The brutal stabbing and murder of Robert Michael Salem on April 15th 1970 is so much more compelling as a potential Zodiac crime compared to other outlier murders linked to the Bay Area killer. I will do a brief run through of what we know so far, before adding a little more to the equation. This additional information will include the Good Citizen letter mailed to Sergeant John Lynch on October 7th 1969, just four days before the murder of Paul Stine in Presidio Heights. 

The Melvin Belli letter mailed on December 20th 1969 appeared to invoke the Frances Brown murder scene on December 10th 1945 at her 3941 North Pine Grove apartment in Chicago. She had been stabbed multiple times, with the knife discovered protruding from her neck. Her killer (supposedly William Heirens} had left an ominous message written in red lipstick on the wall of her apartment stating "For heavens Sake catch me Before I kill more. I cannot control myself". The Zodiac Killer had written on the Melvin Belli letter "I will loose all controol of myself. Please help me. I can not remain in control for much longer". The message on the wall of Frances Brown's apartment was written above a table lamp. It was therefore uncanny that the Zodiac Killer's next correspondence arrived on April 20th 1970, on the same day that the San Francisco Chronicle published details regarding the murder of Robert Salem, in which the killer wrote a message on the wall in blood -. and Robert Salem was a lamp designer, having them displayed in museums and art fairs around the world. If the statement of "I hope you have fun trying to figgure out who I killed" on the April 20th 1970 letter wasn't Robert Salem, it is extremely fortunate timing off the back of the Melvin Belli letter four months previously.  

For a copycat killer to read into the wording contained within the Melvin Belli letter, authenticated as Zodiac correspondence, and place Zodiac on the wall of Robert Salem's 745 Stevenson Street, San Francisco apartment in similar fashion to the Frances Brown murder scene, would take a special form of insight. Unless of course, it was the Zodiac Killer who murdered the lamp designer. This drives to the heart of the question - of whether the Zodiac Killer had crossed paths with Robert Salem in the preceding months to his murder - and was specifically targeted by the Bay Area murderer. By murdering somebody of relative acclaim and scrawling his pseudonym on the wall, he could certainly expect front page coverage in the Chronicle. We have speculated that the Zodiac Killer had a penchant for the dramatic, with his references to The Mikado, his Lake Berrryessa costume and the style of his communications. He certainly appeared to have artistic leanings. If the Zodiac Killer had befriended Robert Salem, then it may have come through a mutual love of the arts, either through a museum, the theater or an arts and crafts fair. 

The San Francisco Chronicle article on April 20th 1970 stated that "Salem's designs have been exhibited in England, Japan and Russia under State Department cultural exchange programs. Until last year (1969) he had been the lighting designer for restoration of the historic Haslett Warehouse on Hyde Street". In fact, the address is given as 680 Beach Street at Hyde, Russian Hill, San Francisco. It is situated just 1.5 miles from where Paul Stine began his fateful journey on October 11th 1969. Here is the view of the Haslett Warehouse from 700 Beach Street, just across the intersection of Hyde Road.  

"During the 1960s, California was the site of many outdoor art fairs, which nurtured a culture of independent artists and craftspersons. At this time there was an effort to sell crafts on the sidewalks of the liberal Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Artists and street performers who illegally set up in public areas were frequently harassed and arrested by the police. In the 700 block of Beach Street adjacent to Victorian Park and near Fisherman's Wharf, between 15 and 25 artists would set up their displays and use lookouts to alert them to the arrival of the police". Wikipedia. This certainly would have attracted the attention of somebody like Robert Salem, who was working at the Haslett Warehouse just yards away. Is it possible the Zodiac Killer crossed paths with Salem at an art and crafts fair such as this? I wouldn't normally attempt to use such a speculative link but for October 7th 1969 Good Citizen letter, possibly mailed to Sergeant John Lynch from the Zodiac Killer.

With immense gratitude to Rubislaw32,  this correspondence was mailed on October 7th 1969, just two months after the "concerned citizen" card and four days before the murder of Paul Stine in Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969. It has been dubbed the "good citizen" letter, postmarked San Mateo and signed ''A good citizen", with a footnote from Sergeant John Lynch. It stated that the writer has a strong feeling of ESP. While having these feelings, the writer writes with a pencil. On occasion, while thinking of the code letters, the pencil wrote: ''Go to 56 Beach Street. I get the name Jerry, perhaps he knows people or his name is XXXXXXX''. This letter referenced Beach Street, where Robert Salem worked during the latter months of 1969. So we have four intersecting points of interest - an art and crafts fair on Beach Street, where artist Robert Salem likely worked during the mailing of the October 7th 1969 "Beach Street" letter, with Paul Stine picking up his killer just 1.5 miles south, only four days later. It may not be compelling, but the possibility exists that the Zodiac Killer crossed paths with the lamp designer before April 15th 1970 and murdered him at his 745 Stevenson Street apartment, all while inspired by the December 20th 1969 Melvin Belli letter some four months earlier.

Joe Stine, brother of victim Paul Stine, who was murdered in Presidio Heights on October 11th 1969 by the Zodiac Killer, issued a challenge from Modesto on a KPIX news report. He was asked on October 22nd 1969 "What is the feeling among them (law enforcement) and people here in the city that you may be drawing the Zodiac here unnecessarily". Joe Stine replied "I haven't even considered these people on this, I am very selfish on this". Joe Stine lived and worked in Modesto as a mechanic..

The Zodiac Killer had struck in the Bay Area four times, so what was the likelihood he would now bypass this area and other closer cities and make the 150 mile round trip to Modesto from Vallejo (assuming he lived there or close by). This was the first time the Zodiac Killer was publicly challenged by a murder victim's famiy member, drawing ire from investigators and some people in Modesto towards Joe Stine for effectively enticing the killer into their midst - and we know how Zodiac rose to being challenged or questioned in the newspapers. If we believe the account of Kathleen Johns, the next time the Zodiac would resurface would be in Modesto exactly 5 months later. If this abduction was the work of the Bay Area murderer, was this simply a coincidence or had the Zodiac Killer chosen Modesto deliberately to add to the frustrations of law enforcement and bring condemnation upon the brother of Paul Stine?

If the Zodiac Killer lived in the Bay Area, would he really travel this distance late at night solely for the purpose of disabling a woman's vehicle and taking her on a trip around Tracy for upwards of two hours, unless it was important to strike fear into the people of Modesto in a wilful and deliberate choice on his part? After the challenge by Joe Stine on October 22nd 1969, two communications would arrive at the San Francisco Chronicle. The first contained the hidden message of Paradice and Slaves, along with By Gun, By Rope, By Knife and By Fire clockwise in each quadrant, effectively mimicking the Halloween card that would arrive nearly one year later. The second correspondence opened with the words "This is the Zodiac speaking up to the end of Oct I have killed 7 people. I have grown rather angry with the police for their telling lies about me. So I shall change the way the collecting of slaves. I shall no longer announce to anyone. When I committ my murders, they shall look like routine robberies, killings of anger, + a few fake accidents, etc".

