Also Morf, would you know why, after James passed away, his memorial service was held in Las Vegas, NV? (Just seems odd considering he and his family resided in the Bay Area all their married life?)

Also Morf, would you know why, after James passed away, his memorial service was held in Las Vegas, NV? (Just seems odd considering he and his family resided in the Bay Area all their married life?)

He had lived in Vegas since the early 1990’s I think, most f his Family is out there. The photos are all taken from the net published after his death. The one of him in glasses seems to be from more recent years

Before he passed away,I interviewed by phone, James Owen a witness in the Lake Herman Rd Police Reports. I wanted to pick his brain and get as many details as possible,not to mention,he is a POI of mine.

Just a little bit of useless info, but I thought I’d post it anyway.
Alan Vasen worked at the Humble Oil Refinery in Benicia from September 1968 through to April 1969, so may have worked alongside or even known James Owen, during the Lake Herman Road murders. He worked as an insulator, laying thousands of square feet of asbestos insulation throughout the operating units of the Benicia refinery. He would have been 28 years of age in 1968. Prior to 1962 he served honorably on the USS Ticonderoga in the US Navy, he then joined Heat, Frost and Asbestos Workers Union, Local 16, San Francisco, California and worked as an insulator mechanic until retiring in 1997. He worked at many other sites exclusively in San Francisco and Northern California during his career. In 2001 Alan Vasen was awarded just over 8 million dollars after he successfully sued the Exxon Mobil Corporation for negligence, in respect to an asbestos related disease he contracted, a fatal cancer called pleural mesothelioma caused by his exposure.
Another worker identified as Merle Ronald Sandy worked as an industrial pipefitter throughout the Bay Area. His employer Albay Construction Company got a contract from Exxon Mobil once the refinery was completed in 1969 and Exxon controlled Mr Sandy’s work. They supplied him with asbestos gaskets, packing and welding blankets to perform his duties, but issued no warnings. At 60 years of age he won just over 1 million dollars in 2006 due to asbestosis and colon cancer. He worked at the Benicia refinery from 1970 to 1974. From 1963–1966, Merle Sandy worked as a roughneck at oil drilling operations throughout the San Joaquin Valley in central California. This takes us no further in the Zodiac case but at least gives us a couple of new names at the Benicia refinery, unless of course this is already old news.

 

Thanks Rich I think this is good info, maybe one day a person who knew Owen will join here. Owen died of cancer I wonder if it was from his job?

One thing that I keep thinking about is Bobby Graysmiths attempted decoding of the 340. Now I know most will not give Rob any credit as a reliable source for anything to do with this case and I myself can be added to the list of Roberts critics but what if there was just one thing that he is correct about or one thing he really has looked at and interpreted without Bias? What if that one thing was his claimed solving of the 340 Cipher? If, and I stress IF, he is even close to accurately decoding the cipher and its hidden message then for me, one sentence in this ciphers decoded message jumps off the page at me as to it’s importance and that is:

"Those fools shall meet killer. Ask Lundblad."

If this really is what the encrypted 340 message states, then James Owen, for me, goes from Person of Interest to Serious Suspect.

Well, If Lundblad did meet the killer, he never knew it! So, why would zodiac put that in the cipher?

Interesting. I don’t know enough about ciphers to know if Graysmith was anything close to being right about the cipher solution.

One thing that makes me think Owen could be z, was regarding all the time that went by after the LHR murders and the BRS murders. Why wait so long? Zodiac was attacking at a furious pace between July & October 1969, and also writing letters quickly. Why so long between the LHR murders and the BRS attack? It could be because Zodiac, whomever he was, felt he was a suspect,maybe he did talk to the police. Maybe enough time went by that he felt safe, and that he was no longer a suspect, and had fantasized and thought of his next crimes for 8 months which would explain why he attacked with such a feverish pace for those few months in 69. Somebody like Owen could fit this possibility. He voluntarily came forward, which he didnt have to do, as a ‘witness’. Next thing he knows, police are asking him for guns, taking multiple statements, and having him re-drive his route from that night. If he was Z, this could certainly make himf feel under the microscope, and lay low for a while.

I fault the police in this case for a few things they did wrong.While they suspected Owen enough to ask for his guns to do ballistics tests on,2 rifles,once they determined handguns were used, why didn’t they go back to him and ask for his handguns? Also, if they suspected him enough to ask for his guns, why not ask for his prints, and handwriting later on once Zodiac had left possible prints, and written his letters? They never did follow up with Owen to do any of that stuff.

Owen went to that crime scene as a ‘witness’, but inadvertantly wound up a suspect, at least to some extent.

