The one thing I noticed in the Zodiac Killer's trinity of letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald on July 31st 1969, was when he mentioned the Vallejo Times-Herald first he used the present tense, but when he referred to the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner newspapers he used the past tense, possibly revealing subconsciously that Vallejo was in his "here and now", while San Francisco was somewhere he had mailed his letters but had now returned home. Indicating he was a resident of Vallejo.
Vallejo Times-Herald: "Here is a cyipher or that is part of one. the other 2 parts have been mailed to the S.F. Examiner + the S.F. Chronicle."
San Francisco Examiner: "Here is a cipher or that is part of one. The other 2 parts are being mailed to the Vallejo Times + S.F. Chronicle."
San Francisco Chronicle: "Here is part of a cipher the other 2 parts of this cipher are being mailed to the editors of the Vallejo Times and SF Examiner."
Vallejo Times-Herald: "Here is a cyipher or that is part of one. the other 2 parts have been mailed to the S.F. Examiner + the S.F. Chronicle."
San Francisco Examiner: "Here is a cipher or that is part of one. The other 2 parts are being mailed to the Vallejo Times + S.F. Chronicle."
San Francisco Chronicle: "Here is part of a cipher the other 2 parts of this cipher are being mailed to the editors of the Vallejo Times and SF Examiner."
I also noticed that in his San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner letters he wrote "I will cruse around killing people who are alone at night untill Sun Night or un till I kill a dozen people" and "I will cruse around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again, until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend". In both instances the Zodiac Killer described his potential victims in the singular of "lone" and "alone" (which Paul Stine was}.
When he wrote to the Vallejo Times-Herald he stated "I will cruse around and pick of all stray people or coupples that are alone then move on to kill some more untill I have killed over a dozen people". In this instance he added the words "stray" and "couples" to his communication. Did this specific deviation of language show a greater familiarity with the area of Vallejo and where he might find his victims? In his first two attacks that he attributed to Vallejo, he shot two couples. However, he also chose to add the word "stray" into his language, to give the impression of a victim who is lost or distant. The word "stray" is often used as a verb to describe someone who wanders away from a path or area.
If the Zodiac Killer was the owner of the driverless white Chevrolet Impala spotted by Robert Connelly & Frank Gasser at 9pm in the Lake Herman Road turnout. and later at 10pm by sheepherder Bingo Wesner, then it is not illogical to consider that its driver had vacated the vehicle and entered the surrounding fields on more than one occasion. Anybody reading the numerous Lake Herman Road newspaper articles would have been aware that one eyewitness reported seeing a second vehicle in the turnout with the Faraday Rambler, but nobody would have been aware of the empty Chevrolet Impala parked in the turnout at 9pm and 10pm on December 20th 1968, except each of the eyewitnesses that night, and probably the killer. If the occupant of this vehicle had traveled into the adjoining fields on two occasions, looking for victims, they would have required additional illumination such as a carry flashlight or gun-mounted flaslight.
When he wrote to the Vallejo Times-Herald he stated "I will cruse around and pick of all stray people or coupples that are alone then move on to kill some more untill I have killed over a dozen people". In this instance he added the words "stray" and "couples" to his communication. Did this specific deviation of language show a greater familiarity with the area of Vallejo and where he might find his victims? In his first two attacks that he attributed to Vallejo, he shot two couples. However, he also chose to add the word "stray" into his language, to give the impression of a victim who is lost or distant. The word "stray" is often used as a verb to describe someone who wanders away from a path or area.
If the Zodiac Killer was the owner of the driverless white Chevrolet Impala spotted by Robert Connelly & Frank Gasser at 9pm in the Lake Herman Road turnout. and later at 10pm by sheepherder Bingo Wesner, then it is not illogical to consider that its driver had vacated the vehicle and entered the surrounding fields on more than one occasion. Anybody reading the numerous Lake Herman Road newspaper articles would have been aware that one eyewitness reported seeing a second vehicle in the turnout with the Faraday Rambler, but nobody would have been aware of the empty Chevrolet Impala parked in the turnout at 9pm and 10pm on December 20th 1968, except each of the eyewitnesses that night, and probably the killer. If the occupant of this vehicle had traveled into the adjoining fields on two occasions, looking for victims, they would have required additional illumination such as a carry flashlight or gun-mounted flaslight.
