ZODIAC CIPHERS
Richard Grinell, Coventry, England
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A QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY

10/10/2020

 
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Inspector David Toschi was quoted in the July 10th 1974 San Francisco Chronicle regarding the latest May 8th and July 8th "Zodiac" communications, stating "There's no doubt in my mind about either one. I took them to a documents expert and in less than five minutes he told me positively they were in fact written by the Zodiac". There are no reputable documents examiners who could conclude in five minutes that two correspondences were written by the Zodiac Killer, if Toschi's assertions were true. There still remains much doubt over the 1974 communications to this day, as there does around the April 24th 1978 letter, with conflicting interpretations on its validity as a genuine Zodiac Killer letter. Document examiners would later disregard both the 1986 and 1987 letters, despite evidence to the contrary indicating that both these letters were penned by the real Zodiac Killer. 

Robert Prouty joined the San Diego Police Department after his service in the U.S. Air Force, before relocating to Sacramento in 1973 and working for the Department of Justice as a Questioned Documents Examiner. In the San Francisco Examiner on October 30th 1987, he stated in reference to two potential Zodiac letters "My very firm opinion is that they were not written by the authentic Zodiac. They appear to be composed of previous letters which have since been made public. All of us were hoping we'd heard the last of him", said Prouty, who analyzes about fifteen bogus Zodiac letters a year.

If we take the word of Robert Prouty, then he must have examined a minimum of 222 communications alleged to have been mailed by the Zodiac Killer over those nearly fifteen years.. Even if 20% of these were genuine, the Zodiac Killer may have mailed at least 44 communications from 1973 to October 1987. With a high degree of probability the Zodiac Killer mailed at least four, if not five communications in 1971. We therefore have a potential 222 communications ruled as bogus, when in fact some of them may have been genuine Zodiac letters - and as such - provided invaluable information as to his identity, or further insight into his movements and character? Hoping that you've "heard the last of him" is hoping for less information about the killer. More disturbing still, is how many of these communications have ended up being discarded and destroyed, when they could have contained valuable DNA evidence at a time when major breakthroughs in biological science were surfacing, along with the advancement in preservation and storage of samples pertaining to criminal investigations.         

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Very few communications have been featured since 1974. Notable examples are three in 1978, one in 1986, two in 1987 (of which one was withheld), a postcard and greeting card in 1990, and a 2001 'Happy New Year' card. If these were deemed not authentic by Questioned Document Examiner's, why release these and not the other communications between 1974 and 1987, also deemed to have been penned by hoaxers. What is the difference? 

In respect to the 1987 letter received by the Vallejo Times-Herald, Robert Prouty said it "appeared to be composed of previous letters which have since been made public". In other words, it had been copied from previous letters and was a case of mimicry. Here is what Robert Prouty stated in respect to the 1978 letter: "I examined the photographs of the April letter and those of previous letters attributed to Zodiac. My first impression was that it was in the same general style as previous letters, but after closer examination my ultimate conclusion was that there were so many differences that it was not written by the same person who wrote the previous Zodiac letters … Several letter characteristics in my opinion did not match the style used by Zodiac. The slant of some letters was not consistent with previous Zodiac communications". In summary, one was ruled out because it looked too similar to previous letters and one was ruled out because it looked too different. John Shimoda of the US Postal Service crime laboratory originally deemed the 1978 letter genuine, before reversing that decision and stating “I am of the opinion that the letter of April 24 was an attempt to duplicate Zodiac letters and is not authentic".       

There was a eight-year gap from the bulk of Zodiac communications in 1970 to the April 24th 1978 letter, and a further nine-year gap to the 1987 letter. Handwriting can change over time - and can change depending on the speed of writing, the surface you are writing on, the time of day, the style of pen you are using, the angle you are writing, the level of alcohol and drugs in your system and your health at any given time. Determining that certain letters vary slightly in style, particularly over many years - and thereby concluding a different author for the Zodiac letters - is stacked with inponderables such as these.