Why did it take me 40 years to point out the multiple discrepancies in his statements to police, and his failure to mention hearing a shot the night before, when he was standing at the scene of the attack, 9 hours after the crime. Again, some shotty police work in my opinion.

Owen did step forward as a witness and did so without any appeal by police for witnesses etc, he took it upon himself to stop at the scene and speak with police on his way out of work if I am not mistaken.

When it comes to witnesses and their testimony regarding who or what they saw, we should hold them to the same standard as a High Court does. When a witness is found to have told one lie, or his/her testimony has blatant inconsistencies in it then the Judge will treat everything that witnesses says from then on with suspicion. If Owen went into court and some defence lawyer had his two statements he’d rip Owen and his claims to pieces on the stand.

But here is R.G’s attempt at deciphering the 340.

HERB CAEN:
I GIVE THEM HELL TOO.
BLAST THESE LIES.
SLEUTH SHOULD SEE A NAME BELOW KILLERS FILM.
A PILLS GAME. PARDON ME AGCEPT TO BLAST NE (ME).
BULLSHIT. THOSE FOOLS SHALL MEET KILLER. PLEASE ASK LUNDBLAD.
SOEL (SOUL) AT H LSD UL CLEAR LAKE. SO STARE I EAT A PILL, ASSHOLE.
I PLANT MR A.H. PHONE LAKE B.
ALL SLAVES BECAUSE LSD WAS STOLEN.
EITHER SLAVE SHALL I HELL SLASH TOSCHI?
THE PIG STALLS DEALS OF EIGHTH SOUL SLAIN.

I personally don’t believe that Graysmith’s solution is right

Who knows, Michael Kelleher states that "Even though it lacks the consistency shown in Zodiac first Cryptogram, it still remains the only viable solution to the 340." What qualifies him to make that determination I do not know.

"Why wait so long? Zodiac was attacking at a furious pace between July & October 1969, and also writing letters quickly. Why so long between the LHR murders and the BRS attack? It could be because Zodiac, whomever he was, felt he was a suspect,maybe he did talk to the police. Maybe enough time went by that he felt safe, and that he was no longer a suspect"

Well we can speculate that he may have left it so long because he was spoken to and felt concerned that he may be caught after LHR, I have wondered that also. But then I look at the Presidio Heights sequence of events and I have to wonder would he really go silent for 6 months due to being spoken to by, lets say Lundblad? He was seen and, if you believe him, stopped by police on Oct 11 and at the time, even in the days after Paul Stine’s murder, nobody had any idea nor reason to believe that Zodiac was responsible until 2 days after the murder, a murder in which he not only knows he was seen and/or spoken to by police, but admits so himself, he writes to inform the Nation that "I am the murderer of the Taxi Driver over by Washington and Maple streets last night."

Owen….

I think I’d read on BRS Board, police report?, not sure, that Owen was questioned after the BRS Attack and had an alibi. Whatever that may mean.
The question that always amuses me is when LE asks the person they’re questioning, "Do you own a gun"? Well if I’m Z and only own 1 gun I guess my answer would be NO. If I own 10 guns, i tell them I have 9. I guess it could become important if the owner of the gun didn’t know his weapon was used to kill someone, and if it turns up with a positive result, then LE would know they’re very close to finding the killer. But short of that scenario it always seems like a wasting time question.

Owen….

I think I’d read on BRS Board, police report?, not sure, that Owen was questioned after the BRS Attack and had an alibi. Whatever that may mean.
The question that always amuses me is when LE asks the person they’re questioning, "Do you own a gun"? Well if I’m Z and only own 1 gun I guess my answer would be NO. If I own 10 guns, i tell them I have 9. I guess it could become important if the owner of the gun didn’t know his weapon was used to kill someone, and if it turns up with a positive result, then LE would know they’re very close to finding the killer. But short of that scenario it always seems like a wasting time question.

If Owen’s name is in the BRS report, that’s news to me. If that’s the case, please point me in the right direction. If Owen was zodiac, and they asked for his rifles, he would have no problem giving the rifles to them since he would know that a rifle was not used. The police later found out a handgun was used, and not a rifle. Why did they not go back to him and ask for his handguns? Major slip up

Owen was mentioned in the BRS report, but it was in regards to his signature.

Owen was mentioned in the BRS report, but it was in regards to his signature.

That’s NOT Owen they are referring to, it’s a different Jim

Owen was mentioned in the BRS report, but it was in regards to his signature.

That’s NOT Owen they are referring to, it’s a different Jim

Sorry–I glanced back at the old site where it was discussed as being him.