Using all the descriptors available in multiple newspapers, my best estimation is that the remains found by Melvin Bennett as he traveled towards Yuba Gap to fish at the nearby Lake Valley Reservoir, were found approximately 500-600 feet beyond Camp Spaulding, alongside Lake Spaulding Road (one mile northeast of Interstate 80). This is one of the rare mountainous roads accessible by vehicle on the north side of the I-80 near Yuba Gap. If the abductor/murderer had traveled from South Lake Tahoe "past the Lake Tahoe areas" on the west side of the lake, they would have driven 26 miles west (23 miles by crow) along Interstate 80 and then Highway 20, before heading north on Lake Spaulding Road for about 2,500 feet to dispose of the remains or possibly kill Donna Lass. An abduction from the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino at about 01:50am, to make this journey in one continuous sequence, would place the murderer and victim at Camp Spaulding at about 03:20am. How realistic is this scenario? Or was Donna Lass taken elsewhere, murdered and deposited in the Camp Spaulding region at a later time?

​A video of the Lake Spaulding Campground and an Aerial View.of Lake Spaulding are available on YouTube. The Lake Spaulding Dam is owned by Pacific Gas & Electric, and impounds the South Fork of the Yuba River, which originates at Lake Angela, 2,600 feet from Donner Pass. 

​The route along Interstate 80 and Highway 20 does have other options well in advance of Camp Spaulding, if the intention was the disposal of a body or murder. Billy Mack Road at the Johnson Canyon Trailhead, Boreal Ridge Road at the Castle Peak Trailhead, Castle Creek Drive, Towle Mountain Drive and the Lola Montez Road, all sit within 11 miles of the killer joining Interstate 80. There were plenty of other options even earlier on California State Route 89 (alongside Lake Tahoe) and east past Truckee, Yet the perpetrator in this case headed 26 miles along Interstate 80 and Highway 20 to Camp Spaulding at Yuba Gap. Does this indicate the killer had prior knowledge of this location, and relied on his previous history of this area as the ideal spot for intimacy and seclusion? Or did the killer live close (or a limited distance) to the deposition site? The Lake Spaulding Road location is extremely remote and blanketed by Pine trees.

Lake Spaulding and Lake Valley Reservoir, 2.25 miles apart and close to major commuter routes, provide excellent camping, fishing and boating to the public. So, is our suspect somebody who had regularly frequented these recreation areas, that also had a connection to the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino and/or the life of Donna Lass. The abduction of Donna Lass from a hotel and casino close to the end of her shift could be considered a targetted attack by somebody she knew, or somebody that knew of her. I am not convinced about the directional accuracy of the March 22nd 1971 "Pines Card", despite having no doubt that it was designed by the Zodiac Killer. Most things point to a Zodiac Killer who knew nothing regarding the whereabouts or fate of the missing nurse, Donna Lass. Which is why the Pines card only retrospectively claimed he "sought" her when she lived in San Francisco, just like he did with Kathy Bilek in the Monticello card. The Zodiac Killer didn't even increase his victim count in the 13-Hole postcard on October 5th 1970, one month after her abduction. 

The abductor and murderer of Donna Lass seemingly chose the Lake Spaulding area near Yuba Gap to (more than likely) dispose of her remains, which were found seventy miles from the Sahara Tahoe Hotel & Casino (now the Golden Nugget Lake Hotel & Casino). Is the distance he was prepared to travel to make Donna Lass vanish an indication of his connection to her? Hopefully more information will be revealed in the coming months and years, that finally answers the questions put forth in this article.  PART ONE  PART TWO.

There is very little evidence to suggest that the Zodiac Killer had any involvement in the abduction and murder of Donna Lass in 1970, but let's examine the March 22nd 1971 Pines card and the March 13th 1971 Los Angeles letter, mailed nine days earlier. If we look at the Pines card from right to left, it indicates that we have to "pass the Lake Tahoe areas", locate the "Sierra Club" and then search "around in the snow" for any remains. Assuming these were a guide to law enforcement from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department at Fremont Avenue and Mono Way (on the south tip of the lake), they would have had to travel on California State Route 89 "past the Lake Tahoe areas" to Interstate 80. They would then have to travel west to the "Sierra Club" at Clair Tappaan Lodge, and then further west on Interstate 80 an indeterminate distance to locate the remains of Donna Lass "around in the snow". This is giving a generous interpretation to the Pines card, now knowing that the partial remains of Donna Lass were found near Yuba Gap and the Camp Spaulding area. This could be argued as hindsight.

Before you read on, check the newspaper article on the left from the Elko Daily Free Press on November 17th 2000 regarding South Lake Tahoe Detective Tom Conner

There is a high degree of probability that the Zodiac Killer was using the Boise Cascade Incline Village advertisement as a template to identify the Clair Tappaan Lodge "Sierra Club" alongside Interstate 80 and Donner Pass Road..So at the very least, the Zodiac Killer had referenced a location on the northwest side of Lake Tahoe, heading towards the location where the remains of Donna Lass were eventually found on December 31st 1985 and early January 1986 (reported in the newspapers as 1986).

