10.11.69 - Paul Stine Murder - Timeline of Events



10.11.69 (Saturday)
  • 8:45 p.m. - Paul Stine, a 29 year old driver for the Yellow Cab Company in San Francisco, reports for work. He is driving car #912. His first fare of the night is from Pier 64 to the San Francisco Air Terminal.
  • 9:45 p.m. - Stine receives a dispatch to pick up a fare at 500 Ninth Avenue, Apt. #1.[4]
  • Exact Time Unknown - Stine has either already picked up or will pick up another fare at Geary Blvd. and Mason St., when he receives the dispatch for the fare at Ninth Avenue. This unidentied fare requests to be taken to Washington and Maple Street in Presidio Heights. The cab is driven by Stine to Washington St. and Cherry St., one block further than what was written on Stine's trip sheet. 
  • 9:53 p.m. (approximately) - As it sits at the corner of Washington St. and Cherry St., cab #912 and two male occupants inside are witnessed by three teenagers who are in a home directly across the street, approximately 50 feet away. As they watch events within the cab unfold, the eldest of the three teenagers places a phone call to the San Francisco Police Department to report a crime in progress. 
  • 9:55 p.m. - SFPD officers Frank Peda and Armond Pelissetti receive a radio call from dispatch to respond to a cab driver robbery/assault already in progress at the corner of  Cherry St. and Washington St.in Presidio Heights. The description they receive of the suspect is of a NMA (Negro Male Adult).[3]
  • 9:55 p.m. - SFPD officers Donald Fouke and Eric Zelms are on routine patrol of the eastern portion of the Richmond District, heading northbound on Presidio Avenue. As they pass Washington St., they receive what appears to be the same radio call that officers Peda and Pelissetti have just received, which officer Fouke later recalls is "a shooting at Cherry and Washington Streets." Responding to this radio bulletin, they get on to Jackson St., heading west towards Arguello Blvd. As they approach Maple St., Fouke notices a WMA, who is on the north side of the street. The man is approx. 35-45 years of age, 5'10", 100-210 lbs. His hair is reddish blonde in a crew cut style. He wears rust colored pleated trousers (unusual for the time), derby or 3/4 waist-length jacket with elastic at the waist and on the cuffs and regular flat down colars low cut shoes. Engineering type boots, low cut shoe, 3/4 of the way in length, tan in color.
  • 9:58 p.m. - Yellow Cab reassigns the dispatch for 500 Ninth Avenue, Apt. #1 to another cab.[4]
  • 9:58 p.m. (approximately) - SFPD officers Frank Peda and Armond Pelissetti arrive on scene at the corner of Washington St. and Cherry St.
  • Pelissetti and Peda spot Yellow Cab car #912 at the northeast corner of Washington St. at Cherry St. [4]
  • Pelissetti intercepts the three teenage witnesses as they are heading on foot from their home across the street towards the cab, herding them back towards the alcove of their house, as he is concerned a suspect may still be in the cab or in the vicinity. [3]
  • The three teenage witnesses to the crime state:
"they saw the below described suspect in the front seat of the Yellow cab, mid to passenger side, with the victim slumped partially over his lap. The suspect appeared to be searching the victim's pockets. (Witnesses never heard a gunshot). The suspect then appeared to be wiping (fingerprints) on the interior of the cab, leaning over the victim to the drivers compartment. The subject then exited the cab by the passenger side front door, also wiping with a white rag, possibly a handkerchief. The suspect then walked around the cab to the driver's side and proceeded to wipe the exterior of the left door area. The suspect then fled (walking) north on Cherry St. toward the Presidio of SF." [4]
  • An ambulance is requested - Code 3.[4]
  • Additional units are requested for an immediate search of the area.[4]
  • P.E.H. Ambulance #82 responds and arrives on scene.[4]
  • Officer Pelissetti goes over to the cab and views the victim who lays slumped over the front seat with his head into the well in the passenger side in the front. Blood is everywhere. Pelissetti is 99.9% convinced the victim is dead.[3]
  • Officer Pelissetti retakes the suspect description. He is now told the suspect is a WMA (white male adult). Realizing that the initial description he received was incorrect, he gets on his radio and communicates the amended description to all concerned police personnel.[3]
  • (Note to the reader: due to conflicting stories as to what happens at this point, it is difficult to give an exact accounting as to what actually happened with officers Fouke and Zelms. There is more than one statement as to when and where the two officers get additional suspect information and where they go, just after the point where they encounter the WMA on Jackson St.)
  • One version says that Fouke and Zelms proceed to turn south on Cherry St. at Jackson St. and stop to talk to officer Armond Pelissetti, verbally reviewing the situation with him. In this scenario, officer Pelissetti says he is looking for a white male adult who had just gone down the street. Officer Fouke then says something to the effect that he is under the impression they are looking for a negro male adult and that, because everyone is actually looking for a white male adult, they did just see the suspect. (Note - this last fact is disputed, in this scenario, by officer Pelissetti, who says he doesn't recall this last portion of the conversation taking place.) After the conversation ends, officer Fouke and Zelms proceed in to the Presidio park area to search for the suspect.[3] OR, Fouke and Zelms continue down Jackson St. until they reach Arguello Blvd., at which point they receive the updated suspect description which indicates they are looking for a white male adult. In this version of events, once they hear the new description, they immediately drive up Arguello Blvd. and into the Presidio, turning onto West Pacific Avenue, which parallels a wall which borders the Presidio Heights area and the areas in and around Julius Kahn Playground/Paul Goode Field. The search produces nothing.[6]
