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Richard Grinell, Coventry, England
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"MY RIVERSIDE ACTIVITY"

9/30/2018

 
The most detailed description of the Zodiac Killer was presented in the days after the murder of Paul Stine in Presidio Heights, likely arrived upon by an amalgamation of two sets of eyewitnesses. The final age range estimated at between 35-45 years of age and semi-corroborated by Officer Donald Fouke, who described the suspect as 'graying in the rear' in his November 12th 1969 memorandum. The age of the killer may be relevant, when we consider the dramatic change in writing style from November 29th 1966/April 30th 1967 to the beginning of the Zodiac letters in 1969, just two years later. Is it possible to examine the linguistics from correspondence in the Cheri Jo Bates murder to the later writings and determine if they were authored by the same individual?  
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The Zodiac Killer never bragged or labored the point about his four canonical attacks or five murders with respect to the victims. The closest he came was describing the attack on Michael Mageau, stating "When I fired the first shot at his head, he leaped backwards at the same time, thus spoiling my aim. He ended up on the back seat then the floor in back thashing out very violently with his legs; that's how I shot him in the knee."  But on this occasion he was prompted for more details about the crimes by Vallejo Police Chief Jack Stiltz, and duly responded. 
However, in the 'Confession' and Bates letters, just 2 to 3 years earlier, the author seemed to be relishing in the pain and misery he inflicted on Cheri Jo Bates and her family.
With statements such as "
I said it was about time for her to die, she squirmed and shook as I chocked her and her lips twiched, and I then finished the job out cutting her throat," it had all the hallmarks of a killer who enjoyed reliving the events of that night, as well as exacerbating the heartbreak and suffering felt by family and friends. The author, not only named his victim in both letters, something the Zodiac Killer always steered away from, but he also mailed a letter to the father of the victim, Joseph Bates.
The addresses of the victims in the Zodiac crimes were routinely published in the newspapers, yet the Bay Area murderer failed to make contact with any of the victims families through mailed correspondence. The killer seemed to almost depersonalize the victims, only referring to them as kids, teenagers, boy, girl, woman, man, taxicab driver and people. When it came to his adversaries such as newspaper reporters, columnists, attorneys and police, then he had little problem naming Paul Avery, 
Marc H Spinelli, Herb Caen, Melvin Belli and David Toschi (depending on the validity of the correspondence).
Were the crimes simply his requirement to be taken seriously, so he could begin his letter writing campaign? In other words, they were not his primary focus, and why the attacks apparently ended after only 10 months.  

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The most sexually explicit reference in the confirmed Zodiac letters was his statement of "man is the most dangerous animal of all to kill something gives me the most thrilling experience it is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl" in the deciphered 408 cryptogram. However, even this is downgrading sex below murder.
The 'Confession' letter is altogether different, referencing lying awake thinking about beautiful women, stating "Her breast felt very warm and firm under my hands, her lips twiched, keep your sisters, daughters and wives off the streets and alleys, I shall cut off her female parts and deposit them for the whole city to see and I am stalking your girls now." 
The emphasis of the letter is based solely on women, not couples, men or children. It also has a sexual component, not particularly evident in the Zodiac letters.
On March 13th 1971 the Zodiac Killer part-indicated his involvement in the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates, but even then he couldn't refer to her by name - something he supposedly had no problem doing in both the Riverside correspondences a few years earlier. So, was the Riverside murderer really the Zodiac Killer?    ​

Murder Inc link
9/30/2018 06:19:32 pm

I think because Zode used Zodiac persona like the specific phrase 'This is the Zodiac speaking' and was obsessed with Melvin Belli the only conclusion is that Zode is either or Z or Z had to be someone who knew Zode.

BB
9/30/2018 06:31:09 pm

So, was the Riverside murderer really the Zodiac Killer?

The Zodiac said he was based on "The Most Dangerous Game", also published as "The Hounds of Zaroff", a short story by Richard Connell, first published in Collier's on January 19, 1924. The story features a big-game hunter from New York City who falls off a yacht and swims to what seems to be an abandoned and isolated island in the Caribbean, where he is hunted by a Russian aristocrat.

Robert Graysmith was able to sell his story, and they made the 2007 movie based on his 1986 book by the same name. Good book but was it faction or fiction. That's above my pay grade.
Many people think it is a modern mythology in the making. Who knows? They can't even decode it even with the use of a supercomputer.

Dan Churney
10/3/2018 12:23:50 pm

The Most Dangerous Game theme also played out in two television shows during the Zodiac era -- The Jan. 16, 1967 episode "The Hunter," from Gilligan's Island and the Nov. 26, 1966 Get Smart episode "Island of the Darned." In both episodes, a deranged hunter seeks human prey, under comic circumstances, of course. If the Zodiac saw these shows, they would have served as more up-to-date influences on him.