​His previous communication, the Los Angeles letter, was not only postmarked the same day as the general release in the USA of the movie "Vanishing Point", but the letter mimicked the wording from the January trailer of the car chase movie, in which "a radio host from KOW stated "And there goes the Challenger being chased by the Blue, Blue Meanies on wheels. They want to get him and put him away, but there'll have to catch him first". The author of the Los Angeles letter (Zodiac) stated "If the Blue Meannies are evere going to catch me, they had best get off their fat asses + do something". The beginning and ending of the movie (in which the main protagonist, Kowalski, met his death) was portrayed as occurring in Cisco, California (alongside Interstate 80), where the remains of Donna Lass were found close by.

​Consequently, we have two consecutive Zodiac Killer communications (9 days apart) containing material that can be linked to Interstate 80 on the northwest side of Lake Tahoe. Clair Tappaan Lodge and Cisco are 10.55 miles apart (as the crow flies). Of course, the appearance of Cisco in the movie may have had no bearing on the Zodiac Killer when referencing the Vanishing Point movie in the Los Angeles letter (if you believe the premise of the movie connection). It could easily be argued that either connection is fortuitous and coincidental. 

Only the skull and jawbone of Donna Lass has reportedly been found, which could suggest her remains were dispersed by wildlife, or she was murdered elsewhere, dismembered and her remains scattered in the area. The Zodiac Killer didn't necessarily imply a burial site on the Pines card, only that her remains may have been found "around in the snow" (if that is the correct interpretation).  PART ONE. PART THREE

A jawbone (and all teeth) were found close to Interstate 80 and Highway 20, near Camp Spaulding in Placer County on December 31st 1985 (reported in the newspapers as 1986) by a fisherman traveling towards Lake Valley Reservoir via Yuba Gap. A human skull was found near to the other remains in January 1986 during follow-up searches headed by Deputy Lowell Carleton. These bones remained unidentified until December 2023, when it was finally determined through DNA to be that of Donna Lass, her fate unknown for almost 53 years and 4 months. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has notified the surviving members of the Lass family. There may be an interesting connection to the Los Angeles letter, mailed by the Zodiac Killer on March 13th 1971. ​

For many Zodiac Killer researchers the murderer of five appeared to have a fascination with dates, which included the Melvin Belli letter (12/20/69) mailed on the first anniversary of the Lake Herman Road murders, the Pines card (3/22/71) mailed on the first anniversary of the Kathleen Johns abduction, and the mailing of the Los Angeles letter (3/13/71) which coincided with the release date of the Vanishing Point movie, that also referenced "blue meanies". The January trailer of the movie featured a radio host from KOW, who stated "And there goes the Challenger being chased by the Blue, Blue Meanies on wheels. They want to get him and put him away, but there'll have to catch him first". The author of the Los Angeles letter stated "If the Blue Meannies are evere going to catch me, they had best get off their fat asses + do something". 

​These are just three examples. But for now, we will examine the long-held belief that the Zodiac Killer was referencing the "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell (first published on January 19th 1924) when he encoded the wording "I like killing people because it is so much fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all". The Richard Connell short story was later adapted for screenplay, most notably in the 1932 RKO Pictures version starring Joel McCrea and Leslie Banks. While "The Most Dangerous Game" may be the inspiration for the Zodiac Killer's choice of words in the 408 cipher, did another more recent movie inspire him to find "The Most Dangerous Game". 

The Zodiac Killer's July 31st 1969 letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald opened up with the wording "I am the killer of the 2 teen-agers last Christmass at Lake Herman" and "This is the murderer of the 2 teenagers last Christmass at Lake Herman". It was the double murder of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen on December 20th 1968 (with the Zodiac claiming a "pencil flashlight" attachment to his gun) that most resembled a killer hunting game, as referenced in the 408 cipher. This was the crime that began the canonical Zodiac murders.    

Throughout 1969 a movie called "The 10th Victim" was regularly featured on American television. It was "a 1965 science fiction film directed and co-written by Elio Petri, starring Marcello Mastroianni, Ursula Andress, Elsa Martinelli, and Salvo Randone,. based on Robert Sheckley's 1953 short story "Seventh Victim". Taking place in the year 2079 in the aftermath of World War III, the film's focus is on a government-endorsed program known as "The Big Hunt", whereby contestants from around the world act as "hunters" and "victims" in two-person battles to the death as a means of avoiding mass warfare. The "Seventh Victim" was about a future society that has eliminated major warfare by allowing members of society who are inclined to violence to join The Big Hunt, a human hunting game. This eliminates the approximately one quarter of the population that would otherwise be a danger. The story follows an experienced hunter who is excited to receive his latest mission, but is faced with the concern that something is seriously wrong with the assignment. Robert Sheckley's inspiration for "Seventh Victim" was the earlier short story, The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell". Oddly, seven victims was the first total claimed by the Zodiac Killer on November 8th 1969. "The 10th Victim" would be shown at the Northside Theatre in Berkeley on July 15th 1969, just over two weeks prior to the "The Most Dangerous Animal" reference in the 408 cipher. 

