LOCATION: Lake Herman Road, Benicia, California
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DATE: December 20, 1968
TIME: Approximately 11:15 PM
VICTIMS: David Arthur Faraday (17), Betty Lou Jensen (16)
CASE STATUS: Unsolved / Connected to the Zodiac Killer Series
CRIME SCENE OVERVIEW
On the night of December 20, 1968, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were parked along a turnout on Lake Herman Road, a rural stretch between Benicia and Vallejo. The area was known as a secluded spot for young couples. At approximately 11:15 PM, both victims were shot to death at close range by an unknown assailant using a .22 caliber weapon. The scene was discovered by passing motorists minutes later.
CRIME SCENE DETAILS
Deputies from the Solano County Sheriff’s Office arrived to find a Rambler station wagon parked at the turnout with the passenger door open. Jensen’s body was located approximately 28 feet from the vehicle, lying face down with five gunshot wounds to her back. Faraday was found on the ground beside the driver’s side door with a single gunshot wound behind his left ear. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Ten shell casings were recovered, identified as .22 caliber Super X Long Rifle ammunition fired from what was later believed to be a J.C. Higgins model 80 semi-automatic pistol. No weapon was found at the scene. Tire and boot prints were documented near the vehicle, though environmental conditions limited evidence preservation. The remote location and lack of witnesses hindered immediate leads.
INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS
Initial investigation focused on possible personal motives, as both victims were students at Hogan High School in Vallejo. No signs of robbery or sexual assault were present. Within months, law enforcement began to suspect a random attack. When the Zodiac Killer sent letters to Bay Area newspapers in 1969 claiming responsibility for multiple murders, including the Lake Herman Road attack, investigators linked the case to the Zodiac series.
Despite analysis by local, state, and federal agencies, the Lake Herman Road crime scene produced limited physical evidence. The casings were the primary forensic link, and ballistic comparisons later tied them to the confirmed Zodiac attack at Blue Rock Springs Park in July 1969.
VICTIMS
- David Arthur Faraday: 17-year-old high school student, Eagle Scout, last seen driving his mother’s 1961 Rambler wagon. Shot once in the head at close range.
- Betty Lou Jensen: 16-year-old student, described as friendly and responsible. Shot five times in the back while fleeing the vehicle.
EVIDENCE COLLECTED
- Ten spent .22 caliber shell casings (Super X Long Rifle)
- Tire impressions near the Rambler
- Footprints indicating suspect movement from passenger side to front of the vehicle
- Faraday’s ignition keys found on the ground near the driver’s door
- No fingerprints of evidentiary value recovered
FORENSIC NOTES
Autopsies confirmed both victims were shot with a small-caliber firearm at close range. Powder residue on Faraday’s wound suggested the killer fired from within two feet. Investigators concluded Jensen was likely shot while attempting to flee. Blood patterns indicated no attempt to move the bodies postmortem. Environmental degradation from low temperature and wind affected trace evidence.
POLICE RESPONSE TIMELINE
- 10:15 PM – Witnesses last saw the Rambler parked in the turnout.
- 11:14 PM – Stella Borges, a passing motorist, discovered the bodies and alerted authorities.
- 11:20 PM – Deputies arrive on scene and secure perimeter.
- 12:10 AM – Coroner and CSI units document the scene.
- Following morning – Evidence collected and sent to state crime lab in Sacramento.
INVESTIGATIVE AGENCIES
- Solano County Sheriff’s Office
- Benicia Police Department
- California Department of Justice
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (consulted)
KILLER THEORY
Based on ballistic evidence and subsequent Zodiac communications, investigators believe the Lake Herman Road attack was the Zodiac Killer’s first confirmed double homicide. The calculated ambush, use of a flashlight, and lack of personal motive suggest the shooter was testing his method. The killer demonstrated control, targeting the male first to immobilize resistance, then executing the female as she fled. The crime fits the Zodiac’s emerging pattern: remote location, nighttime ambush, and the use of a small-caliber firearm.
Investigators continue to regard this scene as the origin point of the Zodiac’s violent series, marking the transition from random rural murder to the systematic killings that followed in 1969 and 1970.
SOURCES
- Solano County Sheriff’s Office case files, 1968
- FBI Vault: Zodiac Killer investigation documents
- San Francisco Chronicle archives, 1969
- California Department of Justice ballistic reports
- ZodiacKillerFacts.com / ZodiacKillerSite.com (archival analysis)
- Benicia Herald, December 1968
