Claytons 1968 Cold Case Fire Kills 5 Siblings

Just after midnight on September the 8th 1968 in Clayton, Concord, six siblings were tucked into bed at the Walker Family’s Panadero Court home when someone threw an explosive device through the home’s front window.

Flammable liquid that had been poured onto the room carpet moments earlier immediately ignited and the large ranch-style home went up in flames. Five of the six children died inside the four-bedroom home and nearly 46 years later loved ones wonder if they’ll ever have closure or justice, the killer has never been identified.

Carol and Richard Walker, were attending a fundraiser at John Muir Hospital that night. They returned home in time to witness the final minutes of the fire and learn that five of their six children were dead: Linda, 20, Cynthia, 13, Carlton, 9, Theodore, 3 and Mary Ann, 6 months.

Their sixth child, Caroline, had been rescued by neighbours Dale Kenneth Cross and James Donald Hansen, both 20 at the time. Cross managed to get to a window and pull 6-year-old Carolyn out to safety. “By then there was nothing else to do. It was roaring,” recalled 87-year-old Mildred West, who lived next door to the family and witnessed the fire. “They had a housekeeper, but for some reason she didn’t stay that night.

The Walkers came home to all the fire engines in street, Firemen arrived just after 1:24 a.m. to find flames shooting from the roof. It took 30 minutes to get the blaze under control as the children’s’ parents stood outside in shock.

Inside the home, a heroic effort by Carlton to save his 6-month-old sister failed, a fire report revealed. Both children were found dead — the little girl in her brother’s arms. All five children died from smoke inhalation and some suffered burns, according to an Contra Costa County Coroner’s autopsy report.

The fire destroyed the home and arson investigators later determined it was deliberately set after someone poured an accelerant in the family room of the home and then threw an explosive device through the window. It landed on the couch and caused an explosion.

Nearly five decades later, the case remains unsolved and only one man was ever named a possible suspect — John Sapp, a Concord native, a convicted arsonist and convicted murderer who has always denied any connection with the horrendous crime. Sapp, a drifter and convicted drug dealer, has spent the past 23 years on death row at San Quentin State Prison for the shooting of his girlfriend and 2 friends.

Concord Police Detective Sergeant Steve Chiabotti, whose department oversees cold cases, said Sapp has never denied being a murderer — he’s actually boasted about his kills. But he said Sapp won’t take the blame for the Walker slayings. “He’ll admit he’s killed, but he won’t confess to killing those kids,” Chiabotti said. “The theory is, if he is responsible for the arson murders, he hit the wrong house.”

Sapp was 15 years old at the time of the fire and had just been released from juvenile hall. But the Contra Costa Superior Court judge who sent him to juvenile hall lived a few doors down from the Walkers, Chiabotti said. Sapp also lived within walking distance of the crime scene. “We think he was trying to burn down the judge’s home but got the wrong house,” Chiabotti said. “But the circumstantial evidence and lack of eyewitnesses isn’t enough to bring him down.”

Richard Walker, who was a Clayton councilman and private contractor, died in 2001. His wife and daughter, Carolyn Walker Shaw, are still alive.

These are the only details I have managed to find on this crime but a few things caught my attention regarding Zodiac and GSK, I'll first discuss Zodiac as there may be evidence yet to uncover regarding a couple of the letters Zodiac sent to Law Enforcement.

As I have said before I don't think we can take Zodiac's letters as wholly truthful but what if Zodiac gave details of crimes already committed rather than something he planned on doing in the future, Law Enforcement wouldn't necessarily get the clues therefore making his capture so much harder.

Lets take a look at the letter and map sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on June 26th 1970

Zodiac tells us that he is very "upset with the people of San Fran Bay" and how he "promised to punish them" but now that school is out he has "finished them in another way", he then says that the Map will tell Police where the bomb is.

So what if, as Zodiac said he had already punished the children in another way but had already used the bomb and by telling Law Enforcement they had till next fall to dig it up they were looking in the wrong areas for a live bomb, diverting them as he likes to do, Police would find it so much harder to put Zodiac's clues together.

Lets look at the Map below that was sent with the letter above on the 26th June 1970.

I find it odd that the Zodiac/Compass Arrow is pointing to Clayton, Concord and has a O above the arrow, is this ground zero? There were 6 children, 5 died in the fire. Is this an indication that Zodiac committed this crime. It would be interesting to know if Law Enforcement had details of the explosive device used in the 1968 Walker Cold Case to match against the Zodiac Letter on Nov 9th 1969 where he details his bomb making skills.

Now for GSK, the most obvious is it is his hunting ground as EAR/ONS, and he did commit two sexual assaults in the area of Concord. I think DeAngelo has always had a fascination with fire which is why he probably became a fireman in the Navy and would have known how to start a fatal fire, that both an explosive device and the flammable liquid were used is odd but what is interesting is that the Killer must have entered the house first through an open window, pouring the liquid on the carpet before leaving and then throwing the bomb through an open window onto the couch.

That the bomb should be thrown at the couch also makes me think of the times GSK had hidden things/taken cushions off the couch etc in people's homes We know he had no difficulty getting into properties through windows, glass doors. With this crime there would likely be no evidence other than what Firemen found inside the property after the fire or if there was any sign of footprints etc outside.

The Father of the 5 children killed Richard Walker was a local Councilman and Private Contractor so there may be a possible link with GSK's Stepfather's firm Sierra Crane & Hoist company.

That the home was in the vicinity of a Superior Court Judge also could have links to Zodiac/GSK. It would also be interesting to know why on that night the Housekeeper who usually stayed over hadn't done, it appears the oldest sister took charge of her brother and sisters that night, is it possible JJD would have known the daughter?, again all the info about the crime I have written here so there is a lot to learn.

As I've said on all my blogs I'm no expert on these matters and I am looking into possible unsolved cases which could be attributed to both Zodiac/GSK, all it takes is that small aha moment from someone to crack these cases and if what I'm doing here can help that's all I can hope for. The next cases we will be looking at are of murders of lone young women who were all found along Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles.