On June 26, 1970, Z confessed to a shooting of a man in a parked car, using a .38 caliber.

The only known case since Z’s latest correspondence, the Dragon card (April 28, 1970), was John Radetich. He indeed was sitting inside his car and also was shot with a .38 caliber. We MAY assume that Z had killed Radetich.

IF that is true, then we should have a look on the witnesses at the Radetich crime scene. What is interesting is that there is a witness who actually saw a WHITE CADILLAC leaving the crime scene ‘moments’ after the shooting:

‘Police Officer Killed Over Traffic Citation
SAN FRANCISCO (UPI)A 25-year-old police officer is dead from a massive bullet wound in the head in an unexplained attack while he was writing out a routine traffic ticket. Police had scant clues in their search for the person who fired three shots at Richard Radetich, who was the son of a retired policeman and had wanted to be a police officer from his boyhood. He was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital after the attack early Friday, but doctors offered little hope for his recovery after hours of brain surgery to repair massive head injuies from a single .38 caliber bullet that plowed through his left temple. He died Friday night. Police said Radetich was alone in his patrol car writing out a ticket for a parked car which had no current license lag. Suddenly, residents of the area heard three shots ring out in rapid succession and the I sound of an auto racing away. Police officers who speed to | the scene after receiving ‘telephone calls about a shooting i found Radetich slumped across the front seat. The microphoneof his police radio was still in his hand and hig service revolver still in its holster beneath him. The shot that killed Radetich smashed through the window of his patrol car. Another bullet pierced the window but missed Radetich and the third hit the door on the driver’s side. Police swarmed into the area and began a door-to-door search of the block on Waller St. where the shooting occurred, but turned up no suspects. Residents of the area, none of whom had seen the actual shooting, gave police conflicting accounts of what they had heard. The only solid clues were a .38 caliber bullet casing lying outside the smashed window of Radetich’s car and the report of a service station attendent who said he had seen a white Cadillac racing from the scene moments after the shooting. Radetich was writing out a ticket for an Oldsmobile. The owner said she had not bothered to put a 1970 tag on the vehicle because it had a dead battery.’

With regard to the Lake Herman killings, this might be a clue which car was the killer’s (Z’s car). Actually there were two cars at the scene..one was blue and the other one was white. If Z had used the same car during both crimes, then the white car at Lake Herman was Z’s.

Regarding the Lake Herman case, the following observations have been made:

‘They said (Gasser brothers) that when they arrived there at 9:00PM a white 4-door hardtop, a ’59 or ’60 Impala, was parked there, and also, a truck coming out of the gate. This coincides with Information from Bingo Wesher that when he came out of the gate he saw the same Impala and also saw the red pick-up truck go by (!).’

‘He (Bingo Wesher) was (…) checking his sheep at approximately 10:00PM and he observed a White Chevrolet, Impala Sedan, parked by the South fence of the entrance to the pumping station. He also observed a Red Ford P/U with wood side boards in the area. The (red) pick-up was later identified as the one Frank Gasser and Bob … were riding in. Mr. Wesher did not see the Nash Rambler (Faraday).’

One may therefore conclude that Z had been at the crime scene about two hours (!) before Faraday/Jensen were killed. Further conclusion actually may be that Faraday/Jensen had even gone there to meet their not yet to be known assailant.

Indeed, Betty Lou and David had left Sharons house at approximately 9.00 pm.

When James Owen passed the location (at about 11:20 PM..could be earlier, too), he saw two cars parked near the entrance to the pumping station. (…) The other (car) was parked to the right and abreast of the Station Wagon (where later one bullet shell was found). He definitely saw two cars, a station wagon and another vehicle, parked approximately three or four feet to the right of the station wagon. He did not see anyone in the cars or around them.

Close to the crime scene, there was a ranch with some people having sort of a party. Witness Melodie Jobe, sister of Betty Lou, mentioned that

‘Acting on her advice, Betty Lou brought David home to her parents at 8:00PM on the 20th. There he met her parents and they left with their permission to go to Hogan High School and then to a party afterwards.’

So did the Mr. and Mrs. Jensen:

‘They (David & Betty Lou) were going to a concert at Hogan and then to a party. They did not know the address (…).’

The party not necessarily was the same where Sharon, Betty Lou’s friend who had been visited at around 8:00pm had gone to:

‘They remained there until 9:00PM. She (Sharon) stated she walked to the car with them. They did not state to her where they were going. Sharon attended a party (!) at 254 Frisby Street (!) from 10:30 PM until 1:10AM.’

If it would have been the same party, Sharon would certainly had noticed.

I wonder if all of the three, the Zodiac as well as Betty Lou and Faraday, had actually visited a party or ‘activity’ at the Dotta Ranch. This because Owen did not see anyone in the cars or around them..

David and Betty Lou had promised to be at home at around 11:00 pm. This could imply that they possibly had parked their car to go to the ‘activity’ (party?) at the Dotta ranch and that it was later when they were sitting inside and being killed. If Z was a party guest at Dotty’s, too, it would make it a bit easier to identify him..

Robert M —:
‘They had the dogs loose and they treed either a cat or a racoon in the area of the Dotta Ranch. While they were there they saw some ‘activity’ up there, all the lights were on but they were a little distance away and couldn’t tell what the activity was.’

Assuming that the above is correct, there are some scenarios:

a.) Z and David/Betty Lou had been at the Dotta ranch together. Therefore anybody from Dotta Ranch might know (and remember) Z although not being aware he or she does.
b.) David/Betty Lou had been at the Dotta ranch, however Z only saw them ‘from outside’, e.g. like a stalker would do. This would put Richard Allen Burton (Ricky) into a closer focus. Sharon had stated that Ricky and Betty ‘never went out but they talked together around the school grounds.’ Joe, a friend of David, related to Ricky is a big talker, who has no close friends. ‘He is a bragger.’ Ricky also is alledged to have told a Daniel — that he had his mothers car and was going out Friday night. Ricky has no alibi for the time of the murder. The father of Betty Lou had stated that Melodie Jobe, Betty Lou’s sister, had told him that Betty Lou had confided in her the evening before 12/20/68 that a Richard Burton had threatened her. Mrs. Jensen, mother of Betty Lou, stated that Betty Lou wanted the curtains closed (because) that Burton was spying. Ricky had called Betty Lou multiple times on the day of her murder. Ricky was also on probation for burglary. The problem with Ricky is that he has an alibi from 8:05 pm to 10:45 pm, thus could not have been the person driving the white Chevy.
c.) The activities at the Dotta Ranch are unrelated to Z (not to forget the Benicia shooting range nearby..). Even if David and Betty Lou had been there, it doesn’t mean Z was there, too. Nevertheless, the scenario a.) is still a possibility.

So if Z had attended the ‘activities’ at Dotta Ranch together with David and Betty Lou, any host of that evening could certainly give some interesting answers. However, the Dotta Ranch was in the ownership of the local water company since 1917 (secret meeting place of Z with David & Betty Lou?). As the ‘lights were on’ up there, one must assume that Z could have had a key to the ranch (new theory: Z being a worker at the local water company..). If Z had been at the Benicia shooting range, however, it’d be interesting to find out more about members there.

QT