RETURN ADDRESS FOR ALBANY

4/25/2020

Acquired by Tom Voigt from zodiackiller.com, the Albany letter was mailed on August 1st 1973 to the Albany Times Union newspaper in New York. As with all Zodiac outlier communications, the letter and envelope have been analyzed to death regarding the handwriting, with many determining that the letter was not authored by the Bay Area murder.

As with the recent analyses of the 1978, 1986 and 1987 communications, we have to go beyond just the handwriting and look at the composition of the envelope, taking into consideration the stamps he applied, the format of the address and the words the author chose. In this instance, we cannot compare the address format to previously unpublished Zodiac envelopes because the communication was addressed to the Albany Times Union in New York. However, as Michael Morford correctly pointed out on the Zodiac Killer message board thread, the author of the Albany Times Union letter placed the Zodiac crosshairs in the return address section of the envelope, just like the Zodiac Killer added on his October 13th 1969, Paul Stine envelope. This was the only other time the Zodiac Killer added crosshairs on the front side of his envelope by the close of 1973. On March 8th 1981, the author would do the same on the Atlanta letter.

There is also doubt surrounding the stamps affixed to this letter - but with a fair degree of certainty we can conclude that the far left stamp was a 6c Franklin D. Roosevelt. I have superimposed it next to the black outline visible on the envelope, and it matches perfectly when sized as shown. Using the remainder of horizontal black lines, it can be reasonably argued that this envelope contained three stamps amounting to postage of 18c. The postal rate for letters (for first ounce) on August 1st 1973 was 8c, so the author had used just 2c excess over double postage. The Zodiac Killer had mailed 12 confirmed letters with Franklin D. Roosevelt stamps prior to August 1st 1973. Only three of his confirmed letters (using Tom Voigt's list of letters) contained something other than a Franklin D. Roosevelt stamp by January 29th 1974. Both the Paul Stine envelope and this communication used excessive Franklin D. Roosevelt postage.

The Zodiac Killer 148 character cipher was likely mailed in the May of 1971, before the July 13th 1971 Monticello postcard. The cipher was broken to reveal the rambling message of "Tis the Zodiac Speacking. Why can't you stop me. I can't stop killing. Stop listening t(o) phonys. If this is not on your front page in a week I will skin 3 little kids and make a suit from the skin". This was telling investigators not to listen to Karl Francis Werner, recently arrested for the murders of Kathy Bilek, Kathy Snoozy and Deborah Furlong - and describing him as a phony or impostor. The Zodiac Killer had previously insinuated his involvement in the murder of all three young girls. Hence the further threat to "skin 3 little kids".

The Albany letter, purported to have been mailed by the Zodiac Killer, also carried a cipher fashioned with striking geometric shapes. Below I have highlighted four characters in both the 148 character cipher and Albany letter code (not used by the Zodiac Killer previously) that match closely to one another. In fact, three are virtually identical. In effect, we have two consecutive suspected Zodiac communications mailed two years apart, each contained a geometric style cipher with four congruent characters, and both used the number 7 in the ciphertext to correspond with the letter A in the plaintext. The decoded 148 cipher stated "Why can't you stop me. I can't stop killing", whereas the Albany letter threatened that he was "going to start killing again". This theme continued in the May 2nd 1978 KHJ-TV Channel 9 letter, pointed out by Tom Voigt on the Albany forum thread. The author added in this latest letter that he had "decided to begin killing again", creating a fragile link between all three communications.

If we consider the crosshairs on the address side of the Albany and Stine envelope, the eccessive Franklin D. Roosevelt postage used on August 1st 1973 letter and the similarity between the two geometric ciphers shown (albeit limited), can we make a case for the May 1971 and August 1973 letters both being authored by the Zodiac Killer?

The August 1st 1973 Albany code

The Albany key courtesy of Dave Oranchak, author of the website Zodiac Killer Ciphers.

~Bill

4/25/2020 06:25:49 am

Richard,

I believe it is time for me to move on. I have done all I can with this case, to include the "extraction" of a POI, seemingly randomly, out of thin air, from the midst of 7.7billion people. I have other interests that I would like to pursue. However, if you would like, I can do a quick write-up of this letter and envelope, if it may aid you to come to your own independent conclusion.

Respectfully,

~Bill

Richard

4/25/2020 07:49:35 am

Certainly Bill, give us your opinion before you depart.

