It is no coincidence that the April 24th 1978 letter stated "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me" just three weeks after the 50th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles on April 3rd 1978, and was followed by a second communication on May 2nd 1978 stating "Hey-you actors-this is your lucky Break. Remember-whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" and "​please hold the applause". The May communication having been mailed to the KHJ-TV Studios in Los Angeles after they ran a public voting poll on the eve of the ceremony (April 2nd 1978) on who their viewers thought would win certain categories at the Academy Awards. A ceremony where the Oscar winning song "You Light Up My Life" was sung at the ceremony by Debby Boone, whose father Pat Boone was threatened in the May 2nd 1978 letter.

​These two letters came four years after the last Zodiac letter arrived on January 29th 1974, which stated "I saw + think "The Exorcist" was the best saterical comidy", three days after the 31st Golden Globe film awards at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California on January 26th 1974, in which "The Exorcist" film won "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Supporting Actress" and "Best Screenplay". Three consecutive communications that just happened to piggyback off award ceremonies for the film industry, that were all presumably conceived and written by Inspector David Toschi and/or Robert Graysmith according to some. If Inspector David Toschi wrote the April 24th 1978 letter, then he probably wrote all three of these letters, and had a hand in the phone call 42 days before the "I am back with you" letter, when somebody rang an individual living in the Mission District and stated "This is the Zodiac. Tell the press that I am back in San Francisco". ​

​Then we have the consistency of language between the April 24th 1978, May 2nd 1978 and July 19th 1978 letters, with all three using the verb "play" and the singular pronoun "me" in the same sentence. Only the first letter being published in the newspapers. They read "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me" (04/24/78), "whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" (05/02/78} and "Maybe you play chess with me" (07/19/78). The third author could not have copied the second author if different individuals, but they could have been the same person.

If the author of the January 29th 1974 (Exorcist), April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters is one person (linked through a film industry theme), then where does that leave us with the July 19th 1978 letter, which has a common theme with both the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters? The author of the July 19th 1978 letter could have borrowed wording from the published April 24th 1978 letter, however, they did manage to continue the consistency in language used in the May 2nd 1978 letter, which they could never have seen if not the same person. The author on May 2nd 1978 and July 19th 1978, on both occasions, opted to mimic the verb "play" and singular pronoun "me" in the same sentence, from the April 24th 1978 letter. That probably leaves one author responsible for the last two letters. And if the May 2nd 1978 letter is linked by one theme to the January 29th 1974 and April 24th 1978 letters, then the July 19th 1978 letter is probably genuine too.

​This consistency, now seen through four communications, would be implicating Inspector David Toschi in a much bigger hoax, who would have also investigated the "I am back in San Francisco" phone call on March 13th 1978 and then mailed the "I am back with you" letter the following month. Additionally, it could open the door to the similarities shown between the April 24th 1978 and Melvin Belli letters. Either David Toschi has played a leading role in fabricating many Zodiac communications, or he is responsible for none. The obvious choice seems to be none. Inspector David Toschi was a busy man, unlikely to be scouring the newspapers for Academy Award and Golden Globe ceremonies, KHJ-TV Studios polls and the World Chess Championships, to create common themes in order to manufacture an elaborate hoax. But there was one man that seemed to find the time. Bearing in mind that the author of the April 24th 1978 letter wrote "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me", it was quite ironical that the winner for best film in 1978 at the Academy Awards was a "satirical comedy", claimed by some to be semi-autobiographical about the life of "Allen". Woody Allen that is. The film was "Annie Hall", winner of four Academy Awards, not unlike "The Exorcist" movie, which won four Golden Globes on January 26th 1974  

The "Channel 9" letter mailed to the KHJ-TV Studios in Los Angeles by the Zodiac Killer on May 2nd 1978, was a response to the Oscars yearly special run by the station on the eve of the award ceremony, which used public voting to determine the potential Academy Award winners. Hence the Zodiac Killer's wording of "Hey-you actors-this is your lucky Break. Remember-whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" and "please hold the applause". This phraseology was also present in the April 24th 1978 letter which stated "I am waiting for a good movie about me". The Channel 9 letter's primary targets were "Chief piggy Darrel Gates" and "Ex Chief piggy Ed Davis", who were selected in positions (1) and (2) of five targets. This wasn't particularly unusual for the Zodiac Killer to focus his attention on law enforcement, but why did he target Pat Boone, Eldridge Cleaver and Susan Atkins? The answer likely lay in the religious wording "theocratic" and "Judas".

Pat Boone grew up in the Church of Christ. In the 1960s, Boone's marriage to Shirley Lee Foley nearly came to an end because of his use of alcohol and his preference for attending parties. However, after coming into contact with the Charismatic Movement, Shirley began to focus more on her religion and eventually influenced Pat and their daughters to have a similar religious focus. At the time they attended the Inglewood Church of Christ in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California, before being excommunicated in 1971 

The 20th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23rd 1978, in which his daughter, Debby Boone, won the award for "Best New Artist", which she followed up by singing the "Best Original Song" winner at the April 3rd 1978 Academy Awards ceremony, called "You Light Up My Life" from the film score. At the same time, the Boone family began a series of specials on television covering their life and religiosity, which was regarded extreme by some. Clearly the Zodiac Killer was one such person, who slammed Pat Boone by writing "Pat Boone-his theocratic crap is an obscenity to the rest of the world". A Theocracy relates to or denotes a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god.

Susan Atkins (part of the Manson family) published her autobiography, "Child of Satan, Child of God" in 1977, but it was reissued on May 1st 1978, one day before the Channel 9 letter was postmarked in Anaheim, California. From 1974 onward, Atkins said she was a born-again Christian after seeing a vision of Jesus Christ in her cell. No wonder the Zodiac Killer called her the "Judas of the Manson Family", ​

The third person (other than law enforcement) to be named by the Zodiac Killer was Eldridge Cleaver, an American writer and political activist who became an early leader of the Marxist Black Panther Party. Once a radical, in later years he regularly spoke of his conversion to Christianity despite the many dissenting voices who doubled his sincerity. On the right is an excerpt from Eldridge Cleaver's visit to LC's Gunn Auditorium on April 11th 1978. 