The Zodiac Killer contacted the Vallejo Times-Herald on July 31st 1969 in his first contact with the newspapers, but according to the Vallejo Times-Herald City Editor Mary Apanasewicz on October 30th 1987, the newspaper had never received a crank letter in the previous eighteen years. Therefore, we would have to conclude that up to 222 random hoax Zodiac letters could have been mailed between 1973 and 1987, yet not one single individual hoaxer ever wrote to the Herald. The fact that somebody wrote to them on October 28th 1987, using the same thirteen words on the envelope as the July 31st 1969 envelope, with no punctuation in either, using the full title of Vallejo Times-Herald (with both likely misspelling Herald to Herold), when the 1969 envelope had not been released into the public domain by October 28th 1987, should have told Mary Apanasewicz that she still hadn't received a hoax letter by the end of 1987 either.        
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Roger
10/10/2020 06:15:31 pm

"In less than 5 minutes he told me positively"! That is rather a bold statement for a detective to make. Maybe Bettye Harden provided some additional help as a consultant who threw in a couple of minutes of her time also? She was after all a self-professed "expert" in "graphology"! I am of course being cynical.

Richard
10/11/2020 12:53:06 am

I have read of many certified document examiner's in this case and in the case of the JonBenet Ransom note, where many document examiners reach the opposite opinion to the others. Only one truth exists - either Zodiac wrote a letter or he didn't. The fact that many of these experts come to different conclusions is testimony to the inaccuracy of the "science" (for lack of a better word).

Mr Grumpy
10/11/2020 06:50:08 am

Well in all legal proceedings both sides bring in their own "experts" to support their relative position in the case at hand.

Richard
10/11/2020 09:01:44 am

Very true, particularly in court proceedings where each expert is effectively paid to arrive at a different conclusion, or because of a contradictory position. However, in court cases the manner of of crime or death is often never clear cut. I always remember the case of Matthew Eapen and the British nanny.

Mo
10/11/2020 03:32:44 am

In what city were the two envelopes postmarked?

You’ve made a persuasive argument that both letters (as well as one from 1986) were written by Zodiac. However, there have been people obsessed with this case from the very start, including journalists or cops who may have had access to early correspondences not yet available to the public. So, there is always a possibility that someone had access to Zodiac’s early material and decided to copycat it. The possibility of insider information has been a recurring one.

It would be interesting to find out of if there were any fatal pedestrian crossings in Vallejo on Halloween of 1987 as threatened by the author.

Richard
10/11/2020 06:28:27 am

The 1986 letter was postmarked San Francisco Mo, the 1987 postmark is unreadable. There is always a slim chance that an insider mailed the 1987 letter, but we can only go on what is presented before us. I am taking the path of least resistance, because after so many years all we can do is play the percentages. The argument that the 1987 letter was an inside job can unfortunately be used for virtually every communication ever mailed by Zodiac. In other words, I could say that the Button letter was an inside job.

The Zodiac Killer was often inspired by previous newspaper articles, so I checked this out in respect to the Bay Area in the previous few weeks and the October 28th 1987 threat to run over kids. This is from a previous article.

Just over a month before the arrival of this correspondence, on September 12th 1987, Jose Santo Bugarin (26) and Rodolfo Alvaro (31) were traveling on King Road, San Jose, California when their car slammed into four children playing on the front lawn of a residence, killing three and injuring one. The driver then backed over the bodies and left the scene. Both were apprehended a short time later. "Bugarin was arrested on three counts of second-degree murder. Alvaro also was arrested on murder charges". This was covered extensively in the newspapers. Did the Zodiac Killer read the news stories of this senseless crime and callously draw inspiration from this tragedy (Cars make nice weapons), compelling him to write the above correspondence, piggybacking off newspaper articles in not dissimilar fashion to his early communications?

Richard
10/11/2020 06:45:42 am

The Zodiac Killer seemed to have one eye on San Jose, ever since the August 3rd 1969 murders.

Mo
10/11/2020 07:54:24 am

Thanks for the info Richard.

There are two reasons I bring up the insider information possibility.

First, the handwriting expert determined the letters were a copycat. If the authentic 1969 envelope was not made public before 1987, how would a copycat know to try to mimic the envelope from almost 20 years earlier? The copycat must have been somehow privy to the 1969 envelope.

Second, David Toschi’s involvement in a fake Z letter really opened up the possibility of various people involved in the case making up letters for any number of reasons.

The above being said, I agree with your path of least resistance that Zodiac probably mailed the 1987 letter. At the same time, however, there is some doubt due to the handwriting expert’s opinion and the Toschi debacle.

