Rolland Taft was sentenced to 6 months to 20 years for the attempted murder of a young female student on the Riverside College campus in April 1965. She attended evening classes as a student of the college. Taft served 2 1/2 years and was released in 1968. The female victim suffered severe knife wounds in the attack but was able to escape and seek help from her neighbors. On April 17th 1965 The Press-Enterprise ran an article about the attempted murder, running with the headline Clean-Cut Youth Sought in Stabbing. This headline is extremely reminiscent of how the poem on the Riverside Desktop Poem began, with "clean" and "cut" used in each instance. So was the author of the Riverside Desktop Poem familiar with this crime, causing him to reminisce about it as he constructed the poem on the plywood desk?

If the author of the Desktop Poem was referring to this attempted murder, then he was clearly of the opinion that the young girl was stabbed while wearing a new red dress. The poem read "blood, spurting, dripping, spilling; all over her new dress. Oh well, it was red anyway".  The author was referring to past events, fully aware that she didn't die after the attack because someone found her bleeding outside their house and sought help.

Cragle, a regular poster on both forums, is attempting to locate some historic newspaper articles describing the attempted murder in the hope there is mention of the girl's attire that evening. If no newspaper articles or media coverage mentioned her new red dress, it may suggest that the author of the Desktop Poem knew Rolland Taft and the details surrounding the attack - or he knew the young victim and knew first-hand what she was wearing on that fateful evening in 1965. This could indicate that he attended the Riverside City College as a fellow student, with access to the plywood desk in order to write the poem. The most crucial aspect of the poem is the final section, which carries the foreboding message of "She won't die. This time someone'll find her. Just wait till next time. rh". In other words, this girl didn't die by knife, but the next girl will. The author may have written this poem prior to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966, with the rh at the foot of the poem a place and time prediction  - that of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside on Halloween. The murderer of Cheri Jo Bates may have been attempting to lure her to a secondary location to kill her but her valiant struggle against her attacker may have thwarted his plans and resulted in the Halloween prediction falling short by 75 minutes.

The impressionable author of the Riverside Desktop Poem could conceivably have been a student of the college, who was inspired by the attempted murder of Miss Atwood. He could also have known the young woman and studied alongside her. Wherever she had been that fateful evening on April 13th 1965, possibly wearing a brand new red dress, he may have been present. This would be the only reasonable conclusion had she been wearing a red dress and these details were not mentioned in any media coverage (and he didn't know Rolland Taft). If the author of the Desktop Poem was the author of The Confession letter, then the mention of "brush offs" in a seemingly immature typed letter, could place the person responsible for both in the age range of Miss Atwood (19) and Miss Bates (18)- and very likely somebody connected to the Riverside City College. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vaginal contents for spermatazoa, spermine and choline.  

At least 7 lacerations involve the neck.

The right common carotid artery is transected only once.

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

THE CHERI JO BATES AUTOPSY FINDINGS - PART TWO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not wanting to just copy the entirety of Ricardo Gomez's article, I suggest you take a look at the article entitled "The Taft Theory" that I believe is the true inspiration for the Riverside Desktop Poem discovered on December 1966. Whether the writing on the desktop was the Zodiac Killer or not, we do know that the writings or thoughts of people are often inspired by previous experiences - and in the case of the Zodiac Killer, things he read in the newspaper. In brief, Rolland Taft was arrested and jailed for the stabbing of a Riverside woman at Riverside City College on April 13th 1965, subsequently reported in The Press and Daily Enterprise on April 17th 1965 under the title Clean-cut Youth Sought For Stabbing and possibly the inspiration for the beginning of the poem and its overall contents. See Ricardo Gomez's follow-up article here.

Despite the Riverside Desktop Poem being diacovered in December 1966, it is unknown when this poem was written. I highly doubt it was authored shortly after the story of the stabbing broke on April 17th 1965 because of its contents on the final line, but suspect it was etched into the plywood desk with a blue ballpoint pen shortly before the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966. The newspaper story of Rolland Taft and the stabbing of the young woman at Riverside City College must have been vividly remembered by the Desktop Poem author, which inspired him to create the morbid offering. The writing on the desktop is telling regarding the April 13th 1965 attack, because the poem is reflective upon past events such as "she won't die, this time someone'll find her". The young woman did seek help and ultimately survived her brutal attack. The notion of a copycat killer is nothing new, and it appears that the author of the Desktop Poem may have been one such person.

It is highly unlikely that the author of the Desktop Poem, had they been reminiscing about the stabbing of the young woman and subsequent newspaper coverage, would have been someone other than a Riverside resident at the time of both the newspaper coverage and the authorship of the poem. If this was the Zodiac Killer and he was resident in the Bay Area in 1965 and 1966, then his knowledge of this crime would be slim at best. This person had to have knowledge of the young woman's stabbing a year earlier and must have had access to the Riverside City College library, thereby spanning an extended period. So may have lived locally.  

The reason for believing the Desktop Poem was authored just prior to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966, is not only the reflective tone of the writing, but the ominous projection forward of "just wait till next time" followed by two inscribed alphabetical letters. When you are proclaiming a further attack in similar fashion to the stabbing of the young woman and immediately following it with "rh", one cannot be too surprised when a further knife attack results in the death of another young woman on Halloween eve in Riverside. Hence the attribution of "rh" meaning "riverside halloween". This was the promise of "next time". 

Remember, the author of the Confession letter had suggested he was trying to lure Cheri Jo Bates into his vehicle. This could indicate that he had planned to murder Cheri Jo Bates later than the believed 10:30 pm, when screams emanated from the nearby alleyway - likely on Halloween Day itself - but something clearly had resulted in the unplanned struggle in the alleyway and her 'premature' murder from the perspective of the killer. Had he achieved his objective in luring the young woman into his vehicle, the likely prediction of the Riverside Desktop Poem would have come true. "Just wait till next time. riverside, halloween".

