The Zodiac Killer Part ll
The Hooded Man, the Cab Driver, and the CiphersLake Berryessa: September 27, 1969The third confirmed Zodiac attack took place at Lake Berryessa in Napa County.The victims were:Bryan Calvin Hartnell, 2
DETCA_TheCreator
September 22, 2026
The Hooded Man, the Cab Driver, and the Ciphers
Lake Berryessa: September 27, 1969
The third confirmed Zodiac attack took place at Lake Berryessa in Napa County.
The victims were:
- Bryan Calvin Hartnell, 20
- Cecelia Ann Shepard, 22
This attack was different from the earlier shootings, and it would give investigators one of the most detailed descriptions of the killer.
Who were Bryan and Cecelia?
Bryan Hartnell was a 20-year-old college student who attended Pacific Union College in Angwin, California.
Cecelia Shepard was 22. She had attended San Francisco State College and was a friend of Bryan's. They had previously dated, but by the time of the attack, they were friends.
The two were spending time together at Lake Berryessa on a Saturday afternoon.
They were not out looking for trouble. They were enjoying a peaceful day at the lake.
The afternoon at the lake
Bryan and Cecelia went to an area near Twin Oak Ridge, where they found a relatively secluded spot.
They were sitting on a blanket when a man approached them.
According to Bryan's later account, the man was wearing a dark hood or costume that covered much of his face. The costume had a distinctive symbol on the chest: a circle with a cross through it.
That symbol would later become strongly associated with the Zodiac Killer.
The approach
The man told Bryan and Cecelia that he was an escaped convict and that he needed money and a car to get to Mexico.
He reportedly showed them a gun and demanded their belongings.
The couple complied.
But the situation did not end there.
The man produced a knife and attacked them.
The attack
Bryan and Cecelia were both stabbed.
Bryan survived the attack, although he suffered serious injuries.
Cecelia was also seriously injured and later died.
I am not going to describe the wounds graphically, but the forensic record establishes that the attack involved multiple stab wounds and that the injuries were fatal for Cecelia.
Bryan's remarkable survival
Bryan Hartnell survived long enough to provide investigators with crucial information.
He was able to describe:
- The attacker's clothing
- The hood and symbol
- The man's general build
- The way he spoke
- The sequence of events leading up to the attack
The hood was particularly important because it was unusual and memorable.
The symbol on the chest also matched the symbol the writer had been using in letters to newspapers.
The writing on the car door
One of the most important pieces of evidence at Lake Berryessa was the writing found on Bryan's car.
The attacker wrote dates and information on the vehicle, including references to the earlier attacks.
This was significant because it appeared to connect the Lake Berryessa attack to the same person claiming responsibility in the letters.
The writing helped investigators establish that this was not simply another unrelated assault.
Cecelia's death
Cecelia Shepard was transported to a hospital after the attack.
She survived for approximately two days but died on September 29, 1969, from her injuries.
Bryan survived.
The autopsy and forensic findings
The medical examination established that Cecelia died from injuries sustained in the stabbing.
The forensic investigation documented the nature of the injuries and the circumstances of the attack. Bryan's injuries were also examined and documented.
For a public-facing case article, the useful information is:
- The attack involved multiple stab wounds.
- Cecelia's injuries were fatal.
- Bryan survived and became a key witness.
- The medical evidence supported the account of a violent assault at the lake.
There is no need to reproduce graphic autopsy photographs or detailed wound descriptions to explain why the case matters.
The Paul Stine Murder
October 11, 1969
The fourth confirmed Zodiac attack happened in San Francisco, and the victim was different from the previous victims.
His name was Paul Lee Stine.
Paul was 29 years old and worked as a taxi driver.
Who was Paul Stine?
Paul Stine was a working man who drove a cab in San Francisco.
He was not a teenager parked at a lovers' lane or a couple spending time at a lake. He was doing his job.
On the night of October 11, 1969, he picked up a passenger in San Francisco.
That passenger would become the last confirmed murder victim of the Zodiac's 1968–1969 crime spree.
The taxi ride
Paul picked up a passenger around Geary Street.
The passenger asked to be taken to the area of Washington and Maple Streets, in the Presidio Heights neighborhood.
The ride appeared to be an ordinary taxi trip.
But when the cab reached the destination, the passenger shot Paul.
Paul died at the scene.
Where was he found?
Paul was found inside his taxi near Washington and Cherry Streets in Presidio Heights.
The murder happened in a residential neighborhood, not in an isolated park.
This was a major shift in the case because it showed that the killer was willing to attack in a city neighborhood.
The police mistake
After the shooting, a witness called police.
The witness described the suspect as a man wearing dark clothing.
Police broadcast a description, but an error occurred in the information sent to officers.
The suspect was initially described as a Black male, even though the witness had described a white male.
Because of that error, officers stopped and questioned the wrong people.
The actual suspect was able to leave the area.
This mistake became one of the most discussed moments in the investigation because it may have allowed the killer to escape shortly after the murder.
The letter containing part of Paul's shirt
On October 13, 1969, the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter claiming responsibility for Paul's murder.
The writer included a piece of Paul Stine's shirt as proof.
This was one of the most disturbing and important pieces of evidence in the entire case.
The letter confirmed that the person calling himself Zodiac was claiming responsibility for the San Francisco murder.
It also gave investigators something tangible that could be compared with the crime scene.
The forensic evidence
The taxi contained physical evidence connected to the murder, including blood evidence and the shirt.
The FBI later documented the use of a 9mm semiautomatic pistol in the Stine murder.
The medical examination established that Paul died from a gunshot wound.
Again, the important forensic point is that the cause of death was established, and the crime scene evidence helped connect the murder to the Zodiac letters.
The Police Sketches
