Manuel Moore and the Zebra Murders
Overview
Manuel Moore was one of four men convicted in connection with the Zebra murders, a series of racially motivated killings and attempted killings that terrorized San Francisco, California, between October 1973 and April 1974. Moore was prosecuted alongside J.C.X. Simon, Larry Craig Green and Jessie Lee Cooks. The violence attributed to the group left at least 15 people dead and eight or more people wounded.
The name “Zebra” was created by the San Francisco Police Department after investigators assigned a special police radio channel, identified by the letter Z, to the enormous manhunt. The perpetrators did not use the name themselves. Their victims were generally white people who had no known personal connection to their attackers and were targeted while walking, waiting for transportation, shopping, working or completing ordinary household errands.
Moore was not individually convicted of murdering all 15 fatal victims. His personal convictions included the first-degree murders of Tana Smith and Jane Holly, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and assaults against Roxanne McMillan, Terry White and Ward Anderson. Evidence presented at trial also connected Moore and his associates to the wider series through eyewitness testimony, firearms comparisons, vehicles and the account of informant Anthony Harris.
Background and the Alleged Conspiracy
Moore associated with men connected to Black Self Help, an organization operating from a building on Fillmore Street in San Francisco. Prosecutors alleged that a violent inner circle encouraged members to attack and kill white people. Anthony Harris, who knew several defendants and became the prosecution’s principal witness, described the group as the “Death Angels.”
Harris testified that meetings were held during which the killing of white victims was discussed. He claimed that members believed such murders could demonstrate commitment to the group. Defense attorneys disputed this account, accused Harris of seeking reward money and immunity, and emphasized inconsistencies in his statements. The jury nevertheless found that portions of his testimony were supported by independent evidence.
The Beginning of the Zebra Murders
The recognized series began on the night of October 19, 1973, when Richard and Quita Hague were abducted while walking near their Telegraph Hill home. They were forced into a van and taken to an isolated industrial area. Quita Hague was killed in a brutal edged-weapon attack. Richard Hague was severely beaten and cut but survived after being left for dead.
Larry Green and Jessie Lee Cooks were later convicted in connection with the attacks on the Hagues. Moore was not convicted of personally participating in that crime, but prosecutors used the incident as the beginning of the broader conspiracy involving the four defendants.
On October 29, 1973, Frances Rose was shot in her automobile near a University of California Extension facility in San Francisco. Jessie Lee Cooks was arrested shortly after the shooting and was separately convicted of her murder. The Rose case was later incorporated into accounts of the larger Zebra series.
The November and December 1973 Attacks
On November 9, Robert Stoeckmann was attacked and wounded in San Francisco. His case has been associated with the wider Zebra violence, although it was not one of the crimes for which Moore was personally convicted. On November 25, grocery-store owner Saleem Erakat was shot and killed during an apparent robbery in San Francisco. Firearms evidence later connected the weapon used against Erakat to other attacks in December.
Paul Dancik was fatally shot near Haight and Buchanan streets on December 11. Evidence presented during the Zebra trial placed Moore and Simon in the surrounding area. The bullets used to kill Dancik were linked to the same .32-caliber weapon used in several other shootings.
On December 13, Arthur Agnos, who later became mayor of San Francisco, was shot twice while standing beside his automobile near Wisconsin and 23rd streets. He survived despite bullets passing through his body. Later that evening, 31-year-old Marietta DiGirolamo was shot three times and killed near Haight and Divisadero streets. Ballistics evidence connected both attacks to the weapon used against Erakat and Dancik.
On December 20, 81-year-old Ilario Bertuccio was shot four times and killed in the 2000 block of Bancroft Avenue. A witness later selected Simon and Moore from a lineup as the men who most resembled two individuals seen leaving the area, although the witness did not make a positive courtroom identification.
Approximately two hours later, 21-year-old Teresa DeMartini was parking on Central Avenue when she was approached and shot three times. A fourth bullet shattered a window of her car. DeMartini survived. She later selected Moore from a lineup as resembling her attacker, but she was not certain enough to identify him positively in court. Some later accounts have referred to this survivor by the pseudonym “Angela Roselli.” Court records identify her as Teresa DeMartini.
On December 22, 19-year-old Neal Moynihan and 50-year-old Mildred Hosler were killed several minutes apart near Stevenson Alley. Moynihan was shot three times near the 12th Street entrance, while Hosler was shot repeatedly several blocks away. The same .32-caliber pistol used in the earlier Erakat, Dancik, Agnos, DiGirolamo, Bertuccio and DeMartini attacks was used in both murders.
The January 28, 1974 Murder Spree
After several weeks without a publicly recognized Zebra attack, the violence resumed on January 28, 1974. Five people were shot in rapid succession at different locations in San Francisco. Four died, and one survived. The murders became central to the prosecution of Moore and Simon.
