S33 Bonus #1: Melvin Belli - "Please Help Me"

Foul Play: Crime Series

Shane L. Waters, Wendy Cee, Gemma Hoskins

True Crime, Society & Culture, News, Daily News, History

4.4 • 986 Ratings

🗓️ 22 April 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this bonus episode we dive into a haunting chapter of the Zodiac killer saga when the notorious serial killer directly reaches out for help through a dramatic interaction with famed attorney Melvin Belli. On October 22, 1969, in an audacious move, the Zodiac demanded Belli appear on a popular morning TV show, igniting a series of events filled with hope and deception. The episode unravels this bizarre engagement through the lens of Belli and the call-in show, capturing the tense exchanges and the desperate pleas of a caller identifying himself as 'Sam,' claiming to suffer from unbearable headaches since committing his crimes.

The narrative takes a darker turn as it explores the aftermath of the televised plea, detailing a planned but failed meeting between Belli and the Zodiac in Daly City, and the investigative twists that followed. This episode sheds light on the complexities of tracing the Zodiac's calls, the skepticism around the authenticity of 'Sam,' and the chilling realization that the Zodiac’s communication might just be another manipulative game in his terrifying spree. In December 1969, a letter arrives at Belli's office, accompanied by a piece of blood-stained clothing from victim Paul Stine, reinforcing the grim reality of the Zodiac's deadly actions and his cryptic interactions with the public figures he drew into his orbit.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	And the Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
0:15.0	oh, oh, oh,
0:17.0	Oh, oh,
0:18.0	Oh, Oh, Hello friend.
0:28.1	The extraordinary pursuit of the Zodiac Killer captured widespread national attention.
0:34.5	By mid- 1969, the name Zodiac instilled fear and uncertainty and those acquainted with his horrifying
0:42.3	crimes.
0:44.4	What made this killer more threatening was his preference to communicate directly with authorities,
0:51.4	his delight in teasing law enforcement, making increasingly outlandish demands, and boasting
0:58.0	of his kills was chillingly apparent.
1:02.6	The Zodiac enjoyed controlling those hunting for him, and the narrative around his senseless murders.
1:10.0	On October 20, 1969, seven police agencies across California came together in a joint meeting at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco.
1:21.0	That evening, San Francisco Police Department Captain Lee held a press conference.
1:27.0	Our knowledge of each other's crimes wasn't as sharp as it might be.
1:37.0	So we all met with the idea of sharing information, sharing evidence, and working together in the future.
1:45.0	And part of the presentation was that representatives from each jurisdiction
1:50.0	described in fine detail the particular crime that happened with him.
1:54.0	I think we have a better picture of the suspect from this.
1:59.0	Does it look like it's one suspect involved in all of these cases? It does look like one suspect,
2:05.0	certainly in the three that occurred in Napa Vallejo and Lake Barriessa,
2:10.0	the method of operation is very very close. The only widely divergent cases are
2:19.2	on. This is a cab as opposed to a wooded area, one individual as opposed to young couples, robbery as opposed
	...

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