Daniel Williams - Victim Of Poison Attempt By The Zodiac? + Other Poisonings

This topic started in Rand's thread on Troy Houghton and the Minutemen, but I think it deserves a thread of its own.

RAND:

I think the four dots relating to the arsenic symbol (though there's one missing) is a promising avenue of inquiry. The dripping pen card strikes me as a poison pen card; and there was something about a school teacher in Martinez, who claimed he was being threatened by Z and, I believe, LE found arsenic in his coke bottles (or something to that effect). So perhaps you're right, Morph.

I just found the Zodiac-Martinez-arsenic story. Here's the link (click on the image to enlarge it):

http://www.zodiackiller.com/images/11_9_69.gif

Zamantha
Chief

Interesting article. What's the date on the paper? Thanks for posting.



rand
Chief

Sunday, November 9, 1969. Thanks, Zam.



morf13
Chief

Interesting article, thanks for posting it.

rand
Chief


thanks, Morf.
I should point out that the Martinez-school teacher-arsenic episode happened on November 7, 1969. Z's dripping pen card (a poison pen letter?) was delivered on November 8, 1969. Then on November 9, Z said he would "change my way of collecting" slaves for the afterlife. So I think it's a good bet that Z was responsible for the arsenic in Daniel Williams's soft drinks. But why a school teacher? And how did he know this Daniel Williams, and why would he pick him out for harrassment and death? If it was Z, Williams's identity and relationship to Z might provide a pivotal clue to cracking the case.



morf13
Chief


very interesting indeed...the timing is of interest. Would loved to know more about the poisoning incident. Seems someone had a beef with the teacher. The name of the teacher made me think of a possible relation to the Atlanta letters thread possibly involving Z. Someone sent an anonymous letter directing the editor to place an ad that read "Daniel, please call home".
Maybe this teacher Daniel Williams belongs in the "possible victims" section.

I also found an address record on Ruby Lane in Vallejo for this teacher...not sure what year he lived there though.

Also interesting, here is the info on the school Daniel Williams was a teacher at when he was targeted-
"Salesian High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic preparatory high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland"

-----------------------------------------------

FROM AK:








Interestingly, the Zodiac Killer said in one of his later letter letters that his future killing would be disguised as "routine robberies, killings of anger, + a few fake accidents, etc,", which fits poisonings. At first, many of the 1982 and 1986 Tylenol and Cyanide deaths were thought to be of natural causes, accidental overdoses, suicides or killings by family members.

Zodiac was also suspected by some of killing a woman in Sonoma County, California named Caroline Davis by Strychnine poison. If Zodiac did do this, it would show an interest in using poison as a murder weapon.

And in perhaps the first ever case of product tampering, we have the already discussed Fall 1969 sickening of a Martinez, California man named Daniel Williams of BUSH Street who drank Arsenic put into a Seven Up soda pop bottle. In 1984 Thomas Dresser of Manitowoc, Wisconsin would die after drinking from a Coca - Cola bottle with Cyanide placed in it.

And Morf found these cases. In the Fall of 1972, someone sent food products filled with Cyanide to persons in the Sacramento area, with a message that if the "killer" responsible for the Vietnam War was re-elected, these Cyanide filled products would be put on store shelves.

Did the Zodiac become a poisoner? Could he have been responsible for any or all of the 1982 and 1986 Tylenol and Cyanide murders?


1982 Tylenol Murders

On the morning of September 29, 1982, Mary Kellerman was suffering from a sore throat. The 12 year old took some Tylenol her mother had just purchased the other day. Within minutes she was dead, a victim of Cyanide poisoning. Over the next few days, six others would die in the Chicago area - three members of the Janus family, Adam, Stanley and Theresa; Mary McFarland, Paula Prince; and Mary Reiner. Seven murders, killed by a stranger they never knew. A near perfect crime, as there was no known motive, no crime scene, little evidence and no good suspects. A national crisis ensued, Johnson & Johnson issued a nationwide recall of Tylenol at a cost of $100 million, and hundreds of police detectives and FBI agents worked the case. But no one was ever arrested for these crimes, and 27 years later the case is still unsolved.

