|
The case of the Zodiac Killer is perhaps one of the most mysterious from the times of Jack the Ripper. A pitiless assassin, without identity and completely crowds. Therefore like its English precursor, also the Zodiac Killer has entertained numerous correspondences with police and prints. Useless to add that, still today, the case unsolved and is opened...
Sunday, 30 October 1966, the Zodiac Killer makes its debut. The victim calls Cheri Jo Bates, a student 18 years old that she attends the Riverside City College. The assassin close lures it just in the parking to the bookcase of the College. Subvert the machine and kindly it has introduced itself to the child in difficulty. Entirety tries of restart the motor, without happening, therefore the assassin proposes them one tear to house. A set apart alley dark and, is lì that the Zodiac Killer completes the slaughter, without motivations of rape or theft: the girl does not endure sexual violence and its things remain intact. Cheri Jo comes killed with a brutality without par, three stabbings to the thorax, one to the back, the knife sinks seven times in its throat, cutting them the jugular vein and the neck. They will find beheaded nearly. It cannot sure be said that the assassin has been perfect. In the vicinities of the body it comes recovered a clock from man, detention on the 12,23, with varnish traces on the strap. There is also a print of shoes and traces of skin and hats are remained under nails of the poor Cheri Jo Bates. The fact that the assassin and the girl are remained sets apart you to the dark more in order than an hour it suggests to the investigators the track of the homicide the book of martyrs.
Surveyings come therefore addressed towards the friends and the former fiancèes of the girl. It is to this point that the killer is introduced. 29 November 1966, centers it them of police of Riverside and the center of the newspaper "Enterprise" struck letter to machine receives the copy coal of one. Sent from a small house of mail dispersed in the campaign, without stamp and address of the sender, the letters are entitled "the Confession". The company, nearly to take game of the adressees, has been instead replaced from 12 lines, like in a enigmistic game. To the inside of this letter the Zodiac Killer describes, without to save on the particular, dynamics of the homicide, from the moment of the boarding to the cut of the throat. The part more worrisome is but the end: "It was young and beautiful but she is died. It is not before and it will not be not even the last one.
Step nights wake up to think who will be my next victim. Perhaps the blond woman who ago the babysitter and that crosses every day a alley dark towards the seven, or perhaps will be the brunetta which I have asked information [... ] Spargerò theirs you leave for the city so that all see [... ] Watch da..Io hour are approached your girls furtively." Seen the numerous contradictions (the killer it writes, to twisted, than the girl it does not have opposite resistance and that the knife is broken in the thorax of the girl), initially the letter was not taken in consideration even if the description of the sabotage to the car is information that the single police.
The letters have been in hand to the F.B.I. until years ' 90, that it insists in classifying them like work of one jackal. Six months after the Bates homicide, the police of Riverside, the press and the father of the girl receive one newly letter in three copies. This time the envelopes are freed and the text has been written to pencil on of the paper from letters. In place of the company species of Z, joined laterally to one risen of 3 is a mysterious symbol formed from one. "Bates had to die. Others will come some " Still today the homicide of the Bates is unsolved.
The F.B.I. and the local authorities push in the direction of the homicide the book of martyrs, while the investigators and the journalists of the Bay Area of San Francisco are practically sure that the muder it is the same one that he hit in the years succeeded to you.
THE ZODIAC KILLER Vallejo and Benicia are two citizens who show oneself on the Bay of Saint Pablo, neighbor to the Strait of Carquinez, placed to the 20 miles northeast of Saint Francisco. In the years ' the 60 places between the two citizens practically were deserted and still today the freeway that it joins to them is not of the all asphalted one.
Little before the 09:00pm of 20 December 1968, in these zones, machine to four doors comes sighted one. Not even an hour after, of the boys they come you follow yourself from this car, on a gravel path. It scares they change road to you and they escape.
To the 11:10pm, David Arthur Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen they will not have the same shrewdness. Escapes of house with the excuse to go to a christmas concert, the two are set apart in one glade to you, in order to flirt on the car. An hour passes, then someone begins to make fire against of they with one bore 22.
It begins give behind, smashing in the posterior glass and piercing the left tire. Then the assassin approaches itself, until arriving to the door of left, and recommences to make fire. The two adolescents, 16 and 17 years, run outside from the opposite door and try the escape. Betty Lou Jensen will come found again to 10 meters from the posterior bumper. Killed from five blows to the back, between the fifth and sixth rib. For David Faraday single bullet has been enough one, very placed to the head. Star Borges, only witness, will say to have seen to go away one Chevrolet, to four doors, directed towards Benicia, before finding again the bodies of the young people. In spite of the ransom put from the police on the assassin, it will not never come found the guilty.
