetence or sluggishness on the part of
RPD.
UPDATE: The DNA did not match.
> Thanks to everybody who has helped make the new Message Board
a huge success. It's "about time" we all had a convenient place to argue about
radians and such. Most of the bugs have been worked out, so there should be no more
disappearing posts.
March 20, 2000) The History Channel's Zodiac episode tonight was
about what I expected. (Although I was hoping to look a tad more slender on camera.) You
can post your comments regarding the show or any other Zodiac-related subject on the
all-new Zodiackiller.com Message Board.
March 11, 2000) The date for The History Channel's Zodiac
documentary has been released. Perfect Crimes? will air March 20 at 9 p.m.
> I have updated the Zodiac
Letters page to include Zodiac's entire Aug. ?, 1969 letter. Postmarked San
Francisco, the three-page letter was sent to the San Francisco Examiner and was the
first time Zodiac referred to himself by that name. Although the text has been reproduced,
this is the first time the entire letter has been made public. The Aug. 4, 1969 Examiner
featured a story on the letter, although the date it was mailed is unknown.
Oct. 11, 1999)
Last night I thoroughly enjoyed The Learning
Channel's Case Reopened documentary about the Zodiac case. However, during the show
I received a very angry phone call from Bud Kelley, formerly of the Riverside Police
Department. Kelley is an expert on the Cheri Jo Bates homicide and was livid that Case
Reopened seemed to imply that Zodiac had murdered Bates. Kelley is sure that Bates was
murdered by a suspect other than Zodiac. For more information on this suspect, see The Case Against "Bob Barnett".
Sept. 27, 1999) It has been 30 years since Zodiac's attack at Lake
Berryessa and I have added several exclusive photos of victim Cecelia Shepard. I also
added a few other rare photos and composite drawings. More will be added in the next day
or two. Click here to see.
Sept. 9, 1999) The Victims page has been updated
with new information regarding Kathleen Johns. I have published one of the police reports
prepared after her "abduction," as well as the entire letter Zodiac wrote in an
apparent attempt to claim responsibility. (Until now it had been reported that Zodiac had
only written a very short letter on July 24, 1970 referring to Johns and that his next
letter, mailed July 26, 1970, was several pages. Actually, the July 24, 1970 letter was
the longest. The text is nothing new, I have just put the pages in their proper order.)
July 18, 1999) As you might have noticed, this website is no longer
called zodiackiller.net. The reason is that AOL has trouble recognizing ".net".
In an effort to be accessible to as many people as possible, this site's official address
is now www.zodiackiller.com.
> For the many of you who have inquired, the Ken Narlow interview is still planned. My
questions have been submitted, and I expect the answers within the next few weeks.
Unfortunately, a recent attempt to interview former SFPD Inspector Dave Toschi was not
successful.
April 10, 1999) In the last few days, I have received 30-plus pages
of official documents pertaining to the 1991 and 1992 searches of Zodiac suspect Arthur
Leigh Allen's residence in Vallejo, Calif. Police not only found a 12-inch knife
like the one used at Zodiac's Lake Berryessa crime scene, but a typewriter of the same
make and model that produced the 1966 Riverside confession. Included in the documents
was a quote from former SFPD Homicide Inspector Bill Armstrong, calling Allen "the
most viable suspect we ever looked at."
March 18, 1999) The Learning Channel (TLC) has almost completed its
documentary on the Zodiac case. Case Re-opened will air this fall and will be an
hour in length. I was a contributor to the project, supplying materials as well as giving
an on-camera interview. Hopefully, soon I will be able to obtain a few stills to post.
Other contributors to the project included Ed Rust, Harvey Hines and Pam Huckaby.
Feb. 18, 1999)
Yesterday I received a copy of Charlie Chan
At Treasure Island, yet another film that seemed to have an influence on Zodiac. Click here for some startling
details.
Feb. 16, 1999) I finally watched The Most Dangerous Game,
the 1932 film that supposedly had an influence on Zodiac. Sure enough, several phrases
were used in the movie that later turned up in Zodiac's letters.
