THE 340 CIPHER WAS CRACKED ON DECEMBER 3RD 2020 BY DAVE ORANCHAK, SAM BLAKE AND JARL VAN EYCKE, SO THIS EARLIER ARTICLE SHOULD BE VIEWED IN RESPECT TO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.

This is the last time this subject will be tackled for the foreseeable future, unless something magical sticks its head above the parapet - but before that happens - there is just one more addition to the idea of an extremely close alliance between the 'Halloween' card and 340 cipher, and the suggestion that the 340 cipher is not a meaningful and coherent message by the Zodiac Killer. Just about every feature of the October 27th 1970 'Halloween' card, including the envelope and stamp, can be shown to exist within the 340 cipher, making the December 2013 discovery by Tahoe27, of a Tim Holt comic book connection, all the more compelling. Her discovery may have opened the door to finally end the debate on the validity of the 340 masterpiece, and place the pseudonym 'Zodiac' front and center to the 'Death Wheel' featured on the comic book cover.

At what juncture the Zodiac first stumbled across his pseudonym is of little importance, however, it could be argued that when he found it, he would likely research the name 'Zodiac' and use elements of his research to incorporate into his future correspondence. If he had happened upon the Tim Holt 'Death Wheel' comic prior to November 8th 1969, then the light bulb may have switched on - and his design of a crackproof cipher began in earnest. And possibly, a 340 cipher designed in tandem with the Tim Holt comic and cipher three, which he mailed just over five months later on April 20th 1970. His opening line of "This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you. My name is....", he may have already known the answer to when he manufactured the illusion of a 340 character message.        

The 'Halloween' card stamp contained 17 letters "In the beginning God" that slotted nicely onto the first line of the 340 cipher, with characters 15, 16 and 17 awkwardly similar - including the half-earth image present on the stamp. Paradice and Slaves can be shown as a distinct possibility, bisecting the 340 cipher horizontally and vertically, just like the 'Halloween' card arrangement. Seventeen characters horizontally and vertically in either direction to create the perfect crosshairs of Zodiac. The word "by" can be found in all four quadrants of the 340 cipher, mirroring the 'Halloween' card arrangement. At least seven, possibly eight characters on the 14th line of the 340 cipher can be formed into the design of the 'Halloween' card inner. Explanation here. "Sorry no cipher" written on the envelope inner and designed in similar fashion to the Paradice and Slaves arrangement on both the 'Halloween' card and 340 cipher, explicitly instructed us that no cipher existed on November 8th 1969.

One has to presume that all these fell here by accident (including the inference to Zodiac on the 20th line) - because to believe otherwise - would pour huge doubt on a Zodiac Killer who was able to simultaneously create a uniform message within the 340 cipher in conjunction with a 'bag of puzzles'. However, the Tim Holt 'Death Wheel' comic is not only interesting because it contains By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife found in the 'Halloween' card, or because of "Redmask" or "Lady Doom," but because of the origin of the 'Death Wheel' or 'Wheel of Fortune' itself. Had the Zodiac Killer read anything about the pseudonym 'Zodiac' when he first appropriated it, then he may have known the relevance of the 'Wheel of Fortune' or 'Rota Fortunae,'. thereby triggering the inspiration for the 340 cipher, and the eventual 'Halloween' card explanation or solution to his devilish trick and treat.          

We could just assume that when the Zodiac Killer spotted the Tim Holt 'Death Wheel' comic book, he liked the fact it represented some or all of his killing methods, and simply chose it because of its menacing touch. However, he may have chosen it because of the pseudonym he had grown so attached to - a pseudonym he would seemingly place at the foot of the 340 cipher.

The 'Wheel of Fortune' or 'Rota Fortunae' has a long and rich history, crossing many cultures and eras. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia: "In medieval and ancient philosophy the Wheel of Fortune, or Rota Fortunae, is a symbol of the capricious nature of Fate. The wheel belongs to the goddess Fortuna (Greek equivalent Tyche) who spins it at random, changing the positions of those on the wheel: some suffer great misfortune, others gain windfalls. Fortune appears on all paintings as a woman, sometimes blindfolded, "puppeteering" a wheel". The great windfall may be the promise of paradise, but the downside is the servile nature expected by the one who summoned you. But here is the interesting part - again taken from Wikipedia.
 
"The origin of the word is from the "wheel of fortune" - the zodiac, referring to the Celestial spheres of which the 8th holds the stars, and the 9th is where the signs of the zodiac are placed. The concept was first invented in Babylon and later developed by the ancient Greeks. The concept somewhat resembles the Bhavacakra, or Wheel of Becoming, depicted throughout Ancient Indian art and literature, except that the earliest conceptions in the Roman and Greek world involve not a two-dimensional wheel but a three-dimensional sphere, a metaphor for the world. It was widely used in the Ptolemaic perception of the universe as the zodiac being a wheel with its "signs" constantly turning throughout the year and having effect on the world's fate (or fortune)". link.

The zodiac is an area of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The paths of the Moon and visible planets are also within the belt of the zodiac. The Zodiac is divided into 12 signs beginning with Aries and Taurus. The Zodiac wheels have multiple cultural adaptations, shown here in a Wordpress blog: "These zodiac/time wheels are not common in Eastern Orthodox iconography, but they are found in one variation or another occasionally — usually, as here — in the form of wall paintings in churches. When seeing such a “Wheel of Time” — also called a Wheel of Life — one cannot help thinking of those Tibetan images that also represent a wheel of life as the “Wheel of Becoming” — in this case a wheel of rebirth:"

Here is one final extract from the book 'Deep Value': "Plutarch says that Servius knew "fortune is of great moment, or rather, she is everything in human affairs" because it was through good fortune that he had ascended from slave to king. In Roman mythology Fortuna was the goddess of fate, and the personification of chance. She turned the Rota Fortunae- the Wheel of Fortune- which dictated the destiny of man". Therefore, did Zodiac dictate the destiny of his victims -  By Fire, By Gun, By Rope and By Knife - and the very reason the 'Wheel of Death' portrayed on the Tim Holt comic was so very appealing.

The discovery by Tahoe27 linking the Tim Holt comic was fascinating in so many ways, yet it may not have been the inspiration behind the 'Halloween' card, but the inspiration behind the 340 cipher and its accompaniment - the '13 Symbol' cipher.
If the Zodiac Killer had done his research and discovered the 'Wheel of Fortune' or 'Rota Fortunae', and its connection to the word 'Zodiac', then the Tim Holt comic may have been a gift from heaven - an offering he just couldn't resist. 

Five weeks after the November 8th 1969 340 cipher, the December 16th 1969 'Fairfield' letter may have shown the early machinations of the Zodiac design, appearing in rudimentary code - the full explanation of which would have to wait until October 27th 1970.. The interconnectivity between the 'Halloween' card, Tim Holt 'Death Wheel' comic, the pseudonym 'Zodiac' and the 340 cipher is an intriguing and perplexing blend of mystery. One that came together by deliberate intent, or came together from the mind of somebody wishing it were true.

In many previous articles it was considered whether the Zodiac Killer murdered with religious motivation, from his references to paradise and the afterlife, to a numerical system buried deep within his cards and ciphers. The numbers 888 and 444 were integral to this hypothesis. In Christian numerology, the number 888 represents Jesus, or sometimes more specifically Christ the Redeemer. In English numerology 444 represents Jesus, based upon a multiplication factor of 6.   

Numbers are attributed to the alphabet (see right). However, with this system everything is multiplied by six. A (6), B (12), C (18) etc. JESUS is therefore 60+30+114+126+114=444. But things may not have been so straightforward with the Zodiac Killer.

After the abduction and likely murder of Donna Lass on September 6th 1970, the Zodiac Killer mailed two cards. The first was the 13-Hole postcard on October 5th 1970 - notable for the number 13, with a cross pasted underneath. The second was the Halloween card with the number 14 written as 4-TEEN, with a skeleton underneath, in the style of Jesus being crucified on the cross. In both instances, a number written at the top of the cross or crucified form. 

When Jesus was crucified, the letters INRI were affixed at the top of the cross above his head: 'Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum'' meaning ''Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.'' Bearing this in mind, we shall consider why the Zodiac Killer decided to write 4-TEEN instead of fourteen or 14. There surely must be a reason.

Switching back to 13-Hole postcard, we will place CROSS (a symbol of Christianity) into the code above using the factor of 6 again: CROSS = 18+108+90+114+114=444, exactly the same as Jesus. Could this link our two cards together. JESUS and CROSS together equal 888, reminiscent of the numbers contained within the 13-Symbol cipher, mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on April 20th 1970. One has to ask, why would the Zodiac Killer paste a cross on the 13-Hole postcard in red, if not the suggestion of a bloodied crucifix?

Was the murderer of five likening himself to Jesus Christ, the savior of souls for the afterlife. The thirteen eyes representing 13 souls he was allegedly claiming, looking at the crucified form of Jesus Christ or a potential fourteenth victim. This was after all a Halloween Card:

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of All Hallows' Evening), also known as Allhalloween,  All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Taken from Wikipedia.

