ZODIAC CIPHERS
RICHARD GRINELL, COVENTRY, ENGLAND
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ARSENIC AND OLD BLUE PLACE

9/29/2020

 
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Desert Sun Newspaper, November 10th 1969: Arsenic Is Found In Soft Drink MARTINEZ (UPI) -- 'A young schoolteacher who received threatening telephone calls for 10 days thought the caller was a crank who was pretending to be the Zodiac killer. But police took the threats seriously after 24-year-old Daniel Williams found a lethal dose of arsenic in a bottle of soft drink in his refrigerator.

Williams, a teacher at Salesian High School in Richmond, told police the caller talked of how he intended to kill several persons, then last; Sunday said: “You’re the dead duck.” Williams went out and when he returned home found someone had pried open the screen on a back door. However, a police search showed nothing was missing. But after the officers left and Williams took a drink from a bottle of opened soft drink in his refrigerator, he found it tasted “metallic” and immediately spat it out. Police reported Friday that the bottle contained more than enough arsenic to kill a human being. Williams said the caller identified himself as the still sought Zodiac Killer of five, but police discounted the idea. The caller would “sob and complain of headaches". Williams said, and on one occasion said he had gone to a Martinez school in search of victims but left when he found police there. Williams said the caller told him: “I’m too smart for them".

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On the face of it, this seems like a hoaxer, bearing in mind the imposter on the October 22nd 1969 Jim Dunbar Show imitating Zodiac and complaining of headaches. However, the discovery of a lethal dose of arsenic in his soft drink clearly elevated this to more than just an idle threat or malicious phone call. The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article on the same subject on November 8th 1969, stating "The string of sadistic calls began on October 23rd 1969 (the day after the Jim Dunbar Show call). On one occasion, the caller told Williams he had gone to a Martinez school in search of victims but had left when he found police there. Another time, the teacher said the caller, whose voice he described as muffled as if speaking through a handkerchief, said he was going to "kill the lady in the blue house". 

One famous blue house, built in 1886 and immortalized by French singer Maxime Le Forestier, was located at in the Castro District at 3841 18th Street, San Francisco, near Haight-Ashbury. The nearest claimed Zodiac crime to the "blue house" was the murder of San Francisco Police officer Richard Radetich, who was gunned down by three shots from a .38 caliber revolver at point blank range through the driver side window of his vehicle while in the process of serving a parking ticket. He was sat in his police car near 643 Waller Street. This location is less than a mile from the blue house.

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There are and were several "blue houses" in San Francisco, but this one apparently stood out enough to be forever remembered by Forrestier in one of his many songs. "San Francisco", one of his best known songs, begins with the line: "C'est une maison bleue adossée à la colline" (meaning "It's a blue house with its back to the hill"). In 1971, a young Le Forestier was living in a hippie commune, called "Hunga Dunga", in a blue house situated at 3841 18th Street in San Francisco. The anthemic song was written as a fond tribute to Le Forestier’s housemates and hippie friends, and the names mentioned in the song refer to real people. These include Phil Polizatto, who recalls with great affection Le Forestier’s stay in the blue house, in a critically acclaimed book entitled “Hunga Dunga: Confessions of an Unapologetic Hippie”. Was this "blue house" located somewhere the Zodiac Killer may have passed by and noticed, resulting in him threatening the "lady in the blue house" in his phone call to Daniel Williams. After all, most of Zodiac's threats were focused in San Francisco. The school teacher lived at 1234 Bush Street, Martinez (just 2.34 miles from Benicia), so possibly the threat was focused towards a woman living in a blue house in close proximity to Daniel Williams, of which, one may have particular relevance to the phone-caller in 1969

The only reason I have covered this topic of the famous "blue house" at 3841 18th Street in San Francisco, is because of two San Francisco Examiner advertisements dated February 23rd 1962 and March 6th 1962, from a resident of 4117 19th Street, San Francisco, selling oil paintings under the pseudonym of "Zodiac". The first advertisement stated "16 CENT. Catholic-Spanish oil, $750. ZODIAC, 4117 19th St".  The second advertisement stated "16 CENT, oil painting of Christ, $750. Zodiac, 4117 19th St". This residence was situated only 562 meters from the "blue house" in San Francisco. Irrespective of whether any connection exists to the "blue house" at 3841 18th Street, these are an interesting pair of advertisements using the pseudonym "Zodiac" in San Francisco. The next time we would see the pseudonym appear in an advertisement pertaining to the Zodiac case, was the Deep Real Estate message placed on August 26th 1976 in the San Francisco Chronicle, to run for one week.

The following newspaper cuttings in relation to their proximity to the "blue house" were brought to my attention by Cragle, a regular contributor to the Zodiac Killer Site and Zodiac Killer Message Board forums.

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San Francisco Examiner advertisements dated February 23rd 1962 and March 6th 1962
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San Francisco Chronicle advertisement dated August 26th 1976
The Lady in the Blue House
Noel
9/29/2020 11:59:02 am

Maybe someone could do a search of occupants of 4117 18th Street?