The 408 cipher and its perceived reference to "The Most Dangerous Game" was accompanied by the beginning of the Zodiac murders on December 20th 1968. "The 10th Victim", based on "The Most Dangerous Game", was released into US cinemas on December 20th 1965. The Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1969 implied that the Zodiac Killer was going to lose control and claim his 10th victim. The only time the Zodiac Killer wrote a victim count in tandem with the word victim (victom) was when he mailed the Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1969. His next communication on April 20th 1970 would confirm "ten people to date". Irrespective of this movie date matching the Lake Herman Road murders and Melvin Belli letter, did the Zodiac Killer become influenced by "The Most Dangerous Game" through "The 10th Victim", which was contemporary to television and theater in 1968 and 1969? The movie first appeared on Bay Area television on November 5th 1968, the month before the murders of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen in Benicia. Below are two advertisements for the movie in the Contra Costa Times and San Francisco Examiner.

RAMPAGE (1963)- THE MOVIE BEHIND THE 408 CIPHER & JULY 31ST LETTERS

Recently the Zodiac Killer Channel "Interviews With The Experts" series (hosted by Ned Dehan) returned with a bonus episode featuring Andrew Gray, who contributes heavily to the Citizen Detective podcast with on-camera contributors Michael Morford, Dr. Lee Mellor, Alex Ralph, Cloyd Steiger and Suzanna Ryan. The latest episode with Andrew Gray has turned out to be the most heavily viewed presentation in the brief time it has been available - receiving 7,257 views in just five weeks (as of Christmas day, 2023). Much credit must be given to the erudite manner in which Andrew Gray approaches all aspects of the Zodiac Killer case. The tables will be turned on December 30th 2023, when Ned Dehan of Black Box Online Radio (currently in the Philippines) will be interviewed by yours truly. Barring any unforseen circumstances in the next five days, this second bonus episode should air shortly after its recording. 

On October 14/15th somebody claiming to be the Zodiac Killer phoned either the Santa Rosa Police Department or the Press Democrat newspaper, and stated "I am the Zodiac and I am going to blow up a school bus and kill kids in Santa Rosa". This phone call was reported to have been made prior to the newspaper release of the threat made in the October 13th 1969 Zodiac letter of "school children make nice targets, I think I shall wipe out a school bus some morning. Just shoot out the front tire + then pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out". The Santa Rosa phone call threatening to bomb a school bus was issued at least 25 days prior to the perceived first threat on school buses, when the Zodiac Killer mailed the Bus Bomb letter on November 9th 1969. The realistic conclusion being that the Santa Rosa caller was the Zodiac Killer. On October 17th 1969, a female school bus driver believed somebody had fired a shot at her vehicle during the morning run. 

On October 22nd 1969, a few hours after the Jim Dunbar Show featured an imitation "Zodiac", somebody mailed a communication from Santa Rosa threatening that a school child there would become his next victim. The brief note was mistakenly delivered to KRON-TV news and read out on air on October 23rd 1969, before being turned over to San Francisco authorities. The note was declared a prank by Chief Melvin "Dutch" Flohr. While this is possible, other communications have been declared hoaxes by authorities, despite subsequently being shown to be genuine Zodiac offerings. It's practically impossible to make any determination about this note with the limited information available, but I thought it was important to present a fuller picture of "Zodiac" activity during this hectic period. 

The Zodiac Killer, his double postage, and the inspiration behind his communications has long been a discussion point in the Zodiac community. On October 22nd 1938, Chester Floyd Carlson made a major breakthrough when he developed the first ever xerographic copy of the handwritten message 10-22-38 ASTORIA, that paved the way to the multi-million dollar industry of photocopying that we are familiar with today. United States Public Law 100-548, signed into law by Ronald Reagan, designated October 22, 1988, as "National Chester F. Carlson Recognition Day". He was honored by the United States Postal Service with a 21¢ Great Americans series postage stamp. It was the 50-year anniversary of Carlson's discovery, recognised by extensive coverage in the newspapers  

On November 26th 1990, The Des Moines Register (and other newspapers throughout 1990) reported on plans for a new national postal museum, housing "the world's largest and most comprehensive postal and philatelic collection". The article referenced Chester Carlson as a rather obscure but important American, whose discovery of the xerographic process would become known as "the invention that no one wanted". This would ultimately prove to be one of the biggest misstatements ever, when you consider this form of technology is still widely used in current times.

