Zodiac Killer Archives: 1999

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.