Heriberto Seda

Case record: Heriberto Seda

Status

Heriberto Seda was sentenced to life in prison (83 1/2 years) on June 24, 1998.

Characteristics and legal framing in the record

Heriberto Seda was described as the New York Zodiac Killer and as a serial killer who struck New York City. He was described as a deeply religious man obsessed with weaponry and the teachings of the Bible, and as having been angry with his 17-year-old sister, Gladys Reyes, for associating with disreputable types. The record described “Major Case Prints” and fingerprint matches used to connect him to the 1990 attack and to letters.

People

• Heriberto “Eddie” Seda — defendant
• Gladys Reyes (“Chachi”) — half sister (target of domestic violence and shooting)
• Mario Orosco — victim (Scorpio)
• German Montenesdro — victim (Gemini)
• Joseph Proce — victim (Taurus)
• Larry Parham — victim (Cancer)
• Patricia Fonti — victim (Leo)
• James Weber — victim (Libra)
• John DiAcone — victim (Virgo)
• Diane Ballard — victim (Taurus)
• Reyes’s boyfriend — unnamed; present during the confrontation
• Detective Joseph Herbert — detective involved in the intensive manhunt; recognized writing and symbols and was quoted about Seda’s motive
• Sgt. Joseph Herbert — quoted about Seda’s anger at his sister
• Detective Joey Herbert — identified as Detective Joey Herbert of the 17th Precinct who managed to talk Seda into giving himself up
• Detective Danny Powers — recognized the cross from Seda’s confession as matching the Zodiac letters
• Detective Tommy Maher — transported “Major Case Prints” workflow described; played the “good cop”
• Detective Louie Savarese — retrieved Zodiac letters from home; helped push during questioning
• Detective Mike Ciravolo — Queens detective involved in investigating the Proce case
• Detective Bill Clark — Queens detective involved in investigating the Proce case
• Chief of Detectives Joseph Borrelli — led action described as “Operation Watchdog”
• Detectives — unnamed additional colleagues who agreed Detective Danny Powers’s identification suspicion
• EMTs — two EMTs who entered the neighbor’s apartment before being trapped
• The Post — referenced as receiving Zodiac letters
• 60 Minutes — referenced as receiving a Zodiac letter and as having a production office

Timeline

• November 17, 1989 — East New York’s 17th Precinct began receiving letters headed: “This is the zodiac”.
• March 8, 1990 — Mario Orosco was shot in the back and survived.
• March 29, 1990 — German Montenesdro was shot in the side and survived.
• May 31, 1990 — Joseph Proce was shot after an exchange about a glass of water.
• June 21, 1990 — Larry Parham was shot while sleeping on a bench in Central Park.
• June 24, 1990 — Joseph Proce died in the hospital from the wound.
• August 10, 1992 — Patricia Fonti was stabbed over 100 times after being shot and died on the scene.
• June 4, 1993 — James Weber was shot in the leg while walking.
• July 20, 1993 — John DiAcone was shot to death at point-blank range.
• October 2 — Diane Ballard was shot and left partially paralyzed.
• August 1994 — a letter sent to The New York Post linked the attacks to the “Zodiac” rampage of 1990; police announced investigation response.
• August 10, 1994 — a Zodiac letter was described as mailed using a “Love” stamp (the record also states the most bizarre Zodiac letter yet and its content and that he did not strike again afterward).
• June 18, 1996 — Heriberto Seda shot his 17-year-old sister, Gladys Reyes, in the back; a stand-off followed and Seda turned himself in.
• June 24, 1998 — Seda was convicted for murdering three people and wounding one other and received a life sentence.
• June 18, 1998 (June of 1998 referenced in the record) — a jury convicted Heriberto “Eddie” Seda; the record also indicates his sentence required serving 83 1/2 years before being eligible for parole.
• 1998 — a separate trial led to conviction for attempted murders and a 152 1/2 year sentence in the record.

The offence

The record described multiple Zodiac-linked shootings and letters to police and media. It also described domestic violence and attempted murder of Gladys Reyes.