Feb. 9, 1999) As promised earlier in the week, The Arthur Leigh Allen File has
been updated with new information on the suspect. I am also still trying to verify the
authenticity of an unverified claim that Allen received a speeding ticket leaving the Lake
Berryessa area at the time of Cecelia Shepard's murder.
Jan. 7, 1999) Zodiac Letters has been updated to
include several never-released letters and cards, including a portion of the infamous
Mikado letter.
Jan. 2, 1999) Check out The Suspects page to see
handwriting samples from Lawrence Kane, as well as Bruce Davis. Also, there is a new
addition to Kathleen Johns page. See The
Victims.
Dec. 24, 1998) Monday night I returned from a five-day trip to the
Bay Area, during which I was able to meet with two of the original Zodiac detectives.
Sunday I spent about 20 minutes with former SFPD inspector Dave Toschi. On Monday I had
lunch with Ken Narlow, formerly of the Napa County Sheriff's Department. Both were very
friendly and informative. In Vallejo I spent several hours with former Vallejo police
officer Steve Baldino searching for surviving Zodiac victim Mike Mageau. Apparently Mageau
is back in hiding.
Dec. 2, 1998) Yesterday I was a guest on The Howard Stern Show.
Based on the huge number of e-mail I have been receiving, the segment was at least
entertaining, if not informative. Thanks to Howard for having me on.
Nov. 26, 1998) Earlier this week I spoke with former Vallejo police
officers Ed Rust and Steve Baldino. Rust was involved in the Darlene Ferrin murder
investigation and Baldino was a close friend of Darlene's family. Both were very
informative. Rust told me that Darlene was alive after the shooting, which contradicts
testimony of officer Richard Hoffman. Hoffman was first at the crime scene and maintains
that Darlene was "very much dead." Both Rust and Hoffman agree, however, that
there were no signs of sexual activity between Ferrin and Mike Mageau. When Darlene's
sister, Pam Huckaby, asked if it looked like Ferrin and Mageau were physically involved at
the time of the attack, Hoffman said "Hell no!" Rust was equally as
adamant during our conversation.
Nov. 20, 1998) Wednesday night I finally watched Zodiac, the
low-budget early 1970s film inspired by the case. It was by far the worst movie I've ever
seen and I'm not exaggerating. At least now I can say that I've seen it. Surprisingly,
there were only a few scenes that had anything to do with the case, although that was the
least of the problems with this movie. The night before, I watched The Limbic Region,
an early 1990s film also based on the case. It's worth seeing, (especially compared to Zodiac)
with the plot being the duel between an Inspector Toschi-type character and his suspect,
who is based on Arthur Leigh Allen.
Nov. 15, 1998) The America's Most Wanted feature on Zodiac
finally aired last night and I was very happy with the final product. Very gutsy of John
Walsh and company to name Lawrence Kane as a suspect on national television. I watched the
show with Pam Huckaby, sister of Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin. Pam will post her thoughts
on the show at this site in the next few days. Besides a few minor errors, (showing a
picture of Donna Lass during the Bates segment, for example) AMW did a good job presenting
a general overview on an extraordinary case.
Nov. 13, 1998) Even though I was bumped from The Howard Stern
Show due to a couple of segments running long, Howard was nice enough to mention this
site and give the web address. He also mentioned the America's Most Wanted episode
airing tomorrow night. I have been rescheduled as a guest on Dec. 1.
Nov. 12, 1998)
It seems as if everybody has a theory about
what Zodiac's "My name is-" cipher means. Recent developments indicate the
cipher might be a ruse, rather than containing the killer's identity. Click here for the amazing details.
Nov. 9, 1998) This Friday, Nov. 13, I will be a guest on The
Howard Stern Show. One of Howard's producers called me this morning with the offer.
The plan is for Howard to interview me live, via telephone, from the radio station where I
work. I will be plugging this website, as well as my appearance on Saturday's America's
Most Wanted episode on Fox TV.
