The Cheri Jo Bates murder on October 30th 1966 has been linked to the Zodiac crimes, but unlike the Zodiac murders this crime has gaping holes in the timeline that have yet to be fully explained. Cheri Jo Bates simply went off the radar for at least 12 hours, from around 6:15 pm on Sunday evening to the following morning, when her lifeless body was discovered by Riverside City College groundskeeper Cleophus Martin at 6:30 am.

The time of the murder has been estimated between 9:15 pm and 10:45 pm, based on eyewitness reports and autopsy findings. One woman from a nearby residence stated that about 10:30 pm "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". Other eyewitnesses would corroborate the time between 10:15 pm and 10:45 pm, suggesting that the idea people failed to adjust for daylight savings, sending the clocks back the previous midnight, highly unlikely. Placing the murder at 9:15 pm sounds more plausible based upon the fact the library closed at 9:00 pm, however, considering Cheri Jo Bates arrived at the library shortly after 6:00 pm, this places her in the library for nearly three hours, yet only one person definitively stated that he saw her in the library during the entire evening.

Cheri Jo Bates' liver temperature was recorded as 26C and 28C at 9:31 am on October 31st 1966 at autopsy. Algor Mortis is the rate at which a body cools after death - very little during the first hour, but calculated thereafter at 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit per hour, dependent on ambient temperature, body size, clothing etc. The temperature in Riverside that day hit a maximum 97 degrees Fahrenheit, falling to 52 degrees Fahrenheit at its lowest, giving us an idea of ambient temperature during this period. There was also little to no wind at this time, therefore not adversely affecting the rate of body cooling. Taking normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and Cheri Jo Bates median liver temperature of 80.6 Fahrenheit at 9:31 am, we can calculate the approximate time of her murder, 

The body of Cheri Jo Bates had cooled by 18 degrees at autopsy, but not counting the first hour, this would take 12 hours (18÷1.5). Then if we add back the first hour, it gives us a time period of 13 hours. This would mean Cheri Jo Bates was murdered at 8:31 pm or slightly earlier, as body cooling actually slows down in rate, as it approaches the ambient temperature. If we take the high end measurement of her liver temperature of 82.4 Fahrenheit at autopsy, it places the murder at 9:31 pm, or again slightly earlier, bearing in mind the existence of a "temperature plateau", a highly variable length of time in which the body does not cool.

​Taking the bottom measurement liver temperature of 78.8 Fahrenheit, that is a drop of nearly 20 degrees (20÷1.5 =13.33), just over 14 hours since the time of death, including the first hour, and giving us a murder at 7:31 pm.
Joseph Bates arrived back at the 4195 Via San Jose residence around 5:00 pm, finding the note left by Cheri Jo Bates "Dad-Went to RCC Library". Cheri was spotted at the RCC Library around 6:15 pm.

This is crucial, because the pathologist F. Rene Modglin stated "the gastric contents suggest she had eaten a supper type meal probably not more than 2 to 4 hours before death". In addition, the stomach contents contained "at least 100ml of thick fluid, with particulate food particles in which are easily recognized reasonably large pieces of beef, along with vegetable particulates and/or celery and onion, and what appears to be milk or cottage cheese". Cheri Jo Bates consumed this meal prior to 5:00 pm, before Joseph Bates arrived home.

Food takes approximately 2-5 hours to leave the stomach, depending on its constitution. The pathologist stated she had eaten not more than 2-4 hours before her death. This means that if Cheri Jo Bates ate this meal at approximately 4:30 pm, then she would have been killed at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, tying in with the findings of body temperature above - and the indication of an earlier murder. This would match the 'Confession' letter on November 29th 1966, if Cheri Jo Bates arrived at the library at 6:15 pm, checked out her books immediately and was followed to her vehicle, before being killed around 6:30 pm. The author stated "Miss Bates was stupid. She went to the slaughter like a lamb. She did not put up a struggle. But I did. It was a ball. I first cut the middle wire from the distributor. Then I waited for her in the library and followed her out after about two minutes. The battery must have been about dead by then. I then offered to help. 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".

However, this throws up an unlikely scenario, that 65 people entering and leaving the library that night between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm, would fail to spot the stricken Miss Bates lying in the driveway for at least 2 1/2 hours. Even if the murder occurred at 7:30 pm or 8:30 pm, we still have a problem - particularly in light of screams being heard at 10:30 pm at night by local residents. Additionally, we have the female eyewitness who allegedly spotted a man smoking in the alleyway at 9:30 pm, and Cheri Jo Bates' body not being viewed. But a 10:30 pm murder leaves us back where we started, four long hours to explain, and seemingly contradictory to the body temperature and stomach contents analysis.

Still unsolved after nearly fifty years, the murder of Cheri Josephine Bates on October 30th 1966 has long been connected to the Zodiac case, on account of Zodiac's admission in the 'Los Angeles' letter mailed on March 13th 1971, along with the 1966 'Confession' letter and Riverside Desktop Poem, and three Bates letters mailed in 1967. One man has featured heavily in recent years as a Zodiac suspect, particularly in light of him working at the Riverside City College Library and having known the victim Cheri Jo Bates at the time of her murder. That man is Ross Sullivan.

