The route along Jackson Street

[UKSpycatcher]

If you were the murderer of Paul Stine and had traveled down Jackson Street to a parked car or to enter the Julius Khan Park which route would you have taken, the red route or the blue route.

[Soze]

I wouldn't have traveled up Jackson to get to the park, unless, I suspected law enforcement would travel north on cherry or maple to reach the scene. Would seem quicker to reach covered area by continuing to head north on cherry. Have no comment about a car.

Soze

[Soze]

I'm curious. If the Zodiac hadn't any expectations on law enforcement travel and parked his car at Jackson and maple, would his best course of action have been to turn the corner or walk towards the east?

Soze

[UKSpycatcher]

Yes you are right, if he suspected no witnesses to the crime, I would have thought the quickest and safest option is always best.

[Soze]

Very interesting post UK. Thank you for presenting it.

Soze

[Norse]

Got to thinking about this again earlier today. If Z's plan actually was to escape into the park, why did he instruct Stine to go to Wash./Maple?

There are multiple destinations he could have chosen which would have - seemingly - served the same purpose (the latter simply being to kill a cab driver in an affluent, quiet neighborhood).

Why not instruct Stine to go to the corner of Jackson and Maple? Or, even better, all the way north on Maple (or Cherry, for that matter)? Same neighborhood, presumably similar levels of traffic and pedestrian activity, but much closer to the park, making for a much easier getaway.

Looked at from this perspective, what he opted for was to walk through much more of an area with potential witnesses than he had to.

Now, add the above to the fact that once he reached Jackson, he did not proceed to cross the street, simply keeping on walking straight north until he could slip out of the residential area - but turned east instead, remaining on Jackson, a move which made the potentially fatal Fouke encounter possible...and it starts to look very much like he wasn't thinking about getting to the park at all.

Either he didn't know the area very well (hardly at all, one could even say) - or he wasn't headed to the park. That's how I read it anyway.

[UKSpycatcher]

My only guess on this, is that the Zodiac Killer wanted to form a separation, a buffer zone if you like. Had he committed the crime further north ie; Jackson and Maple it would have put the focus of the police much closer to the park and where he intended going. The question of why he ultimately walked along Jackson instead of heading straight through Cherry into the park is interesting however, it seems not the logical choice. I don't know exactly the hedge layout and cars parked in 69, but is it possible he was not aware of access into the park from Cherry or Maple and entered via Spruce. These are the views today
1. Cherry; https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@37.78957 ... 6656?hl=en

2. Maple https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@37.78973 ... 6656?hl=en

3.Spruce on the other hand he has knowledge of direct road and sidewalk access
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Washi ... !3e2?hl=en

Here is the view back from West Pacific back to Spruce, clear access
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Washi ... !3e2?hl=en

NOT FORGETTING IT WAS DARK THAT NIGHT SO VISIBILITY TO SEE ACCESS WAS GREATLY DIMINISHED.

[Norse]

Good points, UKS:

From what I remember there was direct access from Cherry (some sort of gate) and a fence on the end of Maple (but one it was easy enough to jump). I'm hazy on those details, though.

What you propose makes sense but only if we presuppose what I suggested as a possibility above: He wasn't familiar with the area at all. Someone who knew the layout would know about those access points and would find his way easily even if it was dark.

One could even propose that someone who had simply researched the area in daylight (possibly even just on a map) beforehand would know these things.

I partly buy the buffer idea too. But I don't think a buffer is logical if he simply planned on disappearing into the park. Heading to the park is THE most obvious choice for anyone who wants out of the residential area, not to mention that the park was a common haunt for junkies, dealers and so forth at the time - in other words, an area the cops would infallibly search after an episode like this.

However, if what Z was headed for, was a vehicle - the buffer idea makes a lot of sense. You don't have the cab driver stop right next to your own car - for the simple reason that if anyone spotted you, it would be game over there and then.

The above goes for the "safe house" theory too, one could add.

[masootz]

good points. i've always bought the "buffer zone" theory as well. regardless of where his car was parked, it's easier to obscure yourself in a dark park than walking down the street. when i viewed the google street view of the area i noted several round-abouts that dead end between jackson and pacific where a person could cross onto pacific but a car couldn't. if you're being trailed by cops or even trying to avoid officers in cars, it's a pretty solid plan to walk to the end of any of those streets and cross onto pacific from a non-road entry point.

[Tahoe27]

While his intention may not have been to go into the park, if he saw cops that quickly, he could have very well decided to dart in there.

Here is the backside of Maple from the Presidio side (which has no doubt changed over the years):