The Zodiac Killer had already completed his attacks using a gun, rope and knife in that order, so what were the odds that his next attack after the challenge by Joe Stine would be in Modesto, use fire as part of the crime and attempt to imitate a fake accident, thereby changing his way of collecting slaves. The answer may have come five months later on March 22nd 1970, when the abductor of Kathleen Johns took her into nearby Tracy, but inexplicably headed back towards Modesto before she escaped into a field along Highway 132. Then for some unexplained reason decided to set fire to her vehicle, even though there seemed no purpose in doing so. If the Zodiac Killer had deposited any fingerprints on her vehicle by "snapping off the lights, and pocketing the keys" as Robert Graysmith claimed in his book, then it was a far easier task to just wipe down the couple of places he touched. Setting fire to her vehicle by the side of Highway 132 to extinguish fingerprints was totally unnecessary, unless of course, the Zodiac Killer wanted to satisfy the "by fire" element in his agenda.

Was the Zodiac Killer's choice of disabling the wheel of Kathleen Johns vehicle and subsequent abduction, based somewhat on the article above, making the deliberate choice of taking her on a two-hour ride of terror in order to bring condemnation back onto Joe Stine for the challenge he laid down in the media. It would also have had the added "noze rubed in your booboos" effect for law enforcement, who were initially upset and perplexed by the actions of Joe Stine.  

Did the Zodiac Killer pick up the trail of Kathleen Johns in Modesto as she passed near the area where Joe Stine worked at the Richfield Service Station at 706 Sutter Avenue? Her journey along Highway 99, before turning west onto Highway 132, would have taken her only 4,750 feet from the Richfield Service Station. If this were the case, then we have the challenge laid down by Joe Stine in Modesto, followed by two communications that included "by fire" and "fake accidents", with the Zodiac Killer turning up in Modesto within one mile of the Richfield Service Station and subsequently disabling Kathleen Johns vehicle before setting it on fire. Does such a departure from his previous crimes pour doubt on this as a Zodiac attack, or is the Modesto connection reason enough to forge a viable fifth attack into the hands of the Bay Area murderer? 

In the following analysis we shall look at the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966 from the standpoint of science and the most accurate measurements we have to pinpoint the time of her murder. This will hopefully clarify some of the events surrounding her untimely demise. If we use the body temperature measurements taken by Surgeon F. Rene Modglin at 9:23 am on October 31st 1966, it concluded she had been dead between 9 and 12 hours. This would place the time of her death at between 9.23 pm and 12:23 am. This encompasses the time earwithnesses heard screams from the alleyway at around 10:30 pm. However, the stomach contents paint an altogether different picture.  

Cheri Jo Bates attended church on the morning of October 30th 1966, before heading off with her father for breakfast at 5201 Arlington Avenue. When they arrived home just shy of 10:00 am, Joseph Bates prepared for his day out at the beach leaving Cheri Jo Bates alone in the 4195 Via San Jose residence for approximately seven hours. We know Cheri Jo Bates was in her house because she called her friend Stephanie Guttman at 3:45 pm, and we know she left her residence about 5:00 pm because her father arrived back at the residence shortly after 5:00 pm and saw that his daughter had pinned a note to the refrigerator door stating "Dad - Went to RCC library". He discovered plates and dishes in the drainer of the kitchen, and realized she had prepared herself a meal, including roast beef. Cheri Jo Bates could conceivably have eaten this meal at anytime between when she arrived home from breakfast to just before she left for the library. However, it is fair to assume the latest she ate the meal was between 4:30 pm and 4:45 pm, thereby allowing her time to wash the dishes and prepare herself for the fifteen minute journey to the library. Whether she went directly to the library is unknown, but she left her 4195 Via San Jose residence at about 5:00 pm. This is crucial when we consider the time of death estimate given by F. Rene Modglin regarding the stomach contents at autopsy.

There are no lesions of the peritoneum, omastum or mesentery. There are no lesions of the oesophagus. The stomach contains at least 100 millilitres of thick food with particulate food particles in which are easily recognized reasonably large pieces of apparently beef along with vegetable particles being either and/or celery and onion and white curd like particles floating in the gastric contents that appear to be either milk or cottage cheese. There is no lesion of the stomach, duodenum, remaining small bowel or large bowel including the rectum. The 120 gram pancreas is in its usual position and has no lesion of its surface or interior.

One milliliter is one cubic centimeter - so imagine 100 sugar cubes that are one centimeter on each side when considering the volume of the stomach contents. F. Rene Modglin, based on these contents and reasonably large pieces of beef in the stomach, concluded that Cheri Jo Bates "had eaten a supper type meal no more than 2-4 hours before her death". Houston, we have a problem.

The latest possible time Cheri Jo Bates could have consumed this meal was 4:45 pm, placing her death at the earliest at 6:45 pm, and at the latest 8:45 pm, meaning she couldn't have been in the library that evening between these hours. Bearing in mind that, other than the Mexican-American student who noticed her about the time the library doors opened at 6:00 pm, none of her friends set eyes on her in the cramped library that evening. If the stomach content analysis by F. Rene Modglin is correct, this backs up the notion of the young woman discharging her three library books and leaving almost immediately - and hence why nobody in the library remembers seeing her. However, we have another massive problem. The stomach contents analysis places her time of death between 6:45 pm and 8:45 pm, but the body temperature analysis places her time of death between 9:23 pm and 12:23 am. If Cheri Jo Bates had ate her supper type meal any earlier than 4:45 pm the discrepancy only increases. F. Rene Modglin stated that Cheri Jo Bates "had eaten a supper type meal no more than 2-4 hours before her death", making the latest estimate of 8:45 pm completely at odds with the scream heard by two earwithnesses at about 10:30 pm. The body temperatures analysis fits with this scenario, but the stomach contents analysis falls well short. This discrepancy has to be reconciled.  

We effectively have a shortfall of 1 hour and 45 minutes from the latest time of death based on stomach contents, to the screams heard in the alleyway. This gap must be bridged, in order to bring the stomach content analysis into line with the body temperatures analysis. Ray Grant, an avid Zodiac researcher, has suggested an abduction theory - and while I don't necessarily believe this is the only viable answer - it does bridge the gap between 8:45 pm and 10:30 pm. Ray Grant has often suggested that Cheri Jo Bates digestion process could have markedly slowed down or even stopped, during a period of severe terror or stress - he claims - as a result of being abducted. While not everybody may concur with his conclusion of abduction, if the stomach contents of Cheri Jo Bates placed her death no later than 8:45 pm, when it's reasonable to conclude the time was nearer to 10:30 pm, then something must have slowed or greatly reduced her digestive function.