Susan Atkins and Eldridge Cleaver both belonged to groups that dealt in murder before claiming their conversion to Christianity, with Pat Boone becoming heavily influenced by his wife Shirley's religious beliefs that governed his decision making when choosing film and television roles. All three were publicly announcing their Christian beliefs to a wider audience through the media, which to the ordinary churchgoer and non-believer may have been perceived as the fanatical preaching of religious zealotry. This sort of virtue signalling, prevalent in the society of today, may have been the reason why these three individuals were chosen by the Zodiac Killer, who ironically led us to believe that killing people was a requirement for his afterlife. 

On the envelope of the Channel 9 letter the Zodiac Killer added 1234567 A, G, C, G, T, H. (All good children go to heaven) from the lyrics of "The Beatles" song "You Never Give Me Your Money". Paul McCartney stated that "it's basically a song about no faith in the person". It appeared that the Zodiac Killer had no faith in Eldridge Cleaver, Susan Atkins and Pat Boone, whose religious proclamations through the media possibly got under the skin of the Bay Area murderer - a killer who bragged and rejoiced in claiming several children for his own version of heaven.

If the Zodiac Killer singled out these three individuals because of their overt religiosity, it would appear hypocritical of a killer, who himself distorted religion to sell us a story through the power of the media.    

We know that the Zodiac Killer was prepared to link himself to many murders with little to no evidence that vindicated his claims, such as Donna Lass, Kathie Snoozy and Debra Furlong, Cheri Jo Bates, Richard Radetich and the Atlanta Child murders. Law enforcement claimed that they had received dozens of hoax Zodiac letters by the end of 1970, which they obviously classified as such, based on nothing more than handwriting analysis and gut feelings, resulting in the loss of many communications that could have shed greater light on the Zodiac Killer mystery. Unfortunately, this method of determining authentic and inauthentic letters in the Zodiac case still persists 54 years later, with individuals that currently have the ability to spot fake Zodiac letters by the shape of the writing and the tone of a letter. But don't expect this quackery to change.

I mention this as a cautionary warning in regards to the perceived gaps in Zodiac Killer activity, such as the widely touted 4-year hiatus in Zodiac communications between 1974 and 1978. It's one thing believing a letter hasn't met the threshold of evidence to declare its authenticity, but quite another claiming it's a hoax based on nothing more than looking at it. With that said, I will continue the following observations based upon the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters being genuine Zodiac material, because the evidence against is practically zero compared to the evidence for. 

The Hillside Strangler murders, eventually discovered to be both Kenneth Bianci and Angelo Buono Jr., took place in Los Angeles between October 1977 and February 1978, resulting in the murder of ten women and girls who were abducted, raped and tortured. The Hillside Strangler murders took the police far afield, with their investigation spreading to New York and the United Kingdom in pursuit of the killer/s identity, unsure of whether more than one individual was involved in the horrific crimes. One person in 1978 would have had a keen interest in the unfolding newspaper coverage, which makes a multiple page letter mailed to police in respect to this case in January 1978, very interesting. On December 7th 1969, the Zodiac Killer mailed a letter from Fairfield threatening to kill a cop, which after he would turn himself in. On January 19th 1978, Los Angeles Chief Daryl Gates held a news conference on television and stated "The fact we have not had any more murders in the last five weeks suggests that the individual or individuals are not operating. Hopefully that will continue to be the situation. I'm hopeful the killer or killers will come forward and talk with us and give themselves up". Daryl Gates informed reporters that the manhunt was the biggest since the Tate-LaBianca murders which cost 500, 000 dollars.       

Later that day a letter was mailed to Mayor Tom Bradley, with portions of the text released by Chief Daryl Gates. The letter, handwritten and several pages long, stated he was very sick and claimed he had killed his mother, writing "My mother told me to kill those bad and evil ladys", and offering to turn himself in, along with "a friend". The author of the letter also promised to mail an article of clothing from one of the victims to prove the authenticity of the claims.

The Zodiac Killer would apparently reappear on March 13th 1978 and April 24th 1978 stating "This is the Zodiac. Tell the press that I am back in San Francisco" and "I am back with you", before mailing another letter from Los Angeles threatening to kill five people, in which Chief Daryl Gates was number one on that list, with former Los Angeles Chief Ed Davis second. Susan Atkins, part of the Manson family responsible for the Tate-LaBianca murders, was also mentioned fifth on the list mailed to the KHJ-TV studios. As such, we have a letter postmarked January 19th 1978 promising proof to the claims of murder and offering to give himself (and "a friend") up to police, in response to a news conference hosted by Chief Daryl Gates, who asked the killer or killers to give themselves up - followed by another letter mailed from Los Angeles on May 2nd 1978 threatening Chief Daryl Gates, who spearheaded the Hillside Strangler investigation. Who knows whether this was the Zodiac Killer interjecting himself into another major investigation, but it's certainly a possibility.       

Recently it was shown how the Zodiac Killer responded to 31st Golden Globe film awards at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California on January 26th 1974, by mailing the Exorcist letter on January 29th 1974, and reacted to 50th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles on April 3rd 1978, by mailing the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters (the latter mailed from Los Angeles). See here. Two and a half months later, a questionable "Zodiac Killer" letter would be mailed from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Chronicle on July 19th 1978. This communication may also have been partly influenced by a big event. The culmination of the letter read "But maybe you play chess with me. I have several cheap sets in closets all over. I have my name on the bottom of the lid with the scotch tape....My tape is waiting for me all over California".

I have previously suggested that this section of the letter may have been poking fun at David Toschi, who had recently been demoted to "pawn" detail after suggestions he may have been the author of the 1978 letter. However, based on the Zodiac Killer's propensity to infuse recent newspaper articles into his wording, I looked for the keyword "chess" in the days prior to the July 19th 1978 letter. On July 18th 1978, the Santa Cruz Sentinel (and numerous others), reported on the opening game in the World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in the Philippines. And chess was a big thing in the 1970s. But the Santa Cruz Sentinel coverage had one peculiar aspect - it carried the headline "Korchnoi, Karpov Play To Draw" alongside another article entitled "SF Chief Says Inspector Didn't Write Zodiac Letter". Could the Zodiac Killer (or impostor) have read the two articles and coalesced them both into his July 19th 1978 letter, the following day. The Santa Cruz Sentinel article also mentioned that David Toschi had been "transferred from the homicide squad to the pawn shop detail last week". Therefore, we have the mention of "pawn detail", "chess" and David Toschi alongside each other, on the same page.       

