David Faraday & Betty Lou Jensen

Basic case info from Zodiacciphers.com


The Lake Herman Road murders were the first confirmed attacks by the infamous Zodiac Killer, and although unknown at the time, it was just the beginning of a campaign of terror that would last at least five years and herald a new dawn of serial killer.

David Faraday (17) and Betty Lou Jensen (16) were two young high school students out on a date. Initially the couple had intended to go to a Christmas concert at Hogan High School on December 20th 1968, before their plans changed and instead went to visit their friend, before stopping off at a local restaurant called Mr Ed's.

This change of plan unfortunately had dire consequences and during the late evening hours they decided to pull off the unlit, two lane Lake Herman Road, somewhere near the jurisdictional line between Benicia and Vallejo and known to be frequented by many courting couples seeking a bit of privacy, and it was here on a gravel turnout that the killer struck.
Earlier on that day on Lake Herman Road, a white Chevrolet was observed, parked idle and driverless in the gravel turnout. This may have been owned by an innocent motorist, but on the other hand the parked car could possibly have indicated some form of preparation by the killer in advance. Two local hunters- Frank Gasser (69) and Robert Connelly (27) had passed the Lake Herman Road turnout at 9.00 pm as they approached the Marshall Ranch, where they noticed a white 4-door hardtop, 1959 or 1960 Chevrolet Impala parked up. At exactly the same time they saw local sheepherder Bingo Wesher exit the turnout gate.

This was confirmed by Bingo Wesher, who also saw the white Impala Sedan and the red truck of Frank Gasser and Robert Connelly passing the area of the pumping station on its way to the Marshall Ranch. Bingo Wesher told responding officers that the Impala was parked by the south fence of the entrance to the pumping station. At approximately 11.00 pm Peggy and Homer Your were returning from Sacramento, heading west on Lake Herman Road. Homer Your wanted to check some pipes, as he worked for a construction company laying pipes in the area. They passed the turnout as Peggy Your would recollect in the police report: "As they were driving west on Lake Herman Road at the turn off to the Benicia Water Pumping Station, she observed a Rambler station wagon parked with front end heading east, there were two Caucasians in the front seat, male and female, when the lights from the car came upon the station wagon, the male sat up in the seat. Mrs Your said it was a cold night and she noticed no frost on the station wagon". They proceeded toward the Marshall Ranch, approximately 30 seconds driving time beyond the turnout, where they encountered the two raccoon hunters Frank Gasser and Robert Connelly, as they turned into the gated entrance. They noticed one of the men had a long barreled gun, the other had a flashlight, so decided to reverse and head east back to Benicia. When they passed the turnout for a second time, the Rambler of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen was still there. The time now was a few minutes after 11.00 pm.

Also during that evening, William Crow and his girlfriend were out that night testing his girlfriend's sports car between 9.30 pm and 10.00 pm. They were parked in the turnout when they noticed a car coming from the direction of Benicia, however, when it passed by the turnout it braked and started reversing back towards them. William Crow felt that the common sense approach was to leave immediately, so he drove off heading towards Benicia, only to be followed by the vehicle close on his rear bumper, stating "I sped up. The car behind me also sped up, and at one point as I was looking over my shoulder, the car behind me came up on my side with its right front fender near the driver’s rear quarter panel and appeared to be moving toward making contact. I shifted to a lower gear and hit the gas. There is a fork in the road where one continues toward Benicia and the other more towards the freeway toward Vallejo. The other car was clearly chasing me and I waited until the last moment and then turned off. The larger car behind me could not make the turn. I went down approximately two hundred yards and stopped in the middle of the road. The other car had stopped shortly after the turn-off. Each of us sat there in the road. Again, youthfully stupid, I yelled about kicking his ---. After some moments, the other car turned around in the roadway and went back down the road from which we had come. I kept making macho statements, but not totally without some sense about me, I drove home. I did not see the car again. I could not see the passenger seat, but the driver was a man with short hair and glasses. I did not see his specific facial features". William Crow was originally referenced in the police report describing vehicle as possibly a blue Valiant, with two male Caucasians, although in later recollections this description would change.

"I never told the sheriff who interviewed me that the car I encountered was a Valiant. As I recall, as I was attempting to describe the car, the sheriff came up with a “Valiant”. In the years that have passed, when I have shared the events of that night, I have described the car as a four-door light-colored Chevy".