When determining whether the author of the Confession letter mailed on November 29th 1966 was the killer, little attention is paid to the autopsy report. Although the basics of the attack on Cheri Jo Bates was covered in the newspapers such as "stabbed in the back, arms and face, and her throat slashed" (which is only partially accurate), is there anything else in the autopsy report that could lend weight to the murderer and author being the same person. The retelling of the attack on Cheri Jo Bates over the last 53 years has for a large part been totally inaccurate, with the notion of a frenzied knife attack and Cheri Jo Bates receiving countless stab wounds and nearly decapitated, totally unsubstantiated by the autopsy report of Surgeon F. Rene Modglin (46). The autopsy report paints a totally different picture. In the last article the complete findings of the autopsy report was written in text form, to provide an easily readable reference point and allow people to 'cut and paste' any details that they require. If we are to determine whether the author of the Confession letter was the killer, then we have to examine its contents in relation to publicly unreleased details contained within the autopsy report. Here is a basic overview of the wounds inflicted on Cheri Jo Bates in picture form, however, to understand the entire autopsy report, open the last article in a new tab for quick and easy reference.

The Confession letter stated "Her breast felt very warm and firm under my hands" and went on to say "I shall cut off her female parts and deposit them for the whole city to see".  It therefore should be noted that the autopsy report only detailed three wounds to the young woman's chest - two in the left breast and one in the right. Here are the three entries.
[10]  A 1.4 cm fresh vertical gaping sharp edge laceration in the upper medial quadrant of the left breast in the second ICB (Intercostal block).  
[11] A 1.9 cm gaping sharp edge fresh laceration of the lower medial quadrant of the right breast in the third inner space.
[12] A 1.7 cm mainly transverse fresh laceration of the skin of the left chest over the 5th rib and centered about 2 cm medial to the left vertical nipple line.

Was this indicative of a killer primarily targeting the sexual organs of Cheri Jo Bates, or quite possibly targeting the heart for a fatal strike? Surgeon F. Rene Modglin described no substantive damage to any of the major or minor organs below the neck line, only "two moderately superficial lacerations in the anterior and medial of the left lung". This lies in close proximity to the heart, nestled near the midline of the chest cavity. The two strikes to the left breast undoubtedly responsible for the superficial damage to the anterior of the left lobe of the lung. It is these wounds that likely gave F. Rene Modglin the estimate for the minimum knife length, based on the entry point on the breast, along with the depth of the left lung and angle of the wound. He estimated "the minimum instrument dimensions for the knife blade would be half inch wide and three and a half inches long". However, this is only a minimum estimate, so the knife could have been a lot longer - further backed up by his comments at the end of the autopsy, where he added "There were no tell tale marks to indicate it had been plunged in up to the hilt". If no hilt marks could be observed, there is no way to fully determine the length of the knife and hence why F. Rene Modglin only gave a minimum estimate.   

There was no major damage to any of the major organs in the torso of Cheri Jo Bates, despite the fact a 3 1/2 inch knife blade certainly has the capability to achieve such a feat. Other than the two superficial 'lacerations' on the left lung, the attack on Cheri Jo Bates doesn't appear like a killer who used brute force in a full frontal attack. In fact, most of the wounds to her body appear lateral with little depth penetration. This could be interpreted in several ways, such as an inexperienced assailant, a less than powerful attacker, or a controlled murder by more than one person (one restraining and one attacking). There is no way to confidently determine the order of the wounds, as F. Rene Modglin concluded, stating "the sequence of the lacerations of the neck cannot be fully established nor is there any reasonable suggestion of their order of occurrence by examination of the body". It also cannot be concluded by reading the autopsy report the number of assailants involved in the October 30th 1966 murder.

The Confession letter continued, claiming "She let out a scream once and I kicked her in the head to shut her up. I plunged the knife into her and it broke. I then finished the job out cutting her throat". The only wounds to partly corroborate that the killer "kicked her in the head" was entry number two and three in the autopsy report.
[2] A 2 cm oblique ragged edge fresh non gaping laceration of the upper lip on the left side, that angles laterally from above and extends completely through the thickness of the lip. The teeth behind are not loose or broken.
[3] A dark blue-gray slightly swollen discoloration of mainly the mucocutanous portions of the upper and lower lips of the right side, involving a 2 cm greatest diameter.

A 2 cm ragged edge laceration (as described in the last article) is indicative of blunt force trauma compressing or shearing the lip either from an object, fist or possibly a foot. This could have been a glancing blow across her face because the autopsy report described no broken or loose teeth. Although this doesn't necessarily preclude a direct impact to the lip or mouth. The Confession letter author was effectively concluding his attack on Cheri Jo Bates when he stated "I plunged the knife into her and it broke. I then finished the job out cutting her throat". This may have been partially truthful, in that a knife with a hinge mechanism could have collapsed, causing him to end the attack and primarily use the knife as a slashing instrument on her throat to "finish the job out". There was only one wound to Cheri Jo Bates' back, so it isn't difficult to conclude this strike was delivered when she was lying face down in the alleyway (and the position her body was ultimately found by investigators). This wound is described in the autopsy report.
[26] A 1.5 cm laceration in the skin of the back on the left side that is fresh, has sharp edge and gape.  It is horizontally orientated and its medial and is about 2 cm lateral to the midline and opposite the spinous process of T7 (7th thoracic vertebrae found in the middle of the chest). 

Skeletal and Muscular Systems: There is a 1.5 cm oblique cut in the bony portion of the 5th rib anteriorly on the left corresponding somewhat to the skin lacerations over it. There are no other bony lesions - and fractures are looked for. The lacerations of skeletal and muscle have been mentioned under specific areas. 

The 1.7 cm laceration to the skin of the left chest over the 5th rib and 2 cm medial to the vertical nipple line, somewhat corresponds to the 1. 5 cm oblique cut in the bony portion of the 5th rib anteriorly - and therefore very likely related to one another. If the knife of the assailant had struck this bony process, then it is quite possible that this was the blow described by the killer when he bragged "I plunged the knife into her and it broke". However, this would have been one of the strikes to the breast, rather than to the back, so although the killer claimed the knife broke, it didn't necessarily have to break when it caused this 1.5 cm cut in the bony portion.

Apart from a 4 cm gaping laceration to Cheri Jo Bates' right upper arm, every single laceration described in the autopsy is 2 cm or less, more reminiscent of slashing type injuries in a dynamic and uncontrolled struggle (or torturing). The vast majority of the wounds were to the hands, fingers, neck and face. It could be suggestive of a killer who began his assault striking at her breasts or heart, before switching focus to her head region, and culminating the attack by inflicting multiple lacerations to her neck region which resulted in the severing of her right carotid artery and both superficial jugular veins.
[8] The anterior neck skin extensively and irregularly lacerated with marked gaping. A deep cut in the thyroid cartilage on both sides and the right common carotid is completely transected as well as the right superficial jugular vein.

The abrasions described at autopsy were limited to the face and hands. One explanation could be when Cheri Jo Bates was transitioned from upright to lying face down in the alleyway with force. Being thrown or slammed down onto a hard surface would inevitably produce injuries to the face, hands and fingers, as one attempts to break their fall. Having your head violently pressed into the alleyway floor under duress could also have resulted in the criss-crossing patterns described on her left cheek.
[6] An area of dark blue-gray discoloration of the skin of the left cheek and chin involving mainly the anterior two of the lacerations just mentioned. It is also criss-crossed by a few fine linear abrasions.