The whole letter read "I am the ZODIAC and I am in control of all things. I am going to tell you a secret. I like friction tape. I like to have it around in case I need to truss someone up in a hurry....I have my real name on a small metallic tape. You see, while you have it in your possession, I want you to know it belongs to me and you think I may have left it accidentally. I am athletic. It could be swim fins, or a piece of scuba gear. But maybe you play chess with me. I have several cheap sets in closets all over. I have my name on the bottom of the lid with the scotch tape....My tape is waiting for me all over California. Do you know me? I am the ZODIAC and I am in control". 

I noticed that the author used "My tape is waiting for me all over California" and "I have cheap sets in closets all over", suggesting that his "cheap chess sets" and "tape" were maybe in the same locations or relevant to one another. The author also stated that "I have my name on the bottom of the lid with the scotch tape" - and we know a chess case or chess box has a lid. Was the author suggesting that he could play David Toschi at chess anywhere in California, now that he was reported in the newspapers to be "vacationing at an undisclosed location"? In a previous article (linked above), a common theme was shown between the January 29th 1974, April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters through the film industry, so could any common verbiage be unearthed between the consecutive May and July letters mailed from Los Angeles, bearing in mind the May letter wasn't released to the public. On May 2nd 1978, the Zodiac Killer wrote in respect to the film industry "whoever plays me has his work cut out for him", while the following July 19th 1978 letter stated "But maybe you play chess with me". The two phrases of "plays me" and "play chess with me" both used in respect to another participant. It's not compelling, only noteworthy.  

The Zodiac Killer would shape his communications around previous newspaper articles - and I noticed that the author of the July 19th 1978 letter used the phrase "I am in control" at the beginning and end of the letter, rather than "I am now in control" that was used at the end of the April 24th 1978 communication. This meant that the author of the July 19th 1978 letter could have altered the wording to mimic the misquoted phrase used in some newspaper articles in April, such as the Atlanta Journal shown above. Was this the Zodiac Killer reaffirming to the public what he had read in the newspapers, or somebody simply misquoting or deliberately changing the wording of the Zodiac Killer? The April 24th 1978, May 2nd 1978 and July 19th 1978 letters all had one common theme, with only the first letter being published in the newspapers. They read "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me" (04/24/78), "whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" (05/02/78} and "Maybe you play chess with me" (07/19/78). All three used the verb "play" and the singular pronoun "me" in the same sentence. The third author could not have copied the second author if different individuals, but they could have been the same person. If the author of the January 29th 1974 (Exorcist), April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters is one person (linked through a film industry theme), then where does that leave us with the July 19th 1978 letter, which has a common theme with both the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters? The author of the July 19th 1978 letter could have borrowed wording from the published April 24th 1978 letter, however, they did manage to continue the consistency in language used in the May 2nd 1978 letter, which they could never have seen if not the same person. The author on May 2nd 1978 and July 19th 1978, on both occasions, opted to mimic the verb "play" and singular pronoun "me" in the same sentence, from the April 24th 1978 letter. That probably leaves one author responsible for the last two letters. And if the May 2nd 1978 letter is genuine Zodiac material, then the July 19th 1978 letter probably is too. 
​
APRIL 24TH 1978: "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me".
MAY 2ND 1978: "Whoever plays me has his work cut out for him". (unpublished)
JULY 19TH 1978: "Maybe you play chess with me". (unpublished)

It has previously been shown that the Zodiac Killer designed the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters in response to the Oscars movie ceremony, which was celebrating its 50th Academy Awards of cinematic achievement at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles on April 3rd 1978. The Dorothy Chandler Pavillion at North Grand Avenue was situated 4.5 miles from the KHJ-TV Studios at 5615 Melrose Avenue, which was the target of the May 2nd 1978 letter mailed by the Zodiac Killer that opened with the words "Dear Channel Nine".

But why would the Zodiac Killer choose a seemingly random television station in Los Angeles to deliver his Oscars message, by writing "Hey-you actors-this is your lucky Break. Remember-whoever plays me has his work cut out for him", preceded by the message "I am waiting for a good movie about me" on April 24th 1978?

On the eve of the Academy Awards ceremony the KHJ-TV Studios ran its yearly special about the Oscars (voted on by polling), hosted in 1978 by George Hamilton and Brenda Vaccaro on Channel 9. Wayne Thomas joined KHJ-TV Studios as an announcer in 1959 and served for 27 years. The "Your Choice for the Oscars" production was the brainchild of Wayne Thomas, which voted for the best film, best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, and best song, spanning six categories. The Zodiac Killer, back with us in 1978 after four years in the wilderness, was clearly yearning attention from the movie industry for his perceived special achievements (or he wanted to make it appear so). The May 2nd 1978 "Channel 9" letter would target Pat Boone for his perceived religious zealotry, stating "Pat Boone-his theocratic crap is an obscenity to the rest of the world". He was present at the Oscars watching his daughter, Debby Boone, perform her 1977 hit song "You Light Up My Life", which spent 10 weeks at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won the best original song category at the Academy Awards ceremony. This song was also voted for in the  KHJ-TV Studios 2-hour television special. So it's no surprise that the Zodiac Killer wanted to know which actor was going to play him in a "good movie" a few weeks later, hinting at the Academy Awards and stating "I have decided to start killing again-please hold the applause". However, this tactic employed by the Zodiac Killer in 1978 was not the first time he used this methodology of invoking movie award ceremonies in his correspondence, when he mailed the Exorcist letter on January 29th 1974 - effectively binding three consecutive letters under the banner of acting and film awards.    

One has to ask themselves the question of why did the Zodiac Killer wait from December 26th 1973 (The Exorcist release date) to January 29th 1974, to mail a letter beginning with "I saw + think "The Exorcist" was the best saterical comidy that I have ever seen"? The use of "best satirical comedy" gives the impression of comparison to other movies in a genre, by categorizing The Exorcist into a grouping of comedy films. In other words, it wasn't the best movie, it was the best satirical comedy. The timing of this letter, the Zodiac Killer's use of the word "best", and his propensity to respond to recent newspaper coverage, compelled me to search through newspapers.com in the days leading up to the Exorcist communication, to see what may have inspired the Bay Area murderer to compose this introduction. I didn't have to go far.