​The problem we have with the Halloween card, is that the Zodiac Killer has already given us one number - the number 4. This is not present in the system of coding above, based on a factor of 6. So, we will return to basics, where A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4 etc. 4-TEEN = 4 - 20+5+5+14 = 4-44, to give us the figure 444 over the crucified form of Jesus. This now is in tandem with INRI representing Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, Prophesy! And the guards took him and beat him. - Mark 14:65

We certainly cannot take the early victim count of the Zodiac Killer as gospel, but bearing in mind the confidence of many regarding the murders of Robert Domingos (18) and Linda Edwards (17) on June 4th 1963 as possibly the precursor to the Lake Berryessa attack, the murders of John Franklin Hood (24) and Sandra Garcia (20) on February 21st 1970 appear a little under-reported. The Melvin Belli letter mailed on December 20th 1969 indicated the Zodiac Killer may have been looking for a ninth and possibly tenth victim - so bearing in mind his propensity of searching for a couple, this double murder is certainly in the correct timeframe, exactly bisecting the Melvin Belli and 13 Symbol cipher letter on April 20th 1970. In addition, this letter would claim ten victims.

The young couple had traveled to East Beach, Santa Barbara, near East Cabrillo Boulevard on Saturday afternoon, with John telling his parents he was to spend the day with his fiancee. Sandra had informed her parents that they "wouldn't be gone long." When they didn't return home that night the families were understandably concerned. Their bodies were discovered early Sunday morning by beachgoers, fully clothed underneath a blanket. They had been brutally beaten and stabbed, predominantly in the back and face. John Hood had been stabbed eleven times, but it appears Sandra Garcia suffered far worse, not dissimilar to the attack on Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969. Had the Zodiac Killer returned to a familiar method of execution after his venture into the heart of San Francisco, and was the Melvin Belli letter the foreboding of a man who had lost control once again. 

The Oxnard Press Courier of John Franklin's home town reported the murders on February 23rd 1970: "Oxnard Man, Fiancee Murdered Victims. Bodies Found on Beach; Man was decorated veteran John F. Hood found slain with fiancee. The brutally stabbed and beaten bodies of a highly decorated Vietnam veteran from Oxnard and his attractive fiancee were discovered Sunday on an east side Santa Barbara beach just below a cemetery. Police identified the victims as John Franklin Hood, 24. who was discharged from the Army last month with the rank of staff sergeant after a combat-filled year in Vietnam, and Sandra Garcia, 20. of Santa Barbara. Early-morning beachgoers discovered the fully-clothed bodies under a blanket and hailed a passing patrolman. Police immediately closed off the area and later gave some brief details. However, they did not release some information for what they termed was a “good reason.” Detectives have questioned relatives and friends of the victims in an effort to trace the steps that led them to that beach".

Continued - Page 2 of above article: "by Oxnard police. After the bodies were moved police found a 9 inch bone-handled fish knife in the sand. Santa Barbara authorities said the knife, possibly the murder weapon, had a 4 inch blade. Hood was stabbed 11 times in the face and back. The girl had multiple stab wounds, and authorities said she was not sexually molested.
Both bodies were discovered face-down, apparently left that way to give the appearance that the victims were sleeping, authorities said. 

The Hood family drove to Santa Barbara last night to be with Sandra's parents, Mr and Mrs Cruz Garcia, 3088 Calle Pinon, who were reported under heavy sedation. The families said "they had no idea" as to what happened at the beach. There were no difficulties and neither of the victims had any enemies as far as the families knew. Police said their investigation would continue. 

The eldest of six children, Hood was born in Seattle. He came to California with his family in 1950. He attended El Rio Elementary School and graduated from Camarillo High School in June, 1965. After graduation, he worked at Wimpy's Drive-In in Oxnard and then joined the Army in January 1966. He spent two years in Germany with the 64th Armored Division after boot training in Ft. Bliss, Texas, and then returned home for leave before being sent to Vietnam. While on leave, Hood met Sandra while they were both vacationing in Tijuana, Mexico. An expert marksman, Hood was sent to Vietnam on January 6, 1969 with the 64th Armored Division. Hood was closed-mouthed about the combat-filled year he spent there and about the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and other medals he had received for valor. After returning to Oxnard, he went back to work for the drive-in eatery. Although Hood and Sandra were planning to be married, they had not set a wedding date.

Besides his parents, Hood is survived by his sisters, Mrs Linda Jean Ortiz, 19, Lauretta Ann Hood, 16, and Virginia Sue, 13; and two brothers Jerry Allen, 18, and Joseph William, 10. The elder Hood is employed with the Associated Concrete Co, Saticoy, and Mrs Hood drives a small school bus. Hood's fiancee had been an employee of the State Motor Vehicle Department in Santa Barbara. Her father is the owner of the Garcia Auto Wrecking Co, Besides her parents, she is survived by three brothers".  Oxnard Press Courier, February 23, 1970.  

​February 24th 1970: "Police Hunt Pair In Twin Murders Santa Barbara. Detectives today were combing their city for two young men wanted for questioning in the vicious knife-slaying of an Oxnard Vietnam war veteran and his pretty Santa Barbara fiancee. Detectives said the pair, both in their early 20s, were seen “washing cut wounds” at an east beach area service station near where the bodies of the couple, John Franklin Hood, 23, of 460 Helsam Ave, and Sandra Garcia, 20, of 3088 Calle Pinon, Santa Barbara, were found. Witnesses told detectives the two men walked into the station about I a.m. with cut wounds they said they had received as the result of a fight in the east beach area. Detectives said one of the men had a vertical cut across the center of his forehead, extending from his hairline to an eyebrow. The other man had a wound on the back of his right hand. They were seen driving an early 1950 vintage light blue sedan with primer spots on the right side and trunk deck. Pathological tests revealed Hood and Miss Garcia were killed sometime between IO p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday. The tests were conducted by Dr. John P. Blanchard, pathologist there".
Oxnard Press Courier, February 24, 1970. 

Early details of crimes are usually withheld, though it later became apparent that the killer had murdered the young couple with a 4-inch bone-handled knife, partially buried in the sand underneath their blanket. Why the killer failed to take the knife with him can only be speculated upon. Whether this was the Zodiac Killer venturing south to commit this double murder may never be known, but bearing in mind the murders were in the correct Zodiac timeline the only reasonable approach with such limited information available is to examine his following correspondence - the April 20th '13 Symbol' cipher.

This correspondence and cipher has been analyzed with a view to the code giving us a name. However, the introduction of "This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you. My name is ------," leaves us with the possibility we are not looking for a name within the code, but were in fact supposed to fill in the blank. Later in the communication he states "I have killed ten people to date" and "I hope you have fun trying to figgure out who I killed",​​​ Was this a subtle clue - that we were supposed to be figuring out a date in order to unlock who his ninth and tenth victims were. By the sheer law of averages of his known victims, he attacked a couple 75% of the time. He also never claimed a ninth victim independently between December 20th 1969 and April 20th 1970. 

The Zodiac Killer used symbols in his ciphers, so we will strip the 13 Symbol cipher back to basics in an attempt to uncover his intentions. He gave us three Taurus symbols and an Aries symbol reversed. He also gave us three circles. The 13 Symbol  cipher was mailed on April 20th, which is the exact date the star sign switches from Aries to Taurus. The blank or white circle is the symbol for a full moon. See 1970 calendar. The astrological signs and full moon symbol are both relevant to the calendar. The Zodiac Killer has placed the Taurus symbols within the circles - so by simple wordplay we have 'full moon in Taurus'. The only 1970 full moon in Taurus is April 21st. If we are trying to figure out who he killed,  the figure 21 isn't a bad place to start. The next thing to tackle is the reasoning behind the Zodiac Killer giving us three full moon symbols. Because he is challenging us to discover who he killed, it isn't unreasonable to assume the three full moons play a significant part in this game. The 13 Symbol cipher gave us the first full moon, so we will look back at the last two Zodiac events.

One month prior, Kathleen Johns, accompanied by her 10-month-old daughter Jennifer, were traveling along Highway 132, west of Modesto, en route to Petaluma, California, when her routine journey turned upside down. She was to make the near fatal mistake of stopping on a deserted highway at approximately 11:15 pm at night, ushered to the side of the road by a passing motorist who was flashing his headlights and gesturing towards her 1957 Chevrolet. Believing he was indicating a fault with her vehicle, Kathleen Johns drew over to the side of the road. The man explained that her wheel appeared loose, offering to tighten it up for her, and she duly obliged.

This innocent error was to begin a chain of events that are still not fully understood to this day, and have initiated countless years of debate on whether the man who approached Kathleen Johns car that fateful night was actually the Zodiac Killer, and the 'proposed madman' responsible for unleashing terror in the Bay Area of Northern California, and bringing the 'Summer of Love' into the summer of fear just two short years later.

Kathleen Johns was abducted in the last hour before before midnight on March 22nd 1970 and escaped at approximately 1:50 to 2:00 am on March 23rd 1970. The date of March 22nd would become our second full moon. The third, with the figure 21 in mind, must be the date that Zodiac was asking us to "figure out". Therefore, we will travel back to the previous full moon. John Franklin Hood and Sandra Garcia were murdered on February 21st 1970, to give us our third full moon as depicted in the 13 Symbol cipher. 
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/1970 

The 'Hunt for the Zodiac Killer' docudrama on the History Channel has just revealed a portion of code they claim is a solve for the infamous 340 cipher. With the accompanying Dripping Pen card, the Zodiac Killer mailed us a message "This is the Zodiac speaking. I though you would nead a good laugh before you hear the bad news. You won't get the news for a while yet. Could you print this new cipher in your frunt page? I get aufully lonely when I am ignored, so lonely I could do my Thing." 

