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Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

post #1 of 23
Thread Starter 
Just announced....

Quote:
SAN FRANCISCO -- A woman stepped forward Wednesday to claim her late father was the infamous Zodiac Killer and that she as a 7-year-old wrote some of the letters that taunted local police.

Kevin McLean, the former law partner of the late Melvin Belli, said he has led a two-year investigation into claims by Deborah Perez that her father, Guy Ward Hendrickson, was the Zodiac killer. Hendrickson, who lived in Orange County, died in 1993 of cancer.

“He was a Jekyll and Hyde,” McLean said of Hendrickson. “He was nuts. He set out to kill people. Some of these killings were not random.”

As a youngster, Perez said she sometimes accompanied her father on his killing sprees to the Bay Area. The family lived in Santa Ana, but McLean said Hendrickson may have worked at one time at the Mare Island Naval shipyard in Vallejo.

“There were strange events with my father,” she said. “I would hear shots and my father would say it was firecrackers. I would see a woman running and then hear shots and he would tell me someone threw firecrackers at her.”

Perez said that she wrote and stamped the letters to the San Francisco Chronicle following the murder of San Francisco cab driver Paul Stine in October 1969. Those letters have been in the possession of the San Francisco police since 1969.

She also claimed to be with her father when killed Darlene Ferrin, 22, at the Blue Springs Golf Club in July 1969 and wounded her companion, Michael Mageau, 19.

“He had a vicious argument with Dee that night,” she said. “My father grabbed his gun. He goes up to the passenger side. I heard shots. I heard screams and moans. Five minutes later, we were pulled over by the police. He hid the gun on me.”

Perez said her father apologized for “doing bad things” on his death bed, but she didn’t know that involved the Zodiac killings.

The findings of McLean’s investigation have now been forwarded to the FBI and he has also asked local police for help in verifying Perez’s claims. She claims she still has Stine’s glasses.

Perez also said she helped make the mask her father wore during some of the slayings and added she had – as a child – seen a scrapbook that would indicate her father may killed “30-40” people.

“Everyone is going to say she is crazy, but we had psychologists examine Ms. Perez,” McLean said.

The Zodiac killer -- he gave himself that moniker in his taunting letters to police and newspapers -- is blamed for at least seven murders in 1968 and 1969.

He was never caught though many believe he was Arthur Leigh Allen, a convicted child molester from Vallejo who died in 1992.

In September 1969, the Zodiac struck in Napa County, stabbing two 20-year-old college students picnicking at Lake Berryessa. The crime scene was a small peninsula jutting out into the lake. The couple was accosted, hog-tied and repeatedly stabbed by a man dressed all in black and wearing an executioner-type hood.

Cecelia Shepard died; Bryan Hartnell survived and is now a lawyer in Southern California.

Three killings then took place in the Vallejo area. David Farraday and Betty Lou Jensen, teenagers on their first date, were shot to death in December 1968. Ferrin, 22, was shot and killed seven months later at the Blue Springs Golf Club, while her companion, Michael Mageau, 19, survived.

His final Bay Are slaying may have occurred on October 11, 1969, when a man entered Stine's cab at the intersection of Mason and Geary Streets in San Francisco and requested to be taken to Washington and Maple Streets in Presidio Heights.

One block later, the passenger shot Stine once in the head with a 9 mm, took his wallet and car keys, and then tore off his shirt tail. On October 14, the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter from the Zodiac containing a swatch of Stine's shirt tail as proof he was the killer.
post #2 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

We'll see how this holds up to further investigation.
post #3 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Obviously, I don't know the specifics of the situation but I tend to think this is someone making things up for attention. Not only did she write some of the letters (the most famous aspect of the case), make his mask (also a famous element of the case), has Paul Stein's glasses (that she didn't know were his glasses but kept them for 15 years after her father's death) and she also was there when he was killing people? I have a real hard time believing that.
post #4 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Kevin McLean, her "attorney", got himself disbarred early this month.

State Bar of CA :: Kevin R. McLean

I call BS.
post #5 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

I absouletly loved the film by David Fincher a few years back - it was probably my favorite of that year. They definately did a great job at making me think it was Arthur Leigh Allen. I'd like to have a definative answer, but we'll probably never know.
post #6 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

I second the BS call.