Zodiac-linked attacks described

• Mario Orosco (Scorpio) was shot in the back near the intersection of Atlantic and Sheridan Avenues while walking; he survived.
• German Montenesdro (Gemini) was shot while staggering home from a late party in the Bronx near a subway station; he survived.
• Joseph Proce (Taurus) was approached and asked for a glass of water; after a short exchange he was shot from behind; he initially survived but died on June 24, 1990.
• Larry Parham (Cancer) was shot while sleeping on a bench in Central Park; the record says he survived.
• Patricia Fonti (Leo) was shot twice with a .22 caliber zip gun, struggled, and was then stabbed over 100 times; she died on the scene.
• James Weber (Libra) was shot in the leg while walking and survived.
• John DiAcone (Virgo) was shot to death at point-blank range.
• Diane Ballard (Taurus) was shot on a bench and was left partially paralyzed; the record described the bullet missed vital arteries but stayed lodged against her spine.

Domestic violence offence described

The record described Seda as being physically abusive to his half-sister, Reyes. During a confrontation on June 18, 1996, Seda shot Reyes in the back as she tried to escape through the front door; she made it to a neighbor’s apartment, called police, and was wounded but not incapacitated. The record described a stand-off in which Seda fired shots out the window at police.

Investigation

Zodiac letters and police suspicion

The record said Seda sent letters to police and to media boasting of a demented plot to slaughter people purposefully selected by astrological sign. It said the police initially thought it was a hoax.

The record described that letters were mailed:

• Identical handwritten letters were mailed on June 6, 1990 to the New York Post and the production office of CBS news program 60 Minutes.
• The record also said another note found near the crime scene bore astrological sign information and a pie-shaped picture with symbols for the signs of the first three victims and the message: “Zodiac -- Time to die!”

Quoted material and handwriting symbolism

The record contained the following quoted statements:

Sgt. Joseph Herbert, quoted about Seda’s motive:

"He was mad at his sister because she was hanging around with the wrong people, drug dealers, troublemakers -- and he didn't like that."

Neighbors described Seda’s street statement:

"I'm going to start killing. I'm going to start killing because I'm not getting no sex."

Seda’s confessional and investigative handwriting connection was described through recognition of writing and symbols.

Verbatim Zodiac letter text (as provided)

The record reproduced verbatim the letters’ text mailed to New York City to the New York Post and the production office of CBS news program 60 Minutes:

This is the Zodiac the twelve sign will die when the belts in the heaven are seen the first sign is dead on march 8 1990 1:45 AM white man with cane shoot on the back in the street the second sign is dead on march 29 1990 2:57 AM white man with black coat shoot in the side in front of house the third sign is dead on May 31 1990 2:04 AM white old man with can shoot in front of house Faust no more games pigs all shoot in Brooklyn with .380 RNL or 9mm no grooves on bullet

It also reproduced the East New York 17th Precinct letter text and the June 22 letter text:

Letter headed “This is the zodiac” (full text reproduced):

This is the Zodiac. The First Sign is dead. The Zodiac will Kill the twelve signs in the Belt when the Zodiacal light is seen? The Zodiac will spread fear I have seen a lot of police in Jamaica Ave and Elden Lane but you are no good and will not get the Zodiac. Orion is the one that can stop Zodiac and the Seven Sister

June 22 note sent to The Post (text reproduced in the record, with line breaks preserved as written):

This is the Zodiac The note Sent to the Post not to any of The San Francisco Zodiac letter you are Wrong the handwriting look different it is One of the same Zodiac one Zodiac. In San Francisco killed a man in the park with a Gun and killed a women with a knife and killed A man in the taxi cab with gun

The June 22 note was also described in the record as being vehemently attempting to convince The Post that the New York Zodiac was the same person as the Bay Area’s Zodiac.

Evidence described

• A single fingerprint found near the scene of the 1990 attack was later used to identify Heriberto as the star-crossed killer.
• After the June 18, 1996 incident, Seda’s confession drawing included a cross and three number 7s at the top ends, which was recognized from the Zodiac letters.
• “Major Case Prints” were described, including palm and sides of fingers in addition to fingertips, which matched prints from the Zodiac-related evidence.

