Why Our Suspect?
For the last several weeks, we've been sharing our story on social media. Our story was premiered on YouTube by Ned Dehan, host and creator of YouTube's Black Box Online Radio Channel. One of his listeners asked a very important question in the comments section on July 20, 2023.
Ned Dehan: Just passing on a question. Someone heard the episode of BBOR and asked me something about Loring D. Hill. I'll pass it on to Jeff and Melissa. "I can follow what they say about the timelines, and I can also see how this guy had the brain for it. But why would he attack couples parked in cars? He could have killed anyone. Why three attacks on couples near or in cars?
Melissa Rose: Stayed tuned, as we will continue to unpack his background, throughout this process. There are a lot of personal, psychological, and professional factors as to why he would choose teenagers, couples in and around cars, lakes or bodies of water, hills. And also why he had differences in M.O.s. Even in these differences, there are similarities. What we know is that he was a mechanic and felt very comfortable around cars, we also know being in the Navy, he felt comfortable around bodies of water. He would often go fishing on lakes in his free time. We do know that his first marriage was filled with turmoil and infidelity, and did not end well by any means, thus why he may have targeted couples of lovers lane. Some of those details will be released at a later date. Even the Stine murder had aspects of his professional life that are made evident. When we look at the details of the Zodiac case, we can see that whoever did this interwove his identity in terms of his profession, his upbringing, his home life. And these may seem like minor details until you know who the person is, and then they fit like a missing piece of the puzzle. We can see parts of the picture, but not all of it, until we place the missing pieces and then it all comes together with the full picture.
What attributes make him a suspect?
Loring D. Hill
Age fits description
Helicopter Rescue Pilot that also delivered AIR MAIL between aircraft carriers
Aviation Naval Mechanic
Wing Walker boots
Can prove he lived and worked in Alameda at the time of the murders from 1967-1973/4
Many references to Air/Airplanes, water
Fought in Vietnam
Name fits Z13 & codes fit occupation
Location fits Z32
Handwriting is consistent with Zodiac
Picture fits and is consistent with sketches
Eye witness description matches their father's draft card - Loring's H/W (5'11", 168-205)
Mother was a newspaper correspondent and reporter
Deployment schedule out of Alameda timeline fits the timeline of the murders
1969 fire on USS Enterprise 27 victims
Kathleen Johns incident corroborates Zodiac AND Loring's family life. I.e., description of clothing of small children matching the ages of his younger kids. Loring was still stationed/living in Alameda. Also matches knowledge of mechanics & M.O. from Riverside
Loring had ties to Oklahoma through his wife. Record of Zodiac calling Oklahoma radio station. Graysmith suspects ties to Texas.
Zodiac claimed to buy weapons out of state, except for one that was delivered. Loring would frequently leave the state to visit home in Ohio and his wife's family in OK & TX.
Account that Loring shot & killed a man while stationed in Texas (Corpus Christi?) in 1957 when he caught his first wife cheating. Spent some time in jail while military police investigated, then was exonerated. Oldest and second daughters would have been 3 and 2 years old. Their mother left Texas to Ohio & spent time in a mental institute. Perhaps she witnessed the murder?
1958, "marries" Pat on March 20 (his birthday), Allen born shortly thereafter.