Tana Smith, 32, was shot while walking near Geary Boulevard and Baker Street. J.C.X. Simon was identified as her gunman. Moore was convicted of Smith’s murder because evidence established that he was acting with Simon as part of their common plan and criminal conspiracy.
Vincent Wollin, 69, was shot in the back near his home. Friends were waiting for him to return for a birthday gathering when he was attacked. John Bambic, an elderly San Francisco resident, was also shot and killed during the same afternoon. Neither victim appeared to have known his attacker.
Jane Holly, 45, was doing laundry at a laundromat when Moore entered and shot her. Moore was positively identified as Holly’s killer. The direct eyewitness identification and the firearms evidence made her murder one of the strongest individual cases against him.
Minutes later, 23-year-old Roxanne McMillan was shot while removing clothing and other belongings from her automobile near a recently rented apartment. She survived. The bullets used against McMillan were fired from the same pistol used in the murders of Smith, Wollin, Bambic and Holly.
The Final Attacks
On April 1, 1974, Salvation Army cadets Thomas Rainwater and Linda Story were walking near Geary and Webster streets when a gunman approached from behind. Rainwater, 19, was shot twice in the back and died at the scene. Story, 21, was also shot twice in the back but survived. Ballistics testing connected the bullets to the weapon used during the January 28 attacks.
On April 14, 18-year-old Ward Anderson and 15-year-old Terry White were waiting near the intersection of Hayes and Fillmore streets. Moore approached the teenagers, briefly interacted with them and then opened fire. Anderson and White were each shot twice but survived.
Both teenagers later identified Moore as the shooter. Additional testimony came from a young woman who saw Moore running from the area with a handgun. Moore was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon for shooting Anderson and White.
On April 16, 23-year-old Nelson T. Shields IV was shot while making room in a friend’s station wagon for a rug he had purchased. He was struck three times in the back and died at the scene. Firearms examiners determined that the same pistol had been used against the January 28 victims, Rainwater, Story, Anderson and White. Shields is generally recognized as the final fatal victim of the Zebra series.
Confirmed Fatal Victims of the Zebra Murder Series
- Quita Hague — October 19, 1973 — San Francisco, California: Hague, 28, was abducted with her husband near their Telegraph Hill home. She was killed near railroad tracks in an industrial area. Larry Green and Jessie Lee Cooks were convicted in connection with the attack.
- Frances Rose — October 29, 1973 — University of California Extension area, San Francisco, California: Rose, 28, was shot in her automobile. Jessie Lee Cooks was arrested and convicted of her murder.
- Saleem Erakat — November 25, 1973 — San Francisco, California: Erakat, 53, was shot and killed at his grocery store. The murder weapon was linked to several December attacks.
- Paul Dancik — December 11, 1973 — Haight and Buchanan streets, San Francisco, California: Dancik, 26, was fatally shot. Moore and Simon were placed in the surrounding area, and ballistics connected the murder to other Zebra shootings.
- Marietta DiGirolamo — December 13, 1973 — Haight and Divisadero streets, San Francisco, California: DiGirolamo, 31, was shot three times and killed while on the sidewalk.
- Ilario Bertuccio — December 20, 1973 — 2000 block of Bancroft Avenue, San Francisco, California: Bertuccio, 81, was shot four times in the chest and shoulder.
- Neal Moynihan — December 22, 1973 — Stevenson Alley near 12th and Market streets, San Francisco, California: Moynihan, 19, was shot three times and killed.
- Mildred Hosler — December 22, 1973 — Stevenson Alley near Gough and McCoppin streets, San Francisco, California: Hosler, 50, was shot repeatedly only minutes after Moynihan was killed.
- Unidentified male victim, also known as John Doe No. 169 — December 24, 1973 — Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California: An unidentified man was found dead during the period of the Zebra attacks and is included in the established list of 15 victims, although fewer details are publicly available concerning his death.
- Tana Smith — January 28, 1974 — Geary Boulevard and Baker Street, San Francisco, California: Smith, 32, was fatally shot while walking. Simon was identified as the gunman, while Moore was convicted as a participant in her first-degree murder.
- Vincent Wollin — January 28, 1974 — San Francisco, California: Wollin, 69, was shot in the back near his residence during the same afternoon shooting spree.
- John Bambic — January 28, 1974 — San Francisco, California: Bambic, an elderly man, was shot and killed during the January 28 attacks.
- Jane Holly — January 28, 1974 — San Francisco, California: Holly, 45, was shot to death inside a laundromat. Moore was positively identified as her killer and convicted of first-degree murder.
- Thomas Rainwater — April 1, 1974 — Geary and Webster streets, San Francisco, California: Rainwater, 19, was shot twice in the back and killed while walking with Linda Story.
- Nelson T. Shields IV — April 16, 1974 — San Francisco, California: Shields, 23, was shot three times while standing near a station wagon. His murder was the final recognized fatal Zebra attack.