Another eyewitness, James Owen, was driving towards Humble Oil in Benicia, past the turnout, for his graveyard shift that night, estimated at 11:14 pm, only moments before the double murder. He recollected in his second statement on 24th December 1968, that when he passed the turnout he saw nobody in or around the two vehicles, they were parked alongside each other, approximately 3-4 feet apart and that he possibly heard a single gunshot, one quarter of a mile or 30 seconds past the turnout. However this gunshot was never mentioned to police just nine hours after the double murder, during the following morning, when his initial statement was given at the scene of the crime.

He also stated that just before he approached the scene, a vehicle passed him going in the opposite direction toward Vallejo. He could give no description of the vehicle. This occurred near the Borges Ranch. The Borges Ranch was situated 1.5 miles past the turnout, not 2.7 miles as described in the police report.

Approximated between 11:05 pm and 11:10 pm, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were parked up in the Lake Herman Road turnout, when it is believed the Zodiac killer pulled up beside their Rambler and ordered them both out of the car with a .22 handgun, firing off three warning shots, one into the air and two that struck the Rambler itself.

Betty Lou is thought to have exited the passenger side of the car first and just as David was on his way out the killer struck, shooting him once in the head, just behind his left ear, and with Betty Lou apparently fearing the worst made a desperate attempt to flee, but was gunned down by a hail of five bullets striking the right side of her back, eventually succumbing just 28 feet from the car, her feet facing in a westerly direction. However, in police reports and many newspapers, Betty Lou Jensen was described as being found just 10 feet from the car, which appears from measurements and crime scene photographs to be the more accurate determination.

Minutes after the murders at approximately 11:20 pm, both victims were discovered by passing motorist Stella Borges. She had left her ranch, situated 1.5 miles from the Lake Herman Road turnout, only minutes earlier and raced off towards Benicia at a speed of 60-70 mph to alert the police. She eventually ran into Captain Daniel Pitta, who would recall arriving at the Lake Herman Road crime scene at 11:28 pm.

David Faraday was found lying ninety degrees, facing south, to the rear right passenger side wheel, with a gunshot wound just behind his left ear. He was still breathing at the time, but Betty Lou Jensen had unfortunately suffered catastrophic injuries and detectives were unable to find any sign of life. David Faraday was rushed from the scene, but unfortunately was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Vallejo Hospital at 12.:05 am by Dr Siebert.

Nine expended bullet casings were found strewn at the scene and by the nature of a bullet tract found in the vehicle, it was considered the killer may have fired warning shots to force the couple from the car, however no tire tracks or footprints were found in the turnout on account of the extremely cold temperature in Benicia on December 20th 1968, falling to a low of 22 degrees Fahrenheit or -5 degrees Celsius. Despite the aftermath of a rigorous investigation spearheaded by Sergeant Les Lundblad, stationed in Solano County, the horrific murders went unsolved and remain so to this day.

Various lines of motive were considered including jealousy, with Lunblad checking reports that included David Faraday clashing with another youth over Betty Lou Jensen on the Wednesday before the murders. David Faraday was a popular high school student, Eagle Scout and a member of the Vallejo High school wrestling team, that later formulated a theory that David Faraday may have fought back against his attacker as he 'had been shot in the upper portion of the left ear by a small caliber bullet which penetrated the ear and head. There appeared to be powder burns on the left ear where the bullet had entered. There was a large lump on his right cheek and the hair on his left side was matted with blood. He also held a class ring by the tips of his ring and middle fingers of his left hand. These injuries may have suggested a brief struggle between the young boy and his eventual murderer. But at this point in the investigation, there appeared no indication of any thoughts that would include a serial killer, however at 12:40 am, on the morning of July 5th 1969, everything would be turned on its head, after police dispatcher Nancy Slover received the phone call that would change everything.

This marked the start of a bloody campaign by the Zodiac killer, who would eventually commit further attacks on five people after the Lake Herman murders, although it is widely believed he committed far more, claiming himself, to have been responsible for the deaths of at least 37 people. But whether this is nearer to the truth or just the inflated ego of an insane or calculated killer remains in question to this very day.

Darlene had to have known her killer. She was supposedly sleeping around and may have been a small time drug pusher that was mixed up with some nasty people.

Please give a thought to these two poor, innocent victims. Their tragedy happened 48 years ago today.

MandaSkunk wrote:Darlene had to have known her killer. She was supposedly sleeping around and may have been a small time drug pusher that was mixed up with some nasty people.

Darlene, if She was promiscuous, did not deserve to be murdered nor can any justification be given for taking and leaving a baby Motherless.

