Karl F. Warner
Encyclopedia
Karl F. Warner is an American
serial killer
. He was active in Santa Clara County, at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area
, in Northern California
. He was convicted of the murder of three teenaged girls during his period of activity from 1969-1971.
southern Almaden Valley
. According to Santa Clara County Medical Examiner Dr. John E. Hauser, the girls died in a "frenzied flurry of knife wounds," totaling nearly 300.
, in Saratoga
, with the intent to read and engage in birdwatching
in the seclusion of a remote, wooded portion of the park, near a small stream. Her body was found the next day by her father, Charles, while Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies searched nearby. She'd been stabbed 49 times.
graduate and San Jose City College
student Karl F. Warner of San Jose as a "suspicious man" who frequented the vicinity where the Bilek murder occurred, and who had previously been a suspect in an unsolved knife assault on another woman. A search warrant was obtained, and the knife used in the Bilek murder was located on the premises of the Warner residence. The local authorities had already drawn a connection between the 1969 Furlong/Snoozy slayings and the Bilek murder, calling the latter "a carbon-copy killing." In September, Karl F. Warner confessed to the murders of Furlong, Snoozy, and Bilek, and received a sentence of life-in-prison.
Initially, San Francisco police Inspector Dave Toschi
suspected the Zodiac Killer
may have perpetrated the Furlong/Snoozy murders, and so at the time of his arrest, there was consideration given to the possibility that Karl F. Warner was the infamous Zodiac. However, it was subsequently determined that Warner had been residing in Marlborough
, Massachusetts
at the time of some of the earlier Zodiac slayings. Warner is currently incarcerated at California Medical Facility
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. He was active in Santa Clara County, at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. He was convicted of the murder of three teenaged girls during his period of activity from 1969-1971.
Furlong/Snoozy slayings
On August 3, 1969, the bodies of Deborah Gay Furlong, 14, and Kathy Snoozy, 15, were found on a hillside in San Jose'sSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
southern Almaden Valley
Almaden Valley, San Jose, California
Almaden Valley is an upper-class neighborhood of about 37,000 in the southwestern portion of San Jose, California, USA, roughly equivalent to the 95120 ZIP Code. The neighborhood is south east of the town of Los Gatos, west of the Santa Teresa neighborhood of San Jose and south of Coleman Ave...
. According to Santa Clara County Medical Examiner Dr. John E. Hauser, the girls died in a "frenzied flurry of knife wounds," totaling nearly 300.
Bilek slaying
On Sunday, April 11, 1971, Kathy Bilek, 18, visited Villa MontalvoVilla Montalvo
Villa Montalvo is an Italian Mediterranean style mansion nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Saratoga, California, United States. It was constructed from 1912 to 1914 by California statesman and businessman James Duval Phelan. After Phelan's death, it was donated to the state...
, in Saratoga
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
, with the intent to read and engage in birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
in the seclusion of a remote, wooded portion of the park, near a small stream. Her body was found the next day by her father, Charles, while Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies searched nearby. She'd been stabbed 49 times.
Aftermath
Two weeks after the Bilek murder, detectives received information which identified Oak Grove High SchoolOak Grove High School (San Jose, California)
Oak Grove High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California which serves students in grades 9–12. Average student enrollment is 2800 students, compared to the state average of 900 students. The school is part of the East Side Union High School District...
graduate and San Jose City College
San Jose City College
San Jose City College, founded in 1921, is a community college located in the city of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.San Jose City College was originally called San Jose Junior College and operated in downtown San Jose, California...
student Karl F. Warner of San Jose as a "suspicious man" who frequented the vicinity where the Bilek murder occurred, and who had previously been a suspect in an unsolved knife assault on another woman. A search warrant was obtained, and the knife used in the Bilek murder was located on the premises of the Warner residence. The local authorities had already drawn a connection between the 1969 Furlong/Snoozy slayings and the Bilek murder, calling the latter "a carbon-copy killing." In September, Karl F. Warner confessed to the murders of Furlong, Snoozy, and Bilek, and received a sentence of life-in-prison.
Initially, San Francisco police Inspector Dave Toschi
Dave Toschi
Dave Toschi is a former inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, where he served from 1952 to 1983. He is best known for his role as a chief investigator in the Zodiac Killer case, which he began work on after the murder of taxi driver Paul Stine.Toschi is currently vice president of...
suspected the Zodiac Killer
Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women...
may have perpetrated the Furlong/Snoozy murders, and so at the time of his arrest, there was consideration given to the possibility that Karl F. Warner was the infamous Zodiac. However, it was subsequently determined that Warner had been residing in Marlborough
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
at the time of some of the earlier Zodiac slayings. Warner is currently incarcerated at California Medical Facility
California Medical Facility
California Medical Facility is a male-only state prison located in the city of Vacaville, Solano County, California. It is older than California State Prison, Solano, the other state prison in Vacaville.-Facilities:...
.