Today in History - December 20 | Mystery killer who confounded world claims first victims
December 20
The man known only as the Zodiac Killer murdered his first confirmed victims, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jenson, on Lake Herman Road in Benicia, California, on December 20, 1968.
The high school students were killed by a man carrying a .22 calibre rifle as they were parked late at night in a lover's lane.
The Zodiac Killer murdered five known victims in 1968 and 1969, and corresponded in cipher with newspapers until 1974.
He has never been identified.
Jonelle Matthews, 12, disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984. The case would not be solved for decades.
Jonelle had performed in a Christmas concert earlier that night before arriving home alone. Her father and mother were both out of the house.
She took a call from her father at about 8.30pm, and that was the last time anybody in her family spoke to her.
Her remains were finally found in 2019 by construction workers installing a pipeline just 24km from her home.
Steven Pankey, who had been a youth pastor at Jonelle's family's church and later ran for governor of Idaho, had been a longstanding person of interest in the case.
Following the discovery of Jonelle's remains, he was convicted of her kidnapping and murder in 2022 and received a prison sentence of 20 years to life.
He will first be eligible for parole in 2040, at age 89.
Richard I of England, nicknamed "Coeur de Lion" or "Lionheart" was captured by the Duke of Austria, Leopold V, on December 20, 1192.
Richard had crossed Leopold during the Third Crusade in the Middle East, refusing to treat him as an equal and even - so Leopold alleged - conspiring to murder the duke's cousin Conrad after the latter's election as King of Jerusalem.
He was travelling home from the Middle East in disguise when he was captured in Vienna.
Richard's ransom was 35 tons of silver, which put great financial strain on his realm.
The retreat from Gallipoli was among the most successful operations of the campaign. The Allies managed to deceive Ottoman soldiers about their course of action and thus suffered very few casualties.
Although the last Australians left Gallipoli on December 20, the final troops left on the peninsula were British, and they did not retreat until January 9, 1916.
On December 20, 2019, the newest branch of the US military was founded.
The US Space Force (USSF) mission statement is "Secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space".
It works to further US military interests outside the Earth's atmosphere.
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