In 1990, a television program profiling the life of Chester Carlson and his dry printing process would be released statewide, entitled the "Invention No One Wanted". This production ran throughout the year, as shown by the excerpt on the right from the San Francisco Examiner, stating "Chester Carlson invents xerography".  

The Zodiac Killer appeared to be a well-read individual, with one eye in the newspapers, and one eye on history. The only time the Zodiac Killer employed the use of a photocopied image (Xerox) in his communications was when he mailed the 1990 Eureka card (Christmas card) sometime in December, with the cover message of "From your secret pal. Can't guess who I am yet? Well, look inside and you'll find out". Inserted within the greetings card was the photocopied image of two post office box keys.

When analysed, the numbers on the keys would be traced back to Chester Clark Klingel, the namesake of Chester Carlson (first spotted by forum contributor Nin).  His obituary read "Chet's first wife Yolanda passed away in a car accident. His second marriage was short but his third to Blandina Sarkis added love, happiness, family and great food to his life. He had many good years in Tam Valley, CA, before beginning a farming venture near Turlock, CA. Chet and Blandina bought nut orchards and developed a successful walnut hulling and drying business. After Blandina passed away, the farming project lost appeal. Chet sold the farm and moved to Eureka, CA, where he made new friends". The Zodiac Killer was certainly clever in the design of his communications, so were the photocopied keys leading to an individual called "Chester" Clark Klingel, a deliberate and calculated choice by the Bay Area murderer, who covertly slipped the name of "Chester" Carlson into the communication through inverted imagery "to clue us in"? Assuming of course, the Christmas card was mailed by the Zodiac Killer. 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FROM RICHARD & ZODIAC CIPHERS

In a letter postmarked January 29th 1974, the Zodiac Killer described The Exorcist movie as "the best saterical comidy that I have ever seen". The Exorcist movie, released on December 26th 1973, was directed by William Friedkin. But why did the Zodiac Killer wait just over one month to describe this horror film as a satirical comedy? I suspect that the timing of this communication and the phraseology chosen within it was carefully designed by the Bay Area murderer. This letter was likely mailed in the hope the San Francisco Chronicle would publish the Zodiac Killer's handiwork on January 30th 1974. The day after, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote under the heading "Zodiac Mystery Letter - First Since 1971", "The killer who calls himself Zodiac broke a silence of nearly three years yesterday with a bizarre note to The Chronicle".

William Friedkin made his directorial debut in the comedy movie "Good Times" in 1967 starring Sonny Bono and Cher, who appeared as themselves in this musical parody of various genres, including mysteries, westerns, Tarzan movies and spy thrillers. A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satirical or ironic imitation. The connection between Sonny Bono, Cher and William Friedkin would come full circle in January of 1974, when the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour on Channel 7 was advertised in many newspapers. The Comedy Hour was to feature a satirical (mocking) presentation of The Exorcist movie by showing the comedic reactions of patrons leaving the cinema. This can be viewed on YouTube. 

The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was an American variety show that starred American pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married to each other at the time. The show ran on CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) in the United States, beginning in August 1971. The show was cancelled in May 1974, due to the couple's divorce, but the duo reunited in 1976 in a similarly formatted show. 

The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was due to be aired on Wednesday, January 30th 1974, the exact day the Zodiac Killer had likely hoped his Exorcist letter would be published by the San Francisco Chronicle. So were the words "satirical" and "comedy" deliberately chosen to coincide with this show?   ​

For many years now I have stated that the Zodiac Killer designed the Monticello card on July 13th 1971, which read "Near Monticello Shought Victims 21 ...... In The Woods Dies April". The card was claiming the murder of Kathy Bilek (18), who was murdered in Saratoga, in the Villa Montalvo woods near the neighborhood of Monticello (in San Jose) on April 11th 1971. Kathy Snoozy (15) was the phonetic namesake of Kathy Bilek, and was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery at 300 Curtner Avenue in the Monticello neighborhood of San Jose.

The Zodiac Killer chose the location of "Monticello" to bind together the murders of Kathy Bilek, Kathy Snoozy and Debra Furlong, the latter two of which he had claimed on November 8th 1969 in the Dripping Pen card. He added Kathy Bilek to his total when he mailed the 148 character cipher and letter in (likely) May of 1971, and ratified this on July 13th 1971 with the mailing of the Monticello card. These two communications in 1971 were a response to the arrest of Karl Francis Werner for the murder of all three girls. The burial location of Kathy Snoozy became integral to the Zodiac story on July 13th 1971, but investigators have apparently never made this connection. This is what makes the events of September 18th 1973 so very, very interesting.

On this date, somebody removed a tombstone from the Oak Hill Cemetery at First Street & Curtner Avenue and placed it in front of the cemetery gate. The tombstone had the pseudonym "Zodiac" written on it in crayon. We don't know the identity of the perpetrator who committed this unsavoury act, but we do know that the Zodiac Killer had a vested interest in the murder of Kathy Snoozy and the location of her burial site. I will leave it to you to guess the tombstone removed.   

