Writer and film maker Richard Gaikowski has been named as a Zodiac suspect by Tom Voigt of the website Zodiackiller.com. According to Voigt, Gaikowski allegedly assumed the role of editor for the San Francisco Express Times sometime in the spring of 1969; in April of that year, the newspaper changed its name to the San Francisco Good Times.

On his website, Voigt wrote: “At the time of his murder, the Good Times ‘switchboard’ was located only yards from the residence of Zodiac victim Paul Stine on Fell Street in San Francisco.” Voigt apparently based this claim on a paragraph which had appeared in Gaikowski’s Good Times column titled “D gaik’s short bits.”

Voigt’s site also featured a Google photograph of the two locations in question with Voigt’s captions.

Paul Stine did live at 1842 Fell Street, and 1830 Fell Street was, in fact, the home of a switchboard. However, Voigt’s attempt to link Stine to the Good Times, and his suspect, Richard Gaikowski, appears to be based on a false assumption. A quick Google search for “1830 Fell Street” and “switchboard” yielded these results.

The switchboard located at 1830 Fell Street was actually the famous “Haight-Ashbury Switchboard,” a fixture of the Bay Area counter-culture in the late 1960s and 1970s. Al Rinker founded the Switchboard in 1967 and wrote this mission statement. “The Switchboard is a volunteer service designed to facilitate communication among people throughout San Francisco, and specifically to serve as an informational and referral source for the Haight-Ashbury community.” As noted on the Wikipedia page and other Internet articles, the Switchboard was quickly overwhelmed by the needs of the counter-culture community and subsequently devoted much of its resources to finding “crash pads” for wandering hippies and assisting “runaways” new to the Bay Area while dealing with worried and irate parents. The Switchboard became a focal point in the Haight-Ashbury district and a legend among those in the counter-culture movement.

The Switchboard did not serve as the switchboard for the Good Times newspaper. In fact, the Good Times had no need for a switchboard and had phones in its office at 2377 Bush Street. A page from Steal This Book by famous activist Abbie Hoffman contained the following information:

Hoffman wrote Steal This Book in 1970 and the popular anti-establishment treatise was published in 1971. The book notes the phone number of the Haight-Ashbury Switchboard as “387-3575,” the same number listed for the Haight-Ashbury switchboard in an August 1969 issue of the Good Times.

Al Rinker ran the Haight-Ashbury Switchboard until 1970 when some of his volunteers assumed control and later moved the operation to 1797 Haight, then to 1921 Hayes St. near Ashbury, and finally to 1539 Haight St. The Switchboard continued to offer services to the citizens of the Bay Area throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s and finally closed in 1986.

In one of his many writings from the late 1980s, Blaine Blaine, Gaikowsk’s only accuser and Voigt’s chief informant, noted the proximity of the Switchboard to the residence of Zodiac victim Paul Stine, writing, On Stine: Did you know Stine lived either in or near the same building where the old Haight Ashbury switchboard was located on Fell Street? The Switchboard then use to sell the GOOD TIMES underground newspaper and Gaikowski used to, with Chris Robeson, deliver them there.

Given the nature and purpose of the Switchboard, the fact that the Good Times was available there, along with other underground newspapers from the Bay Area, cannot be viewed as evidence linking Gaikowski to Stine. Blaine claims that Gaikowski delivered editions of the Good Times to the Switchboard, but Blaine has a documented history of exaggerating and even inventing his own stories to suit his needs. The facts indicate that the proximity of the Switchboard to the home of Paul Stine is not credible evidence linking Gaikowski to Stine, and that the house on 1830 Fell Street had no legitimate or significant connection to the Good Times or Gaikowski as Voigt claims. Even Blaine, who worked for the Good Times, described the house at 1830 Fell Street as the location of the old Haight Ashbury switchboard and not as the switchboard for the Good Times.

Voigt first posted his claims regarding the switchboard in April 2008. After I posted this information about the Haight-Ashbury switchboard on Monday, July 19th, 2010, Voigt claimed that he did possess evidence to back up his claim that the Good Times newspaper referred to the Haight-Ashbury switchboard as “the Good Times switchboard.” I wrote that Voigt should present this evidence but he refused to do so. In one of his bizarre emails dated Monday, July 19, 2010 8:47 PM Voigt wrote: “It is also irrelevant if eveyone referred to it as the “Good Times” switchboard. What IS relevant is the Good Times newspaper referred to it — IN PRINT — as their own switchboard, and directed people to leave them messages and materials there, since much of their readership lived in the Haight and expecting them to make the trek all the way to Bush Street lugging items to donate wasn’t reasonable.” On Tuesday, July 20, 2010 12:37 AM, Voigt wrote, “I have examples galore of the “Good Times” newspaper referring to the Fell Street switchboard as the “Good Times” switchboard back in 1969 and 1970. But I aint’ gonna scan, upload and post said examples until Muck Bitterfield admits that such an example(s) would be significant with regard to his latest pissy rant.” On Monday, October 18, 2010 3:58:53 PM, Voigt “Tweeted,” “Think I’ll get an apology after I post it? Ne neither. He’ll just dismiss it as not mattering. So… what’s the point of me posting it again?” Voigt never posted even one of his examples galore of the Good Times newspaper referring to the Fell Street switchboard as the “Good Times” switchboard back in 1969 or 1970. Instead, he posted the following message at his Twitter page on November 24, 2010:

“I have been accused of lying when I said — back in April 2008 — that the Good Times newspaper referred to the Haight switchboard as “the Good Times switchboard.” While I didn’t purchase the issue where I saw that reference, I’m sure I’ll get my hands on it again one day. For now, I have found something that clearly demonstrates the close relationship between the Good Times newspaper and that particular switchboard, of which there were many around the Bay Area. Quite simply, by August 1969 the newspaper had adopted the Haight switchboard due to its proximity to a majority of the newspaper’s San Francisco readers. When the newspaper needed its readers to bring donated items to help the Good Times commune, they directed them to the nearby Haight switchboard. In return for that service, the newspaper helped keep that switchboard afloat financially. Obviously the newspaper highly valued that particular switchboard by encouraging people to help them over other services and causes. FROM A 1970 ISSUE: (see “gtstoast.jpg” attachment) Thus, staffers of the Good Times would frequent the switchboard to retrieve said items, thus placing them within yards of the residence of Zodiac victim Paul Stine. I hope nobody still has doubts as to my honesty.

Voigt posted a clipping from the Good Times which read:

“The Haight-Ashbury switchboard would like to thank the Good Times’ readers for coming up with enough bread for us to pay the bills.” 

Voigt claims that he saw an issue of the Good Times which referred to the Haight-Ashbury switchboard as the “Good Times switchboard.” Voigt claims he didn’t purchase this issue yet he cites its alleged content in his attempts to link Gaikowski and the Good Times to the switchboard and, in turn, to the address of Zodiac victim Paul Stine. While Voigt claims that this issue referred to the switchboard as the “Good Times switchboard” he does not quote any text from this alleged reference or even the context. He simply says that the newspaper referred to the switchboard in this manner without providing any proof.

Voigt had written: “I have examples galore of the ‘Good Times’ newspaper referring to the Fell Street switchboard as the “Good Times” switchboard…”  After he claimed that he had “examples galore” proving that the Good Times newspaper referred to the Haight-Ashbury switchboard as “the Good Times switchboard,” Voigt then wrote, “While I didn’t purchase the issue where I saw that reference, I’m sure I’ll get my hands on it again one day.” One has to wonder which version is true: Did Voigt see one newspaper with this reference but didn’t buy it, or, does he possess examples galore of such references?

Voigt does not cite the sources of his information regarding the Good Times, its policies, practices and actions. Voigt claims that the newspaper asked readers to leave donations for the Good Times commune at the switchboard yet Voigt never cites or presents any evidence to support this claim. Was this information also in another issue of the Good Times which Voigt read but apparently did not purchase or transcribe? If Voigt had any clippings from the newspaper which stated that the Good Times was asking its readers to leave donations for the Good Times commune at the Haight-Ashbury switchboard, one wonders why he didn’t present this proof when he made this claim.

Voigt claims that the Good Times newspaper had “adopted“ the Haight-Ashbury switchboard and that the newspaper itself had “helped keep the switchboard afloat financially.” Again, Voigt does not cite any source for this claim and does not provide any clipping or transcription from the Good Times. The statement printed in the Good Times read, “The Haight-Ashbury switchboard would like to thank the Good Times’ readers for coming up with enough bread for us to pay the bills.” The statement does not refer to “our reader” and does not state that the switchboard was the Good Times switchboard. This statement does not indicate that the newspaper was paying the switchboard bills. The switchboard is defined as a separate entity altogether and the word “us” does not specify the newspaper as the payer of switchboard bills. One can argue that the word “us” refers to the Good Times but the text does not suggest this. The text states that the Haight-Ashbury switchboard was the source of the bills in question. The statement could easily read, “All of US at the Haight-Ashbury switchboard would like to thank the readers of the Good Times for coming up with enough bread for US to pay the bills.” In fact, this would appear to be the more logical interpretation of the statement. Since the Haight-Ashbury switchboard was a prominent fixture of the counter-culture community in the Bay Area and the Good Times was one of the most popular counter-culture newspapers in the Bay Area, the notion that the Good Times would solicit help from its readers to aid the switchboard and keep it “afloat financially” seems far more logical and likely. The Good Times newspaper and commune, which sold its issues for as little as a quarter, supported and financed the newspaper and the commune, had to support, feed and care for many people, and had its own financial worries and burdens. The notion that the newspaper and commune would pay the bills for the switchboard seems odd given the facts; the notion that the Good Times would ask its readers to donate in order to help the prominent switchboard makes perfect sense. The statement in the Good Times would appear to be a notice or ad from the switchboard thanking the readers for helping to pay the bills. The statement does not appear to indicate that the switchboard was thanking the Good Times readers for donating items intended for the Good Times commune, or, that the Good Times was thanking its own readers for donating such items.

Voigt said of the items allegedly left at the switchboard location but intended for the Good Times commune: “Thus, staffers of the Good Times would frequent the switchboard to retrieve said items, thus placing them within yards of the residence of Zodiac victim Paul Stine.” Voigt claimed that the Good Times used its newspaper to solicit donations for the commune and asked the readers to leave these items at the switchboard, yet Voigt did not present any evidence to substantiate this claim, and then Voigt added to this claim by stating that Good Times staff frequented the switchboard in order to retrieve these items. Voigt does not cite a source for this information. Blaine Blaine worked at the Good Times and, in the late 1980s, he wrote: “On Stine: Did you know Stine lived either in or near the same building where the old Haight Ashbury switchboard was located on Fell Street? The Switchboard then use to sell the GOOD TIMES underground newspaper and Gaikowski used to, with Chris Robeson, deliver them there.” Blaine did not claim that the Good Times newspaper had referred to the Haight-Ashsbury switchboard as the “Good Times switchboard,” nor did he mention any significant relationship between the switchboard and the newspaper.

