What I’m theorizing, specifically, is that he did hear something – but that he didn’t identify this "something" as gunfire at the time, nor some hours later when he talked to the cops. After some days, however, he remembered having heard something – and concluded, then, that it must have been gunfire.
This is exactly what I think. It has happened to me many times. I’ll hear something, or something someone says, and don’t notice it at all at the time. But it must be stored in the back of my mind, because I then recall it days later.
When Owen passed the Rambler, there was no reason for him to be paying attention to anything except his driving. There were hunters in the immediate area, so the sound of a shot would’ve been just ordinary background noise at the time.
As you say, the discrepancies in Owens’ accounts are very compatible with a guy trying to reach back into his memory, for details insignificant at the time he perceived them. If he was intentionally trying to deceive, he had a full shift at work to get his story straight, and it would’ve been a great opportunity to provide definite, misleading info (like a clearer description of Z’s car.)
Does anyone know the full name of Othis?
Think it is Johnny Otis:
Johnny Otis (born Ioannis (Yannis) Veliotes on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo, California) is an American blues and rhythm and blues pianist, vibraphonist, drummer, singer, bandleader, and impresario.
Even possible to find him on IMDB. But not 100% sure if he is the correct one.
QT
*ZODIACHRONOLOGY*
Read that: Johnny Otis’s father worked on Mare Island Naval Shipyard as a Long Shoreman.
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If Zodiac ever joined a Z forum, I’m sure he would have been banned for not following forum rules. Zam’s/Quote
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MODERATOR
Think it is Johnny Otis:
Johnny Otis (born Ioannis (Yannis) Veliotes on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo, California) is an American blues and rhythm and blues pianist, vibraphonist, drummer, singer, bandleader, and impresario.
Even possible to find him on IMDB. But not 100% sure if he is the correct one.
QT
I’m not sure. Looking at the police report from Lake Herman Road, it looks like his name was Othis Leon _________. (Kinda a long looking name). Has his address and phone number as 1121 (or 1123) Road. Phone 643-________. I found an Otis Leon with a rather long last name on Ancestry but haven’t been able to place him in Vallejo yet.
http://www.zodiackiller.com/LHRPR37.html
http://www.zodiackiller.com/LHRPR40.html
http://www.zodiackiller.com/LHRPR41.html
OK. I think the question was answered awhile back and provided by Morf.
"Otha Leon Pebley was the son of John Pebley and Bertha Brooks. He was adopted by his aunt Bertha Pebley and her husband, Clyde Loughmiller. Beula and Clyde divorced and Otha remained living with Clyde who raised him to adulthood. He became known in his family as Othie Leon Loughmiller the name he used through his life."
http://zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=727&p=45797&hilit=loughmiller#p45797
