Shorty! Let's go out for one.Zodiac · 2007 — Chapter 19 of 30 · 4'59" · B2
Police Build a Case Against Allen, Explained: home turf
Detectives think they have their man but need a warrant, so they stack small facts into probable cause: a social worker's blunt answer, a second handwriting opinion, and the suspect's quiet use of the name Zodiac. "Allen wears a watch that bears both the word and crosshair symbol," one of them notes, and the pieces finally add up.
What happens
With Arthur Leigh Allen as their suspect, investigators struggle to get a search warrant. They revisit a social worker's answer, weigh a second handwriting opinion, add a psychologist willing to testify under oath, and line up physical details. The accumulated evidence finally satisfies a judge, and the police arrive at Allen's trailer to search it.
Listen for
home turfthe bottom linea second opinionstep on Sherwood's toes
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Phrase of the scene
home turf
one's own territory or area of strength
探员说即便眼下不能直接定罪，这里至少是他的主场，用 home turf 指他最熟悉、最可能作案的地盘。
The team plays much better on their home turf.
Also in this scene
- the bottom line
the final conclusion that matters
- a second opinion
advice from another expert
- step on Sherwood's toes
to interfere with someone else's responsibility
Everything marked in this scene
53 notes across 90 lines
We couldn't get a warrant.flap
We couldn't get a warrant.Last year we arranged for Leigh to get help from a social worker.We saw him recently for the first time in nine months.My mother-in-law brought him by to see the new baby.He couldn't talk about a former patient, so I just asked him straight outcouldn't for prohibition
He couldn't talk about a former patient, so I just asked him straight outliaison
He couldn't talk about a former patient, so I just asked him straight outif he thought Leigh was capable of killing people.-Because of patient confidentiality... -The man said yes.We wouldn't have to go through the Vallejo DA.would have to for hypothetical necessity
We wouldn't have to go through the Vallejo DA.If not, we get his prints and handwriting samples from both hands.What if I can get a second opinion?to interfere with someone else's responsibility
I don't wanna step on Sherwood's toes. He trained me at this.Terry, all I need to know is if the suspect is ambidextrous.Could he possibly have written those letters with his other hand?could have done for possibility
Could he possibly have written those letters with his other hand?Between you and me?weak form
Between you and me?Because there are differing schools of thought on this.Get the samples of his other hand. If he's the Zodiac, you'll get a match.That's the current thinking, according to Terry Pascoe.Meanwhile, I spoke to a psychologist who'd be willing to testify that someone who undergoes a personality change like Zodiacwould manifest it physically, altering his handwriting.We got Terry Pascoe, this psychology guy, coupled with Cheney...It could be enough for a warrant.Get Cheney on the record.And you're willing to swear to this, under oath, in Superior Court?liaison
And you're willing to swear to this, under oath, in Superior Court?Without any hesitation.Allen is similar in height, weight and buildTrue. Height and weight are sketchy, but lumbering Caucasian with a crew cut is right on.We never had much confidence in the composite from the kids.relative clause
The patrolman who saw Zodiac that night said he didn't look much like the sketch.Same size as the prints found at Berryessa.-And the ciphers. -Could be code training in the Navy,about how to attach a flashlight to the barrel of a gun.That gives us two sources on the ciphers and two on the flashlight.Suspect worked for elementary schools and was fired for molestation in March, April '68.-Could give him motive. -At the very least, it's home turf.one's own territory or area of strength
-Could give him motive. -At the very least, it's home turf.which the two major threats centered around.Allen works as a chemist.passive voice
Berryessa murder. On the day that the two kids were stabbed his neighbor saw bloody knives in his truckDoes he have any alibis?He claimed he did, but he's been unable to produce the namespresent perfect
He claimed he did, but he's been unable to produce the namesthe final conclusion that matters
The bottom line is that Allen can't alibi up on anything.The bottom line is that Allen can't alibi up on anything.The bottom line is that Allen can't alibi up on anything.We have a warrant to search your residence.Police Build a Case Against Allen, explained
What's really going on
The scene is a study in how a hunch becomes a legal case. None of the facts is decisive on its own, so the detectives assemble many weaker pieces until they cross the threshold: handwriting opinions, "two sources on the ciphers and two on the flashlight," a watch, an old remark. The caution is real too, as one investigator worries about replacing a colleague's judgment. What finally matters is not certainty but sufficiency, since "the bottom line is that Allen can't alibi up on anything." The law asks for enough, not for truth, and the police build exactly that.
