What still remains absolutely inexplicable, is that law enforcement clearly took the three young women’s testimony as extremely credible, interviewing them at length, compiling a description and creating a sketch of the suspicious male. Yet failed to compare the footprints of this suspicious man with the wingwalker impressions taken from the murder scene. Had they matched, the weight given to their testimony in terms of the vehicle driven by the man, his height, weight, age, hair colour and the sketch created by them, could have changed our entire perception of the case regarding the Presidio Heights sketch. There was no reason these bootprints (0.8 miles to the north) wouldn’t have remained in situ in the following 22 hours after the crime in respect to the weather. The failure to compare the two sets of bootprints, which should have been routine police work, is one of the most confounding aspects of the Lake Berryessa crime.

I agree Richard. It seems like with all these cases, there is (at least) that one thing that makes us say .

You’d think they would have searched a wide area for shoe prints. However it’s hard to know how the search was coordinated and the significance of the shoe prints would not have been fully appreciated until after the evidence was processed. So it’s hard to say, on the one hand it’s hard to imagine they didn’t look around, but it’s not hard to imagine different groups of police being sent on different errands and not communicating properly that they may have thought this or that area had been searched when it hadn’t etc..

"At 4.20 pm on September 28th 1969 ‘Dean’ from Pacific Union College contacted the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and informed police that three young women from the college had been sunbathing by Lake Berryessa the day of the stabbings, outlining the girls recollections of a suspicious man in the vicinity who appeared to be watching them for a prolonged period.".

This was an extremely brutal attack from a dangerous man who could have struck again. They should have immediately responded and gathered any bootprints from this second scene for comparison, bearing in mind the suspicious man was unhooded and it occurred so close to the time of the eventual attack. But this happened.

"Sergeant Kenneth Narlow dispatched Deputy Sheriff Raymond Land to interview the girls that evening. The following morning (September 29th) he reported his findings to his superiors. At 2.45 pm that day, the three young girls came to the police department and were interviewed by Sergeant Lonergan, Sergeant Snook and Captain Donald Townsend. A sketch of the suspicious man was ultimately created from the three girls recollections".

Why did he wait until the following morning to report the findings and why the apparent lack of haste. This, after all, could have resulted in two people dead. The footprint search should have been undertaken that evening, but seemingly nothing transpired that day, or ever. This was a missed opportunity to gather further vital evidence. To believe they didn’t contemplate the notion of two linked crime scenes is so far unexplained by the typed police report in this case. There was a suspicious man observed by Dr Rayfield & Son in the same location as the 3 young girls at approximately 6:30 pm later that evening, described as "a white male adult subject walking in the area, about 5’10", heavy build, wearing dark trousers, a dark shirt with red in it, long sleeves." The "red in it" highly suggestive of blood on the shirt, after the attack had occurred. Here was another possibility for bootprint impressions seemingly ignored.

Are you sure it wasn’t the Riverside Police Department that conducted the LB investigation?

A dark shirt with red on it would not be indicative of blood. Blood would soak and eventually blend in with the dark color of the shirt not contrast with it.

Assuming he was military, how did he find all this extra time be driving and hiking all over the North Bay area searching for victims without being reported as AWOL. I think it’s more likely he was ex-military or a civilian who got his hands on a pair of these boots.

Why did he wait until the following morning to report the findings and why the apparent lack of haste. This, after all, could have resulted in two people dead. The footprint search should have been undertaken that evening, but seemingly nothing transpired that day, or ever. This was a missed opportunity to gather further vital evidence. To believe they didn’t contemplate the notion of two linked crime scenes is so far unexplained by the typed police report in this case.

Well, if I remember correctly, it was too late in the day to even check the area of the actual attack, they cordoned it off and kept it under guard until the next day when they went back and took the castings, so it would have been the same for the area where the girls were.

The only good reason I can think of as to why they never looked for prints where the girls were is perhaps it was paved, covered with grass, too rocky etc. to get shoe prints. I have no idea but perhaps someone who knows the area can answer that. Seems even that would have been mentioned in the police report however.

According to the Sheriff’s Report, they didn’t think the guy with the black shirt with red in it could have been Bryan and Cecelia’s attacker because one couldn’t traverse the hilly area. But, someone was and did–and you can. The man and his son saw him.

Surely shoe prints would have been found if they would have at least considered it.

Is anyone in touch with any of the 3 girls?

Soze

Perhaps the question is: which branch of the military? Vallejo had an air force base and a naval base near by. I wonder if there is a way to determine which.

Again my POI was a wing walker for Lockheed Martin back in the 60’s. So you got to figure in civilians that work for companies as such having access to the boots and not just military. I still think they are a rare boot to the average civilian.

One more thing and don’t believe Zodiac was the guy that the girls seen in the car at LB. Why the heck get into costume when he would have known witness seen him earlier ?

One more thing and don’t believe Zodiac was the guy that the girls seen in the car at LB. Why the heck get into costume when he would have known witness seen him earlier ?

After going to all that effort to make that costume, he sure wasn’t going to NOT use it.

He may have suspected the victims would live long enough to give a description if he didn’t have his face covered, he may have been shielding himself from blood spatter, but mostly, in my opinion, he was amusing himself by playing the role of a costumed villain.

He may have suspected the victims would live long enough to give a description if he didn’t have his face covered, he may have been shielding himself from blood spatter, but mostly, in my opinion, he was amusing himself by playing the role of a costumed villain.

Yes, he is already aware that Michael M. survived the BRS attack and gave police a description. This attack is now in broad daylight. If anyone else survived (like Harden did) and he wasn’t covered, they might nab him. The costume served two purposes. Shield his identity from any possible survivors and fulfill his fantasy of being a comic book supervillain.

One more thing and don’t believe Zodiac was the guy that the girls seen in the car at LB. Why the heck get into costume when he would have known witness seen him earlier ?

After going to all that effort to make that costume, he sure wasn’t going to NOT use it.

He may have suspected the victims would live long enough to give a description if he didn’t have his face covered, he may have been shielding himself from blood spatter, but mostly, in my opinion, he was amusing himself by playing the role of a costumed villain.

In my opinion he wouldn’t sit in a parking lot for a half hour smoking cigarettes so all there can witness him. Then a bit later put on a full body mask so nobody will know who he is. Just doesn’t make sense!

I don’t think he cared anyone saw him. SOMEONE saw him that day. He wasn’t driving around with the hood on. I think the hood was for him…not to hide his identity, imo.

If you follow his actions, the three girls experienced the same thing Bryan and Cecelia did. He even came down and walked around them. When they looked at him, he would look away. (Same with doc and son)…no friendly, "hello". And one girl mentioned what was possibly a white belt. "Zodiac" had A LOT of white clothesline. Same black "styled" hair., pouched stomach, dark clothes..more talk here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=131