​The Exorcist movie won multiple 31st Golden Globe film awards at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California on January 26th 1974 for "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Supporting Actress" and "Best Screenplay". This was featured in many newspapers, including the Santa Cruz Sentinel and The Sun Times on January 28th 1974. So, it's not difficult to see why the Zodiac Killer mailed the Exorcist letter three days later (January 29th 1974) and began his snarky rebuttal of the film by writing "I saw + think "The Exorcist" was the best saterical comidy". He simply used the newspaper headlines and stories to compose a response to the accolades received by an extremely popular and successful film. His response to the Golden Globe film awards would be replicated after the 50th Academy Awards ceremony on April 3rd 1978, when he mailed the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters, stating "I am waiting for a good movie about me", "Hey-you actors-this is your lucky Break. Remember-whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" and "please hold the applause". 

This running theme of movie awards present in three consecutive Zodiac Killer communications, that hasn't been spotted by amateur researchers for nearly 50 years, should convince you that one mind was responsible for composing the January 29th 1974, April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters. But unfortunately for many it won't. The idea that a hoaxer could have spotted the inspiration for the Exorcist letter and replicated it four years later (in 1978), that no Zodiac researcher has found in nearly half a century, will now be used as a viable explanation. For some, no amount of evidence will shift their belief that the April 24th 1978 letter is a hoax. They will die with this inscription on their tombstone. But hopefully, some people will keep an open mind and consider the possibility that the Zodiac Killer did return in 1978.

MORE READING:  A PAWN IN A GAME OF DEATH     REVIVING THE 1978 LETTER   

THE 1978 LETTER UNLIKELY PENNED BY TOSCHI     THE GREATEST COPYCAT IN TOWN

​Many Zodiac researchers have looked into history (and around the world) for the inspiration and design of the Zodiac Killer's hood/costume at Lake Berryessa. Many suggestions have been put forward, ranging from Renaissance Fair's, police riot gear,  Ned Kelly's outfit and executioner's costumes. However, it's equally possible that the costume he designed had no particular inspiration at all, other than what he read in recent newspaper articles.

From my standpoint, the inspiration for the Lake Berryessa attack was conceived when his lack of front page coverage was compared to the brutal knife slayings of Kathie Snoozy & Debra Furlong in San Jose on August 3rd 1969. This obsession progressed into claiming their murders on November 8th 1969 and calling out their real killer, Karl Francis Werner, in 1971. However, this doesn't mean that other murders had no influence on his decision to switch to a bladed instrument on the shores of Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969.

As pointed out by Zodiac researchers Cragle and Druzer (among others), the recent Manson family murders of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowskion and Steven Parent on August 8th 1969, along with the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca on August 9th 1969, likely had a part-influence in the Zodiac Killer changing course in his style of attack. When we consider why the Zodiac Killer chose to wear a hood at Lake Berryessa, it's probably wise to examine the murders of all these nine victims when considering the choices made by the Zodiac Killer at Lake Berryessa. Therefore, it's important to review the newspaper coverage in the run up to the attack on September 27th 1969 because we know the Zodiac Killer was heavily influenced by what he read..    

The "Press Tribune" newspaper on August 11th 1969, along with many others, reported on the August 8/9th murders and described a black hood over the head of Jay Sebring and the parallels between these two crimes, with words written in blood, numerous stab wounds, and electrical cord around the neck of victims. The newspaper stated "In the Bel Air slayings, the word "pigs" was scrawled in blood on the front door of the Benedict Canyon home, and one of the five victims, hair stylist Jay Sebring, was found with a black hood over his head. LaBianca's wife, Rosemary, owner of a boutique in the Wilshire business district, was found in the master bedroom. Police said she had been stabbed numerous times with a bayonet-type weapon".
​
​All the ingredients were present in these newspaper articles to shape the Zodiac Killer's Lake Berryessa attack, with the use of clothesline cord, the black hood, the bayonet-style weapon as described by Dr DE Petris at the autopsy of Cecilia Shepard, and the writing on the car door of Bryan Hartnell (to replace the front door). If the Sharon Tate & LaBianca murders part-influenced the shift from gun to knife in the Zodiac Killer slayings, why couldn't the reading of "a black hood over a head" have inspired him to create his theatrical costume at Lake Berryessa.

I am also confident that the Sharon Tate & LaBianca murders influenced the design of the December 16th 1969 Fairfield letter (with the "Bleeding Knife of Zodiac" drawing), when the Zodiac Killer wrote "This is the Zodiac speaking. I just want to tell you this state is in trouble. I will go for the government life. So don't forget me. I will kill more people than you can count. So look for more blood.". (corrected for errors). The following article (edited for conciseness) was published in the Los Angeles Times on December 16th 1969, a matter of hours before the Fairfield letter was mailed with an afternoon postmark. Therefore, a strong possibility exists that this article, featuring the Zodiac Killer, could have influenced the language and tone of the Fairfield letter. The opening sentence of the Fairfield letter stated "I just want to tell you this state is in trouble", which can be seen to be synonymous with the newspaper article that headlines with "State Furnishes List of Murders Similar to 7 Slayings Here", as well as the opening paragraph of the article that reads "State officials have provided Los Angeles police with details of 30 unsolved murders", and the sub-headline of "All Murders Logged by State". ​ We know that the Zodiac Killer kept himself informed of murders other than his own, so wouldn't have been averse to using those newspaper articles to style his own communications (and possibly his attacks}  

​The Zodiac Killer would counter the list provided by state officials with a list of his own. At the foot of his Fairfield letter he would give us a list of locations and the number of police he promised to kill in each city (38 in total). This would develop in later communications, when the Zodiac Killer gave us a list of "society offenders" to be targeted from the plagiarized verses of The Mikado, a Savoy comic opera crafted by Sir William Schwenck Gilbert and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan,  released in London on March 14th 1885.