Voigt relies heavily on innuendo, distortions, unsubstantiated claims and more in his campaign to promote Richard Gaikowski as a viable Zodiac suspect. Voigt used these methods for years as he promoted suspect Arthur Leigh Allen. On his webpage devoted to Allen titled The Allen-Zodiac Connection, Voigt writes: “Finally, in 1971 Allen’s father, Ethan, died. The date was March 17…Darlene’s birthday. It was yet another occasion when someone close to Allen died on a significant Zodiac date.” Voigt did not name any occasion when “someone close to Allen died on a significant Zodiac date” other than the death of Allen’s father. Ethan Allen died from prostate cancer, and there is no evidence or even the faintest allegation of foul play in the death of Allen’s father so there is no “connection” between the date of his death and the birth date of Darlene Ferrin. Voigt also wrote:

“Later, Allen attempted to use a deceased elderly neighbor as an alibi, claiming this neighbor, William White, had seen Allen the afternoon of the Berryessa attack and that the two had a conversation. (At this time another William White, a ranger from Napa County, was all over the news as a spokesman on the Berryessa attack.) Neighbor White died within a couple of weeks of this alleged encounter. His birthday was Dec. 20.”

According to Voigt, William White was born on a date significant in the Zodiac case and the date of his birth is not a “connection” between Allen and the Zodiac. Voigt’s Allen-Zodiac page seems designed solely to mislead readers into believing that there were “connections” between Allen and the Zodiac when the facts did not establish that such a connection existed.

Voigt recently claimed that he possessed almost one hundred letters written by Arthur Leigh Allen in which Allen had confessed that he was the Zodiac and provided information known only to the killer. “In several letters he confessed to being the Zodiac, and gave details only the killer would know; those letters I have sent to the proper authorities… Written from the mental hospital in 1975, 1976 and 1977, I had a hundred of these letters. Most were passed along to law enforcement recently, and America’s Most Wanted has a show coming out.” Voigt’s ongoing promotion of Richard Gaikowski and Richard Marshall as viable suspects seems strange if Voigt did, indeed, possess letters in which Allen not only confessed but provided information known only to the Zodiac. On Thursday, October 07, 2010 9:52:46 AM, Voigt presented a new theory regarding Marshall, “Was Marshall the Zodiac? Were he and Gaikowski a team?” [Read the original posting.] Voigt posted this veiled accusation two years after he had declared that Richard Marshall had been officially cleared as a Zodiac suspect with the help of Voigt himself. [The excerpt below can be found in the UPDATE section of Voigt’s website known as The NEWS CENTER.]

Sept. 6, 2008) After more than 30 years of scrutiny, Rick Marshall has finally been dismissed as a Zodiac suspect…and Zodiackiller.com played a huge part.

Here’s how it went down:

It all started a couple of months ago when I received a phone tip (415 267-4818) from a woman who worked at a care facility in the Sacramento (Cal.) area. She told me that Marshall was a patient where she worked, and that he had spoken about the Zodiac case. She found him to be extremely suspicious and was not sure what to do. Thinking Marshall might finally be ready to talk due to his advanced age and deteriorating health, I contacted my sources at the Napa County Sheriff’s Dept., the agency that originally investigated Marshall back in the 1970s. Two detectives made the trek to Sacramento and spent a significant amount of time interviewing Marshall. I have yet to find if DNA testing was involved, but whatever data was gleened was enough for investigators to finally dismiss Marshall as a viable Zodiac suspect after more than three decades.

Many observers criticized Voigt’s attempts to resurrect Marshall as a suspect with his posting “Was Marshall the Zodiac? Were he and Gaikowski a team?” On October 18th, 2010, Voigt posted the following response on his Twitter page: “Ummm…when did I accuse Rick Marshall of anything? Trolls gonna troll.”

Voigt publicly speculated that a man seen in a photograph standing with Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin was Richard Gaikowski, yet the man in the photograph was clearly not Gaikowski. Voigt then suggested that the same man in the same photograph was victim Bryan Hartnell, posting this Twitter question:“IS THE UNKNOWN MAN ZODIAC VICTIM BRYAN HARTNELL?“ The man was clearly not Bryan Hartnell. The question may have seemed somehow justified and legitimate to some but Voigt’s suggestion was bizarre at best. Bryan Hartnell survived the Zodiac’s attack and is well aware of the other victims in the Zodiac case. Hartnell would undoubtedly have told police if he had known one of the other victims attacked by the Zodiac. Voigt stated that the photograph was taken sometime in 1964 or 1965. Hartnell was 20 years old in 1969, so he would have been approximately 15 to 16 years old at the time the photograph was taken; the man in the photograph appears older. Gaikowski was not the man in the photograph; he was born in 1936 and would have been at least 28 years old at that time. Voigt was suggesting that a 15-16 year old teenager and a 28 year old man could be the same man in the photograph.  The man in the photograph is wearing what appears to be a wedding ring; neither Gaikowski nor Hartnell were married in 1964 or 1965.

Voigt has attempted to create a link between the Good Times newspaper and the Haight-Ashbury switchboard in order to create a link between Gaikowski and Zodiac victim Paul Stine. Voigt had written:

• At the time of his murder, the Good Times “switchboard” was located only yards from the residence of Zodiac victim Paul Stine on Fell Street in San Francisco.

Echoing his attempts to create a link between suspect Arthur Leigh Allen and victim Darlene Ferrin, Voigt also implies that the birthday and residence of Gaikowski’s relative constitutes a link between Gaikowski and Zodiac victim Paul Stine.

• Stine was killed on San Francisco’s Washington Street. Only one Gaikowski was listed in a city directory at that time, Richard’s cousin, and she lived on Washington Street. Her birthday was October 11, the very day Stine was murdered by the Zodiac. Stine — a cab driver — was the one victim whom the Zodiac could choose when and where he would be killed.

Voigt is suggesting that Richard Gaikowski and/or his associates at the Good Times newspaper/commune were directly linked to the switchboard address on Fell Street next to Stine’s residence. Based on this claimed link, Voigt further claims that Gaikowski and/or his associates often traveled to the switchboard address, thereby placing him near Stine. The implication is that Gaikowski, as the Zodiac, came into contact with Stine and then decided to kill him. Voigt further implies that Gaikowski may have selected Stine as his victim and then killed Stine on Washington Street because Gaikowski’s cousin lived on Washington Street. The allegations are based on trivia regarding the date of birth and address of Gaikowski’s cousin and Voigt’s theorized yet unsubstantiated link between the Good Times/Gaikowski and the switchboard address.

Richard Gaikowski was first accused by Blaine Blaine in 1986. Despite years of effort, Blaine was unable to produce any credible evidence to implicate Gaikowski. He contacted many different law enforcement agencies and each concluded that his accusations had no merit whatsoever. Since he had failed to produce any credible evidence, Blaine relied instead on a long list of bizarre claims, strained speculation, exaggerations, distortions and fiction. Decades later, Tom Voigt has re-accused Gaikowski using Blaine’s dubious methods and using Blaine’s original accusations to justify the resurrection of Blaine’s already dismissed and debunked theories and claims. Like Blaine, Voigt has failed to produce any credible evidence to implicate Gaikowski in the Zodiac crimes and he relies instead on bizarre claims, strained speculation, exaggerations, distortions and fiction. Richard Gaikowski may have delivered editions of the Good Times to the Haight-Ashbury switchboard on Fell Street yet this possibility does not constitute evidence that Gaikowski had ever met or known Zodiac victim Paul Stine. Even if Gaikowski had met or known Paul Stine that would not constitute evidence that Gaikowski was a murderer, let alone that he killed Stine.

Voigt’s entire presentation seems designed to mislead and manipulate a naive and gullible audience. Voigt aims to convince the public that Richard Gaikowski was a murderous madman responsible for multiple killings and a campaign of terror which lasted several years. Voigt assumes that the public will accept his simplistic and misleading propaganda as legitimate substitutes for good reason to accuse a man of murder. Voigt’s desperate and dubious attempts to create links between Gaikowski and Zodiac victims betray Voigt’s true motives and demonstrate that he is ready and willing to ignore the facts in his quest to convict Gaikowski in the court of public opinion.

In April 2008, Tom Voigt claimed that the Good Times newspaper refererred to the Haight-Ashbury switchboard as “the Good Times switchboard.” The new year 2011 has arrived, and Voigt still has not presented any credible evidence to support this claim. Voigt declared that he will not tap into that collection of “examples galore” in order to vindicate himself until he receives an apology from those who noted his failure to provide that evidence during the last two and a half years.

Anyone making claims regarding an unsolved murder case has a moral and ethical obligation to present the facts which support their claims. Tom Voigt claimed that the Good Times newspaper referred to the Haight-Ashbury switchboard as “the Good Times switchboard” yet he did not provide any evidence to support this claim. Voigt wrote, “I have been accused of lying when I said — back in April 2008 — that the Good Times newspaper referred to the Haight switchboard as ‘the Good Times switchboard.’ I hope nobody still has doubts as to my honesty.” The issues at hand are the facts concerning an unsolved murder case and the evidence used to accuse someone of murder, not Tom Voigt or his hurt feelings. If Voigt had acted as any responsible person would and simply posted the evidence to support his claims then no one would have reason or cause to question his honesty and motives regarding this matter. Anyone who was truly concerned about being perceived as dishonest would provide the evidence which supported their claims rather than withhold that evidence until he received an apology from those who criticized him for failing to provide that evidence in the first place. Most people who were offended at the suggestion that they had made false statements would willingly provide the evidence which proved otherwise, especially if they possessed “examples galore” of that evidence. Voigt wrote, “I have examples galore of the “Good Times” newspaper referring to the Fell Street switchboard as the “Good Times” switchboard…” Voigt then wrote, “While I didn’t purchase the issue where I saw that reference, I’m sure I’ll get my hands on it again one day.” In the first version, Voigt clearly states that he has many examples in his possession and, in the second version, he implies that he had only seen one example. Anyone attempting to reconcile these two statements would be justifiably confused.

More than one year ago, Steve Hodel published his book MOST EVIL. Hodel had previously wowed the world with his claim that his father was responsible for the infamous “Black Dahlia” murder, and he took his theory one step further to claim that his father was also the Zodiac killer. Immediately following its release, MOST EVIL was met with skepticism and scrutiny by those who have studied, researched, and investigated the Zodiac crimes.

The “evidence” presented by Hodel was viewed as tenuous at best. Even the oldest estimate of the Zodiac’s age placed the killer somewhere in his late thirties to mid-forties at the time that Hodel’s father was at least sixty years old, and the description of the killer did not match, either. Steve Hodel relied largely on his dubious theories which he claims link his father to the Zodiac crimes and most of these theories are based on his geographic and geometric presentations.

After Hodel’s book hit store shelves, I posted a blog entry about his efforts to exploit the Zodiac case. At the message board of Zodiackiller.com, Zodiac conspiracy theorist Howard Davis asked Steve Hodel about my blog.

HOWARD DAVIS (as timetoresearchz): Steve, Are you aware that Mike Butterfield is calling you a ‘fraud’ and less than honest with the truth? You are a professional-we all know that except him I guess. I am answering his criticisms now as he goes too far. You have done a great work on the BD case! All he has really done is to pick at others like you.

