Paul Stine was a San Francisco cab driver and the last confirmed victim of the The Zodiac Killer.

Just two weeks after the Lake Berryessa attacks on Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell, the Zodiac struck again, this time in a manner that broke from his usual procedurals. Because of this, the murder of Paul Stine was initially though to be a simple robbery turned deadly.

On October 11, 1969 taxi driver Paul Stine, aged 29, picked up a fare around 9:45 pm that appeared to have originated near the St Westin Hotel in the theatre district of San Francisco. The destination was logged in as Washington and Maple Streets, an affluent area of Presidio Heights. A block beyond Maple street, at Washington and Cherry, Paul Stine, while sitting in the driver's seat, was shot point blank on the right side of his head and died instantly. ^[1]

Three teenagers in the apartment building directly across the street saw the killer take part of Stine's shirt, and methodically wipe down the vehicle, including the outside of the driver's side door.

He then nonchalantly ambled up Cherry Street toward Jackson.

^[1]

Description The teens described the killer to the police dispatcher as a white male, stocky build, 25-30 years of age, approx.

5'9", brownish-red crew cut, glasses, and wearing very dark clothing.

The dispatcher misunderstood and announced over the police radio that the perpetrator was a black man.

A police car heading to the scene passed what is now determined to be the Zodiac walking along a street, but as they were led to believe they were looking for a black man, they passed him by.

When they realized the error shortly afterward, they raced back and a thorough search was conducted to no avail.

^[1]

However, the two police officers clearly got a good look at the man and provided a description slightly different than the teens: 35-45 years of age, 5'10", light colored crew-cut hair.

(Due to this discrepancy, two artist's sketches were later released.) [13][14]

At the scene of the crime the detectives found a leather glove, size 7, and a bloody set of fingerprints between the driver's door and rear passenger door.

They later determined Stine was killed with a 9mm handgun.

^[1]

Zodiac Enters

As Stine's wallet and keys had been taken, the police initially assumed this was a robbery.

That all changed on October 13 when the San Francisco Chronicle received a letter from the Zodiac, in which he took credit for Paul Stine's death, as well as the attacks on Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell. He also added a chilling climax:

This is the Zodiac speaking. I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington St + Maple St last night, to prove this here is a blood stained piece of his shirt. [7] I am the same man who did in the people in the north bay area. The S.F. Police could have caught me last night if they had searched the park properly instead of holding road races with their motorcicles seeing who could make the most noise. The car drivers should have just parked their cars and sat there quietly waiting for me to come out of cover. School children make nice targets, I think I shall wipe out a school bus some morning. Just shoot out the front tire + then pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out.

Needless to say pandemonium ensued and for a while after that police vehicles followed school busses to school.

Then on November 9, Zodiac sent another letter, labeled the Bus Bomb Letter, ridiculing the police investigation of Stine's murder. He detailed how he could easily make a bomb to detonate a school bus, and notably announced a body count of seven, which was higher than the known number:

This is the Zodiac speaking up to the end of Oct I have killed 7 people. I have grown rather angry with the police for their telling lies about me. So I shall change the way the collecting of slaves. I shall no longer announce to anyone. When I committ my murders, they shall look like routine robberies, killings of anger, + a few fake accidents, etc. The police shall never catch me, because I have been too clever for them. 1 I look like the description passed out only when I do my thing, the rest of the time I look entirle different. I shall not tell you what my descise consists of when I kill 2 As of yet I have left no fingerprints behind me contrary to what the police say in my killings I wear transparent fingertip guards. All it is is 2 coats of airplane cement coated on my fingertips -- quite unnoticible + very efective 3 my killing tools have been boughten through the mail order outfits before the ban went into efect. Except one & it was bought out of the state. So as you can see the police don't have much to work on. If you wonder why I was wipeing the cab down I was leaving fake clews for the police to run all over town with, as one might say, I gave the cops som bussy work to do to keep them happy. I enjoy needling the blue pigs. Hey blue pig I was in the park -- you were useing fire trucks to mask the sound of your cruzeing prowl cars. The dogs never came with in 2 blocks of me + they were to the west + there was only 2 groups of parking about 10 min apart then the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west p.s. 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of them called me over + asked if I saw anyone acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun & the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I disappeared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again. Hey pig doesnt it rile you up to have your noze rubed in your booboos? If you cops think I'm going to take on a bus the way I stated I was, you deserve to have holes in your heads.

** [excerpt only]**

Last Confirmed Killing

The Paul Stine murder was the last confirmed killing by the Zodiac, although he continued to mail letters and ciphers to newspapers through 1974 (see Zodiac Ciphers). After 1974, the letters ceased. One of his last verified letters put his murder count at 37. The set of fingerprints, assumed to be Zodiac's, have never been matched to a suspect.

There has been much speculation about this case, most notably did Zodiac know Paul Stine.

There appears to be some evidence he may have.

This murder is most closely associated with one suspect, Richard Gaikowski.

This event is often referred to in Zodiac lore as the Presidio Heights Murders.