Zodiackillersite.com

Maybe David and Betty were making out in the back seat, thus rendering them invisible to passers-by. Zodiac parks his car near theirs and sneaks up on them. He hears another car come by and ducks. Thus, Owen sees two empty cars with nobody around them.

Just playing devil's advocate. I do like Owen as Zodiac. All I'm doing is outlining a possible explanation for the 'two empty cars' spectacle.

id like to see a photo of Owen circa 69'/70'ish

Nacht, I had a mid '60's Rambler Classic in the '70's. The Ramblers were unique because they had features that other cars of the time did not have such as a push button automatic transmission that was located on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel and front seats that reclined. I have felt that David and Betty Lou may have had the front seat reclined and so they were not noticed by someone driving by.

Seagull wrote:Nacht, I had a mid '60's Rambler Classic in the '70's. The Ramblers were unique because they had features that other cars of the time did not have such as a push button automatic transmission that was located on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel and front seats that reclined. I have felt that David and Betty Lou may have had the front seat reclined and so they were not noticed by someone driving by.

But the other witnesses saw the couple.

morf13 wrote:In his first statement given at the scene of the crime, 9 hours or so after the murders, Owen states the cars were about 10 feet apart. He mentions nothing about hearing a shot.

In his second statement three days later, the cars are now 3-4 feet apart, and Owen suddenly remembers hearing a gunshot a 1/4 mile past the scene.

Failing to instantly recall hearing what sounded like a gun shot when the police, I assume, told him their reasons for asking him are because a young couple were shot and killed at that location, seems unrealistic and not at all plausible because lets say he genuinely did just forget hearing it, when a cop tell's you he is asking what you saw that night because a couple were shot and killed there, i would have thought that would instantly jog any suppressed or subconscious memory you have of hearing shots fired. A kinda "Ohh, now that you mention people being shot, I do remember hearing..."

Welsh Chappie wrote:

morf13 wrote:In his first statement given at the scene of the crime, 9 hours or so after the murders, Owen states the cars were about 10 feet apart. He mentions nothing about hearing a shot.

In his second statement three days later, the cars are now 3-4 feet apart, and Owen suddenly remembers hearing a gunshot a 1/4 mile past the scene.

Failing to instantly recall hearing what sounded like a gun shot when the police, I assume, told him their reasons for asking him are because a young couple were shot and killed at that location, seems unrealistic and not at all plausible because lets say he genuinely did just forget hearing it, when a cop tell's you he is asking what you saw that night because a couple were shot and killed there, i would have thought that would instantly jog any suppressed or subconscious memory you have of hearing shots fired. A kinda "Ohh, now that you mention people being shot, I do remember hearing..."

I agree 100%

Trying to think what could account for his 10 ft gap between the two vehicles vs his second amended claim of them being 3 to 4 ft from each other.

If he deliberately changed his story for a practical reason to seem more believable then that suggests he is not telling the truth because if you are what he claims to be, just an innocent passer by witness, you would have no cause to change any part of what you saw because you don't have any cause or motive to make your account more realistic and believable.
As I've stated on other threads, Zodiac may have been on foot out there and laid in wait behind the barrier and fence for his victims, where police just happened to find a footprint in the soft muddy ground as it happens, to come to him knowing the spot was often used as a lovers lane sort of smooching area. I mean Zodiac admitted in his Nov 69 letter that he likes to provide police with fake clues to watch them run around excitedly believing they have made progress so why wouldn't Zodiac, in the role of innocent witness to his crime, deliberately say he saw A and B when it was really Y and Z? Why not invent a fake 2nd vehicle he knows wasn't ever there to throw police off and watch them try and find out who the second vehicle's owner was?

It seems to me that he may have invented seeing a second car pulled in there 10 ft or so away from the Rambler and possibly realised thinking oer what he said that making the 2nd vehicle 10 ft away from the first is not going to fit with his claim of being unable to describe the colour, make and model of the 2nd vehicle but has no problem in seeing and describing the victims vehicle. your not going to sound credible because it isn't really believable if you say you have no idea what the 2nd car was not even a colour and it's in clear view as you drive by with plenty of space between each vehicle to see each one as you pass by as nothing obstructs your line of sight to each vehicle where-as... if you make the 2nd vehicle 3 ft away from the first then you can make the quite believable claim that you could not see the 2nd car as you passed by due to the close proximity of the 2nd car to the first which meant the 2nd car was situated behind the Rambler as he passes which does allow you then to suggests you could not see the first vehicle because the Rambler was between you and it as you passed by.

At 4:24 into this video, you can see Owen's view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0jnsbZwys

Also, at 3:40 into the video

I don't doubt that Owen could see a second car there if there was one, I just am skeptical that there was a second car

morf13 wrote:At 4:24 into this video, you can see Owen's view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0jnsbZwys

Also, at 3:40 into the video

I don't doubt that Owen could see a second car there if there was one, I just am skeptical that there was a second car

Me too. I mean I was a tad surprised when it turned out that no other vehicles on LHR, both Police and Civilian, passed the possible suspect, or any vehicles for that matter, on that road. Plus, then there is that footprint in the soil just somewhere around the other side of that barrier. And let's say Zodiac did turn up and pull in to the same pumping station gate entrance as David & Betty were, got out, opened fire etc, what if as David is slumped beside the Rambler, Betty in the middle of the gate entrance and just then another Vehicle, police or civilian, looks into the area. He'd be cornered with nowhere to go.

See that's probably why Betty & David didn't have chance to drive off as they would if Zodiac's vehicle was pulling in because the Zodiac walked up on the Rambler from behind the fence? Maybe he even got straight into the back seat of the Rambler. If Owen said there was a second vehicle and there wasn't, why would he lie? What motive would he have? Other than the most obvious one of him being Zodiac or involved in the crime at the very least?

I'll have a look at the link you posted now.

if we could ever locate an actual crime scene diagrams with accurate measurements using a tape measure or the like we could reconstruct that whole scene today and put an end to 95% of these questions we all have..as it stands its a no go unless such a diagram actually exists...may be it does but what i have seen over the years is useless junk