Here are the Chicago area victims of the Tylenol Murderer. Brings home the loss of life in this case.




Location of stores with tainted Tylenol.







The Tylenol Murders of 1982 are the most horrific and baffling unsolved crimes in Chicago history, and one of the most puzzling unsolved murder cases in American history. Seven people died in the Chicago area, with three other seldom discussed but possibly related incidents that same year, Cyanide Tylenol deaths in Wyoming and Philadelphia, and a Strychnine Tylenol poisoning injury in California.

There were also less well publicized Cyanide deaths:

There was an incident in May of 1984 that proved to be lethal. In Manitowoc, Wisconsin a tax auditor named Thomas Dresser died after drinking a Coca - Cola bottle that had Cyanide in it. At first considered a murder, suicide was later mentioned as a possibility, though the known facts are not in accord with a suicide and the case was never fully solved.

There were many other tampering scares, copycats and hoaxes, but no more lethal ones and none were grouped together in time, travel path or region. That changed in 1986.

In 1986 from February to September, five people died of Cyanide poisoning and one other man was sickened. Of the six incidents, four involved Tylenol, one involved Anacin 3 and one involved Lipton Cup A Soup. Yet the FDA generally tended to downplay reports the incidents were linked, and local authorities eventually gave questionable cause of death rulings in many of the cases. In chronological order, the incidents were as followed:

* On February 4 1986 in Tyler, Texas - Bill Case, a 41 year old medical lab technician, took Tylenol, went into convulsions and was hospitalized. The Tylenol was tainted with an unknown substance, the incident was basically forgotten and no more information is publicly available.

* On February 8 1986 in Bronxville (Yonkers), New York - Diane Elsroth, 23, a legal secretary and daughter of a NY State Policeman, dies of Cyanide in Tylenol. Death is ruled to be a clear homicide, but is never solved. Nationwide press coverage sparks fears of a new series of Tylenol Murders. The killer was apparently able to defeat the new three layers of tamper resistant packaging. Poisoned bottles were purchased at the A & P grocery store on CEDAR Street in Bronxville, and another poisoned bottle was found at the nearby Woolworth store on PONDFIELD Road in Bronxville. A CEDAR is a type of TREE and a commonly used WOOD, a POND is a small body of WATER and a FIELD can be of GRASS, PLANTS or TREES. Three of the 1982 Chicago area sites had the word "Field" in their street or city names, and others refer to Trees, Wood or Water. A pattern connecting the 1982 cases to this 1986 case? Maybe.

* On February 23-25 1986 in Nashville, Tennessee - Timothy Green, 32, dies of Cyanide in Tylenol. An intact Tylenol capsule filled with Cyanide is found in a bottle under the bed. Homicide is strongly suspected. There is no suicide note, history of suicidal statements or depression. But the case is eventually ruled a probable suicide, partially calming fears of another nationwide Cyanide Tylenol murder spree. Mr. Green was an evangelist and part time jewelry salesman. It is stated he had purchased Cyanide shortly before his death, and this is the sole evidence of suicide offered. But Cyanide is commonly used to clean jewelry and silver, which is what Mr. Green stated to the salesman was his intended use of the purchase.

* On April 29 1986 in Pullman, Washington - Sandie Gregory, 21, a technician in the animal lab at Washington State University, dies of Cyanide in Tylenol. There is no suicide note or history of suicidal statements. Murder is suspected. Yet eventually local police say she was "depressed" and probably killed herself, stating she had access to Cyanide at the lab were she worked. It is also stated that empty capsule shells with traces of Cyanide are found in her apartment. This could be consistent with suicide, though no reason is given why she would go through the trouble of putting the Cyanide in Tylenol before taking it. The empty shells could also be consistent with the lab tech investigating other capsules after becoming ill, or a killer creating and placing the tainted capsules in her apartment and targeting her specifically for death.