Entry [4] described numerous petechia in the skin of the forehead. These can be caused by manual compression, asphyxiation or strangulation, causing small blood vessels to burst into the skin. Petechiae may be seen on the face (including forehead) and in the whites of the eyes or on the inside of the eyelids.

Petechiae are the small pinpoint collection of blood lying in the skin, the sclera or the conjunctivae and under thoracic serous membranes. They vary in size from tenth of a millimetre to about two millimetres. The petechiae are caused by acute rise in venous pressure that in turn causes over distension and rupture of thin walled peripheral venules, especially in lax tissues, such as the eyelid, and in unsupported serous membranes, such as the visceral pleura and epicardium. This mechanism of raised venous pressure may be supported by the fact that they are rarely found in the victims dying of obstruction to air passages by means other than compression of neck, or from breathing some inert gas. Thus, petechiae are seen most often in the face and eyes of victims of compression of the neck (hanging/ strangulation) or fixation of the chest (traumatic asphyxia).
Link.

This means that Cheri Jo Bates was likely manually restrained at some point, either by compression of the chest cavity, or by compression of the neck by strangulation or being held in a form of choke-hold. The author of the Confession letter described "grabbing her around the neck with my hand over her mouth and my other hand with a small knife at her throat". The combination of strenuous exertion and a restricted airway likely responsible for the burst blood vessels in her forehead. This description by the killer of grabbing her throat immediately preceding the wording "she went very willingly", probably causing the  temporary loss of consciousness. F. Rene Modglin in his conclusions highlighted "the time interval of minutes might make one wonder why she wouldn't scream and run for help, however, it is very likely that the suddenness and fear caused by the attack caused her to faint, hence, allowing for many loud and long calls for help". Or more likely, she temporarily fainted due to lack of oxygen to the brain. Cheri Jo Bates was likely able to summon up one final desperate scream before being thrown to the ground - and with the killer kneeling over her, he likely delivered the fatal lacerations to her neck and right carotid artery. Sadly, her valiant resistance ended on a deserted and dirty alleyway.   
 
In summary, we have twenty-six entries in the autopsy report and not one single organ below the neck line received any fatal damage, other than the two superficial marks received by the anterior and medial of the left lung. This is not indicative of a sustained and prolonged thrusting attack, but for the three wounds to her breasts and nothing below the wound of her right breast in the thorax and abdomen region. This is not to say it wasn't a vicious and cruel murder, which it undoubtedly was - but the picture painted of a killer plunging the knife into Cheri Jo Bates a dozen or more times, is a false one.   

We also cannot determine with any great confidence that the Confession letter was the killer, unless we can inextricably bind the "kick to the head" to the lip damage, or the knife breaking to the wound by T7 and the back during the latter stages of the attack. Whatever the case, the desperate search for her killer or killers rages on.

THE CHERI JO BATES AUTOPSY FINDINGS - PART ONE
THE CHERI JO BATES AUTOPSY FINDINGS - PART THREE

Glossary of Terms
Abrasion: An area damaged by scraping. 
Injury to superficial skin epithelium due to sliding force, compression or pressure; i.e. scrape

• Patterned abrasion: injury in which a pattern is transferred from the impacting object or intermediary material (i.e. clothing); can be used to identify weapon
• Road rash is an abrasion caused by the road surface; commonly seen in pedestrian-motor vehicle accidents (MVA) or bicycle accidents
• Antemortem abrasions are usually reddish brown; postmortem abrasions are yellow or transparent (due to absence of blood flow). Link.

Anterior: Nearer the front, In the front of the body.
Axillary: Relating to the armpit or corresponding part.
Dorsum: The dorsal (back) of a structure.
Intercostal: Situated between the ribs.
Interphalangeal: Occurring between the phalanges (bones of fingers and toes).
Laceration: A tear in the skin or flesh.
Although emergency medicine providers commonly describe any break in the skin as a laceration, this terminology is forensically and technically incorrect. A laceration is defined as a tear in tissue caused by a shearing or crushing force. Therefore, a laceration is the result of a blunt-trauma mechanism. A laceration is further characterized by incomplete separation of stronger tissue elements, such as blood vessels and nerves. These stronger tissue elements account for “tissue bridging” which is seen in lacerations. In addition, lacerations commonly occur over bony prominences and tend to be irregularly shaped with abraded or contused margins. Lacerations are typically caused by hard objects like a pipe, rock, or the ground. An easy way to remember the difference is to think of a glass beer bottle. If someone takes the bottle and smashes it over someone’s head and the skin is opened, that is a laceration. If a person breaks the bottle on a table and uses the piece to slash someone, it is an incised wound. Link.
Medially: Situated or pertaining to the middle. 
Oblique: Neither parallel or at a right angle.
Petechia: A small red or purple spot caused by bleeding into the skin.
Subcutaneous: Situated or applied under the skin.
Thoracic: Relating to the thorax (cavity enclosed by the ribs), or between neck and abdomen.
Transected: Cut across or make transverse section in.

Chronology.
31st October 1966
07:15: Called at home by Chief Deputy Coroner William J. Dykes about the possibility of a homicide. 
08:30: Called at office by Chief Deputy Coroner William J. Dykes to proceed to 3680 Terracina Street, Riverside, California.
09:05: Arrived at scene. Body in capris, white sandals without socks or hose and loose pick moderately heavy blouse. Laying mainly face down.
09:24: Body examined at site; skin surface cool, rigor present in all extremities but more so in lower than superior members.
09:31: Liver temperatures 26 and 28 degrees celsius.
10:50: I helped remove clothes.
11:00: Autopsy started and several hairs removed from base of right thumb and placed in a 4 by 1 1/2 inch clear plastic container held by Detective Earl T. Brown. I removed blood from the heart. Subsequently placed in the laboratory refrigerator. 
13:42: Autopsy completed.
1 November 1966: Vaginal swab washing sediment smears made; no spermatazoa identified.
2 November 1966: Blood typed AB; Rh. (D) positive.
3 November 1966: Tests for barbiturates, narcotics and ethanol - negative.  

External Examination. Autopsy Surgeon F. Rene Modglin, M.D.
[1] Green eyes and brown scalp hair.

[2] A 2 cm oblique ragged edge fresh non gaping laceration of the upper lip on the left side, that angles laterally from above and extends completely through the thickness of the lip. The teeth behind are not loose or broken.

[3] A dark blue-gray slightly swollen discoloration of mainly the mucocutanous portions of the upper and lower lips of the right side, involving a 2 cm greatest diameter.

[4] Numerous petechia in the skin of the forehead.

[5] An in line series of three fresh lacerations of the skin of the left cheek, angling from above in front slightly downward and posteriorly. The anterior is 2 cm long, the intermediate 0.5 cm long and the posterior one 2 cm long. The overall length is about 3 cm and all extend into the superficial subcutaneous tissue, but do not gape.

[6] An area of dark blue-gray discoloration of the skin of the left cheek and chin involving mainly the anterior two of the lacerations just mentioned. It is also criss-crossed by a few fine linear abrasions.