As is the reserve of many Zodiac researchers who have aligned towards a particular suspect, the temptation is to cherry pick the Zodiac case details that promote their suspect, while glossing over or ignoring details that clearly threaten the legitimacy of their suspect, and Ross Sullivan is no exception to this rule. One such example is to do with Ross Sullivan's height of 6'2" (not including heel height). With the exception of Bryan Hartnell, who admitted he was not a good judge of height, the eyewitnesses generated a range of 5'8" to 5'10". This is often explained away by proponents of Ross Sullivan, by the fact that the viewing angles of the three teenagers and Donald Fouke somehow skewed their perception of height, while on the other hand wholly endorsing the sketch's accuracy as a near identical likeness to Sullivan, disregarding the fact that eyewitness composites and facial recollection have long been recognized as notoriously unreliable.         

Despite the alleged killer claiming in the 'Confession' letter "Miss Bates was stupid. She went to the slaughter like a lamb", this could not have been further from the truth. The extensive injuries listed in the autopsy report were testimony to a sustained and brutal attack, indicating Cheri Jo Bates fought her attacker to the last. The alleyway bore scuff marks indicative of a violent struggle, a man's Timex wristwatch was torn from the assailant and lay on the ground, Cheri Jo Bates fingernails contained the skin of her attacker and she had ripped out a clump of hair, found in her hand. The savage attack, not only because of her injuries, but from earwitness reports, suggest the attack may have lasted in excess of one minute.

Nearby residents reported screams around 10:30 pm. One woman interviewed stated she heard screaming and yelling "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". This may be the clearest indication yet, of how much the young girl fought to ward off her attacker, and as the skin under her fingernails and hair in her hand demonstrated, her murderer undoubtedly would have received deep scratches to his face or hands, or both. As in many cases where a knife is used in a prolonged attack, the assailant will invariably suffer wounds to their hand, as the soaked knife slips from their grasp. Fingerprints and palm prints (not necessarily from her killer) were also retrieved from grease marks on her Volkswagen Beetle where the murderer had disabled the wiring of her distributor.
 
Riverside City College Library staff in later years detailed how Ross Sullivan was high on their list as the murderer: an unnerving man, who wrote morbid poems. However, the correspondence also stated "A couple of years ago I had called the police to ask about our suspect and was told he had an alibi for that night". The police were rigorous in their investigation tracking down potential suspects, with one magazine reporting "Detective teams have contacted all of Cheri Jo's known friends and people she had worked with during the past six months while working part time at a local bank". Detectives also performed a reenactment on November 13th 1966, recalling 65 people back to the library who were present the night Cheri Jo Bates was murdered, taking fingerprints and hair samples.

When somebody is murdered it is incumbent on police to rule out family, friends, work colleagues and people Cheri Jo Bates knew as their first port of call, before widening their net further afield. Ross Sullivan not only worked in the RCC Library, he knew Cheri Jo Bates, and was a 'strange' character according to RCC Library staff - and additionally police stated he had an alibi. It is these indicators that point to the likelihood he was checked out. This being the case, his fingerprints would almost certainly have been taken as routine practice and cross checked with the fingerprints retrieved from the Volkswagen Beetle, as were the 65 library goers present in the library on October 30th 1966. To believe Ross Sullivan slipped through the cracks is highly improbable. Furthermore, none of the library staff ever mentioned seeing scratches on Ross Sullivan's hands or face in the days or weeks after the murder - and neither did police - who without question would have been looking for tell tale injuries clearly sustained by the murderer. Detective Gren "There is a strong indication that Miss Bates scratched and clawed her murderer in the struggle for her life". It will clearly be pointed out that Ross Sullivan would depart Riverside soon after the Bates letters were mailed, but did he vanish completely after the Bates murder to allow his wounds to heal. Not according to what we have read.   

Riverside detectives were also present the following Saturday during the funeral "About 250 mourners, composed mainly of students who had known Cheri Jo Bates at Ramona High and City College gathered for the services at St Catherine's Catholic Church. Police photographers unobtrusively took photographs as detectives scanned the faces of those attending the services".  Killers have been known to attend their victim's funerals, however, on this occasion, a murderer with scratch marks would obviously have been foolhardy to have done so.

A Timex watch was found 10 feet from Cheri Jo's body, torn off her assailant's wrist. One can see by the photographic link above, that the watch buckle is secured and through its supporting sleeve. The strap has been torn from the watch face, This, when reattached would give us an approximation of the murderer's wrist size, and likely an indication of body type. But without doubt, (assuming of course the watch isn't a plant or ruse) the watch could have been used to eliminate certain suspects on a preliminary basis, that would have included Ross Sullivan, who by all accounts was a large framed man. The Department of Justice Report stated "Heelprints identical to those worn by Air Force personnel and a Timex wristwatch indicating the suspect had a 7" wrist circumference was found at the scene of the crime. The measurement of the heel indicated that it would have been attached to an 8 to 10 size shoe".

