{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/64f1fe0ba21165001136d51e/6980c8c8d77e5e94dc7478ae?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Zodiac Killer: Lake Berryessa Stabbing (Hartnell & Shepard)","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/64f1fe0ba21165001136d51e/1770667913242-6b276e6b-f51c-4059-9100-2b577b47b477.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p><strong>Two former senior detectives examine the Zodiac Killer’s most disturbing escalation: the Lake Berryessa attack.</strong></p><p>In broad daylight, the Zodiac abandons the gun, dons a costume, and turns murder into performance. We unpack what this shift reveals about planning, psychology, investigative blind spots in 1969, and why—despite unprecedented evidence—the killer still walked away.</p><p>We also explore cryptography, Air Force links, witness behaviour, and the uncomfortable reality that the Zodiac wounded more victims than he killed.</p><ul><li><strong>What we cover (chapter guide)</strong></li><li><strong>00:00 — Cold open:</strong> Episode context; why Lake Berryessa marks a turning point</li><li><strong>01:10 — The silence before the storm:</strong> August 1969 and the lull after the cipher</li><li><strong>05:30 — Setting the scene:</strong> Pacific Union College, Bryan Hartnell, Cecelia Shepard</li><li><strong>10:15 — Lake Berryessa:</strong> daylight, isolation, and opportunity</li><li><strong>14:40 — Witnesses before the attack:</strong> watching, waiting, selecting</li><li><strong>18:10 — The costume appears:</strong> hood, symbol, and psychological theatre</li><li><strong>22:30 — Control and deception:</strong> the escaped-convict story and premeditation</li><li><strong>26:50 — Knife vs. gun:</strong> why this choice matters more than it seems</li><li><strong>32:20 — The attack:</strong> sequence, survival, and what Hartnell could tell police</li><li><strong>38:10 — Aftermath:</strong> the car door message and the call to Napa Sheriff’s Office</li><li><strong>42:45 — Evidence rarely seen in Zodiac cases:</strong> shoe prints, palm print, handwriting</li><li><strong>47:30 — The Air Force connection:</strong> wing-walker boots and cryptography skills</li><li><strong>53:10 — What 1969 police didn’t have:</strong> DNA, databases, behavioural profiling</li><li><strong>59:40 — Performance vs. panic:</strong> what the shaking hands reveal</li><li><strong>1:04:30 — Victim focus:</strong> remembering Cecelia Shepard</li><li><strong>1:09:20 — Why this case still matters:</strong> escalation, audience, and unfinished justice</li></ul><p><em>(Timings may vary slightly by platform.)</em></p><ul><li><strong>Key takeaways</strong></li><li><strong>“This wasn’t impulsive.”</strong> The costume, bindings, and knife show planning and rehearsal.</li><li><strong>“Daylight changes everything.”</strong> Witness quality improves—but so does offender confidence.</li><li><strong>“The Zodiac wasn’t trained to kill.”</strong> He wounded more victims than he killed, even at close range.</li><li><strong>“Evidence isn’t the same as answers.”</strong> Lake Berryessa produced more physical clues than any prior attack—yet still no suspect.</li><li><strong>“This was theatre.”</strong> The Zodiac needed to be seen, remembered, and talked about.</li><li><br></li><li><strong>Helpful context</strong></li><li>The Lake Berryessa attack (27 September 1969) is the only confirmed Zodiac assault with surviving victims and a full eyewitness account.</li><li>It is also the only Zodiac crime involving a costume and a knife, making it critical for behavioural analysis.</li><li><strong>Listener note</strong></li><li>This episode contains discussion of <strong>violent assault and homicide</strong>. Listener discretion advised.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li><strong>Call to action</strong></li><li>If you value <strong>case-led analysis grounded in real policing experience</strong>, follow or subscribe.</li><li>Share this episode with someone who thinks the Zodiac was “just a cipher and some letters.”</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>You can buy the books mentioned in the podcast's by clicking the links below</p><p><br></p><p>Tom's Best Selling Book:</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruxton-Modern-Murder-Tom-Wood/dp/1901514846/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TCP7L0ILKBXM&amp;keywords=ruxton+the+first+modern+murder+by+tom+wood&amp;qid=1702815892&amp;sprefix=the+ruxton+%25252Caps%25252C104&amp;sr=8-1&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=amapola08-21&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=5a652d1ba6dce19274f4d787087f701d&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ruxton: The First Modern Murder Paperback Edition</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruxton-Modern-Murder-Tom-Wood-ebook/dp/B08GSS8F98/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1702815892&amp;sr=8-1&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=amapola08-21&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=43de4ff40e2f816ff3bd3d28c3b09705&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ruxton: The First Modern Murder Kindle Edition</a></p><p><br></p><p>Simon's Best Selling Book:</p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ten-Percent-Scottish-Undercover-Officers/dp/1912885298?&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=amapola08-21&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=c03180edb0c3a501a460b999ce399c9d&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Ten Percent Paperback Edition</a></p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ten-Percent-Scottish-Undercover-Officers-ebook/dp/B0CM9BFH1R/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;tag=amapola08-21&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;linkId=15f0cb94b3aff13c6ab7327196ffb2e2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Ten Percent Kindle Edition</a></p><p><br></p><p>Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/</p><p><br></p><p>If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us.</p><p><br></p><p>Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey.</p><p><br></p><p>http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"Crime Time Inc"}