FULL NAME: David Arthur Faraday
AGE: 17
DATE OF BIRTH: 1951 (approx.)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Vallejo, California, USA
DATE OF DEATH: December 20, 1968
LOCATION OF INCIDENT: Lake Herman Road, Benicia, California
CAUSE OF DEATH: Gunshot wound to the head
CASE STATUS: Unsolved / Linked to the Zodiac Killer series
ASSOCIATED VICTIM: Betty Lou Jensen (16)
VICTIM BACKGROUND
David Arthur Faraday was a 17-year-old high school senior at Vallejo High School. He was an Eagle Scout, a musician, and a well-liked student who had recently received his college acceptance letter before his death (Shadow of the Zodiac).
On December 20, 1968, Faraday took Betty Lou Jensen on their first date. After visiting a mutual friend, they drove to a secluded gravel turnout along Lake Herman Road, a known spot for young couples seeking privacy (ZodiacKiller.com).
CRIME SCENE OVERVIEW
At approximately 11:15 p.m., the couple was found shot to death beside Faraday’s Rambler station wagon. Faraday’s body was discovered on the driver’s side of the car with a single gunshot wound behind the left ear. He was found lying on the ground, still wearing his class ring (ZodiacKillerFacts.com).
The weapon was identified as a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Investigators determined that Faraday had been shot at close range, likely while exiting the car, suggesting that he was confronted first and executed quickly before the killer pursued Jensen as she fled (Oxygen.com).
INVESTIGATION DETAILS
The Solano County Sheriff’s Office and Benicia Police Department jointly investigated the murders. Witnesses reported several vehicles in the area before the shooting, including a light-colored car parked at the turnout earlier in the evening (Shadow of the Zodiac).
No signs of robbery or sexual assault were found. The positioning of Faraday’s body and the trajectory of the gunshot indicated the suspect approached from the driver’s side and fired at near point-blank range. The lack of struggle suggested immediate compliance or surprise attack.
Ballistic evidence from the .22-caliber ammunition was later connected to subsequent Zodiac-linked shootings, confirming the same brand and type of rounds were used (Wikipedia).
CONNECTION TO THE ZODIAC CASE
The Lake Herman Road double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen is widely regarded as the first confirmed Zodiac attack. Months later, the Zodiac Killer’s letters to Bay Area newspapers claimed responsibility for “the two teenagers last Christmass,” revealing specific crime details not released publicly (ZodiacKiller.com).
The attack set a pattern for Zodiac’s future crimes: isolated locations, couples targeted without motive, small-caliber firearm, and execution-style precision.
LEGACY
David Faraday’s murder deeply affected the Vallejo and Benicia communities. His promising future—Eagle Scout honors, academic goals, and family devotion—was abruptly ended by a killer who sought power through terror. Faraday’s name remains tied to one of America’s most enduring unsolved cases, and his family’s decades-long pursuit of justice has kept the Lake Herman Road case alive in public memory.
KILLER THEORY
Evidence suggests the killer intentionally targeted the vehicle, possibly following it before the attack. Faraday was likely the first to die, incapacitated immediately by a close-range shot. This swift execution demonstrates tactical planning and emotional detachment, traits consistent with the Zodiac’s later crimes.
The perpetrator’s method—approach in darkness, rapid control of victims, and clinical marksmanship—indicates prior familiarity with firearms and psychological dominance. The Zodiac’s later correspondence confirmed intimate knowledge of the scene and weapon type, cementing the link between this first attack and his subsequent murders.
Until Zodiac’s identity is definitively proven, the death of David Arthur Faraday remains a haunting example of a life stolen without reason, a chilling prelude to the terror that followed.
SOURCES
- Shadow of the Zodiac – Lake Herman Road Victims
- ZodiacKiller.com – Faraday & Jensen
- ZodiacKillerFacts.com – Lake Herman Road Case File
- Oxygen.com – Zodiac Victims List
- Wikipedia – Zodiac Killer