The choice of present tense in writing "she won't die, this time someone'll find her" rather than "she didn't die, last time someone found her", is indicative of the author reflecting as opposed to claiming the previous knife attack. That was because Rolland Taft was incarcerated shortly after the April 13th 1965 attack and was still in jail at the time of the Cheri Jo Bates murder. The author knew this fact - and why he made no direct claim to the attack on the young woman by using the past tense.

For those believing the Riverside Desktop Poem was authored by the Zodiac Killer, may now be able to place the Bay Area murderer in Riverside as early as 1965, and quite possibly up to April 30th 1967 when the three Bates letters promising even more killing arrived. The Zodiac Killer was an avid reader of the newspapers, often inspired by articles not only about his murders, but other attacks as well. Was this the case during 1965 and 1966 in Riverside?  

In the following examination we shall take a further look at statements by several key eyewitnesses on the evening of October 30th 1966, shortly before the murder of Cheri Jo Bates. The first being Walter Siebert and the four workmen. Walter Siebert stated that "he and a few friends were in the library from 7:15 pm until 9, but did not see Miss Bates, whom they all knew. They said they saw four men dressed in work clothes sitting on a fence across from the spot where Miss Bates' car was found, but they did not know them". This statement is explicit, when it mentions that Walter Siebert noticed the four workmen opposite to where Cheri Jo Bates' vehicle was "found", not opposite her vehicle on the night of the murder. It is apparent that Walter Siebert already knew where the young woman's vehicle had been found on October 31st 1966 and told police that four workmen were sitting in that location on the evening of the murder, but he never saw Cheri Jo Bates - and never mentioned seeing her vehicle that night either. Now let us consider the brief statement of the four workmen.

They stated "they had seen Cheri Jo near her car the previous night". If they knew it was her vehicle, there is a high probability they saw the young woman either exit her vehicle to proceed to the library, or enter her vehicle to drive away and place the books she had acquired from the library on the passenger seat. If we coalesced the two statements of Walter Siebert and the four workmen as a one time event, then it's clear that the four workmen saw Cheri Jo Bates, but Walter Siebert didn't. If this were the case, the young woman couldn't have been exiting her vehicle at 7:15 pm to enter the library, because shortly afterwards Walter Siebert entered the library with a few friends "but did not see Miss Bates, whom they all knew". Had Cheri Jo Bates been exiting the library and entering her vehicle at 7:15 pm to drive away, the four workmen would have noticed her failing to start the car and being offered assistance by the "good Samaritan", but they mentioned neither. Therefore, the workmen couldn't have been present on the fence opposite her vehicle at 7:15 pm at the same time they saw Cheri. They must have seen her at a different time.

A Mexican-American student: stated 'he knew Cheri Jo Bates and had noticed her in the library the night in question. He said he saw the girl "writing something with a ball point pen in her blue spiral school notebook". The boy told us he was outside about 5:30 pm, waiting for the library to open at 6, and it was then he saw the girl'. In part, this is an ambiguous statement, but clearly states that he saw Cheri Jo Bates "in" the library that evening shortly after it had opened. If the four workmen saw Cheri Jo Bates when she parked her vehicle to enter the library around 6:00 pm, then we have to consider the Confession Letter mailed on November 29th 1966, which stated "I first pulled the middle wire from the distributor. Then I waited for her in the library and followed her out after about two minutes. The battery must have been about dead by then. I then offered to help". The idea that her car was disabled shortly after she exited her vehicle and entered the library, before leaving two minutes later, would have required the four workmen seeing neither the man disabling her vehicle, Cheri Jo Bates failing to start her vehicle, or the man assisting and talking to Cheri Jo Bates. They clearly recalled none of these events, otherwise police wouldn't be at a loss as to what happened that evening. 

Since we know Cheri Jo Bates entered the library around 6:00 pm opening time, the four workmen must have seen the young woman at this time, because no other sightings were given to police of Cheri Jo Bates subsequent to this period of time. The four workmen described no activity of any note regarding her Volkswagen Beetle. There is a small window of time that can be argued however. Could the workmen have noticed Cheri Jo Bates park her vehicle and walk to the library, and then left the arrea - at which point the perpetrator disabled her vehicle? For this to be the case, we would have to believe that Cheri Jo Bates arrived back at her vehicle shortly after 6:00 pm and after failing to start her vehicle, the amiable "good Samaritan" offered his assistance. The Confession Letter stated "She was then very willing to talk to me. I told her that my car was down the street and that I would give her a lift home". So obviously, Cheri Jo Bates having spoken to this friendly and helpful "good Samaritan", decided to totally ignore the library which had a telephone and proceeded to walk off with this person, leaving her windows rolled down, the vehicle unlocked, one door slightly ajar and her keys in the ignition (that may also have had her house keys on). This was her prized Volkswagen Beetle, but thought "what the heck", I'll trundle off down this dark alleyway (even though she was afraid of the dark) with a complete stranger. Even if she knew the person, who to this point was friendly, it doesn't make any sense that she would leave her vehicle in such disarray.

