The Zodiac Killer's Movement: The Road Between Crime and Comfort

 On December 20, 1968, the Zodiac murdered Betty Lou Jensen and David Arthur Faraday at a turnout on Lake Herman Road. Following the attack, the most direct escape routes would have been west toward Columbus Parkway in Vallejo, east toward I-680 in Benicia, or south on Reservoir Road (now known as Old Lake Herman Road).

Based on the documented timeline of events, the most probable escape route appears to be Reservoir Road. Moving either east or west along Lake Herman Road seems unlikely, given that mere minutes after the shooting, witness Stella Borges arrived on the scene. During her drive, she neither passed another vehicle nor observed any taillights, which strongly suggests the killer took the more isolated Reservoir Road.

Reservoir Road leads to East 2nd Street, where the driver could have continued south toward I-780 or east toward I-680. Homes and businesses line both sides of East 2nd Street, making it plausible that the killer either lived nearby or used this route to access I-780. This highway runs east-west: westbound leads back to Vallejo and I-80, while eastbound connects to I-680, which runs north to Fairfield, Vacaville, and Sacramento, and south toward eastern Contra Costa County.

If the killer’s goal had been to reach I-680 northbound, continuing along Lake Herman Road would have been the more direct option. However, again, no witnesses reported seeing a vehicle leave in that direction. This further supports the idea that he turned south onto Reservoir Road, especially when considering later behavior observed at the Lake Berryessa crime scene, which I’ll discuss further in this article.

As previously mentioned, traveling west on I-780 would take the killer back toward Vallejo and I-80. It’s entirely possible he lived somewhere west of I-80 and south of the area from which he later made the phone call on the night of the Blue Rock Springs attack. From there, a short drive north on SR 29 could have taken him toward Napa. However, all of this seems unnecessarily complicated if the killer’s intention was simply to return west via Lake Herman Road. That said, traveling west on I-780 would also position him to connect with I-80 and reach western Contra Costa County. Alternatively, he may have gone east on East 2nd Street to reach I-680 south, leading toward eastern Contra Costa County.

In the map above, I’ve marked with black lines the possible routes the Zodiac may have taken after the Lake Herman murders.

At the Blue Rock Springs crime, it is reported that the Zodiac initially arrived, then left for a few minutes, driving up Springs Road. Many theorize that he returned home to retrieve a gun and flashlight. This has led to speculation that he lived somewhere off Springs Road. I don’t discount this theory, but I also question whether he was even from Vallejo. What if he didn’t know the area well and had already prepared for the attack? It’s possible he left momentarily to locate a phone booth, perhaps along the same route he planned to use to flee the scene and return home.

Springs Road appears consistently in his movements that night. He took it when he left briefly, he took it again when fleeing, and he used a phone booth at the intersection of Springs and Tuolumne Streets to call the police. This location lies just west of I-80. From there, he could have taken I-80 north toward Cordelia, Fairfield, Vacaville, and Sacramento. Alternatively, he could have exited I-80 onto SR 37 toward Novato or followed SR 29 toward American Canyon.

However, if he had intended to travel to any of those destinations, the more direct route to I-80 would have been Columbus Parkway, not Springs Road. This suggests that if he used I-80 at all, he likely headed south, either to connect with I-780 toward eastern Contra Costa County or to continue into western Contra Costa County.

In the same image, I’ve marked in green the possible escape route from the Blue Rock Springs crime scene.

At Lake Berryessa, the Zodiac again had route options. From the crime scene, SR 128 west would have taken him to Rutherford. From Rutherford, he could have traveled north toward St. Helena (a location associated with Hartnell and Shepard, and one where some speculate the Zodiac may have first encountered them) or even to Calistoga, where the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murderer dumped bodies. Rutherford would also have offered phone booths and would have been a shorter drive than all the way to Napa.

Heading east on SR 128 would have taken him to Winters and eventually to Highway 505 and I-80. But this route seems inconsistent with his earlier patterns. Instead, he traveled south to Napa, likely using SR 121. From Napa, he could have continued on SR 29 to SR 12. SR 12 then branches toward Santa Rosa, Petaluma, or south toward SR 37, which loops back to Vallejo. On SR 12, he likely wouldn’t have traveled further than Boyes Hot Springs—beyond that, SR 128 would have been a better choice. Petaluma and Novato seem more plausible destinations from Napa along SR 29.

Alternatively, he may have returned to SR 121 heading south, reaching SR 12 and then either continuing to Cordelia and I-680 (toward eastern Contra Costa County) or passing through American Canyon and Vallejo toward I-80 and I-780.

In the same image, I’ve marked in orange the possible escape route from the Lake Berryessa crime scene.

Then comes the Presidio Heights crime at Washington and Cherry Streets.

After committing the murder at Presidio Heights, the Zodiac had quick access to Highway 1. Within five minutes, he could have been on the road, heading north to Point Reyes or south toward Lake Merced. Highway 101 offered additional options: north to Novato or Petaluma. The Zodiac may have lived in any number of locations between San Francisco and these areas.

That said, Highway 101 also connects with I-80 into Contra Costa County. Depending on the route he took from the crime scene to I-80, the trip could take as little as 19 minutes or as long as 25. While that might seem like a stretch for someone trying to make a quick escape, the Zodiac didn’t appear rushed. In his October 13, 1969, letter, he wrote, “the car drivers should have just parked their cars and sat there quietly waiting for me to come out of cover.” This suggests that he may have hidden nearby until the coast was clear and then calmly departed. There would have been no rush at this time.

If he didn’t live in San Francisco, there’s ambiguity about which direction he took. Personally, I find I-80 compelling. It’s the Eisenhower Highway—a name linked to a stamp he used on January 29, 1974, for the Exorcist letter—and it runs past locations like Alcatraz, Treasure Island, and Brooks Island, which I believe relate to the symbols found in the Exorcist letter.

Throughout the crimes, he appears to move in a southerly direction toward Contra Costa County—especially evident in the first two cases and partly in the third. Mount Diablo, a focal point in his Phillips 66 map and cipher, also lies within Contra Costa. It’s not part of the North Bay region that he references in the October 13, 1969, letter; he doesn’t seem emotionally tied to the North Bay beyond his criminal activity. He has committed crimes there, mailed letters from there, and sent letters to locations there—but remains detached otherwise.

Even geographic profiling models, like those by Kim Rossmo, suggest the Zodiac could have lived in the northern parts of Contra Costa County. If I were to place a bet on where he resided, Contra Costa would be it. The only remaining question is: where exactly in Contra Costa County? Somewhere north of I-80 and between I-780 / I-680.