the Zodiac Killer.

Right now we are at the scene of his first crime which,

at the time, seemed like a good idea,

but now that we're here, it's fucking pitch black.

This is a horrible idea so let's just get this over with.

- Sounds good, let's do it.

- [Voiceover] So, in the late 60s and early 70s,

the Zodiac Killer terrorized Northern California.

Killing at least five people and claiming to have killed

37 people in total.

- [Voiceover] 37?

- [Voiceover] He claims to have killed 37 people.

- [Voiceover] Like, he wrote a note?

- Yeah, he was a, he was a douche bag.

On December 20, 1968 around 11 PM near Vallejo, California

17 year old David Faraday and 16 year old Betty Lou Jensen

were shot and killed while sitting in a parked car

in a gravel parking area off of Lake Herman Road.

In the exact spot we are sitting right now.

- The exact spot, like right here?

- Like right here.

- Its' just the wind.

- Yes, right here.

(yells) - It's the wind!

- You're not freaked out a little right now?

- What the fuck, dude?

- It's the wind.

You don't want me, we can close the windows.

- Yeah, let's close the windows, fuck this shit.

- If anything, though, it would make it somewhat easier

to hear footsteps that sneak up on us.

- Fuck, you're right, let's open the windows.

(laughing)

By the time police arrived, Betty was found dead

on the ground 30 feet away from the car,

but David was still alive.

However, David would die on the way to the hospital.

At this time, nobody knew that this was the work

of a serial killer.

- [Voiceover] Oh, 'cause it was the first murder?

- 'Cause it was the first time.

Can we leave now?

- Should I grab the camera?

- What is wrong with you?

Are you really not scared right now?

- Why? Why on earth?

- [Voiceover] 'Cause look where the fuck we are, dude.

Look where the fuck we are.

There's nothing around!

- Have you never been in the middle of nowhere before?

- [Voiceover] No, I am freaking out!

Look at this shit, where the fuck are we right now?

There's two of us out here and who knows what the fuck

is out in that darkness.

Not down to find out.

Call me a wiener, whatever, I don't care.

The Zodiac's next crime would occur on July 4, 1969

at around midnight near Blue Rock Springs Park,

only a few minutes away from the previous crime.

The Zodiac approached a parked car with a flashlight,

shooting 22 year old Darlene Ferrin and 19 year old

Michael Mageau before walking away and coming back

to shoot them both again.

Both were still alive when found,

but only Mageau would survive.

Mageau was able to make out the face of the man who shot him

and described him as a young white man, approximately 26

to 30 years old, stocky, 200 pounds or larger,

about five foot eight with light brown curly hair,

and a large face.

Within an hour, the police received a phone call from

somebody claiming to be the shooter.

He also claimed to be the shooter in the Lake Herman Road

murders.

Happened right around here.

The parking lot was probably empty just like this.

I don't like the way this feels either.

- I mean, it's eerie 'cause it's night time,

but if I was here during the day,

it wouldn't feel weird at all.

Right behind you is a freaking kiosk that says,

"Parking fees are free today."

Like, that's not a scary sight.

- I guess.

On August 1, 1969 the San Francisco Chronicle,

the San Francisco Examiner and the Vallejo Times Harold

all received identical hand written letters from someone

claiming to be the killer.

The letters revealed specific details about the murders

to prove that the writer was in fact the killer.

The letters were signed with a distinct mark,

a circle with a cross through it, the mark that would

eventually become known as the mark of the Zodiac Killer.

Also included in the letters were three different codes

that the Zodiac demanded be printed in newspapers

or else he would kill again.

- [Voiceover] Why did they print them?

- [Voiceover] Because he said if they didn't print them,

he would kill more.

- [Voiceover] That just creates fear and gives the killer

what they want.

- [Voiceover] But at the same time, I wouldn't want death

on my hands either.

- [Voiceover] It's not your hand, you're not killing anybody

that guy is killing someone.

- [Voiceover] True.

- [Voiceover] You not printing something has nothing to do

with whether or not someone is going to kill someone.

- [Voiceover] The Zodiac claimed that the cracked codes

would reveal his identity.

On August 4, another letter was received that started with

the phrase, "This is the Zodiac speaking."

Marking the first time the killer referred to himself

as the Zodiac.

On August 8, 1969 the code was cracked by a couple

in Salinas, CA.

It reads, "I like killing because it is so much fun,

"it is more fun than killing wild game in the forest

"because man is the most dangerous animal of all to kill.

"Something gives me the most thrilling experience,

"it is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl.

"The best part of it is that when I die,

"I will be reborn in paradise and those I have killed will

"become my slaves.

"I will not give you my name because you will try to

"slow down or stop my collecting off slaves for afterlife."

- [Voiceover] Since when do you get to keep slaves

in the afterlife when you kill someone?

- [Voiceover] Well, apparently that's common knowledge

in crazy town.

Also, this dude must've skipped class the day they taught

run on sentences because that shit was ridiculous.