Chief of Riverside Police, Thomas Kinkead, wrote: “The person who wrote the confession is aware of facts about the homicide that only the killer would know. There is no doubt that the person who wrote the confession letter is our homicide suspect". Some people disagree. Zodiac researchers make the point that it is possible Ross Sullivan may not have murdered Cheri Jo Bates, yet still be the Zodiac author of the 'Desktop Poem' and the three Bates letters, which have been confirmed as Zodiac material by Questioned Documents Examiner Sherwood Morrill. Therefore, if Ross Sullivan is Zodiac and the 'Confession' letter was sent by the killer, it had to have been typed by an unknown third party, neither Sullivan or Zodiac. Then we have the dubious position of two separate authors. There is a striking similarity between the misspellings on the 'Confession' letter and the 'Little List' letter mailed by Zodiac on July 26th 1970. The 'Confession' letter states "She squirmed and shook as I choaked her, and her lips twiched", and the 'Little List' letter states "Some I shall tie over ant hills and watch them scream + twich and sqwirm". The problem being, is if you argue this as a connection to Zodiac being the author of the 'Confession' letter, who is also the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates, who isn't Ross Sullivan, then Ross Sullivan cannot be Zodiac. You cannot have it both ways.

One of the last things Cheri Jo Bates did before she ultimately lost her battle for life, was to scratch her killer, which is something that would have pointed police in the right direction and effectively incriminated or excluded Ross Sullivan as her murderer. The police claimed he had an alibi, which also meant they would have seen his face and hands, therefore likely excluding him as the murderer in this case.

This article chronicles thirteen days in October 1969:
 
On October 19th 1969, the San Francisco Examiner ran an article entitled "Message to the Zodiac Killer". It read:
"Five people are dead. Let there be no more killings. Police say you are intelligent. If you are, then listen to reason. You are being hunted everywhere in the state, and nation. You are alone in this world. You can share your secrets with no one. No friend can help you. You are as much a victim of your crimes as those whose lives you snuffed out. You cannot walk the streets a free man. There is no safety for you, anywhere. And you will be caught, there is no doubt. You face life as a hunted, tormented animal - unless you help yourself. We ask that you give yourself up to the Examiner. We offer you no protection, and no sympathy. But we do offer you fair treatment, the assurance of medical help and the full benefits of your legal rights. And we offer to tell your story. Why have you killed ? How has life wronged you ? Call the City Editor of the Examiner any time, day or night. The telephone number is (415) 781 24 24. Call collect. Your call will not be traced".

The Zodiac Killer's next correspondence was mailed on November 8th 1969, stating "I get awfully lonely when I am ignored, so lonely I could do my thing."  Whether or not this was Zodiac's response to 'You are alone in this world' contained in the article is up for debate. There are no follow up reports on any calls to the San Francisco Examiner, but on October 20th, the day after the article, somebody made a threat to the Palo Alto Times saying he intended "to pick the kids off as they get on the school bus". They obviously took the threat seriously as the San Bernardino County Sun reported;​

"Patrol cars convoyed school buses around Palo Alto yesterday after a telephoned murder threat by a man claiming to be the Zodiac Killer of five persons. The weird slayer who signs himself "The Zodiac" made a similar threat in a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle last week after the Oct 11 shooting of a taxi driver. The district transportation supervisor said an armed guard might ride with each of the system's 25 buses. Officers in Napa and Vallejo, areas of the first three murderous attacks, some 75 miles north of Palo Alto, have been convoying police officers. Palo Alto Police Chief William Hydie called the new threat "extremely serious," but warned against over reaction to what might be a crank call. Stewart said: William F. Baker, a handwriting analyst for 35 years, said he has made exhaustive study of the letters from Zodiac and said "the strong slant to the left of the lower letters denotes a 'mother hostility' and an unhappy childhood. Carry that trait further and you find a man who is afraid of women and hates them. Carry that to a further extreme and you have a man who is capable of killing women to get even with his mother." Carlisle estimated that 4,500 youngsters ride Palo Alto district buses. He said bus drivers, particularly in isolated foothills areas, were on edge in fear that the killer was in the Palo Alto region. Eugene Stewart, San Mateo County Undersheriff, said sheriff's patrol cars would follow buses in East Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Ladcra, and Los Lomitas areas in South San Mateo County".

Two days later, on October 22nd 1969, somebody claiming to be Zodiac telephoned the Oakland Police Department in the early morning hours, requesting that either Melvin Belli or Francis Lee Bailey, two high profile lawyers at the time, appear on a chat show hosted by Jim Dunbar later that day. The eventual caller to the show was found to be Eric Weill, a mental patient, but not the Zodiac Killer. The telephone caller to Oakland Police Department earlier that day has never been identified.

On October 24th 1969, The Stanford Daily, a student run independent daily newspaper produced an alternative to the San Francisco Examiner's article 'Message to the Zodiac Killer.'  It read;
"Let there be no more killing. But if you must, try Paul McCartney. Police say you are intelligent. If you are, give yourself up and face execution. You are being hunted everywhere in he state and nation. But don't get jumpy. You are alone in this world. Have you noticed that most of your friends have deserted you? You are as much a victim of your crimes as those whose lives you snuffed out. Of course you do seem to be in better condition. You cannot walk the streets a free man. Of course, we have no idea who you are. But you will be caught, there is no doubt. The police have staked out every school bus in town and Melvin Belli has been made a permanent guest on every talk show in the Bay Area. You face life as a hunted, tormented animal—unless you help yourself. Surrender. We have plenty of cages available. We ask that you give yourself up to The Daily. We offer you no protection, and no sympathy. But we do offer you the best medical help available and all the benefits your legal rights afford. We offer you the opportunity to transfer into our fine institution. We offer you a trailer in Manzanita Park. We offer you a ticket to see Stanford in the Rose Bowl. We offer you all the plastic cups we can produce with your signature and photograph. The food service has consented to feed you chocolate ice cream even if it isn't available. We offer you a plastic dolly. We offer you a seat in the balcony at the flicks. We offer you credit in Professor Erlich's Population Biology course. And best of all we offer to tell YOUR STORY! Why have you killed? We will give you everything. Your horoscope for today says your anger at society is unwarranted, that you will soon come into great fortune. We offer you a subscription to Fortune magazine. We invite you to our staff meeting on Monday at noon. Lunch is free. If you have other things to do, call the Daily anytime. Ask for anyone. We are a community newspaper. The telephone number is 321-2300 x 4632. Call collect, what the hell. Your call will not be traced. We cordially invite our neighborly newspaper The Palo Alto Times to give you a better deal. Just cut your hair and mumble "kk l hate radicals." Chances are they will make a more promising overture. Just remember Mr. Zodiac, you are being hunted everywhere in he state and nation. There is no safety for you, anywhere". http://stanforddailyarchive.com/

The FBI file on the right, from Zodiac PDF 2, refers to a radiogram being issued on October 31st 1969 in regards to a suspect. Does a link exist between this FBI file and the Palo Alto threat on October 20th 1969. The report states that fingerprints from the Palo Alto individual are not identical to "latent fingerprints and latent impressions previously reported in this case", although the person mentioned in the radiogram may or may not be the individual referred. 

The police likely had a difficult task wading through the mass of hoax calls and fallacious accusations in this case, ultimately wasting police time and helping the Zodiac Killer to evade capture. The police had in excess of 2,500 suspects on their books in the early years of the Zodiac investigation, and without the aid of modern day computers, the task was a daunting one. Fast forward nearly 50 years, the accusers are still lining up, and the Zodiac is still being helped every step of the way. 

Donna Ann Lass (25), born on November 3rd 1944 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was the youngest of eight children who spent her formative years in Beresford, attending Beresford High School and eventually graduating as a registered nurse in 1965. She worked as a private nurse prior to traveling to San Francisco and setting up residence in Balboa Street, before commencing her duties as a Staff Nurse at the Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio. However, her employment at the Letterman General Hospital was short-lived, spanning February 1970 to May 1970, before she took a job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino on June 6th 1970. She initially moved in with a couple, Larry and Ann Lowe, before renting her own apartment at 3893 Pioneer Trail at the beginning of September. Six days later she would go missing.
​
The connection of Lawrence Kane to Donna Lass, claimed by retired law enforcement officer Harvey Hines, we are familiar with. Lawrence Kane, it was claimed, lived at 217 Eddy Street at the time of the Paul Stine murder. This location is less than a quarter of a mile from the Mason and Geary intersection, the presumed pick-up point of Zodiac on October 11th 1969. Donna Lass moved to Lake Tahoe in June 1970, as did Lawrence Kane, with both ending up working at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. However, this is not about Lawrence Kane, it is about the connection between Donna Lass and the hotly disputed Pines card mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on March 22nd 1971, the first anniversary of the Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns.
​ 
This card is regarded a hoax by many Zodiac investigators, particularly puzzling, because it states on the card in pasted lettering "Sought victim 12". This tally of likely only eleven victims and searching for a 12th, is totally out of sync with the rest of Zodiac's correspondence. He had already claimed 12 victims as far back as June 26th 1970 when the Button letter was mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle, along with 13 victims, ranging to 17+ victims, by the time the Los Angeles letter arrived on March 13th 1971. Then, nine days later the Pines card surfaces, searching for 12 victims. The problem we have, is that even a half-decent hoaxer, who knew only the bare minimum about the case, is unlikely to have bypassed at least five pieces of correspondence and the multitude of newspaper articles. This person would have to be the worst hoaxer this side of Lake Tahoe, unless of course, it was the killer and the "sought victim 12" had particular significance. The word 'sought' may be suggestive of a killer that had previously targeted Donna Lass at an earlier time.

The question is, was Donna Lass targeted specifically by somebody with a grievance, or by a male who had been rejected or "brushed off" as the Confession letter might say? She did after all go missing from her place of work.
The date and content of the Pines card may indicate this very notion. If we look at the Zodiac timeline and slot this card in where it should belong, it would have to come after 11 victims and before 12. ​The 13-Symbol cipher or 'My Name is' cipher was mailed on April 20th 1970 claiming 10 victims, followed by the Button letter on June 26th 1970 claiming 12 victims. Assuming the Pines card was not a mistake by a forger and actually crafted by the Zodiac Killer, it is logical that its meaning must be referring to the time period between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970, before victim 12 was confirmed. A newspaper article after the disappearance of Donna Lass stated that "the site depicted on the 'Pines Card' was from an advertisement published last Sunday by several newspapers. It was an artist's rendition of houses among the trees at a Boise Cascade Company project at Incline Village, where construction has just begun on the development. While much of the Sierra area is under several feet of snow, Incline Village has only two feet on the ground. Police went to the area to determine if a search is possible". ​Chief Lauritzen added "There's no point to a search at this time. It's unlikely a victim would be uncovered before spring". So its clear that this particular postcard was not designed prior to September 6th 1970, but sometime in the March of 1971. 
​
Donna Lass' date of employment by the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino fell in between the dates of April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970 - she started work on June 6th 1970. The Zodiac Killer may have been targeting Donna Lass when she announced her forthcoming plans to move to South Lake Tahoe. Was he connected to the Letterman General Hospital - the direction he may have been heading after the murder of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969? Was he rejected by Donna Lass as an undesirable suitor, or was it simply time to do his 'thing'? Donna Lass, either by necessity or the lure of a better job, prepares her move to South Lake Tahoe and the Zodiac Killer's plans are thwarted.

If the murderer of Donna Lass is the Zodiac Killer (and this is by no means certain), then there is a connection between San Francisco and South Lake Tahoe. There may also be a connection between "sought victim 12" and the time between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970 with respect to the Donna Lass move to Nevada on June 6th 1970, to begin her job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. If and when the Zodiac Killer decided to make good on his intention to abduct and murder Donna Lass, he would eventually travel to South Lake Tahoe to finalize what he began, then mail the Pines card, pasting the words "sought victim 12", possibly suggestive of a killer who had targeted the young woman several months ago when she lived in San Francisco.   

Sometime in December 1966 the inside of a folding desktop revealed a morbid poem, discovered by a  janitor at the Riverside City College library. Just two months earlier, Cheri Jo Bates was found murdered in an alleyway beside the library on October 30th 1966, and a typed Confession letter was mailed, most likely by her killer, on November 29th 1966. The Riverside Desktop Poem began with the title "sick of living/unwilling to die." The rest of the poem can be viewed here.

Questioned Documents Examiner Sherwood Morrill, who validated much of the Zodiac communications, would verify this poem as having handwriting consistent with the Zodiac Killer. The fact this was discovered in the RCC library, the question arose as to the origin of the poem.

The Zodiac Killer seemed to draw inspiration from many sources of yesteryear, such as in the 408 Cipher, which contained the phrase "the most dangerous animal," believed to be referring to a short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' by Richard Connell, first published on January 19th 1924. The Mikado paraphrased in his Little List and Exorcist letters, first viewed by the paying public in 1885, and possibly Charlie Chan created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. His costumed appearance at Lake Berryessa and his use of words predominantly used by the British, made some people believe he may have been connected to the theater, in addition to being a well-read individual. The RCC library no doubt was well stocked and may likely have held the answer. This poem, apart from the very short Bates letters mailed on April 30th 1967, was effectively the preceding correspondence of any substance before the 408 cipher arrived in three parts to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald  - mailed on July 31st 1969, some 2 1/2 years later. So can any connection be forged?

Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, was an English statesman and historian, with his writings detailed here in a catalog of English literary manuscripts containing one important section: "Naturally a substantial portion of Clarendon's surviving manuscripts comprises his personal correspondence — both letters received by him from numerous correspondents and his own letters, written or signed by him, whether drafts, retained copies, or the letters actually sent. Among many notable examples are his letters written in August 1646 to William, Lord Widdrington, and to Sir John Berkeley, announcing the beginnings of his History of the Rebellion, and the letter he wrote on 12 November 1646, to Sir Edward Nicholas, describing his plan for the work and stating that he had already completed sixty sheets of it. Some of his letters, particularly those dating from the Civil War period, are wholly or partly in cipher or make use of pseudonyms in both salutations and signatures. The codes to sixteen such ciphers used by the Royalists are written out in Bodleian, MS Clarendon 94, and see also British Library".

​I noticed a very interesting article on Zodiac Killer Ciphers, highlighting the 408 cipher, entitled Throw the book at him, Part 3, which featured Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon and a section of his text from a book called The life of Edward, Earl of Clarendon, lord high chancellor of England: Volume 2. Dave Oranchak, the foremost expert on the Zodiac ciphers, wrote "So, only one piece of text, from a vast collection of eleven billion pieces of text, fit into this chunk of cipher text. A one in eleven billion chance seems to suggest some significance. But don’t be fooled by this. Just because this rare event occurred, doesn’t mean it is anything more than a simple coincidence. If we didn’t already know the real solution to the 408, how do we know that this chunk of old and obscure text isn’t the correct solution?" To read the entire article visit here.

This is when I noticed another piece of obscure text from Edward, Earl of Clarendon and flew back to the last piece of notable text from the presumed Zodiac Killer on the Riverside desktop, the title of which was "sick of living/unwilling to die". One of Edward Hyde's quotes was “They who are most weary of life, and yet are most unwilling to die, are such who have lived to no purpose, — who have rather breathed than lived.” http://izquotes.com/quote/385232. ​Although not perfect, I couldn't help wondering if the Zodiac Killer was recalling from memory as he did with The Mikado, taking "weary of life, unwilling to die" to "sick of living, unwilling to die," and then somehow incorporating another of Edward Hyde's quotes into the 408 cipher as a form of link between the two. However, as Dave Oranchak affirmed "Just because this rare event occurred, doesn’t mean it is anything more than a simple coincidence" - and may just prove the case that we are the "The Most Pattern-Seeking Animal of All". 