At approximately 9:30 pm, a female student purportedly noticed a man standing in the fateful alleyway smoking a cigarette and exchanged brief greetings with him. She later failed to identify anybody from a photographic line-up, including 'Bob Barnett', the prime suspect in the Riverside Police Department investigation. He would later be excluded using mitochondrial DNA retrieved from blood-clotted hair found at the base of Cheri Jo Bates' right thumb. The female student eyewitness was certainly credible enough to police, because they later retrieved a cigarette butt from the alleyway close to where the man was last seen standing. She mentioned no body lying in the alleyway. Then we have the screams heard by people coming from the alleyway. A female earwitness described "an awful scream between 10:15 pm and 10:45 pm, and then about two minutes of silence, and finally the sound of an old car starting up". For Cheri Jo Bates to have been killed shortly after 6:00 pm, we would have to disregard both of these statements and believe that she wilfully left her vehicle in the state it was eventually found.  

The last known sighting of Cheri Jo Bates was her arriving and entering the library at 6:00 pm, so this had to be the time the four workmen saw her. The four workmen were again seen at 7:15 pm by Walter Siebert and friends. If the four workmen remained sitting on the fence opposite the Volkswagen Beetle throughout this time period, they clearly didn't report any suspicious activity around the vehicle and didn't hear any screams from the nearby alleyway either. They could have spotted Cheri Jo Bates around 6:00 pm, then vacated the area and returned at 7:15 pm, but this doesn't change the fact they saw nothing untoward in the near time Cheri was spotted leaving or returning to her vehicle around 6:00 pm. Her Volkswagen Beetle must have been disabled at a later time. From everything we have learned, it is apparent she went off the radar for about 4 1/2 hours until her death at around 10:30 pm. Whoever she was with has never come forward - and this is likely the person who disabled the Volkswagen Beetle and murdered the young woman. If she walked away from the library shortly after 6:00 pm (in absence of her vehicle) with a friend or somebody she trusted, then this person may have lived nearby. It is my contention that the disabling of her vehicle and subsequent murder were one continuous event by somebody she trusted. You may have a different opinion.

It is common knowledge that in many knife attacks, such as the one perpetrated on Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside on October 30th 1966, the attacker will often cut themselves with their own knife. The Riverside Police Department (who for the most part did a thorough investigation) must have considered this a strong possibility bearing in mind the viciousness of the attack on the young woman. The Cheri Jo Bates autopsy findings showed extensive defensive wounds on her hands and arms, with the majority of the brutal attack focused on the upper part of her body (from the breasts upwards). The attack had all the hallmarks of somebody known to the victim, planned in advance by the disabling of her prized Volkswagen Beetle. Law enforcement stated that "the driveway adjacent to 3680 Terracina Street was so churned up it looked like a tractor had been over the ground. The girl, who was very athletic, put up a terrific struggle." The driveway and the autopsy report undeniably proved that Cheri Jo Bates did not exit this world like "a lamb to the slaughter", rather a woman who fought valiantly to the last. The police scoured for clues in the alleyway and noted that "at the murder scene, drops of blood were leading from the body to Terracina Street, indicating to the detectives that the murderer had walked back to the street following the slaying". This being the case, they must have considered that the drops of blood could have originated from the killer, who may well have cut himself "when the knife broke".

Cheri Jo Bates was found lying face down in the alleyway, 100 feet from Terracina Drive by groundskeeper Cleophus Martin the following morning. The knife used in the attack was described by Captain Cross as a pocket knife with a "3-inch blade or less." Had the blood really dripped off this small knife leaving a trail all the way to Terracina Drive, or was the killer now nursing an injury.

Mitochondrial DNA was extracted from the crime scene evidence in 1999/2000, leading to a DNA concentration of  0.003 nanograms per microliter being retrieved from a discarded cigarette butt found in the alleyway, and 0.01 nanograms per microliter being retrieved from the hair discovered at the base of Cheri Jo Bates' right thumb. There is however, no mention of the blood from the alleyway floor. This blood trail could be a combination of blood from the knife and blood from the killer, but the longer the trail extends, the likelier it becomes that it originates from the bloodstream of the murderer.

Assuming that the blood was retrieved along the whole trail to Terracina Drive, it would have been extremely routine forensic work in 1966 to determine the blood group of the submitted samples. Cheri Jo Bates' blood type detailed at autopsy is rare in the USA population. It was AB RhD positive, which accounts for only 3.4% of the American population. Any samples submitted that were not an AB blood group were almost certainly from her killer. However, even if the submitted samples were of the same blood group as Cheri Jo Bates, it still doesn't eliminate the possibility of the samples having originated from her murderer. He may have had the same blood type.

The tail of the blood drops would have indicated the directional movement of the killer towards Terracina Drive (as opposed to away), but should also have revealed which side of the alleyway the killer was favoring as he headed towards Terracina Drive - and the likely location of his parked vehicle (assuming he had one). If he had no vehicle, then it could have told us which side of the city he was heading to reach his residence. The diameter of the blood drops (reducing in size or not) could also tell us whether this was a freshly dripping wound, or the gradually reducing volume of blood falling from a knife blade. If the killer was telling the truth when he stated "I plunged the knife into her and it broke", then it is quite possible there was no knife to be dripping. No broken blade was found at autopsy, so it is perfectly conceivable that the hinge mechanism of the small pocket knife may have given way when striking the back of Cheri Jo Bates.

