Click to enlarge What inspired the Zodiac Killer to mail two letters in near tandem to the San Francisco Chronicle and Vallejo Times-Herald on October 28th/29th 1987 after seventeen months of apparent inactivity, since his last communication on May 6th 1986, claiming the double murder of Koy Ien Saechao (48) and Choy Fow Saelee (40) on April 22nd 1986? The letter to the Herald read in part "This the Zodiac speaking. I am crack proof. Tell herb caen that I am still here. I have always been here. Tell the blue pigs if want me I will be out driving around on Halloween in my death machine looking for some kiddies to run over".
On October 17th 1987, just eleven days before the October 28th 1987 letter, a long and detailed Napa Valley Register newspaper article supplied to me by Zodiac researcher Jibberjabber, announced the retirement of Kenneth Narlow, "the last active investigator of the unsolved Zodiac serial killings". The newspaper read "One of Narlow's most memorable investigations resulted from an attack on two Pacific Union College students at Lake Berryesss in 1969". He stated "Sometimes I look and say to myself, how close did we really come to this guy". It seems that Zodiac may have replied inside of two weeks by stating "I am crackproof" and promised to reignite his terror on Halloween night. The Kenneth Narlow story may have invigorated the Zodiac Killer to fire off two more letters, but what inspired the Zodiac Killer to mention the prospect of running over kids in his car and referring to the The Car movie, released in 1977?
Just over a month before the arrival of this correspondence, on September 12th 1987, Jose Santo Bugarin (26) and Rodolfo Alvaro (31) were traveling on King Road, San Jose, California when their car slammed into four children playing on the front lawn of a residence, killing three and injuring one. The driver then backed over the bodies and left the scene. Both were apprehended a short time later. The Chicago Tribune reported "A hit-and-run driver slammed his car into four children playing on the front lawn of an East San Jose house, backed over the bodies and sped away, police reported. Three of the children died. A witness, Eddie Petersen, 19, said the driver ''was knocking over kids like they were nothing. A neighbor, Frank Azevedo, who lives two houses away from where the children were run over, said Alberto Marquez, father of at least one of the victims, was working in his garage and saw the accident. Azevedo said the father tried to pull the driver from the car, but he suspect backed up and sped away. Jose Santo Bugarin, 26, was arrested shortly afterward Saturday evening when he struck another vehicle a few blocks away. Police said they found several beer bottles in the car and arrested Bugarin and a passenger, Rodolfo Alvaro, 31. Bugarin was arrested on three counts of second-degree murder. Alvaro also was arrested on murder charges". This story was covered extensively in the newspapers.
On October 17th 1987, just eleven days before the October 28th 1987 letter, a long and detailed Napa Valley Register newspaper article supplied to me by Zodiac researcher Jibberjabber, announced the retirement of Kenneth Narlow, "the last active investigator of the unsolved Zodiac serial killings". The newspaper read "One of Narlow's most memorable investigations resulted from an attack on two Pacific Union College students at Lake Berryesss in 1969". He stated "Sometimes I look and say to myself, how close did we really come to this guy". It seems that Zodiac may have replied inside of two weeks by stating "I am crackproof" and promised to reignite his terror on Halloween night. The Kenneth Narlow story may have invigorated the Zodiac Killer to fire off two more letters, but what inspired the Zodiac Killer to mention the prospect of running over kids in his car and referring to the The Car movie, released in 1977?
Just over a month before the arrival of this correspondence, on September 12th 1987, Jose Santo Bugarin (26) and Rodolfo Alvaro (31) were traveling on King Road, San Jose, California when their car slammed into four children playing on the front lawn of a residence, killing three and injuring one. The driver then backed over the bodies and left the scene. Both were apprehended a short time later. The Chicago Tribune reported "A hit-and-run driver slammed his car into four children playing on the front lawn of an East San Jose house, backed over the bodies and sped away, police reported. Three of the children died. A witness, Eddie Petersen, 19, said the driver ''was knocking over kids like they were nothing. A neighbor, Frank Azevedo, who lives two houses away from where the children were run over, said Alberto Marquez, father of at least one of the victims, was working in his garage and saw the accident. Azevedo said the father tried to pull the driver from the car, but he suspect backed up and sped away. Jose Santo Bugarin, 26, was arrested shortly afterward Saturday evening when he struck another vehicle a few blocks away. Police said they found several beer bottles in the car and arrested Bugarin and a passenger, Rodolfo Alvaro, 31. Bugarin was arrested on three counts of second-degree murder. Alvaro also was arrested on murder charges". This story was covered extensively in the newspapers.