Here is the text from 'The life of Edward, Earl of Clarendon, lord high chancellor of England,' with the portion of text found in the 408 Cipher having been highlighted below. I am not sure whether the figure 239 was part of the original document, but character 239 in the 408 Cipher is part of this highlighted text and the start of the 15th line (Letter N).
​  
1665 PROJECT ABANDONED 239 "his blessed father and himself as a subject can do from his prince, a nobleman of the best quality, the best allied and the best beloved ; to remove at such a time such a person, and with such circumstances, from his counsels and his trust." The King was not of a mould to resist plain speaking like this, and when not supported by the presence of those who made him their tool and instrument, he seldom managed to make way against the vehemence of Clarendon's rebukes. It could hardly be pleasant for a monarch to be told that what he designs is base ingratitude; that his throne is in danger ; the reputation of his Court in evil savour ; that both require such support as they may be able to get from men of reverence and station, and that he would be mad to alienate any support from such men that may be vouch- safed to him ; yet this was the plain meaning of Clarendon's words. But Charles hesitated to go back, repulsed, to those who had made him their mouthpiece. He remained " rather moved and troubled than convinced." But fortunately Clarendon found an unexpected ally in the Duke of York, who had joined the King and himself at the interview, with the intention, it appears, of supporting the King's purpose. To him Clarendon restated his arguments, and urged him to do the best service to the King his brother " by dis- suading him from a course that would prove so mischievous to him." For this once, the Duke was converted to Clarendon's view, and "prevailed with the King to lay aside the thought of it. "l Once more the Court conspirators 1 Charles not rarely showed a respect for his brother's opinion which was not founded upon any high estimate of his abilities. Clarendon himself remarks this when commenting upon the failure of any attempt to arouse jealousy between the brothers. Charles, he says, " had a just affection for him, and a confidence in him, without thinking better of his natural parts than he thought there was just cause for ; and yet, which made it the more wondered at, he did often depart, in matters of the highest moment, from his own judgment to comply with his brother " (Life, iii. 62).
https://archive.org/stream/lifeofedwardearl02craiuoft/lifeofedwardearl02craiuoft_djvu.txt

I have recently contacted the Sacramento cold cases department regarding the 30-year-old murder case of Koy Ien Saechao (48) and Choy Fow Saelee (40), a Laotian couple brutality gunned down on the hard shoulder of a Sacramento highway on April 22nd 1986. This has been covered twice before, but I am attempting to find more information on this crime, including any police reports, as the information on the internet is scant to say the least. The crime was originally linked to Devon Stuart Olson, however, Sergeant James Lewis in 2001 reiterated that none of Olson's statements matched to any of the crimes he claimed and he wasn't charged in these murders. 

Rewinding the clock back fifteen years, the Donna Lass case entered the Zodiac sphere with the mailing of the Pines Card on March 22nd 1971 inferring he may be the killer. Donna Lass disappeared from a South Lake Tahoe casino in the early hours of September 6th 1970 and has never been heard or seen of since. Gian Quaser of the Quester Files ran a story indicating a possible link between Donna Lass, Judith Hakari, Nancy Bennalack and Carol Hilburn, the latter three of which were all murdered in Sacramento in 1970. A straight line from the Vallejo and San Francisco region to South Lake Tahoe takes you directly through Sacramento. The slaying of Koy Ien Saechao and Choy Fow Saelee, although sixteen years later, took place within 10 miles of the murdered women in Sacramento, and furthermore the Zodiac Killer would possibly claim these murders in a 1986 letter.. What is most important, is what the Zodiac meant in the 1986 letter by "The Blue Meannies almost caught me." Is he talking about his interaction with the Highway Patrol officer in the article?

The murders of Koy Ien Saechao and Choy Fow Saelee had all the hallmarks of the Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs Park attacks - a couple fired upon while inside their vehicle, just like Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau. The Laotian couple were shot multiple times from close range. Both front side windows were blown out, with 15 shell casings strewn around the vehicle. This was a merciless assault on the side of the highway. 

Koy Ien Saechao and Choy Fow Saelee were traveling back on the two and a half journey to their residence in Dorman Road, Yuba City after visiting their son in a Merced CA hospital, situated in the area of the San Joaquin Valley of Northern California. They were only 45 minutes from home when it was believed they had opted to take a rest on the roadside edge, near the interchange of Highway 99 and I-5 Sacramento. Unfortunately for them, a merciless killer was in the vicinity. However, without knowing the exact dynamics of the crime, it is equally plausible they were ushered to the side of the highway on a ruse similar to the Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns.

The 1986 letter claimed to be from the Bay Area killer, but what catches the eye, is how close this letter is to the Koy Ien Saechao and Choy Fow Saelee murders.