Richard
9/29/2020 12:12:01 pm

I'll let Cragle answer that - I believe he has found limited information, but alas no names as yet. I was thinking because of that early 60s era, it could have been a shop called Zodiac, but have found no evidence of such a place. It remains an oddity for now.

Cragle
9/30/2020 02:03:30 am

I have tried to obtain more information but the directories at the time show the address as vacant although it could be possible that their was a apartment above the address. I have found a few adverts from the year before that show a closing down sale at this address which could account for the vacant reference in the Polk Directory of 62, 63. It doesnt appear in the 61 directory. 64-65, 66, 67 Directories shows Moorikes Speedy Press (861-3900).

With a Luhr Heinz Real Estate (626-6112) at 4117a in 67 and then at 4117 in 68, 69-70.

Shawn link
9/29/2020 02:03:37 pm

4117 19th

1961 June’s Closet used clothes
1962 vacant
1963 vacant

Richard
9/29/2020 02:30:41 pm

That is correct Shawn. Cragle told me it was vacant during that period.

Richard
9/29/2020 02:32:20 pm

That just makes the mystery worse.

Cragle
9/30/2020 01:56:15 am

I believe their was a 4117a which was an apartment above 4117 so this could perhaps be relevant although I could find no record of inhabitants. I have seen an advert for a closing down sale in 61 at this address so again this could perhaps account for the “Vacant” reference depending on when the directories where made.

Shawn
9/29/2020 02:39:57 pm

I’m guessing it was a part time vendor setting up outside the address on the sidewalk selling his art while using a cool name.

Shawn link
9/29/2020 03:35:16 pm

4117 19th is in the Castro District, known for being on the front line of equal rights for homosexuality.

Click my name for a picture of the store front. Its the one with the white SUV reflection in the store front window.

Cragle
9/30/2020 01:52:06 am

Shawn I believe that although it did become an area for equal rights this did not happen until the late 60’s early 70’s. At the time it was quite a run down neighbourhood.

Shawn
9/30/2020 11:21:59 am

Hi Cragle,

You are right, early 60’s was before the movement formed.

BB
9/30/2020 05:11:41 pm

I think one apartment she lived at was at 4108 North Kenmore Avenue. She was born on June 5th 1945. Daniel Williams was a teacher at Salesian High School in Richmond. Are there pictures of her? And what High School did she attend?

BB
10/1/2020 01:40:10 pm

16th century Oil Painting of Christ for sale.

Confused the name Daniel - male or female I have found both and I can't say for sure.

French song about San Francisco called "La Maison Bleue (The Blue House)." Written in 1972 by French singer Maxime le Forestier about a painted house on the side of a San Francisco hill.

Somebody needs to organize this. I think it's going somewhere but I don't know. The Blue house has been around since the time of Old Man Hearst. 'Maxime Le Forestier spoke of the house where everyone was welcome, where Tom, Phil and Psylvia lived.
Was this lady Psylvia - the Lady in the Blue House?

BB
10/1/2020 06:06:18 pm

On this Daniel Williams I'm finding conflicting info - I can't figure it out.
This is going to take more than a cursory study.

BB
10/2/2020 10:34:52 am

24-year-old Daniel Williams a teacher at Salesian High School in San Pablo (Saint Paul)
on the border of Richmond found a lethal dose of arsenic in a bottle of soft drink
in his refrigerator. The Private Catholic School is in the Salesian Order aka San Francis de Sales.

The Salesian Society, was founded by Saint Don John Bosco, in 1859 takes it's distinctive name from it's patron, St. Francis de Sales. In 1845 Don John Bosco ("Don" being a traditional Italian honorific for priest) opened a night school for boys. St. Don Bosco [SDB] was born Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco 16 August 1815 – and died 31 January 1888. The death of Don Bosco did not slow down the Society's growth. By 1911 the Salesians were established throughout the world. A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of Francis de Sales. Bosco was an ardent devotee of Mary, mother of Jesus, under the title Mary Help of Christians. He later dedicated his works to De Sales...The Salesian Society was formerly called: Society of St. Francis of Sales. Wikipedia

BB
10/2/2020 12:26:03 pm

. Painting of St Francis de Sales

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-restoration-of-saint-gervais-baroque-church-francis-de-sales-paint-148179100.html?p=214528&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dsaint%2520francis%2520painting%26qt_raw%3dsaint%2520francis%2520painting%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d

The rose and cross icons as seen in the Rosicrucians

BB
10/10/2020 04:27:08 pm

Possible Names, Titles, Monikers, and initials
For the Zodiac Killer

"Sandy" aka BOB COFFMAN or William Carr
"L" & or possibly "r h"
Red Hood aka The Joker
The Cipher killer aka The Red Phantom

BB
10/11/2020 02:54:20 pm

The news referred to him as the laughing killer before the name the Zodiac was known.

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/the-laughing-killer


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    The Zodiac Killer may have given us the answer almost word-for-word when he wrote PS. The Mt. Diablo Code concerns Radians & # inches along the radians. The code solution identified was Estimate: Four Radians and Five Inches To read more, click the image.
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