* On May 22 1986 in Austin, Texas - Kenneth Faries, 24, a University of Texas chemistry student and lab worker, dies of Cyanide in an Anacin 3 capsule. A Cyanide filled capsule is found still in the bottle. The capsules were purchased at a WalGREENS, a store that was also targeted in the 1982 Tylenol Murders, though the exact location is not publicly disclosed. (The only Walgreens in Austin now is on East RIVERside Street). The first ruling by the ME is that Mr. Faries was murdered. On June 1, 1986 the Travis County Medical Examiner Dr. Bayardo stated "There is nothing, nothing at all that indicates to me that this is a suicide." Investigation revealed that the Cyanide did not match any that Mr. Faries could have had access to on campus, and there was no suicide note, history of depression or suicidal statements. But on June 18, 1986, it was stated that the Cyanide was similar to some found somewhere on campus, and Dr. Bayardo declared the case a probable suicide. No reason is given as to how or why Mr. Faries placed Cyanide in an Anacin 3 capsule he then left in the bottle. For the third time in a row in 1986, what is at first thought to be an apparent Cyanide tampering murder is questionably declared a suicide, and a natiowide scare is largely averted.

* On June 6 1986 in Auburn, Washington - Bruce Nickell, 52, State of Washington employee and heavy equipment operator, dies after taking a Cyanide laced Excedrin capsule.

* On June 11 1986 in Auburn, Washington - Sue Snow Webking, 40, bank executive, dies after taking a Cyanide laced Excedrin capsule. Stella Nickell, the wife of Bruce, is convicted of the tampering deaths of her husband and Ms. Snow Webking. The motive is said to be insurance money, with the death of the woman designed to make it look like part of a random attack. The evidence used to convict Mrs. Nickell, while all circumstantial, seems fairly strong, and these two probable copycat murders are NOT considered part of the series this article examines. But Mrs. Nickell, currently serving a long prison sentence, still maintains her innocence, several key prosecution witnesses have recanted their testimony and some of the evidence used against her has since been challenged.

* On September 1 1986 in Runnemede, New Jersey - Louis Denber, a 27 year old electronics technician for the RCA corporation, sits down with his wife and mother to eat. His wife pours hot water into his Lipton Cup A Soup bowl. He takes a swallow, and states "This doesn't taste right. This really doesn't taste right." He gets up from the table, throws out the soup and says "I don't feel well". He falls on the floor and goes in to convulsions. He is declared dead of Cyanide poisoning a few hours later at the hospital. His death is ruled a homicide, and is never solved. The soup was apparently purchased from a store on Clements BRIDGE Road. Like WELLS Road (Chicago 1982), Oroville DAM Road (Oroville 1982) and PONDfield (Bronxville 1986), a BRIDGE is associated with WATER.

Austin, Tyler, Nashville, Runnemede and Bronxville are all roughly aligned on the interstate highway system, going in a Northeastern direction from Austin to Bronxville. This is consistent with one person travelling by bus or car and doing all or most of these crimes. And Tyler, Nashville and Bronxville are actually perfectly aligned on the map - you can draw a straight line and go through all three.

You can see my full take on the Tylenol Murders, the link to Zodiac because of the shared criminal signature and the Chicago area Zodiac suspect I think may be responsible here:

https://zodiackillersite.forummotion.com/t399-kaczynski-had-a-nature-and-wood-obsession-did-the-zodiac-killer-and-the-tylenol-murderer-also-share-this-obsession

What do you think of the theory on the American Fraud site that the Tylenol was poisoned before it was distributed to Chicago stores?

Dreamnine wrote:

What do you think of the theory on the American Fraud site that the Tylenol was poisoned before it was distributed to Chicago stores?

