The Zodiac Killer Essay - 2809 Words

In the San Francisco Bay area, as well as in the rest of California, the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s was a time of terror and fear. What started out as a seemingly random, but brutal murder on the night of October 30th, 1966, turned out to be the start of a series of horrific murders that would span 2,500 suspects, 56 possible victims, and over 400 miles. On the calm, cool night of December 20th, 1968, a young seventeen year-old named David Arthur Faraday was getting ready to take a young sixteen year-old named Betty Lou Jensen on her first date. David arrived at Betty’s house, picked her up, and promptly proceeded to Lake Herman Road, a well known lover’s lane of the local teenagers. After a while, a car, possibly a blue Valiant,†¦show more content†¦Darlene took many country backroads and traveled at very high speeds to try to lose the pursuing vehicle, but with no success. The vehicle forced Darlene’s car off of the road and into the parking lot of the Blue Rock Springs Golf course. Once the pursuer had sufficiently blocked them from any further movement in the car, he stepped out of his vehicle with a lantern in his hand, and his headlights shining blindingly into Darlene and Michael’s faces. Mike could feel intense heat throughout his body. He had been shot. The bullets were still being fired as Darlene slumped over the steering wheel. She had been hit several times. Some of the bullets passed through Mike’s body into hers. (Tina 5). The attacker then fired off two more shots before getting into his car and driving off. Mike crawled out of the car and into the road, hoping someone would see him and stop to help. One bullet had gone through his jawbone and tongue, making it almost impossible for him to speak or yell. (Tina 5). Three teenagers driving by, looking for a friend, saw Mike, injured and bleeding, on the ground. They immediately called the police.Darlene was pronounced dead on arrival, but Mike managed to survive the attack, and once he healed from his facial injuries, describe the crime in detail to the police. This once again looked like a random homicide to theShow MoreRelatedThe Zodiac Killer1732 Words   |  7 PagesLucas Kelleher/ Street Law 10/3/08 The Zodiac Killer The Zodiac Killer is a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. His identity to this day still remains unknown. The Zodiac coined his name in a series of taunting letters he sent to the press. His letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers), three of which have yet to be solved. The Zodiac murdered five known victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969.Read MoreEssay on The Zodiac Killer2341 Words   |  10 PagesThe Zodiac Killer Works Cited Not Included In the late sixties and early seventies, California was haunted by dozens of unsolved murders. The offender remains unknown to this day. The murderer, who referred to himself as the Zodiac, made contact with the police and area newspapers throughout his reign of terror through a series of menacing notes. Although the police were never able to apprehend Zodiac, they were able to gather information about him via the letters. Zodiac boasted of killingRead MoreThe Zodiac Killer Project2069 Words   |  9 PagesThe Zodiac Killer Project The crime spree murders of the Zodiac killer is one of the greatest unsolved murdered cases of all time. The Zodiac’s murders took place from later 1960s, through to about 1972. Most of The Zodiac’s murders took place in Northern California. Some main areas where murders took place are Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco, California. Two out of the four men that were attacked lived and three women out of the three were killed. The ages of the victims goesRead MoreEssay on The Zodiac Killer2094 Words   |  9 PagesThe Zodiac Killer The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time of great change in America. The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution were just some of the issues on the evening news in American households. For citizens of the San Francisco Bay area, as well as the rest of California, the late 60’s early 70’represented terror, fear and death. â€Å"The bizarre and theatrical and still unresolved serial murders by real-life ghoul who called himself Zodiac, who claimed inRead More The Elusive Zodiac Killer Essays2062 Words   |  9 PagesThe Elusive Zodiac Killer Serial killers almost without exception enjoy playing games. Whether played with their victims’, or the police forces trying to track them down, the game of the kill is almost as essential as the murder itself. In most instances this need to draw out the experience leads to the downfall of the culprit. This was not the case with the elusive Zodiac Killer of the San Francisco Bay Area. Zodiac’s career, which would become the most cerebral murder case ofRead MoreTaking a Look at the Zodiac Killer1610 Words   |  6 Pages The Zodiac Killer is one of the greatest unsolved serial killer mysteries, after Jack the Ripper. There were 2,500 suspects, but the case was never solved. The Zodiac’s first known victim is Cheri Jo Bates. His first letter, Confession, mentioned Cheri and said, â€Å" she is not the first and she will not be the last†. Six months after Cheri’s death, the killer sent copies of the letters to the Riverside Press, the police, and her dad. Since the killer knew her dad, the police thought that CheriRead MoreThe Zodiac Killer Case Revisited1231 Words   |  5 PagesThe Zodiac Killer Case Revisited I. List of crimes The horrors in California began on Friday, December 20, 1968 in the city of Vallejo when sixteen-year-old Betty Lou Jensen and seventeen-year-old David Faraday were killed while out on a date. At the time, according to Haugen (2011), they had driven to a remote lover’s lane on Lake Herman Road. It was while they were there that a vehicle stopped nearby and the driver got out, shot out the rear passenger window of David Faraday’s station wagonRead More The Zodiac Killer Essay examples1229 Words   |  5 Pages Much is unknown about the Zodiac killer, but given what is known about serial killers in general, this man was probably born between 1938 and 1943. That would make his age between 25 and 30 years old at the time of his first murder in Vallejo, California, in 1968. Also, that age estimate works with witness statements and its supported by Zodiacs references to his victims in younger terms in his letters of 1969. Zodiac wasnt an attractive character from what we kn ow. He may have had to wear glassesRead MoreThe Zodiac Killer : Long Time Mystery Solved1199 Words   |  5 PagesThe Zodiac Killer: Long Time Mystery Solved Several innocent lives were taken away by the Zodiac Killer who roamed the streets of northern California, the identity of the murderer remaining unknown until now. Investigations have been put into motion for years, but this serial killer has left no trail to follow. For a long time, the general public believed Joseph Newton Chandler III committed the crimes, while others created their own theories and accused Untied States Senator Ted Cruz. AlthoughRead MoreZodiac Killer Essay1490 Words   |  6 Pagesdescribe who the Zodiac Killer was, how a serial killer is different from a normal homicide suspect. In addition, I will explain what the Zodiac Killer’s criteria was for selecting his victims and whether forensic psychology or criminal profiling provided input into this case. Finally, I will express my thoughts on why the Zodiac Killer was never captured and what else, if anyhing, could have been done to help find the infamous Zodiac Killer. In order to explain how a serial killer is different than