Six later months, towards the 24:00 of 5 saturdays July 1969, Darlene Elizabeth Ferrin, 22 years, and Michael Renault Mageau, 19 years, comes taken of sight from degli talks nonsense, while they are seated nella own machine nel parking del Blue Rock Springs Golf Course. Darlene Ferrin has gone to take to its friend an hour before, therefore they have been stopped in order to eat something and to chat. Here a machine brown, has come near they, extinguishing the beacons, in order then to leave again to all gas towards Vallejo. Five minuteren after the machine return. After to have parked to 3 meters from the car of the boys, leading come down, extinguishing the beacons in order to hide just the ace. Convinced that features of a policeman, the boys extract their documents and they are prepared for the classic lecture, but the mysterious individual begins to talk nonsense through the window of the passenger. The arm is one 9mm with noise suppressor. Mageau comes hit of crawls to the ace and the arm, therefore to the knee. Fed from the pain and the adrenalin, the boy succeeds to jump in the posterior part and to hide. Darlene instead not ce ago: the blows catch up it to the head and the back, died to the 24:38. Before svenire, Mageau succeeds to see the profile assassin. It will describe like a man of medium height, approximately 1.75cm, and fat person. By rough estimate and cross on 90kg. the Door of glances at them. Perhaps according to more, Darlene knew the assassin, was be a matter of one in love refused. The description of the boy instead was not held a lot in consideration, since was under pain-killers.
To the 12:40 of the same night, the headquarters them of the police of Vallejo receive one telephone call from one cabin. The voice is mature and without accent, it speaks uniform and constantly, like if same reading from a script. "I would want to bring back to your attention a twofold homicide. You head to an east mile on the Tree-lined avenue of Cristoforo Columbus, towards the public park, lì you will find of the boys in one machine brown. I have talked nonsense with a Luger from 9mm.
I have killed of the boys also the past year. Good evening." The 31 July 1969, the Examiner di San Francisco, the Chronicle di San Francisco, and the Time-Harald di Vallejo receives three letters. Attached to every letter there is a cryptogram that 1 August comes published on the first page of everyone of three newspapers. The letters are similar, even if with various words. The assassin demonstrates truly of being the guilty supplying particular that only it and the police could know. He adds moreover that he has already killed a dozen of persons and that if did not come published cryptograms it makes a slaughter. "In this cryptogram in three parts my identity is hidden" Every letter ends with a symbol a much similar to a celtica cross and strange number symbol that it is probably true the mysterious one to reveal in order to go back to the identity of the killer. The cryptogram comes deciphered and resolved in less than a week, from a university professor of grammar school and him wife, but the assassin has evidently not maintained the promise. The text that emerges in fact is not its identity, but the confession of a collector of spirits: "it appeals to to Me to kill the persons because it is much more amusing than every wild game that can be made in one forest. The man is the more dangerous animal and electrifying than all to kill [... ] the better part he is that when I dead, I reborn in paradise and all my victims will be my slaves. Therefore I will not give my name to you or you will try to stop my collection of slaves for the ultramundane life. Ebeorietemethhpiti."
As for the Bates case it is rerun to the F.B.I. and this, like in the Bates case, insinuates that the author is not the true assassin, but some jackal that it wants to extort easy moneies. 4 August the Examiner di San Francisco receives an other letter. In it killer trick the investigators because they do not succeed to resolve the number symbol, newly tell with accuracy the attack to the two boys, explaining also like ago talking nonsense with emergency to the dark. For before the time company "Zodiac".
All the letters will come analyzed for years, without to trace useful prints. The 27 september 1969, on the western beach of the Berryessa Lake, 60 miles to east north give Saint Francisco, the Zodiac Killer returns to hit. They are the 15:00 while three young women from Angwin, are parking in the area used close after the lake. A blue Chevrolet comes near they, to the inside there is a man who seems attempt to read something and the girls do not give account to us. The man is high approximately 1.80cm, on the 90kg, wear glass, wears one black and blue mesh on of the black pants. The women go away and walk along the river of the lake, taking the sun. When they notice that the man observes to them silently, smoking cigarettes, they take care. 20 minuteren pass therefore, when the man finally goes away.