Richard
10/11/2020 09:21:21 am

That is all true Mo, particularly with respect to the Toschi affair. All I can say about post 1971 letters, is that I approach them with the same attitude I do with the 1969 to 1971 letters. If we automatically have a bias towards later communications before properly investigating or studying them - and judge them solely on handwriting - then we are more likely to declare them hoaxes. I know some people place more credence in handwriting than others, but there were so many differences in the handwriting on the Stine and Belli letters, which were bound by shirt pieces, that something like the Belli letter being mailed in 1985 (without a shirt piece) would probably have been dismissed as a hoax because of its deliberate and neat structure. To me (although not foolproof), it is the cleverness behind the communication and its link to the rest of the story, such as the Halloween card, 340 cipher, Pines card and Monticello card that were all interwoven with each other. The Lake Berryessa crime was an example of meaning, in that the killer didn't just stick a balaclava or bag over his head, rather he crafted a well designed hood with neat stitching according to Hartnell. Very suggestive of a killer who carefully prepared and took pride in getting into character. The 1978 letter is difficult to prove one way or another. I lean towards it being genuine Mo, but I certainly wouldn't bet my house on it. I bet there is a compelling argument yet to be had on that one.

Richard
10/11/2020 09:28:13 am

What I can say, is if 222 communications have been declared bogus by document examiners, I would bet my house on them being wrong 2 or 3 times. What I cannot say for sure, is did they compare the 1987 and 1969 envelopes, or just the handwriting on the letter to other Zodiac letters?

Roger
10/11/2020 03:59:05 pm

He "took pride" yet wore common clothes, old-style pleated trousers etc. Hartnell said he was just so common. I expect he also looked dirty and probably had bad BO, although I can't recall Hartnell mentioning this. Seems to me he wasn't all that proud as a package.

Some serial killers have gone into hiatus for many years, but somehow this idea of an occasional or sporadic killer/communicator never adds up for me when it comes to Zodiac. His early communications were dripping with ego and intent. Then suddenly he goes quiet, perhaps still killing people occasionally in "low profile" and secretive ways, being SO careful that the cases all turn into cold cases without resolution, or he simply sits back and takes credit for other murders, and still sends in an occasional taunting letter or card from time to time. Just doesn't add up for me. Turns him into some kind of phantom-like Moriarty villain if you ask me. At this rate the guy will still be alive and out there killing and posting letters when he is 130 years of age.

Judith
10/11/2020 09:44:58 am

I have never heard about the bank robbery know before. There is so much law enforcement continues to withhold. Isn't that nice.
Our oldest son is badly schizophrenic. He has written notes during bank robbers.
My pain.
Look it up with video.
Stephen Louis Plante.
There he is.
The Zodiac Killer's Son.

Shawn
10/11/2020 10:09:01 am

Some people have declared the pace, Halloween card and Tahoe cards hoaxes.

They are terrible hoaxes given that Zodiac wrote his letters out previously. iMO

They are such terrible hoaxes tells me they are probably real Zodiac communications. Halloween based on 340 and the pace, Tahoe cards based on the Halloween. Plus other interconnections with other Zodiac communications.



BB
10/11/2020 10:33:56 am

"I am mildly cerous as to how much money you have on my head now".

Cerous definition is - containing trivalent cerium.

The word ZODIAC = 58

The element Cerium = 58

On the periodic table elements the atomic number 58 = Cerium

In the numeric translation of letters z(26) + o(15) + d(4) + i(9) + a(1) + c(3) = 58

https://www.wuwm.com/post/periodic-table-elements-turns-150#stream/0

BB
10/11/2020 10:54:20 am

Cerium was named after the dwarf planet Ceres which is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships.

BB
10/11/2020 02:56:17 pm

RIP Paul Stine

51 years ago today

Roger
10/12/2020 12:26:55 am

And of course 58 - 51 = 7, being the letter "G", the initial of the killer's surname. So it's Grant or Gyke, take your pick.

Just kidding BB! :)

Scott
10/12/2020 02:49:24 pm

Richard, in 2003 I talked to Bill Baker the retired Santa Barbara County Sheriff detective about the exact issue you raise. It was late at night and Bill seemed to be speaking more frankly than when I first met him. Anyway when I asked how do "handwriting experts" know one letter is and one isn't (authentic) he basically said cops had no idea how they reached their conclusions beyond basic truisms and that they didn't completely trust them much beyond a kind of professional respect. Makes the opening paragraph of your post interesting to say the least.

Had to add your post in myself Scott, as I closed comments at the same time I diasbled comments. Thanks for that.

Richard
10/12/2020 02:36:00 pm

An inability to draw a line in the sand on other threads, has resulted in comments being taken down.


Comments are closed.
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