Following except from Goldcatcher’s "In Search of a Serial Killer" from:

http://www.mk-zodiac.com/InSearchofaSerialKiller.html

I removed a dead-link from the quote.

These murders caused both Narlow and Shirasago to close their investigation beginning with a nine year old boy named Eric Coy who in 1987 lived in the town of Martinez. He lived a couple of blocks from where Gaikowski himself once lived when he was the managing editor of the Martinez Morning News-Gazette in 1965. When Gyke murdered Coy, I contacted the then current editor of the News-Gazette, a man named Osmond, but Ken Narlow told Martinez Police Chief Bud Beckwith the Zodiac did not kill the lad, who in turn told the editor and he decided not to write about Gaikowski being the Zodiac. Decades later, on the 5th of May, 2010, the News-Gazette has begun to write about Gyke being the Zodiac.

On a secret tape I told Shirasago how Gyke the Zodiac just killed Eric Coy and, realizing that he had not acted fast enough to arrest Gyke, said, " He´s not killing everybody!" THEN HE CLOSED HIS INVESTIGATION. Now, there was someone seen near where the little boy was stabbed holding an umbrella. Narlow, Detective Lacy, and I were riding around in Narlow´s car right after this killing going by Gaikowski´s storefront hideout on Guerrero Street. We all could see a red umbrella opened up in Gyke´s front window and Narlow asked me, " Why the red umbrella?"

And I replied, saying, " Gyke told me he used it to stab Eric Coy with."

Now Red Umbrella was to match Red Phantom of his mythology.

San Jose Mercury News (CA)
January 26, 1987

9-YEAR-OLD’S SLAYING PUTS MARTINEZ ON ALERT
ELIAS CASTILLO, Mercury News Staff Writer

School officials in Martinez, still reeling over the savage, weekend slaying of a 9-year-old

boy, increased their watch over their playgrounds today as police bolstered patrols and sought

clues in the homicide.

The body of the victim, Eric Coy, described by a school principal as a "cute little guy" who

reminded people of "Spanky in the ‘Our Gang’ films," was found Saturday near a small bridge

used by children to reach Martinez elementary and junior high schools.
A police spokeswoman, Belinda Floyd, said police officials were unavailable for comment this

morning but that police patrols had been increased in the Contra Costa County town of 24,000

located near the Martinez-Benicia bridge.

An autopsy was scheduled today to determine the cause of death, which police said involved a

sharp weapon, said Contra Costa County deputy coroner Norm Nunes.

Rob Buoncristiani, principal of Las Juntas Elementary School where young Coy attended a special

class for youngsters with learning handicaps, called his pupil’s death, "insane. To take the

life of child . . . what harm can a child do?"

The principal said parents were more visible this morning escorting their children to the

school, which is about two miles from where the boy’s body was found.

At Martinez Elementary School, principal Rich McLaughlin, who knew Coy, called the murder, "a

bizarre situation. I’ve been here all my life and I can’t remember anything like this happening

before."

Buoncristiani called Coy "a cute little guy. He reminded everybody of Spanky, in the ‘Our Gang’

films."

Teachers at both schools warned pupils to keep away from isolated areas, stay near friends and

be wary of strangers.

San Jose Mercury News (CA)
January 27, 1987

MARTINEZ BOY, 9, STABBED IN ‘RANDOM KILLING’
DEAN CONGBALAY, Mercury News Staff Writer

What began as a routine Saturday of fun and games for 9- year-old Eric Coy ended in death.

The Martinez third-grader was planning to spend the afternoon playing at his cousin’s house. He

was thinking, his father said, of climbing trees and throwing baseballs.
But about 15 minutes after he left his home in central Martinez, two boys found his body behind

a baseball diamond near Martinez Elementary School. He had been stabbed to death, police said.

On Monday, the weekend stabbing death still baffled Martinez police, who had no suspects or

motives in the murder.

Police are calling the murder a "random killing." It is believed to be the first murder of a

child in the city’s history, said Martinez Police Chief Robert Markwith.

And at Martinez Elementary School, worried parents lined up in front of the front gates to take

their children to and from school.