The drug dealer theory, whether on small or large scale involvement, doesn't seem plausible given Dee made no attempt to hide Her mingling with several cops. I don't see dealers, suppliers or traffickers associating themselves with a girl who so openly befriend police officers.

And I am obviously now realizing. .  

I'm on the wrong thread!!

WelshChappie wrote:And I am obviously now realizing. .  

I'm on the wrong thread!!

HAHA!! No worries dude, easy mistake to be made.

Plus, Amanda posted in the wrong thread so she started it.

Yesterday a group of us met up with John who's sister Sharon was Betty Lou's best friend for many years. Sharon's mother treated Betty Lou like a daughter,in fact the Christmas pen on the collar of her dress she wore on Dec 20th was given to her by Sharon's mother. Sharon has one just like it.
Sharon was rudely interrogated by the police without the parents permission! They accused her of knowing who Killed Betty Lou and David , because Sharon was dating one of Vallejo's well known drug dealers.
On Dec,20th Sharon ,her boyfriend Crosby Knowles, Betty Lou and David were supposed to go to San Francisco. It was starting to get late and Sharon's boyfriend hadn't shown up at Sharon's home where Betty Lou and David were waiting. Sharon left to find Crosby and returned a hour later without him. It was getting late, so David and Betty Lou went to Lake Herman rd. Sharon has always wondered if she was the intended victim, because of her dating the drug dealer?
Sharon's parents didn't know Crosby was a drug dealer, but didn't like him anyway. He was a very flashy guy, his car was a flashy gold colored Impala. Sharon had said that he dressed better than she did. The man at IHops did threaten David just days before he was shot, for commenting on the man pushing his weed there. Could Zodiac be the man at IHops who threatened David?

Wow. Thanks, Ms. Betts. That's some awesome information. I thought they were supposed to go see some school program in the Vallejo/Benicia area but bagged it?

You are welcome Metal Years. Yes that is what they told their parents. It was their first date and at that age teens would often tell their parents they were going to a place like a school play. Instead of saying they were going as far away as San Francisco. I wonder if David knew that Sharon's boyfriend was a drug dealer? Seems odd that if David planned to be alone with Betty Lou to ask her to go steady, why he would want to have another couple with then for his first date with her? Maybe it was Betty Lou's idea?

It was also apparently a fairly well travelled rumour that something pretty big was going down out there that night hence, it was rumoured, many of David's school friends and others had headed out there.

David's sister gave he most odd response when cops enquired as to whom else David had mentioned to Her that was said to be going out there that night and asked for A list of their phone Numbers. She said:

"I Can't call them now whilst You are here, I will call them when you are gone and then call You to let you know what it is that they say."

That road wasn't traveled very much according to Sharon's brother. The only  reason that teens even knew about that road was that was where the driving tests were given to get their drivers license. Betty Lou's sister was the black sheep of the family, being pregnant as a teen. I wonder if her boyfriend was one of the people who were going out there? Perhaps he dealt drugs too? It wouldn't be a good idea for her to phone anyone like that while police were there. I wonder if she gave them the names after calling them? Her comments would make the police think that something sounded suspicious about her remark. No wonder they first thought it was a drug deal that went wrong.

I have always thought that it is one hell of a coincidence that there is both a drug raid on LHR, which is followed by a double homicide.

 I don't know, but I think Sandy that if that happened today, surely the first thing The Investigators would suspect is a link between the two events? First thing a Cop would likely suspect is a crime of retaliation for the drug bust, with offender seeing a car parked close to raid scene and mistaking the couple as being there to gloat at the drug bust they had been the informants on to instigate the raid in the first place? 

 Det. Sgt. Lundblad, as far as I know, never even looked at the possibility for the two to be related.

And the way Dave Faraday was discovered clasping His High Scool Ring between His Thumb & Index Fingers is baffling. Why? Is this something David was known to do when nervous, fiddle about with His class Ring? Russ Butterbach recalls that: 

 "He (David) had it like this (shows Demonstration).  Holding it like someone was trying to take it from Him."

 Who would try taking it, Zodiac? For what? Why? Why would the killer have the slightest interest in a High School Ring? And if He did for whatever reason, why wouldn't David just give it to Him without resistance? 

 Makes no sense this discovering of His holding it in such a manner.