~Bill

4/25/2020 08:05:16 am

Richard,

Give me a few moments to put on my "reading glasses". I will try to get you something out of this within the next hour or so, and roll it up into a "coherent" observation.

~Bill

~Bill

4/25/2020 09:22:14 am

Richard, I hope you can make “sense” of it, and I hope it helps. ~Bill

The Envelope:
The cross-hairs symbol seems a bit “efforted”. I would tend to believe, from this resolution, that the entire “representation” of the symbol was “thought out” as opposed to natural free art of expression. If you note, the top portion appears to possibly had “additional character construction” to finish it off (close it). I don’t see this same “effort” in Zodiac letters, meaning the symbol he tends to draw is complete on the first try. This may or may not be “Zodiac” but I tend to think not. The three postage stamps make “sense” in the fact that they are properly aligned within the defined space of the envelope, and are of the correct time period, and of course the “portraitism” of “patriotism”. However, in the Zodiac correspondence that I believe I can definitively associate to him, I believe, if I remember correctly, there are “sets”. The tendency I see is in groupings of 1, 2, and 4. I don’t recall if I have ever studied an “accepted” Zodiac letter with the “oddness” of 3 postage stamps. I believe, even if to add a “third stamp” to “cover” postage, his tendency would probably have been to add another stamp to complete the grouping of “4”, but this is just predictive from the material that I have to observe from. The mixing and general “sloppiness” of the CAPS vs. lowercase letters is “atypical”, I believe to the vast portion of his writings. This is what I see on the “surface”. I am pressed for time, so I will quickly move to the “letter”.

The Letter: (Mind you the quality of resolution we have here):
When the writer of this letter opens his speech, he fails to identify himself, or to “whom” he is speaking. It is like he is talking to a “wall”. I tend to think Zodiac is a bit more “personal” than that, especially in the projection of “fear” in written text. He is VERY AWARE that he can, (I don’t quite know how to put this into words) manipulate a certain “fear” response in his audience. I am of the opinion the Zodiac is a person who knows he “can”, and knows exactly “how” to give the general population the maximum “creeps” or how to make people view him as very “unsettling” if he chooses, but this is just a “distortion” of his identity. I also see in the letter, other disorganization at the introduction sentences. Again, the mixing of CAPS vs. lowercase is very “atypical” of known correspondence, as is the starting of composition at, and continuing at, a “right slant”. The first sentence is a very incoherent “string” of words, in my view, to capture an audience. The Zodiac, in my opinion, was much more “colorful” at “capturing his audience”, he painted a better picture through word expression, which is why I tend to believe these compositions as a form of his “art”. I don’t see that here. The “message” of the letter does not fit the canonical M/O. Atypical again. Sorry, I will try to speed it up. The general character construction has “general” similarities, but is very hit and miss. The finer, more subtle details of character construction, at this resolution, your guess is as good as anybody else’s. The character construction of the “cipher portion” is also “sloppy”. I believe the Zodiac is much more representationally artistic that this construction appears to show. The Z408, the Z340, the Z13 are very meticulous. Sizing, spacing, and symmetry of appearance. I believe, consciously or subconsciously, he expressed “himself” with its physical construction. You have to admit, they are very “pleasing” to look at, and they cause the viewer to “ponder”. They are all symmetrical, Another thing that is nagging at me is the fact that the Zodiac, in his “cerebral game” of superior “intellect”, after producing the Z408, having it “broken”, proceeding to construct the Z340, having it “never broken”, would want to proceed a couple of years later to construct a cipher that is so simply constructed. In this way, he loses his dominance in the “game”. I do not believe he would EVER do this. Again, to speed it up, the cipher starts and continues at a slant, is poorly constructed, has very “jagged” character selection, as opposed to Zodiac cipher character selection is generally very “spatially” represented, not “linear”. Just looking at the cipher plain text, the “message” appears to be &ldquo

~Bill

4/25/2020 09:29:12 am

”. Just looking at the cipher plain text, the “message” appears to be “rambling” and just doesn’t seem to be “him”.
Richard, I could go “on” a bit, but I am pressed for time. I am curious about the cipher key: Where and by what means (context) did this appear in the narrative? To have complete clarity, I would need this information, to give you better “insight”, but I’m afraid I gotta run.
In my opinion, this correspondence deviate, to sufficient degrees of irregularity, that it should be deemed “inauthentic”. But, I suppose stranger things have happened.

Very respectfully,

~Bill

Sorry, I don't know why the end portion of that cut off.

