Donna Ann Lass (25), born on November 3rd 1944 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the youngest of eight children, spent her formative years in Beresford, attending Beresford High School and eventually graduated as a registered nurse in 1965.
She worked as a private nurse prior to traveling to San Francisco and setting up residence in Balboa Street, before commencing her duties as a Staff Nurse at the Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio. Her employment at the Letterman General Hospital however was short lived, spanning February 1970 to May 1970, before she took a job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino on June 6th 1970. She initially moved in with a couple, Larry and Ann Lowe, before renting her own apartment at 3893 Pioneer Trail at the beginning of September. Six days later she would go missing.
The connection of Lawrence Kane claimed by retired law officer Harvey Hines, we are familiar with.
Lawrence Kane it was claimed lived a 217 Eddy Street at the time of the Paul Stine murder. This location is less than a quarter of a mile from the Mason and Geary intersection, the presumed pick up point of Zodiac on October 11th 1969. Donna Lass moved to Lake Tahoe in June 1970, as did Lawrence Kane, and both ended up working at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. However this is not about Lawrence Kane, it is about the connection between Donna Lass and the hotly disputed 'Pines' Card mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on March 22nd 1971, the first anniversary of the Modesto abduction.
This card is regarded a hoax by many Zodiac investigators, particularly puzzling because it states on the card in pasted lettering "Sought victim 12." This tally of likely only eleven victims and searching for a 12th, is totally out of sync with the rest of Zodiac's correspondence. He had already claimed 12 victims as far back as June 26th 1970, when the 'Button' letter was mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle, along with 13 victims, ranging to 17+ victims, by the time the 'Los Angeles' letter arrived on March 13th 1971. Then nine days later the 'Pines' card surfaces, searching for 12 victims. The problem that identifies itself, is even a half decent hoaxer, who knew only the bare minimum about the case, is unlikely to have bypassed at least five pieces of correspondence and the multitude of newspaper articles. This person would have to be the worst hoaxer this side of Lake Tahoe, unless of course it was the killer and the "sought victim 12" had particular pertinence.
The word 'sought' may be suggestive that the killer, at the point he designed his card, had identified his next victim.
She worked as a private nurse prior to traveling to San Francisco and setting up residence in Balboa Street, before commencing her duties as a Staff Nurse at the Letterman General Hospital in the Presidio. Her employment at the Letterman General Hospital however was short lived, spanning February 1970 to May 1970, before she took a job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino on June 6th 1970. She initially moved in with a couple, Larry and Ann Lowe, before renting her own apartment at 3893 Pioneer Trail at the beginning of September. Six days later she would go missing.
The connection of Lawrence Kane claimed by retired law officer Harvey Hines, we are familiar with.
Lawrence Kane it was claimed lived a 217 Eddy Street at the time of the Paul Stine murder. This location is less than a quarter of a mile from the Mason and Geary intersection, the presumed pick up point of Zodiac on October 11th 1969. Donna Lass moved to Lake Tahoe in June 1970, as did Lawrence Kane, and both ended up working at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. However this is not about Lawrence Kane, it is about the connection between Donna Lass and the hotly disputed 'Pines' Card mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle on March 22nd 1971, the first anniversary of the Modesto abduction.
This card is regarded a hoax by many Zodiac investigators, particularly puzzling because it states on the card in pasted lettering "Sought victim 12." This tally of likely only eleven victims and searching for a 12th, is totally out of sync with the rest of Zodiac's correspondence. He had already claimed 12 victims as far back as June 26th 1970, when the 'Button' letter was mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle, along with 13 victims, ranging to 17+ victims, by the time the 'Los Angeles' letter arrived on March 13th 1971. Then nine days later the 'Pines' card surfaces, searching for 12 victims. The problem that identifies itself, is even a half decent hoaxer, who knew only the bare minimum about the case, is unlikely to have bypassed at least five pieces of correspondence and the multitude of newspaper articles. This person would have to be the worst hoaxer this side of Lake Tahoe, unless of course it was the killer and the "sought victim 12" had particular pertinence.
The word 'sought' may be suggestive that the killer, at the point he designed his card, had identified his next victim.