RTF
10/1/2018 12:18:54 am

Good article. The differing content, tone and vocabulary is significant. Something that is ignored by the many web sleuths who are always desperate for Riverside to be Z - even to the point of claiming Z wrote the letters but didn't kill Cheri, if that's as close as they can shoe-horn Z in.

Rubislaw 32 link
10/1/2018 05:30:25 am

Nicely,and sensibly put,RTF.

If,like me,one concludes that all the available evidence points to The Riverside Police,as ''orchestrators'' of the ''Slow boat to China'' letter to Paul Avery,in November 1970....then it becomes apparent that the Zodiac was the scribe of the Bates correspondences,and,in all likelihood,was ''not'' the perpetrator of Miss Bates.

In addition,the FBI have never forgiven the Riverside Police,for their prejudicial behaviour,towards such a distinguished [....sarcasm [?]...] organisation,as this Federal body.

About 5 years ago,The Riverside Police [falsely] outed amateur investigator,Phil Sins,as the scribe of that letter,as a means,no doubt,of ''redressing'' history.

Sins,an elderly man,with no energy left,nor financial means,to fight back.

Disgraceful.But these are just the sort of tricks,as becoming LE,when it suits them

Judith
10/1/2018 07:11:55 am

Ye Olde truth. I'm not certain that the Zodiac Killer did Kill Cheri Jo. It seems to be out of his general area. However, there is DNA evidence from this murder developed by the FBI. DNA from a cigarette. DNA from a wristwatch. DNA from hair. There could even be more DNA results from evidence recently tested.
Law enforcement puts these profiles into DNA databases waiting for hits.
Then you have the handwriting evidence including the desktop poem. Sherwood Morrill determines that the writer of the Bates letters and the desktop poem also wrote the classic zodiac letters. If you take the time to examine these letters you will see there are very distinctive handwriting elements present. Did the Zodiac Killer kill Cheri Jo Bates? I think we'll find out soon.
Pictures of you.

Rubislaw 32 link
10/1/2018 09:10:50 am

Could be,certainly could be,Judith.

But as I have reiterated,elsewhere,as well as Richard's site,the CA DOJ,have had Zodiac's DNA profile,since 2003,at the latest.

Poyser and the VPD,are just doing their best impersonation of The Keystone Cops,in trying to persuade the public,that the DNA profile remains elusive,and yet to be found.

And,I would welcome a currently serving member of LE,to post at this site,to deny this.

Naturally,''Pigs might fly'',and pardon the close to the bone pun.

But,as BB has intimated,one cannot go ''Gently into that Goodnight'',with LE constantly hoodwinking the public.

In the end,their ''expensive wristwatches and cheap suits'' combinations,are mere cover for the immorality of their pathetic attempts,to sell us a lie.

Their ''attire'' perhaps the greater ''affront'' to our sensitivities [?].

BB
10/1/2018 03:10:57 pm

Rubislaw 32

i agree it would be nice if a serving member of LE would do updates.

i have just been reading all of Murder Inc - interesting ideas.

also

i have been thinking that this whole Zodiac investigation seems to be really picking up pace lately - kind of a snowball effect - do you get that same vibe?

Rubislaw 32 link
10/1/2018 03:55:55 pm

It's always going to be a difficult call,BB,until an actual arrest,or genuinely informative announcement is made.

If only we could be a fly on the wall of a room,that at least whispered real information.

But I am confident that the VPD are buying time,on the instructions of the CA DOJ.For precisely what,and when,is a different matter.

And,I'm not so sure,that it is the CA DOJ,that are really in a position to call the shots,anymore.One has to wonder,what they have actually been up to,for the last fifteen years [?].

But,I am confident that a ''resolution'' to the case,will come about.

Currently,I would estimate for,between 3 and 18 months.If Zodiac is still alive,they mustn't get greedy,and just nail him for one murder,if that is all they are able to do.

If he is dead,or dies in the process of constructing judicial prosecution......then nothing short of full disclosure of his deeds,will satisfy the bereaved and general public,alike.

Then,take note of the quantity of private lawsuits,that ''take flight''.

Nobody
10/2/2018 03:02:23 am

There is also a weird sense of misplaced vigilantism in what the Zodiac wrote. He implies that if women are out at night on the street or in alley ways, their parents or husbands should only expect that he will be out there patrolling and he will be unable to help the consequences if he comes across them. It is almost as though he is trying to establish some kind of moral justification for his crimes, as a part of his modus operandi. It comes across as a bizarre kind of community announcement to protect women from himself!

Fletch
11/28/2018 09:00:06 pm

What year of school was Cheri Jo Bates in at RCC? The confession letter says that she brushed 'him' off years PLURAL and that's why he got revenge. Where did Cheri Jo go to high school?