  • After being told by one or more of the teenage witnesses that once the suspect had finished wiping down the cab, he proceeded to walk north on Cherry St., "kinda towards the Presidio". [3] Officer Pelissetti begins also walking north along Cherry St. He then turns right on Jackson St. He then turns right on Maple St. He briefly stops a man who is out walking his dog. This man, according to Pelissetti, does not fit the suspect description. Pelissetti asks this man if he saw anyone in the area. The man says no.[3]
  • 10:10 p.m. - the victim is pronounced dead.[4]
  • San Francisco Police Department Inspector Kracke responds and summons dog units and a fire department "spotlight" vehicle to assist in the search.[4]
  • Reporting Officers called for the Crime Lab, Coroner, Yellow Cab officials and a tow.[4]
  • LeRoy Sweet, assistant traffic manager for the Yellow Cab Company responds and provides the victim's identification - Paul Stine - to the reporting officers. Sweet confirms Stine's last dispatch from Yellow Cab (500 Ninth Avenue, Apt. #1) [4] 
  • Sergeant Falk (Fouke?) responds in G-10 [4]
  • 10:15 - San Francisco Police Department Inspector David Toschi receives a call at home from the San Francisco Police Department dispatcher requesting him to respond to the crime scene. Toschi is later quoted as recalling: 
"The phone rang at 10:15. I remember exactly what the dispatcher said: ‘You’ve got a sloppy one near the Presidio. Cab driver shot in the head.’ I got dressed and went to pick up Bill (his partner, Inspector William "Bill" Armstrong) in Parkmerced." [2]
(courtesy of former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Duffy Jennings)
  • Inspectors Toschi and Armstrong respond and take charge of the investigation.[4]
  • G-40, Lt. Kiel also responds [4]
  • 10:46 p.m. - Reporting Officers note that the meter of Stine's cab is running and reads $6.25, indicating that Stine "possibly picked up another fare (suspect) en route to his original assignment." (500 Ninth Avenue, Apt. #1) [4]
  • Military Police headquarters of the Presidio of San Francisco is notified and an intense search of Julius Kahn area is made by (7) dog units, other Richmond and C.P. unites - to no avail.[4]
  • Coroner arrives on scene, along with Deputies (G.) Schultze and (K.) Kindred and take care of the deceased. [4]
  • Crime lab responds and takes necessary photos of the preserved crime scene - Dagitz and Kirkindal - all physical evidence was retained by crime lab for I.D. [4]
  • Yellow Cab #912, CA Lic. Y17413, towed to the Hall and placed in impound for the Homicide Department in order that it may be dusted for prints. [4]
  • SFPD Room 100 is notified with the description of the suspect and asked to have it broadcast throughout the morning as per Inspector Armstrong's request. [4] The description is as follows:
"WMA, in his early forties, 5'8", heavy build, reddish-blond "crew-cut" hair, wearing eyeglasses, dark brown trousers, dark (navy blue or black) "Parka" jacket, dark shoes. Suspect should have many blood stains on his person and clothing, suspect may also be in the possession of the keys to the Yellow Cab, possibly his wallet belonging to the victim. Suspect is armed with a gun. Last seen walking north on Cherry St. from Washing St."
  • Crime lab initial report investigation shows "the victim was devoid of any U.S. Currency, nor did he have the possession of a wallet; the ignition keys for the cab were also missing." [4]
  • 10.12.69 - 8:29 a.m. - Incident Report, signed by Officers Armond Pelissetti, Frank Peda and Lt. Paul Kiel, filed.[4]
11.12.69 (WEDNESDAY)
  • Officer Donald Fouke (Patrolman #847) composes an Intra-Departmental Memorandum, to be sent to Inspectors Armstrong and Toschi of the SFPD Homicide Detail. The Subject is "Information re: Stine murder - Possible Zodiac suspect"[5] :
"Sir: 
    I respectfully wish to report the following, that while responding to the area of Cherry and Washington Streets a suspect fitting the description of the Zodiac Killer was observed by Officer Fouke walking in an easterly direction on Jackson street and then turn(ing) north on Maple street. 
    This subject was not stopped as the description received from communications was that of a negro male. When the right description was broadcast reporting officer informed communications that a possible suspect had been seen going north on Maple Street into the Presidio, The area of Julius Kahn playground and a search was started which had negative results.
    The suspect that was observed by officer Fouke was a WMA 35-45 Yrs about 5'10", 180-200 lbs., Medium heavy build - Barrel chested - Medium complexion - light colored hair possible graying in rear (May have been lighting that caused this effect.) Crew cut - Wearing glasses - Dressed in dark blue waist length zipper type jacket (Navy or royal blue) Elastic cuffs May have been wearing low cut shoes.
    Subject at no time appeared to be in a hurry walked with a shuffling lope, Slightly bent forward head down. The subjects general appearance to classify him as a group would be that he might be of Welsh ancestry. 
    My partner that night was officer E. Zelms #1238 of Richmond station. I do not know if he observed this subject or not.

Respectfully submitted

(signed) Donald Fouke" [5]

REFERENCES
[3] - This Is The Zodiac Speaking - documentary which accompanied the movie Zodiac (2007)
[4] - San Francisco Police Department Incident Report (69631)
[5] - San Francisco Police Department Intra-Departmental Memorandum 11.12.69 from Donald Fouke to Inspectors Armstrong and Toschi
[6] - Crimes of the Century - The Zodiac Killer - Part 2 (Television production)





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