A Murder in Benicia
The year was 1968, it was late in December- only a few days before Christmas- when the 17 year old David Faraway and 16 year old Betty Lou Jenson were out on a date late at night in Benicia, California. They had been peacefully enjoying their night inside on Lake Herman Road, when suddenly another appeared next to their own. This was odd, as Betty and David were in a rather remote location, but things quickly turned deadly when the stranger began raining gunfire down on them. The couple was forced out of the car and tried to flee, but unfortunately neither could escape. Both had been shot multiple times and while Betty had tragically passed away, David was in critical condition, but alive. Unfortunately, David died before he could be questioned by the police, meaning that a description for the killer was unable to be obtained. Afterwards, police were able to come to the conclusion that the teenage couple had been random victims, subject to what was to become a series of unsolved murders.
A Second Murder
It was the night of the 4th of July, and Darlene Ferrin and her boyfriend Michael Mageau were enjoying a date out in Vallejo, California. Both were quite young, with Darlene being only 22 and Michael being just 19. A mysterious vehicle had driven up to their parked car, though, it drove off after a few minutes. This did not raise any alarms for either Michael or Darlene, as there had been three other cars in the lot before they too had driven off. Now, Darlene and Michael were alone to enjoy their evening- or so they thought. The mysterious brown car from before had returned, and this time it did not simply drive off. The driver- who the couple presumed was the police- suddenly exited the car shining a bright flashlight. Still under the assumption that the man approaching them was a cop, Michael began looking through his belongings in search of his license. However, when he looked up, instead of a flashlight, the man was now pointing a gun at them. Before the two even had time to react the killer immediately began firing shots, terribly wounding both Michael and Darlene. A total of nine shots were fired, all of which were heard by a nearby man from his home. When the two responding officers arrived, an ambulance was immediately summoned. Michael luckily survived, but Darlene was not so fortunate, and sadly died a little after 12:30 in the morning. However, Michael’s miraculous survival meant one certain thing, that he could provide a description for the culprit. He was described as being 5’8, possessing a thickset body likely weighing around 200 pounds or slightly under, and having light brown hair. The Zodiac Killer was closer to being caught, but how much more would have to be sacrificed before the police would get another lead?
The Aftermath
The murder of Darlene Ferrin was not all that would happen that night, for that night the police would receive something else from the Zodiac. A phone call. Only two minutes after Darlene was pronounced dead the Zodiac Killer would call from a gas station payphone and proceed to recite the words “I want to report a murder. If you will go one mile east on Columbus Parkway, you will find kids in a brown car. They were shot with a 9-millimeter Luger. I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye.”. This was not the end, it was only a matter of time before the Zodiac struck again, but when, where, who? There were so many questions and so few answers, and even with Michael’s description of the killer the police were still unable to name even a single suspect.
The Killings Continue
It’s September 27, 1969, and the Zodiac Killer has not struck for nearly three months. However, people are still on their toes. Fear of the killer’s next attack had already raged all across San Francisco, leaving many wary. Parents were hesitant to let their kids go out at night anymore, which is what made the Zodiac’s next killing even more terrifying, for when he struck the Zodiac did not hide under the cover of night, but in broad daylight. Bryan Hartnell and Cecilia Shephard had been peacefully enjoying a picnic together at Lake Berryessa when Cecilia noticed a man watching the couple from about 200-300 yards away, hiding behind a tree. Not only was his behavior odd but he was also dressed in the rather strange attire of a black trousers, an executioners hood, a waistline bib, and a mask. This figure was of course, the Zodiac Killer. He began to get closer and closer to them, which was when Cecilia began to tell Bryan about it, but by then it was too late for them to make an escape. The Zodiac showed the two his gun and began talking to them, telling the couple that he had escaped from a Montanan prison, that he had already killed a man and stolen a car. The Zodiac ordered Bryan’s car keys, to which he obeyed, and then forced Cecilia to tie him up with zip ties before binding Cecilia himself. Instead of shooting them, the killer stabbed the couple a total of seventeen times between the two. Ten stabs were delivered to Cecilia, and seven to Bryan. Both were able to free themselves, and an ambulance arrived for the two, dropping them off at Valley Hospital, hours after the attack. Both managed to survive long enough to get a report, but Cecilia unfortunately passed due to her injuries just two days afterwards. Bryan was able to provide a description for the man, one similar to Michael’s with some slight changes. It was noted that the story about the prison in Montana was likely a ploy. But just like they had for the last murder, the Zodiac had left a clue to taunt the police, and this time it was a phone number.
The Phone Number
Near the crime scene at Lake Berryessa, a white Karmann Ghia was discovered with a phone number, dates, a message, and the zodiac’s infamous symbol written into the side of the car door. The date total message reads “Vallejo 12-20-68, 7-4-69, Sept 27-69 – 6:30. by knife”. Later, the Zodiac would call, uttering the words “I want to report a murder, no, a double murder. They are two miles north of Park Headquarters. They were in a white “Volkswagon Karmann Ghia. I’m the one that did it”.
The Final Murder
Paul Stine was 28, a loving husband and hardworking student, working late as a cab driver on a random night in San Francisco. He had been driving home a passenger, who he also thought was random, however, this was far from the case. Unbeknownst to Paul, the man in the back seat of his cab was actually the Zodiac Killer. The Zodiac shot Paul, and fled, but not before collecting a souvenir, a scrap of Paul’s bloodied shirt. The Zodiac sent the scrap of shirt to the police to taunt them, but despite this, officials were still unable to identify the killer. To this day, the case of the Zodiac Killer remains open and unsolved. Will we ever find the identity of the killer? Due to improvement in technology, some say yes, will others reckon the truth is lost to history. However, for now, the answer still remains a mystery.