STEVE HODEL: No, I haven’t been following him. As I’m sure you’ve seen over the years there is always a hardcore group filled with venom and agendas. They attack the messenger, not the message. The investigator, not the investigation. Even if we eventually get positive DNA, these types will say, “He was just impersonating Zodiac. It’s been my experience that shut minds rarely open. Equally true with many law enforcement professionals. Re. BDA, most of my critics are still back in 2003 and seemingly unaware of all the new evidence that has built the case in recent years. For anyone who has followed the new evidence, there is really no longer any doubt that George Hodel was in truth- the Black Dahlia Avenger. That fact alone, absent anything else, would be enough to take a hard look at him for the ZODIAC crimes some twenty-years later. But, as you know, we have a lot more than that as summarized in MOST EVIL. Thanks for your and others support. Always appreciated. SKH, Los Angeles

HOWARD DAVIS: No Steve he is attacking you personally as well as your research-both messenger and message- calling it ‘stupidity’,etc. This is extremely disrespectful, especially knowing your background, etc.; but when you are a boundless egotist and sociopath you manifest that behavior… Don’t forget as Guardian and Protector of the Zodiac case he must condemn everyone unless they are following Him. We are giving him far too much attention he may take it wrongLOL

I was not surprised to see the posting by Howard Davis. He had been claiming that his brother-in-law told him of a massive conspiracy to conceal evidence linking Charles Manson and his murderous family to the Zodiac crimes. Davis claimed that the conspiracy involved members of the LA DA’s office, the CA Attorney General, members of law enforcement agencies, a judge, and others. Davis also claimed that Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi endorsed his Manson/Zodiac theory. Davis belittled those who questioned his claims in various message board postings and even chastised anyone who dared to question his knowledge of Bugliosi’s opinions on the matter. I contacted Davis’s brother-in-law and he refuted the entire conspiracy story with far more credibility than Davis. He went so far as to call Davis a “nutjob” with a long history of making ridiculous and false claims. I also contacted Vincent Bugliosi, and he unequivocally stated that he did not endorse the Manson/Zodiac theory and, in fact, he had never said that he did. After I reported this information to the public, Howard Davis began claiming that I attack people because they won’t follow or agree with me. [To learn more about Howard Davis and his Manson/Zodiac cover-up claims, read the Zodiackillerfacts.com article CONSPIRAZ.]

I posted my review of MOST EVIL. Using simple scrutiny, facts, logic, and common sense, I proved, beyond doubt, that virtually all of Hodel’s Zodiac-related map presentations were completely inaccurate regarding the locations of the Zodiac crimes, the angles they formed, and more.

As I noted some time ago, most newspapers, magazines, blogs, newscasters and others would print a retraction after learning of a mistake. Had The New York Times misspelled Steve Hodel’s name, the newspaper would most likely feature an immediate correction in a subsequent issue. Months after Steve Hodel’s entire Zodiac presentation had been thoroughly debunked and discredited, Steve Hodel was still acting as if nothing had changed and his claims still had merit.

On September 7, 2010, Steve Hodel’s website announced the paperback release of MOST EVIL in the following blog entry:

STEVE HODEL: Dutton-Penguin Group imprint, BERKLEY BOOKS has today published the paper-back edition of MOST EVIL: Avenger, Zodiac, and the Further Serial Murders of Dr. George Hill Hodel. Hard to believe its been a year since the original publication, but THERE IT IS! I have to admit to a personal preference for Berkley’s new choice of cadmium orange over Dutton’s original hardback pick of canary “Yellowbook” yellow. (But, what do I know? I’m sure none of my father’s “marketing genius” genes were passed on to the son. *s*) While a few minor corrections have been made from hardcover to this paperback edition, no major changes have occurred. One exception is my revision, update and clarification of the post publication information related to the second suspected “law enforcement composite.” That information was provided in detail on my blogsite in October, 2009 and has been included in the appropriate chapter and as an AUTHOR’S NOTE at the end of this edition. See below:

Hodel made no attempt to correct any of the important geographic and geometric errors in his book, and, instead, he focused on the dubious “suspect” sketch he had used in the hardback edition of MOST EVIL. Hodel claimed that the sketch in question was produced by authorities when, in fact, the sketch was produced by a professional artist as the cover of a book.

The sketch in question is obviously the work of a professional artist. This alone should have given Hodel reason to doubt that the sketch originated from law enforcement. The sketch features the same date as another sketch which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Adams sketch, further indication that the sketch was not produced by police. No honest person can reasonably suggest that police would produce two entirely different sketches meant to depict the same suspect, let alone do so and issue these sketches on the exact same day. The sketch also features a very stylistic portrait of the Zodiac in costume, even further indication that the sketch was not produced by police. The sketch never appeared or was mentioned in any of the official documents. None of the Zodiac witnesses ever described anyone who remotely resembled the man depicted in the Adams sketch, even further indication that this sketch was not produced by police. Anyone who had spent as much time researching the Zodiac case as Hodel claims would have known all of these facts.

Hodel blames former Chronicle reporter Duffy Jennings for the confusion regarding the origins of the sketch– confusion which Hodel himself created where none had previously existed. Hodel claimed that an “anonymous source” contacted Jennings and that Jennings said that the sketch on the cover of the book GREAT CRIMES OF SAN FRANCISCO was produced by law enforcement. While Steve Hodel was happy to concede that he, or, rather Duffy Jennings, had made a mistake regarding the sketch, he noted that no other major corrections had been made to the paperback version of MOST EVIL.

In a recent blog entry, Steve Hodel criticized the statements made by Larry Harnisch, owner and operator of a website devoted to the Black Dahlia case. Hodel criticized Harnisch for “misinforming” readers, explicitly implying that Steve Hodel does not do so. Hodel complained that Harnisch’s statements were factually inaccurate and he seemed preturbed by the fact that Harnisch had made this alleged error long after Hodel had publicly presented the evidence to “prove” that Hodel was correct.

Jan 9, 1947 “Black Dahlia” sighting by Biltmore Hotel Doorman- Fact or Fiction?: … Myth or Fact? For The Record- While I cannot speak to the “tipping of his hat” I can say that Mr. Harnisch is again, misinforming his readers. (He also claimed that the reported burn marks on Elizabeth Short’s body were a myth. They were NOT and I published the photograph to prove it.) THE STORY OF A BILTMORE EMPLOYEE SEEING ELIZABETH SHORT LEAVE THE HOTEL IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE. MORE THAN THAT THE WITNESS ALSO ESTABLISHED THAT A MAN MET HER AT THE OLIVE STREET ENTRANCE. Further, I have a copy of the documentation from Lt. Jemison’s “District Attorney – Black Dahlia Case files.” The witness, Mr. Harold Studholme, was not the doorman, but rather the Biltmore Hotel’s Bell Captain. (Close enough for government work.)

Hodel takes great offense because he believes that Larry Harnisch has been “misinforming his readers.” Steve Hodel portrays himself as a man who cares about the truth and cares about getting his facts straight, yet the facts paint a very different picture of Steve Hodel. Months ago, I posted by my review of Hodel’s book MOST EVIL. In that review, I proved, beyond any doubt, that virtually all of Hodel’s Zodiac-related claims were 100% false. Most of Hodel’s bizarre solution to the Zodiac case is based on geography and geometry, and I proved, again, beyond any doubt, that virtually all of Hodel’s presentations were inaccurate on both counts. Hodel continues to claim that this already-debunked material is still sound and valid, going so far as to boast of his impressive PowerPoint presentations and continuing to post the same material on his site as if it were factually accurate. People like Howard Davis complain that I have unfairly attacked Hodel while Hodel himself complains that people don’t want to accept his truth and that’s why they always “attack the messenger instead of the message.”

An examination of Hodel’s “message” in MOST EVIL and on his website proves that his work is consistently inaccurate and his claims are easily debunked. One of Hodel’s recent blog entries featured his already-debunked presentations as if they are still valid.

STEVE HODEL: In the above diagram, I have inserted and am using Zodiac’s original hand drawn compass circle and cross. I have followed his precise instructions and have positioned his circle to point to Magnetic North. (Tilting Zodiac’s circle approximately 17 degrees east) Zodiac tells us this will reveal where the bomb is buried. Note that Zodiac himself, moving in a counterclockwise direction from the apex has drawn five small X marks on his circle spacing them approximately 30 degrees apart from each other. I have extended his marks by drawing a black line A outward in a northwesterly direction and line B downward in a southwesterly direction. Magnetic north to Line A is approximately 60 degrees  and Line A to Line B is also approximately 60 degrees. (“Radian – Noun. Mathematics. The measure of a central angle subtending an arc equal in length to the radius: 57.2958 degrees) Zodiac’s specific use of the term radian informs us he is familiar with higher mathematics and is referencing an angle approximating 60 degrees… Note that by extending a line (A) out from Zodiac’s own positioning of his 2nd “X” not only does it approximate an angle of 60 degrees, but it appears to mark the location of Zodiac’s Blue Rock Springs murder site. Line B, Zodiac’s 4th X, completes his second angle, also approximating 60 degrees and when extended goes directly through his Presidio Heights, Paul Stine shooting location. But, where is the buried bomb? As originally presented in my sequel, MOST EVIL, I believe it is also revealed on Line B. This line not only intersects with his Stine victim, but crosses directly through the exact location where the body of Elizabeth “Black Dahlia” Short is buried in Oakland’s, Mountain View Cemetery.

Once again, Hodel’s entire presentation is completely inaccurate. He wrote, “I have followed his precise instructions and have positioned his circle to point to Magnetic North,” yet his placement of Magnetic North is incorrect. Hodel wrote that he had extended his “black lines“ from the peak of Mt. Diablo, yet even his own illustration shows that these lines are not aligned with the peak, and, further, do not even correspond to the apex of the Zodiac’s crossed-circle.

Hodel wrote that “Magnetic north to Line A is approximately 60 degrees” yet this angle in his illustration measures at least 73-75 degrees.

Hodel wrote that “Line A to Line B is also approximately 60 degrees“ yet this angle in his illustration measures somewhere between 53-55 degrees (perhaps slightly more if one includes the mass of both lines).

Hodel wrote, “Zodiac’s specific use of the term radian informs us he is familiar with higher mathematics and is referencing an angle approximating 60 degrees,” yet, if the Zodiac was at all familiar with mathematics he would not use a reference to a radian, an angle measuring 57.3 degrees to imply an angle which measures 60 degrees.

Hodel wrote, “Note that by extending a line (A) out from Zodiac’s own positioning of his 2nd “X” not only does it approximate an angle of 60 degrees, but it appears to mark the location of Zodiac’s Blue Rock Springs murder site.” In his own illustration, Hodel’s placement of the Blue Rock Springs Park murder site is completely inaccurate and far west of the correct location.

Hodel wrote, “Line B, Zodiac’s 4th X, completes his second angle, also approximating 60 degrees and when extended goes directly through his Presidio Heights, Paul Stine shooting location… This line not only intersects with his Stine victim, but crosses directly through the exact location where the body of Elizabeth ‘Black Dahlia’ Short is buried in Oakland’s, Mountain View Cemetery.” Hodel’s placement of the cemetery is fairly accurate, however, his own illustration accurately demonstrates that the line created by the Stine murder site does not intersect with the cemetery or the Short grave site.

Hodel claimed that the two angles in his illustration each measured approximately 60 degrees. If Hodel’s claim is true then both angles should measure approximately 120 degrees, yet, when combined, the two angles actually measure approximately 128 degrees or more.

Hodel’s illustration does not match the claims he makes about his own illustration. The diagram below illustrates the number of errors and false claims contained in Hodel’s illustration:

Steve Hodel recently posted the following announcement on his website: “This coming Saturday, January 8, 2011, just one week before the 64th anniversary of the murder of Elizabeth Short, I will be interviewed by Los Angeles based “super-lawyers,” Tom Girardi and Howard Miller (Law Firm of Girardi/ Keese) on their weekly radio show, CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE. Tom was part of the team of lawyers that won the 333 million dollar class action settlement against PG&E featured in the Erin Brockovich Story. His partner, and co-host, Howard Miller is the 2010 president of the California State Bar Association.” One wonders if Girardi and Miller will ask Hodel to explain the many geographic, geometric and factual errors in his book MOST EVIL. Perhaps someone will call into the show and ask Hodel for an explanation, but I doubt that the author will ever address this issue. To admit that his book is filled with such errors would be admitting that he did not conduct legitimate research, he created his claims without any basis in fact, he never checked his own work, he has no regard for the facts and he has even less respect for the victims in the Zodiac, Dahlia and other cases. Perhaps Girardi and Miller would not be so eager to invite Hodel onto their radio show if they knew that his claims and theories had already been completely debunked

Hodel wrote that his critics “attack the messenger, not the message. The investigator, not the investigation.” I think it’s obvious that I have simply examined Steve Hodel’s claims using logic, common sense, and the facts. One has to wonder just how Hodel could dismiss the debunking of his claims as the biased product of “venoms or agendas.”