Richard
11/28/2018 11:36:34 pm

Cheri was a 1966 graduate of Riverside's Ramona High School.

Fletch
11/29/2018 02:49:11 am

So did the killer also go to the same high school?

Richard
11/29/2018 04:19:12 am

If we knew that Fletch, he would already be identified. I very much doubt the Confession letter was telling us the truth. In fact, nothing in the Confession letter wasn't available in the newspapers, so the author may not have been the killer of Cheri Jo Bates, and quite possibly not Zodiac.

Fletch
11/30/2018 11:29:58 am

Richard thanks for the response, The fact that the Zodiac talks about 'Bates' and mentioned his 'riverside activity' certainly implies he's responsible for Cheri Jo's demise. Plus he mentions 7 in his November 69 letter, did anyone ever decipher what the 'Des' meant in this line 'Des July Aug Sept Oct = 7'...

Richard
11/30/2018 01:00:04 pm

Most believe it's just a misspelling of the abbreviated word December (Dec), beginning the chronological sequence of his Zodiac attacks on December 20th 1968. The "Aug" likely his false claim of the murders of Debra Gaye Furlong (14) and Kathie Ann Snoozy (15), who.were found murdered on August 3rd 1969 in the Bay Area of San Jose.

Fletch
11/30/2018 03:26:43 pm

OMG, yes of course with the misspellings, so obvious now that you mention it. Dec. Thank you. He certainly tried to kill 7 starting w/ Cheri, but it only adds to 5 unless there are 2 more as you mention. I didn't think his MO had younger teenagers, but San Jose isn't far from Silicon Valley and Benicia. Do you believe he was an engineer/software?

Richard
11/30/2018 03:45:41 pm

We could of course be looking for one victim in August if the Zodiac was placing Cheri Jo Bates alongside Paul Stine under Oct. But even if the Cheri Jo Bates crime was committed by the Bay Area murderer (which I question), was it under the Zodiac umbrella. He, after all, only announced himself as Zodiac in the 'Debut' letter on August 4th 1969. He made no mention of Zodiac when mailing the three July 31st 1969 letters (408 cipher).
Guessing his occupation is incredibly difficult. I am firmly convinced he lived in Vallejo, but worked a 9-5 profession in San Francisco. The engineer shout is arguable with his apparent knowledge of radians, but equally he likely had an artistic leaning with his reference to the Mikado (1885), as well "the most dangerous animal," believed to be referring to a short story 'The Most Dangerous Game' by Richard Connell first published on January 19th 1924, He appeared to reference many things predating his existence. He likely, also carefully crafted the Berryessa costume, as this is not something he likely could have bought or commandeered a third party to create it for him. Couple all this with his cut and paste cards requiring a punch, and pinking shears (used for cutting woven cloth to limit fraying) and used in the design of the Pines Card mailed on March 22nd 1971, we could argue he may have been a costume designer at the theatre. There are a multitude of possibilities Fletch, but I wouldn't commit on any. It's an interesting thought however.

Fletch
11/30/2018 06:07:37 pm

Excellent points Richard. I lean towards engineer because of some of his writings, and the APL programming language looks like some of the symbols he used in his cipher. In the 408 cipher, I have a thought on those last 18 characters... I happened to run a google search on the last 5 characters 'HPITI', I found them in only one place a Hebrew document, so I figured I'd do every sequence of the 18 in both directions. I got some interesting words that came out, but nothing flows like the rest of the solution. 'I' in hebrew is 'An island' which is interesting, based on Connell book.

Fletch
11/30/2018 10:16:31 pm

BTW, I see you've been at this for quite awhile, I'm new to it for a CJ class paper. However, I find his use of characters in his ciphers which seem to be from the APL programming language compelling. The timing on APL is very close, and I'm wondering if the killer worked at IBM in San Jose, or some other high tech company at the time.

Richard
12/1/2018 03:25:02 am

I certainly wouldn't rule it out Fletch, but as you are aware in cases such as Gary Ridgeway and Dennis Rader, and many others, the reality is often a complete departure from profiles submitted before their apprehension. It wouldn't surprise me if Zodiac was a ballet dancer or fishmonger. But I certainly take your point regarding the characters he chose in his ciphers.

Richard
12/1/2018 03:31:51 am

If I was forced into choosing the profession of the Zodiac Killer, I would opt for something in education, possibly a teacher.

Fletch
12/1/2018 10:16:33 am

Richard what is the significance of the 'X@' in the 'When I hung the phone up the dam X@ thing began to ring' August 4th 1969 letter? I've been searching for something about rotary phones or pulse phones that have a ring back, but did not see anything about the 'X@'.

Richard
12/2/2018 03:35:52 am

I always assumed X@ was used as an expletive.


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