The Zodiac Killer's interest in the case of Kathy Snoozy & Debra Furlong likely began on August 6th 1969 (3 days after their murders) when the San Francisco Chronicle released a comprehensive front page article of the knife slayings, with a reference to her burial at the Oak Hill Cemetery in San Jose. The Zodiac Killer, having been relegated to pages four and nine of the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner respectively - and killing three people and writing four letters - was probably frustrated his efforts didn't receive comparable coverage. Therefore, it was no surprise he turned up on the shores of Lake Berryessa armed with a bladed weapon and wrote "by knife" on the car door of Bryan Hartnell. There is also the possibility he threatened the family members of Debra Furlong on December 19th 1969, when a phone call was received by police dispatcher, Shirley Searey, of the San Jose Highway Patrol, claiming to be the Zodiac Killer and stating "I am going to kill five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday". The remaining five Furlong family members were Glen Furlong and his wife, along with Glen, 16; Floyd, 12, and Pamela, 11. All the information required to create this phone call and know the burial site location of Kathy Snoozy was available in the August 6th 1969 San Francisco Chronicle newspaper article.  To read the entire Snoozy & Furlong story from March 27th 2022, visit here.

At the very early stages of the Saratoga murder investigation of Kathy Bilek (18) it was determined that her killer was likely the same individual who murdered Kathie Snoozy (15) and Debra Furlong (14) in San Jose on August 3rd 1969. It was highlighted by Santa Clara County Sheriff James Geary and Undersheriff Tom Rosa  that the pattern of wounds to all three girls seemingly made a deliberate effort to avoid stabbing the chest and pelvic regions. The Zodiac Killer connection was rightly considered tenuous, despite the Bay Area murderer insinuating his involvement in the murders of Snoozy & Furlong as early as November 8th 1969. 

On April 15th 1971, addressed to "homicide inspector", the sheriff's office received an unsigned, somewhat incoherent letter which Rosa says may or may not be connected with the Kathy Bilek slaying (see below). The letter, on ruled paper, mentioned Zodiac and another victim, stating "Gril (sic) works in hospital" could be his next victim. It continued with "Beleaved to be Zodiac, Killer and gril lover writes long poem asking how anyone ever could ever begin to understand our world of pot etc".

​Looking at the wording used in the letter it's impossible to determine whether this "Zodiac" correspondence is genuine or otherwise. Observers will obviously point out that the tone of the letter points away from the Zodiac Killer and towards a "drug fueled hoaxer". While this seems like the obvious superficial conclusion based on the wording in the letter, there is simply no way to determine the authorship of this communication. The only mildly interesting thing about this letter is the mention of "girl works in hospital" and "next victim", bearing in mind the Zodiac Killer mailed a letter to the Albany Times Union on August 1st 1973, which stated "I am not dead or in the hospital" and warned of a "next victim" from the "Albany Medical Center". This "next victim" believed to be a nurse (girl in hospital) during the "shift change".      

The 148 character letter and cipher mailed by the Zodiac Killer in (probably) May 1971 about the murders of Snoozy, Furlong and Bilek, with reference to their murderer, Karl Francis Werner, as a "phony", can be linked through its cryptogram to both the 340 cipher and Albany code, see here. The newspaper article above, from the Peninsula Times Tribune in Palo Alto on April 16th 1971, could possibly have inspired the Zodiac Killer in his creation of the Albany letter (or not). The murders of Kathy Snoozy, Debra Furlong and Kathy Bilek straddled the Zodiac case from 1969 and 1971, despite the Zodiac Killer having no involvement in their murders - but would claim so to the bitter end.

The Zodiac Killer sourced his pasted text from the newspapers when creating the 13-Hole postcard and Pines card, keeping some phrases intact. When he created the March 22nd 1971 Pines card he seemingly took the complete phrase of "Peek through the pines" from the March 19th 1971 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, using an advert from the Boise Cascade Company project at Incline Village, where construction had just begun on the development. It was considered that missing nurse, Donna Lass, may have been buried at this location. 

The​ Boise Cascade Company is an American manufacturer of wood products and wholesale distributor of building materials, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, that in the mid-1960s developed an even more diverse portfolio including ownership of a motor home manufacturer, a cruise line, involvement in real estate and recreation projects, and an acquisition in the engineering and construction business for major utilities. It makes total sense that, where possible, the Zodiac Killer would source his newspaper cuttings from the publications that he bought regularly, from within stories that caught his eye, or had some relevance to him. What interested me, was that Boise Cascade dealt in real estate, bearing in mind the sister communication to the Pines card.