A female earwitness described "an awful scream between 10:15 pm and 10:45 pm, and then about two minutes of silence, and finally the sound of an old car starting up". If the author of the Confession Letter was really the killer of Cheri Jo Bates, then we can estimate the location of his vehicle, assuming the earwithness was hearing the actual murder take place. By combining the direction of the blood trail to one side of Terracina Drive, with the two minute interval from "scream to vehicle starting up", we can use the details in the Confession Letter to pinpoint fairly accurately the location of his vehicle. 
The Confession Letter stated "She let out a scream once and I kicked her in the head to shut her up. I plunged the knife into her and it broke. I then finished the job out cutting her throat". If this is when he "finished the job out" before leaving the scene, then he had two minutes to "kick her in the head, plunge the knife into her, cut her throat" and walk to his waiting vehicle. Allotting about 45 seconds at the murder scene, he has approximately 75 seconds to negotiate the 100 feet to Terracina Drive, and the rest to reach his vehicle. Traveling at an average walking speed of 1.4 meters per second, the 100 feet (30.48 meter) journey would take about 22 seconds, leaving 53 seconds walking time on Terracina Drive. That would mean a vehicle parked 243 feet (74 meters or 81 yards) from the alleyway. Cheri Jo Bates' Volkswagen Beetle was parked 75 yards (68 meters) east of the alleyway, just beyond the library annex. This rough estimate, would place the killer's vehicle only 6 yards (18 feet) behind the vehicle of Cheri Jo Bates (had he exited the alleyway east) - the ideal spot to offer her assistance when her vehicle failed to start - and the near exact location of the Tucker Torpedo (or Studebaker) described in Robert Graysmith's book.       

It is clear that everything contained in the November 29th 1966 Confession Letter was harvested from the newspapers, and whoever created the typed letter was deliberately dragging orchestrated words from the newspapers into their narrative. Below I have used one particular article to demonstrate how the author used superfluous and unnecessary verbiage to flesh out the Confession Letter and convince us they were the killer of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966. 

The author begins by ladening their introduction with "young and beautiful" and "beautiful blond" just like the newspapers, in order to build the narrative of believability. The author then describes the disabling of the Volkswagen Beetle by disconnecting the "middle wire from the distributor" - another name for the coil wire described in the newspaper publication shown below. This was a key ingredient to convince investigators they were genuine, despite the fact they had approximately four weeks to uncover what the coil wire was. Quote from Liveaboutdotcom: "The ignition coil is the unit that takes your relatively weak battery power and turns it into a spark powerful enough to ignite fuel vapor. Inside ​a traditional ignition coil are two coils of wire on top of each other. These coils are called windings. One winding is called the primary winding, the other is the secondary. The primary winding gets the juice together to make a spark and the secondary sends it out the door to the distributor. You'll see three contacts on an ignition coil unless it has an external plug, in which case the contacts are hidden inside the case. The large contact in the middle is where the coil wire goes (the wire that links the coil to the distributor cap}. There is also a 12V+ wire that connects to a positive power source. The third contact communicates information to the rest of the car, like the tachometer". link.

The Confession letter continues with a vague reference to their car being down the street, which has been gleaned from the anonymous female earwitness account in the newspaper, telling us they heard a "car driving away". This anonymous earwitness account was further harvested for another part of the story, where the murderer apparently kicked Cheri Jo Bates in the head to stop her screaming, stating "she let out a scream once and I kicked her head to shut her up". The female earwitness described "a muffled scream" - almost as though it had been curtailed by a kick in the head.

An appeal for the weapon to be found was broadcasted by police almost immediately, describing it as a small knife or pocket knife, but it was never found. Why would a proclaimed big, brave, boasting killer add the phrase "with a small knife at her throat", if they were not using this to confirm the size of the knife described by police? The addition of the word "small" was totally unnecessary and devoid of any good reason, other than to convince the reader of the Confession Letter they were in fact the killer. If you read the multiple newspaper publications regarding the murder of Cheri Jo Bates, the overwhelming consensus is of a young woman "stabbed in the back, with her throat slashed", despite the fact that the autopsy showed far more wounds on the young woman's body, indicative of a prolonged and violent struggle between Cheri Jo Bates and her assailant. The Confession Letter just parroted these articles, stating "I plunged the knife into her, then finished the job out cutting her throat". The plunging of the knife was referencing the stab in the back, and the cutting of her throat just mimicked her throat being slashed. The fact that the author knew nothing about the intricacies of the crime was evident when they claimed "she went willingly, didn't put up a struggle and went to the slaughter like a lamb" - all of which were clearly untrue, and corroborated by not only the autopsy findings, but the freshly churned up driveway alongside the library.  

However, the most important feature of the newspapers at the time, was the reporting of the anonymous call from a female earwitness who described "an awful scream between 10.15 pm and 10.45 pm, and then about two minutes of silence, and finally the sound of an old car starting up". This earwithness was described as anonymous in several newspaper publications.

The author of the Confession Letter claimed they made a call to the police or newspaper. However, the Riverside Police Department and the Riverside Press-Enterprise could not confirm any phone call made to them by the claimed killer of Cheri Jo Bates. Zodiac Killer Facts wrote "Police could not confirm a phone call to the police or the local newspaper, The Press-Enterprise. The letter was considered most suspicious. Kinkead offered a disturbing conclusion: “The person who wrote the confession is aware of facts about the homicide that only the killer would know. There is no doubt that the person who wrote the confession letter is our homicide suspect.” There has been no confirmation or admission that the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates made any phone calls subsequent to the crime, and as shown above, there is no evidence whatsoever that the killer and Confession Letter author are the same person. In fact, there is no evidence the author of the letter was even a man. Running the wording through many software programs has comprehensively indicated female authorship.

The only phone call we know of, was the anonymous call by a female the following day, describing screams being heard nearby. So, was the author of the Confession Letter when stating "Yes I did make that call to you also. It was just a warning" referring to this call - and pretending they were the anonymous caller as some form of practical joke. If so, then they would be claiming they were female by association. However, what they would not have known, was the extended version of this 'anonmous call' story, elaborated upon in the Inside Detective magazine on January 1969.