Anyone can debunk Steve Hodel’s entire presentation in five minutes using just a copy of MOST EVIL, a protractor, and basic math skills. Howard Davis claimed that the Mormon church was trying to silence and assassinate him as part of its conspiracy to seize control of the U.S. economy. Steve Hodel is thankful for the support of Howard Davis, proving that the old saying is true– birds of a feather flock together.

 

Another year has passed and the murder of Cheri Jo Bates remains unsolved. Time marches on but this mystery is still waiting for a solution.

Little has changed in the decades since Cheri Jo was killed. The story of her life and death is told, again and again, year after year. The case is still a source of confusion and the subject of the debate. The theory which links the Zodiac to the murder continues to dominate the discourse. Riverside police insist that the Zodiac was not involved and blame their favored suspect. From the very beginning of the case, investigators believed that the hairs found on the hand of Cheri Jo Bates belonged to the killer. Several years ago, Riverside police ordered a DNA comparison of the hairs found on Cheri Jo’s hand and hair samples taken from the suspect– the hairs did not match.

The theory that the Zodiac was responsible for the murder as well as the writings linked to the Bates is still controversial today. Decades ago, Riverside police, authorities in Northern California, and many other investigators believed that the Zodiac was not only the author of the Riverside writings but that he was also responsible for the Bates murder. [Read a letter written by Riverside authorities.] Handwriting expert Sherwood Morrill concluded that the Zodiac had written the so-called “Confession” letter, the three letters stating that Cheri Jo “had to die,” and the bizarre poem found on a desk stored at Riverside City College. Some experts affirmed Morrill’s conclusions. FBI experts examined the writings and reported that the results were “inconclusive” yet added that the writings were not inconsistent with the handwriting of the Zodiac. John Shimoda, Director of the Crime Laboratory of the United States Post Office, disputed Morrill’s conclusion, as did other experts.

The Zodiac suggested that he was responsible for the murder of Cheri Jo Bates and referred to this savage slaying as one of the “easy ones” in his criminal career. The evidence and even time itself have effectively rejected the theory that Bates was killed by the Riverside suspect, and, decades later, the only logical suspect is the only individual who ever claimed that he was responsible for the murder. Riverside authorities refuse to investigate the possible Zodiac connection and have chosen to stick with the strategy which has repeatedly failed for decades. In this nightmarishly absurd scenario, the story of this unsolved crime can have no ending.

The Riverside police department remains convinced that their favorite suspect killed Bates yet the best evidence which could be used to identify and convict the killer has apparently exonnerated their favorite suspect. Absent a full-confession by the suspect, the investigation has effectively and permanently stalled. The murder weapon is most likely lost to history. The Timex watch found at the crime scene has never yeilded any useful evidence and has not led to a suspect. In a world filled with cold cases, the Bates case seems frozen in time.

The solutions to minor mysteries only serve as cruel reminders that the important questions remain unanswered. No one knows exactly what happened that night or why the killer chose Cheri Jo. No one knows the identity of the killer or if he is the same man who caused so much misery while hiding behind the name “the Zodiac.” The hunt for the murderer continues while the author of the infamous “Hautz” letter has finally been located. A photograph of the watch found at the Bates crime scene proved that the time piece had never stopped running despite the popular myth to the contrary. The only DNA evidence available does not match the long-time suspect; to those waiting for justice in this case, this news was a bit like telling a patient that he is still going to die but that doctors have been able to rule out one possible cause of his impending demise. The mystery remains unsolved, the story has no ending, and the victim has no justice.

Like the Zodiac case itself, the public version of the Bates story is part fact and part fiction, mixed with misinformation, myth and confusion. More than a decade ago, Riverside homicide detective Steve Shumway claimed that Cheri Jo Bates had been stabbed as many as 42 times in what he described as a “rage killing” similar to the violent murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. Shumway’s version of the story favored his theory that the Riverside suspect was responsible for the crime. The autopsy report refuted this version of the story and proved that Bates had not been stabbed dozens of times as Shumway had claimed. This myth has quietly faded into the shadows of history while everyone ignores its curious origins and the disturbing fact that this falsehood was used to accuse the suspect favored by Riverside authorities. Observers are left to read between the lines and navigate the sea of conflicting accounts, contradictory conclusions, and competing claims.

Crime buffs, researchers and others will undoubtedly remain fascinated and captivated by the unsolved murder of Cheri Jo Bates. Those who wish to learn more will find a collection of photographs, documents and other material related to the Bates case at the Zodiackillerfacts.com Document Gallery.

Copyright 2010 – Zodiackillerfacts.com/Michael Butterfield

Forty-one years ago today, Paul Stine was murdered by the Zodiac. Witnesses provided the only sketch of the killer’s face, police discovered fingerprints which they believed belonged to the murderer, and the Zodiac himself claimed that two uniformed officers had stopped him near the scene of the crime yet inexplicably let him walk away to escape justice. In the decades since, the events of that fateful night in October 1969 have become the subject of speculation, debate, and controversy. Those seeking information about this unsolved crime can view a collection of crime scene photographs, videos, newspaper articles, official documents, police reports, suspect sketches, and more now available at Zodiackillerfacts.com.

Click on the links below to view the items on the list.

THE VICTIM

* Paul Stine

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

* Washington and Cherry Streets – October, 1969

THE CRIME SCENE

* Crime Scene Photographs

THE EVIDENCE

* Paul Stine’s Shirt

* The Fingerprints

THE INVESTIGATORS and OTHERS

* San Francisco Investigators and Others

THE SUSPECT SKETCHES

* Sketches of the Suspect

THE ZODIAC’S LETTER

* The Zodiac’s Envelope and Letter

THE ARTICLES

* Newspaper Stories and Other Material

THE JOE STINE FILES

* Paul Stine’s Brother Joe

THE DOCUMENTS

* Paul Stine: Record of Death

* Paul Stine: Certificate of Death

* Report by SFPD Officer Armand Pelissetti

* Excerpt from Dept. of Justice Report on Stine Case

* Memo on the Zodiac Sighting by SFPD Officer Don Fouke

THE VIDEOS

* Paul Stine’s Cab

* The Crime Scene: Washington and Cherry Streets

* A Possible Escape Route

* SFPD Officer Don Fouke on the Zodiac Sighting

* SFPD Captain Martin Lee on the Zodiac’s Threat to Attack a School Bus

* SFPD Captain Martin Lee on the Zodiac’s Crossed-Circle Symbol

* SFPD Captain Martin Lee on the Zodiac’s State of Mind

Zodiackillerfacts.com also provides a collection of photographs, documents, videos and other reference material regarding the Zodiac’s other known crimes, including the shootings at Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs Park as well as the attack at Lake Berryessa.

LAKE HERMAN ROAD: December 20, 1968

THE VICTIMS

* David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

* The Scene of the Crime: 1968

THE CRIME SCENE

* The Crime Scene: December 20, 1968

* The Crime Scene: Police Sketches

THE EVIDENCE

* Shell Casings and Jensen Dress

* The Rambler

THE INVESTIGATORS and OTHERS

* The Investigators and Others

THE ARTICLES

* Newspaper Articles and Other Material

THE DOCUMENTS

* Death Certificates and Morgue Photographs

* Benicia Police Dept: Report by Capt. Daniel Pitta (2 pages)

* Solano County Sheriff’s Office Report (76 pages)

* CA Dept. of Justice / CII Report – Ballistics (3 pages)

THE VIDEOS

* The Funeral of David Faraday

————————-

BLUE ROCK SPRINGS PARK: July 4, 1969

THE VICTIMS

* Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

* Blue Rock Springs Park

THE EVIDENCE

* Clothing of the Victims and Other Items

THE PAYPHONE

* The Payphone Used by the Zodiac

THE INVESTIGATORS and OTHERS

* Vallejo Police Investigators and Others

THE DOCUMENTS

* Darlene Ferrin Certificate of Death

* VPD Report by Det. Ed Rust: Michael Mageau Interview (4 pages)

* Vallejo Police Department Report (97 pages)

VIDEOS

COMING SOON

 ———–

LAKE BERRYESSA: September 27, 1969

THE VICTIMS

* Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

* Lake Berryessa, September 1969

The Zodiac’s Message: The Car Door

* Photographs of the car door

* Video of the car door

The Evidence

* The Boot Prints and Clothesline

The Phone Booth

* Photographs of the Phone Used By The Zodiac to Call The Napa Police Department

THE SUSPECT and PERSONS OF INTEREST

* Sketches of the Zodiac in costume and a man seen at the lake

THE DOCUMENTS

* NCSD Report: Ken Narlow and others (19 pages)

* NCSD Report: Hal Snook (4 pages)

* NCSD Report: Collins and Land (6 pages – one page missing)

* NCSD Report: RE: the three girls at the lake (1 page)

* NCSD Report: RE: Gun used by the Zodiac (1 page)

* Napa Police Department: Report by Dispatcher David Slaight re: Zodiac call (1 page)

* FBI Report: re: Fingerprints (3 pages)

* CA Dept. Of Justice/CII Report (2 pages)

* CA Highway Patrol Report: RE: Bryan Hartnell’s car (1 page)

* Transcript: Interview with Bryan Hartnell (13 pages)

* Transcript: Written account by Bryan Hartnell (2 pages)

VIDEOS

* Video of the car door

* Interview with Park Ranger William White

* Interviews with NCSD Capt. Donald Townsend

* Bryan Hartnell’s Hospital Interview for TV News

Forty-one years have passed since the Zodiac attacked Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard at Lake Berryessa back in 1969. Despite a valiant battle for her life, Cecelia died within days of the brutal stabbing, but Bryan survived to provide a bizarre and horrifying glimpse into the motives and mind of the Zodiac. Many people struggle to comprehend the events of that fateful day and to gather information about this infamous crime.

As part of an ongoing effort to provide official documents, photographs, the Zodiac letters, and other material, this site has been updated with a collection of images and documents regarding the Zodiac’s attack at Lake Berryessa. This collection has been designed to be user-friendly and for easy, reliable access.