Nov. 5, 1998) Monday was a big day, as I was able to contact Pam
Huckaby, Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin's sister. We talked for over an hour on the phone
and the next night I visited her home. Pam has a wealth of Zodiac-related materials, many
of which she has promised to share with zodiackiller.net. Outspoken and devoted to
bringing her sister's killer to justice, Pam has found criticism upon occasion. However, I
find her to be very helpful and generous.
Oct. 30, 1998) After much anticipation, last night I was able to
speak with one of the original Zodiac investigators, retired Napa County Sheriff's
detective Ken Narlow. The conversation lasted about 35 minutes and was very informative.
The most important detail Narlow revealed was that, as far as he knows, Arthur Leigh Allen
can't be placed in the area of the Lake Berryessa murder. To Narlow's knowledge,
Allen was NOT issued a citation in Napa County in late September 1969. (The Allen/citation
story was told to me by a since-discredited author a few years ago.)
Oct. 21, 1998) This website was featured on the front page of
Sunday's Vallejo Times-Herald. (Oct. 18, 1998.) I will post the full story within a
couple of days. Thanks to the Times-Herald for its acknowledgment.
Oct. 9, 1998) The America's Most Wanted shoot went great,
at least the two days I saw. The segment will air this Nov. 21 and I will post the photos
I took as soon as I get permission from Fox TV. Dean Ferrin was on hand for several hours
on Thursday, although he wasn't interviewed on camera. He and I appeared on Fox News San
Francisco. I was also interviewed by Fox News from Sacramento.
Oct. 4, 1998) Wednesday I am being flown to San Francisco by America's
Most Wanted. AMW will be spending several days in the Bay Area filming for an upcoming
episode on Zodiac. Apparantly I will be interviewed on camera at the crime scenes. The
episode will air this November. I will post details of my trip later in the week.
Sept. 23, 1998) Monday I returned from a brief vacation in Vallejo,
Calif. I was able to gather many photos and documents relating to this case. The highlight
of my trip was the hour I spent with Dean Ferrin. (Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin's husband
in 1969.) Dean was kind enough to answer all of my questions and he even gave me several
color photos of Darlene from the late 1960s.
Sept. 6, 1998)
Was Zodiac a musician? Based on his letters,
we know that he professed a fondness for Gilbert & Sullivan. I recently discovered
another possible solution to Zodiac's cross-circle symbol. It points to Zodiac being more
than just a casual music lover. Click
here for a look.
Aug. 17, 1998) Big news: I have purchased the domain name
"zodiackiller.net." This site will be located at that address by the end of
August. Also, last week I received some exciting materials, including the police report of
possible Zodiac victim Kathleen Johns. Another item of interest that I received was the
entire Zodiac killer comic book.
May 9, 1998) For years there has been speculation about what, if
anything, Zodiac's cross-circle symbol means. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to
stumble upon this possible
solution.
May 6, 1998) I spoke with Detective DiStefano of the Vallejo
Police Department, who has been in charge of the Zodiac "file" since January.
DiStefano informed me that Vallejo considers the case to be unsolved. He was at a loss to
explain the comments made by former captain Roy Conway. (See April 16, 1998 post below.)
April 18, 1998) William Beeman, who wrote a book several years ago
accusing his brother, Jack, of the Zodiac crimes, is backing off his claim. Over the phone
I was informed William "no longer wishes to discuss that" subject. His book, Jack
The Zodiac, is no longer available. Jack Steadman Beeman died in Arizona in the
mid-1980s and never had a chance to respond to the allegations.
April 16, 1998) It now appears that Roy Conway, former captain of
the Vallejo Police Department (VPD), may have been only speculating by telling the San
Francisco Chronicle in 1994, "If Allen (Arthur Leigh) were alive today, we
would file charges against him as the Zodiac." I recently learned that VPD still
considers the case unsolved and even has a detective assigned to it. I will post results
of all my future conversations with this detective.
2002-2005 News
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