The Zodiac

The Zodiac Killer (sometimes known as The Zodiac) was a person who attacked people from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Nobody knows who it actually is. The case is still unsolved.

His first victims were Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday on December 20, 1968. At 10:15 pm, they parked at a lovers' lane. Just before 11:00 pm, another call pulled up. A person exited the car and walked to the couple. He told them to get out.

Jensen got out. When Faraday was only halfway out, he got shot in the head by the person. Jensen started to run but only made it twenty-eight feet from the vehicle. The person, who is the Zodiac, drove off soon after.

Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau were the next victims. It was just before midnight on  July 4, 1969. They were at Blue Rock Springs. They were sitting in a car when another one pulled up to them. It wasn't there for very long when it drove away. It returned after ten minutes and it was parked behind them. The Zodiac got out of his car and walked to the other.

He put a flashlight to the car and fired five bullets. Mageau and Ferrin were both hit. The Zodiac almost left but heard Mageau moaning and went back to the car. He shot them two times each and drove off.

After midnight on July 5th, someone called the Vallejo Police Department. The person took responsibility for both murders. The police traced the call to a phone booth near a gas station at Spring Road. Mageau described his attacker as a 26–30 years old, 195–200 lbs or possibly even more, 5'8" white male with short, light brown curly hair.

There were three letters sent on August 1, 1969 to the Vallejo Times Herald. The letters took credit for the murders. The killer demanded that they would be shown front page on each newspaper or he will kill at least a dozen people over the weekend. He also had a code which was said to have his name.

Another letter was received on On August 7, 1969. It started with: *Dear Editor This is the Zodiac speaking.*It is said to have more details on the murders.

A day later, Donald and Bettye Harden cracked the code. The code said:

*I like killing people because it is so much fun it is more fun than killing wild game in the forrest because man is the most dangeroue anamal of all to kill something gives me the most thrilling experence it is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl the best part of it is thae when I die I will be reborn in paradice and thei have killed will become my slaves I will not give you my name because you will try to sloi down or atop my collectiog of slaves for my afterlife ebeorietemethhpiti*

Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were having a picnic on September 27, 1969. A man approached them wearing a weird suit. He tied them up and stabbed them repeatedly. He was laughing while doing it. Shephard was able to give a description of the killer. Both were taken to a hospital. Shephard fell into a coma and died two days later but Hartnell survived.

On October 11, 1969, Paul Stine was driving someone who requested to go to Maple Street. He drove a block past the destination and the passenger shot him in the head. It was the Zodiac. He took Stine's wallet, car keys, and a section of his shirt.

On October 14, 1969, the *Chronicle* received a letter from the Zodiac. The letter also came with the piece of Stine's shirt. It also had a threat against school children on a bus. He said to *just shoot out the front tire & then pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out.*

On the night of March 22, 1970, Kathleen Johns was driving to visit her mother. She had her 10-month-old daughter with her. A car kept flashing its headlights and honking its horn. She pulled over. The man got out and walked over. He stated that he observed that her right rear wheel was wobbling, and offered to tighten the lug nuts.

After his work was finished, he drove off. Johns' wheel almost immediately came off when she tried to re-enter the highway. The man returned and offered to drive her to the nearest service station to help her. They got in and he started to drive.

They passed multiple service stations during the 90 minute drive. When Johns tried to question her, he would change the subject. He stopped at an intersection and Johns jumped out with her daughter and hid in the fields. The driver came out with a flashlight saying that he would not hurt them. He gave up after a while and drove off.

Johns went to a police station. She noticed a police composite sketch of the Zodiac. It was the same person who abducted her.

There were many other letters from the Zodiac. There were also other incidents that it isn't confirmed if it is the Zodiac or not. He was never caught. What is weird is that the case was closed in April 2004.