The same man comes sighted from a dentist and its son. Of tutt' other way the encounter between the mysterious man and Cecilia Ann Shepard and Bryan Calvin Hartnell, two students university. Shortly before being too much close to the brace, the assassin throws itself leans one tunica black, with of the holes for the eyes. On the life much similar to one celtic cross is designed to the usual coat of arms. To the belt a dagger is hung, while in the right hand the man appeals one gun. It is introduced like a fugitive from the prison of Deer Lodge, in the Montana, and demands the car of the boys for run in Mexico. The speech is incredibly flat and calm, without cadences or accents. Bryan Hartnell with coldness, hoping to arrive to a pacific solution and without damages, tries to rilassare the crazy one and the two end in order to discuss to along, seated on the car of the boys. To unexpected but the assassin it loses the stirrups without appearing reason. Cecilia alloy and begins to hit the brace with its knife, probably extracted from one bayonet. Six stabbings for Bryan Hartnell, ten for Cecilia Shepard. The boy will resume himself and succeed to deposit for the police, but the girl died in 48 hours. Before going itself some, the Zodiac Killer appeals a chalk black, of that they are used in the magical rituals, and writes on the door of the machine: "Vallejo 12-20-68, 7-4-69, Sept 27-69-6:30. With a knife." Also this time the police of Vallejo receives one telephone call, from the same cabin. An hour from the aggression is not last not even. "I would want to signal a murder, not, a twofold homicide. The bodies are to two miles to north of the headquarters them of the park. They were in one Volkswagen white woman. They have been I."
11 October 1969. To falling victim of the Zodiac Killer she is a taxi driver 39 years old of Saint Francisco, Paul Stine. As soon as the race is ended. The passenger has made itself to carry from the angle between the Mason and Geary Street to the angle between the Washington and Maple Streets, near Heigths Garrison. And here, instead paying, he extracts a gun from 9mm and he talks nonsense to the head of Stine. Before leaving the scene of the crime, he tears a piece of shirt bloody from the back of the taxi driver and then he disappears in the night. The supplied description of the witnesses is always the same one, even if initially of the children they are mistaken: they indicate to the patrols a color man, and therefore the escape on foot of the Zodiac Killer is too much easy end. On the place of the crime they come traced the usual prints that they will not never carry to nobody. In the days succeeded to you the usual letters in which arrive to the press the Zodiac Killer put on the responsibility of the homicide. The address of the sender is, but it is represented from by now the celtic cross. In order to refute the usual voices that it would not be be a matter of authentic letters, the Zodiac Killer encloses to the message a piece of the bloody shirt of the taxi driver. A piece for time. In the end of letters the assassin boasts itself to have catch unprepared the investigators, having changed unexpected to the typology of the victims, insinuating that he could steal a bus of the school and kill all the children who are over. Useless to add that to these declarations he will follow the panic.
All the unsolved cases of the coast the west will be charge you to the Zodiac Killer. From Houston to Atlanta, until arriving to St. Louis. The controls to the escapes of the schools are strengthened and the drivers of the bus come armed. They follow other letters, which has a seriously threatening content: "It is Zodiac that speaks to you. From the October end I have killed 7 persons. They are rather angry with the police who says a bag of lies on my account, therefore I will change continuamenteil method of collection of the slaves. I will not announce it more to nobody, when I commit of the homicides, these you will seem thefts, anger killings or incidents. [... ] the police will not never take to me because they are more intelligent than they:
1)the identikit that turns only corresponds to me when I go hunting of spirits, the rest of the time is completely various.
2)they cannot have my prints as they say because I wear of the covers on the fingers, are of concrete for airplanes.
3)All my crews have been bought for correspondence from foreign countries and you cannot foind me.
[... ] the evening of the homicide of the taxi driver I was to the park, of the policemen have been stopped in order to ask to me if you had seen someone of suspicion." The letter finishes with one delirious description of the most powerful arm, in a position to blowing up a bus, than the assassin it would have constructed with its hands and that it would hold in wine cellar.
Beautiful the successive letter catches up Melvin lawyer 27 December 1969. Postcard of christmas auguries is attached to one. The killer it seems inexplicably I polish and invoque aid quite. Sorry of the threat of attack to the bus of children, asks aid Beautiful because it fears to lose the control newly and to recommence to kill. "For it appeal to aids, I will still not maintain the control to me along."
Unfortunately it will not contact Beautifulr later on, making to lose the own traces more in order than three months.