​[1] The letter was postmarked 6th May 1986. The letter writer stated his victims were collected "about two weeks ago". Exactly 14 days prior to May 6th was April 22nd, the day the couple were murdered.
[2] The letter writer stated "up by Sacramento".  They were murdered close to the center of Sacramento.
[3] The letter writer stated "They were killed by a freeway" and "I want you to know about my latest slaves". Both statements indicative of more than one victim. The couple were also murdered right next to a two lane freeway. (Highway 99).
This Highway serves Modesto and was traveled by Kathleen Johns in March 1970. Wikipedia: 'From SR 99 to south of Tracy, I-5 skirts along the far more remote western edge of the great Central Valley, and thus here is removed from population centers such as Bakersfield and Fresno; other state highways provide these connections. I-580 splits from I-5 at a point south of Tracy, providing a loop-route connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. After passing Tracy, I-5 heads north through Stockton and Sacramento before turning west to Woodland.'
[4] The letter writer stated "The Blue Meannies almost caught me," indicating that he saw police that night, likely close to the scene. The mystery hitchhiker directed police to the scene, reminiscent of his two phone calls, but subsequently was never traced. Was this the Zodiac playing games with the police and hence his reference to "The Blue Meannies almost caught me". The hitchhiker flagged down a California Highway Patrol Officer in East Nicolaus and informed him of an automobile accident at the precise location the couple were eventually discovered.

The Zodiac could again be claiming murders for which he had no hand in, so it is imperative to find more detailed information on this crime and possibly elaborate on his claim of a near miss with police. It would also be interesting to discover the weapon used in this crime and compare the shell casings to ones retrieved in the Zodiac case.

This website contains no advertisements. To help keep it running, any donations, however small, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Richard.

​Ten casings were ejected at Lake Herman Road by the murderer of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968, however, only nine were recorded and tested by the Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

It was stated in the DOJ report that one of the eight bullets tested did not exhibit 6 right hand groove class characteristics. This was the bullet recovered from David Faraday. The casing from the bullet fired at David Faraday was likely ejected to the rear of the shooter and may well have been the casing found in the front passenger side floorboard of the Rambler. Since only nine casings were tested, it was conjectured that this tenth casing may have become separated from the other nine when the Rambler was towed away and therefore not sent to the DOJ. If this casing exhibited different characteristics to the other nine, it may be related to the bullet taken from David Faraday at autopsy, which did not exhibit the same characteristics as the other seven bullets recovered, and possibly indicate a second firearm was used at Lake Herman Road. The problem is tracking down the missing casing. This is explained in more detail here;

www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/lake-herman-road-the-ballistics-report.

Raymond Grant kindly submitted a request to the DOJ on my behalf and although he didn't hold out much hope, he did receive a reply. 
"STATE OF CALIFORNIA
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
PO BOX 944255
SACRAMENTO, CA  94244-2550"
RE: Zodiac Killer
Dear Mr. Raymond Grant:
Thank you for your correspondence to the Office of the Attorney General requesting that a crime involving the Zodiac Killer be investigated and that the alleged perpetrator of the crime be prosecuted.
​If you have information about a crime, please file a report with the police or sheriff's department in the area where the crime occurred. Local law enforcement authorities are responsible for investigating violations of law within their jurisdictions.  After investigating the crime, the local law enforcement authorities may forward the case to the county district attorney's office for prosecution, if appropriate. The decision whether or not to file criminal charges will then be made by the locally elected district attorney.  In this matter, we suggest that you contact:

San Francisco Police Department
Investigations
850 Bryant St., Room 525
Telephone: (415) 553-1484

But as Ray said "The most discouraging aspect of the letter is that they explained that the investigation was a jurisdictional matter, but got the jurisdiction for the specific crime wrong. The Lake Herman Road murders are under the jurisdiction of the Solano County Sheriff's Office. In any case, it's a dead end, because the physical evidence, if it still exists, would be warehoused by the DOJ and not by Solano County SO, which would just respond to any inquiry by saying that it doesn't have possession of the evidence, and that you should probably contact the CA DOJ." Edited.

The missing casing will not reveal who killed David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen, but it may reveal whether one or more attackers were present in the Lake Herman Road turnout on December 20th 1968. For now though, it's another dead end.

No mention is made to the taxicab trip sheet anywhere in the police report, and despite few people having seen the entry that night, it has long been accepted by many that it documented the destination of the Zodiac Killer as Washington and Maple, the intersection he highlighted in his October 13th 1969 letter, stating "I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington Street and Maple Street last night".

A wanted poster was circulated regarding this crime and recent taxicab attacks in the San Francisco area, using supposition and apparently less than accurate details. The poster bearing the name Chief of Police Thomas J. Cahill stated "Suspect takes cab in downtown area at 9.30 pm and sits in front seat with driver. Tells driver destination is Washington and Laurel area or area near park or Presidio. Upon reaching destination, suspect orders driver to continue on at gunpoint into or near park where he perpetrates robbery". Considering the gravity of the crime, it seemingly manages to create an amazing piece of fiction. There is no evidence whatsoever that the killer traveled in the front seat, or that he ordered the taxicab driver under gunpoint - and certainly not into the park. However, the mention of a destination of Washington and Laurel is very curious indeed. To actually pull a street name out of thin air, which is a full three blocks east of the supposed trip sheet destination, and then place it on a wanted poster could be regarded as a remarkable oversight, if in fact, it was a mistake at all.