The collection includes the following items:

THE VICTIMS

* Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

* Lake Berryessa, September 1969

The Zodiac’s Message: The Car Door

– Photographs of the car door

– Video of the car door

The Evidence:

* The Boot Prints and Clothesline

The Phone Booth

* Photographs of the Phone Used By The Zodiac to Call The Napa Police Department

THE SUSPECT and PERSONS OF INTEREST

* Sketches of the Zodiac in costume and a man seen at the lake

THE DOCUMENTS

Read the reports produced by the Napa County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies, including:

* NCSD Report: Ken Narlow and others (19 pages)

* NCSD Report: Hal Snook (4 pages)

* NCSD Report: Collins and Land (6 pages – one page missing)

* NCSD Report: RE: the three girls at the lake (1 page)

* NCSD Report: RE: Gun used by the Zodiac (1 page)

* Napa Police Department: Report by Dispatcher David Slaight re: Zodiac call (1 page)

* FBI Report: re: Fingerprints (3 pages)

* CA Dept. Of Justice/CII Report (2 pages)

* CA Highway Patrol Report: RE: Bryan Hartnell’s car (1 page)

* Transcript: Interview with Bryan Hartnell (13 pages)

* Transcript: Written account by Bryan Hartnell (2 pages)

VIDEOS

* Video of the car door

* Interview with Park Ranger William White

* Interviews with NCSD Capt. Donald Townsend

* Bryan Hartnell’s Hospital Interview for TV News

The story of the Zodiac saga contains many chapters and mini-mysteries regarding the killer’s possible connection to other unsolved crimes and other strange writings. Perhaps the most enduring and controversial theory links the Zodiac to the 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside, California.

After Bates was killed, someone sent several anonymous messages to the local newspaper, the police, and the father of the victim, and these writings were later attributed to the Zodiac by some handwriting analysts. (View a collection of questioned documents linked to the still-unsolved murder of Cheri Jo Bates at the Zodiac Killer Facts Document Gallery.)

The three envelopes below were postmarked on April 30, 1967, and contained handwritten letters which read in part, “Bates had to die (or, She had to die). There will be more.”

Tom Voigt of the website Zodiackiller.com, and Zodiac-theorist Howard Davis, (in his book The Zodiac/Manson Connection), both state that another envelope was postmarked on the same day, April 30, 1967. No one can account for the possible contents of this envelope or explain why this envelope had been filed away with material related to the Bates case.

Another odd letter became the subject of debate and controversy and its origins have remained a mystery for more than four decades.

NOV 1 1967

To the Editor,
Your human interest story (Oct. 1, 1967) about Cheri, the RCC girl that was killed, was very interesting. Perhaps a story about the boy that killed her could be more rewarding. If people were to read of the life of a boy that turned killer, they might stop to think about the lives of their own children. “Are we laying the blue print for another killer?” might be one of the questions brought to mind by such a story.

With hope,
Patricia Hautz
Fellow Student

Many observers have noted that the postmark on the envelope addressed to “Press“ does not appear to be April 30, 1967, and an examination of this fourth envelope indicates that the postmark is not dated April 30, 1967. When enlarged, this postmark and the postmark from one of the envelopes dated April 30, 1967 do not appear at all similar. The postmark from the fourth envelope appeared more compatible with the date NOV 1, the date of the letter mailed to the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper and signed “Patricia Hautz.”

In the years since the Hautz letter was mailed to The Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper, some observers have suggested that the author may have been the same individual who killed Bates, or perhaps even the Zodiac himself. Some theories cited the use of the name “Hautz” with a prominent letter “Z,” while others claimed the tone of the letter reveals the author’s “cold” and insensitive personality. Efforts to locate the Patricia Hautz in question consistently failed, fueling suspicion that the name was simply invented by the author of the letter.

While many people seemed to believe that the letter had sinister origins, I believed there was a simple explanation behind this mysterious message. I suspected that the Hautz letter was exactly what it seemed to be– a letter from a young student who asked the eternal questions: What sort of person could kill and what would drive that person to do so?

Like many others, I had tried to locate Patricia Hautz over the years but my efforts proved fruitless. Several months ago, I spent many hours on the phone with the patient and generous workers who keep the records for various high schools in the Riverside area but I was unable to find the right Patricia Hautz. I had given up my search when I received an email from a man who explained that he had once known a woman named Patricia Hautz, and his recent attempts to locate her using the Internet had led him to my website and the controversy regarding the Hautz letter. He said of the letter, “That sounds like her. She was always commenting on stuff.” The man then provided some background information which helped to explain why so many people had been unable to find Patricia and, using this information, I subsequently located the woman in question.

I spoke with Patricia Hautz by phone. She was very cooperative but concerned about protecting her privacy. Patricia was a student in the Riverside area during the late 1960s, and said that she was “very vocal” on a variety of issues. When asked if she had ever sent any letters to The Riverside Press-Enterprise in 1967, Patricia said, “I did write a few letters to the editor about that time.”

Patricia also provided samples of her handwriting and wrote in an email, “I am attaching a scan of my English text from 1967 that shows some of my writing, as well as a note that was also in the book.” Patricia’s handwriting bore an uncanny resemblance to the writing on the fourth envelope, sent to the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper. The lower case cursive “r” and other letters were similar in both writings, and Patricia had a unique way of forming the capital letter “P” which matched the same letter in the word “Press” on the Riverside envelope. Patricia examined the envelope and then stated, “I think you can agree it is my writing.”

After examining Patricia’s handwriting samples and comparing the writing with that on the envelope mailed to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, common sense, logic, and facts led me to conclude that Patricia Hautz was the author of the Hautz letter.

Patricia Hautz was very generous and helpful, but she has no desire to become swept into the controversy and she wanted to avoid any publicity. Now living in another state under her married name, Patricia asked that I respect her privacy, and she was aware that doing so would be difficult given the circumstances. She wrote, “Since my maiden name is out there, I don’t think there’s much you can do.” I hope that the readers will respect Patricia’s privacy.

The author of the Hautz letter has been identified and, as many suspected, this communication has nothing to do with the Zodiac or the individual who killed Cheri Jo Bates. Inevitably, there will be those who will resist the solution to this mini-mystery as some people have developed elaborate theories involving the Hautz letter. The irony of this bizarre situation was best described by Patricia herself when she wrote, “After reading the weird interpretations of the letter, I can’t help but say that sometimes (this time) it’s like Hemingway stated, “The boy is a boy, and the fish is a fish.”

– Copyright 2010 Zodiackillerfacts.com

– Read more about the unsolved murder of Cheri Jo Bates in the previous blog entry titled CHERI JO BATES and The ZODIAC: Unsolved Crimes and Unanswered Questions.

 

ZODIAC Radio Shows & Other Recordings

ROBERT GRAYSMITH: A Closer Look – Shortly after the release of his book AMERITHRAX, Robert Graysmith (author of Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked) appeared on the radio program, A CLOSER LOOK, broadcast on the Paranet Continuum Network. Known for content devoted almost exclusively to UFO and conspiracy theories and discussions, the network features interviews with guests who tell sensational and often unbelievable tales. During the interview, Graysmith made more than 17 inaccurate, unsubstantiated, exaggerated, distorted or false statements in less than 12 minutes as he attempted to convict his suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, in the court of public opinion. (A break down of the interview can be read in the article GRAYSMITH: A Closer Look.)

Graysmith Radio Interview : Part 1 – Part 2

BILL NELSON: The Paranet Continuum – Bill Nelson, owner of Pen Power Publications, published his own book titled MANSON: Behind the Scenes, as well as The Zodiac/Manson Connection written by his associate, Howard Davis. In this 1997 interview, Nelson discusses his book and the Zodiac/Manson theory.

Bill Nelson Radio Interview : Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3

HOWARD DAVIS: The Paranet Continuum – Howard Davis, author of The Zodiac/Manson Connection, discusses his then-newly released book in this interview from 1997. Davis also mentions his original “tip” regarding the alleged law enforcement conspiracy to conceal the fact that the Manson family was responsible for the Zodiac crimes. (An in-depth article examining the Manson/Zodiac theory and the Davis conspiracy claims can be read in the article CONSPIRAZ.)

Howard Davis Radio Interview : Part 1 – Part 2

Howard Davis on the Manson/Zodiac Cover-Up Conspiracy : The “Original Tip” Clip

HOWARD DAVIS and “WHITE RABBIT” – The man who claims to have inside knowledge of the Zodiac/Manson conspiracy meets with a man who claims to have known the Zodiac. White Rabbit, an ex-convict and Manson family member who once ran for political office on the “Manson Ticket,” claims that Manson family member Bruce Davis was the Zodiac. White Rabbit sold a Manson letter to Howard Davis which purportedly read, “Don’t talk about Zodiac.” The two men discuss the letter in this audio clip recorded on the streets of San Francisco in 2002. Davis and White Rabbit both appear in the YouTube CONSPIRAZ video clip.

Howard Davis and White Rabbit : Don’t Talk About Zodiac

GARETH PENN and MICHAEL O’HARE: The Anthony Hilder Show – This 1987 radio broadcast features both the accuser and the accused. Host Anthony J. Hilder lured Michael O’Hare onto the air by asking the Harvard lecturer to discuss public policy but the interview eventually turns to the Gareth Penn’s claims that O’Hare was the infamous Zodiac killer. O’Hare denied the accusations before ending the interview, and Penn then discussed his various mathematical theories. This broadcast also includes questions from callers and is accompanied by an introductory clip from The ART BELL SHOW featuring a caller who claims that the Zodiac murders were part of an elaborate work of earthform art and that the famous artist Christo knows the identity of the killer. In this interview — recorded years before Belli’s caller made this claim — Penn compared his theory of the Zodiac’s earthform art to the work of the famous artist Christo. (The Zodiackillerfacts.com article TIMES 17: The World According to Gareth features an examination of the Penn/O’Hare history, and O’Hare’s article titled HOW A CONSPIRACY THEORIST WHO THOUGHT I WAS THE ZODIAC ALMOST RUINED MY LIFE.)

Penn / O’Hare Radio Show :

Part 1: Introduction w/ Gareth Penn

Part 2: O’Hare on Public Policy

Part 3: Ambushing the Suspect

Part 4: Penn – Part 5: Penn – Part 6: Penn – Part 7: Penn

GARETH PENN: The Radian Theory – In this isolated clip from The Anthony J. Hilder Show, Penn describes his radian discovery and theories. (Penn’s entire “Radian Theory” was debunked in the article GARETH PENN, MT. DIABLO and The RADIAN THEORY.)

Gareth Penn : The Story of the Radian Theory

The GOLDCATCHER “CONFESSION” Tape – In this 2-hour audio recording from 2009, Blaine Blaine (aka Goldcatcher aka Zakatarious) tells a bizarre and confusing tale of his encounters with his suspect Richard Gaikowski. Blaine claims that he solved the Zodiac’s codes, and that he witnessed and/or participated in several murders. Blaine also explains his many theories linking Gaikowski to many other murders. This audio recording was supplemented by a partial transcript. Blaine’s recorded account conflicts with the original version of events documented in his many writings from the late 1980s.

(An in-depth examination of Blaine’s history and unsubstantiated claims can be read in the article DEFAMING THE DEAD and in the blog-entry titled A BLAINE BY ANY OTHER NAME. Information regarding theories surrounding The San Francisco Good Times newspaper is available in the blog-entry titled LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL.)

(NOTE: The audio recording known as “Goldcatcher’s Confession” is no longer available on the Internet. Tom Voigt, owner of the website www.zodiackiller.com, claimed that he owned the copyright to this and other audio recordings which proved that Goldcatcher was not a credible informant. Desperate to hide the evidence which proved that his informant was a crackpot, Voigt relentlessly harassed those who had posted the audio recordings online and filed complaints against webhosts in order to block access to the recordings. Voigt happily uses his website to promote Blaine as a credible informant while accusing his pet suspect Richard Gaikowski, yet Voigt does not make these recordings available to the public at his website. Voigt also filed several false claims of copyright infringement in a desperate attempt to prevent anyone from posting a photograph depicting Voigt and Goldcatcher together during filming of the History Channel documentary MYSTERYQUEST. The publicity still in question was actually owned by KPI Television, the producers of MYSTERYQUEST, and had been cited as such on the KPI and MysteryQuest websites. Read more about Tom Voigt and his efforts to exploit Blaine Blaine and accuse Richard Gaikowski in the ZodiacKillerFACTS articles Tom Voigt & MysteryQuest: The Rest of the Story and Tom Voigt, The “Good Times Switchboard,” & Revisionist History.