Using the deciphering of the History Channel (right side) I have attempted to fill in the blanks on the first six lines. The green lettering is from the History Channel. The yellow lettering is my calculated decryption. The pink lettering is far more speculative.
The reasoning behind the opening two words "my thing," is partially derived from the threat on the Dripping Pen card, possibly left as a clue by the killer, and the code itself. The solve reads:

MY THINGS, I KILL BOTH NIGHT AND DAY. I LIVE BY THE GUN BARREL AIM AND LIKE FISHING FOR GOLDFISH OVER PIGS. I MISS GOLDILOCKS NOW.

​Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were brutally stabbed 6 weeks prior to the mailing of the 340 cipher. Considering the proximity of water, were they like 'goldfish in a bowl' to the Zodiac Killer. Cecelia Shepard had blonde hair - so was he referencing her in the phrase "I miss Goldilocks now."
If you have a better decryption for the pink and yellow areas, please post them in the comments below. The 340 Cipher.

LINE 7 AND 8 OF THE 340 CIPHER 

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and the older still "The Story of the Three Bears" are two variations of a 19th-century fairy tale. The original tale tells of a badly-behaved old woman who enters the forest home of three bachelor bears whilst they are away. She sits in their chairs, eats some of their porridge, and sleeps in one of their beds. When the bears return and discover her, she starts up, jumps from the window, and is never seen again. The other major version brings Goldilocks to the tale (replacing the old woman), and an even later version retained Goldilocks, but has the three bachelor bears transformed into Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear. Taken from Wikipedia.

The Zodiac created four ciphers, of which only one has ever been solved and confirmed by overwhelming consensus. The third code is simply too short to achieve any meaningful decryption and the 32-Symbol Button letter code has only three repeating characters, making these two codes, without a key, effectively unbreakable. If we had the key however, then we would be back in business.

​It is perfectly reasonable after the solve by Donald Gene and Bettye June Harden in the August of 1969, to believe that all the remaining ciphers contain a message, after all, what would be the point of them other than a joke on Zodiac's part. ​It is my contention that the remaining three ciphers may have been linked by religion (and Jesus Christ in particular).

The Zodiac chose a Celtic Cross style moniker, talked of "paradice" and the "afterlife," and placed crucifix style designs in his Halloween and 13-Hole postcards. You could say the Zodiac Code was the forerunner to the Da Vinci Code.
The key to the Zodiac Code is the previously discussed 13-Symbol cipher, where the Zodiac splits the alphabet A through M to expose perfect symmetry in the third cipher. This is the template we shall use in the 13-Symbol and 32-Symbol ciphers, and in both instances arrive at exactly the same holy number. The Zodiac crosshairs can be noted in every cipher or code, so it is imperative we derive a mathematical figure for this moniker. But first we shall present the Zodiac Code that will be used on both ciphers.    

The alphabet on the right has been split symmetrically into two halves. A through M was used in the Embedded Symmetry article, in which only the numbers 3, 1 and 5 were ever generated. The number 315 can be generated in several ways using the Zodiac Killer communications, but the simplest way is to take the Zodiac horoscope.

The Zodiac used what appeared to be an upside-down Aries symbol on the April 20th 1970  13-Symbol cipher. Many people also considered that the three circled 8's were in fact three circled Taurus symbols. But the reason the Zodiac Killer circled them, was possibly so they could be interpreted as both. Since we are dealing with the Zodiac horoscope, we will take the characters as one Aries and three Taurus symbols. 

On the left is the Zodiac horoscope placed into the Zodiac Code (above).
This generates the figure 315 for the Zodiac crosshairs. 
Because we will be using Aries and Taurus in the 13-Symbol cipher, I will explain how to arrive at the figures in brackets:
ARIES = A+R+I+E+S = 1+5+5+5+6 = 22.  
TAURUS = T+A+U+R+U+S = 7+1+6+5+6+6 =31.
ARIES =22, TAURUS = 31.

Before we move on it is important to mention the following again.
In Christian numerology, the number 888 represents Jesus, or sometimes more specifically Christ the Redeemer. This representation may be justified either through gematria, by counting the letter values of the Greek transliteration of Jesus' name, or as an opposing value to 666, the number of the beast. Wikipedia. In English gematria the figure for Jesus is 444.

If the Zodiac was creating his own bible code and referencing the rebirth of Christ using the number 8 for infinity, one would hope to find the figure 444 in the 13-Symbol cipher shown below.  
​
Let us proceed and place the numbers alongside the relevant characters (see below). 
Notice again how the alphabetical characters only produce the figures 3, 1 and 5, as does the figure 315 representing the Zodiac crosshairs. The total value of the 13-Symbol cipher is 444, representing Jesus. 

We shall now move on to the 32-Symbol cipher mailed just two months after the previous cipher. It contained only three repeating characters, the letter C, the letter O and the clear triangle, making it impossible to solve without a recognized key. This led me to believe that these two ciphers were only solvable by some form of mathematical key.

Below I have used the same technique, using the Zodiac Code, representing the letters of the 32-Symbor cipher by numbers. The Zodiac crosshairs are again attributed the 315 value and the Aries symbol the figure 22 once more. This time however, we have an Omega symbol, so we have to attribute it a figure. OMEGA = O+M+E+G+A = 2+1+5+7+1 = 16. The six geometric shapes in the 32-Symbol cipher cannot be attributed a name, and therefore cannot be attributed a value. They have been marked with a red X.  You can see below, that when the numerical values are added up we arrive at the figure 444 once again. Zodiac representing the figure 888, and both the remaining ciphers totaling 888. Whether it be 444 or 888, the reference to Jesus or Jesus Christ through the bible code of the Zodiac Killer is certainly possible. 

The 408 cipher was divided up into three parts and mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle, Vallejo Times-Herald and San Francisco Examiner newspapers, but the final 18 characters of this cipher were unable to be decoded. Many speculated as to whether this was just filler to create three equal parts of 8 lines. Was this the rudimentary beginnings of 888, that he would carry through to his remaining ciphers and the name Zodiac itself ? 

http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/340-cipher-embedded-symmetry   

THE 340 CIPHER WAS CRACKED ON DECEMBER 3RD 2020 BY DAVE ORANCHAK, SAM BLAKE AND JARL VAN EYCKE, SO THIS EARLIER ARTICLE SHOULD BE VIEWED IN RESPECT TO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS.

This is a rehash of earlier articles concerning the 340 cipher and 13-Symbol cipher, regarding their symmetry and correlation to one another. If you are familiar with the 888 theory, then you need go no further.

The 340 cipher was the second cipher mailed on November 8th 1969, and the 13-Symbol cipher was the third cipher mailed on April 20th 1970, separated by just over five months. The Zodiac would refer to his 340 cipher at the beginning of the April 20th letter, stating "This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you. My name is...."  This could be a simple clue leading into his new cipher, however, the author of the letter was highly unlikely to offer his real name. In addition, it is simply too short a code to be verifiable - and the Zodiac Killer must surely have known this if he had any rudimentary knowledge of code breaking. But with a clue or key affixed to the 13-Symbol code, then we may have a chance.

Up to this point in time, we only knew the murderer by the pseudonym Zodiac, so let us complete the introduction on the April 20th 1970 letter to "This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you. My name is Zodiac".  However, this sounds a little flawed, so it is imperative we replace Zodiac with an alternative - something possibly embedded within the name of Zodiac itself. 

​The 340 cipher has been entered into every powerful computer known to man with no solution being found, leading many people to believe it has no solution at all and is just total gibberish. I don't know about the entirety of the 340 cipher, but the twentieth and final line of the cipher does contain perfect symmetry in six of the final eight characters. In addition, eight of the final nine characters are effectively carried forward from the 340 cipher to the 13-Symbol cipher, linking cipher two and cipher three together. In the 13-Symbol cipher he did refer to "My name is..", so we will look for his pseudonym in the 340 cipher and take this as the clue. 

We already know that six symbols on the twentieth line of the 340 cipher look very similar to his pseudonym Zodiac, but was this unintentional or deliberate? To find this out we shall look at the symmetry of both ciphers. The 13-Symbol cipher from a character standpoint is extremely organized. It starts and ends with three alphabetical characters. The three circled 8's are symmetrically placed in positions 5, 7 and 9 of the code. The Zodiac symbol and 'upside down Aries' symbol are four in from either side. Either the Zodiac just happened upon this symmetry, or he designed it for purpose. Bearing this symmetry in mind, we will look for a symmetrical answer in both the 340 cipher and 13-Symbol cipher - and in addition - symmetry between the two.

The Zodiac Killer was undoubtedly an egotist, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if he used his own pseudonym in the clue, and embedded the answer within the name Zodiac itself. In the following examination I will be using the identical mathematical technique on both the 340 cipher and 13-Symbol cipher, to show perfect symmetry in both instances. It was this egotism that led me to believe the clue resided in the 'near' Zodiac on the twentieth line of the 340 cipher. So using a comparison technique, I placed the proper spelling of Zodiac under the 'near' Zodiac and simply counted the numerical alphabetical difference in the columns. But first let us take a look at the 13-Symbol cipher and note the bottom two lines in the diagram below.