Keith Power authored an article entitled 'Astrologer Joins Hunt for Killer' in the San Francisco Chronicle on October 17th 1969, just six days after the murder, quoting "When he was picked up by the cab driver about 9.30 pm Saturday at Geary and Mason Streets, Stine noted the destination on his way bill (trip sheet) as Washington and Maple Streets".
The question is, where did he get this information from. Was it second hand information from a police officer or had he seen the trip sheet himself - and was the information he 'garnered' correct? Without actually seeing the elusive trip sheet, we only know what we have been told, that the destination was supposedly noted as Washington and Maple.
  
Responding officers would later notice the taxicab meter read $6.25 at 10.46 pm, allowing them to backtrack the meter reading and calculate that Paul Stine had most likely picked up his second fare somewhere in the vicinity of the Mason and Geary intersection, with many different pick-up points suggested. Robert Graysmith highlights the Westin St Francis Hotel at Union Square, along with the Pinecrest Restaurant in his book 'Zodiac', whereas the article in the San Francisco Examiner on October 23rd 1969 stated "The search also took police to Nob Hill, where the Fairmont Hotel became involved again in the manhunt. This was because: Cabbie Paul Stine, 29, the Zodiac's latest victim is believed to have picked up his fare on a street near the famed hotel. A waitress in the hotel candy shop-fountain told police she served coffee during the television show (Jim Dunbar/Melvin Belli) to a man who resembled composite drawings of Zodiac. She saved the cup and saucer for a fingerprint check".    

As stated earlier, one thing investigators did, knowing that Paul Stine was returning to the theater district from San Francisco Airport having dropped off his last fare, was calculate the origin point of the journey based on the taxicab meter reading, the time of the murder and the time the meter was read, having sat idle since 9.55 pm. This gave investigators an area around the intersection of Mason and Geary Streets in the theater district.

Let us compare two distances, [1] Washington and Cherry, the place the taxicab came to rest from the Fairmont Hotel, and [2] Washington and Laurel, the destination marked on the wanted poster and the corner of Mason and Geary. The distances are virtually identical. The distance between the taxicab at Washington/Cherry and Washington/Laurel is exactly 570 meters (0.354 miles). The distance between the Fairmont Hotel and the intersection of Mason and Geary is 584 meters (0.363 miles). Only 14 meters difference.
If one person was calculating backwards using the taxicab location from Washington and Cherry, they would arrive at the Fairmont Hotel. However, somebody sitting at a desk reading the trip sheet destination of Washington and Laurel would arrive further away, at the corner of Mason and Geary. The margins are relatively small.
 
The reason Washington and Laurel catches the attention is twofold. The Zodiac Killer, if he gave Washington and Laurel as the destination in the trip sheet, then it would make sense if he had left a 'getaway' vehicle somewhere along Laurel (possibly at the intersection with Jackson Street or slightly beyond) - as this street actually joins with Pacific Avenue providing a relatively speedy exit route away from the area. Or, he resided in this area. The problem is, the Zodiac Killer actually ended up four blocks further west at Washington and Cherry. Did something go wrong, forcing him to abort his plan? In the 'Bus Bomb' letter mailed on November 9th 1969, the Zodiac Killer revealed some key information. He stated that  "2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of them called me over + asked if I saw anyone acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun & the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I disappeared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again".

The meeting with patrolmen Donald Fouke and Eric Zelms took place just short of the Jackson and Maple intersection, therefore 1 1/2 blocks later would have Zodiac entering the park at Spruce Street. In the San Francisco Chronicle article dated October 12th 1969, eyewitnesses recalled seeing a man fitting the earlier Zodiac description running into Julius Khan playground: "Later reports indicated someone was seen running into the Julius Khan playground in the Presidio, and all seven police dog units were pressed into the search". ​This thoroughfare is adjacent to Spruce Street. Dog units congregated by the Julius Khan playground - and Zodiac would mention this in the 'Bus Bomb' letter as he advanced east along the park perimeter. 

"The dogs never came with in 2 blocks of me + they were to the west". ​
Two blocks east of Spruce Street is Laurel Street. Is this where Zodiac exited the park to access his vehicle, parked either on Pacific Avenue or the north end of Laurel Street, having taken the advantage of cover in the park, as opposed to traveling two further blocks on Jackson Street - especially considering his near miss with Donald Fouke and Eric Zelms, possibly sending them on a wild goose chase. His directional movement eastward from the Washington and Cherry intersection, was always suggestive of a killer backtracking from the westward direction he had arrived in the taxicab, with something having interrupted those plans. If the Zodiac had ended up 2 blocks further east of Julius Khan playground, he would in fact now be four blocks east of Jackson and Cherry Street, where he was last seen heading by the three teenagers - and therefore reinforcing the notion he had overshot his original destination.

The only reason to believe the Zodiac Killer held Paul Stine under gunpoint, as detailed in the wanted poster, is if the destination was marked as Washington and Laurel in the trip sheet. Yet the taxicab was ultimately found four blocks further west, giving rise to the notion that the Zodiac Killer had drawn his 9mm automatic on Paul Stine in excess of one minute earlier, and thereby dispelling the notion of a taxicab driver unaware of anything until the deadly shot was delivered.
The alternative, however, is far more simple - the wanted poster is basic human error, just like the police dispatcher two days earlier, when patrolmen were given the wrong description of the suspect as he calmly walked away from Washington and Cherry.