Mailed on July 13th 1971, the Zodiac Killer designed the Monticello card, which virtually mimicked the Pines card in every way. It was created with directions to pinpoint the burial site of Kathie Snoozy in the Monticello neighborhood of San Jose, where her and Debra Furlong were murdered on August 3rd 1969. Spelled Kathy Snoozy in the newspapers, she was the namesake of Kathy Bilek, who was the focus of the Monticello card that read "Near Monticello Shought Victims 21 ...... In The Woods Dies April". Kathy Bilek was murdered near Monticello, in Saratoga, in the woods on April 11th 1971. The Zodiac Killer was now claiming all three victims in light of the recent arrest of Karl Francis Werner, who he was calling a "phony" because of having Snoozy & Furlong taken away from his claimed "Aug" victim count in the Dripping Pen card. But where would the Zodiac Killer have sourced the pasted text for the Monticello card that was relevant to his reading material and location - and considering the possibility he may have used phrases rather than single words to design the card?

I first looked at the phrase "Near Monticello" with some interesting results. The date range between April 11th 1971 and July 13th 1971 took priority, because these were the dates of Kathy Bilek's murder and the mailing date of the Monticello card. There were extremely limited results from newspapers.com, but one from the Napa Register caught my eye. Just like the "real estate" advertisement for the Forest Pines condominiums at Incline Village featured on the Pines card, a real estate advertisement appeared approximately seven weeks later in the Napa Register, on May 6th 1971 (and subsequent editions), beginning less than one month after the murder of Kathy Bilek. It was a real estate advertisement from Lee Chesnutt of Napa Valley Properties (1400 Second Street) for a guest cottage and grounds NEAR MONTICELLO PARK, a neighborhood in Napa, California. A second result from the Napa Register on May 14th 1971 was placed by Don R. Stufft Realty of 1517 Jefferson Street for two homes near Monticello Park. The real estate offices of 1400 Second Street and 1517 Jefferson Street  are only 438 meters and 564 meters from the 1231 Main Street, Napa payphone, where the Zodiac Killer placed his call after the Lake Berryessa attack. Monticello Park is a neighborhood in Napa, California. and mostly features large homes that are very high value. I am sure that the Zodiac Killer would have known that Monticello Park was likely a good source for the material he required to design the Monticello card.

However, there is another news story of relevance from the Sacramento Bee on March 8th 1971. Although one month before the murder of Kathy Bilek, this is the sort of news that may have stuck with the Zodiac Killer. Entitled "Vacaville Woman's Body Found", it stated "LAKE BERRYESSA - A Woman who drowned in a boating accident has been identified as Mrs. Deaun Brown, 41, of Vacaville. Her husband, Kenneth, 65, also is presumed drowned, but his body has not been found. The couple's 10-foot boat capsized Thursday near Monticello dam". Knowing that Kathy Snoozy was buried in the Oak Hill Memorial Park at 300 Curtner Avenue in the neighborhood of Monticello, the Zodiac Killer could easily have remembered this story about two Lake Berryessa drownings just 4 months earlier. The Bay Area murderer had previously exhibited great ability in sourcing dated newspaper articles to use as cuttings in his previous postcards. Whether he just stockpiled newspapers, took cuttings, worked at a newspaper office, or sold newspapers, is something to consider. 

The only "dies April" combination I could find, was again, relevant to another crime associated with the Zodiac Killer. Kathleen Johns claimed she was abducted by the Zodiac Killer on March 22nd 1970, near Modesto. She stated that the man took her on a 1 1/2 to 2 hour journey around the outskirts of Tracy, California. The only newspaper article I could find of any relevance was from the Tracy Press on March 31st 1971, nearly two weeks prior to the murder of Kathy Bilek. It told of negotiations between Southern Pacific Railroad and the Railpax corporation, and the discontinuation of valley Daylight trains.  Although not ideal, it is close enough to the timeframe to be considered a possibility. I suppose, when the Monticello card surfaces (if ever), we will see whether any of the above examples have promise. But what is important: is that all the cuttings sourced have some significance to areas of Zodiac activity.   

When the Zodiac Killer sat down to put the finishing touches to his October 27th 1970 Halloween card, what inspired him to draw an eye mask on the second skeleton and use the prominent word "BOO" on the card inner? Maybe the Zodiac Killer was influenced by something he recently read or watched on the television (or both). The day before the card was postmarked (October 26th 1970), the San Francisco Examiner featured the "Bay Area's Most Complete Television Logs".. At 8:00 pm on the NBC network waa the extremely popular Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin. The Halloween edition of the show was aptly titled "The Halloween "Boo-In" hour, featuring special guests Orson Welles, Vincent Price and Rod Serling. It can be seen on the Internet Movie Database here. The hosts began the show by covering their eyes with eye masks as they addressed the audience. The show was heavily advertised statewide, many of which contained extensive coverage of the guests, storylines and sketches.

This isn't the most compelling or interesting observation regarding the Zodiac Killer case, but the "Boo-In" Halloween edition of the show did appear in a newspaper familiar to the Zodiac Killer, in an area he most likely lived, the evening before the Halloween card was postmarked. 