Eric’s body was found about 11:15 a.m. Saturday behind the diamond and near a small bridge over

Alhambra Creek in central Martinez, about equidistant from his home and his aunt’s house. The

50-foot-long wooden bridge is often used by children as a short-cut to Martinez Elementary and

Junior High schools, police said.

Eric, who was described by his principal as a "cute little guy" who reminded people of "Spanky"

in the "Our Gang" films, was stabbed to death with a sharp object.

It is not known exactly what kind of object was used to kill Eric. "We have recovered some

evidence at the scene," Markwith said.

”It’s a baffling case. Right now, we have no suspects, no motives and no weapons."

The Contra Costa County coroner’s office had not performed an autopsy by Monday evening.

Eric usually spent Saturday afternoons with his cousin, Eddrick Beshears, 8, said Eric’s

father, Dan Coy. The two boys loved to climb trees, play baseball and toss footballs.

At about 11 a.m. Saturday, Eric left home for the afternoon, hopped on his bicycle and headed

for his cousin’s house, about a mile away.

When Eric didn’t reach his destination in about 20 minutes, his cousin called the Coy house.

After waiting another 10 minutes, Eric’s father, now nervous, began searching for his son.

”I thought maybe he was with a friend or was out playing video games around town," Coy said.

"But then I went near the school and saw all the policemen." Coy asked the officers if they had

seen a boy with blond hair. The officers replied by asking him to pull his car over.

”I just kept saying to myself that he’s not dead. He’s hurt," Coy said Monday evening. "But I

knew he was dead.

Told by policeman

”Then the policeman told me, ‘Your son’s been murdered.’ All I could say was, ‘Why? Why?’ "

The area where Eric’s body was found is in a quiet, secluded neighborhood and is separated from

a row of houses that lines Alhambra Creek by trees.

”It’s always been so quiet around here," said a woman living beside the bridge. "The only time

we ever have any noise is when kids go across the bridge to go to school or play."

While there appears to have been no witnesses to the murder, police spoke with someone Monday

who said he saw a man on the school grounds at about 9 a.m. Saturday, Markwith said.

Markwith declined to describe the man but said a composite should be available today.

”He was just seen on the school grounds," he said. "We don’t even know if he is a suspect or

not."

Police have beefed up security around the school, and an officer has been stationed beside the

bridge during the day.

Markwith said the Police Department has contacted the FBI and the Department of Justice to aid

in the investigation. Seven of the Police Department’s 36 uniformed members are working on the

investigation, according to the chief.

”I feel confident this is going to be solved," he said.

Hot line

A 24-hour hot line has been set up by police for anyone who may have information on the murder.

The hot line number is (415) 229-1699.

Dan Coy’s best friend, Tom Popp, has started a memorial fund for Eric. Donations may be sent to

Bank of America, attention Jane Penniman, P.O. Box 231, Martinez, 94553.

At Eric’s Las Juntas Elementary School, teachers were urged to look for students who may be

distressed over the murder, said Principal Rob Buoncristiani.

Teachers, he said, were asked to speak with students individually who asked about the slaying.

The school is urging teachers to refer distressed students to the school psychologist and

nurse; later this week, a representative of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department will

visit each classroom to talk about safety.

This had been Eric’s second year at the school, which is just east of Martinez about two miles

from the slaying.

He transferred to the school in the second grade to attend a special class for children with

learning handicaps, Buoncristiani said. Before that, Eric attended Martinez Elementary School,

a couple blocks from his Warren Street home.

Murder downplayed

At Martinez Elementary on Monday, teachers downplayed the murder, said Principal Rich

McLaughlin. They reminded children of routine safety tips, including avoiding strangers,

walking home with a partner and staying on major roads.

McLaughlin said the murder had little effect on school activities because the children are too

young to understand it.

Many parents, though, brought their children to and from school Monday because of concerns over

the neighborhood’s safety. The school serves about 400 children in kindergarten through the

third grade.

”This is the first thing that’s happened around here," said Lorrie Fuerst, 28, who has a son

in the first grade at Martinez Elementary School. "It’s really scary. You hear about how these

things happen in other places, but this was right in our own back yard.

”I’ll never let my kid walk to school again."

Neither will Randy Strieff, who has an 8-year-old son in the second grade.

”No way will he be able to walk home alone," he said. "Not until the killer is caught and I

can be a little more sure something isn’t going to happen to him."