Other detectives interviewed residents of a nearby apartment building, A girl tenant in an apartment only a few doors from the dirt driveway where the body was discovered, told the detectives that she heard screaming and yelling about 10:30 pm. "Then I heard a muted scream, and then a loud sound like an old car being started up - this was about two minutes after I heard the first scream", the girl informant said. However, the girl admitted she had not called police that night to inform them of the sounds of apparent violence she had heard.  Inside Detective, 1969. 

The woman/girl was not anonymous because detectives had interviewed her in person at her apartment, but to any newspaper reader in 1966 they could have been forgiven for believing the woman was simply phoning police while remaining anonymous and unknown. Was the author of the Confession Letter, as they had done for all the details typed above, simply taken this "anonymous telephone caller" from the newspapers and claimed "Yes I did make that call to you also"? - and why the Riverside Police and Riverside Press-Enterprise recollect no phone call being received by the killer. If this were the case, then the author of the Confession Letter is effectively admitting they are a female, and certainly not the Zodiac Killer. If the author of the Confession Letter was actually the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates, then the young Riverside City College student could conceivably have been murdered by another woman - a story that I doubt many would believe.

Although I am doubtful of a Zodiac connection to Riverside, Tom Voigt (from ZodiacKiller.com) is correct in suggesting that the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966, being our 'ground zero', could open many doors in discovering the identity of the Zodiac Killer, where tangible evidence was recovered from the victim's hand and floor of the alleyway. Identifying commonalities between Zodiac crimes and Zodiac victims could be invaluable in narrowing down our search for the infamous Bay Area murderer. While understandably cautious about the two tips he received regarding a link between Cheri Jo Bates and Cecilia Shepard, it is a lead certainly worth pursuing amid the uncertainty of a viable DNA fingerprint. Just like geographic profiling, if we can tie the Zodiac Killer to a specific location through two victims, then many further doors could open.

In the April of 2019, Tom Voigt received an email stating that Cecilia Shepard and Cheri Jo Bates were known to one another - often frequenting the popular Sorrento Italian Restaurant on Magnolia Avenue. This corroborated a previous tip he had received fifteen years ago, thereby adding credence to the possibility the two girls knew each other. In 1966, Cheri Jo Bates was a student at the Riverside City College, whereas Cecilia Shepard attended the nearby La Sierra University, just 4.6 miles east of the infamous Corona crosshairs, where Joseph Bates (father of Cheri) worked as a machinist for the Corona Naval Ordnance Laboratory. Corona used to hold car racing around its city center in the early 1900s, primarily because of the unique layout of its streets, incorporating Main Street, East Grand Boulevard and West Grand Boulevard which formed a perfect circle. It was originally called South Riverside and is widely known as 'Circle City.'

The Sorrento Italian Restaurant was located at 9844 Magnolia Avenue. La Sierra University was located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, one mile north of Magnolia Avenue, with the Riverside City College at 4800 Magnolia Ave. The Italian restaurant just 2.5 miles from the grounds of La Sierra University. Tom Voigt makes an interesting connection to the November 29th 1966 'Confession' letter in which the author concludes "I am not sick. I am insane. But that will not stop the game", and reminiscent of the "dangerous game" he played out in the Bay Area. Tom Voigt hypothesised on whether there may have been an element of truth in the author's frankness, deducing that the only psychiatric facility available in 1966 was the Riverside General Hospital University Medical Center (founded 1893) and located at 9851 Magnolia Avenue, virtually on the doorstep of the Sorrento Italian Restaurant. Tom Voigt concluded that if the Zodiac Killer was responsible for the murder of Cheri Jo Bates and received any treatment for a mental illness, then it's perfectly conceivable he received this treatment across the road from the Sorrento Restaurant - and may have visited the restaurant himself. Placing two victims and the Zodiac Killer in the same room would obviously turn the search for the infamous Bay Area murderer on its head, albeit layered with a degree of cautious optimism.

After 25 years of chasing the Zodiac Killer and many blind alleys, the link between Cecilia Shepard and Cheri Jo Bates (although still has to be conclusively proven) has invigorated Tom Voigt in his quest for the identity of the Zodiac Killer and bolstered his belief that the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966 and the Bay Area murders are inextricably linked. Did the inception of the Zodiac Killer begin on Magnolia Avenue, ultimately taking the crosshairs of Corona to his correspondence in the Bay Area and the "road races" of Presidio Heights, just under three years later? Tom Voigt is determined that the journey has only just begun.

To visit the forum thread pertaining to this subject, please visit the Zodiac Killer message board. Tom Voigt has also released a 14 minute 32 second Youtube video outlining other material regarding the suggested connection between Cecilia Shepard and Cheri Jo Bates.

We will take a look at the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966 strictly from the perspective of the vehicle used by the killer, obviously presuming he had used one that evening. Robert Graysmith made an unusual reference in his book 'Zodiac Unmasked' stating "Cheri Jo checked out three books from the local college library. Though her friends were at the small, cramped library between 7:15 pm and 8:57 pm, none recalled seeing her there. At 9.00 pm when the archives closed, she returned to her car to discover the engine would not catch. And here she had been working part-time at the Riverside National Bank. Parked behind her car was a Tucker Torpedo that had not been there before". 
Robert Graysmith would claim nobody recalled seeing Cheri Jo Bates in the cramped library between 7:15 pm and 8:57 pm, but somehow he surmised she had returned to her vehicle at 9:00 pm, where a Tucker Torpedo was observed parked directly behind her Volkswagen Beetle. This obviously flies in the face of everything we know about her movements that night. Robert Graysmith clearly embellished many sections of his book, blurring the line between fact and fiction, but to pluck a Tucker Torpedo out of thin air for no apparent reason, could suggest a semblance of truth - particularly when we consider only 51 Tucker Torpedo's were ever made before the company folded in 1949. Also, based on the very small production of this vehicle, it may be extremely likely that this vehicle was mistaken for an altogether more common make of car.      

