California Woman Claims Her Father Was Zodiac Killer

Margaret — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EDT

A woman is claiming that her late father was the Zodiac Killer, and that she accompanied him on two of the murders and wrote one of his letters. Not surprisingly, many Zodiac buffs are skeptical.

Deborah Perez, a 47-year-old real estate agent from Southern California, gave a press conference on Wednesday in front of the headquarters of The San Francisco Chronicle. Perez said her father, Guy Ward Hendrickson, committed at least two of the murders attributed to the "Zodiac killer" who is believed to have committed at least five murders in the San Francisco area in the late 1960s, the Chronicle reports.

Perez says she first saw a sketch of the Zodiac Killer while watching a 2007 episode of America's Most Wanted. "I recognized the individual as my father," said Perez. She did not provide a photo of her father, an Orange County carpenter who died of cancer in 1983. She said after working with a forensic psychologist she made sense of some of her childhood memories, "but remembering what happened really wasn't a problem. I just had no idea what they all meant."

Perez's claims include that her father took her along on some of the murders and had her wait in the car. (She says heard gunshots but at the time he told her they were "just firecrackers.") Perez also says she has a pair of glasses taken from Paul Stine, a cab driver shot on October 11, 1969, which she is turning over to police. She also wants police to test her DNA against stamps on letters from the Zodiac killer, but experts say the DNA evidence may not be reliable.

She also claims that, as a child, she wrote a letter as the killer to San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli. The letter contains erratic punctuation and misspellings and starts, "Dear Melvin This is the Zodiac speaking I wish you a happy Christmass. ... please help me." She says she wrote the letter when she was 7 becase she wanted to get help for her father, and that she saw a scrapbook with mementos from more than 30 killings, but she can't find it now. "I was a child and just thought I was helping my father," Perez said. "He kept telling me he was sick and he killed many, many people. I had no idea."

Many people believe that the Zodiac Killer was Arthur Leigh Allen, a convicted child molester who died in 1992. San Francisco Police Sergeant Lyn Tomioka told the Associated Press, "We get a significant number of calls a year. We will look into whatever evidence that is presented to us." The timing of Perez's announcement is suspect, since there is a documentary being filmed about her that is close to being finished. Also, her press conference was publicized by Hollywood public relations agent Edward Lozzi, who is known for having dated Anna Nicole Smith. Perez's attorney, Kevin McLean, who was present at the press conference, said that they came forward because another man is selling his own documentary in which he claims his late stepfather was the Zodiac and, "We want to set the record straight."

Dad Was the Zodiac, And I Can Prove It [The San Francisco Chronicle]
Woman: My Father Was The Zodiac Killer [The Associated Press]
Police Say Man, 72, Tied to SoCal Serial Killings [The Associated Press]

Astrology Isn't Bullshit, It's Just Sorta Wrong

dodai — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST

Ready for some Earth-shattering news? According to Live Science, Astrology may be inaccurate! It's complicated, but basically, the zodiac signs were originally determined by which constellation the sun was crossing through, or "in," on the day you were born. Of course, that was 2200 years ago, and apparently the Earth wobbles on its axis during a 25,800-year cycle. So yeah, holy elliptical movement, Batman! All the signs have tipped one-tenth to the west and if you are a bright, bubbly Gemini, like I am, you may suddenly find that you are actually a stubborn fucking Taurus, for Mercury's sake. And if that's not enough to make your head explode, consider this: If it's your birthday this week, and you think you're a Sagittarius, guess what? You're actually an Ophiuchus. Yeah. The Earth's path goes through the constellation of Ophiuchus after Scorpius. So what's your "real" sign?

Capricorn - Jan 20 to Feb 16 Aquarius - Feb 16 to Mar 11 Pisces - Mar 11 to Apr 18 Aries - Apr 18 to May 13 Taurus - May 13 to Jun 21 Gemini - Jun 21 to Jul 20 Cancer - Jul 20 to Aug 10 Leo - Aug 10 to Sep 16 Virgo - Sep 16 to Oct 30 Libra - Oct 30 to Nov 23 Scorpius - Nov 23 to Nov 29 Ophiuchus - Nov 29 to Dec 17 Sagittarius - Dec 17 to Jan 20

I checked out the New York Post, where Sally Brompton says I will meet someone today who is "as different to you as chalk is to cheese but you are really two halves of the same whole. You will feel complete in each others' company." That's if I'm a Gemini. Since I'm suddenly a Taurus, she says "It's okay to dream but your dreams must be to some purpose. Writing, poetry and music could provide useful outlets for your fantasies. They might even make you rich." El oh el! Jennifer Angel of the Daily News says Geminis should not "be surprised this week if you do something out of character and impatiently approach a prospective sweetheart with an impulsive request." And Taurus? "Chill out, go with the flow and, above all, accept others for who they are. When your expectations become unrealistic, trouble can arise." This is the way I see it: They file horoscopes under "entertainment" for a reason; it's not science, it's just for fun! Plus, the scopes never tell you what to do, they just give you sound advice, like a nonjudgmental friend or therapist. Who doesn't need a little dose of common sense in the morning? Maybe they're bullshit, but they're fun. Then again, I can see both sides, because I'm a Gemini. And I bet the story was written by a cynical Aries.

Your Astrological Sign May Not Be What You Think It Is [Live Science]

Jezebel: zodiac killer

California Woman Claims Her Father Was Zodiac Killer

Astrology Isn't Bullshit, It's Just Sorta Wrong