WARNING: Violent and potentially disturbing content ahead.
Below is a description of the sequence of the attack on Cecelia Shepard by the Zodiac Killer. This is based on Bryan Hartnell’s own statements – especially in the “This Is The Zodiac Speaking” documentary from 2007, as well as the autopsy report of Miss Shepard. I think that this sequence best fits the wounds suffered by Miss Shephard along with Mr. Hartnell’s own statements. I think this is valuable because for many of us (myself included), the autopsy report was confusing and the details of Miss Shephard’s ordeal were murky. I hope this can lead to some discussion and clear up some of those issues.
While the description is rather long, I’d estimate the attack to take no more than 15 to 20 seconds. Again, this is a rather detailed description of the horribly violent attack suffered by Cecelia, so please be aware.
The numbers in parentheses correspond to the wounds described in the thread linked below as well as the diagram of the wounds I have attached:
As always, please fact check me and point out any errors or discrepancies…
The Zodiac finishes stabbing Bryan Hartnell and moves toward Cecelia who is screaming hysterically. Quickly, the right-handed Zodiac crouches or kneels at her left side. Immediately, he raises the knife and brings it down on her back. The stab wound lands towards the center of her back near her right shoulder blade. It goes over a half an inch deep, strikes a rib, and tears into the back of her lower right lung (#1).
Instantly, he stabs her again. This time it’s in her lower back on the right side where the blade hits a rib (#2). As the knife strikes downward, it grazes the back of Cecelia’s right hand that is tied behind her (#3).
At this point, Cecelia begins to fight for her life. Hogtied, she awkwardly tries to roll away from her attacker by rocking back and forth to gain enough momentum to roll on to her right side. He stabs her again and catches her in mid-rock just beneath her left shoulder blade; the blade hits against a rib (#4).
Zodiac raises the knife and brings it down again, aiming for the middle of her back, but again Cecelia rocks to the right and instead the blade comes down between her arm that is pinned by the restraints and her left side. This causes a gash on her upper left side and a cut on her upper arm (#5 and #6).
Cecelia is furiously rocking left to right, trying to get enough momentum to roll away from her attacker. As she does, Zodiac brings the knife down on her again. Yet again, Zodiac misses his mark and the blade comes down between her elbow and her lower left side causing cuts in both (#7 and #8).
Finally, Cecelia is able to roll over on to her right side, away from her attacker. As she she does, Zodiac plunges the blade into her left side just to left of her nipple. The blade penetrates the chest wall deep enough to injure her left lung and diaphragm (#9)
Unfortunately, in rolling over, Cecelia has now exposed her torso to Zodiac. He stabs downward. The blade enters to the left of her navel, and it penetrates nearly six inches under the flesh, cutting her abdominal muscle on the right side. Cecelia’s anguished thrashing causes the blade to twist and open a jagged cut in her midsection (#10).
Due to the position of her right arm while hogtied, Cecelia is unable to fully roll over onto her back. As she struggles to do so, Zodiac brings the blade down again toward her chest, but Cecelia’s last desperate attempt at rocking and the density of her sternum prevent the blade from fully penetrating. Instead, it slices a long gash above her right breast down to underneath her armpit (#11).
Exhausted and in extreme pain, Cecelia’s movements slow, and Zodiac, now desperate to neutralize her, aims again for her chest, and again the long blade strikes her thick sternum. This time, however, he angrily drags the blade nearly a foot down over her abdomen, nicking the liver as it passes down to below her navel (#12).
As the Zodiac strikes this final blow, Cecelia passes out from shock and blood loss.
“Murder will out, this my conclusion.”
– Geoffrey Chaucer
