ZODIAC CIPHERS
Richard Grinell, Coventry, England
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RETURN TO SENDER

11/28/2019

 
The following will be extremely speculatory and should not to be taken too seriously, but I wanted to examine the prompt by Professor D.C.B. Marsh who told the Examiner on October 22nd 1969: "The killer wouldn't dare, as he claimed in letters to the newspapers, to reveal his name in the cipher to established cryptogram experts. He knows, to quote Edgar Allen Poe, that any cipher created by man can be solved by man. Zodiac has not told the truth in his cipher messages to the Examiner, the Chronicle and the Vallejo Times-Herald. Zodiac has not done this, because to tell the complete truth in relation to his name - in cipher code - would lead to his capture. I invite Zodiac to send The American Cryptogram Association a cipher code - however complicated - which will truly and honestly include his name".

When recently promoting the notion of a killer providing us with all the solutions to his ciphers in Three Months After the Mount Diablo Code, it was considered that the Zodiac Killer did respond to Dr. Marsh, but he certainly wasn't going to be as forthcoming as to provide us with his full name as Dr. Marsh had honestly requested. Hence the idea that he did give us his name, albeit in the abridged version of his initials which he supplied to us in the October 5th 1970 '13 Hole' Postcard. When this was slotted into the April 20th 1970 '13 Symbol' Cipher it read like so: "This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you? My name is Fk, I'm crackproof". The Zodiac Killer had in effect answered the request of Dr. Marsh, although in a rather devious manner. However, Dr. Marsh issued this challenge on October 22nd 1969 and the 340 Cipher came before the 13 Symbol Cipher.     
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One of the most prominent features in the 340 Cipher is the sixth line where he corrects a forward facing K to a backwards facing K, similar in nature to the way he reversed the "Fk, I'm crackproof" phrase on the 13 Hole Postcard. The proximity of F and K can be noted in these two outstanding features - and possibly the Zodiac thought it mildly amusing to provide his name to Dr. Marsh in the extremely "complicated" manner of reversing his name or initials. Everybody was searching for a stunningly complicated solution to the 340 character cipher as Dr. Marsh had requested, so the Zodiac Killer gave us the complete opposite.

The connection between the 13 Hole Postcard and 13 Symbol Cipher was not only bound in the "Fk, I'm crackproof" solution, but the two phrases he used in each communication didn't go unnoticed either. The Zodiac Killer inextricably tied the two correspondences together using similar phraseology, such as "What is the price tag now" and "how much money you have on my head now". On January 29th 1970, the Yellow Cab Company put up a thousand dollar reward for any information leading to the arrest of the Zodiac Killer. In addition, the Teamsters Union which represents the Yellow Cab Company were reported in the San Francisco Chronicle to be considering offering a further reward on February 8th 1970 in the case of Paul Stine and Charles Jarman (another taxicab murder victim). This news was likely what prompted the Zodiac Killer to open this communication with the words "I am mildly cerous as to how much money you have on my head now".  Or could there be another more subtle clue in these phrases with regard to his name?

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Where on the April 20th 1970 letter and throughout much of his communications to date (including the 340 Cipher) could money or a price tag be found on a head? The 13 Symbol Cipher letter carried a dated 1966 Franklin D. Roosevelt stamp, where indeed "money" or a "price tag" could be found 'on' the head of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Was this a subtle hint to his first name of "Franklin" or "Frank". This would satisfy the F part of "Fk, I'm crackproof" - but as stated earlier,  very speculative to say the least.

Another communication where he promised us his name was the October 27th 1970 'Halloween' Card, in which he gave us an odd-looking symbol and placed it on the left side of the envelope and the Halloween Card inner, followed by the letter Z. The correct way to address an envelope is to write the sender's name and address in the top left corner of the envelope, shown here on a Youtube video, and the recipient address (in this case Paul Avery) in the center of the envelope. Therefore, this strange symbol could equate to the sender's name. Since we are looking for the initials of the Zodiac Killer (which may be reversed for a third time), it is extremely promising that we have an F looking character on the right side yet again. I don't like too much manipulation and the use of mathematics anymore, but on this occasion I will choose the path of least resistance and take the 7 and 4 dots to equal 11 (K being the 11th letter of the alphabet) - and therefore give us a joined K and F for his name on the return section of the envelope. Unfortunately, manipulation such as this always leads to the possibility of multiple solutions, so we have to be guarded to any conclusions we make. Finally, I would like to take a look at the sister card to the Halloween Card mailed in the December of 1990. It too promised us his name.       