Richard

4/25/2020 09:47:06 am

The cipher key was constructed by Dave Oranchak of Zodiac Killer Ciphers. He was just compiling the key by alphabet and character. The bottom image was taken from the Albany letter and magnified. Thanks for the input Bill.

~Bill

4/25/2020 09:57:30 am

Ok that makes sense! Thank you!

~Bill

4/26/2020 12:39:50 am

Richard, on a final note: try to find him through "association", then prove him with "extrapolation". There is a veil of "subtlety" that you are overlooking. Best of luck!

~Bill

Richard

4/26/2020 02:12:39 am

I am fairly confident where this guy lived Bill, but I know others don't share my thoughts. I have attempted to cover every base on the Zodiac Killer, from the crime scenes, known Zodiac communications, outlier communications, ciphers and geographical profiling. But the harsh reality is, it amounts to nearly zero, because this guy is probably long dead with his DNA buried with him. If by some miracle he is still alive, he will be in his 90s, with reasonable justice long gone for the families. The case is now solely about the knowing for many. Who was he and what did his codes and communications mean. But if by some miracle the Zodiac Killer was apprehended, he would be rolled into court in a rerun of the DeAngelo affair, of a pitiful man feigning the inability to walk under his own steam, feigning some sort of hopelessness.

There is only so much you can do on a computer 5,000 miles from America and have no illusions of ever solving this case. The Zodiac Killer case is now about the understanding of his crimes and communications, but nothing more for me. The latest DNA route is dead in the water. I know there is gross incompetency and under-funding concerning DNA in America, leading to extensive backlogs in the system, and this case being 50 years old, is not a priority for law enforcement anymore. The recent pandemic has shunted this case even further into the annals of history. To me, it is about understanding now, rather than uncovering the identity of the Zodiac Killer. That I believe will never happen, despite the claims of at least 1,000 people and counting, who know who the Zodiac Killer is, of which 999 are wrong - but would never admit they are even if you showed them the murderer killing the people on video.

When we have a high profile suspect who cannot be placed within 70 miles of any crime scene, who was dead and still writing letters, as one of the top five suspects on most peoples lists, then clearly evidence is not a prerequisite for accusing somebody of being the Zodiac Killer. One particular suspect even shot a taxicab driver in Presidio Heights, was observed by Donald Fouke, yet still went home and took his dog for a walk back to the area of the crime scene literally 2 to 3 minutes later. These, apparently, are some of the best suspects money can buy.

Don't expect any break in this case Bill, from here or anywhere else online. Anybody who tells you otherwise is either the eternal optimist or bordering on insanity. The only real hope rests with science, not in the pages of a book on Amazon. Unless of course you are the author - and the only person in the world who is correct, while everybody else is wrong.

~Bill

4/26/2020 01:10:52 pm

Richard,

"writing letters while deceased" now that is "odd" :)

but for a "magician", anything is possible! Cheers!

Michael

4/27/2020 09:39:31 am

Richard, do you realy consider Kjell Qvale as top suspect ??

Richard

4/27/2020 09:57:40 am

No not really Michael, I don't consider him at all. I certainly cannot be accused of not reading Mike Rodelli's book, because I have read it twice. For me it's two books in one, the fairly extensive coverage of the case which deals with the crimes well, and the other half covering Kjell Qvale, which uses the same 'square pegs in round holes' technique as most other books. Mike, of course, is entitled to his beliefs, but I give Kjell Qvale zero chance of being the Zodiac Killer.

Rubislaw 32 link

4/26/2020 06:09:11 am

Just to let you know , Richard , that it is now confirmed that the 79-year old man that officers from Police Scotland recently arrested , in connection with the murder of University lecturer , genetics researcher , and moonlighting escort , Dr.Brenda Page , 42 years ago , is Dr.Kit Harrison , ex-husband of Dr.Page .

I have posted to this effect , at zodiackillermystery.freeforums.net and outlined possible implications , with respect to the presumed July 19th 1978 letter , sent to the San Francisco Chronicle , and the '' Police Scotland Spying Scandal '' , and its cover-up .

Richard

4/26/2020 07:13:28 am

Great news Rubislaw, but wasn't Christopher Harrisson the person who everybody thought was the killer, yet were unable to prove it. He was the logical suspect all along.