Government Official means any officer, employee or other individual acting in an official capacity for a Governmental Authority or agency or instrumentality thereof (including any state-owned or controlled enterprise). This may explain the Zodiac Killer's use of the phrase "government life" in his letter. It appeared that the Fairfield letter was specifically responding to this newspaper article - both of which corresponded to the date of December 16th. Susan Denise Atkins (21), one of six persons charged with the Tate-LaBiaca murders, provided information to police where they could find items of disposed bloody clothing related to the Cielo Drive attack, detailed in the article as "A station spokesman said the clothes, stained with what appeared to be blood and knotted in a bundle were turned over to police". I have highlighted these above in reference to the Zodiac Killer's statement of "look for more blood" in the Fairfield letter. The police were effectively dispatched to look for items of clothing stained with blood in the Tate-LaBianca slayings, to which the Zodiac Killer suggested there would be "more blood" in future for police to find. 

​If the Zodiac Killer was inspired to write on the door of Bryan Hartnell's 1956 white Karmann Ghia by reading newspaper articles about the Manson murders and the writing on the front door of the Benedict Canyon home, was he also influenced by the same thing, when (in all probability) he designed the "Channel 9" letter on May 2nd 1978 by using "1,2,3,4,5,6,7 -- All Good Children Go to Heaven" on the envelope, taken from the "Helter Skelter" door at the Spahn Ranch? It originated from a Beatles song (hence the Apple logo drawn on the envelope), but by describing Susan Atkins (a member of the Manson family) in the letter as the "Judas of the Manson Family", it isn't hard to envisage that the Zodiac Killer could have been inspired by the two doors from the Benedict Canyon home and Spahn Ranch in his writings on September 27th 1969 and May 2nd 1978.

You may be wondering why the Zodiac Killer mailed the April 24th 1978 letter with the statement "I am waiting for a good movie about me" - and then possibly - followed this up with a mailing on May 2nd 1978 to KHJ-TV Studios in Los Angeles, writing "Hey-you actors-this is your lucky Break. Remember-whoever plays me has his work cut out for him". We know that most Zodiac Killer correspondence had purpose, by taking something he had read in the newspapers and incorporating it into his letters. The year 1978 was a special occasion for the Oscars because it was celebrating its 50th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles on April 3rd 1978. The Dorothy Chandler Pavillion at North Grand Avenue was situated 4.5 miles from the KHJ-TV Studios at 5615 Melrose Avenue Three and four weeks later, the two above communications arrived mentioning "actors" and "movies", with the second letter addressed to Los Angeles.​

Debby Boone became a household name with her 1977 hit song "You Light Up My Life", which spent 10 weeks at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song, which she performed at the 1978 Academy Awards ceremony. Debby Boone was the daughter of actor-singer Pat Boone, who was threatened as a third target by the "Zodiac Killer" in the May 2nd 1978 letter, when he wrote "Pat Boone-his theocratic crap is an obscenity to the rest of the world". Pat Boone was present at the awards ceremony. Therefore, we can connect "actor" Pat Boone in the letter, to the Academy Awards ceremony of "actors", through his daughter. But why would the "Zodiac Killer" choose KHJ-TV Studios​ to mail his correspondence? 

​Wayne Thomas joined KHJ-TV Studios as an announcer in 1959 and served for 27 years. He created a show on the eve of the Oscars called "Your Choice for the Oscars", in which public polling decided upon the nominations in six categories. On the eve of the 50th Academy Awards ceremony, the predicted awards by KHJ-TV were John Travolta, Jane Fonda, Star Wars, Melinds Dillon, Alec Guiness and the song "You Light Up My Life" (sung at the ceremony by Debby Boone). This now binds Pat Boone, KHJ-TV and the Oscars into one neat bundle. So it's no surprise that the "Zodiac Killer" wanted to know which actor was going to play him in a movie a few weeks later, hinting at the Academy Awards and stating "I have decided to start killing again-please hold the applause". Two months prior to the May 2nd 1978 letter, in which the "Zodiac Killer" targeted "Ex Chief piggy Ed Davis" as his second potential victim, the once Los Angeles police chief (turned politician) spoke with KHJ-TV interviewers Ann Kesner and Nathan Roberts about his reputation as "the marshal from Dodge City who will make this a safe state".

One of the cornerstone arguments I put forward for the 1978 letter being genuine, was the fact that the introduction of "This is the Zodiac speaking I" on April 24th 1978 mimicked the introduction on the December 20th 1969 Melvin Belli letter. The 1969 and 1978 letters were the only two communications to date that failed to exclusively keep "This is the Zodiac speaking" as the introduction on the top line, with the grammatical error of not placing a "period" or "full stop" between "speaking" and "I" common to both. Bearing in mind that these two communications were connected through the word "control" (unique to these two letters), meant that if an image of the Melvin Belli letter had not appeared in the newspapers to date, the author of the April 24th 1978 letter likely fashioned the Melvin Belli letter, with added shirt piece. This was used to argue (along with other reasons) that the Zodiac Killer was the author of the 1978 letter.

​To his credit, notable Zodiac researcher Cragle unearthed an article in The Napa Register on December 29th 1969 that dispelled this notion (see below). But when I proposed the idea - asking people to check if a newspaper image of the Melvin Belli letter existed - it took two years to achieve. This is with the combined power of the Zodiac internet community, and a comprehensive newspaper database at our fingertips. 

The author of the 1978 letter had none of these advantages. Often described as a "lazy" hoaxer by document examiners, the author of the 1978 letter could have accessed the above article to mimic, by keeping hundreds of newspapers featuring the Zodiac Killer since 1968, by keeping hundreds of newspaper cuttings about the Zodiac Killer, by trawling through the microfiche of a public library, or they just got extremely lucky in mimicking the introduction (with grammatical error) and the use of the word "control", common to both letters. But there is another common theme binding these two letters, which is not visible in the article above. The Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1969 and the April 24th 1978 letter both inserted an unnecessary word (just once) into the correspondence, spelled it correctly one alphabetical letter shy of completion, and then very neatly (almost ruler like) crossed out each word. This was unique to both these letters. 

If somebody can find this section of the Melvin Belli letter in the newspapers (showing this correction technique), I will be eternally grateful. Is it more likely that the Zodiac Killer crafted the 1978 letter, with personal knowledge of the Melvin Belli letter and its composition, or is it more likely that a random hoaxer (described as lazy) went to extraordinary lengths to mimic the Melvin Belli letter? Or was the presumed hoaxer of the 1978 letter just lucky, creating all these similarities by accident? 