It is an interesting theory, and I don't dismiss it entirely. The Zodiac and/or my suspect (TK) could certainly have done that. There is a lot of good information at that site, but in general I disagree that the poisoning was done at the plant or distribution center. My reasons are:

1. It would be fairly easy to plant a bottle with tainted Tylenol on a store shelf. But the factory and distribution center have tighter security - people can't just wander in and walk around.

2. We see the Tylenol deaths in a cluster - not the wider range we would see if done at the plant.

3. The stores with tainted Tylenol are consistent with one person taking a car or bus and doing it. They form a half circle pattern. This would be unlikely if done at a plant.

4. The stores with tainted Tylenol all have street or other names with nature themes like water, wood or trees - showing IMO they were likely picked.

5. The deaths in Wyoming and Philadelphia are consistent with one tainted bottle being placed on a shelf, as are the 1986 deaths in NY, Texas and elsewhere.

6. The FBI, Chicago PD and J&J say they investigated the possibility of a breach at the plant or distribution center and they were all able to rule it out.

7. We have the photo of a bearded man watching Paula Prince buy the tainted Tylenol that killed her. The FBI thought this man was likely the killer. If he was, then he planted the Tylenol in that store, waited for someone to buy it and then was able to see who his victim would be.

For all these reasons, I am fairly confident that tainted Tylenol was placed in stores. The american fraud website has great info about the cover up, the botched investigations, corporate malfeasance, the Wyoming and Philly deaths, the 86 deaths and other issues. But it never really gives a good explanation of who planted the tainted Tylenol and why.

Concerning the TYLENOL murders:

I´v had this info in my files for some time, I found this out when I reseached Crabtree and his then wife, and I guess I´ll post it now:

I dont, in any way, accuse anyone of beeing involved in the TYLENOL murders, but I belive it should be shared anyway.

This is the woman, SIS, whom Jim Crabtree expected child with within the year 1969/1970 when Darlene was killed.
I belive that they lived together for many years . I think she was an artist :

Sxxxxx Ixxxx Sxxxxxxx born ca 1942
Address: 737 S Vail Arlington, Arlington Hights Chicago Illinoise

Now at the TYLENOL murders in 1982, one bottle of the poisned TYLENOL, was sold at a store at 122 N Vail Ave, Arlington Hights Chicago Illinoise, the very same street as were Jim Crabtree ´s wife lived before she moved to California (maybe her parents home?).

The distance from Crabtrees wife's parnents address (I persume) was ca 0.9 miles.

Sxxxxx Ixxxx Sxxxxxxx graduated from Arlington High in 1959

Yes, AK - I agree with you. Particularly compelling is the cluster and the tree, water, nature themes. One might expect a couple of those to occur randomly, but not all of them.

And you're right about that being an interesting site - it does have a good deal of information but omits the who and why.

(quote/post by lovethecar, There seems to be no question about it and you make me wonder if they had ever met and were "partners in crime." I have only been through Texas once on Continental Airlines and think the "hub" is the Dallas airport? Could Z have been travelling by air or train to whichever point would be closest to these locations and then rent a car and drive around doing his "thing" and then returning to his home. That way, nobody would possibly have time to suspect him and he'd be completely out of the jurisdiction. IMO he most certainly would not want to be arrested in the state of Texas. IMO he despises George Bush and he knows the death penalty is in full force and effect there.
Do you happen to know of "San Padre Island" in Texas and if any crimes have been done there around spring break time, ala Natalie Holloway? Thanks for this good information.) <--- post by lovethecar
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Hi lovethecar,
Please keep the thread on topic. This is my second request to you on this subject. If new to the forum please read the police reports, the books and alot of the posts to get a feel of the case.
Also I made you a thread for your own POI under possible POI's so please post your POI info there.
Natalie is a very sad case, but has nothing to do with the Z.
MUCH Thanks
No need to post a reply, as we know you are new to the case

Zodiac?

Nah.