- [Voiceover] Also this guy sounds like, just the biggest

bro douche ever, right?

Killing is better than getting my nuts off with a girl?

Like, shut up.

- [Voiceover] On September 27, 1969 in Napa, California

22 year old Cecelia Shepard and 20 year old Bryan Hartnell

were picnicking on the shore of Lake Berryessa when Cecelia

saw a man hiding behind a nearby tree and staring at her.

After some time, the man came out from behind the tree

wearing an executioner style hood over his head

with the Zodiac Killer symbol on his chest.

He had a gun and a long knife and used pre-cut rope

to tie up Cecelia and Bryan before stabbing them repeatedly.

Cecelia died at the hospital, but Bryan Hartnell would

survive, despite being stabbed six times in the back.

Bryan Hartnell described the man as being five foot eight

to six feet tall, heavy set, weighing about 225 to 250

pounds with dark brown hair that he saw through the

eye holes in the mask.

A message was found on the side of Bryan's car

with the Zodiac sign, the dates of all three killings,

and the words, "by knife" written below the September

27th date.

- [Voiceover] What did he use to write on the car?

- [Voiceover] Just a little black paint, you know?

Maybe he went to Joan's Crafts and supplies.

- [Voiceover] Right, Michaels.

- [Voiceover] Michaels, he went to Michaels.

On October 11, 1969 just before 10 PM in San Francisco,

California at the intersection of Washington and Cherry

a cab driver Paul Stine was shot in the head by his

passenger.

A teenage girl from her home across the street heard

the shot along with two other witnesses in her home

and got a good look at the man as he wiped down the car

and walked away.

They called the police and described the man as a white

male between 25 to 30 years old.

Five foot eight to five foot nine tall,

stocky, with a reddish-brown crew cut and heavy rimmed

glasses.

A police car that was nearby came quickly to the scene,

but the chaos of the situation would strangely result

in the police dispatcher incorrectly identifying

the suspect as an African American male.

(laughter)

- [Voiceover] Classic!

Way to go, fucking San Francisco police.

- [Voiceover] Yeah.

- [Voiceover] Are you kidding me?

- [Voiceover] Yeah, when I saw that I was like,

"God damn it."

- [Voiceover] Oh my lord.

- [Voiceover] That incorrect identification would prove

to have disastrous consequences.

The police car driven by officer Don Fouke and

Eric Zelms would come upon a white male walking on the

sidewalk described by officer Fouke as five foot 10,

170 pounds, about 40 years old, wearing glasses with

reddish hair and a crew cut.

Very similar to the description offered by the teenage girl.

However, because they were looking for an African-American

male, Fouke and Zelms left the man alone.

Watching him disappear into (mumbles) park.

Brutal right?

Right now we're coming up to where the two officers

allegedly saw the Zodiac.

They turned left onto Jackson right here.

And they saw a white guy walking right here.

So the officers think he walked down to the park,

entered through here, and that's where they lost him.

The Zodiac would later comment on this interaction in

a later letter in detail.

Making it very likely that Fouke and Zelms came into

contact with that nation's most notorious serial killer

at the time without even knowing it.

A composite sketch would be drawn based on the two

descriptions that would later become part of a famous

wanted poster.

- [Voiceover] Is this the Ted Cruz wanted poster?

- [Voiceover] Yeah, it is.

- [Voiceover] It is the one that everyone looks like

Ted Cruz.

- [Voiceover] Regardless, the theory is ridiculous because

Ted Cruz wasn't even alive when the Zodiac was killing

people.

Case closed, it wasn't Ted Cruz unless he's a fucking

time traveler.

- [Voiceover] Unless he changed his birth certificate, man.

Remember how obsessed about Obama's birth certificate

they were?

I want to see Ted Cruz's real birth certificate

is all I'm saying.

- [Voiceover] Another crucial piece of evidence was a

bloody finger print discovered in the cab.

However, the Zodiac also claims in a letter that it was

planted by him to throw the cops off his trail.

Two days later the San Francisco Chronicle gets another

letter that claims responsibility for the cab driver,

Paul Stine's murder, and includes a piece of Stine's

blood stained shirt.

Even more horrifying, the letter also included quote,

"School children make nice targets,

"I think I shall wipe out a school bus some morning.

"Just shoot out the front tire and then pick off the kiddies

"as they come bouncing out."

End quote.

He also later included diagrams of bombs that could

be used on buses.

- [Voiceover] Where is he dropping these letters off?

How does he get these letters to the press?

- [Voiceover] I don't know.

Also, like the image of the Zodiac sitting down in his

little desk getting his, like, pen ready--

- [Voiceover] I mean he does seem like he'd be into

calligraphy.

- [Voiceover] Maybe.

- [Voiceover] This guy seems crazy enough that he's

got a fucking quill pen.

- [Voiceover] He has a letter-writing desk.

- [Voiceover] What's the name they call letter-writing

desks?

- [Voiceover] Oh fuck, I don't--