[7] The midline chin skin dark blue-gray over a 3 cm greatest diameter and criss-crossed by several fine line abrasions.

[8] The anterior neck skin extensively and irregularly lacerated with marked gaping. A deep cut in the thyroid cartilage on both sides and the right common carotid is completely transected as well as the right superficial jugular vein.

[9] A gaping, about 1.5 cm oblique fresh laceration of the skin of the right anterior axillary fold, centered 5 cm from the apex produced by the anterior axillary fold and the right arm. It is probed into the subcutaneous tissue about 1 cm.

[10]  A 1.4 cm fresh vertical gaping sharp edge laceration in the upper medial quadrant of the left breast in the second ICB (Intercostal block).  

[11] A 1.9 cm gaping sharp edge fresh laceration of the lower medial quadrant of the right breast in the third inner space.

[12] A 1.7 cm mainly transverse fresh laceration of the skin of the left chest over the 5th rib and centered about 2 cm medial to the left vertical nipple line.

[13] A 4 cm gaping fresh sharp edge, mainly horizontal laceration of the right upper arm anterior and medially that extends through the fat and into the muscle.

[14] A 1.5 cm greatest diameter fresh abrasion with dark blue discoloration of the skin at the base of the dorsum of the right thumb.

[15] A few light linear criss-crossing abrasions of the skin of the dorsum of the right hand involving mainly the medial half over the metacarpals.

[16] Two abrasions, each about 1 cm in greatest diameter, in the skin at the base of the dorsum of the right middle finger.

[17] A 2-3 mm fresh abrasion of the skin of the dorsum of the middle of the right 4th finger.

[18] Considerable partially dried blood over the hand and especially about the fingers and under the unpainted moderately long (2-3 mm) but not carefully manicured fingernails.

[19] Two fresh 3-5 mm greatest diameter abrasions in the skin over the 2nd IP (interphalangeal) joint of the lateral aspect of the right index finger.

[20] An irregular 1.3 cm greatest diameter recent abrasion of the skin over the 2nd IP joint of the medial aspect of the right little finger.

[21] A more or less AP interrupted fine abrasion type laceration in the skin of the base of the medial aspect of the right little finger.

[22] A curved and interrupted moderately deep laceration (2 cm overall} in the skin of the base of the lateral aspect of the right index finger.

[23] Two somewhat abraded fresh lacerations of the skin of the volar surface of the left forearm more or less in the mid portion. They run from lateral to medial, the longer is 4 cm and the shorter is 3.5 cm and more lateral than the former. These extend into the subcutaneous tissue.

[24] A more or less Y shape laceration in the skin of the dorsum of the left hand medially and at the junction of the wrist and hand.

[25] An irregular laceration of the skin of the dorsum of the left hand in line with the middle finger and is about the mid area.

[26] A 1.5 cm laceration in the skin of the back on the left side that is fresh, has sharp edge and gape.  It is horizontally orientated and its medial and is about 2 cm lateral to the midline and opposite the spinous process of T7 (7th thoracic vertebrae found in the middle of the chest).     

Neck Organs:
The thyroid cartilage is obliquely cut on each side. Each cut is about 3 cm long and angles from lateral above to medially below forming a somewhat Y shape structure with the apex at about the mid portion of the thyroid cartilage anteriorly. The upper edges are cut much deeper than the inferior portions. The medial edges of the upper portions of the right and left lobes of the thyroid are partially incised. The right and left superficial jugular veins are completely transected. The right common carotid artery is completely transected about 2 cm above its origin.
Cardiovascular System: 
The about 200 gram heart is in a pericardial sac that has no lesion of either surface or the space. There is no significant coronary artery disease, congenital anomaly, endocardial fibroelastosis or significant dilatios.

Respiratory System:
The about 400 gram lung is free in its pleural sac and has no lesion of its surface or interior. The about 400 gram left lung is also free in its pleural space. Two moderately superficial lacerations are in the anterior and medial of its upper lobe. There is no significant foreign body obstruction of the trachobronchial tree, pulmonary embola significant atelectasis (collapse of lung tissue with loss of volume), emphysema, pneumonia, significant hemorrhage into the lining of the larynx or about the other soft tissues about the larynx.
Gastrointestinal System:
There are no lesions of the peritoneum, omastum or mesentery. There are no lesions of the oesophagus. The stomach contains at least 100 millilitres of thick food with particulate food particles in which are easily recognized reasonably large pieces of apparently beef along with vegetable particles being either and/or celery and onion and white curd like particles floating in the gastric contents that appear to be either milk or cottage cheese. There is no lesion of the stomach, duodenum, remaining small bowel or large bowel including the rectum. The 120 gram pancreas is in its usual position and has no lesion of its surface or interior.
Hepatic System:
The about 1250 gram liver is in its usual position and has no lesion of its surface or interior. A gallbladder is present with no lesion of the wall or lumen including calculi and there are no lesions of the remaining extrahepatic biliary duct system.
Lymphocytic System:
The about 90 gram spleen is in its usual position and has no lesion of its surface or interior. There are no significant lymph node changes in the thorax or abdomen.
Urinary System:
Each about 160 gram kidney has a capsule that strips easily leaving a smooth cortical surface with no lesion. The interiors have the usual cortical and medullary markings with no lesions and there are no lesions of the calyceal systems, renal pelvis, urethra or urinal bladder.   
Reproductive System:
The external genitalia are those of an adult female. The vaginal orifice has no hymen but the usual ring of carcaculae are present. There is no significant amount of fluid in the vaginal canal, however, dry cotton swabs are taken. The uterus, ovaries and oviducts are present and there is no evidence of pregnancy.

Endocrine System:
Lacerations of the about 20 gram thyroid have been previously mentioned. There are no other lesions of its surface or interior. Each adrenal is in its usual position, has no lesion of its surface or interior and they total about 11 grams.
Skeletal and Muscular Systems:
There is a 1.5 cm oblique cut in the bony portion of the 5th rib anteriorly on the left corresponding somewhat to the skin lacerations over it. There are no other bony lesions and fractures are looked for. The lacerations of skeletal and muscle have been mentioned under specific areas.  

[26] A 1.5 cm laceration in the skin of the back on the left side that is fresh, has sharp edge and gape.  It is horizontally orientated and its medial and is about 2 cm lateral to the midline and opposite the spinous process of T7 (7th thoracic vertebrae found in the middle of the chest). See picture above.  

Anatomic Diagnoses:
Lacerations of face, neck, hands, arm, forearms, lung, common carotid artery, thyroid and thyroid cartilage.
Abrasions of face, hands and forearms. Petichiae of forehead.
Death Certificate Diagnosis:
Hemorrhage, due to laceration of right carotid artery.

Comments by Rene Modglin:
Death is due to exanguination due to severed right carotid artery due to laceration of neck due to probable knife. As the result of the rapid blood loss the subject would go into shock rapidly and undoubtedly would become unconscious and die in several minutes. The time interval of minutes might make one wonder why she wouldn't scream and run for help, however, it is very likely that the suddenness and fear caused by the attack caused her to faint, hence, allowing for many long and loud calls for help. The syncope would then blend into the unconsciousness from blood loss and into death.

