The Women – Dark Places

This summer I took out a wonderful audio-book from the local library- Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places. It was so well done that I would use any excuse to go for a drive to continue listening. It starts with a description of a female survivor of a family slaughter having many years later to put up with a bunch of nerdy male true crime enthusiasts. Irking her to no end, but also motivating her to come out of a long blue funk and begin looking into her own unresolved issues.

That and the current #MeToo movement has inspired me to try to look at the case through a lens not often looked through, possibly because of the male bias of Zodiaphiles. So here I’m just going to list the women most tied to the Zodiac letters, and to my own discoveries, and see what new patterns might emerge.

1. Cheri Jo Bates: born Omaha NB, Catholic. Frequented the same restaurant as Cecelia Shepard? (See “Tom Voight- The Sorrento Connection” on Grinell’s ZodiacCiphers.com). In my opinion she is the first victim, her murder leading to the creation of the fake serial killer Zodiac.

2. Cheri’s Mom: ne Karolewicz, of Polish descent, born Lesterville, SD, died 7/4/69- date of Ferrin Murder.

3. Betty Lou Jensen: Mr Ed’s Drive-in was her last stop, born Hawkins Colorado.  Mistaken for Darlene Ferrin?

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5. Betty Lou’s Mom: Virginia, ne Blenderman, born Councils Bluffs Iowa

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7. Darlene Ferrin, nee Suessen: witness to CJB? Knew Kane? Mr Ed’s Drive-in was her last stop. Did she find out who’d killed Cheri Jo through Kane?

   

8. Norma Ferrin, ne Hichtoer or Hightower- Darlene’s Mom: born New Orleans. Did she think it may have been ‘The Black Hand’?

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10. Cecelia Shepard: Seventh Day Adventist, Loma Linda, near Riverside. In neaby Sierra College the same time CJB at Riverside. Born Jan. 1st ’47, Nuzvid India. Had she known Cheri Jo from the Sorrento Restaurant in South Riverside (Circle City)? Did she know something about Cheri Jo’s murder?

11. Wilma Dolores Shepard ne Eller, born Merced Ca

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13. Claudia Stine ne Wescott, Janesville Wisconsin, married Paul in ’67

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15. Audrey Bush Stine ne Harrison, born Braggs OK, Mar 19 1912

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17. Kathleen Johns nee Short: shares a name with the Black Dahlia Elizabeth Short.

    

    Petaluma Cipher. Petaluma CA her hometown. RN in San Bernardino, ’68. Had she met Cheri Jo’s or Cecelia’s mom? Did she know something about CJB’s murder?

18. Kathleen’s Mom: Petaluma Cipher, nee Corless, born Petaluma Ca? Kathleen was accosted on her way to visiting her, possibly by Zodiac.

19. Donna Lass: RN worked in LA- did she know something about CJB’s murder. Did she work with Larry Kane in S Lake Tahoe, just before she disappeared?

    

    Worked at Letterman Hospital near the Presidio Murder of Stine at that time. Hometown Beresford, South Dakota, about 45 min by car from Lesterville, Cheri Jo’s hometown.

    

20. Donna’s Mom: Beresford, SD. Frances Lass ne Kukar (E. European?)

21.  Sarah Klein ne Benjamin: (Likely pronounced Ben-ya-Meen) mother of Larry Kane: born Manhattan, of Russian heritage, Apr 26 1905, divorced when Larry was 13. He quit the military in order to take care of her during WW2. Death of infant son.

    

22. Callie, Calliope Karadanis (no other last name). Mother of Joe K: born Anatolia Turkey, sister/mother daughter/wife.  ‘Calliope’ is the Greek Muse who presides over Music. Later she used ‘California’

    

    

23. Elsie Crotwell, ne Karadanis: parents born Arkansas. Met and married Joe K in Pittsburg Ca. Did she know of the Arkansas Moonlight Murders, similar set of victims, never solved, through her parents?

    

    

    

24. Xenophon Anthony’s wife: San Marino and Presidio

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26. Lisa Maloff ne Baur- Holocaust survivor, dresser for Kaye Starr who had a major hit later turned into theme song for the original ‘Wheel of Fortune’. Lisa is still living and is sometimes called the “Angel of Tahoe”. Born about 1930 in Poland then moved with her family to Ukraine. Met bob in LA, she is one of Nevada’s most generous philanthropists. Likely not involved- same with Bob.

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28. A certain pattern starts to emerge, no?