[NOTE: These recordings were compiled from various sources and vary in quality and sound levels. If you have any suggestions for additions to this page, or have audio recordings you would like to add to this collection, please leave a comment here or join the Zodiackillerfacts.com message board and send a private message. Thank you.]

Film maker and journalist Richard Gaikowski has been named as a suspect in the Zodiac murders by Tom Voigt of the website Zodiackiller.com, his associate David Morris, and an informant known as “Goldcatcher.”

Voigt’s site currently states, “NOTE: We learned of Richard Gaikowski because of the informant known as Goldcatcher… who met Richard Joseph Gaikowski (aka Dick Gyke) back in 1969 and eventually grew to suspect him of being the Zodiac killer. This has been an ongoing investigation at Zodiackiller.com since Goldcatcher made contact with us in early 2008.”

Goldcatcher had also used several other aliases, including Blaine Blaine. Using the pseudonym Zakatarious, Blaine authored the book The Secret of the Golden Calf – Towards the Foundation of a Polytheistic Psychology and the Reawakening of the Polytheistic Faith, published in 1974 in Berkeley, California.

Recently, Blaine claimed that this book served as a key element in a series of murders he called “The Golden Calf Killings.” Blaine claimed that his former friend and associate Richard Gaikowski had committed several murders and then left the image of a golden calf at the crime scenes as a message to Blaine. According to Blaine’s account, Gaikowski also confessed that he was the Zodiac killer and invited Blaine to join him in ongoing acts of shocking violence. Blaine claimed that Gaikowski used an umbrella to stab a young boy and also stabbed another victim inside a crowded supermarket. Blaine also claimed that he had seen Gaikowski kill a cabdriver named Leonard Carl Smith.

In the late 1980s, Blaine was contacting various law enforcement agencies and claiming that he had solved the Zodiac codes and identified the killer, however he never mentioned that he had witnessed any murders. Blaine’s writings demonstrate that he was unable to establish any connection between Gaikowski and Smith. Today, Blaine says that he was in the same room with both men, and that Gaikowski had even announced his intention to kill Smith, going so far as to invite Blaine to participate in the crime. Blaine also claimed that Gaikowski asked him to go to police and report that Gaikowski was the Zodiac. In the late 1980s, Blaine claimed that he had stumbled upon Gaikowski’s identity as the Zodiac, that he conducted his own “investigation,” and that Gaikowski threatened him and even killed other people in order to stop Blaine.

Blaine’s past reveals a repeated pattern of bizarre behavior, self-promotion, and sensational stories. Like the Zelig of true crime history, Blaine claims he has been moving in the shadows of many moments in history. In 2009, Blaine recorded an “Audio Confession” in which he told another version of his story. Blaine claimed that Gaikowski was somehow forcing him to participate in a criminal conspiracy to commit murder.

Well, what I am trying to say is here that Gaikowski was, uh, saying “Look, Blaine, you’ve been in these murders from the beginning.” …And then he was saying uh, “You know what, I could kill this, this guy, I don’t like this guy anyway, Leonard Smith, the guy you had sex with him, right?” And that, uh, “I’ll kill this guy and I’d go over there and um, I’m gonna k-k-kill him, and in his cab and take a ride pulling up and he will meet me someplace in his cab, right?”

According to Blaine, Gaikowski said that he would commit murder and then spray paint a “Golden calf” on the sidewalk nearby as a signature of sorts. Blaine claims that he refused to join Gaikowski in murder and called his friend “nuts.” Blaine also claimed that Gaikowski openly confessed that he had killed cabdriver Leonard Smith and that Blaine was even present at the scene during the killing, saying, “You know, I killed the guy,” and that Blaine had actually heard the shot. Blaine also claimed that Gaikowski directed Blaine to contact police and report Gaikowski as the Zodiac killer. Blaine also claimed that Gaikowski was responsible for bombings in the Bay Area, including the bombing of the Park Police station which resulted in the death of a police officer.

Blaine claimed that he “disappeared” to Europe for a “long period of time,” and, upon his return, he visited “Ho Chi Minh park in Berkeley” where he once again encountered Richard Gaikowski. Blaine claimed that Gaikowski again referenced the Zodiac killings and again solicited Blaine’s help in a new string of murders to be known as the “Golden Calf killings,” named for Blaine’s obsessions with the Golden Calf and his own manuscript on the subject. According to Blaine, Gaikowski said, “Look you can’t escape the spirit of murder, let’s bow down to the Golden Calf. But, you’re, you’re linked in with me in this forever.” Blaine said, “…from there on, from ’83 on, then he, he dealed me back into that murderous web.” None of Blaine’s tales made any sense and all defied common sense, but his stories also contradicted his earlier accounts, proving beyond any doubt that one or both versions were untrue.

Blaine also claimed that Richard Gaikowski was somehow linked to other notorious crimes and had connections to the now-infamous Badher Meinhoff gang. Blaine claimed that he was present when Gaikowski and members of the political terror group were discussing a possible assassination attempt on then-President Ronald Reagan. Blaine claimed that he warned Gaikowski against further violence overseas, stating, “you can’t do anything like, uh, that you are doing over there California, and and and Germany and uh, get away with what, uh, was going on back then. You know, the Zodiac killings, that stuff…”

Blaine had created a long and documented history of bizarre behavior, and he made a lasting impression on all who met him. David Haldane worked as a writer for The Los Angeles Times and met Blaine during a trip to the Bay Area in 1973. Haldane’s article described his strange encounter with the man then known as “Zakatarious.”

In 2002, Haldane wrote a follow-up article titled The Berkeley I Left Behind– Once Upon a Time, In a Land of Infinite Possibilities, Change Seemed Inevitable. And It Was.

I returned to Berkeley looking for a man with a golden calf. His name was Zakatarious, and I’d met him on the steps of Sproul Plaza in 1973. I was a reporter for the Berkeley Barb then, the venerable underground newspaper that was an icon of the country’s counterculture as it morphed from the ’60s rebellion into the human potential movement of the ’70s and ’80s. Zakatarious was a part of the story that I itched to tell.

The world was checkmated, he explained, because each of its inhabitants was trapped in a separate reality. With each believing their reality to be the one true reality, they were doomed to eternal conflict over whose single vision should prevail. His solution: become a pagan, worship the golden calf (albeit papier-mache) and usher in a new era of world peace by accepting all gods, be they religious, political or ideological.

Zakatarious was so convinced of this that he planned to mount his makeshift idol on a trailer, organize a caravan and embark on a pilgrimage across America ending on the White House lawn, where a converted President Richard M. Nixon himself would fall to his knees in awe.

Zakatarious was so convinced of this that he planned to mount his makeshift idol on a trailer, organize a caravan and embark on a pilgrimage across America ending on the White House lawn, where a converted President Richard M. Nixon himself would fall to his knees in awe.

Zakatarious was so convinced of this that he planned to mount his makeshift idol on a trailer, organize a caravan and embark on a pilgrimage across America ending on the White House lawn, where a converted President Richard M. Nixon himself would fall to his knees in awe.

The article I wrote for the Barb was decidedly sympathetic to that goal.

I later left Berkeley. Decades passed. I settled down, got married, had kids, built a career, acquired a mortgage, even voted Republican. But I never forgot Zakatarious, never entirely abandoned the memory of infinite possibilities he once had inspired. Three decades later, moved by the energizing e-mail of a wandering daughter the same age now as I was then, I’d come back to see if it could be rekindled. “I went on a three-day trek through bamboo forests and yellow rice fields,” 19-year-old Adina had written from a village in Thailand. And so I’d decided to brave the jungles of Berkeley.

Haldane also authored the book Berkeley Days: The Uncensored Memoirs of an Underground Journalist. Several excerpts from Haldane’s book focused on the man known as “Zakatatarious,” aka Blaine Blaine aka Goldcatcher.

One day, walking across the UC Berkeley campus, I saw a six-foot Golden Calf atop Sproul Steps. And prostrated at the bottom of the steps, wearing nothing less than papal robes and hats of light purple, a fat man and a thin man lay worshipping profusely. A small crowd had gathered and a curious stillness hung in the air, broken only by the almost orgasmic moans of the two men on the ground. They were perfect counterparts of one another, and under the shadow of the mute Golden Calf they lay like broken matchsticks, unevenly divided, thin butt and fat butt in the air: a true Laurel and Hardy of the Aquarian Age. For a long time the two men lay on their bellies, moaning. At precisely the same instant, they clamored to their feet in unison and faced the crowd.

“Greetings friends,” the thin man said. He was tall and angular, perhaps in his late thirties, and very nervous but extremely intelligent looking. As he spoke, he trembled and kept moving his hands around. “I am Zakatarious, a reincarnated Minoan,” the thin man said. ‘And this is my brother, Amanon the Barker.’ He had a leaflet he was passing around and he was arguing with people, gesticulating wildly with his arms, making crisp comments in quiet unstoppable torrents of verbiage.

“You know,” Zakatarious mused, “I get so tired of hearing about people who drop acid and see Jesus. Hell, I drop acid and see Greek gods and goddesses.” We were sitting in his study. I’d gotten there by climbing a spiral staircase through the ceiling of his otherwise unremarkable North Berkeley house, the kind of stairway one often associates with old libraries. The walls were covered with books, beautiful leather-bound volumes of ancient and rare history and mythology. And in the middle of it all, mounted on a stand, staring mutely over the combined knowledge of the ages, stood the Golden Calf. Zakatarious lay nearby, stretched out in his robe on a dark divan. He called this place Zwillingsbruder Sanctuary, and a sanctuary it was. There was only one rule: no women or girls.
_____________

“The really amazing thing, though,” he said, “is the way the thing is received today” in 1973 Berkeley. Christ, I thought it would just be a lark but I’ve realized that you can’t do this just for a lark. I’ve had my life threatened twice, been investigated by a committee of rabbis and had the calf’s side kicked in a number of times.”

I couldn’t repress a smile. “Why do you think people react that way?” I asked.

“Not everyone does,” Zakatarious said. “Just the monotheists. Street people tend to worship it.”

“But how is it that a paper macheâ calf painted gold can elicit such intense reactions from people?” I pressed.

He smiled ironically. “Ah, the big question,” he said. “That’s what makes it so fascinating. You see, the Golden Calf is a portal through which you pass to the other gods. It gives people a chance to play out these old tabooed mythological religious dramas.”

__________________

It was dinnertime. Zakatarious loved young men and his favorite was a handsome 20-something lad named Ritchie. For six years they had lived together, and every evening at this time Ritchie cooked a meal. So Zak and I moved downstairs to the kitchen and sat at a big oak table while Ritchie served roast beef and peas and corn and potatoes and salad and about a zillion other things. The meal was scrumptious. The talked turned to plans for the future. “We’d like to buy a big van,” Ritchie explained between mouthfuls. “We’d like to take the Golden Calf on the road– take it from campus to campus all over the country to just let people react.”
___________________

I first met Al Verdad at a meeting in Zakatarious’ study. The plan was to build a 12-foot Golden Calf, mount it on a trailer, get a caravan together and embark on a pilgrimage across America that would end on the White House lawn; like pied pipers of liberation we’d be greeted by tears of joy, with Richard Nixon himself falling to his knees in acknowledgement of his sins as the sly smile of the Golden Calf and staid benevolence of paper macheâ eyes reigned over a new age of peace, hail the Golden Calf!

