logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
35m 25s

The Devil’s Luck: The Zodiac Killer Surv...

Esther Ludlow
About this episode
A young couple out for a leisurely day at the lake find themselves faced with one of the most infamous killers of the 20th century.  Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were victims of a brutal attack by a hooded man who called himself “The Zodiac.”  They survived the initial attack after being left for dead but still faced a fierce battle to summon help. Only one would survive.  Resources:  Zodiac, Robert Graysmith, Penguin Random House Publishers, 1986.  Napa Valley Sheriff’s Department Interview with Bryan Hartnell (NSO CASE #105907) at Queen of the Valley Hospital, September 28, 1969.  Zodiac Killer Police Report, Page 1 Zodiac Killer KPIX News report 1969 - YouTube   1969 Zodiac Killer news clip Interview with college student Bryan Hartnell and bus driver - YouTube KGO Story (zodiackiller.com) KCRA Story 1 (zodiackiller.com)  Bryan Hartnell – Shadow of the Zodiac The Zodiac Killer - Crime Museum The Zodiac Killer: A Timeline - HISTORY https://zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=270&fullsize=1 Bryan Hartnell Interview in 1969 : MrBaseball2 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive  Zodiac Killer Letters: KRON-TV Compilation (1969-70) - Bay Area Television Archive (sfsu.edu) Something good comes from tragic tale – Redlands Daily Facts  Links:  Patreon - www.patreon.com/onceuponacrime Follow Once Upon a Crime on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OnceUponACrimePodcast
Up next
Oct 6
Introducing “Broken: The Black Dahlia Murder” - A Once Upon a Crime Original Series
In January 1947, Elizabeth Short’s brutal murder shocked Los Angeles — and turned her into the enduring legend known as The Black Dahlia.In this new six-part Once Upon a Crime series, host Esther Ludlow goes beyond the headlines to uncover the real woman behind the myth. Drawing ... Show More
3m 13s
Oct 2
Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion – Q&A Aftershow
In this special Aftershow episode, Esther and Lorena answer listener questions and reflect on the powerful story of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom.Together, we unpack the psychology, the heartbreak, and the social forces behind one of Britain’s mo ... Show More
1h 28m
Sep 25
Bonus Episode: Hanged: Those She Left Behind
In this special bonus wrap-up episode of Hanged: Ruth Ellis and the Price of Passion, we step beyond the execution chamber and trace the ripple effects of Ruth’s final act—the shockwaves that forever altered the lives of those left behind. We’ll look at the family who grieved and ... Show More
14m 56s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
The Zodiac Killer: Part One | #400
Violent attacks, sadistic taunting, and uncrackable puzzles; in some ways “The Zodiac” laid the foundations for every murderous TV psychopath and movie villain of the next half-century. For our 400th episode we decided to dedicate three whole episodes to the potentially the most ... Show More
58m 59s
Oct 2024
Zodiac Killer /// Part 1 /// 795
Zodiac Killer /// Part 1 /// 795  Part 1 of 2 www.TrueCrimeGarage.com  This is the Zodiac speaking… the words of a killer.  The haunting words of a killer determined to terrorize and taunt the public in and around the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60s and early 70s.  We feat ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2024
Zodiac Killer /// Part 2 /// 796
Zodiac Killer /// Part 2 /// 796  Part 2 of 2 www.TrueCrimeGarage.com  This is the Zodiac speaking… the words of a killer.  The haunting words of a killer determined to terrorize and taunt the public in and around the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60s and early 70s.  We feat ... Show More
1h 12m
Oct 2023
Zodiac Killer: Still Unsolved!
The Zodiac Killer, or Zodiac, was a serial killer who operated in Northern California from at least the late 1960s to the early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 a ... Show More
29m 6s
May 2025
The Zodiac Killer: Part Two | #401
Last week we left you with the absolutely massive cliffhanger of a 408-character cipher, which in theory contained valuable information on the Bay Area’s most infamous killer “The Zodiac”. But first it needed to be solved. And amazingly it wasn’t cracked by the police, or the FBI ... Show More
1h 3m
Apr 2025
Episode 667: The Zodiac Killer (Part 1)
Despite the passage of fifty years since his last activity, the case of the Zodiac Killer continues to fascinate and frustrate law enforcement, the media, and the American public, making America’s most notorious unsolved murder case.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring ... Show More
1h 12m
Dec 2022
"The New York Zodiac Killer" Heriberto Seda Pt. 1
Twenty years after the notorious Zodiac Killer terrorized San Francisco, someone else picked up their mantle. Heriberto “Eddie” Seda was a Brooklyn native and one-time street preacher who began targeting victims and taunting police with cryptic letters. His plan: kill twelve peop ... Show More
41m 36s
May 2025
Episode 668: The Zodiac Killer (Part 2)
Despite the passage of fifty years since his last activity, the case of the Zodiac Killer continues to fascinate and frustrate law enforcement, the media, and the American public, making America’s most notorious unsolved murder case.Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring ... Show More
1h 14m
Jun 2025
SERIAL KILLER: Zodiac Killer Pt. 1
The Zodiac Killer left behind more than victims—he masterminded a chilling legacy of cryptic messages, taunts, and terror. In Part 1, we trace his early murders, the ciphers that baffled authorities, and explore the disturbing psychology that drove one of history’s most notorious ... Show More
48m 50s
Jan 2019
Introducing Root of Evil
When Elizabeth Short, also known as "The Black Dahlia," was brutally killed in 1947, it gripped the entire country. More than 70 years later, it remains America's most infamous unsolved murder. Many believe Dr. George Hodel was the killer, thanks to an investigation by Hodel's ow ... Show More
4m 44s