Although the front end grill is different, it is conceivable that the person who originated the Tucker Torpedo sighting was an attendee at the Riverside City College library on that fateful night and gave this description to police during the library reconstruction on November 13th 1966. A young student, more familiar with current day automobiles, could easily have made an error in identifying a vehicle 18 years old. Parked behind Cheri Jo Bates' vehicle in relative darkness, the Studebaker vehicle shown above exhibits similarities to the Tucker Torpedo. This vehicle parked facing westwards toward the library entrance would most likely have been observed from its front end as students were leaving the library annex. The sheer fact this vehicle was highlighted by Robert Graysmith is of particular interest when we consider the sighting of a 1947-1952 Studebaker on Riverside Avenue on the evening of the murder.    

After the library reconstruction an article appeared in the Daily Enterprise on November 1966. It stated "Detectives investigating the murder of Cheri Bates are looking for a car almost identical to this one. Police say a 1947-52 model Studebaker with light-colored, oxidized paint was parked on Riverside avenue just south of Terracina about 7 p.m. on the night that the Riverside City College freshman was stabbed to death. Detectives said a recent re-enactment of the murder at the college campus provided this information. They ask anyone who knows of a car similar to this one, used by police to stage this photograph, to contact the Police Department".

Although it is possible this information was given by a student attending the library reconstruction, Riverside Avenue sat just around the corner from Terracina Drive in 1966, and it is possible that this vehicle would not have been noticed by a student as anything suspicious at around 7:00 pm while passing a random vehicle parked on a street. I took a cursory look into Riverside Avenue on street view in Google maps and discovered this is a fairly affluent and scenic road, with properties in the order of $400,000. The very place that a homeowner would notice an old oxidized vehicle sitting outside their property for any length of time. Had they read the Daily Enterprise in November, it is certainly feasible they had contacted the Riverside Police Department and shared this information of a suspicious, out of place vehicle sitting idle for a noticeable time period. If this were the same vehicle parked behind Cheri Jo Bates' vehicle just two hours later, misidentified as a Tucker Torpedo (built in the same time frame of the 40s), then this is at the very least noteworthy. The Studebaker was described as a 1947-1952 model, suggesting the person who described the vehicle knew their cars. This may add weight to a resident of Riverside Avenue, with a decent income and more mature in years, being knowledgeable enough to specify the exact years of 1947-1952 when the Studebaker Champion third generation was manufactured in a completely redesigned fashion.  

These sightings would not necessarily be significant, if it wasn't for the fact of an earwitness to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates later that night, described in the newspapers as "a neighbor who heard an 'awful scream' between 10.15 and 10.45 pm, and then about two minutes of silence, and finally the sound of an old car starting up." They obviously felt it significant enough to describe the vehicle as an "old car", which ordinarily wouldn't catch the attention, but for the two previous sightings mentioned by Robert Graysmith and the witness in the Daily Enterprise newspaper. The final thing to examine, is whether this brief audible recollection of an old vehicle starting up approximately two minutes after the scream, tallies with the location of the old vehicle (Tucker Torpedo or Studebaker) parked behind Cheri Jo Bates' lime green Volkswagen Beetle.  

As shown in the diagram above, we can see that if the murderer parked his vehicle behind the Volkswagen Beetle, then he had a 325 foot journey back to his vehicle after leaving the crime scene. Average walking pace is approximately 4.5 feet per second, so we will raise this to 5.0 feet per second for somebody leaving the scene of a crime. Our perpetrator should take about 70 seconds to reach his vehicle just beyond the Volkswagen Beetle. We will now use the 'Confession' letter mailed on November 29th 1966 (assuming it was typed by the killer) to determine the time period from the scream to when he departed the crime scene. It stated "She let out a scream once and I kicked her in the head to shut her up. I plunged the knife into her and it broke. I then finished the job out cutting her throat". This suggests that after Cheri Jo Bates had screamed, she was thrown to the ground, where the perpetrator performed three actions [1] Kicked her in the head [2] Plunged the knife into her back (the only wound to the rear of her body), and [3] cut her throat. Allowing approximately 20 seconds to achieve what he stated, he proceeds to walk the 70 seconds to his vehicle. To enter his vehicle and start the engine roughly another 20 seconds. The total time elapsed from the scream to the engine starting is now approximately 110 seconds, or 1 minute and 50 seconds, exactly matching the "about two minutes of silence" described by the earwitness close to the alleyway. This would corroborate the unknown eyewitness who described an old 40s vehicle parked behind the Volkswagen Beetle of Cheri Jo Bates.   

If all these three vehicles described are actually one and the same, it is then a matter of formulating the movement of this vehicle between the 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm sighting. Did the killer park his vehicle a distance from the library and walk to the Riverside College to disable Cheri Jo Bates Volkswagen Beetle, thereby reducing the chances of his vehicle being noticed by passing library traffic, only getting into position closer to the time the library closed? Did he drive to the library briefly (before 7:15 pm), disable her vehicle and then drive away (parking up at various locations in the vicinity, such as Riverside Avenue), before returning into position to be the first 'good Samaritan' to offer Cheri Jo Bates his help? There could be any number of possibilities. There is every chance these vehicles are completely irrelevant to the murder of the young college student, but with so little to go on, it is certainly worthy of consideration.     

