The Goleta Postal Massacre: Inside Jennifer San Marco’s Deadly Spiral of Paranoia and Revenge | Episode 203
On January 30, 2006, Jennifer San Marco walked into the Goleta mail processing plant where she once worked and unleashed the deadliest workplace shooting ever committed by a woman in U.S. history. Before ending her own life, she killed seven people—including six former colleagues—in a horrifying rampage that shocked California and the nation. What unfolded was a tragic case fueled by untreated mental illness, escalating paranoia, and years of bizarre behavior that went unaddressed.
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Who Was Jennifer San Marco?
Born in 1961 in Brooklyn, Jennifer San Marco seemed to have a promising start. She attended Edward R. Murrow High School and later studied natural resources management at Rutgers University, though she never completed her degree. After relocating to California in 1989, Jennifer bounced between jobs—working briefly as a corrections officer, a school lunch server, and eventually, a clerk at the U.S. Postal Service’s mail processing plant in Goleta.
Despite initially passing background checks and psychological evaluations, Jennifer’s mental health soon began to deteriorate. Neighbors and co-workers reported increasingly erratic behavior, including public screaming, racial outbursts, and conversations with herself. She was twice removed from the mail plant for disruptive incidents, including crawling under a machine and refusing to come out.
Bizarre Behavior and Alarming Warnings
Following her second removal from the plant in 2003, Jennifer was placed on psychological disability retirement. She sold her condo and moved to New Mexico, where her behavior became even more disturbing. She attempted to launch a racist newsletter called The Racist Press, applied for a business license to make cat food, and was repeatedly seen talking to herself or kneeling in public places.
Despite multiple alarming encounters—including complaints about public nudity, stalking behavior at a post office, and deeply paranoid rants—Jennifer was never formally committed or arrested. In 2005, she legally purchased a 9mm handgun from a pawn shop. Because she had never been adjudicated mentally unfit, the background check cleared.
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The Goleta Shooting Spree
On January 30, 2006, Jennifer returned to California. Her rampage began with the murder of Beverly Graham, a former neighbor who had complained about Jennifer’s disruptive behavior. She then drove to the Goleta postal plant and forced her way in by stealing an ID badge at gunpoint.
Inside, Jennifer shot and killed six employees, reloading at least once during the massacre. Some workers managed to escape, fleeing to a nearby fire station. Jennifer ended the spree by taking her own life inside the facility.
In total, seven lives were lost, making it the deadliest shooting at a postal facility in two decades—and the most lethal workplace shooting by a woman in U.S. history.
The Aftermath and Unanswered Questions
Authorities searched Jennifer’s New Mexico home and uncovered journals filled with paranoia and conspiracy theories. Her writings mentioned the postal service, law enforcement, and local medical centers, but they lacked clarity or direct connections to her crimes.
Despite speculation about racial motives—most of the victims were people of color—investigators found no concrete evidence to support that theory. Experts believe untreated mental illness and intense paranoia were the main drivers behind the massacre.
More than 1,200 people attended the funeral of one victim, Charlotte Colton, and a permanent memorial with six trees and a plaque was installed at the Goleta facility. Security measures at postal facilities nationwide were reevaluated and strengthened in response to the tragedy.
Remembering the Victims
The Goleta shooting left a scar on the community—but also sparked remembrance, reflection, and systemic change. Former coworkers and loved ones continue to honor the victims’ memories, remembering them for their kindness, dedication, and strength.
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