The April 24th 1978 letter, stating "I am back with you. Tell herb caen I am here" was postmarked only 42 days after a voice message was left on the telephone answering machine of an individual living in the Mission District, using similar wording to that used in the letter, and claiming to be the "Zodiac". The telephone caller stated "This is the Zodiac. Tell the press I am back in San Francisco".  Read more. Was this the Zodiac Killer twice, or the hoaxer twice?

​Thanks to Cragle, another unusual mention in the above newspaper article may be relevant to 1978. It may indicate that the person who crafted the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters were one and the same - who had kept or read The Napa Register publication. The article above finished with the following text.

The newspaper article stated "Belli said that he has a trial starting next week in Naples and plans to confer with fugitive Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver".​ Just eight days after the April 24th 1978 letter, on May 2nd 1978, the Channel 9 letter was mailed to KHJ-TV Studios, 5615 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles,.claiming to have been mailed by the Zodiac Killer, It too mentioned Eldridge Cleaver. Bearing in mind the similarities between the April 24th 1978 and Melvin Belli letter, it is extremely curious that the very newspaper article that featured the grammatically unique introduction common to these two communications, would also feature the name of Eldridge Cleaver, that appeared in a "Zodiac" letter only eight days later. 

The December 7th 1969 and December 16th 1969 Fairfield letters mailed by the Zodiac Killer were almost certainly responses to two newspaper articles published by the Los Angeles Times. A third Los Angeles Times article on December 18th 1969 likely triggered the Zodiac Killer into phoning the San Jose Highway Patrol on December 19th 1969, stating "I am going to kill five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday". The newspaper headlined with "Cult May Be Linked to Slaying of 2 Girls", incorrectly suggesting a possible connection between the Mansion Family and the murders of Kathie Snoozy & Debra Furlong in San Jose on August 3rd 1969, to which the Zodiac Killer had already claimed on November 8th 1969 when he mailed the Dripping Pen card.

The newspaper detailed the slayings of the Manson Family at the Sharon Tate residence and stated "San Jose detectives developed a possible connection between the cases after conferring with Los Angeles officers. Six members of a hippie clan led by Charles Manson have been charged with murdering five persons. One of the members of the nomadic band, Susan Denise Atkins, 21, is from San Jose. The Manson "family" has visited Miss Atkins' father there". This newspaper article had all the ingredients for the phone call on December 19th 1969. in which the Zodiac Killer may have used the Manson "family" murder of "five" people to concoct the San Jose telephone message of "I am going to kill five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday". 

It must also be remembered that a comprehensive newspaper article published by the San Francisco Chronicle on August 6th 1969 about the San Jose murders conducted an interview with the father of murdered Debra Furlong, who had a wife and three surviving children. In other words, a remaining "family of five" from San Jose. Probably upset that San Jose law enforcement had mentioned two of Zodiac's claimed victims and were implying a murder link to the Manson Family, it probably wasn't too surprising that he would phone the San Jose Highway Patrol on December 19th 1969 and threaten five officers, just as he had threatened multiple cops in different jurisdictions when he mailed the Fairfield letter on December 16th 1969, just three days earlier.  

​The Zodiac Killer may have had a long memory, because 8 1/2 years later, a letter mailed to a Los Angeles radio station again threatened to kill two officers and "five" people in total, including Susan Atkins of the Manson Family, whose name featured three times in the Los Angeles Times article on December 18th 1969. On May 2nd 1978, a letter arrived at KHJ-TV in Los Angeles, stating that the Zodiac Killer was "planning to kill five people in the next three weeks", rather than "five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday". The new threat promised to kill Chief Daryl Gates, Chief Ed Davis, Pat Boone, Eldridge Cleaver and Susan Atkins. The phone call on December 19th 1969, and the letter mailed on May 2nd 1978, were both seemingly inspired by news related to the Manson Family and Susan Atkins, suggestive of one mindset that yearned to kill five. 

Druzer, an extremely intelligent Zodiac researcher, noted the indented lines on certain Zodiac letters as a way to help ascertain whether particular communications may be genuine or otherwise. The structure and composition of a letter may tell you more than the handwriting itself. There is a complete change in how the Zodiac letters were structured from 1969 to 1971, compared to how the letters were structured subsequent to 1971. As pointed out by Druzer, any hoaxer subsequent to 1971 has numerous early Zodiac letters from the newspapers to analyze with respect to their structure (in particular, how the killer opened with the introduction "This is the Zodiac speaking"). In every single Zodiac communication in 1969, 1970 and 1971 where the Bay Area murderer opened with "This is the Zodiac speaking", he began the introduction in line with the text below on all 12 occasions (including the Fairfield letters). Here are two examples:     

Subsequent to 1971, we have the 1978 letter (4/24/78), the Channel 9 letter (5/2/78), the 1986 letter (5/6/1986) and the 1987 letter (10/27/1987). All of these letters began with the introduction "This is the Zodiac speaking", but each time the introduction was offset from the left margin and the text below. If these were all different hoaxers, then it is rather uncanny how all these authors not only ignored how the Zodiac Killer structured his main opening line to conform with the text below, but they all structured the opening line in the same fashion. Of the 12 Zodiac letters in 1969, 1970 and 1971, only the Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1969 failed to keep the "This is the Zodiac speaking" introduction exclusively on the main first line (ignoring the "Dear" intro). It was written "This is the Zodiac speaking I". One may have thought a hoaxer would adopt the introduction used the majority of the time, but instead the two 1978 letters, the 1986 letter and the 1987 letter followed a similar pattern to the Melvin Bellii letter, contrary to what would be expected of a hoaxer. 

You will notice below that three of the later letters failed to insert a full-stop or comma after the introduction, and before the rest of the text. Exactly the same as the authenticated Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1969. All four of the communications below begin with either the subject of "I" or "You" after the introduction, rather than something non-personal. It has been shown extensively on this website how the 1986 and 1987 letters should be included as confirmed Zodiac correspondence. This being the case, the 1978 letter and the Channel 9 letter should be regarded as worthy contenders also. The change in style from 1969, 1970 and 1971, to 1978 onwards, shows a distinct pattern of "Zodiac" development in his style of writing. 