I live very close to the town that Williams had lived. I also lived in Richmond, yrs before that. So when I read about this Daniel Williams, I had to do what I like doing , and that is investigate .
I do believe those phone calls could have been from the Zodiac. The idea of putting poison in the "7 "up reminded me of the 7 victims the Zodiac had claimed.
I tried to find the blue house in Martinez that would have been close to D. William's house , but couldn't find it.
What I did find around that time ,was a nurse from Martinez, who was found drowned near the bridge close to Martinez.
It was written off as a suicide. ( That was because her car was found parked on the bridge. )
It seemed very odd to me, that a nurse who had pills available to use, chose to jump off a bridge at night instead ?
Know one saw her jump, was something else I found odd .
If she was pushed off that bridge, it would have taken at least two , one to be in her car , another to follow.
I would like to know if she lived in a blue house ?
For Williams to be on the z's list, Z may have had children who were taught by Williams ? Perhaps there was some conflict with how they were doing in school ? Or could the Z have worked at the same school ?
I read somewhere that the police felt the Zodiac could have been Catholic. That was why he felt he had to confess to his crimes ?

Is there anyone on this message board that might know about different poisons that could cause a death , that would look like a normal cause of death ?
I had a close friend from S.F. who once worked for SFPD. He became a PI and used me to work some of his cases with him. ( Lots of fun). He followed my suspect one day, the suspect had to see him, because he was right on his tail . I was under the dashboard !
When the suspect got to his destination we parked near by. He could see the suspect pointing to the car we were in. (The PI's license plate ,indicated he was a PI.).
My friend died unexpectedly when his lungs filled with water a few yrs ago. He didn't have a cold or any warning he was about to die. So I wondered if the suspect had something that could have caused my friends death ?
I know that there are things that can make a death look like a hart attack, so I wonder what else out there ,that can make a man drowned when he isn't near water ?

Could my friend be another Z victim ? I have lost a few friends in very suspicious deaths, and near deaths over the yrs.

My first and last impression of this incident is that it reaks of attention-seeking by someone and that someone is almost certainly not Zodiac. After becoming Public Enemy #1 in San Francisco, Zodiac decides to harass this random guy in Martinez by phone and then tip-toe into his house to poison an open soda can???

I must agree with Nacht and say... Nah.

You are certainly entitled to think what you like. But if this was the Zodiac and he tells his victim he is Zodiac, then he would be stupid to do what he normally did and that is to shoot or stab him. He would have to do something very different I would think, if there was some way that they were connected , like a job or the Z had children that went to that Catholic school in Richmond? It could be something as simple as Williams cutting him of on the road, this guy is a ticking time bomb, he thinks nothing of human lives.

Most of the Zodiac's victims were in the area of Vallejo, Benicia , Napa, there was only one in San Francisco that we know of. Martinez and Richmond are much closer to Vallejo than S.F.
Try driving to Lake Berryessa from any of the other attacks, that is a long drive, yet that didn't stop the Zodiac from going there. Distance is nothing to detour the Z from doing what he likes best.
Because of the phone calls , where this took place and the time line, I think that there is a very good possibility it was Zodiac. There are a lot of other unsolved crimes that happened in Martinez.
The only thing that would make me think it may not be him , is that Zodiac liked to be up close in all of his known kills , so he could see the fear in their faces.

entropy wrote:

My first and last impression of this incident is that it reaks of attention-seeking by someone and that someone is almost certainly not Zodiac. After becoming Public Enemy #1 in San Francisco, Zodiac decides to harass this random guy in Martinez by phone and then tip-toe into his house to poison an open soda can???

I must agree with Nacht and say... Nah.

Well, the poison was there..so someone indeed tip-toed in his house and put some poison there...at the same time calls with someone claiming to be Zodiac, also calling police...any reasons why this should not have been Z?

QT

Just my opinion, folks. That's all I have to offer.