Rubislaw 32 link

4/26/2020 07:34:57 am

We'll never know for sure , Richard , but the '' wanted '' composite , of a man exiting Brenda's flat , seen by an early morning milkman , looked nothing at all like Harrison .And , further '' suspect '' investigations , seemed to focus on Brenda's escort agent , living in Edinburgh .

But yes , locally at least , the talk was always really about '' the ex-husband ''.

Rubislaw 32 link

4/26/2020 07:19:54 am

On a matter of rumination , when San Jose police arrested Karl Werner for the murder of Kathy Bilek (...and subsequently the murders of Furlong and Snoozy.. ) , it seems that the Zodiac's reaction ,was to construct and send , both the Monticello Card and Z148 Cipher , in a last ditch effort , to have the San Jose PD and the SFPD still believe that the Zodiac might responsible for Werner's work .

Of course , the Zodiac's desperate and pathetic ploy didn't have any effect , and history indicates that the Zodiac , now fully exposed for having lied , retreated from his '' theatre '' of terror .

If we accepted now , that the type-written letter of July 19th 1978 , and five days following the brutal murder of Brenda Page , did allude to her murder , but fabricated responsibility from the Zodiac , then...

What is the Zodiac (..if still alive.. ) think now ( ? ) - given that an arrest of Kit Harrison is ''proof positive '' that LE did not believe that the Zodiac was responsible for her murder . Just as , in the case of Karl Werner's arrest .

Perhaps, the Zodiac might think ( ? ) , that the cops are now on to him , and it is only a question of time .

Richard

4/26/2020 08:40:05 am

It's funny you should mention the July 19th 1978 letter Rubislaw, just finished an article discussing this and other related communications in that period as strong possibilities for Zodiac..Quite difficult in parts to understand if you are not familiar with the outlier letters. However, you are. It follows the latest themes of postage and wording. I think law enforcement's view on the July 19th 1978 letter was probably tarnished by their view on the April 24th 1978 letter.

Rubislaw 32 link

4/26/2020 09:03:12 am

A pertinent point , on the nail Richard .

One can see that the CA DOJ didn't feel very good , in a number of ways , about that April 1978 letter .This , after all , would be what criminologists ( Special Agents ) and appointed prospective trials lawyers , were being told , by handwriting experts , one presumes ( ? ) .

So , retrospectively , the CA DOJ were off to a bad start on what transpired to be , three letters that all had a similar underlining message : The Zodiac was back , and he intended to cause misery to all Californians .

To be frank , on composite content alone , I find the May 1978 letter , the most convincing , A '' worldly '' Zodiac , perhaps ( ? ) .

But , if authentic , the July 1978 letter is the cleverest , in its cryptic construction and , I have no doubt that the : '' But maybe you play chess with me ? I have several cheap sets in closets all over.''...is allusions to '' pawn detail '' ( chess )....and ladies costume jewellery , saleable at pawn shops , but not jewellery shops . Must be a dig at Dave Toschi , surely ( ? ) .

Ok...the diving references remain a bit obscure , but all the references to '' tape '' , could be by the Scotch trademark company , whose products are the most diverse of any similar products company , in the world . This include , at the time , the biggest selling magnetic audio tape for cassettes play , called '' Scotch Highlander tape '' .

So , there has to be , one would think , a big subliminal '' Scotch '' theme , going on , there .

Toots

4/26/2020 07:16:21 pm

With all due respect to Orachak, since we know the first 12 chars of this was a name I don't think Z would make it so easy. Below is a link to my key and solution.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/zodiackillerfr/aug-1-1973-zodiac-letter-albany-ny-t5296-s80.html#p140696

Rubislaw 32 link

4/27/2020 02:12:39 am

And , thanks Toots , on anything '' New Canaan '' related . We're just not going to get that redacted address .

So, '' Nantucket '' is what we have ( ? ) . A small and exclusive island retreat . I'm just going to check on usual spots to catch a boat to the island , for wealthy holiday makers . I wonder if , any near Stamford , as opposed to driving to closer mainland place ( ? ) .

Rubislaw 32 link

4/27/2020 03:12:41 am

So Nantucket was once the whaling capital of the world . And a Moby Dick link , with key characters Ahab and Starbuck from Nantucket .

The implication , at least , is that Joan Webster's new found boyfriend , whom her family had yet to meet , nor yet knew his identity , was responsible for her death . And , in all probability , was one of probably more , that attempted to extort and persecute George Webster , in the subsequent eight and a half years , until the remains of her body was found , near Hamilton , in April 1990 .

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