The Halloween Card was mailed on October 27th 1970, one month after of the first Lake Berryessa anniversary, and one cannot help thinking the Zodiac Killer may have delayed this correspondence a short time, with Halloween providing the perfect backdrop to 'commemorate' his attack on Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard on the shores of Lake Berryessa, bearing in mind that dressing up in costumes is central to the All Hallows Eve festivities. Before the attack on the couple, Cecelia Shepard noticed the eventual assailant conceal himself behind a tree, before approaching them bedecked in his executioner's costume. It has not gone unnoticed that the Halloween card parallels this to some extent, with eyes peering from the tree and the phrase 'peek-a-boo you are doomed' circled around a knothole in the tree, along with the mask on the skeleton. The author of the card accentuates the section 'ME' of 'DOOMED', lending weight to the thought he was indeed referring to himself as the eyes behind the tree.
The Lamplighters, hailed as one of the oldest company's in the Bay Area, specializing in Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, operated at the Harding Theater throughout the 1960s, and were performing the Mikado in San Francisco in 1969, opening on April 20th. This connection is nothing new, with many speculating the Zodiac Killer could have been a cast member or had viewed the production, prior to his version, when he tabled in the 'Little List' letter on July 26th 1970. But it is equally likely he may have been a theater technician, employed in the area of stage management, lighting, electrics or quite possibly wardrobe, trained in costume design, as a tailor or more specifically wardrobe crafts involving masks and disguises.
In two other correspondences mailed by the Zodiac Killer he referenced three portions of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. In the 'Little List' letter mailed on July 26th 1970 he paraphrases 'A more humane Mikado' and 'As some day it may happen'. On the Exorcist letter mailed on January 29th 1974 he refers to 'On a tree by a river', in what many believe to be the Zodiac Killer's final offering. But there could be a fourth reference to the Mikado production and we need look no further than the Halloween card itself, with two possibilities.
In 1888 Jack the Ripper terrorized the Whitechapel district of London. In the same year of somewhat less significance Ed J. Smith wrote a stage parody called The Capitalist; or, The City of Fort Worth. Designed to encourage capital investment in Fort Worth, Texas, and underwritten by local banks and railroad lines, the two act piece features characters named Yankee-Doo, Kokonut, By-Gum and Peek-A-Boo. Taken from Wikipedia. This drew its inspiration from the the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, however, it may be pushing the boat out a little farther than necessary to suggest the Zodiac Killer was either aware, or in any way influenced by this promotion.
In two other correspondences mailed by the Zodiac Killer he referenced three portions of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. In the 'Little List' letter mailed on July 26th 1970 he paraphrases 'A more humane Mikado' and 'As some day it may happen'. On the Exorcist letter mailed on January 29th 1974 he refers to 'On a tree by a river', in what many believe to be the Zodiac Killer's final offering. But there could be a fourth reference to the Mikado production and we need look no further than the Halloween card itself, with two possibilities.
In 1888 Jack the Ripper terrorized the Whitechapel district of London. In the same year of somewhat less significance Ed J. Smith wrote a stage parody called The Capitalist; or, The City of Fort Worth. Designed to encourage capital investment in Fort Worth, Texas, and underwritten by local banks and railroad lines, the two act piece features characters named Yankee-Doo, Kokonut, By-Gum and Peek-A-Boo. Taken from Wikipedia. This drew its inspiration from the the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, however, it may be pushing the boat out a little farther than necessary to suggest the Zodiac Killer was either aware, or in any way influenced by this promotion.
One thing evident throughout his correspondence, was his use of the word 'shall', leading to speculation that he may have been of British origin, as the word 'shall' is infrequently used in American English. However, another option exists. As a member of theater production, his exposure to the word 'shall' would have been far more common in the performance of stage plays, particularly in traditional works of English origin, yet he would seek maximum impact when he took it to the next level and started crafting his own scripts.
Peek-a-boo is known as Peep-bo in British culture, being the act of concealing one's face behind the hands or other object, before suddenly appearing back into view and uttering the words peek-a-boo or peep-bo. It can be seen in Wikipedia that many variations involve trees, similar to the depiction on the Halloween card, where 'Hiding behind that tree' is added. See here. Whether or not this a significant phrase to the Zodiac Killer is open to question, but Peep-Bo is a character that features during Act I of the Mikado. Peep-bo can also be reversed to Bo-peep, believed to originate from the 16th century practice of concealment, before reappearing to startle or surprise. See here.
Peek-a-boo is known as Peep-bo in British culture, being the act of concealing one's face behind the hands or other object, before suddenly appearing back into view and uttering the words peek-a-boo or peep-bo. It can be seen in Wikipedia that many variations involve trees, similar to the depiction on the Halloween card, where 'Hiding behind that tree' is added. See here. Whether or not this a significant phrase to the Zodiac Killer is open to question, but Peep-Bo is a character that features during Act I of the Mikado. Peep-bo can also be reversed to Bo-peep, believed to originate from the 16th century practice of concealment, before reappearing to startle or surprise. See here.
Little Bo Peep is a popular English nursery rhyme The earliest record of this rhyme is in a manuscript of around 1805, which contains only the first verse. There are references to a children's game called "Bo-Peep", from the 16th century, including one in Shakespeare's King Lear (Act I Scene iv), but little evidence that the rhyme existed. The additional verses are first recorded in the earliest printed version in a version of Gammer Gurton's Garland or The Nursery Parnassus in 1810.
The phrase "to play bo peep" was in use from the 14th century to refer to the punishment of being stood in a pillory. For example, in 1364, an ale-wife, Alice Causton, was convicted of giving short measure, for which crime she had to "play bo pepe thorowe a pillery". Andrew Boorde uses the same phrase in 1542, "And evyll bakers, the which doth nat make good breade of whete, but wyl myngle other corne with whete, or do nat order and seson hit, gyving good wegght, I would they myghte play bo pepe throwe a pyllery". Taken from Wikipedia.
Little Bo Peep was a shepherdess, who lost her sheep and went in search to find them. The connection of shepherd to the Lake Berryessa attack via this route would be one hell of a stretch, however, the connection to the theater, with an English slant, still remains an avenue for investigation.
The phrase "to play bo peep" was in use from the 14th century to refer to the punishment of being stood in a pillory. For example, in 1364, an ale-wife, Alice Causton, was convicted of giving short measure, for which crime she had to "play bo pepe thorowe a pillery". Andrew Boorde uses the same phrase in 1542, "And evyll bakers, the which doth nat make good breade of whete, but wyl myngle other corne with whete, or do nat order and seson hit, gyving good wegght, I would they myghte play bo pepe throwe a pyllery". Taken from Wikipedia.
Little Bo Peep was a shepherdess, who lost her sheep and went in search to find them. The connection of shepherd to the Lake Berryessa attack via this route would be one hell of a stretch, however, the connection to the theater, with an English slant, still remains an avenue for investigation.
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