On February 3rd 1974 the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), an affiliate of the group, or a "friend" of the militant collective, mailed a communication from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Chronicle on the eve of the kidnapping of Patricia Campbell Hearst, the granddaughter of American newspaper publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. The Symbionese Liberation Army were an anti-capitalist organisation, fueled by a hatred for the publishing magnate, who would later demand anywhere between 4 and 400 million dollars of food to be distributed to the public, to be donated from the Hearst family. Their connection to William Randolph Hearst didn't end there, when on May 8th 1974, somebody from the Symbionese Liberation Army (or a sympathizer or friend of the group) mailed the Badlands card, urging the newspapers to remove the advertisements for the recently released Badlands movie, directed by Terrence Malick and starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. The communication read "Sirs -- I would like to expression my consternt (crossed out) consternation concerning your poor taste + lack of sympathy for the public, as evidenced by your running of the ads for the movie "Badlands", featuring the blurb: "In 1959 most people were killing time. Kit + Holly were killing people." In light of recent events, this kind of murder-glorification can only be deplorable at best (not that glorification of violence was ever justifiable) why don't you show some concern for public sensibilities + cut the ad?  A citizen". The choice of words in this communication will take us back to one person in 1938 and 1941, indicating that the individual who composed this card was extremely well read and historically knowledgeable. 

On October 30th 1938, aired by the CBS Radio Network, an adapted broadcast was narrated by Orson Welles, based on the 1898 H .G. Wells novel "The War of the Worlds". The broadcast attempted to convince radio listeners that the human race was under attack by Martian invaders. It was reported in the statewide newspapers as causing panic and hysteria amongst the public. But one word was prevalent, as shown by a New York newspaper on the left, featuring Orson Welles, "whose radio dramatization of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" caused nationwide consternation Sunday night". This word appeared over and over again in newspapers throughout America. A New York Times publication on October 31st 1938 stated H. G. Wells had "expressed profound regret that his dramatic efforts should cause such consternation", somewhat mirroring the words used in the Badlands card of "I would like to expression my consternation".  A simple search on Google shows this word's prevalence with regards to Orson Welles.

​This connection may seem weak, until you consider the rest of the wording on the Badlands card.

The author of the Badlands card wrote "I would like to expression my consternt (crossed out) consternation concerning your poor taste + lack of sympathy for the public, as evidenced by your running of the ads for the movie "Badlands". In light of recent events, this kind of murder-glorification can only be deplorable at best (not that glorification of violence was ever justifiable) why don't you show some concern for public sensibilities + cut the ad?  A citizen". The individual who chose these words was very likely referring back to the widely publicized spat between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst (Patty Hearst's grandfather), who attempted to prevent the movie release of Citizen Kane (1941), by claiming that it presented an insulting portrayal of his life story (see below). William Randolph Hearst also demanded that his newspapers "cut the ads" promoting the Citizen Kane movie, just like the author of the May 8th 1974 card, who asked for advertisements of the Badlands movie to be removed from the newspapers. The Badlands card was mailed on May 8th and signed off with "A citizen", The Citizen Kane movie by Orson Welles premiered in Los Angeles on May 8th. This theme of censorship would continue in the Red Phantom letter on July 8th 1974, in which the author insisted that the newspapers "cancel the Count Marco column". These attacks on newspapers and the media - in particular, William Randolph Hearst - were prevalent in the communiques written (and typed) by the Symbionese Liberation Army. In fact, they would sign off their February 10th 1974 typed communication about Patty Hearst (and addressed to the Hearst family), by using "A Friend", just like the February 3rd 1974 letter, a week earlier. 

It is extremely likely that the SLA letter (2/3/1974) and the subsequent kidnapping of Patty Hearst the following day (2/4/1974), along the Badlands card (5/8/1974), both had links to William Randolph Hearst. It also seems credible that the Badlands card, through the subtle use of language and an acute awareness of history, tied Orson Welles to William Randolph Hearst by referencing "consternation", "cutting the ads" and "A citizen". The author of the SLA letter, Badlands card and Red Phantom letter was almost certainly not the Zodiac Killer, but somebody within the Symbionese Liberation Army, or closely allied to them.

MORE READING: THE PHANTOM ZODIAC LETTER ON JULY 8TH 1974

To understand the mindset of the Zodiac Killer when composing his communications, we have to look for running themes over a period of time (such as Snoozy & Furlong) and evaluate whether his offerings were deliberately designed to mislead, or an extension of his true character. It has recently been shown that the "cannibal killer" Stanley Dean Baker (and possibly an accomplice) was almost certainly responsible for the murder of Robert Salem in his 745 Stevenson Street apartment in San Francisco on April 15th 1970. However, what weight do we attribute to a Zodiac letter being connected to this murder, when it was postmarked on the morning of April 20th 1970, four months after his last communication, but dated the same day Robert Salem's murder was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and Zodiac's pseudonym reported as being being present on his apartment wall.