I arrived at the meeting early. The day had been a frustrating one filled with blank stareful hours before the typewriter with whom I shared life. I arrived at the house around 9 p.m., gained admittance, glided past the ancient printing press on the ground floor and up the spiraling antique staircase to the sanctuary. Besides myself, there were four males present. One was Amanon the Barker, hanging in all directions over his chair like a mound of kneaded dough or, more aptly, a drunken Roman emperor after the orgy. And young Ritchie. Hands on his hips, he leaned against the mantel surveying the scene like a prince returned from the wars. Next to him, a youth I’d never seen knelt before the fireplace pushing logs around with a poker. And stretched out on the couch lay another stranger. It was this man that most immediately commanded my attention, for he was wearing a sleek black pair of women’s panties with a hole cut in the crotch for his penis, which hung out quite unabashedly.

At first the man seemed asleep, but suddenly he leapt up from the couch and bounded towards me with an outstretched hand, his penis waving like a flag. I hesitated a moment, not sure which to grab, finally deciding on the hand. “I’m Al Verdad,” he said. “I’m running for mayor.”

——————-

One member of Zodiackillerfacts.com contacted David Haldane (this member wishes to remain anonymous). Mr. Haldane had no prior knowledge of Blaine’s connection to the Zodiac case and did not know Gaikowski. Haldane listened to a portion of Blaine’s so-called “Audio Confession” and offered these thoughts and memories via email.

Haven’t listened to the whole thing yet, but that’s definitely Zakatarious. I recognize certain patterns of speech and the timing is right; he says he went back to Berkeley to do the Golden Calf thing in 1974 which, I believe, is the year I ran into him. Also, the story about taking the Calf up to campus — that’s actually where I first met him, doing his schtick up there, and I remember him telling me about the guy who attacked the Calf. He was then — and apparently still is now — able to spin a great yarn. First, remembering how crazy he was back then, he doesn’t have a lot of credibility with me (and apparently not with the cops either). More importantly, though, it’s striking how perfectly this whole story fits into his own Blaine-created Golden Calf mythology, which always puts him at the center of great drama of historic (Biblical, actually) proportions that always involves the Golden Calf. Why a Golden Calf? Obviously, because it’s such a powerful symbol to him.

This really does blow my mind. Mainly because it’s so incredible that he’s still talking about the Golden Calf almost in the same way now as he was then, though obviously with somewhat more distance. I suspect it’s all part of a life-long psychosis featuring some hallucinations of self grandeur that are stunningly persistent. I seem to remember he was calling himself Blaine Blaine back then. And there was another big guy –Amanon the Barkerâ– who hung out with him (I think I wrote about him in the book). Also remember one of his pals telling me, in secret, about all the ugly and threatening things Blaine was saying about me outside my earshot– sort of hateful, antisemitic things. Never had any direct evidence of that, just hearsay, but it was quite different from the character he presented to me in my role as a journalist.

David

Blaine’s history of bizarre behavior and wild claims continued as he contacted the mother of deceased author John Kennedy Toole. The story of Toole’s death played a key part in yet another elaborate fantasy created by the attention-seeking Blaine.

John Kennedy Toole (December 17, 1937 – March 26, 1969) was an American novelist from New Orleans, Louisiana, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole’s novels remained unpublished during his lifetime. Some years after his suicide, his mother, Thelma Toole, brought the manuscript of Dunces to the attention of novelist Walker Percy, who ushered the book into print. In 1981, Toole was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction… Toole disappeared on January 20, 1969, after a dispute with his mother. Receipts found in his car show that he drove to the West Coast and then to Milledgeville, Georgia. Here he visited the home of deceased writer Flannery O’Connor. It was during what is assumed to be a trip back to New Orleans that Toole stopped outside Biloxi, Mississippi, on March 26, 1969, and committed suicide by running a garden hose from the exhaust pipe in through the window of his car. An envelope was left on the dashboard of the car and was marked “to my parents”. However, the suicide note inside the envelope was destroyed by his mother. He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans. ( Source: Wikipedia )

The Zfacts member who contacted writer David Haldane also provided the following information:

In 1981, Blaine wrote series of letters to the mother of John Kennedy Toole, concerning literary agents Gotlieb and Meredith who rejected him. I sent away for copies, there 4 letters, 7 pages, all complaining and threatening G and M for not going forth with the fiction novel Blaine was writing “In Dark Despair.” He compares himself to Toole (also apparently rejected), and goes so far as to accuse G and M of the murder of Toole (his committing suicide over the rejection) and vows to fight G and M “to the death.” [The letters are available as part of the Toole collection.]

San Francisco Police Inspector Mike Maloney reportedly described Blaine as one of his “top three kooks.” Detective Ken Narlow of the Napa Country Sheriff’s Office and Department of Justice Agent Fred Shirasago also dismissed Blaine’s ongoing efforts to implicate Gaikowski. FBI experts rejected Blaine’s proposed solutions to the Zodiac codes, and every law enforcement agency he contacted refused to investigate his claims. Now assisted by Tom Voigt, the owner of the website Zodiackiller.com, Blaine has been able to resurrect his credibility and reinvent himself for the modern age of the Internet media. Voigt has endorsed Blaine as a credible informant while promoting Richard Gaikowski as a prime suspect in the Zodiac murders. Voigt relies on Blaine’s statements and a dubious selection of seemingly damning information used to create the image of Gaikowski as a deranged killer hiding behind the mask of a radical counter-culture journalist.

Those who knew Richard Gaikowski do not believe that he was the Zodiac, nor do they believe that he was the kind of person who would destroy innocent lives. Those who knew Blaine do not believe his stories and they do not believe that he is a credible person. Blaine has offered conflicting and differing accounts of the same events and has repeatedly changed key parts of his stories over time. At one time, Blaine claimed that Gaikowski had been arrested after an altercation with Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin and then lost his job as a reporter. In truth, Gaikowski had been working on a story about jailhouse conditions and orchestrated his arrest and jail-time in order to write about the experience; he was not fired, and the story was published. The details regarding Darlene Ferrin have since faded from Blaine’s version of events. Both Tom Voigt and David Morris continue to promote Blaine as a credible informant.

Last year, I posted my article regarding the history of Blaine’s claims titled DEFAMING THE DEAD. Using Blaine’s own writings and words, I demonstrated that Blaine has been telling at least two different versions of the same story, that he has been changing major elements of his stories and adding new details, and that he cannot be considered a credible, reliable, or honest informant. In response to my article, Blaine wrote a lengthy message which was posted on the main page of Zodiackiller.com. Blaine complained:

… Butterfield compares the 1987 manuscript to a 2009 tape cassette called GOLDCATCHER’S CONFESSION in order to “prove” contradictions, thus is immoral and intellectually dishonest… Oh, and regardless of what Butterfield believes, I DID WITNESS GAIKOWSKI MURDER LEONARD SMITH on 7/31/1986… Butterfield does not understand the true story of Goldcatcher and the Zodiac, and it is because it is my story to tell and not his. And when he tries to tell it he only ends up grinding his axe.

In Blaine’s universe, I am simply yet another in a long line of critics who has refused to recognize his “true genius.”

Now, as for the question of my sanity, or if I am a crackpot or kook etc., anyone who has a depth of knowledge of the the rise and fall of empires, kings, and scholars, would know that there always comes a time in the work of true genius, a period of severe rejectance, bitter testing and great opposition… The reason that poison-mushroom people like Butterfield and those of his ilk rise up and oppose genius is always because they represent the antipodes of mind.

The man known as Blaine Blaine, Goldcatcher, and Zakatarious had been accusing Richard Gaikowski for more than two decades yet he was unable to find anyone who would endorse him as a credible informant until he met Tom Voigt and David Morris. If I am to represent the antipodes of Blaine’s mind, I am proud to join the ranks of SFPD Inspector Mike Maloney, NCSO Det. Ken Narlow, DOJ Agent Fred Shirasago, SFPD Inspector Napoleon Hendrix, the FBI, every law enforcement agency Blaine ever contacted, David Haldane, and virtually anyone with character and common sense.

Forty-one years ago today, Vallejo residents awoke to the news of a late-night shooting at Blue Rock Springs Park.

In the decades since, this tragedy has become the grassy knoll of the Zodiac case– the focal point for every bizarre theory, absurd claim, persistent myth, and tall tale. Unlike the murders on Lake Herman Road, the attack at Lake Berryessa, and the killing of cabdriver Paul Stine, the true story surrounding the shootings at Blue Rock Springs Park has been forgotten in a haze of revisionist history.

Darlene Ferrin was twenty-two years old, a wife, a young mother who worked for a living and enjoyed life. Her husband Dean described his wife as vivacious and popular. “She was well liked… She was just outward, outgoing, and happy.” On the night of July 4th, 1969, Darlene had gone out to get fireworks to celebrate Independence Day when Dean returned home from work.

Police briefly interviewed Darlene’s friend, survivor Michael Mageau, on the night of the shooting and then again as he recovered in the hospital. Mageau also spoke with a reporter in mid-August 1969. His account was consistent and in keeping with the known facts. He said that Darlene had called him at 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon, and the two made plans to see a movie in San Francisco later that evening. Darlene called again around 8:00 pm to say that she was going to the Miss Firecracker contest with her sister and would call him afterwards. At 10:30 pm, she called again to say that she would soon be at Michael’s home, but she did not arrive until approximately 11:30 pm or shortly thereafter. Michael climbed into Darlene’s Corvair and the pair decided to drive to Mr. Ed’s diner for some food. As they headed west on Springs Road, Darlene told Michael that she wanted to talk to him about something. Once they were near the diner, Michael suggested that they drive to Blue Rock Springs Park to talk. Darlene drove directly to the park and pulled the Corvair into the parking lot.

Darlene turned off the ignition and the headlights, but left the radio playing. A few minutes passed, and then three vehicles entered the parking lot. The occupants of the vehicles were laughing and celebrating by setting off firecrackers. Minutes later, the three vehicles drove away. Soon, another car approached from the direction of Springs Road, entered the parking lot, and stopped behind Darlene’s car. The driver turned off the headlights of the vehicle, then pulled around the left side of the Corvair, and waited. Michael asked Darlene, “Do you know who that is?” Mageau said that Darlene dismissed the strange vehicle as harmless and replied, “Oh, never mind.”

Michael was unable to get a good look at the mysterious car, and could only say that the vehicle was similar to Darlene’s Corvair. Only one person appeared to be inside the car. Suddenly, the car drove out of the lot and sped away on Columbus Parkway towards Springs Road. Five minutes passed and a car pulled into the parking lot. This time, the driver stopped the car approximately ten feet behind and to the right of the Corvair. The headlights of the vehicle remained on as the driver stepped out and walked towards the Corvair carrying a large, high-powered flashlight. When the man walked up to passenger side of the Corvair and shined the bright light inside, Darlene and Michael assumed he was a police officer who wanted to see their identification.

Michael reached for his wallet, but, as he did so, he heard a muffled sound and instantly experienced severe pain in his back and neck. The sounds continued and as he again felt pain in his body, Michael realized that the man was shooting at him. In an attempt to escape the shower of bullets, Michael threw himself backward into the rear of the Corvair. A bullet hit his leg as he fell onto the backseat. The gunman then turned on Darlene and shot her several times as she sat helpless behind the steering wheel.

