The Rise and Fall of The Zodiac Killer “I like killing people because it is more fun than killing wild game…” is what the famous Zodiac Killer told authorities in one of his letters (Montaldo). What goes through a serial killer's mind? The Zodiac gave insight into his mind through letters, anonymous phone calls and clues that he left along the way.
The killings all started with Cheri Jo Bates, eighteen years old and a freshman at Riverside city College. She was on her way out of the library and discovered that her car would not start. A man approached her and from there she was stabbed and slashed violently, her head almost completely decapitated. Soon after her death letters were sent to newspapers, police and the victim's father. They said things such as “Cheri is not the first and she will not be the last” and “Bates had to die. There will be more” (Innes).
It wasn’t until eighteen months later after Cheri Jo Bates, the killer struck again. This time it was a couple, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen.
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There were reports of a stocky man who was using the phone around the time of the call. The caller said “I want to report a double murder. If you will go one mile east on Columbia Parkway to the public park, you will find kids in a brown car. They were shot with a 9-millimeter Luger. I also killed those kids last year. Goodbye.” (Innes) Authorities talked to some of Ferrin’s friends, they recalled that she was getting “anonymous phone calls and threatening visits from a heavyset stranger” (Innes). Darlene Ferrin referred to this heavyset stranger as “Paul” and said “He doesn’t want anyone to know what I saw him do. I saw him murder someone”. There was no leads to the identity of “Paul” (Innes). On the other hand, Mageau was able to give a description of the shooter. He described him as “short, heavyset, white, 5’8” and 195 pounds”