Some of the questioned Zodiac communications address certain individuals using the lower case format, and the March 13th 1971 'Los Angeles' letter refers to Riverside in the same fashion: "I do have to give them credit for stumbling across my riverside activity, but they are only finding the easy ones, there are a hell of a lot more down there". The Riverside Desktop Poem, written sometime in 1966 and believed to have been signed off with the author's initials, also featured two lower case letters. The clue to "rh" may lie in the poem itself and in the first correspondence by the Zodiac Killer on July 31st 1969 - assuming you believe a connection between Riverside and the Bay Area murders. That is because there is a real possibility the Riverside Desktop Poem was authored prior to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966. If you believe that Cheri Jo Bates was stalked surreptitiously in the weeks or months before her death, then the Desktop Poem is the precursor or warning, and the Confession letter is the completion of that threat. 

If we look at the wording on the Riverside Desktop Poem (below) from the standpoint of somebody stalking Cheri Jo Bates, then it is perfectly conceivable that at some point in time the wannabe killer has noticed the young woman wearing a red dress and fantasized about making her pay for the "perceived brush-offs" he has endured. But what is noticeable, is that the author states "she won't die this time, someone'll find her". If the young woman was to be stabbed, why would someone necessarily find her? If his mind is seeing his fantasy in the present during school hours and in the context of a busy Riverside City College campus, then one could easily see how she could be rescued and survive. However, in the next line he is projecting his mind to the future by stating "just wait till next time". The only way "next time" could conceivably have a different outcome, is if he lures Cheri Jo Bates away from the Riverside City College campus - and this is exactly what he said he was attempting to do when he typed the November 29th 1966 Confession letter, thirty days after Cheri Jo Bates' murder. He stated "I then offered to help. She was then very willing to talk to me. I told her that my car was down the street and that I would give her a lift home".  

If the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates had made a promise to seek her out "next time" in the Riverside Desktop Poem, and had some connection to the college, or was in her near or outer circle, is it really realistic he would give his true initials at the foot of the Desktop Poem to give law enforcement a helping hand? On the other hand, if they weren't really his initials and he had just placed two random letters together, then it is a rather pointless exercise. The Zodiac Killer wrote "riverside" in the 1971 'Los Angeles' letter and "halloween"/"Halloween" in the questioned 1987 correspondence, showing yet again his ability to ignore the upper case form of these titles. It is these two words that may give us the meaning to the "rh" at the foot of the Desktop Poem. The poem indicated the necessity of the killer to separate Cheri Jo Bates from the college campus so somebody wouldn't find her in time, thereby resulting in her death. Had he achieved such an objective, then her death may very well have occurred past the midnight of October 30th, rather than around 10:30 pm when screams were heard emanating from the campus alleyway. He was ultimately thwarted by Cheri Jo Bates, who likely fought back vigorously when she was being coerced towards his vehicle. The killer ultimately boasted that this was not the case by stating "I said it was about time. She asked me 'about time for what'. I said it was about time for her to die".  This was clearly a line pulled straight from his imagination, to give the impression he was in complete control throughout. Had Cheri Jo Bates not fought valiantly against her abduction, then the prophecy of "rh" would have been realized: "Just wait till next time, riverside halloween".

On July 31st 1969, the Zodiac Killer wrote "If you do not print this cipher by the afternoon of Fry.1st of Aug 69, I will go on a kill ram-Page Fry. night. I will cruse around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again, until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend". The Bay Area murderer was always promising more bloodshed in the future - and the Riverside Desktop Poem was no different. But on that occasion he gave us the exact time and place.    

Whether the Zodiac Killer was responsible for the murder of Cheri Jo Bates (18) in Riverside on October 30th 1966 has been widely debated. The young woman was found brutally stabbed on Halloween morning by groundskeeper Cleophus Martin. The Zodiac Killer would lay claim to this murder on March 13th 1971 when he stated in the 'Los Angeles' letter "I do have to give them credit for stumbling across my riverside activity, but they are only finding the easy ones, there are a hell of a lot more down there". This made it curious that the Zodiac Killer's previous communication was the October 27th 1970 'Halloween' card and its obvious implications of a murder related to Halloween. Sandwiched between the 'Halloween' card and 'Los Angeles' communications was the November 16th 1970 Paul Avery article in the San Francisco Chronicle declaring there was 'New Evidence in the Zodiac Killings.'  This seemed rather convenient timing immediately after a card based around Halloween.

The Riverside and Zodiac connection was first proffered by Phil Sins, who Michael Morford was fortunate enough to interview in 2012. He stated "that as far as he can remember, he initially asked Avery to contact Riverside Police, and that he only got involved directly with Riverside Police Department after he made contact with Avery. He stated that he linked the two cases just by the overall similarity in the taunting letters. It also got his attention that Bates was killed on Halloween Eve and Zodiac sent a Halloween card. He told Avery to look into it, and get a writing expert as there were writing samples in Riverside. He says he has monitored the case since making the connection. He himself never had any suspects nor did he have any theories in particular". This peaked my interest regarding the design of the Halloween card, and whether the Zodiac Killer was finally incorporating Cheri Jo Bates into his running victim total (now 14), whether or not he was responsible for her murder or not. If Phil Sins drew a connection between the 'Halloween' card and Riverside, what else may he have observed?      

The pumpkin placed over the first skeleton has always been a curiosity - unless of course - the Zodiac Killer is effectively 'date stamping' this claimed fourteenth victim. He placed the number 14 on the hand of the skeleton and placed a pumpkin over the pelvic region, not only associating this victim with Halloween, but scoring the victim count of 14 onto the skeleton itself. Bearing in mind the murder of Cheri Jo Bates was four years prior, was this choice of imagery relevant?