The state of rigor mortis, post mortem lividity and body temperature at 09:23, 31st October 1966 indicated she had been dead between 9 and 12 hours.

The lacerations are typical of knife cuts and the minimum instrument dimensions for a knife blade would be half inch wide and three and a half inches long. There were no "tell tale" marks to indicate it had been plunged in "up to the hilt". The position(s) of the assailant is/are not "proof positive" from the study of the body.

The gastric contents suggest she had eaten a supper type meal probably not more than 2-4 hours before her death.

Vaginal contents for spermatazoa, spermine and choline.  

At least 7 lacerations involve the neck.

The right common carotid artery is transected only once.

The sequence of the lacerations of the neck cannot be absolutely established nor is there any reasonable suggestion of their order of occurrence from the examination of the body.

THE CHERI JO BATES AUTOPSY FINDINGS - PART TWO

On December 25th 1954 at approximately 8:40 pm, 39-year-old taxicab driver Conrad John Favreau of 1312 Hazel Street, Inglewood, picked up a fare at 7th Street and Union Avenue, Los Angeles for the short trip to Bonnie Brae. Five minutes later at 8:45 pm he was discovered lying in the street alongside his taxicab, shot once in the back of the head with a 25-caliber pistol. Blood spatter was evident on the right rear of the Yellow Cab near to the taillight, shown here in a crime scene photograph. It appeared that he had been subject to a violent assault just prior to the murder, with a tooth discovered on the front seat of the taxicab. Homicide Officer Joe La-Monica stated that his pockets had been gone through, but his watch remained on his wrist. Near to the body investigators found a single 25-caliber cartridge casing. 

An earwithness, Fred Perez of 557 N Bonnie Brae Street, described hearing "a sharp crack like a 22" rifle at about 8:45 pm and seeing the Yellow Cab parked on the street. A short time later the body of Conrad John Favreau lying face up was found by a passing motorist, David Lindsay (17) of 2941-A Los Flores Boulevard. The final entry on the trip sheet was detailed as 7th Street and Union Avenue to Bonnie Brae. An all-points bulletin was issued for "a man wearing white trousers and black shoes and possibly armed with a 25-caliber pistol".

Not nearly as relevant to the Zodiac case as the 2017 discovery by Kristi Hawthorne, who unearthed a possible link to the Bay Area murders while searching through some old newspaper articles. Taxicab driver Ray Davis (29) on April 11th 1962 was discovered in an alley behind 1926 South Pacific Street in Oceanside, having been shot twice in his taxicab. The vehicle was later discovered parked at the 400 block of South Pacific Street. The perpetrator had killed Ray Davis, dumped his body and driven the taxicab away from the crime scene. However, the interesting part of the story is a telephone call to police two days before the murder in which the anonymous male stated “I am going to pull something here in Oceanside and you will never be able to figure it out".  On April 16th 1962, it appears the same man rang the Oceanside Police Department once again, stating “Do you remember me calling you last week and telling you that I was going to pull a real baffling crime? I killed the cab driver and I am going to get me a bus driver next". Youtube.

On December 10th 1969 a paste-up horoscope communication was mailed and postmarked PM from Sacramento entitled Day-By-Day Forecast for Cancer, followed by a similar communication mailed and postmarked PM from San Francisco on December 11th 1969 entitled Day-By-Day Forecast for Leo. Not published in the newspapers, it was clear that both of these communications had the same author just one day apart. The following is a summary of the abduction and murder of Leona LaRell Roberts by Steph54 on Websleuths:

On Wednesday, 10 December 1969, 16-year-old Leona Larell Roberts worked her first day at a part-time job at the White Front Discount Store in Pleasant Hill. After her 1-5 p.m. shift, she drove to her boyfriend's apartment (749 Tormey Ave, Rodeo) where she planned to cook him dinner. At the time, Leona attended K's American Beauty College in Napa, where she also lived with her mother. Within 15 minutes of arriving at her boyfriend's apartment, a neighbor heard a girl scream. The neighbor called the sheriff and soon after heard someone running down the stairs at the back of the apartment house followed by the slam of a door from the direction of the downstairs apartment where Leona's boyfriend lived. When the boyfriend arrived, he saw Leona's red VW out front but did not find her inside the apartment. The apartment was dark and the back door was unlocked. He noticed scuff marks on the wall near the back door. He found that a pair of his pants had been removed from the bedroom closet and left on the living room couch, the belt missing. He noticed Leona's work smock crumpled on the couch. A sheriff's deputy arrived 30 minutes after the call. Another neighbor told the deputy of seeing a white male, about 25 years old, short blonde hair, acting suspicious. He walked several times from the front door to the rear of a blue station wagon before driving away. On 28 December 1969, a man searching for driftwood on the beach at Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County found the nude body of Leona Roberts.

From the postmark dates and times it is extremely likely the Forecast for Cancer communication was mailed prior to the abduction/murder of Leona Roberts, with the Forecast for Leo communication likely mailed after her abduction/murder. This meant that the author of the Cancer communication on December 10th in Sacramento traveled to San Francisco to mail the second correspondence. The most direct route is shown below and uses only Interstate 80. This journey between communications passes just 0.9 miles from the 749 Tormey Avenue residence from where Leona Roberts was abducted. 

Less than 24 hours after the abduction/murder of Leona Roberts, the Forecast for Leo communication arrived. Was the perpetrator using a play on words to hint that her forecast was in his hands? The Forecast for Cancer communication was emblazoned with the pasted text of Zodiac - and we know that the Bay Area murder has become synonymous with abduction and murder. How many abductions and murders occurred in the Bay Area on December 10th 1969? Yet here we have two sinister communications mailed in Sacramento, followed by San Francisco, where the most direct route using Interstate 80 passes just 0.9 miles from the abduction site of Leona Roberts, which is then followed by a communication entitled Forecast for Leo. If this is a coincidence, it is one hell of a lucky one.

The question arises though - was the author of the two communications the Zodiac Killer or an impostor? Had somebody close to Leona Roberts planned her murder, and by mailing these communications with the word Zodiac in bold lettering, attempted to shift the focus of the investigation onto the Bay Area murderer, thereby making him the convenient fall guy? However, if the author of the Cancer and Leo communications wanted to achieve this goal, why would he be so cryptic? By sending a correspondence with nothing more than a heading of Day-By-Day Forecast for Leo, you are leaving open the possibility that investigators will not make the connection between the communication and the abduction of Leona Roberts. If you are attempting to lay the abduction squarely at the feet of Zodiac, then you simply create a communication using the pseudonym Zodiac and mentioning Leona Roberts by name, thereby creating no ambiguity. This may put the ball back in Zodiac's court.   