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The greeting card was again from our Secret Pal just like the Halloween Card twenty years earlier - it began with the message "FROM YOUR SECRET PAL CAN'T GUESS WHO I AM YET? WELL, LOOK INSIDE AND YOU'LL FIND OUT". Then promised to keep us guessing on the card inner.

All the Zodiac Killer added to the card inner was a Xerox copy of some "keys". It really couldn't be any simpler
. The card outer stated "From your secret pal, can't guess who I am yet? Well, look inside and you'll find out" followed by "keys". This may very well be the final really complicated answer to the challenge laid down by Dr. Marsh all those years earlier. The surname of Keys, Keyes or Keays would satisfy the K of FK, from the phrase
"This is the Zodiac speaking. By the way have you cracked the last cipher I sent you? My name is Fk, I'm crackproof".

This mocking response to 
Professor D.C.B. Marsh, who requested that the Zodiac Killer "send The American Cryptogram Association a cipher code - however complicated - which will truly and honestly include his name" was probably befitting of the Zodiac Killer. The answer may have been simpler than we could ever of imagined. Return to sender: Franklin Keys (or alternate options above).

Of course, I am not claiming this to be the answer regarding the identity of the Zodiac Killer, but it would be rather appropriate for the Zodiac Killer to have begun his letter writing campaign with Franklin on the stamps of his July 31st 1969 trinity of communications, and ended with his surname of Keys in 1990 - and thumb a finger to all the cipher experts trying vainly to crack his extremely complicated ciphers, when the answer was literally staring us in the face all along. 


Toots
11/29/2019 08:01:34 pm

Richard, I really like where you are going with this...can I take "Franklin Keys" one step further?

I think Franklin Keys wasn't a clue to Zodiac's name, but rather a clue to Zodiac's childhood city of Philadelphia.

Benjamin Franklin was a founding father of the U.S and a resident of Philadelphia. Among many things, he was a judical humorist, newspaper editor, printer, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.

- Ben Franklin's head is on the $100 US Bill. "how much money you have on my head now", I would say $100.

- Ben Franklin conducted experiments with keys and lightning, thus creating the lightning rod. Very subtle clue with Zodiac's photocopy of keys and a small flashlight (light rod)

Richard
11/30/2019 01:49:09 am

Thanks Toots for the additional insights. Fk could just be Frank, or possibly not. I know that by giving us initials or even a suggested name it could never lead to his capture, because any solution could be laid at the door of interpretation. But placing an odd symbol in the corresponding position where you'd place the return name on a letter promising his name, is a viable approach. However, any alternative suggestions are welcome. You can add anything you like from here into your Philadelphia theory if you like. I even considered Florida Keys for the return address, but couldn't make any further viable links.

Toots
11/29/2019 08:17:14 pm

Following my Philadelphia theory, I noticed something else.

My name is Fk, I'm crackproof". All Americans, and especially Philadelphians are familar with a historical icon that was nearly crackproof. The Liberty Bell was cracked...although not cracked in full, only half way, thus "crackproof". Of course the Liberty Bell sits in Philadelphia.

Toots
11/29/2019 08:27:43 pm

Benjamin Franklin was also the first Postmaster General. Franklin put in place the foundation for many aspects of today's mail system.

Toots
11/30/2019 05:35:13 am

The return to sender symbol is certainly his initials, but it's a type of symbol that alot of aristocrats used on mongramming their initials to their dress shirts and correspondence like letters. If you follow Randall Clemmons "connect the dots" solution to the "my name is" cipher, you will get JCF. You have to connect the 4 dots in a simi circle.

BB
11/30/2019 08:36:21 am

Secret and Urgent; the Story of Codes and Ciphers
by Fletcher Pratt

The secret pal could be Fletcher Pratt
(Fk = Fletcher's key )

Yet another kooky possibility

Roger
11/30/2019 02:37:25 pm

Haha! Rubbish. I'm not sure why that secret pal and photocopied keys still deserves any internet time. It was determined to be a hoax quite some years ago. Next thing we will be seeing that equally ludicrous New Canaan communication being rehashed as a legitimate Z communication all over again. Zodiac and the internet are stuck on repeat.

JD
12/1/2019 06:46:23 pm

I wouldn't dismiss it based on the "Sam" / Klingel episode. Another reason, perhaps.

Don
5/28/2020 07:50:02 pm

-Those are likely keys taken from the cab when he shot the driver - I don’t know if that cab would still be evidence but from that photocopy a set a keys can me made to try in the ignition.


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