Another pattern that can be observed in the widely believed Zodiac letters, is that the August 4th 1969, October 13th 1969, November 8th 1969, November 9th 1969, December 20th 1969 and April 20th 1970 letters all have the introduction "This is the Zodiac speaking" with no significant gap to the second line. Then a seemingly conscious change, when the June 26th 1970, July 24th 1970, July 26th 1970 and March 13th 1971 letters all left a distinct gap between the first and second line (March 13th 1971 slightly less so). This shows a marked change in pattern by the Zodiac Killer. However, the latter four communications were pre-empted by both Fairfield letters on December 7tth 1969 and December 16th 1969, which both placed a noticeable gap between the opening introduction and the second line.   

Threatening letters to the newspapers, police and celebrities are not uncommon (so cannot all be attributed to the Zodiac Killer), but in the interest of impartiality we will look at as many as possible and consider if any link exists to the Bay Area murderer or other suspected Zodiac material.

The following communication (postmark address unknown) was dated by its author as January 19th 1974, but was received by Sammy Davis, JR on the same day the Exorcist letter arrived at the San Francisco Chronicle, on January 29th 1974. It was received at Harrah's Reno Hotel & Casino, Reno, Nevada, situated 20 miles north of Lake Tahoe and Incline Village. It contained several interesting items accompanied by the signed pseudonyms "The General" and "Der Führer". Part of the letter "From: U.S. Armed Forces To: Sammy David, JR", stated "You are on a death list. The police cannot help you. If you wish to stay alive, go to the L.A. (SFV) Nike Missile Base for instructions. The General".

The Zodiac Killer, or somebody purporting to be the Zodiac Killer, sent a "death list" of 30 politicians and celebrities on June 8th 1977, dubbed the "Steve McQueen" letter. Then on May 2nd 1978, another letter with a "death list" was mailed in Los Angeles to 5615 Melrose Avenue and the Channel 9 KHJ-TV Studios. The envelope postmarked May 2nd 1978 was misaddressed and should have been mailed to 5515 Melrose Avenue, which was the correct address of Channel 9 KHJ-TV, which sat right next to Paramount Studios located at 5555 Melrose Avenue. However, there are many things that came with the "Der Fuhrer" letter that parallel the May 2nd 1978 Channel 9 letter. 

There are many parts to the January 19th 1974 letter, but the "death list" introduction was written on the reverse side of a billing invoice dated October 31st 1971, from the Monterrey Pharmacy, 12901 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, California. Irrespective of this being the date Cheri Jo Bates' body was found in Riverside, the Monterrey Pharmacy was just 7 miles (by crow) from the Channel 9 Studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue. Another part of the January 19th 1974 letter had a small card enclosed, bearing the name "Institute for Family Neurosis Research". The flip side of the card bore the handprinting "KGIL, (213) 894-9191". This was a radio station in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. KGIL began broadcasting on October 19th 1947, on 1260 kHz with 1,000 watts of power full-time. The station was licensed to San Fernando Valley Broadcasting Company, with studios and executive offices at 4919 Van Nuys Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, California. This location was 9 miles from the Channel 9 Studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue.      

Another item in the January 19th 1974 letter was an extensive list of well-known individuals and accusations on a memographed sheet dated December 4th 1973. This was signed with the pseudonym "Der Führer". Two individuals mentioned on the list could be connected to the Channel 9 letter, which included "Ex Chief piggy Ed Davis" and "Susan Atkins" (see right). 

The "Der Führer" section stated "Police Chief Ed Davis and City Atty, Burt Pines managed the poisoning of Marv Gray....Pres". Later in the ramblings it mentioned the murder victim Sharon Tate, killed by the Manson family and Susan Atkins, which also featured heavily on the Channel 9 envelope and in the letter. Sharon Tate was murdered at 10050 Cielo Drive, a former luxury home in Benedict Canyon, in the west-central part of the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles, bordering Beverly Hills. This location was just 5 miles from the Monterrey Pharmacy and KGIL radio station.

Therefore, did we have an individual mailing the January 19th 1974 and May 2nd 1978 letters from the region of Los Angeles, with a passing interest in the Monterrey Pharmacy, KGIL radio station, Channel 9 KHJ-TV Studios and the Manson family murders at Cielo Drive, all located within a 9-mile circumference of one another. And of course, both letters mentioned or carried a "death list".  

Another threatening letter to a famous personality, was postmarked December 5th 1973 from California and mailed to Colonel Harland D. Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Kentucky. It bore the return address of Central News - Wave Publications, 1016 West Vernon Avenue, Los Angeles, California. It was another typewritten letter, dated December 4th 1973, exactly the same date attributed to the "Der Führer" letter above, thereby indicating it was almost certainly mailed by the same individual. It was accompanied by a handwritten note bearing the letterhead "United Paper & Press, 13240 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, California", dated January 14th 1974, and signed "The General" once again. The return address on the typed letter of 1016 West Vernon Avenue, Los Angeles, bisects Sherman Oaks and Anaheim (postmark on the Channel 9 letter).

United Paper & Press at 13240 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks, California is just 702 meters from the Monterrey Pharmacy at 12901 Riverside Drive, Sherman Oaks (from the Sammy Davis, JR letter insert). Both inserts from Sherman Oaks (Monterrey Pharmacy and United Paper & Press) were from U.S. Armed Forces. This one too carried a similar ominous message: "This is to inform you that you are in grave danger of being murdered. For details go to any recruiting station and call the Los Angeles Nike Missile Base. The General". 

We can now add United Paper & Press at 13240 Riverside Drive, to the Monterrey Pharmacy, KGIL radio station, Channel 9 KHJ-TV Studios and the Manson family murders at Cielo Drive, totaling 5 locations within a 9-mile circumference - along with Police Chief Ed Davis, Sharon Tate, Susan Atkins and the 1234567 A.G.C.G.T.H. (All Good Children Go To Heaven) additions.

The Channel 9 letter was mailed to KHJ-TV Studios, 5615 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles on May 2nd 1978. However, the envelope was misaddressed and should have been mailed to 5515 Melrose Avenue, which was the correct address of Channel 9 KHJ-TV, which sat right next to Paramount Studios located at 5555 Melrose Avenue. This area is just below the Hollywood Hills and iconic sign. 5515 Melrose Avenue is only 6 miles from 10050 Cielo Drive, where Sharon Tate (26) was brutally murdered by the Manson Family on August 9th 1969. On the night of August 8, 1969, Manson directed Watson to take Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to Melcher's former home at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles and kill everyone there. The home had only recently been rented to actress Sharon Tate and her husband, director Roman Polanski.