But it doesn't end there. Two more Zodiac communications were mailed either side of the above two forecasts. The first was mailed on December 7th 1969 from Fairfield, with the second arriving from Fairfield on December 16th 1969. These again fall directly along Interstate 80. If the four communications were the work of the Zodiac Killer, then we have a murderer mailing a correspondence from Fairfield on December 7th, before traveling northeast to Sacramento, then abducting Leona Roberts in Rodeo and continuing on to San Francisco, before heading back to Fairfield on December 16th. The author of four consecutive communications would possibly be using one direct route back and forth.

The Bus Bomb letter mailed on November 9th 1969 claimed seven victims, while the Melvin Belli letter mailed on December 20th 1969 claimed a search for number nine and ten. The December 7th 1969 Fairfield letter claimed no update to victim seven, leaving open the possibility that the abduction and murder of Leona Roberts on December 10th 1969 was victim number eight.

We will again examine the identity of the Zodiac Killer based on the challenge laid down by Dr. D.C.B. Marsh on October 22nd 1969 in the San Francisco Examiner. This is purely speculative and therefore must not be viewed as claiming an answer in the search for the name of the Zodiac Killer. It was theorized that after Dr. Marsh proposed a challenge to Zodiac to reveal his name, the killer responded through multiple communications doing just that, albeit in the shortened format of his forename and surname initials. The first response by the Bay Area murderer would come just 17 days after the challenge, when the 340 cipher arrived at the San Francisco Chronicle.

There are two noticeable features on this cipher - the first being the corrected sixth line, where the Zodiac Killer visibly corrects the letter K for a reversed version of the same letter. This could be construed as unusual because the killer was never particularly worried about spelling errors in much of his correspondence. The second feature was the near-Zodiac on the final line. When we consider the reversed K, we must consider the letter F to its right hand side if we are looking for initials. The 340 cipher contains two horizontal formations of K and F, and one horizontal formation of F and K. These are situated on the 2nd, 6th and 19th lines. The one in the bottom left quadrant is the odd one out, with the F preceding the K - but this will change. The reason for highlighting these two letters on the 340 cipher is because the Zodiac Killer had corrected the sixth line, thereby drawing attention to this area. This alone is pretty meaningless, until we consider the '13 Hole' postcard mailed on October 5th 1970.

This communication again reversed the FK formation by rotating the pasted text through 180 degrees, exactly as the author had done with the letter K in the 340 cipher. He also supplied us with the phrase "Fk, I'm crackproof", which fits nicely into the '13 Symbol' cipher code mailed on April 20th 1970, thereby completing the phrase "This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you? My name is Fk, I'm crackproof". The first 8 begins FK. The second 8 begins IM. The third 8 begins CRACKPROOF. For the complete story click here.  

The '13 Hole' postcard also supplied us with the Dick Tracy punched holes and cross formation, that would be expanded upon in the Halloween card just 22 days later. The Halloween card contained the "sorry no cipher" cross formation on the envelope inner, coupled with the cross formation of paradice and slaves on the rear of the card. All very interesting, because paradice and slaves can be found again in the 340 cipher, exactly bisecting the 340 cipher both horizontally and vertically in a 17 X 17 pattern. However, what has always confused me, is the letter N in the bottom left quadrant of the Halloween card formed in a mirror image. It had to have a purpose.

The Halloween card revealed that the 340 cipher was little more than a design based on a Dick Tracy decoder with paradice and slaves in a cross formation, with By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife in each quadrant. Therefore the letter N formed in mirror image must be relevant to the 340 cipher also. The Zodiac Killer had reversed the letter K on the sixth line of the 340 cipher and reversed the letter K on the '13 Hole' postcard, If we place a mirror in front of the bottom left quadrant of the 340 cipher, the F and K now reverse position (and individually), with the letter K now to the left of the letter F, thereby mimicking the order of the other two formations on the 340 cipher. They are slightly different in design, but in every case on the 340 cipher and '13 Hole' postcard, the Zodiac Killer has made a conscious decision to ensure the letter K is preceding the letter F by use of mirror image or rotating the text through 180 degrees. The red rectangle shows the bottom left quadrant as a mirror image. 

The Halloween card also promised us his name in the introduction, by stating "I feel it in my bones, you ache to know my name, and so I'll clue you in". The strange symbolism he supplied us with was placed on the return name and address section of the envelope, along with the foot of the Halloween card inner where you would expect a signature, followed by the letter Z. This may be suggestive of the Zodiac Killer preceding his pseudonym with his initials. We already have the F, so one could expect the letter K to precede it. We have what looks like a number 7, followed by four dots (7 + 4 = 11 = K). Not overwhelmingly convincing, but the best I could do. 

Then we have the dubious Exorcist letter mailed on January 29th 1974. The comparison to the 340 cipher is fairly obvious, with the elevated and reversed letter K, with what could be interpreted as the letter F to its right side. Moving the extreme left symbols of the Exorcist letter along the horizontal axis and rotating the V-looking character 90 degrees, the similarity to the 340 cipher can be noted.

We have five cryptic communications in the 340 cipher, '13 Symbol' cipher, '13 Hole' postcard, Halloween card and Exorcist letter providing us with the KF or FK connection in varying degrees. Therefore, we will take a speculative look at the December 1990 Eureka card (the sister card to the Halloween card), again tempting us with his name. It stated "From your secret pal, can't guess who I am yet? Well, look inside and you'll find out". The card inner contained only a xeroxed image on a slip of paper.

One would like to think this was a continued response to the challenge of Professor D.C.B. Marsh of the American Cryptogram Association, and the Zodiac Killer had given us his initials once again - but unfortunately it only contained the reversed image of a Flashlight and Keys. 

KF, I'm crackproof, what is the price tag now?

Here we will take a fresh approach to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside on October 30th 1966 using eyewitness and earwitness testimony, and from the standpoint of a killer who specifically targeted the young woman. We shall start with the claim in Robert Graysmith's book of two sightings, described by an Air Force man and "close friend" of Cheri Jo Bates as she approached the Riverside City College campus that evening.

Detective Sergeant David Bonine stated that a close friend of Cheri Jo Bates saw her drive past in her lime green Volkswagen Beetle shortly after 6:00 pm, heading toward the Riverside City College on Magnolia Avenue. The friend waved at her, but apparently she failed to notice and did not reciprocate the gesture. A second report from about the same time period was relayed to police from an Air Force man who lived close to Riverside City College library. He was passed by a lime green Volkswagen Beetle, driven by a blond female up an alley parallel to Magnolia, east of the Shelly-Lynn Apartments. Her vehicle was being followed closely by a 1965-66 bronze Oldsmobile. The topography has changed a bit since 1966, but the alleyway likely ran parallel to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments at 4710 Magnolia Avenue. For the Air Force man to notice not only the Volkswagen Beetle of Cheri Jo Bates, but remember the vehicle trailing her, could be suggestive that the observation was significant in his mind. Had Cheri Jo Bates been followed from her 4195 Via San Jose residence by somebody she knew and taken the unconventional route down the alleyway parallel to Magnolia Avenue on her approach to the library, then it's possible she realized or recognised the trailing vehicle or occupant? This location may have held extra significance some 4 1/2 hours later.