But I have been following this guy, who claims his stepfather was Zodiac.

Zodiac Killer - cbs13.com

The older videos detail his finding letters matching Z's handwriting, rolls of film containing photos of murdered people, and his discovery of the Zodiac hood hidden in a piece equipment.

Zodiac Killer's Identity And Weapon Uncovered? - cbs13.com

The most recent video reveals the images from those rolls of film.

'Snuff Films' Could Hold Answers In Zodiac Case - cbs13.com
post #7 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

I don't believe it at all.
post #8 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Whatta load of BS.
post #9 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Im something of a Zodiac nut myself. (The actuasl case and Fincher film).

I call BS on this as well. Give me DNA or some hard evidence verified by FBI; then Ill believe it.

Just another nutjob wanting attention.

Paul,
I saw that video a while back but hadnt heard what became of that case. Does the FBI like him for Z? Last I heard they were looking at him
post #10 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

I don't know that I buy everything that Robert Graysmith is selling, but that was a great movie.
post #11 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Wired seems pretty doubtful:
Zodiac Killer ‘Revelation’ Lacks Cryptographic Proof | Threat Level
post #12 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Butler
I saw that video a while back but hadnt heard what became of that case. Does the FBI like him for Z? Last I heard they were looking at him

The stepfather is dead.

I'm not really sure if the FBI is leaning towards him, but the news station seems to have regular updates so they, at least, haven't dismissed it.

The only thing that raises my eyebrows is why isn't everything being handed over to the FBI. Like the rolls of film. He gave the FBI two rolls, and the other 16 (!) to a Zodiac website. Or something like that. Why not ALL the film? And it doesn't look the hood was turned over, but I might be wrong.

But the guy has a point, he hands everything over and most likely never sees the things again and never hears anything back from the FBI.

CNN covered the Santa Ana woman yesterday. I was annoyed because they were dismissing the case as now being solved (with a Who knew? attitude), while I don't recall this other case ever being mentioned.
post #13 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Aren't there at least two people claiming their fathers were the Black Dahlia killer? It seems to have become a cottage industry...
post #14 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Hey my dad was DB Cooper!

Does anyone want to give me $1 million for the book/movie rights?
post #15 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Nicholls
Hey my dad was DB Cooper!

Does anyone want to give me $1 million for the book/movie rights?


Well, I don't have a million bucks but if my script about my life finding out that my uncle was the basis of the South Bend Shovel Slayer in Home Alone gets picked up - I'll spot you an advance.

LOL
post #16 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

KFI radio in Los Angeles had an interview with an author of one of the Zodiac books (not Graysmith). He says she's been posting to Z web boards for years and has been very inconsistent with her claims (ie: she used to claim it was an uncle who was Z).

The interview is available online: http://tinyurl.com/dmp6zb
post #17 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

Thank you for that link! ;0
post #18 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

The guy making those claims linked to the vids above is Dennis Kaufman. Heres a link to his page.
http://thezodiackiller.digitalzones.com/

Kaufman is a satanist and hasnt been very helpful is helping people solve the Zodiac case. In fact, hes been abusive to those who are really trying to solve it. Of course he produced a documentary though. Zodiac experts discredit his "Zodiac evidence". Hes twisted some of the facts to meet his evidence.

One thing I will say is the handwriting samples, if real, are very compelling.

But his stepfather was a absolute nut and with so many people who were disappearing in the california area during that time - its very possible hes responsible for some of them. But I dont think hes the Zodiac. His father resembles a sketch of a man who was identified as harassing people in Sonoma I believe(MANY coeds went disappearing in that area around this time. IMHO the police should look at matching possible photographs Kaufman is supplying to those victims). But the sketch also resembles Darren McGavin . Despite what Kaufman says, that police sketch is NOT a sketch of Zodiac. The only confirmed sketch of Zodiac is from the Stein murder. The Lake Berryessa sketch is of a man seen in the area acting "strange" but not confirmed to be Zodiac.