Because of not only the existing symmetry within this cipher, but the fact it was thirteen characters in length, began with an A and ended with an M, along with Zodiac's penchant for word games, it seemed the obvious choice to place the first 13 letters of the alphabet under the cipher. 

A to A = 0, B to E = 3, C to N = 11, F to K = 5, H to M = 5, K to N = 3, A to L = 11. 
The above is achieved by staying within the alphabet and counting the numerical distance between the letters. Obviously, when we do not have two alphabetical characters there can be no difference, so a zero is attributed. You could attribute an X, but it actually makes no difference to the resulting symmetry.    

Highlighted in red and green the obvious symmetry can be observed. But how likely can this be created by accident? By taking the three circled 8's as H's, it can still be seen that only three natural numbers are ever produced - that of 3, 1 and 5. 
How do we know if this is the technique that Zodiac employed? If we apply this technique to the 'near' Zodiac on the twentieth line of the 340 cipher using the correct spelling of Zodiac and it again produces perfect symmetry, then we have possibly bolstered our case. If, in addition, it produces something significant that relates to the 13-Symbol cipher, does it then become even more compelling? The most obvious choice this time is to place Zodiac underneath the six symbols on the twentieth line, like so:

Using the identical technique we used in the 13-Symbol cipher, we shall again count the numerical difference in the columns.
Z to Z = 0, O to O = 0, D to triangle = 0, I to A = 8, A to I = 8, C to K = 8.
That is three 0's and three 8's, carried forward to the 13-Symbol cipher on April 20th 1970. But that is not all.

Either side of the 'near' Zodiac on the twentieth line of the 340 cipher we have the crosshairs and an 'inverted Aries' in part.  
Both of which are situated on the 13-Symbol cipher, either side of the circled 8's (shown in the red rectangular boxes above).
This means that eight characters out of the last nine were effectively carried forward from the 340 cipher to the 13-Symbol cipher. It could be argued that the last eight characters of the 340 cipher were carried forward using the plus sign (+) at the end of the 340 cipher, signifying their addition to the 13-Symbol cipher.

​Zodiac is now represented by the three circled 8's. 'In Christian numerology, the number 888 represents Jesus, or sometimes more specifically Christ the Redeemer. This representation may be justified either through gematria, by counting the letter values of the Greek transliteration of Jesus' name, or as an opposing value to 666, the number of the beast.' Wikipedia. This may be important when we consider the Zodiac's tendency to speak of "paradise" and the "afterlife" in many of his communications - in particular his 408 cipher. He would also cross "paradice" and "slaves" in the form of a crucifix on the Halloween card, as well as pasting a red crucifix on the 13-Hole postcard.  

You can see in the above diagram that the letters K and M are embedded within the three 8's and therefore embedded in the name Zodiac. Were these his initials, and was he elevating himself to divine status? He certainly had the ego for it.

# There are some additional features of interest:
The 408 cipher was divided up into three sections of 8 lines and mailed to three different newspapers.
The final line of the 408 cipher contains an M and reversed K.
The final line of the 340 cipher contains an M and reversed K.
The 13-Symbol cipher contains the letter M and K.
The final character at the end of each of the three communications of the 408 cipher is either an M or reversed K.
The top line of the 32-Symbol cipher mailed on June 26th 1970 contains an M and reversed K.​

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The Zodiac Killer teased us with his name on more than one occasion, firstly in the July 31st 1969 San Francisco Chronicle letter where he stated "I want you to print this cipher on the front page of your paper. In this cipher is my idenity". He would follow this up with the 'My Name is...' Letter on April 20th 1970 and the Halloween Card on October 27th 1970 tempting us with his name again; "I feel it in my bones, You ache to know my name, And so I'll clue you in.." ​It would appear however, these were empty promises and we are still no nearer to securing the identity of the Zodiac Killer nearly half a century later.

It always seemed strange the Zodiac Killer would integrate the Gilbert and Sullivan Mikado into his correspondence, leading researchers to believe he was a fan of the theater, having quoted three acts of The Mikado in the Little List Letter of July 26th 1970 and Exorcist Letter of January 29th 1974. But there may be an ulterior motive behind this apparent fascination with Gilbert and Sullivan, in that the killer was using The Mikado to reveal his name - and likely through four mailings rather than the accepted two. We will take a closer look at these four correspondences and the speculative links between them, without claiming this is anything more than coincidence. Let us first look at the Exorcist Letter.   

The first thing to notice is its carefully structured appearance, being divided neatly into four sections of text. The curious thing about the correspondence is Zodiac wrote "Signed, yours truley," as though he was about to offer up his name in the third block of writing. He then recited ​Act II - On a tree by a river from The Mikado. It seemed like Zodiac was wasting our time, plucking out random verses from The Mikado - that is until you read verse three of this particular act. It not only contained a reference to 'name', but pointed us towards 'The My Name is...' Cipher mailed on April 20th 1970. Here is verse three.

Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name
Isn't Willow, titwillow, titwillow,
That 'twas blighted affection that made him exclaim
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow!"
And if you remain callous and obdurate, I
Shall perish as he did, and you will know why,
Though I probably shall not exclaim as I die,
"Oh, willow, titwillow, titwillow!"

Was the Zodiac Killer giving us clues to his identity or name, by leading us back to the 13 Symbol Cipher. This observation on its own is meaningless, so we will travel back in time to the Little List Letter mailed on July 26th 1970, apparently the only other correspondence to contain references to The Mikado. The first section of the Little List Letter pulled lines from  A More Humane Mikado and continued on to extensively recite Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado Act One Part 5a As Some Day it May Happen, performed by Ko-Ko. In the introductory part of the letter, the Zodiac Killer simply boasted about how he would torture his slaves in paradise - but he again did something curious - by selecting just one small section of A More Humane Mikado, despite it being ten verses in length. The same as he did in the Exorcist Letter. He then continued to paraphrase the entirety of As Some Day it May Happen.

The Exorcist Letter, we have shown to have tenuous links to the April 20th 1970 'My Name is...' Letter, using verse three of Tit-Willow. So let us look at the small section of text Zodiac selected from A More Humane Mikado. The Little List Letter read "And all billiard players I shall have them play in a darkened dungen cell with crooked cues + Twisted Shoes".  Why does Zodiac select this small portion? Was this also hinting towards the 'My Name is...' Cipher? When we think of billiard players or billiard balls from the standpoint of America, eight-ball comes to mind, and the circled eights on the 13 Symbol Cipher. 

This is the full verse (right) from A More Humane Mikado. It is actually verse eight out of ten, providing us with the numerical link, as did verse three from the Exorcist Letter. The Zodiac Killer did state on the 'My Name is...' Letter; "PS I hope you have fun trying to figgure out who I killed".

There is however another link from A More Humane Mikado to the alphabetical characters on the '13 Symbol' code mailed by Zodiac.
The Zodiac Killer supplied us with eight alphabetical characters, reading from left to right  A, E, N, K, M, N, A and M. In the diagram below, key sections of A More Humane Mikado are highlighted for comparison to the '13 Symbol' Cipher. Seven letters have been highlighted in green and yellow. This is where we must take a bold leap of faith and consider that the Zodiac Killer chose The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan because it simply contained his name, Kim. Nothing more theatrical than that. 

The green highlighted sections on A More Humane Mikado in reverse, read KIMNAM. If we believe therefore, that the middle eight represents the letter I on the '13 Symbol' Cipher, it reads forward KIMNAM, exactly the same. The remaining letters of the cipher AEN are shown highlighted in yellow. Every letter on the '13 Symbol' Cipher is contained within this section of seven letters. ​The three eights encapsulated his identity, just like the three eights at the foot of the 340 character cipher mailed on November 8th 1969: The Mathematics of the 13 Symbol Cipher. Who said the Magic 8 ball was just for telling fortunes! Additionally, Mikado can be formed using the alphabetical characters on the 20th line of the 340 Cipher.

The Zodiac was keen to share with us what he had in store for his slaves in paradise: "This is the Zodiac speaking. Being that you will not wear some nice buttons, how about wearing some nasty buttons. Or any kind of buttons that you can think up. If you do not wear any type of buttons, I shall (on top of everything else) torture all 13 of my slaves that I have waiting for me in Paradice. Some I shall tie over ant hills and watch them scream + twich and squirm. Others shall have pine splinters driven under their nails + then burned. Others shall be placed in cages + fed salt beef untill they are gorged then I shall listen to their pleass for water and I shall laugh at them. Others will hang by their thumbs + burn in the sun then I will rub them down with deep heat to warm them up. Others I shall skin them alive + let them run around screaming. And all billiard players I shall have them play in a darkened dungen cell with crooked cues + Twisted Shoes. Yes I shall have great fun inflicting the most delicious of pain to my slaves".