Strieff, who lives a few blocks from the school, said he or his wife will pick up their son

every day from school.

Strieff’s son occasionally walked to and from school by himself. And he also used to go to the

school’s playground after classes about three times each week to ride his skateboard, his

father said.

”But not now," he said. "We have to be careful. The boy who was killed could have been my

son."

Illustration:Photo

Eric Coy

. . . Stabbing victim

San Jose Mercury News (CA)
January 28, 1987

POLICE SEARCHING FOR MAN SPOTTED NEAR MURDER SCENE
DEAN CONGBALAY Mercury News Staff Writer

Martinez police are seeking a man who may have been near the area where a 9-year-old boy was

stabbed to death Saturday morning.

Martinez police Sgt. Richard Dowling said the man was seen by a father and son about 9 a.m.

behind Martinez Junior High School, two hours before the body of Eric Coy was found by two

boys.
The man is described as being of Latin or Italian descent. He is of light complexion, has a

muscular build and has black, combed-back hair, Dowling said. The man has dark eyes, is about 5

feet 8 inches and is 18 to 21 years old, Dowling said.

An autopsy performed by the Contra Costa County coroner’s office in Martinez on Tuesday found

that Coy died of multiple stab wounds, Dowling said.

Police have given few details of the slaying, which remains under investigation. No motives

have been discovered, and it is not known what kind of weapon was used to kill Coy, Dowling

said.

Coy’s body was found behind a baseball diamond near Martinez Elementary and Junior High schools

about 15 minutes after he left his Warren Street home at 11 a.m. The third-grade student at Las

Juntas Elementary School left home on his bicycle to visit his cousin for the afternoon.

Anyone with information is asked to call a 24-hour hot line started Monday by Martinez police.

The number is (415) 229-1699.

San Jose Mercury News (CA)
February 6, 1987

ARTIST’S SKETCHES OPEN LEAD IN BOY’S KILLING
BRANDON BAILEY, Mercury News Staff Writer

An artist’s sketch of a youth accused of robbing the parents of an Atherton girl has provided a

new lead for investigators baffled by the stabbing death of a 9-year-old Martinez boy.

Police say the sketch of the suspect in the Atherton case, who was arrested after a weekend

crime spree that stretched to Nevada and Southern California, bears some resemblance to a

sketch prepared for the Martinez case.
"There are obvious similarities," said Martinez police Cmdr. Dave Cutaia. "We are looking into

that most definitely."

But while the sketches show similar facial characteristics, other details of the descriptions

in the two cases differ.

Detectives in Martinez have been probing the Jan. 24 slaying of 9-year-old Eric Coy, whose body

was found behind a baseball diamond at Martinez Junior High School.

Police working on that case have circulated a sketch based on the description of two witnesses,

a father and son, who saw a man in the area about two hours before Eric’s body was found.

That sketch was prepared by Tom Macris, a San Jose Police Department artist who often helps

other departments with their cases. Macris also prepared the Atherton sketch, based on a

description provided by the couple who were robbed in that case.

Cutaia said Thursday that his detectives have not yet interviewed Luke Collura Jr., the 16-

year-old suspect in the Atherton case who is being held by Riverside County juvenile

authorities.

Martinez police are consulting with investigators in Atherton and other jurisdictions, but they

haven’t decided whether to hold a police lineup or show a photo of Collura to the witnesses in

the Martinez case, Cutaia said.

He cautioned that police don’t know if the two sketches are depictions of the same person. At

this stage, he said, "we’re looking into anything that’s even a remote possibility."

Macris, who said it’s not unusual for two of his sketches to have similarities, added that

there are some differences in the sketches from these two cases.

The width of the face and the hairstyle are similar, but the man’s hair in the Martinez drawing

is wavy and collar-length, while the hair in the Atherton drawing is straight and longer, he

said. The Martinez drawing also shows darker eyes.

Macris said he likes to think of his drawings as "guideposts" rather than exact depictions.

"All of it is subject to distortion . . . because of problems with witnesses’ recall and the

circumstances of their observations."

The man sought by Martinez police is described as 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, muscular build and 18-

21 years old. He is said to be of Latin or Italian descent.

The suspect description originally released by Atherton police was for a 22-year-old man, 6

feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. Atherton police later said they believe their suspect was

able to pass himself off as being six years older than he is.