The alleged harassment of Mr. Williams began just days after Zodiac killed Paul Stine and was on the minds of everyone in the Bay Area. It COULD have been Zodiac calling and terrorizing Mr. Williams but I think we can agree that just because someone claims to be Zodiac, doesn't mean he is. There were plenty of letter hoaxes at this time and probably plenty of phone hoaxes as well. If I were investigating this, I would first try to confirm Mr. Williams' story of repeated harassing calls and stalking. Not to accuse, but there are some people who would enjoy the attention and notoriety of being "stalked by Zodiac".

The second possibility is, of course, that someone truly was stalking and threatening Mr. Williams and may indeed have tried to poison him. If so, was this Zodiac? Despite speculation to the contrary, there is no evidence that Zodiac ever targeted anyone specifically to kill and his method of operation seems to indicate that his victims were randomly chosen. Zodiac never referred to a victim by name. He always referred to them as "the girl" or "that cabbie", seemingly unconcerned about who his victims were and given only enough information about them to confirm his responsibility in killing them.

I just find this whole scenario to be just plain weird and highly improbable. I wish we knew more about the case but, to my knowledge, nobody in law enforcement ever took this case seriously as a possible Zodiac crime. It would be interesting to know what their conclusions were after investigating the case.

Entropy - I agree with a lot of what you said. Using a conventional analysis of what we know for sure about Zodiac, this case seems improbable at best. It makes one suspect a publicity seeker, who just put a dab of arsenic in his own pop, or a real stalker using Zodiac as a name.

The only way IMO this case deserves to be looked at is IF you consider that a Santa Rosa victim was poisoned by strychnine. IF Zodiac was the Santa Rosa killer - and there is some evidence he could have been - using poison to kill someone makes him more of a legit suspect in this case.

Also you have to consider that Z said he would no longr announce his victims and IIRC said they would look like "accidents", killings of anger, routine robberies, etc.

Victims found dead of poison are often declared suicides, death by accidental OD or death by natural causes. I can imagine a scenario were Zodiac would give his name in his first poison case, then if he continued, police would just find bodies, and have to wonder "Is this Zodiac? Did he poison this person's soft drink? Or was this natural causes or suicide?"

The other factor is if you think Zodiac went on to become the Tylenol Killer. This weird case is one of the first if not the first product tampering cases. Morf later found articles about rpoduct tampering cases in California in the early, mid and late seventies. Activities of the real Zodiac? Warm up experiments for the Tyleon Killer? Or just a fake Zodiac? Or random nut?

Hi AK,

I certainly understand why the poisoning angle is intriguing to you and I'm certainly not saying this couldn't have been Zodiac. I honestly have some issue though with using that single quote from Zodiac to seemingly justify a connection to just about ANY unsolved crime.

Here's the quote from the 11/9/69 letter:

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 comitt my murders, they shall look like routine robberies, killings of anger, & a few fake accidents, etc.

With that quote, we could draw connections to pretty much any murder ever committed after Z's last known victim in Paul Stine, which I have to wonder wasn't Zodiac's intention in writing that. Any random shooting (like Richard Radetich), kidnapping (Kathleen Johns), robbery or drug deal gone bad, stabbing, poisoning or even suicide could be the work of Zodiac. He certainly succeeding in putting that thought in the minds of law enforcement and reinforced it by seemingly taking credit for Radetich and Johns, who were publicly discussed as possible Zodiac victims.

I guess I just need a bit more proof than what is offered by what we know of this case through the newspaper articles. My skepticism even annoys me sometimes.

Those are valid points and food for thought.

entropy wrote:

I guess I just need a bit more proof than what is offered by what we know of this case through the newspaper articles. My skepticism even annoys me sometimes.

I agree with everything you wrote entropy....'cept your annoying skepticism. lol Your skeptiscism is logical.

For the sake of discussion, here's an article from the Martinez Gazette discussing the case and its possible connection to Zodiac a.k.a. Richard Gaikowski:

http://martinezgazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=9329%3Aformer-gazette-editor-still-zodiac-suspect-&amp;catid=187%3Acrime&amp;Itemid=81