My guess is that David was getting ready to give his ring to Betty Lou, when he was interrupted by Zodiac, or they were told it was a hold up and David took his ring off to hand it to Zodiac. But was shot right then.
Did you know that there were two Zodiac victims who had gold rings with a red stones? Paul Stine had one as well as David.
My RH suspect has one that he wears on his left ring finger, on his right hand he wears a gold band like a wedding ring. I know that it is a Russian custom to wear your wedding ring on the right hand.If my poi was wearing a birthstone ring, then he was either born in the month of July or January. So I am now looking for a suspect who was born in July or January , who is married to a Russian or is part Russian. Wasn't Kane's mother or father Russian? Aprils stone is a diamond,so that wasn't him I saw in January 1988. They were celebrating a birthday or anniversary on that night.All these yrs I thought it was a anniversary, now I am thinking it could have been his 50th birthday!

What if Zodiac wrote the Jan 29th 1974 Exorcist letter and gave a clue to his age at that time being 37 instead of the amount of his victims? Then decided that it was too much of a clue and added SFPD 0? That would make the yr he was born 1937. And if the man I believe is Zodiac ,who came into my work was celebrating his birthday on Jan 15th and not a anniversary then it would have been his 51st birthday. If Belli's housekeeper was telling the truth, or Zodiac just told her his birthday was Dec 18th( Because that is what was on Stine's ID?)Dec 18th 1969 Zodiac could have been 32 yrs old. That is pretty close to the age most of the witnesses said he was, including who I saw in 1968 Vallejo. Just something more to ponder.

It would be something if we had a suspect born December 18, 1937! That was ALa's bday of course, but he was born in 1933.

Paul Stine's birthday was Dec 18th 1940 or 39. I think if he said that to the housekeeper he wasn't thinking Art Allen, I believe he was connecting Paul Stine.
One of my suspects RH could pass for Paul Stine and he was about the same age.

Stine's bday was 1939. I didn't know that he and Art Allen shared a bday.

Yes I had a hard time believing that myself, but then I saw his death certificate and it showed Dec 18th.what are those odds I wonder?

sandy betts wrote:Yes I had a hard time believing that myself, but then I saw his death certificate and it showed Dec 18th.what are those odds I wonder?

 Probably about the same odds that POI Kjell Qvale's Father Bjarne being born on September 27th. He was, in fact, born Sept. 27, 1887 as is seen below:


http://www.ancientfaces.com/person/bjarne-qvale/82459593



 That is the thing about the Zodiac case, there literally are so many coincidences that People pull out all over the place.

Thanks I didn't know that about Mr X's father. Mr X was a good friend of my dear friend Tony , they both had race horses together. I still don't get why he was a suspect? Kane I get and Art Allen and Darlene's ex, but the rest I don't understand how they became anyone's suspect? I do believe that Kathleen Johns gave the best description of Zodiac than anyone else. He even tormented her after she got away from him, like my suspect has done to me for so many years. He scratched a letter K on top of my garbage can and has called saying he is my uncle Larry. I never had a uncle Larry. He loves the games!

sandy betts wrote:Thanks I didn't know that about Mr X's father. Mr X was a good friend of my dear friend Tony , they both had race horses together. I still don't get why he was a suspect? Kane I get and Art Allen and Darlene's ex, but the rest I don't understand how they became anyone's suspect?  I do believe that Kathleen Johns gave the best description of Zodiac than anyone else. He even tormented her after she got away from him, like my suspect has done to me for so many years. He scratched a letter K on top of my garbage can and has called saying he is my uncle Larry. I never had a uncle Larry. He loves the games!

Well Kjell got dragged into the mix after it was alleged that Armond Pelissetti had allegedly admitted (in confidence, He thought) to Butterfield that the 'Dog Walker' He saw around the Jax & Maple area was actually not a dog walker but A Man on a Residential Driveway, that man it was alleged Armond said was none other than Mr Q.

 I have no way to verify if this ever happened, if  AP said anything of that sort, but I would assume something similar must have happened or got said for Rodelli to go after Kjell with relentless conviction to the point where Kjell invited Rodelli to come visit Him at His Office, which Rodelli took Him up on.

I always thought bjarne qvale was kjell's brother and not his father, or did he also have a brother of the same name?

Eric X wrote:I always thought bjarne qvale was kjell's brother and not his father, or did he also have a brother of the same name?

Yes Eric, There was the Father Bjarne who had Sons: Ragnar, Bjarne, Kjell and Knute. 

 That's why Kjell referred to all Four Siblings, rather tongue in cheek humorously as: 'The Four Horsemen'

  (Of the Apocalypse? lol)


 Pass, No idea!