The question is, was Donna Lass targeted specifically by somebody with a grievance, or a male who had been rejected or "brushed off", as the Confession letter might say. She did after all go missing from her place of work.
The date and content of the 'Pines' card may indicate this very notion.
If we look at the Zodiac timeline and slot this card in where it should belong, it therefore has to come after 11 victims and before 12.
The '13 Symbol' cipher or 'My Name is' cipher was mailed on April 20th 1970 claiming 10 victims, followed by the 'Button' letter on June 26th 1970 claiming 12 victims. Assuming the Pines card was not a mistake by a forger and actually created by the Zodiac Killer, it is logical that it must have been designed and pasted sometime between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970, before victim 12 was confirmed.
Donna Lass was employed by the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino in between these two dates, on June 6th 1970. The Zodiac Killer may have targeted Donna Lass when she announced her forthcoming plans to move to South Lake Tahoe. Was he connected to the Letterman General Hospital, the direction he may have been heading after the murder of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969. Was he rejected by Donna Lass as an undesirable suitor or was it simply time to do his 'thing'.
Donna Lass, either by necessity or the lure of a better job, prepares her move to South Lake Tahoe. The Zodiac Killer prepares the card to mail to the San Francisco Chronicle giving the clues in the pasted text, that his next victim will have connections with the 'Lake Tahoe areas'. She hadn't moved yet, but the police would not be aware of that, and any extra vigilance in the Lake Tahoe region would be of no concern to Zodiac. His murder will take place in San Francisco once again.
Had it occurred this way, the link to South Lake Tahoe would ultimately be discovered, after the police had delved into the woman's background.
Things however do not go as planned, Donna Lass moves earlier than expected or the Zodiac Killer is sidetracked for any number of reasons. The Pines Card is set aside.
If the murderer of Donna Lass is the Zodiac, and this is by no means certain, then there is a connection between San Francisco and South Lake Tahoe. There may also be a connection between "sought victim 12" and the time between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970, along with the Donna Lass move to Nevada on June 6th 1970, to begin her job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. The question being; was the Pines Card designed between these two dates and belatedly mailed on March 22nd 1971, when he had finally caught up with Donna Lass, or was it a hoaxer after all.
The date and content of the 'Pines' card may indicate this very notion.
If we look at the Zodiac timeline and slot this card in where it should belong, it therefore has to come after 11 victims and before 12.
The '13 Symbol' cipher or 'My Name is' cipher was mailed on April 20th 1970 claiming 10 victims, followed by the 'Button' letter on June 26th 1970 claiming 12 victims. Assuming the Pines card was not a mistake by a forger and actually created by the Zodiac Killer, it is logical that it must have been designed and pasted sometime between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970, before victim 12 was confirmed.
Donna Lass was employed by the Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino in between these two dates, on June 6th 1970. The Zodiac Killer may have targeted Donna Lass when she announced her forthcoming plans to move to South Lake Tahoe. Was he connected to the Letterman General Hospital, the direction he may have been heading after the murder of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969. Was he rejected by Donna Lass as an undesirable suitor or was it simply time to do his 'thing'.
Donna Lass, either by necessity or the lure of a better job, prepares her move to South Lake Tahoe. The Zodiac Killer prepares the card to mail to the San Francisco Chronicle giving the clues in the pasted text, that his next victim will have connections with the 'Lake Tahoe areas'. She hadn't moved yet, but the police would not be aware of that, and any extra vigilance in the Lake Tahoe region would be of no concern to Zodiac. His murder will take place in San Francisco once again.
Had it occurred this way, the link to South Lake Tahoe would ultimately be discovered, after the police had delved into the woman's background.
Things however do not go as planned, Donna Lass moves earlier than expected or the Zodiac Killer is sidetracked for any number of reasons. The Pines Card is set aside.
If the murderer of Donna Lass is the Zodiac, and this is by no means certain, then there is a connection between San Francisco and South Lake Tahoe. There may also be a connection between "sought victim 12" and the time between April 20th 1970 and June 26th 1970, along with the Donna Lass move to Nevada on June 6th 1970, to begin her job at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel. The question being; was the Pines Card designed between these two dates and belatedly mailed on March 22nd 1971, when he had finally caught up with Donna Lass, or was it a hoaxer after all.