The shooting then stopped, and the man walked back to his vehicle. In pain and shock, Michael cried out. The stranger then walked back to the Corvair and again opened fire, hitting Michael in the back and the leg, Darlene was shot two more times before the stranger casually walked away. As the stranger climbed back into his car, Michael reached outside the Corvair, pulled the door handle and fell out onto the ground. The gunman’s car backed up and then proceeded forward onto the Columbus Parkway. Michael caught a glimpse of the car, and could only say the man may have been driving a light colored car with a California state license plate. The mysterious car once again sped off in the direction of Springs Road.

The Zodiac claimed that he was responsible for the shooting at Blue Rock Springs Park and the bizarre phone call to police on the night of the crime. Later rumors suggested that the killer had also placed several hang-up calls to members of Darlene’s family shortly after the shooting, but Darlene’s brother Leo reportedly admitted that he made these calls in his efforts to locate Darlene that night.

Detective Ed Rust interviewed Michael Mageau as he recovered in the hospital. His report read:

(Reporting Officer) questioned Michael as to a possible motive, if he had had any arguments or trouble, etc. with anyone recently, or if there was any reason at all that anyone would want to harm him. He stated he could not recall anything at all, having any arguments or anything to give anyone reason to do anything like this. Also states that Darlene did not say anything about any trouble that she has had. States they have always been very truthful with each other and confided very closely in each other’s problems and he is sure if she had known about someone after her or had a hate for her enough to do something like this, she would have said something about it. States as far as he knows, the only type of trouble that Dea has had was sometimes her friends got mad at her. There [were] sometimes petty jealousies between her and her friends. Sometimes some possibly boyfriends, not exactly dating type boyfriends, but friends, just acquaintances, would become jealous over just petty things.

Darlene’s friends, the members of her family, her co-workers and others were interviewed, but no one provided any information which indicated that anyone had any reason to harm either Darlene or Michael Mageau. Darlene’s sister Pam was unable to name any viable suspects and she knew of no reason for anyone to harm Darlene. Darlene’s sister Linda was also unable to identify or recall anyone with reason to harm Darlene, but she did provide the names of three of her sister’s best friends, including a man named Lee who used to bring her presents from Mexico. Police identified only one man said to have bothered Darlene. George was a frequent customer in the restaurant where Darlene worked and he apparently made unwanted advances toward her on several occasions. Investigators interviewed George and saw no reason to suspect that he had killed Darlene. Even Darlene’s ex-husband became a suspect after her family told several stories which appeared to implicate the man. Police eventually excluded the ex-husband as a suspect.

This turn of events marked the beginning of a pattern, a cloud which would follow the case for decades to come. The murder of Darlene Ferrin remained unsolved, and speculation grew regarding the possible motives behind the crime and those involved. Despite the evidence which indicated that Darlene and Michael had been the victims of a random attack, some people preferred to believe that she was the deliberate target of an orchestrated conspiracy to silence her for unknown reasons.

Darlene’s mother spoke with Christopher Harris, the West Coast Representative of the famous psychic Joseph Delouise. According to Harris, the woman claimed that Darlene had said that she would be in the newspapers the day after she was killed. Harris and Vallejo Mayor Florence Douglas appeared at a press conference at the Statler Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Douglas was a candidate struggling to win the Democratic nomination in the Governor’s race against incumbent Ronald Reagan. “I believe some clues were overlooked in the murder of Darlene Ferrin,” Douglas told reporters. She denounced the Vallejo police investigation and called for a new examination of the case. Harris complained that police were unwilling to listen to the new claims from Darlene’s family. “I observed while in Vallejo that the police disregarded the ridiculous,” he said. “I am now a firm believer that in the ridiculous, especially in the case of Darlene Ferrin, lies a storehouse of clues. The police should have done a complete character sketch of Darlene Ferrin. There are too many questions into her death that have not been properly tied down.”

Police had investigated virtually every single scrap of information they had received, including tips and stories from Darlene’s family, yet no one had mentioned the new claims when they had been interviewed many times before. Some members of Darlene’s family began to tell strange stories which indicated that Darlene may have known the killer and had witnesses a murder. These stories circulated and evolved over time to include stories of a mysterious yet unidentified stranger who had stalked Darlene in the weeks and months before her death. By the mid-1970s, Darlene’s sisters, Pam and Linda, were telling a very different story, one that became the popular myth which still dominates the public perception of this case today.

According to Pam, Darlene warned that she had witnessed a murder and that the murderer had been following her. Pam suspected that Darlene may have been involved in a satanic cult. Both Pam and Linda claimed they had attended a painting party in Darlene’s home, and that they had seen an unidentified man who arrived wearing a suit. Darlene was reportedly afraid of this man and warned Pam to stay away from him because, “She said he was a bad man… She’d seen him kill somebody.” Soon, others said that they had been at the party, too, including Vallejo police officer Steve Baldino, who also claimed that he had heard a recording of the Zodiac’s phone to call police on the night Darlene was killed. The story of the painting party expanded over time and eventually became a key component of many theories. When asked about this party, Dean Ferrin said no such party had ever taken place in his home and that he had painted the entire house by himself. Former Vallejo police dispatcher Nancy Slover spoke to the Zodiac on the night of the shooting and adamantly denied that any recording of the call had ever been made. According to Slover, the police department did not possess recording equipment in July 1969.

Neither Pam nor Linda ever mentioned any of these stories, or the mysterious and murderous stranger, when interviewed by police, and authorities quickly determined that Darlene’s sisters were not reliable or credible witnesses. A report written by VPD Detective Jack Mulanax, dated August 18, 1969, stated that Darlene’s sister Pam appeared to be “influenced” by the “power of suggestion.” Many other investigators would later describe Pam as an attention seeker prone to prevarication. Dean Ferrin refuted all of Pam’s stories, as have many others, including Dean’s cousin, Sue Ayers. For many years, Pam told people that Sue Ayers had visited Michael Mageau as he recovered in the hospital and that he confessed that he and Darlene were followed to the scene of the crime and the killer called Darlene by name just before the shooting began. This story also evolved over time to include an argument at Darlene’s place of work that night and another argument with the killer at Blue Rock Springs Park. In March 2007, I spoke with Sue Ayers and she refuted the entire story told by Pam.

Pam and Linda also offered conflicting descriptions and information concerning the unidentified stalker they claimed to have seen on several occasions. Despite the fact that she had originally described the man named “Lee” as one of Darlene’s friends, she later suggested that he could have been the stalker. Robert Graysmith used Linda’s original statements about Darlene’s friend Lee to connect the victim with his suspect Arthur Leigh Allen. Graysmith would later claimed that Leigh had known Darlene and all of the other Zodiac victims. Graysmith then used the stories about the chase to Blue Rock Springs Park, the stalker, the story of the painting party, Baldino’s claim of a Zodiac recording, and many more myths in his best-selling book ZODIAC, which later inspired the feature film of the same name.

Pam told various reporters that she was also the subject of harassment and stalking by one or more men. She claimed that someone had left a message on her home indicating the police code for murder, that someone had left a burning cross on her front lawn and a coffin at her front door. She also claimed that someone had written “Pam Dies” on the walls inside her house and even knocked her unconscious in order to steal a collection of documents she was about to give to television producers. Pam appeared on The Sally Jessy Raphael Show and claimed that Darlene had known Zodiac victim Betty Lou Jensen and had possibly witnessed her death and even the murder of suspected Zodiac victim Cheri Jo Bates. Pam also appeared on the Geraldo Rivera tabloid television program NOW IT CAN BE TOLD in segments which were produced by satanic conspiracy theorist Maury Terry. Pam confronted a bewildered Mageau, who said his memory had faded over time. Pam persisted, pointing her finger in Mageau’s face and repeating, “I know you know who did it!” The show linked Darlene’s murder to cult activity as part of the theory that she had been the deliberate target of an orchestrated conspiracy to silence her before she revealed some shocking and terrible truth about the crimes she had witnessed. Pam also told her stories during interviews for other television tabloid shows such as HARD COPY and A CURRENT AFFAIR.

The stories regarding the life and death of Darlene Ferrin invaded virtually every news report about the case and inspired more stories and theories about the stalker, satanic cults, the painting party, and other unstoppable myths. Linda later identified suspect Larry Kane as the mysterious stranger and Pam implicated various people over the years. The legends spread and the sensational spotlight attracted others who were eager to create more confusion and myths. Don Cheney, the man who had originally accused Arthur Leigh Allen, claimed that Allen’s brother and sister-in-law had been at the painting party with the suspect, and that Allen had worn a suit. Blaine Blaine, the man who originally accused Richard Gaikowski, claimed that his suspect had been arrested after an altercation with Darlene. Deborah Perez claimed that her father was the Zodiac and had known Darlene. Connecting Darlene Ferrin to a suspect was standard practice for any budding Zodiac theorist or opportunist.

In 1991, retired Vallejo police detective George Bawart met with Mageau and displayed an array of six suspect photographs. According to Vallejo police Lt. (and later Capt.) Joann West, Mageau initially pointed to a photograph of suspect Arthur Leigh Allen and said, “That’s him.” However, when asked if he was sure, Mageau then said that he was “pretty sure” and then pointed to the photograph of a different suspect and said that the shooter had a round face like that individual rather than Allen. Mageau then said Allen was the man who had shot him and assessed his own level at certainty on a scale of 1 to 10 as an 8. Allen did not match the original description of the shooter as provided by Mageau in the hours, days and weeks after the shooting in 1969.

Mageau was interviewed for the documentaries which accompanied the DVD release of the feature film ZODIAC, based on the books by Robert Graysmith. Michael Mageau told a story which contradicted his previous accounts yet was now in keeping in with the popular myths rather than the facts. According to Mageau’s new version, he and Darlene were followed to Blue Rock Springs Park, and Darlene indicated that she knew the shooter. Mageau claimed that the man was named “Richard,” and that this murderous stranger would kill them if he knew that Darlene was with Mageau. In this interview, Mageau said that the stranger’s car resembled a Cadillac. In 1969, he said that the car resembled Darlene’s Corvair. The two automobiles do not appear at all similar. During the same interview, Mageau expressed his hope that police would someday identify and capture the Zodiac. Mageau had apparently forgotten that he had “positively identified” the Zodiac more than 15 years earlier, and that the man he had identified (Allen) had been dead since 1991.

After forty-one years, I believe that the investigation and study of the Darlene Ferrin murder, and the Zodiac case itself, has been contaminated and derailed by the many myths which have emerged over the years. The evidence strongly indicates that the gunman had selected them at random, that Darlene did not know the killer, and that the details of her life will not further the investigation in search of the Zodiac’s identity. Darlene Ferrin, like the other Zodiac victims, was simply in the wrong place at the right time. Michael Mageau’s statements to police and others in 1969 clearly indicate that the many stories which developed in the years that followed are not credible or accurate. Like so many unsolved mysteries, the murder of Darlene Ferrin generated rumors, rampant speculation, and a legend which continue to cloud the truth. Various message boards and websites feature sensational theories linking Darlene Ferrin’s death to countless conspirators, cult killers, sinister strangers, bizarre plots, and more, and some amateur sleuths keep the myths alive with new accusations, new suspects, and new stories which only serve to further victimize and exploit the dead.

The theories linking Darlene to the Zodiac distract from the facts, providing a far more entertaining and titillating version of history while burying reality in a maze of fiction. Had the Zodiac intended to create confusion in order to avoid detection, he could not have invented a better plan, or a more enduring diversion.