Paul Lee Stine was a 29 year old cab driver in San Francisco, California, whose murder on October 11, 1969, became one of the most infamous crimes connected to the Zodiac Killer. Before his death became part of one of America’s most well known unsolved serial murder cases, Paul was a real person with a life, goals, work, and people who cared about him. He was more than the final confirmed victim in a terrifying crime spree. He was a young man trying to build his future.
Paul worked for Yellow Cab in San Francisco. Driving a taxi at night in a busy city required patience, alertness, and trust in strangers. Cab drivers meet people from every part of life. They pick up passengers from hotels, theaters, bars, restaurants, neighborhoods, and street corners. Most rides are routine, but the work can be dangerous because drivers often sit alone with strangers behind them, carry cash, and travel wherever a passenger directs them.
In Paul’s case, one ordinary fare became fatal. On the night of October 11, 1969, he picked up a passenger in San Francisco. That passenger would later be connected to the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified murderer who had already caused fear across Northern California through shootings, letters, ciphers, and public threats…