The newest (not really, he was investigated back in the day) suspect is Richard Giakowski(who amazingly happens to resemble both the Stein murder and LB sketch). The police dispather who spoke with Zodiac heard a sample of his voice and said his is the cloest shes heard to date. In her opinion Richards voice was the voice she heard the night she spoke to Zodiac.

I dont think it was Rich G either though.

Theres a few people who think it was Bruce Davis who was a Manson member. In fact theres a letter that exists when some tension had arose between 2 members and threats were going back and forth by mail and in one of those letters its mentioned that one of Mansons girls had sewed the LB hood costume. That discussion is abruptly ended with something along the lines of "you dont want me to go there do you?" A woman had died in the apartment building where Davis lived and a recently released note was found, supposedly, but not confirmed, from Zodiac(though it sounds like him to me and is typed in caps with some marks resembling the Halloween Card). Bruce Davis also lived in Riverside at the time of the Bates girl murder, and moved away less than a month later/

A woman named Sandy Betts also has some interesting stories about a man who had stalked and threatened her for years. I believe she found out his name was Richard or Rob Hernandez. Interestly, the poem on the desk, which is believed to be in connection to the Cheri Bates murder (not a confirmed Zodiac killing, although I do think he wrote the confession letters) seems to be signed with the initials RH. She claims that she was shot at in her kitchen,threatened, followed, stalked,etc. In fact, she had a friend of hers she had told her suspicions in a bar one night and that person ended up murdered the next day!

California seems to have had quite a few maniacs in the late 60s.

Im not some kind of serial killer nut, but have always found this case to be interesting, and I hope one day its really solved.

Going over the facts and evidence in this case is enough to drive someone crazy.
post #19 of 23

Re: Now you know....Zodiac Killer identified

A local (ORange County, CA) columnist (Frank Mickadeit) pours more cold water on claimant Debra Perez today. According to his sources, she told not one, but two people, on opposite sides of the country that she was JFK's illegitimate daughter and that she was present for the assassination of RFK. If these reports are true, any residual credibility she may have had has been shredded.

Columnist 'clears' Santa Ana man as Zodiac | perez, zodiac, jfk, told, daughter - News - OCRegister.com
post #20 of 23
We have a new story today.  Some disbarred lawyer says a merchant seaman confessed to him decades ago.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/19/MNGA18D3FV.DTL

Of course, I hesitate to take as gospel truth a story given by a disbarred lawyer who then worked for the Teamsters Union.
post #21 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Nicholls View Post

Of course, I hesitate to take as gospel truth a story given by a disbarred lawyer who then worked for the Teamsters Union.

Well, in fairness to Mr. Tarbox, the article says the his license to practice law (in California) was suspended in 1975 for a period five years, not that he was ever disbarred.  It appears that he left California at the same time and went to work for the Teamsters.  The article doesn't specifically say what sort of work he did.  It isn't clear if he was admitted to the Nevada bar and worked as an attorney or if he did other work that didn't require a license to practice.  

His account doesn't strike me as being terribly implausible.  Anyone coming in to discuss the matter would know that he was protected by privilege, so it isn't like he was confessing to some random stranger who could get him caught.  Some serial killers do at least flirt with the idea of stopping and even turning themselves in.  They almost never do, of course, which would also be the case here, if Tarbox's account is true.

Regards,

Joe

post #22 of 23
Joe,

He LIED LIED LIED in his story.  I looked it up on the Cal Bar website before posting this.

http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=25339

I'm a member of the CA bar and always look things up first before posting.  Why don't journalists at the SF Chron do the same?
post #23 of 23
Quote:
 
Why don't journalists at the SF Chron do the same?

In my experience journalists tend to be two things:  Lazy, and ignorant.  The average reporter would rather rewrite a press release or a spoon-fed story and stick his name on it than do any legwork, and most of them know so little about subjects other than journalism itself that they don't even know what questions to ask or when they are being conned.  In this case it looks like Tarbox mentioned his 1974 suspension (for failing to pay bar dues) and conflated it with his 1975 disbarment (for failing to pay clients money won in a settlement.)  Either that or Tarbox told the truth and the reporter simply took lousy notes and wrote a garbled story.  (Given the state of reporting in this country I would not take bets either way. )

Regards,

Joe

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