David Faraday (17), Betty Lou Jensen (16) and Michael Mageau (19) were three teenage victims of the Zodiac Killer, despite the fact that Michael Mageau survived the attack at Blue Rock Springs. Cheri Jo Bates (18) was also a teenager. The Zodiac Killer wrote the number 14 on the hand of the first skeleton, so could easily have written this number again over the skull of the skeleton on the card inner (shown right). He could have written "fourteen", but deliberately chose to separate the "4" and "TEEN", indicating that these offerings were to be interpreted as two separate words. In the spoken word, this could mean FOUR TEEN or FOR TEEN. The Zodiac Killer placed twelve eyes onto the 'Halloween' card (one was already present at manufacture), suggesting that these held an important significance to the message the card was attempting to prompt from the reader. The simplest answer, when we consider the addition above the skeleton's head, is "look for teen". In totality, the Zodiac Killer is effectively saying "look for teen, who I have inscribed as my fourteenth victim, discovered on Halloween". The pumpkin attached to the skeleton should be the biggest clue in this regard. 

Phil Sins contacted Paul Avery regarding the taunting letters and the 'Halloween' card observation, so it is no surprise that the Paul Avery article surfaced on November 16th 1970 putting forth a possible connection between the Zodiac murders and the brutal stabbing of Cheri Jo Bates in Riverside. But was the Zodiac Killer telling the truth when he stated "I do have to give them credit for stumbling across my riverside activity", and was the 'Halloween' card the prompt, subsequently interpreted by Phil Sins? 

Here is an extract from the letter sent by the Riverside City College library staff regarding their favorite 'suspect' Ross Sullivan. The first thing we notice, is that even they admit that police told them Ross Sullivan had an alibi for the time period of Cheri Jo Bates' murder. This clearly wasn't enough for the amateur sleuths of the Riverside City College library (we have to assume the police are just lying) who went on to compile a horrifying list of infractions and suspicious behavior perpetrated by Ross Sullivan. These include:

[1] His "potential for doing harm" - although we have no cited examples of harm inflicted upon any of the library staff. However, what he potentially could have done, is possibly a cause for concern. 
 
[2] Bragged about escaping over the wall from Patton State Mental Hospital, which doesn't equate to being a murderer.

[3] The library staff member stated "I wish I could remember the poem about the cataloging boss he and I both had. I remember that she did not understand the poem he wrote. I didn't either but was frightened by it". Frightened by a poem you neither understand and can't remember, is terrifying enough on its own

[4] "We could see him from the cataloging department. He was like a statue - always there". Clearly he was a menacing statue - not moving - but an ominous presence nevertheless.

5] "When the murder happened, I stated to my fellow workers that when Ross reappeared on campus (because he was not around the day after the murder), and if he had on different clothes, then he would be guilty in my mind, until someone proved him innocent". I really hope this person never sat on a jury. Whatever happened to those good old values of 'innocent until proven guilty'? Whatever happened to 'beyond a reasonable doubt'? I hereby sentence you to 50 years for buying new clothes.

[6] "Sure enough, it was a few weeks before he reappeared at his spot on the pit wall and he had on a totally new set of clothes". Guilty as charged Sir - how dare you wear a different set of clothes after a few weeks.

[7] "One rainy night after he was back in Riverside, I stopped at a liquor store in Market Street. I pulled up alongside a car that was parked just in front of the store doors. I ran inside but left the doors locked as I always do. When I ran back to my car something told me to do a very strange thing. I ran around to the passenger side and in a flash I had the door open and was inside and the door locked behind me. Just at that instant Ross came from a large hedge in front of my car door and walked between the two cars and out of the parking lot. He did not look at me. Needless to say I drove out of there as quickly as possible". This is called historical narrative building - creating a sensationalized and novelistic reconstruction of events that never happened. The person is selling you a story. Using the introduction of "one rainy night" is unnecessary to the story, used for dramatic effect. She just happened to pull up to a liquor store where Ross was hiding behind a bush in the rain, then coincidentally "something told her to do a very strange thing" - get in the wrong door of her vehicle, just before Ross "instantly" emerged from a large bush. What told her to do a very strange thing? - a sixth sense of impending doom, before she raced away fearing for her life. The fact of the matter, is that nothing happened - and if Ross Sullivan was there, he was likely just walking by without even noticing her. Had he glared at her menacingly from his sodden, furrowed brow, with dastardly intent, the story may have been a bit more compelling. Or, if he had he leaped from the bush wielding a dripping axe and mumbling incoherently. 
 
[8] "Ross apparently parked a motorbike close to one of the faculty members car each day during the fall of 1966. That faculty member also put Ross at the top of his list as a suspect in the murder. Didn't apartment residents near the murder site recall hearing a motorbike start up just after the screams". No they didn't, so it is probably advisable to read up on the facts of the murder, before establishing Ross Sullivan at the top of your suspect list - guilty of parking his motorbike close to a car in the parking lot. Was it menacingly close, bordering on threatening? Did it get closer each day, inching to a dramatic conclusion? Was it raining each day?

[9] "There are half dozen or so of us at Riverside City College that agree on a suspect - but it isn't one that the police are interested in". I will probably side with the police on this one, who actually did a proper investigation and stated he had an alibi. On the flip side, the library staff may have a compelling case to bring to court  - Ross Sullivan was smelly, changed his clothes at least once, allegedly hopped from a bush in the rain without an axe, threateningly parked his motorbike in the campus grounds, wrote poems nobody can remember and moved as fast as a statue, apart from when he was vaulting mental hospital walls. In his spare time he murdered five people in the Bay Area, despite the fact nobody can place him within 75 miles of any crime scene. On a rainy night, maybe he rode stealthily into the Bay Area on his old Triumph motorbike four times, placing the executioner's costume in the top box on September 27th 1969 for the return journey to Santa Cruz. Or maybe some evidence would help.