Confirmed and Recognized Survivors
- Richard Hague — October 19, 1973 — San Francisco, California: Hague, 30, was abducted with his wife, Quita. He was beaten, bound and cut with a bladed weapon before being left for dead. He survived and provided investigators with important descriptions of the assailants and their van.
- Robert Stoeckmann — November 9, 1973 — San Francisco, California: Stoeckmann, reported as 26 or 27 in different records, survived a shooting associated with the broader Zebra series.
- Arthur Agnos — December 13, 1973 — Wisconsin and 23rd streets, San Francisco, California: Agnos, 35, was shot twice while standing near his car. Both bullets passed through his body, and he survived. He later served as mayor of San Francisco.
- Teresa DeMartini — December 20, 1973 — Central Avenue between Grove and Fulton streets, San Francisco, California: DeMartini, 21, was shot three times while parking her automobile. A fourth bullet entered her car. She survived and later selected Moore as resembling her assailant. Some secondary accounts use the pseudonym Angela Roselli for this survivor.
- Roxanne McMillan — January 28, 1974 — San Francisco, California: McMillan, 23, was shot while removing belongings from her car. She survived, and Moore and Simon were convicted of assaulting her.
- Linda Story — April 1, 1974 — Geary and Webster streets, San Francisco, California: Story, 21, was shot twice in the back during the attack that killed Thomas Rainwater. She survived despite suffering serious injuries.
- Ward Anderson — April 14, 1974 — Hayes and Fillmore streets, San Francisco, California: Anderson, 18, was shot twice while waiting near a bus stop. He survived and positively identified Moore as the gunman.
- Terry White — April 14, 1974 — Hayes and Fillmore streets, San Francisco, California: White, 15, was shot twice moments after Anderson. He survived and also positively identified Moore.
Operation Zebra
The shootings created widespread fear throughout San Francisco. Residents became afraid to walk alone, particularly after dark, because the victims appeared to have been chosen at random. Police assigned approximately 150 officers to the investigation and created a special communications frequency for information related to the attacks.
After the Shields murder, city officials implemented a controversial program under which police stopped and questioned large numbers of Black men who resembled witness descriptions. The program was condemned by civil-rights groups and challenged in court. Critics argued that thousands of innocent people were being subjected to racial profiling even though investigators were searching for only a small number of offenders.
The investigation changed when Anthony Harris contacted authorities and provided names, vehicle descriptions, addresses and information about weapons. Police placed the suspects under surveillance before arresting Moore, Simon, Green and several other men on May 1, 1974. Four men initially detained with the principal suspects were later released because authorities lacked sufficient evidence to charge them.
Trial and Convictions
Moore, Simon, Green and Cooks were indicted for conspiracy to commit murder. Moore and Simon were additionally charged with murdering Tana Smith and Jane Holly and assaulting Roxanne McMillan. Moore faced separate assault charges for shooting Terry White and Ward Anderson. Green and Cooks were prosecuted for the crimes against Quita and Richard Hague.
The trial began in March 1975 and continued for approximately one year. Jurors heard more than 200 days of proceedings and testimony from 181 witnesses. Prosecutors presented eyewitness identifications, firearms evidence, vehicle evidence and Harris’s description of the conspiracy.
Moore was found guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, the first-degree murders of Tana Smith and Jane Holly and the assaults on Roxanne McMillan, Terry White and Ward Anderson. The jury found that Moore personally used a firearm to kill Holly and to shoot White and Anderson.
Sentence and Death
On March 29, 1976, Moore, Simon, Green and Cooks were sentenced to life imprisonment, the maximum punishment permitted for their convictions under California law at the time. Moore appealed, but the California Court of Appeal upheld his convictions in 1983.
Moore remained incarcerated for the rest of his life. He died on November 15, 2017, at the California Health Care Facility in Stockton. Contemporary reports placed his age at approximately 73 to 75 because published records differ regarding his birth year.
Legacy of the Case
The Zebra murders remain one of the most frightening episodes in San Francisco’s criminal history. The confirmed series included 15 fatal victims and at least eight recognized survivors. Claims that members of the alleged Death Angels committed dozens of additional murders were publicized during and after the investigation, but those larger numbers were never conclusively established in court.
Moore’s direct responsibility was most clearly proven in the murder of Jane Holly and the shootings of Terry White and Ward Anderson. His convictions for Tana Smith’s murder and the broader conspiracy established his legal responsibility for crimes committed with Simon and the other conspirators, even when he was not identified as the person who fired every fatal shot.
The apparently random selection of victims produced extraordinary fear because ordinary people were attacked without warning and without any personal dispute. The investigation, controversial police response, yearlong trial and disputed testimony of Anthony Harris ensured that the Zebra murders would remain a significant and troubling part of San Francisco history.