The talk of slaves, paradise, pine splinters, dungeons and hanging his 'prisoners' by the thumbs, catapulted me to the Halloween Card mailed on October 27th 1970 and the last Mikado installment. The Zodiac Killer placed some wording around the knothole in the tree stating "peek a boo you are doomed". Bearing in mind that The Mikado opened to the paying public on March 14th 1885, and was hugely successful, running for 672 performances at the Savoy Theatre in London, a British connection had to be sought. The British term for peek-a-boo is peep-bo, and peep-bo is a character in The Mikado.      

In the Melvin Belli letter mailed on December 20th 1969, the Zodiac Killer stated he was afraid of "losing control again and taking his ninth or possibly tenth victim". Bearing in mind that three of his four attacks thus far were on couples, and his threat of claiming two victims in one letter, it is hardly surprising his next correspondence on April 20th 1970 had a total of ten proclaimed victims. But had he actually killed anybody, or was it again a case of idle bragging? The 'My Name is..'.letter contained a 13 symbol code, where the central focus was seemingly three circled eights positioned symmetrically in its design. These have been interpreted as Taurus symbols, due to the fact the Zodiac Killer had also apparently added an Aries symbol within the code (albeit upside down). The Zodiac Killer may have circled the characters so they could be interpreted as both Taurus symbols or a number eight. Since the Zodiac horoscope is prominent in astrology, the use of these symbols by the Zodiac Killer cannot be regarded as unusual.    

The author of the correspondence would sign off with the words "PS I hope you have fun trying to figgure out who I killed".​​​ Was this a subtle clue using the misspelled 'figgure' to shunt us in the right direction? He gave us three circled figure of eights and an extra 'g' in figgure. In addition, the symbol for a full moon is a circle​

The 13 Symbol cipher was mailed on April 20th 1970 - and a quick look at the entire moon cycle for San Francisco in April shows a full moon on April 21st. A Waxing Gibbous denotes 95% illumination approaching a full moon and a Waning Gibbous denotes 95% illumination as we leave the full moon, while everything in between can be regarded as varying degrees of a full moon. These are the four key phases in April. Considering the Zodiac used the Taurus symbol in his code, it is therefore not surprising that the date of this letter, April 20th, is the exact date that Taurus takes over from Aries in the Zodiac horoscope, with the varying degrees of the full moon (from waxing to waning) in exactly the same 3:1 ratio as the 13-Symbol cipher code. This is displayed below, placing the dates from the calendar above onto the cipher. 

                                       The center of the cipher is where we shall focus. It is the 21st and a full moon. 

The Zodiac Killer stated ​ "I have killed ten people to date" - so was the date of the 21st on a full moon? Considering the Melvin Belli letter was mailed on December 20th 1969, any double murder would have to fall on December 21st 1969, January 21st 1970, February 21st 1970 or March 21st 1970. The attack on Kathleen Johns on March 22nd fell on a full moon, but does not fit the criteria  There is only one month that follows the exact four lunar phases as above, waxing and waning from the 19th to the 22nd, where the full moon falls on the 21st - and that is February 1970.

​Let us return to the phrase "PS I hope you have fun trying to figgure out who I killed".​​​ We have the figure 21 for the date, but what about the circled eight and the letter 'g' from figgure. The 13-Symbol cipher begins with an A and ends with an M, which is half the alphabet. The cipher showed perfect symmetry when the alphabet was placed alongside it here. When the identical technique is used here, the letter G falls over the central 8 (and the 21st). Even the three 8's total 21 if we take their numerical position on the cipher. 

Putting everything together, we are possibly looking for a double murder, perpetrated on a young couple (similar to other Zodiac attacks), on February 21st 1970, during a full moon, where the two letters G and H may feature.  

On Saturday February 21st 1970, John Franklin Hood (24), who had served decorated time in Vietnam in the 64th Armored Division and Sandra Garcia (20), who worked in the California Department of Motor Vehicles, decided to visit the quiet retreat of East Beach, Santa Barbara one evening, where unfortunately they fell victim to a knife wielding assassin. John F. Hood and Sandra Garcia were shortly to be married and were enjoying the evening tranquility lying on a blanket under a full moon, when a man armed with a bone-handled 4" blade approached them and shattered their dreams. Despite apparently fighting back against their attacker, both unfortunately had their lives cruelly snatched away on the remote Santa Barbara beach. John Hood suffered eleven knife wounds, the majority inflicted to the face and back, with Sandra Garcia receiving the brunt of the vicious attack, leaving her almost unrecognizable, in what appeared a senseless and motiveless crime. There appeared to be no sexual interference and robbery was ruled out.

The couple were discovered the following day, Sunday 22nd February, lying face down on their blanket. The bone-handled fish knife used in their murder was retrieved from beneath the blanket, partially buried in the sand. ​These murders came five months after the Lake Berryessa attack on September 27th 1969 - and the similarities have not gone unnoticed - with the use of a knife, the age of the couple, the apparent lack of motive and the waterfront location. 

In analyzing the Button letter map and code, mailed on June 26th 1970, it is imperative we take a close look at the Zodiac Killer correspondence in the preceding few months to this communication for any clues to his mindset and intentions. There will be no definitive solution to the 32-Symbol code presented here, although a location for where his bomb was "to be set" can be argued with confidence, using four pieces of Zodiac material.

On April 20th 1970, the killer mailed 'The My Name is..Cipher' and stated "I hope you do not think that I was the one who wiped out that blue meannie with a bomb at the cop station.  Even though I talked about killing school children with one. It just wouldn't doo to move in on someone else's teritory.  But there is more glory in killing a cop than a cid because a cop can shoot back". The Zodiac Killer was referring to the murder of San Francisco police officer Brian McDonnell on February 16th 1970, two months earlier, when a bomb exploded on an outside ledge of Park Police Station in the Upper Haight neighborhood.

He would back up this correspondence with the Dragon Card just one week later on April 28th 1970, declaring "I hope you enjoy yourselves when I have my blast". This card featured elements of the book Don Quixote, a novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, in which Alonso Quijana, a prolific reader of books, became so mesmerized by the chivalry contained within them, that under the assumed name of Don Quixote, along with his squire Sancho Panza, began a quest to revive this virtue. What the Zodiac Killer was inferring with this particular card can be debated, but the 1899 Waller Street Police Station is situated on the boundary of the San Francisco Golden Gate Park and in close proximity, also situated in the park, is the memorial statue of Miguel de Cervantes, featuring Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Was the Zodiac Killer insinuating an attack close to the police station and park, similar to the murder of police officer Brian McDonnell? 

Then, on June 26th 1970, this communication arrived, insinuating the murder of another police officer, Richard Radetich (25). On June 19th at 5:25 am he was gunned down by three shots from a .38 caliber revolver at point blank range through the driver side window of his vehicle while in the process of serving a parking ticket by 643 Waller Street, San Francisco, in the Lower Haight District and subsequently died 15 hours later. The murder of Richard Radetich, as of writing, remains unsolved.

​The Zodiac Killer appeared to be heavily centering his focus in the Haight District. The statue in the park, 1899 Waller Street and 643 Waller Street all fall within a 2 mile radius, featured through three consecutive mailings. It is therefore this locality of San Francisco we shall again turn our attention to, when considering where the Zodiac Killer may be directing his threat towards in the Button letter, using recent history to predict the future.

There is good reason to believe the Zodiac Killer was threatening an attack on Ingleside Station-San Francisco Police Department, located at 1 Sgt John V Young Lane, named in honor of Sgt. John Young, killed by gunmen in 1971 after they stormed the police station. Ingleside Station is 4.6 miles south of 1899 Waller Street. The Zodiac Killer never followed through on many of his claims, but this may very well be the location he was threatening to bomb on June 26th 1970. So here is the evidence.

When the Zodiac Killer mailed the Button letter, it was accompanied by a Phillips 66 road map and his crosshairs, stating they were "to be set to Mag.N." That is magnetic north, calculated at 17 degrees in 1970. Clearly, he soon realized that the information or code he supplied, coupled with the Phillips 66 map, was insufficient to crack the cipher or determine a location for the bomb. One month later, he rectified the problem with the Little List letter mailed on July 26th 1970, when he incorporated two further crosshairs, with all the clues we needed.     

This was the first crosshair (see right).

The Zodiac Killer continually taunted police with his running victim total, always attributing the police with zero. This was nothing new. However here he deliberately brings attention to the zero, marking it noticeably darker, as though it has increased significance. It is also placed within the crosshairs, indicating an area within his sights. Bearing in mind the acronym SFPD, it is clear he has the San Francisco Police Department firmly focused as his target. That police department, we will attempt to show, was Ingleside Station located just off Balboa Park at San Jose Avenue.

The Zodiac Killer sent us a second set of crosshairs in the Little List letter, stating "PS. The Mt Diablo code concerns Radians + inches along the radians". This was the clue we needed.

In a previous article we highlighted a region of San Francisco for particular interest, using the following technique, but with improved map plotting and examining carefully the Phillips 66 map, it has become apparent the amended focus should be squarely over Ingleside Police Station. The phrase "PS. The Mt Diablo code concerns Radians + inches along the radians," clearly tells us to use radians as our degrees from the north axis and is "to be set to Mag.N."  So we are looking for whole radians, to which we then add in the magnetic north value of 17 degrees. This will give us our angle on the Phillips 66 map.

