CHRONICLE, OCTOBER 12TH 1970 It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Halloween card mailed on October 27th 1970 was influenced (but not necessarily exclusively) by the extremely lengthy newspaper article released by the San Francisco Chronicle on October 12th 1970 entitled Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac. The newspaper referenced his most recent boast of 13 victims, which began on December 20th 1968 when he "chalked up his first two victims" in "teen-agers" David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen. This seemingly formed the basis of his communication when he chose a card with the introduction "I feel it in my bones, You ache to know my name, And so I'll clue you in", with the card inner raising the victim total to "4-TEEN" in "chalk" writing.
The Zodiac Killer had previously claimed the San Jose murder victims, Kathie Reyne Snoozy (15) and Debra Gaye Furlong (14), in his victim total on November 8th 1969, which he was determined to remind the reader of on October 27th 1970 by incorporating 4-TEEN into his current total of 14, giving it a double meaning. The Zodiac Killer was correcting the newspaper by informing the San Francisco Chronicle that he had currently killed the 4-TEENAGERS of David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen, Kathie Snoozy and Debra Furlong, despite having no involvement in the stabbing of the two San Jose girls on August 3rd 1969.
The Zodiac Killer had previously claimed the San Jose murder victims, Kathie Reyne Snoozy (15) and Debra Gaye Furlong (14), in his victim total on November 8th 1969, which he was determined to remind the reader of on October 27th 1970 by incorporating 4-TEEN into his current total of 14, giving it a double meaning. The Zodiac Killer was correcting the newspaper by informing the San Francisco Chronicle that he had currently killed the 4-TEENAGERS of David Faraday, Betty Lou Jensen, Kathie Snoozy and Debra Furlong, despite having no involvement in the stabbing of the two San Jose girls on August 3rd 1969.
CHRONICLE, OCTOBER 12TH 1970 The October 12th 1970 Chronicle article featured his 13-Hole postcard mailed in early October, which carried thirteen holes/circles punched into the fabric of the card, and almost certainly represented his running total of 13 victims. Therefore, the Zodiac Killer's incluson of four chalk circles or dots by the letter "F" in the symbol at the foot of the Halloween card inner, could very well be a mirror of his "4-TEEN" by the skull of the second skeleton. This dual phonetic offering combined his current victim total of 14 with the murder of the 4 teens, which is probably what he gave us at the bottom of the card.
The 4 white dots/circles could be suggestive of the 4 teenagers of Faraday, Jensen, Snoozy and Furlong, with the letter "F" representing "FOURTEEN". The Bay Area murderer was probably combining "Z" and "F" to inform police that "Zodiac" was now claiming "FOURTEEN", with the inclusion of 4 teenagers. The logical inference to "F" in the symbol at the base of the card, bearing in mind the "14" on the outer skeleton's hand and "4-TEEN" on the skull, would be "FOURTEEN". Most of his victim totals were positioned at the bottom right of each communication - and this was seemingly no different.
The 4 white dots/circles could be suggestive of the 4 teenagers of Faraday, Jensen, Snoozy and Furlong, with the letter "F" representing "FOURTEEN". The Bay Area murderer was probably combining "Z" and "F" to inform police that "Zodiac" was now claiming "FOURTEEN", with the inclusion of 4 teenagers. The logical inference to "F" in the symbol at the base of the card, bearing in mind the "14" on the outer skeleton's hand and "4-TEEN" on the skull, would be "FOURTEEN". Most of his victim totals were positioned at the bottom right of each communication - and this was seemingly no different.
Alternatively, we can argue that the symbol is a crude representation of Mount Diablo, which has no apparent supporting evidence in the rest of the Halloween card, and gets no direct mention in the San Francisco Chronicle article (other than it can be linked to the "Little List" letter which was featured in the newspaper). Additionally, we need to adequately explain what the four dots mean in relation to Mount Diablo. The contention that this symbol somehow looks like the 3,849 foot mountain in Contra Costa County should be qualified with an adequate explanation of its purpose within the card.
The 13-Hole postcard indicated the victim total using the number "13" and by punching 13 holes into the card. The Halloween card would also reference his current total on more than one accasion by using "14" and "4-TEEN", along with his claim of four murdered teenagers, which the Zodiac Killer possibly signified twice by highlighting the number "4" through the use of a hyphen and four white dots/circles. The Halloween card appeared like the Zodiac Killer was playing with the word "fourteen" throughout, and reminding us that David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were not the only two teenagers he had murdered. This wouldn't be the last time he would indirectly reference the two San Jose girls, when he continued their inclusion in the 148 character cipher/letter and Monticello card in May and July of 1971.
The 13-Hole postcard indicated the victim total using the number "13" and by punching 13 holes into the card. The Halloween card would also reference his current total on more than one accasion by using "14" and "4-TEEN", along with his claim of four murdered teenagers, which the Zodiac Killer possibly signified twice by highlighting the number "4" through the use of a hyphen and four white dots/circles. The Halloween card appeared like the Zodiac Killer was playing with the word "fourteen" throughout, and reminding us that David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were not the only two teenagers he had murdered. This wouldn't be the last time he would indirectly reference the two San Jose girls, when he continued their inclusion in the 148 character cipher/letter and Monticello card in May and July of 1971.
MOUNT DIABLO IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
RSS Feed
