JUNE 24, 1998

"ZODIAC KILLER" CONVICTED OF THREE MURDERS AND AN ATTEMPTED MURDER IN QUEENS DURING THREE-YEAR PERIOD

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced the conviction of Heriberto Seda, the so-called Zodiac killer, for three murders and an attempted murder that took place in Queens during a three-year period from May 1990 to July 1993.

District Attorney Brown said, "In the early 1990s the City was gripped with fear as one of the most bizarre and mysterious serial killers went about his crimes. It should be a great relief to anyone who remembers those days that the Zodiac killer has at last been convicted and brought to account for his evil deeds.

"The victims of these crimes were particularly vulnerable individuals who were unable to defend themselves. Two of the homicide victims had a history of mental illness and the third was physically disabled. The fourth victim, who survived, was alleged to have been intoxicated when he was attacked. None of the four was capable of fighting off the attacker."

District Attorney Brown continued, "This defendant's guilt was proven through a mountain of evidence -- ballistics, DNA, physical evidence and lengthy statements by the defendant himself -- all showing beyond doubt that he is the notorious Zodiac killer."

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant, who is 30-years-old and lived at 2730 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, before his arrest in June 1996, was convicted of multiple counts of murder in the second degree, attempted murder and crimirial possession of a weapon following a month-long jury trial before State Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Hanophy. District Attorney Brown said that he would "urge that the defendant be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison" when he is sentenced by Justice Hanophy on July 22nd.

The defendant was convicted of the following crimes:

• The May 31, 1990 murder of 78-year-old Joseph Proce in front of his home at 74-27 87th Rd., Woodhaven. Mr. Proce was shot and died of his wounds three weeks later.
  
• The August 10, 1992 murder of 39-year-old Patricia Fonti near the Highland park reservoir at the Brooklyn-Queens border in Ridgewood. Ms. Fonti was repeatedly stabbed.
  
• The June 4, 1993 attempted murder of James Weber, 40, of Brooklyn. Mr. Weber was shot in the buttocks as he walked along Cypress Ave. and Vermont St. in the Ridgewood section of Queens.
  
• The July 21, 1993 murder of 46-year-old John Diacone. Mr. Diacone was shot in the neck on Vermont P1. near Cypress Ave., Ridgewood.

According to the testimony of the 45 witnesses called at the trial, under cover of darkness, in secluded areas of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, the defendant targeted his victims shooting and running immediately from the scenes. He was apprehended on June 20, 1996 after allegedly shooting his sister in their Brooklyn apartment. That case along with cases involving other murders allegedly committed by Seda in Brooklyn and Manhattan are pending.

District Attorney Brown commended the work of Assistant District Attorneys Robert J. Masters and Raymond E. Scheer who tried the case as well as that of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Gregory L. Lasak who had overall supervisory responsibility for the prosecution.