The​ bold circle above is sitting between the 180 and 270 degree axis. In fact, the center of the bold circle is positioned at 246 degrees. This can be confirmed using a compass rose. One radian is valued at 57.296 degrees, so four radians are valued at 4 X 57.296 = 229.184 degrees. Add in the magnetic north value of 17 degrees and our final total is 246.184 degrees. The Zodiac Killer was indicating four radians + magnetic north. He never incorporated this into the Button letter code and Phillips 66 map, telling us the crosshair was to be set to magnetic north, but a month later in the Little List letter, he added the magnetic north value in for us, seen by the positioning of the bold circle next to SFPD. Four radians and 17 degrees is 246 degrees. This bold circle is also positioned at exactly 246 degrees (see below). 

This compass rose and SFPD crosshair, angled at 246 degrees can now be placed over the Phillips 66 map. But first we will examine the second  crosshair placed at the foot of the Little List letter.

The Zodiac Killer placed 'Diablo', the Spanish word for devil over the 180 degree axis. This may not have any significance, but if we couple the 66 from Phillips 66, with the number 6 on the Phillips map crosshair, we get 666, the number of the beast. By using the same method we can add the number 66 to the 180 degrees and arrive at 180 + 66 = 246 degrees once more. Whether this was by design however, is open to question.

Let us now go ahead and superimpose the compass rose and SFPD crosshair over the Phillips 66 map (below). To be completely accurate, both have been tilted by three degrees to match the original Zodiac crosshair. (shown here).

246 degrees takes us, as the crow flies, 31 miles southwest, passing directly over the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) of Ingleside. The map scale is 6.4 miles to the inch, so if we were traveling inches along the radians, it would be 4.84 inches. If we round off, the phrase "PS. The Mt Diablo code concerns Radians + inches along the radians," would become: "PS. The Mt Diablo code concerns four Radians + five inches along the radians". That is 229 degrees, but set to magnetic north, gives us the 246 degrees shown in the following diagrams. 

On Monday, October 12th 1970 the San Francisco Chronicle ran an article entitled Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac. Just two weeks later, the Zodiac Killer would respond when he mailed the Halloween Card to Paul Avery, a prominent San Francisco Chronicle reporter. This card, containing two skeletons, opened with the phrase "I feel it in my bones, you ache to know my name. And so I'll clue you in". This on the face of it seemed like a direct response to the Chronicle article, but what clue was the Zodiac prepared to give us in this card regarding his identity or name? Before we tackle this problem, we shall fast forward to the Exorcist Letter, mailed to the Chronicle on January 29th 1974 and investigate any possible clues within this correspondence. This first part has been covered previously, however, this will be expanded upon as we delve a little deeper.
The Exorcist Letter appeared a curious blend of two productions; The Mikado (1885), a satirical portrait of Victorian England, and the horror classic The Exorcist (1973), ironically labeled "the best saterical comidy that I have ever seen" by the Zodiac Killer. The Exorcist Letter appears a mismatch of genres containing an unholy alliance of mixed messages - unless of course - it was designed this way to provide us with a hidden clue to his identity or name.   

After a line such as "Signed, yours truley" one would expect the sender to provide us with a name, yet here the Zodiac Killer gives us a line from The Mikado's On a tree by a river, part of Act Two. Is his name concealed within these lines? In the article 'The Best Saterical Comidy,' this idea was explored. The name William can be abbreviated to Will, Bill, Billy, Willy, or Willie. It can be seen that these lines contain the names 'Bill and Will' several times. This of course is meaningless on its own, until you wrangle with the unusual alliance of The Exorcist and The Mikado. 

The Exorcist is an American horror film released in 1973, directed by William Friedkin and adapted for screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 book. The Mikado was created by Gilbert and Sullivan, however, one half of the duo was Sir William Schwenck Gilbert, which effectively gives us the three William's in the excerpt above and tempt us with the phrase "Signed, yours truley, William".  The inspiration for William Peter Blatty's novel The Exorcist (1971) was the real life exorcism of Roland Doe, a 13-year-old Maryland boy, in 1949. Father William S. Bowdern, S.J. was central to this exorcism, assisted by Walter Halloran and William Van Roo, a third Jesuit priest, bringing our total to five.

​In the San Francisco Chronicle article Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac, Paul Avery wrote "Sheriff's detective sergeant Kenneth Narlow of Napa County has fruitlessly followed up another 900 tips to Zodiac's identity since September 27th 1969". Did the Zodiac take this line and incorporate it into the Halloween Card, using the pumpkin fruit to effectively reveal his identity, by deliberately placing the pumpkin over the groin and then removing it to expose his identity. The groin becomes fruitless, yet reveals a name? I'm afraid you've guessed it - Willy. While this is highly improbable, the Zodiac Killer did present a rather immature element in much of his correspondence. In an attempt to reinforce this identity we shall proceed. The Halloween Card is obviously a reference to the Western Christian celebration of All Hallows Day on October 31st, hence the use of the spiders web, skeletons and pumpkin within the card. The most notable addition to the card was the pumpkin, so other than its deliberate positioning, has it any further significance to the Zodiac Killer's identity? The pumpkin itself is carved out on Halloween to create a spooky or ghostly face and lit on the inside to create a menacing glowing effect. This is termed a 'Jack o' lantern' or 'Will o the wisp' - an atmospheric ghost light seen by travelers at night.    

The Zodiac Killer placed numerous eyes on the Halloween Card, accompanied by the words "peek-a-boo you are doomed" which was wrapped around the knothole in the tree. This, on the face of it, appeared a veiled threat towards San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, but was it yet another clue to his identity?
 
​'Blind Bat', a member on the Zodiac Killer Site forum, found an interesting connection to the Halloween Card involving the "peek-a-boo" phrase the author added to the greeting card. The picture on the right demonstrates this perfectly with the Zodiac-like letter K, with the eyes and eyelashes eerily similar to the depiction on the Halloween Card itself. ​William V. Peekaboo Pennington Senior was a San Francisco private detective, described as a cattle man, private investigator, theater owner, building contractor, oil man and member of the Eastern Star, a freemasonry related order established in 1850 by Rob Morris. He moved to San Francisco in 1924 and performed investigative duties for prominent lawyers and attorneys, including Melvin Belli, who became closely embroiled in the Zodiac Killer case. The Halloween Card provides us with two full, and two abbreviations of William, when we consider the following.

​The Halloween Card is the only time the Zodiac Killer used the letter Z on his correspondence. He placed the letter Z on the envelope and the inside of the card - but in addition to this - the Zodiac Killer placed a Zorro style mask on the skeleton. Is this a further clue? Had the Zodiac spent his formative years in the 1950s, Zorro would have been a high profile television series, made into two Walt Disney films, The Sign of Zorro (1958) and Zorro, the Avenger (1959). The Disney television series ran from 1957 to 1959, and this, along with the two movies, starred Guy Williams.  
  
Revisiting the subject of Melvin Belli, the Zodiac Killer wrote a personal correspondence to the prominent lawyer on December 20th 1969. In this correspondence he stated "I will loose all controol of myself and set the bomb up. Please help me I can not remain in control for much longer". This phrase is remarkably similar to a message scrawled on the wall of murder victim Frances Brown, who was discovered on December 10th 1945 at her 3941 North Pine Grove apartment, in Edgewater, Chicago. She had multiple knife wounds, with the actual knife found protruding from the victim's neck, along with a bullet wound to the head. The killer had left a calling card, in the form of a message written in lipstick on the wall. See here. It said: "For heavens Sake catch me Before I kill more. I cannot control myself". The Zodiac Killer wrote (edited) "I will loose all controol of myself. Please help me. I can not remain in control for much longer".  The killer William Heirens, known as the 'Lipstick Killer', was convicted of the murders of three females over a seven-month period. Was the letter mailed to Melvin Belli a plea for help or just another subtle clue to his identity.

Paul Avery extensively covered the Patty Hearst affair, along with San Francisco Chronicle reporter Tim Findley, something the Zodiac was unlikely to miss. The Zodiac Killer has been credited with the 'SLA Letter' mailed on February 3rd 1974, the day before the kidnapping of Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army on February 4th 1974. There are two links here, in that Patty Hearst was the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, who gained control of the San Francisco Examiner from his father. But more importantly, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) leaders were Donald De Freeze and William Harris. One of its founding members was Willie Wolfe. 

​In the article 'Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac', Paul Avery wrote "Zodiac is still at large today. And he is now claiming he has murdered thirteen persons. Homicide detectives who've been hunting Zodiac for nearly two years frankly admit he is as much an enigma now as he was on December 20th 1968, when he chalked up his first two victims". In chalk-like writing, the Zodiac would now be claiming a potential fourteen victims in the Halloween Card, but was it revealing a lot more than initially thought?

The Little List letter mailed on July 26th 1970 heavily featured two portions of The Mikado. The seventh line of Mikado Act One Part 5a  As some day it may happen reads "All children who are up in dates, and floor you with 'em flat". The Zodiac Killer paraphrases this verse to "All children who are up in dates and implore you with im platt". It could simply be that he was attempting to write the letter F, and accidentally formed the letter P - but if not. I don't subscribe to the techniques employed in this article, but I thought it worthwhile for those who have William as a suspect.  