Sunday 22 March 1970. It is evening, but from little time. 23 years old the Kathleen Johns is guiding on Highway 132, in the County of Saint Joaquin. In car with she there is the Jennifer little daughter. A car is approached she, the driver sound the clacson, ago the gestures and scream to them that it has a wheel to earth and is voluntarily proposed to help it to change it. The man in truth removes only the bolts and therefore, when Kathleen recovers in march, the wheel lever of all. Sad for the new incident, the disowned one offers a passage to them until to the next station of service. The hard travel to along, in the Modest direction of (California), however the kind one disowned seems not to want itself to stop to no station of service. Kathleen understands that it is in danger and, seized the little daughter, jumps down from the car. They hide between the shadows, in the bank empty for the irrigation of the fields. Killer the test to try them for approximately ten minuteren, helping himself with the beacons of the car and a torch, but to the end abandons the enterprise and to vanish in the night. Caught up the station of police of Patterson, Kathleen is based on one chair, ready to tell allo sceriff own the ugly adventure and for denounce. To the shoulders of the man there is a tabellone with the identikits of all searches to you and, just between these, the woman recognizes the guilty. The identikit indicated from Kathleen Johns is that one of the Zodiac Killer.
Between it you open them 1970 and March 1971, the Zodiac Killer sended at least nine letters, but from they the police has not succeeded to go back to no ulterior crime. Neither she has succeeded to trace the murder. 30 January 1974, a newspaper of Saint Francisco received the first authentic letter in nearly three years. Little words without sense, the company brought back the mysterious notations "Me-37" and "SFPD-0"mentre 1/3 of the page was occupied from an enormous celtica cross, near which wording "= 3" appeared. In 1975, Don Striepke, one sceriff of the County of Sonoma draft a relationship with one interesting theory. Marking on a map a series of 40 unsolved murders of the Western States, gigantic Z was gone to form one. This theory but will fall very soon in a box, since in the same zone and the same years Ted Bundy operated also.
The 24 you open them 1978 has been delivered to the press 21st letter of the Zodiac Killer. The letter toes make one's debut with an alarming "is returned" that it has scattered the terror between it inhabits you of the Bay Area. No crime has been traced in the zone before or after the letter and to it they are continuations letters without sense, that they praised the job of the police. After taken care of analysis is uncovered that the author of these letters would be just Dave Toschi, official of police and to head of surveyings on the Zodiac Killer. Other reject theory strictly is that being left over to the beginning of years ' 80 from the writer George Oakes. The author said of being in telephone contact with the assassin from years, and knowing its mentality based on the water, the clocks and the binary mathematics well. He added also of knowing the identity of the killer.
The F.B.I. without no delicacy has labeled this theory as "to lot of bullshit" (avoids
the translation). Much more interesting is a book of 1986, "Zodiac" of Robert Graysmith. In this volume the killer it comes indicated with the pseudonym of "Robert Hall Starr". Resident of Vallejo, "Starr" is described like a fanatic of crews and a persecutor of children, indicated from the police like the suspicion number one. Graysmith credits to the Zodiac Killer a total of 36 possible victims, killed between October 1966 and May 1981. Beyond to the six omicid you notice, Graysmith enclosed 15 victims connected to a mysterious one killer not identified of northern California, and 15 victims of a "astrological" murder, that it hits that is in proximity of solstice or an equinox. 99% of the victims are women, and the modus operandi he is fickle. That would bring back to the words "will change continuamenteil method of collection of the slaves" written from the killer in the ' 69. Effectively the Robert Hall Starr di Graysmith has existed indeed. Arthur Leigh Allen was called, and was indicted teaching for sexual harassments in the comparisons of some children. For years it has been suspected of being the Zodiac Killer, and is the only one to have endured interrogating and processes on this case. It is died in 1992 to 58 years, demolished from a disease to kidneys, but surveyings are always continued in its direction. In 2002, thanks to the modern technologies, have been extracted the DNA from salted remained under some stamps use you from Zodiac. The Dna has demonstrated that Allen was not the guilty. It has been before and only carried out from when, in 2000, ispettoriKelly the Carroll and Michael Maloney, of the police of Vallejo, have reopened the case of the Zodiac... and it is not sure one upturn. Always in 2002, in the state of Washington, a serial killer it has signed the own crimes with little paper having brought back a written one: "They are God". "When died, revive in paradise" it announced the Zodiac Killer, but it is stretched to exclude that features of he that it hits still at a distance of 30 years.
|