Arrest and capture

The record stated that after the June 18, 1996 stand-off, police talked Seda into giving himself up. It described that when he surrendered he placed 13 homemade zip-guns in a bucket lowered from the building's roof. A cache of weaponry, pipe bombs, devil worship books, crossbows, knives and bomb-making manuals was later found at his apartment elsewhere in the city.

The record also described earlier police contact:

• On March 10, 1994, police arrested Heriberto “Eddie” Seda outside his East New York apartment building after finding him in possession of an illegal zip gun; the gun was incorrectly labeled at the evidence lab so it was never tested; Seda walked free a week later.
• The record described a later incident on June 10, 1994 in which the Zodiac shot a white man in Highland Park with a .22 caliber zip gun and the incident went unreported.

Trial

Domestic violence and Zodiac-linked convictions described

The record described that Seda was tried in 1998 and found guilty on all counts:

• It said he was convicted for murdering three people and wounding one other and received a life sentence.
• It also said that in a separate trial, he was convicted of attempted murders and sentenced to 152 1/2 years.

The record stated the jury convicted him:

• “On June 24, 1998, Seda was convicted for murdering three people and wounding one other, and recieved a life sentence.”
• It also stated: “Tried in 1998, Heriberto ‘Eddie’ Seda was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to life in prison.”
• It stated that the sentence required he serve 83 1/2 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Sentencing details in the record

The record provided the following sentencing information:

• “Sentenced to life in prison (83 1/2 years) on June 24, 1998.”
• “In a separate trial, he was convicted of the attempted murders and sentenced to 152 1/2 years.”
• It also contained a statement: “In 1998, Seda was convicted and sentenced to 236 years in prison.”

Outcome

Heriberto Seda was convicted in 1998 and received a life sentence tied to eligibility for parole after 83 1/2 years. He was also convicted of attempted murders and received a 152 1/2 year sentence in a separate trial in the record.

Aftermath

The record described the following after the conviction:

• Seda resided in prison where he read the Bible daily and quoted scripture to fellow inmates.
• After being arrested, he made several attempts to reconcile with his sister; Gladys “Chachi” Reyes refused her brother’s calls and still lived with their mother in East New York.
• It stated that most of the Zodiac’s living victims still suffered physically and psychologically from the attacks.
• It stated that some victims, like devoutly Christian Parham, had forgiven Seda, while others refused to discuss the case.
• It stated that Orozco still lived in East New York and did not let fear stop him from walking the streets or enjoying the company of friends.
• It stated that the original Zodiac was never caught and remained a mystery.

Other details

Background and personal history described

The record described Seda as very religious and attended church regularly. It said he lived with his mother and half sister in East New York, did not work, often kept to himself, and dropped out of high school at sixteen after being caught carrying a weapon. It stated that around age sixteen he had been caught carrying a weapon and had been suspended for carrying a weapon in some parts of the record. It described that he did not take public assistance and obtained money by shoving plastic bags up the return slots of pay phones and vending machines and then removing the bag and lodged change.

The record described his interests: reading about guns and violence, magazines like Soldier of Fortune, books on serial killers, idolizing Ted Bundy, and keeping Robert Graysmith’s Zodiac as a well-worn copy. It described that he compiled a scrapbook of the New York Zodiac case and kept it near scrapbooks on Ted Bundy and other famous serial killers.

Domestic violence and prior abuse details

The record said that Seda physically and mentally abused his half-sister, Reyes, including that she went to school with bruises and teachers sent social workers to check on her. It said that around 1989 the abuse stopped; they still did not get along but he no longer beat her regularly.

Fingerprinting link described

The record stated that Sergeant Herbert recognized writing and symbols Seda used after the shootout while writing his confession. It said a check of fingerprints through a police computer matched one to the one found at the scene of the 1990 attack in Central Park, and another one to one found on a 1994 letter mailed to The New York Post.

Disposition or sentencing phrasing in the record

The record included a “DISPOSITION” line:

• “83 years on three counts, 1998.”