Bingo George Wesner, in later years If this was the murderer's vehicle he would have known this. Therefore, the claims of the August 4th 1969 letter writer stating he used a pencil flashlight for extra illumination, is extremely noteworthy. Extra illumination would not have been required in the turnout when you have the use of headlights from your vehicle, along with the illumination from within each vehicle. Also, extra illumination would certainly not have been required if the murderer had kept the couple penned inside their vehicle. The only person that would have required additional illumination (either carried or gun-mounted) would have been somebody venturing into the fields surrounding the turnout. Such as the driver of the white Chevrolet Impala, who apparently never came forward.
There is a distinct possibility that this Chevrolet owner wrote the "Debut of Zodiac" letter, because this person had a viable reason to carry additional illumination as he distanced himself from his vehicle that night. Not once, but twice, on a freezing dark night in Benicia. Possibly an individual, who on July 31st 1969, would promote the idea of hunting humans in the wilderness because it was more fun than killing wild game in the forest.
There is a distinct possibility that this Chevrolet owner wrote the "Debut of Zodiac" letter, because this person had a viable reason to carry additional illumination as he distanced himself from his vehicle that night. Not once, but twice, on a freezing dark night in Benicia. Possibly an individual, who on July 31st 1969, would promote the idea of hunting humans in the wilderness because it was more fun than killing wild game in the forest.
Was the Zodiac Killer familiar with the area of Lake Herman Road, as his indignant rebuttal of police on August 4th 1969 may have suggested, when he wrote "In that epasode the police were wondering how I could shoot + hit my victims in the dark. They did not openly state this, but implied this by saying it was a well lit night + I could see silowets on the horizon. Bullshit that area is surrounded by high hills + trees".
Any previous experience of traveling this route could have presented him with a possible target in a rural setting, such as a "stray" person like sheepherder Bingo Wesner, whose routine would have been fairly regular. Having second thoughts of attacking Bingo Wesner in the field because of the presence of Robert Connelly & Frank Gasser armed with weapons, did the Zodiac Killer abandon his plans and later return for a third time, finding David Faraday & Betty Lou Jensen in the turnout? The Zodiac wrote on July 31st 1969 to the Vallejo Times-Herald that "I will cruse around and pick of all stray people or coupples that are alone". Having failed with the "stray" person on December 20th 1968, did he choose the couple?
The reason I bring this up, is because of the possibility that the Zodiac Killer allowed details of his life and experiences to subconsciously leak into his letters. Why did he insert the word "stray" into his language when "couples" and "alone" (or even "lone") would have sufficed in his Vallejo Times-Herald letter? The word "stray" gives the impression of a person who is off the beaten track. Sheepherding is one of the oldest occupations in the world. Shepherds are often required to work long hours, live independently in isolated areas, and be able to perform tasks without close supervision. The very nature of their job is locating and herding "stray" sheep into the flock. If the Zodiac Killer had initially targeted sheepherder Bingo Wesner that night, did his knowledge of this cause the word "stray" to subconsciously drop into his letter when referring to victims he identified as targets? "Stray people" such as Bingo Wesner, who tended to "stray sheep" away from the beaten track.
Any previous experience of traveling this route could have presented him with a possible target in a rural setting, such as a "stray" person like sheepherder Bingo Wesner, whose routine would have been fairly regular. Having second thoughts of attacking Bingo Wesner in the field because of the presence of Robert Connelly & Frank Gasser armed with weapons, did the Zodiac Killer abandon his plans and later return for a third time, finding David Faraday & Betty Lou Jensen in the turnout? The Zodiac wrote on July 31st 1969 to the Vallejo Times-Herald that "I will cruse around and pick of all stray people or coupples that are alone". Having failed with the "stray" person on December 20th 1968, did he choose the couple?
The reason I bring this up, is because of the possibility that the Zodiac Killer allowed details of his life and experiences to subconsciously leak into his letters. Why did he insert the word "stray" into his language when "couples" and "alone" (or even "lone") would have sufficed in his Vallejo Times-Herald letter? The word "stray" gives the impression of a person who is off the beaten track. Sheepherding is one of the oldest occupations in the world. Shepherds are often required to work long hours, live independently in isolated areas, and be able to perform tasks without close supervision. The very nature of their job is locating and herding "stray" sheep into the flock. If the Zodiac Killer had initially targeted sheepherder Bingo Wesner that night, did his knowledge of this cause the word "stray" to subconsciously drop into his letter when referring to victims he identified as targets? "Stray people" such as Bingo Wesner, who tended to "stray sheep" away from the beaten track.
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