Theme
JusticeDetectives stack small clues until they have just enough to get a warrant, chasing proof rather than certainty.
DutyOne officer balances pushing the case against not stepping on a colleague's toes.
What you'll learn
- They could not get a warrant; Leigh is in a Santa Rosa trailer.
- Asked straight out, the social worker said yes, he could kill people.
- They want samples from both hands without stepping on Sherwood's toes.
- Pascoe says the other hand would match if he is Zodiac.
Listen for
- get a warrant — flap
- straight out — liaison
- Between you and me — weak form
- under oath — liaison
Because there are differing schools of thought on this.A cautious expert answer: handwriting analysts disagree, so she won't give a flat yes or no.
I don't wanna step on Sherwood's toes. He trained me at this.The investigator is loyal to the colleague who trained him and doesn't want to overrule his judgment.
And you're willing to swear to this, under oath, in Superior Court?The question that turns a private opinion into formal testimony that can support a warrant.
Allen wears a watch that bears both the word and crosshair symbol.A small but pointed detail tying the suspect to the Zodiac name and its symbol.
Questions about this scene
Why do the police need a warrant to search Allen's trailer?
Without one, anything they found would not hold up, so they need a judge to agree the evidence is strong enough before searching the residence.
What evidence finally supports the warrant?
Handwriting opinions from two experts, a psychologist willing to testify under oath, the military boot prints, code training, the flashlight detail, and Allen's use of the name Zodiac.
Why does the handwriting expert hesitate?
She says there are differing schools of thought on whether a personality change would alter someone's handwriting, so she cannot simply confirm the match.
What happens when the warrant is served?
The Santa Rosa police knock at the trailer and tell Allen they have a warrant to search his residence, which is where the scene ends.
Zodiac · 30 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 20tore out of herePolice Search Allen's Trailer
Chapter 1creep someone outDarlene Ferrin's Last Drive
Chapter 2I wouldn't kid youThe Zodiac Confession Call
Chapter 3shed light onZodiac's Cipher Reaches the Chronicle
Chapter 4get any ideasZodiac Attacks the Couple at the Lake
Chapter 5a hell of a get-upZodiac's Lake Berryessa Attack
Chapter 6flag a cabThe Presidio Cab Murder
Chapter 7did inZodiac Claims the Taxi Murder
Chapter 8skip townPolice Bicker Over the Zodiac Case
Chapter 9at a moment's noticeZodiac Calls the TV Talk Show
Chapter 10crack the codeBelli Tries to Catch the Zodiac
Chapter 11What's your angle?Graysmith Cracks the Zodiac Cipher
Chapter 12the more the merrierKathleen Johns Escapes the Zodiac
Chapter 13come out of the woodworkGraysmith Finds the Zodiac's Source
Chapter 14in my gutGraysmith Talks Zodiac on a Date
Chapter 15beat the bushesRiverside Investigators Compare Notes
Chapter 16lost in the shuffleThe Informant Describes Leigh Allen
Chapter 17the whole pointPolice Question Arthur Leigh Allen
Chapter 18greener pasturesPolice Question Leigh Allen's Mother
Watching · Chapter 19home turfPolice Build a Case Against Allen
Chapter 20tore out of herePolice Search Allen's Trailer
Chapter 21holding the bagBill Transfers Out of the Chronicle
Chapter 22fade into a footnoteGraysmith Pitches a Zodiac Book
Chapter 23yesterday's newsGraysmith Talks His Way In
Chapter 24more than just a coincidenceGraysmith Follows the Birthday Clue
Chapter 25tread lightlyGraysmith Chases Rick Marshall
Chapter 26blow overThe Letter That Framed Toschi
Chapter 27put yourself out thereGraysmith Chases the Case at Home
Chapter 28get it in your headGraysmith Meets the Theater Owner
Chapter 29the date that didn't endLinda Recalls the Painting Party
Chapter 30cancel each other outRobert Confronts Dave About AllenChapter 19 of 30 · about 56 min to go