On Saturday February 21st 1970, John Franklin Hood (24) and Sandra Garcia (20) decided to visit the quiet retreat of East Beach, Santa Barbara one evening, when they fell victim to a knife-wielding assassin similar to the attack on Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard at Lake Berryessa five months earlier - and more importantly - contained within the umbrella of known Zodiac crimes and letters. John F. Hood and Sandra Garcia were set to become married and were enjoying the evening tranquility lying on a blanket under a full moon, when a knife-man, carrying a bone-handled 4" blade approached them taking them by surprise - and despite evidently fighting back against their attacker, both unfortunately had their lives cruelly snatched away on that fateful night. John Hood suffered 11 stab wounds, the majority inflicted to the face and back, while Sandra Garcia received the brunt of the attack leaving her almost unrecognizable, in what appeared a senseless and motiveless crime. Like the Berryessa attack, robbery and a sexual motive were absent and the remote location apparent - but is it possible this little publicized double murder could be the work of the Zodiac Killer. Speculation will take us no nearer the truth, so let us examine the Zodiac letters and suspected crimes around the relevant time period and see if we can unearth any possible clues to push the Hood and Garcia case back into the limelight and into forefront of our minds.  

What we know of the Zodiac Killer, is that he kept a running total of victims contained in his correspondence. The Melvin Belli letter mailed on December 20th 1969 and the "My Name is.." letter mailed on April 20th 1970 are of particular interest in this regard. The Melvin Belli letter stated "I am afraid I will lose control again and take my ninth and possibly tenth victim". This is important because the next correspondence to claim 10 victims was the "My Name is.." letter, mailed 2 months after the Hood/Garcia murders on February 21st 1970 and the immediate correspondence after the Melvin Belli letter. The wording in the Melvin Belli letter does not tell us whether the ninth and tenth victims are to be separate attacks or one combined attack, but what the Zodiac has been best known for is attacks on couples and the Hood/Garcia murders fits this template. However, there is something more important to bear in mind when we look at the 13 Symbol cipher on April 20th 1970, particularly the phrase contained within the letter stating "I have killed ten people to date".

​Let us look at the notable dates of Zodiac events from the Melvin Belli letter to just prior to his mailing of the "My Name is.." letter. The Melvin Belli letter was mailed on the anniversary of the Lake Herman Road murders on the 20th, the Hood/Garcia murders were on the 21st and the highly debated Modesto abduction of Kathleen Johns took place on the 22nd. The key numbers to remember here are 20, 21 and 22, followed by the 'My Name is..Letter'. Within this letter the Zodiac gave us a 13 Symbol cipher containing four Zodiac signs, but apparent was the highlighted three 8's or three Taurus symbols circled.

An astrological chart shows a full moon denoted as a circle and the "My Name is.." letter was mailed on April 20th 1970 to the San Francisco Chronicle. So let us look at an astrological chart of San Francisco on this date, bearing in mind that a full moon is regarded a full moon either side of it waxing and waning above 95% illumination. In astrology, the Zodiac sign of Aries runs on average from March 21st to April 19th and Taurus takes over on April 20th (the date this letter was mailed) until May 20th. There are four full moons in April (shown here on the astrological chart), in which one falls in Aries and three fall in Taurus (the exact configuration on the 13 Symbol cipher). However, the most important thing is the full moon circled Taurus symbols. They fall on the 20th, 21st and 22nd, exactly the same dates as the Melvin Belli letter, the Hood and Garcia murders and the Modesto abduction in the run up to this letter, with the 21st being the center point of the cipher as a whole. Take a look here for a visual representation. 

The Hood/Garcia murders on February 21st 1970 occurred on a 100% full moon, as did the date of April 21st 1970, depicted by the central Taurus on the My Name is.. "letter'.  

On July 5th 1970, Thomas Victor Dolan (17), of Manhattan Beach, Thomas Hayes (19), of Hermosa Beach and Homer Clyde Shadwick (19), of Saginaw Michigan were discovered by a passer-by on a beach in Santa Barbara, which straddled the University of California S.B building. Two had succumbed to their injuries, while the third, Thomas Hayes, had been rushed to hospital in nearby Goleta in critical condition, after the three appeared to have been subjected to a frenzied machete/hatchet and knife attack while camping out in their sleeping bags on the night of July 4th 1970, after hitchhiking back from fireworks celebrations in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Fortunately for Hayes he survived his injuries. The attack seemed motiveless, as the three young men's watches and money remained untouched.

This attack came approximately four months after Hood and Garcia, who were murdered on Saturday February 21st 1970, 16 miles west of these attacks. Both the Melvin Belli letter and Shadwick/Dolan murders were anniversaries of the Zodiac Killer's first two crimes at Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs. But this may be the tip of the iceberg regarding dates employed by the Zodiac Killer. Lake Herman Road, Blue Rock Springs, Lake Beryessa, Presidio Heights, the Hood/Garcia murders, the Shadwick/Dolan murders and the likely murder of Donna Lass, all had one date in common, but that is another story.  
Zodiac Ciphers-Murder In The First. 

In a recent article we examined the Mount Diablo code in conjunction with the Phillips 66 road map and suggested a possibility that the Zodiac 32 Symbol cipher may have revealed San Francisco International Airport, situated at 4 radians or 229 degrees from Mount Diablo. However,  coupled with the Magnetic North value of 17 degrees at the time of mailing, was to give us a final value of 246 degrees, exactly corresponding with the bold circle the Zodiac Killer provided within his crosshairs on the 'Little List' letter mailed on July 26th 1970.  View initial article (Part One). View Part Two.
This final part of the trilogy will attempt to cement the motivation behind the Zodiac Killer's crosshairs, which he gave us on the Phillips 66 road map (as part of the Button Letter) mailed on June 26th 1970 and the 'Little List' letter one month later on July 26th 1970. In the following diagram we have incorporated the three crosshairs together to better explain the findings. This idea has been covered before, but finalizes the three part story under one banner in a little more detail.

The Zodiac Killer stated on the Button letter "The Map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set". In other words, the two are to be used in conjunction with each other. This is what we did in the earlier articles, taking the code of San Francisco International Airport at 229 degrees and coupling it with the map, set at a Magnetic North value of 17 degrees, to arrive at the final value of 246 degrees.
However, this would not have been possible using the Button letter and Phillips 66 road map alone. The Zodiac Killer realizing this, gave us the two additional crosshairs on the Little List Letter, with a couple more hints. Firstly, the bold circle and secondly the phrase "PS The Mt Diablo code concerns Radians + inches along the radians". The Zodiac Killer placed this phrase over the crosshairs itself, when he could have easily accommodated both elements separately - unless of course he had an ulterior motive.

The phrase "PS The Mt Diablo code concerns Radians + inches along the radians" runs over the south axis; or to be precise, over the 180 degree axis or number 6 on the Zodiac dial. The only word bisected by this south axis is​ Diablo. 
Let us expand upon the "Map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set" to better explain things, using this phrase "The Phillips 66 Map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set". In the first instance, the code of San Francisco International Airport or 229 degrees was coupled with the map set to Magnetic North of 17 degrees, to equal 246 degrees. The 'Mount Diablo code' was written on the 180 degree axis, so we will couple this 180 degrees with the map (or more specifically the Phillips 66 map), to give us 180 + 66 = 246 degrees, the exact position of the bold circle he provided us in the 'Little List' letter and exactly the same as 4 radians and 17 degrees. Then we shall take the number 6 he provided on the 180 degree axis and once again couple this with the Phillips 66 map to give us 666, the mark of the Devil or Diablo.

The conventional view is that the Mount Diablo peak derives its name from the 1805 escape of several Chupcan Native Americans from the Spanish in a nearby willow thicket. The natives seemed to disappear, and the Spanish soldiers thus gave the area the name "Monte del Diablo", meaning "thicket of the devil." Diablo was placed over the 180 degree mark and the number 6 axis, and on both occasions coupled with the 66 from the Phillips 66 road map, it gave us something significant. But whether or not this was his true intention is still unclear and may never be resolved. 

Footnote: What level of understanding the Zodiac Killer had regarding the concept of radians is unknown, but they are a counterclockwise value around the circumference of a circle. He placed his crosshairs over Mount Diablo, to which he added a sort of clock face, replacing the number twelve with a zero, stating it was "to be set to Mag.N". It can be shown that 4 radians and Magnetic North will fall within the bold, black circle he placed on his 'Little List' crosshairs. In addition, it can be shown that traveling 2 radians counterclockwise from True North will again fall within the bold, black circle. The use of the clock face and the directional north marker set at zero, may indicate that Zodiac intended this as his starting point for any calculations. The mere fact that the above measurements, either clockwise or counterclockwise, using whole radians, both fall inside the black circle, would seem to suggest that the 246 degree angle subtended from Mount Diablo over San Francisco is where we should be looking.​

In a recent article we examined the Mount Diablo code in conjunction with the Phillips 66 road map and suggested the possibility that the Zodiac 32 Symbol cipher may have revealed San Francisco International Airport, situated at 4 radians or 229 degrees from Mount Diablo. However, coupled with the Magnetic North value of 17 degrees at the time of mailing, it was to give us a final value of 246 degrees, exactly corresponding with the bold circle the Zodiac Killer subsequently provided within his crosshairs on the 'Little List' letter mailed on July 26th 1970. Here we will take this one step further and see where the adjustment of the Magnetic North value of 17 degrees takes us from the airport location and see if the pinpointed location makes any sense in respect to all we think we know about the Zodiac Killer. View initial article (Part One).  

