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Zebra murders

SOLVED1973San Francisco, California, United States3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Between October 1973 and April 1974, San Francisco experienced a series of racially motivated street attacks that killed at least fifteen white people and wounded eight others. Police assigned the investigation a special radio band and named the case "Zebra." Some authorities have suggested the group responsible, which called itself the "Death Angels," may have been connected to as many as seventy-three or more killings between 1970 and 1974, though the confirmed San Francisco series spans October 1973 to April 1974.

The attacks began on October 20, 1973, when Richard and Quita Hague were abducted; Quita was killed and nearly decapitated, while Richard survived a brutal assault. Over the following months, victims were shot at close range with a .32 caliber pistol in a recurring pattern: a gunman would approach on foot, fire several shots, and flee. Victims included Frances Rose, Saleem Erakat, Paul Dancik, Marietta DiGirolamo, Ilario Bertuccio, Neal Moynihan, Mildred Hosler, and others; several people survived being shot, including future San Francisco mayor Art Agnos. A dismembered body found on December 24, 1973, at Ocean Beach, known for decades only as "John Doe #169," was identified through DNA comparison in 2022. The killings resumed in force on January 28, 1974, killing four more people, and continued into April 1974 with the fatal shooting of Nelson Shields IV.

The murders caused significant public fear and economic disruption in San Francisco. Following the April 1974 killing of Nelson Shields, police launched "Operation Zebra," a stop-and-search program targeting young Black men matching a composite sketch. The program drew strong criticism from civil rights organizations, including the NAACP and ACLU, and Black community leaders, who described it as racist and unconstitutional. Lawsuits were filed, and on April 25, 1974, a federal judge ruled the searches unconstitutional absent probable cause.

The case broke when an informant, Anthony Harris, met secretly with Mayor Joseph Alioto and later provided detailed testimony to police in exchange for immunity and placement in witness protection. Based on his information, seven men were arrested on May 1, 1974; three were released for lack of evidence. On May 16, 1974, a grand jury indicted J. C. Simon, Larry Green, Manuel Moore, and Jessie Lee Cooks on murder and related charges. After a lengthy trial that began in March 1975 and lasted 212 days with testimony from 181 witnesses, all four were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976, and sentenced to life in prison, the maximum penalty allowed.

All four men were denied parole when first eligible in 1985. Simon died in prison in 2015, Moore in 2017, and Cooks in 2021. Larry Green remains incarcerated at California State Prison, Solano; a 2026 court order directed the parole board to schedule a new hearing for him after finding board members had improperly weighed his claims of innocence against him.

Key facts

Victims
Terese DeMartini, Linda Story, Tana Smith, Mildred Hosler, Ilario Bertuccio, Ward Anderson, John Bambic, Marietta DiGirolamo, Saleem Erakat, Robert Wayne Stoeckmann, Richard Hague, Quita Hague, Roxanne McMillan, John Doe #169, Terry White, Jane Holly, Art Agnos, Nelson Shields IV, Neal Moynihan, Tom Rainwater, Paul Dancik, Frances Rose, Vincent Wollin
Date
1973
Location
San Francisco, California, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1973-10-20

    Richard and Quita Hague are abducted; Quita is killed, Richard survives a brutal assault.

  2. 1973-10-30

    Frances Rose is fatally shot; Jessie Lee Cooks is identified and arrested.

  3. 1973-11-09

    Robert Wayne Stoeckmann is shot and survives, wounding his attacker Leroy Doctor, who is later arrested.

  4. 1973-11-25

    Saleem Erakat is found shot dead in his store.

  5. 1973-12-11

    Paul Dancik is fatally shot; Art Agnos is shot and survives two days later, as does Marietta DiGirolamo, who is fatally shot the same night.

  6. 1973-12-20

    Ilario Bertuccio is fatally shot; Terese DeMartini survives a shooting hours later.

  7. 1973-12-22

    Neal Moynihan and Mildred Hosler are fatally shot within minutes of each other.

  8. 1973-12-24

    A dismembered body, later known as John Doe #169, is found at Ocean Beach; identified via DNA in 2022.

  9. 1974-01-28

    Five more shootings occur, killing Tana Smith, Vincent Wollin, John Bambic, and Jane Holly; Roxanne McMillan survives.

  10. 1974-04-01

    Tom Rainwater is killed and Linda Story wounded in a shooting.

  11. 1974-04-14

    Terry White and Ward Anderson are shot and survive.

  12. 1974-04-16

    Nelson Shields IV is fatally shot.

  13. 1974-04-17

    Operation Zebra stop-and-search program begins.

  14. 1974-04-25

    U.S. District Judge Alfonso Zirpoli rules the Operation Zebra searches unconstitutional.