​To achieve this, the Zodiac Killer would had to have read the morning newspaper about Salem, create his letter in a short period of time, then mail the letter so it could be processed and stamped with a morning postmark. This would have made the code contained within the letter contemporary to the murder of Robert Salem (unless it was created in advance). The writing on the apartment wall stating "Satan Saves Zodiac" and the severing of Salem's left ear, led me to consider the possibility of the code reading "Skin A Satanist" or "Ate Severed Ear", which both fit seamlessly into the code. But these solutions would be more relevant to Stanley Dean Baker than the Zodiac Killer, with Baker branded a "hippie satanist" by the newspapers after he admitted removing victims body parts and eating them. However, I have come to the conclusion that both of these solutions to the Z13 are almost certainly incorrect. But what about the rest of the letter? 

There is a good reason to believe the Zodiac Killer was responsible for making a phone call to the San Jose, California Highway Patrol on December 19th 1969. On this date, somebody claiming to be the Zodiac Killer followed up his threats on the lives of multiple cops in the December 16th 1969 "Fairfield letter", by making a phone call to dispatcher Shirley Searey of the San Jose Highway Patrol and stating "I am going to kill five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday". This threat towards California Highway Patrol may be relevant to his wording in the April 20th 1970 letter, when he wrote "But there is more glory in killing a cop than a cid because a cop can shoot back". Two weeks before this letter arrived - and dubbed the "Newhall Incident" - was the the worst massacre of police officers in the 80 year history of the California Highway Patrol, and possibly the worst in American history. It changed police procedure forever thereafter— improved police training on how to approach a suspect, better weaponry, bullet proof vests — saving the lives of many police officers in the line of duty. It was the story of the bravery and sacrifice of four young CHP officers, and the story of a true American hero, a civilian bystander who risked his life under fire from gun toting suspects to try to save the life of a downed patrolman. On the evening of April 5, 1970, four CHP officers, Roger Gore, Walt Frago, James "Skip" Pence, and George Alleyn were brutally gunned down by two dangerous suspects in the lot of a Standard Service Station next to J's Coffee Shop on what is now the intersection of the Old Road and Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia, California. Link SCV History.com. 

The Zodiac Killer's wording of "But there is more glory in killing a cop than a cid because a cop can shoot back" on April 20th 1970 - bearing in mind the previous threat on five CHP officers on December 19th 1969 - could have been inspired by the wall-to-wall newspaper coverage of the "Newhall Incident" on April 5th/6th 1970. In Zodiac's letter, there was also the reference to the murder of San Francisco police officer Brian McDonnell on February 16th 1970, who suffered devastating and sadly fatal injuries two months earlier, when a bomb packed with heavy industrial fence staples exploded on an outside ledge of Park Police Station in the Upper Haight neighborhood. 

​The uncle of Brian McDonnell was Sergeant Joseph Emmett Lacey (40), murdered on December 30th 1956 while socializing with a friend at Eddies' Cocktail Lounge at 502 Ellis Street, San Francisco. The two were enjoying a drink, when two men brandishing firearms burst into the establishment with robbery in mind. Sergeant Lacey, despite being off-duty at the time, drew his gun and attempted to prevent the robbery, but was beaten to the draw and sadly died before reaching the Mission Emergency Hospital.  One of the robbers was apprehended shortly after the crime and plead guilty to first-degree murder. The actual shooter of Sergeant Lacey remained a free man for nearly three years, before being captured and found guilty of second-degree murder. Fourteen years after the murder of Joseph Lacey, the end of watch would unfortunately befall his nephew, Brian McDonnell.

​Whether this historical case was mentioned in the newspapers to some degree in relation to the Brian McDonnell murder is unknown - but if it was featured and noted by the Zodiac Killer, the sentence of "there is more glory in killing a cop than a cid because a cop can shoot back" would certainly have more meaning with respect to the April 20th 1970 communication. So, did the "Newhall Incident" or the murder of Sergeant Lacey (or both) have any role in the use of this phrase on April 20th 1970, or can we attribute pure coincidence to the wording chosen by the Zodiac Killer in this instance. 

The headline of the Desert Sun newspaper on February 17th 1970, covering the murder of Brian McDonnell, read "Haight Ashbury Police Station Rocked By Bomb. Six Officers Injured In Blast Showering Big U-Shaped Staples". The Zodiac Killer would seemingly use this headline, and capitalize and emphasize the word "Blast" when creating his Dragon card on April 28th 1970, stating "I hope you enjoy yourselves when I have my Blast"..He would repeat the word "blast" on the card inner, stating "If you don't want me to have this blast you must do two things". It is clear that the Zodiac Killer invariably created his communications with previous newspapers being the inspiration, so I would be extremely grateful if anybody with a newspapers.com subscription could search for any mention of Sergeant Joseph Lacey in respect to the murder of San Francisco police officer Brian McDonnell on February 16th 1970. Thank you.