It is difficult to be exact using the Zodiac diagrams, but the angle of 246 degrees passes over the Bayview-Hunters Point region of San Francisco, situated only 5.5 miles from the Mason and Geary intersection, where it is believed Paul Stine picked up the Zodiac Killer on October 11th 1969.
Passing through the Bayview area is 3rd Street, close to Highway 101, and two possible routes Paul Stine may have traveled on his return back from San Francisco International Airport after dropping off his final paying fare, before returning back to the San Francisco theater district. The Bayview-Hunters Point region has a colorful history and has courted much controversy and conflict down the years. 
​
After a San Francisco ordinance in 1868 banned the slaughter and processing of animals within the city proper, a group of butchers established a "butchers reservation" on 81-acre of tidal marshland in the Bayview district. Within ten years, 18 slaughterhouses were located in the area along with their associated production facilities for tanning, fertilizer, wool and tallow. The "reservation" (then bounded by present-day Ingalls Street, Third Street, from Islais Creek to Bayshore) and the surrounding houses and businesses became known as Butchertown. The butcher industry declined following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake until 1971 when the final slaughterhouse closed.
Taken from Wikipedia.
​
If we insert a Zodiac timeline to this, the final slaughterhouse closed in 1971, which is the year the Zodiac mailed us his second to last confirmed correspondence on March 13th 1971 to the Los Angeles Times, before he disappeared for close to three years, the irony of which cannot be ignored. Also from our experience, we have the suggestion that the Zodiac Killer may have served in the military, or had naval connections, a common theme in Zodiac circles. The Zodiac timeline is not a certain one, predominantly because of earlier murders that may or may not be attributed to him, such as the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966, nevertheless, this is where we shall start.  

Is there anything that ties Riverside, Vallejo, Benicia and the Bayview-Hunters Point in San Francisco? We shall explore some options. The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and was situated approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport. It was a 1 hr 20 minutes drive west of Riverside. The Mare Island Naval Shipyard is located in Vallejo, the hot zone highlighted by geographic profiling pioneer, Kim Rossmo, who zoomed in on a possible home location of the Zodiac Killer. And finally, the Hunters-Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, located on 638 acres in the southeast corner of the city. 

​At the start of World War II the Navy recognized the need for greatly increased naval shipbuilding and repair facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in 1940 acquired the property from the private owners, naming it Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. The property became one of the major shipyards of the west coast. It was later renamed Treasure Island Naval Station Hunters Point Annex. During the 1940's, many workers moved into the area to work at this shipyard and other wartime related industries.
The key fissile components of the first atomic bomb were loaded onto the USS Indianapolis in July 1945 at Hunters Point for transfer to Tinian. After World War II and until 1969, the Hunters Point shipyard was the site of the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, the US military's largest facility for applied nuclear research. The yard was used after the war to decontaminate ships from Operation Crossroads. Because of all the testing, there is widespread radiological contamination of the site. After the war, with an influx of blue collar industry, the area remained a naval base and commercial shipyard. The Navy operated the yard until 1974, when it leased most of it to a commercial ship repair company. Extract from Wikipedia. The Navy ceased operations in 1974, the year the Zodiac mailed his final confirmed letter, the Exorcist Letter on January 29th 1974. In fact, three further potential Zodiac letters were mailed that year, before the Zodiac Killer finally disappeared for good.

The Zodiac letters definitely switched emphasis after the Paul Stine murder on October 11th 1969, from the November 9th Bus Bomb letter through to the 'Little List' letter on July 26th 1970, making references to the murder of two San Francisco police officers, Brian McDonnell on February 16th 1970 and Sgt Richard Radetich on June 19th 1970. Bombing was definitely on the agenda, although it was believed he never followed up in any of his proposed threats. 

The question remains, was irony his intention, if he had indeed selected Hunters Point as a location, somewhere he may have been familiar with or even worked. Even the surrounding areas were once known as 'Butchertown'. It should be noted that a bombing did occur in the January of 1970 at Hunters Point Police Station, highlighted in this KPIX eyewitness report - and although with near certainty it was not the Zodiac Killer, it may have been something he was aware of, had he worked in this region of San Francisco.

Did the Zodiac Killer live and work in San Francisco during the majority of his crimes, placing distance between himself and the first three attacks, before coming home to roost, or did he live across the bay in the Vallejo/Benicia areas and only used San Francisco as a mailing point on his route to work?

The 246 degrees subtended from the center point of Mount Diablo runs directly across the Hunters-Point Naval Shipyard in the Bayview District, and was consolidated by the accuracy of the 'Little List' letter crosshairs. The Mare Island Naval Shipyard has always courted some attention in Zodiac circles, on account of the proposed naval connection to our killer. Did the Zodiac Killer work at both facilities, or even the third at Riverside. Was irony at work here, or is the Hunters-Point connection just simply wide of the mark once more. 

SEE PART THREE -  http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/sfi-airport-hunters-point-part-three

The Zodiac Killer after killing four people in Benicia, Vallejo and Napa, suddenly switched the emphasis to the heart of San Francisco, mailing a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle on October 13th 1969, promising to target a school bus and "pick of the kiddies as they come bouncing out". In the following months came multiple references to bombs, notably in his 'My Name is' letter, detailing a bus bomb diagram and suggesting he was not responsible for wiping out "that blue meannie with a bomb". He was describing the murder of San Francisco police officer Brian McDonnell on February 16th 1970, two months earlier, when a bomb packed with fence staples exploded on an outside ledge of Park Police Station in the Upper Haight neighborhood. The Zodiac Killer then mailed the Dragon card on April 28th 1970 stating "I hope you enjoy yourselves when I have my blast" and then the Button Letter on June 26th 1970, cementing his connection to San Francisco by part referencing the murder of a policeman in a parked car, thought to be Officer Richard Radetich outside 643 Waller Street. In this correspondence he attached a Phillips 66 road map of San Francisco and Vicinity, stating "the map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set". Then on July 26th 1970 the 'Little List' letter was mailed, including two crosshairs, one with a prominent black circle including the acronym SFPD = 0 and the second referring us back to the Button letter, stating "The Mt Diablo code concerns radians + inches along the radians". The emphasis appeared squarely over the region of San Francisco, so was the bomb the Zodiac Killer promised us, to be found somewhere in this region.

What level of understanding the Zodiac Killer had regarding the concept of radians is unknown, but they are a counterclockwise value around the circumference of a circle. He placed his crosshairs over Mount Diablo, to which he added a sort of clock face, replacing the number twelve with a zero, stating it was "to be set to Mag.N". It can be shown that 4 radians and Magnetic North will fall within the bold, black circle he placed on his 'Little List' crosshairs. In addition, it can be shown that traveling 2 radians counterclockwise from True North will again fall within the bold, black circle. The use of the clock face and the directional north marker set at zero, may indicate that Zodiac intended this as his starting point for any calculations. The mere fact that the above measurements, either clockwise or counterclockwise, using whole radians, both fall inside the black circle, would seem to suggest that the 246 degree angle subtended from Mount Diablo over San Francisco is where we should be looking.

The Zodiac Killer referred to radians (an angle of measurement), of which one radian is valued at 57.296 degrees. If we look at the prominent black circle he gave us on the 'Little List' letter (shown on the right), its center falls over the 246 degree mark on a compass rose. 246 degrees is 4 radians + 17 degrees. When the Phillips 66 road map was mailed on June 26th 1970, Magnetic North was approximately 17 degrees. 

4 radians = 4 X 57.296 = 229.184 + 17 degrees = 246 degrees.
So, apparently the Zodiac Killer had some concept of radians and the value of Magnetic North, unless we are assuming he was just lucky in his placement of the bold circle on the diagram. His further reference to SFPD (San Francisco Police Department) next to this circle, suggests this is where we should be centering our focus, bearing in mind his disdain for law enforcement.
 
The Zodiac Killer wrote "The Mt Diablo code concerns radians + inches along the radians", so let us start with complete radians. We know from above calculations that the value of 4 radians (229 degrees) is significant, so we shall place a compass rose over Mount Diablo and see where this takes us, in respect of San Francisco. 

It can be seen that 229 degrees falls on the south edge of San Francisco International Airport by Old Bayshore Highway. 
Was the Zodiac Killer intending to ratchet up the fear by exploding bombs (or the threat of bombs) in the vicinity of the airport? This seems highly unlikely, so we shall take a further look at the Button letter mailed on June 26th 1970, where the Zodiac Killer stated "The Map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set. You have until next Fall to dig it up" and enter something alongside the code.

San Francisco International Airport is comprised of exactly 32 letters and fits squarely alongside the 32 symbol Button letter code. However, the 246 degree mark falls further around the circumference of the compass rose. The 4 radians took us to San Francisco International Airport, but coupled with the map "to be set to Mag.N" gives us the final value of 246 degrees. The San Francisco International Airport may have been the clue but not the final destination, which should lie in the Hunters Point region or beyond.  

SEE PART TWO - http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/sfi-airport-part-two-hunters-point