Anybody who had ill-intent in their mind and were determined to disable the Volkswagen Beetle later that evening - or had simply targeted the young woman - would have been wise to separate their vehicle from the area around the library annex. Having it spotted close to the library entrance would not have been the ideal choice. If the Air Force man had noticed the significance of the vehicle to the rear of the Volkswagen Beetle, then quite possibly Cheri Jo Bates had too - and why she chose the unconventional approach to the library to see if her suspicions of a trailing vehicle from her residence were based in reality or not. This observation was ably pointed out by Zodiac researcher Ray Grant. The person in the trailing 1965-66 bronze Oldsmobile may have realized or known that Cheri Jo Bates was heading to the library that evening and curtailed his pursuit in the alleyway parallel to Magnolia Avenue, close to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments. This hypothesis hasn't been plucked out of thin air, as will be demonstrated later. Below is a map of the relevant locations.

Described in several newspapers and radio stations were the earwithness statements of a young woman who lived in apartments close to the crime scene. Screams were heard coming from the vicinity of the alleyway sometime between 10:15 pm and 10:45 pm. "A neighbor heard an awful scream between 10.15 pm and 10.45 pm, and then about two minutes of silence, and finally the sound of an old car starting up. A man returning to the area at 10.30 pm told us he heard two screams then". It was also reported as "Other detectives interviewed residents of a nearby apartment building, A girl tenant in an apartment only a few doors from the dirt driveway where the body was discovered, told the detectives that she heard screaming and yelling about 10:30 pm. "Then I heard a muted scream, and then a loud sound like an old car being started up - this was about two minutes after I heard the first scream", the girl informant said. However, the girl admitted she had not called police that night to inform them of the sounds of apparent violence she had heard".

The Shelly-Lynn Apartments were only 350 feet from the alleyway where Cheri Jo Bates was murdered, from where a piercing scream would certainly be audible at 10:30 pm. But more crucially, if the vehicle of the assailant (1965-1966 bronze Oldsmobile) was parked up in the alleyway to the east of the Shelly-Lynn Apartments, not only would it be heard "starting up" by a young woman living in these apartments, but would have been heard "starting up" approximately two minutes after the scream.

The distance from Cheri Jo Bates' body to Terracina Drive and west to the alleyway close to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments is 383 feet. At an average walking speed of 4.6 feet per second, this journey would take 83 seconds (1 minutes 23 seconds). The Confession letter stated (if the killer) that "she let out a scream once and I kicked her in the head to shut her up. I plunged the knife into her and it broke. I then finished the job out cutting her throat". If the scream was approximately 30 seconds prior to the end of the attack, then we simply add this to the exit journey of the killer to the alleyway in proximity to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments - giving us a total of 1 minute and 53 seconds. Allowing a few seconds for the killer to walk along the alleyway close to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments, enter his vehicle and turn the key in the ignition, we can see how there are two minutes of silence between "awful scream" and vehicle "starting up". If the vehicle had been parked behind Cheri Jo Bates' vehicle some 75 yards east of the alleyway, then the description of a vehicle "starting up" approximately 600 feet from the Shelly-Lynn Apartments would be harder to swallow. This, in all likelihood, makes the observation of a Tucker Torpedo parked behind the Volkswagen Beetle at 9:00 pm (described by Graysmith in his book) and the sighting of a Studebaker on Riverside Avenue at 7:00 pm, an irrelevance. An awful scream will easily pierce the night air from 350 feet away, but for a vehicle to be heard, likely places it much closer to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments. The timing fits perfectly, as described in the Confession letter and the newspaper accounts of the young female tenant.           

The killer with his vehicle parked alongside the Shelly-Lynn Apartments can effectively hide his vehicle out of sight from the location of the Riverside City College library entrance and operate without his vehicle being implicated in the crime. It also ties in with the notion of a suspicious vehicle trailing the Volkswagen Beetle in the alleyway alongside Magnolia Avenue earlier that day. The position of his vehicle may also be revealed by the Confession letter and details from the Inside Detective magazine of 1969.

It stated that "at the murder scene, drops of blood were leading from the body to Terracina Street, indicating to the detectives that the murderer had walked back to the street following the slaying". This indicates that if the killer had parked his vehicle nearby, it was either parked east or west of the murder scene, via Terracina Drive. The author of the Confession letter would give us the answer (if we believe the Confession letter was the killer). The author stated "She was then very willing to talk to me. I told her that my car was down the street and that I would give her a lift home. When we were away from the library walking, I said it was about time. She asked me "about time for what". I said it was about time for her to die. I grabbed her around the neck with my hand over her mouth and my other hand with a small knife at her throat".

Cheri Jo Bates' Volkswagen Beetle was parked 75 yards east of the ill-fated alleyway, indicating that when the killer was stating "my car was down the street and that I would give her a lift home", it must have been in the direction of the alleyway, heading west. This would also tie in with an assailant parking his vehicle near the Shelly-Lynn Apartments. However, when he reached the ill-fated alleyway, he stated in the Confession letter "When we were away from the library walking, I said it was about time. She asked me "about time for what". I said it was about time for her to die. I grabbed her around the neck with my hand over her mouth and my other hand with a small knife at her throat. She went very willingly". This is when she was likely dragged or coerced into the darkness of the alleyway to her death (or more likely, forced from her vehicle shortly after her return, having rolled the windows, placed her books on the passenger seat and attempted to start it). After the killer had slit her throat, he effectively continued his journey by re-entering Terracina Drive and then headed west to the Shelly-Lynn Apartments, where the young female tenant heard his vehicle "starting up" two minutes after the "awful scream". Here is the sound of a 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442.

After the murder of Paul Stine in Presidio Heights, three independent sets of eyewitnesses within a 5 minute window described a killer of approximately 40 years of age. If the Zodiac Killer was the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates it would have made him about 37 years of age in 1966, in direct conflict to the Confession letter author, who stated "Maybe she will be the shapely blue eyed brunett that said no when I asked her for a date in high school" and the claim of "Making her pay for all the brush offs that she had given me during the years prior". If the Bay Area murderer, he was clearly attempting to paint a picture of a killer of comparable age to Cheri Jo Bates - so was this all he was lying about? If he had read the newspaper reports of an "old car starting up" and "two minutes" of silence after the scream, it wouldn't have been that difficult to weave the description of him offering the young girl a lift into his story. He likely realized that the reports of a car "starting up" was being told by a female from the Shelly-Lynn Apartments, so integrated this into his re-telling of events, of heading west along Terracina Drive. By pretending he was of similar age to Cheri Jo Bates and getting angry "for all the brush offs", along with adding a fictitious vehicle, he is effectively doing what he may have done in the Debut of Zodiac letter some three years later.

"The man who told police that my car was brown was a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed. I was in this phone booth having some fun with the Vallejo cop when he was walking by. When I hung the phone up the damn X@ thing began to ring & that drew his attention to me + my car". Adding your vehicle into the equation, being over descriptive and feigning anger, could be interpreted as a killer being rather too helpful - and a killer on foot - who lived close to the crime scene on both occasions.