The Channel 9 letter contained all the ingredients related to the map below. The letter threatened to kill Susan Atkins calling her the "Judas of the Manson Family" and threatening "Shes gona get hers now". She was present at 10050 Cielo Drive during the murder of Sharon Tate. The letter continued with "Hey - - - you actors - this is your lucky Break. Remember - whoever plays me has his work cut out for him". Unsurprising rhetoric from the Zodiac Killer (or copycat), bearing in mind the location of 5515 Melrose Avenue by Paramount Studios and the Hollywood Hills. 

The author of the envelope wrote the reversed 1234567 A.G.C.G.T.H. (All Good Children Go To Heaven) on the envelope, taken from The Beatles You Never Give Me Your Money lyrics, as well as drawing the Apple logo from their record label in the bottom left corner. This was also written in blood on a door at the Manson Family Spahn Ranch at 12,000 Santa Susana Pass Road in the Simi Hills. Boxed off in the top left corner of the envelope, usually reserved for the sender's return address, were the reversed letters AIC. Bearing in mind the Zodiac Killer was active in California, and the Channel 9 envelope was postmarked Anaheim, California, the Zodiac Killer was probably telling us his return address was "ANAHEIM IN CALIFORNIA". 

Below is the envelope of the May 2nd 1978 Channel 9 letter featured on zodiackiller.com, mailed to KHJ-TV in Los Angeles just eight days after the "I Am Back With You" letter, postmarked April 24th 1978. There have been links forged on the Zodiac Killer Site forum between two of the 1978 letters and the March 8th 1981 "Atlanta" letter, mailed to West Peachtree Street in Atlanta. All three carried the Symbols of America stamps of the 13c Liberty Bell, 13c Eagle and Shield, and 15c American Flag from the Americana Seies. In addition to these three communications, another communication was mailed on July 19th 1978 to the San Francisco Chronicle from Los Angeles, rambling on about tape waiting for him all over California. In this analysis, I would like to focus initially on the three 1978 letters mailed within three months of one another, as well as the Melvin Belli letter mailed to 1228 Montgomery Street in San Francisco on December 20th 1969. The reason to jump back to 1969, was not only because the handwriting on the Melvin Belli letter looked somewhat similar to the Channel 9 envelope, but because of the content contained within it. 

The Melvin Belli letter contained the phrases I am afraid I will loose control again, I will loose all controol of my self and Please help me I can not remain in control for much longer. The communications on April 24th 1978 and July 19th 1978, either side of the Channel 9 letter, both continued this theme of control. The April 24th 1978 letter concluded with "I am now in control of all things". The July 19th 1978 letter concluded with "I am the ZODIAC and I am in control," but also began with "I am the ZODIAC and I am in control of all things". One couldn't help thinking that this theme should be present in the Channel 9 letter, therefore binding it to the other two 1978 letters - and possibly the Zodiac Killer.

The upper left corner of an envelope is usually reserved for the sender's name and address, but the author of the Channel 9 letter has placed 1234567 All Good Children Go To Heaven (abbreviated) from The Beatles You Never Give Me Your Money lyrics, as well as drawing the Apple logo from their record label in the bottom left corner. However, we are left with the boxed off section in the top left corner of the envelope, which if a mirror image just like the other writing, should be the acronym AIC. Was the answer present in the July 19th 1978 letter, when he twice stated "I AM THE ZODIAC AND I AM IN CONTROL", or are we looking for a continuation of The Beatles theme regarding the letters AIC.

If we consider one author responsible for the April 24th 1978, May 2nd 1978, July 19th 1978 and March 8th 1981 letters - and he bought several "blocks of four stamps" of the Americana Series in one visit - then we may be able to track the selection of his stamps in respect to his mailings. The Americana Series stamps followed a very uniform plan that outlined the designs of individual stamps as well as the blocks of four. In all, there were five different blocks, each with a different theme, but similar design style – the subject in the center, and the title curving around two of the edges. When all four stamps were placed together, the titles created a frame around the stamps. The five themes were Roots of Democracy, Rights and Freedoms of the American People, Symbols of America, Pioneer America, and America’s Light. Mysticstamp.com.

If the Zodiac Killer was to purchase several of the Symbols of America Series (shown below), these would have been the appropriate postage for the time. The postage was 13c from December 31st 1975 until May 29th 1978, when it switched to 15c. Then on March 22nd 1981 the postage increased to 18c. So three of these stamps would be the correct postage for his three 1978 letters and March 8th 1981 letter, had he applied just one to each.

Let us assume that the Zodiac Killer buys these blocks of four stamps just prior to his first 1978 letter on April 24th 1978. We will use the two blocks shown above to follow his course of action. Being right-handed, he tears off the two upper right Liberty Bell stamps and affixes them to his April 24th 1978 (I Am Back With You) letter. He then tears off one of the upper left Eagle and Shield stamps and affixes it to his May 2nd 1978 (Channel 9) letter. On the block of four with only two stamps remaining, he tears off the 15c American Flag stamp and affixes it to his July 19th 1978 (Friction Tape) letter. This is the easiest of the two options available to him. The stamp on the July 19th 1978 envelope is unknown because we don't have this correspondence available, so this is just a calculated guess. This would have been his only choice from the Symbols of America Series, because the stamp price increased to 15c on May 29th 1978. Then on March 8th 1981 he used the only remaining 15c American Flag stamp from the block of three stamps.

The Zodiac Killer would be left with one redundant 13c Eagle and Shield stamp in respect to correct postage for any letter up to one ounce. If another potential Zodiac letter is discovered to have been mailed between April 24th 1978 (I Am Back With You letter) and May 29th 1978 (when the 13c postage increased), and it contains an Eagle and Shield stamp on the envelope from the Symbols of America Series, we have to consider it as a strong contender for the same responsible.

If the above letters were just mailed by random hoaxers unconnected to one another, it would be rather unusual to expect three independent and consecutive communications claiming to be the Zodiac Killer, to have all contained three Symbols of America stamps from the Americana Series. If the Zodiac Killer kept a secret stash containing his writing paper, marker pens and a supply of stamps for "future use", away from prying eyes, then it is not difficult to understand how the sequence of his mailings could have unfolded.