Illustration:Photo

Martinez killer, left; Atherton suspect

San Jose Mercury News (CA)
March 17, 1987

VALLEJO COPS GOT TIP FROM PSYCHOLOGIST
Associated Press

A psychologist provided the tip that led to the arrest of Shawn Quincy Melton in the kidnap and

slaying of 6-year-old Jeremy Stoner, according to court documents on file in Vallejo.

The psychologist telephoned Vallejo police March 3 and said Melton had been her patient in the

early 1980s for treatment stemming from threats he made against his parents, according to the

documents filed by police in Vallejo-Benicia Municipal Court.
She told police Melton admitted to her that he fantasized about taking young boys to the Delta

area and leaving them after harming them.

The Stoner boy’s strangled and nude body was found in the Delta.

Melton was arrested on March 3 after a lengthy interrogation by police.

The information about the psychologist, whom police earlier had referred to as an "anonymous

caller," is contained in an affidavit filed by police in support of a request for a search

warrant to obtain potential evidence in the case from the home of Melton’s father.

Court documents also show that a single-spaced, five-page autobiography of Melton was obtained

by Martinez police March 4 during a search of his mobile home in connection with the

investigation of the stabbing death Jan. 24 of Eric Coy, 9, in Martinez.

No charges have been filed in the Martinez boy’s slaying.

In the autobiography, Melton wrote that a "fondness for children and prostitutes" led him to

"seduce and rape kids and young girls (and) to try to kill anyone that prevents me from

carrying this out."

He said this obsession "has caused me to try to kill people such as my in-laws and a few of my

friends."

Melton’s lawyer, Peter Foor, said Monday he had not read the document. Police have said Melton

has no previous convictions for sex crimes against children. Melton wrote of reverting to

previous lives "to be (a person) of Indian descent, be the son of Christ, to be the leader of a

gang called the Phantom Gang or the Wolfen Gang with members of Hell’s Angels and the Mafia."

http://martinezgazette.com/archives/11299
Article on Eric Coy in today’s news.

http://martinezgazette.com/archives/11299
Article on Eric Coy in today’s news.

Thanks for posting this Zam. Such a sweet face.

I think it preposterous to link Gaikowski to this crime. Was probably just a story in the news (a "stabbing") and since Gaik lived in Martinez at one point….it just gave one the opportunity to run with it.

I wonder why the say three boys "allegedly" found him. I would like to know more about them.

This case has bothered me from the time first I read it in the Conta Costa Times. One of the reasons that I think this case has not been solved, is that the father and son who saw the man on the school grounds that morning could be mistaken about the age of the man.
While I was researching this case, I found an article about another young boy age 12 named Danny ( No last name ) Mother Rose or Rosie( no last name). Danny was riding his bike, when a man in a car tried to run Danny over. A witness said that the car had a Utah license plate.
I know most of you are probably tired of hearing about my suspect, but it just so happens that he did have a Utah license plate that he had on different cars. I saw it in the late 80’s as well as early 90’s. He went after my son, while driving a large ice blue Lincoln with the Utah plate. My son wrote it down and I checked it againest the long list of plates I had on my suspect. It was a match! It sounds like I am taking this off track, but I do think that there is a good chance that the man who tried to run over Danny in Martinez could be the same man that killed Eric Coy.
I have tried to find the article again but haven’t found it yet, I even asked the police and the people at the Martinez Gazzett if they recall the story ? No one remembers it. The round face , curly hair , weight and height are a match to my suspect, except he would have been older.

A man hiding behind a "red umbrella" under a over pass in Martinez, chased a friend of my grandaughter’s with a gun, it was thought to be a shot gun. He had gone after her before. The man was caught and taken back to Napa State hospital. The girl said he had a strange looking eye. That was also in Martinez, his description was not at all like Gyke in any of these cases. I don’t remember the yr of that off the top of my head , it is in my many notes. Zam, Ricardo and I went to the area of Eric’s crime scene, the bridge is gone now.

Lodi News Sentinel article about Wolfen..June 19, 1987

QT

http://martinezgazette.com/archives/11299
Article on Eric Coy in today’s news.

The guy in the sketch looks like he had the Basedow’ syndrome.