  15. 1974-04-28

    Informant Anthony Harris meets secretly with Mayor Alioto.

  16. 1974-05-01

    Seven men are arrested in connection with the murders; three are later released for lack of evidence.

  17. 1974-05-16

    A grand jury indicts J. C. Simon, Larry Green, Manuel Moore, and Jessie Lee Cooks on murder charges.

  18. 1975-03-03

    Trial begins for the four defendants.

  19. 1976-03-29

    Cooks, Green, Moore, and Simon are convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

  20. 1985

    All four men become eligible for parole and are denied.

  21. 2015-03-12

    J. C. X. Simon dies in San Quentin State Prison.

  22. 2017-11-15

    Manuel Moore dies at the California Health Care Facility.

  23. 2021-06-30

    Jessie Lee Cooks dies at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.

  24. 2022

    John Doe #169 is identified through DNA comparison; his name is not released.

  25. 2026-04

    A San Francisco judge orders the parole board to schedule a new hearing for Larry Green.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Dwight Stallins

    CHARGED

    Arrested May 1, 1974, in connection with the case.

  • Terese DeMartini

    VICTIM

    Survived being shot while parking her car on December 20, 1973.

  • Leroy Doctor

    CONVICTED

    Arrested and sentenced to 9.5 years to life for shooting Robert Wayne Stoeckmann.

  • Linda Story

    VICTIM

    Survived being shot on April 1, 1974.

  • Jessie Lee Cooks

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; died in prison in 2021.

  • Tana Smith

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on January 28, 1974.

  • Mildred Hosler

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on December 22, 1973.

  • Ilario Bertuccio

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on December 20, 1973.

  • Ward Anderson

    VICTIM

    Shot and survived on April 14, 1974.

  • John Bambic

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on January 28, 1974.

  • Marietta DiGirolamo

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on December 13, 1973.

  • Saleem Erakat

    VICTIM

    Found shot dead in his store on November 25, 1973.

  • Robert Wayne Stoeckmann

    VICTIM

    Shot and wounded on November 9, 1973; survived and shot his attacker.

  • Anthony Harris

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Informant who provided testimony to police under a grant of immunity, leading to the arrests; entered witness protection.

  • Richard Hague

    VICTIM

    Survived a violent attack after being abducted with his wife Quita on October 20, 1973.

  • Larry Green

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; currently incarcerated.

  • Quita Hague

    VICTIM

    Killed on October 20, 1973, in an abduction with her husband Richard Hague.

  • Roxanne McMillan

    VICTIM

    Survived being shot twice on January 28, 1974.

  • Thomas Manney

    CHARGED

    Arrested May 1, 1974, in connection with the case; released due to lack of evidence.

  • Clarence Jamison

    CHARGED

    Arrested May 1, 1974, in connection with the case; released due to lack of evidence.

  • John Doe #169

    VICTIM

    Dismembered body found December 24, 1973, at Ocean Beach; identified via DNA in 2022, name not released.

  • Terry White

    VICTIM

    Shot and survived on April 14, 1974.

  • Jane Holly

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on January 28, 1974.

  • Art Agnos

    VICTIM

    Shot and wounded on December 13, 1973; survived and later became San Francisco mayor.

  • Nelson Shields IV

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on April 16, 1974.

  • Neal Moynihan

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on December 22, 1973.

  • Tom Rainwater

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on April 1, 1974.

  • Paul Dancik

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on December 11, 1973.

  • Edgar Burton

    CHARGED

    Arrested May 1, 1974, in connection with the case; released due to lack of evidence.

  • J. C. Simon

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; died in prison in 2015.

  • Manuel Moore

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; died in prison in 2017.

  • Frances Rose

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot in her car on October 30, 1973.

  • Vincent Wollin

    VICTIM

    Fatally shot on January 28, 1974.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

San Francisco, California, United States

37.7749, -122.4194

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Between October 1973 and April 1974, a group calling itself the "Death Angels" killed at least fifteen white people and wounded eight others in racially motivated attacks across San Francisco, prompting a controversial police manhunt known as Operation Zebra and the eventual conviction of four men.
Where did the murders happen?
San Francisco, California, United States.
Who was convicted?
Leroy Doctor (Arrested and sentenced to 9.5 years to life for shooting Robert Wayne Stoeckmann.), Jessie Lee Cooks (Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; died in prison in 2021.), Larry Green (Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; currently incarcerated.), J. C. Simon (Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; died in prison in 2015.), and Manuel Moore (Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy on March 29, 1976; sentenced to life; died in prison in 2017.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in California

Sources

  1. Zebra murderswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — namus.govnews · namus.gov · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — TIMEnews · TIME · 2026-07-07