Avery Williams

Paul Avery, born Paul Stuart Depew II, was an American journalist whose career spanned several decades, most notably at the San Francisco Chronicle and The Sacramento Bee. He gained significant recognition for his investigative reporting on the notorious Zodiac Killer case, where he uncovered a previously unlinked murder, and later for his extensive coverage of the Patty Hearst kidnapping and subsequent trial. Avery's work often delved into complex criminal investigations, demonstrating a commitment to uncovering details beyond the initial scope of law enforcement.

His career also included a period reporting from Vietnam during the conflict, where he co-founded a freelance photojournalism organization. Despite facing significant health issues later in life, including emphysema, Avery continued his journalistic pursuits. He was married to Margo St. James, a notable feminist organizer. Avery's life and work, particularly his involvement with the Zodiac case, were later depicted in popular media.

Paul Avery rose to prominence as a journalist for his tenacious reporting on the Zodiac Killer, a serial murderer active in Northern California. While initially believed to operate solely in the Bay Area, Avery's investigation led him to connect a 1966 murder in Riverside to the Zodiac's known activities. This discovery brought him directly into the killer's focus, resulting in the Zodiac sending Avery a direct, albeit misspelled, threat via a Halloween card. The journalist's pursuit of the story was so intense that colleagues playfully sported "I Am Not Paul Avery" buttons, a testament to his central role in the public's understanding of the case. Avery's reporting significantly expanded the perceived geographical reach of the Zodiac's crimes.

Following his work on the Zodiac case, Avery turned his attention to another high-profile event: the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst. Collaborating with fellow reporter Tim Findley, Avery produced a series of in-depth stories that chronicled the heiress's abduction and shed light on the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), the revolutionary group responsible. He covered the case extensively until Hearst's arrest. During this period, Avery also co-authored a book, "The Voices of Guns," with Boston writer Vin McLellan, further documenting the SLA and the Hearst incident. Later, while working for The Sacramento Bee, Avery was instrumental in exonerating an innocent man wrongly accused of murder, showcasing his continued dedication to justice within his journalistic practice.

Avery's life was marked by both professional dedication and personal adversity. During his time reporting from Vietnam, he sustained a spinal fracture after being thrown from an armored vehicle by a falling tree limb. In his later years, he was diagnosed with emphysema, a progressive lung disease that significantly impacted his health. Despite this debilitating condition, Avery remained committed to his work in journalism until his death. He passed away from complications of pulmonary emphysema in 2000. At the time of his death, he was married to Margo St. James, an advocate for sex worker rights and founder of COYOTE. He was also a father to two daughters from a previous marriage.