"SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION"

12/11/2015

This article has been sent to me by Gregory Haugevik, a valued member of the Zodiac Ciphers Facebook group, concerning the murder of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969. It reads as follows:

“Why not seize the pleasure at once? -- How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!” - Jane Austen.
Like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel the Zodiac mystery never fails to stoke our interest with the possibility of resolution; only for the candle to abruptly extinguish itself as we hasten in our approach. Among the most puzzling incidents the case has to offer is unraveling just what happened on the night of October 11, 1969 when the phantom murderer claimed the life of San Francisco cab driver Paul Stine. My intention here will not be to rehash the events of this night, but rather to offer evidence I feel is supportive of the conclusion that Zodiac made a spontaneous decision to shoot Mr. Stine, rather than it being an act that was well-orchestrated and planned -- as very clearly seems to have occured some two weeks prior during the Lake Berryessa stabbings.
The first point I have in arguing Zodiac's spontaneity on this occasion has to do with why he was seen wiping down the vehicle in the aftermath of the murder. One may disagree, but Zodiac has often been credited as being a thinking-man's criminal. His intricate ciphers and general ability to have gone uncaptured might suggest a degree of acumen or sophistication on his part. As such, if shooting Paul Stine was highly deliberate, wouldn't he have worn gloves throughout the entire event? The abandoned pair of gloves found in the backseat notwithstanding (we don't know whom these belonged to, they were a small size and could have been left behind by an earlier passenger) Zodiac's hands were obviously uncovered since he found himself inside the cab cradling a mortally wounded Stine while risking being spotted by any passerby or police officer as he wasted valuable time trying to remove his fingerprints.

Point 2: Taking the car keys. As we know, Zodiac tore away swatches of Mr. Stine's shirt which he later sent to area newspapers effectively proving he was the killer. All indications are that these pieces of fabric had been torn by hand and not cut using scissors. My contention is that Zodiac took the car keys because he required a tool to puncture the fabric of the shirt, enabling him to then tear away strips. Once again, had Zodiac premeditated this murder - like he did at Lake Berryessa when he came equipped with precut lengths of clothesline to tie his victims - I believe he'd have brought scissors to easily shred the fabric.
3: His initial reason for cutting the shirt. In my opinion this was done because Zodiac needed a material to wipe his fingerprints from the taxi. The police report says he was using a white rag or handkerchief to clean the vehicle. This was observed by the teens at the window, some 60 feet away; for all anyone knows it could have been Stine's shirt which was doubling as a print remover. After the murder, when Zodiac arrived home, he realized he still had the bloodied shirt and then thought how mailing out pieces of it would serve as a great way of proving he was the killer to the police and media.

4: Zodiac being spotted by Officers Donald Fouke and Eric Zelms on Jackson Street approximately 3 minutes after the shooting. My argument here is that had Zodiac planned this murder he would have had his vehicle parked within shouting distance of the crime scene. Instead, the police observe him meandering along on foot some blocks away, seemingly headed toward The Presidio. Again, this is something that does not typically happen in a tightly constructed operation. It's not improbable that Zodiac actually did make it into The Presidio and waited it out while an intensive manhunt ensued, exactly as he went on to state in his letter.
It's anybody's guess as to why Zodiac decided to take the life of Paul Stine on this Saturday night in early autumn. Could they have had a disagreement while en route to their destination? Did Zodiac inadvertently say something to Mr. Stine which he feared compromised his secret identity? There are undoubtedly any number of scenarios which are equally plausible. However, the slipshod nature of the killer's modus operandi during this incident is a sharp departure from the careful and precise methodology which seem to define his previous known crimes. The fact that he came within a wisp of being apprehended this night -- the first and only time we can say this of him -- only underscores my belief that his decision to murder Paul Stine took place in the spur of the moment.

by Gregory Haugevik

25 Comments

Richard

12/11/2015 01:34:07 am

It has always struck me as unusual why he took the keys as the Zodiac Killer never sent any bulky items or packages in his five year reign of terror. In one of my original articles the possibility of a Washington and Maple murder occurred, suggesting that shooting Paul Stine while he was on a 'run through' to his scheduled fare at 500 and 9th had likely caused the taxicab driver's foot to slip off the pedals of his vehicle, effectively stalling the vehicle and sending it out of control. The idea of restarting the taxicab necessitated his touching the keys, hence why he removed them later to effectively carry his fingerprints away from the scene. But the piercing of the fabric is equally plausible, to create the initial cut from the abrasive edge of particular key. Tom Voigt made a good point linking into the military angle, that the killer may have had medical training, as a battlefield technique when parts of the shirt could be torn off and used as tourniquets, dressing or plugs to seal the wound, in respect to his suspect Richard Gaikowski. However if you have an implement to aid this practice why not use it and the keys could have been a viable option. Of course having used them, it is far quicker to pocket them than wiping them down with any certainty, especially because you have to hold them to wipe them down, so it defeats the point. To me the most bizarre nature of this case is the blooded fingerprints on the panel between the driver and left rear passenger door. You shoot Paul Stine from the rear seat, exit the right rear passenger door and enter the right front passenger door, take the shirt, wallet and keys, then exit and walk around the taxicab to wipe prints off the driver side door. Some people say he may have leaned on this door in talking to the taxicab driver after he hailed it somewhere near Mason and Geary, this could possibly explain normal fingerprints, but not blooded prints. And if he was wiping the fingerprints off the driver side door at Washington and Cherry he certainly wouldn't have rested one hand on the panel placing more fingerprints as he was removing others. These blooded fingerprints could be contamination from any number of attending personnel, after all crime scene management in 1969 was not comparable to the standards employed today, but if they were Zodiac's blooded fingerprints they have to be explained logically and nobody has yet done so as far as I am aware. I am not convinced by the Washington and Cherry murder, I believe it happened one block earlier, but putting this aside let us assume the murder occurred at Washington and Cherry and that was Zodiac's blooded print, after shooting Paul Stine, how on earth would Zodiac manage to deposit this fingerprint between the driver side door and left rear passenger door. Unless this is explained the whole course of events falls like a pack of cards. The only logical answer from the Washington and Cherry standpoint is these prints are contamination and nothing to do with Zodiac. They are suggestive of somebody who has had close contact with the scene from the front passenger side, where Paul Stine was, then travelled around to the driver side door, opened it using a protective handkerchief, but accidentally placed their right hand on the panel between the driver side door and left rear passenger door. I am not aware of how many elimination prints they took from all attending personnel. But let us assume for now they were Zodiac's blooded prints, unless he opened the driver side door at any time after the murder and rested his right hand on the panel I fail to see how it got there. Any ideas.

Richard

12/11/2015 02:16:02 am

The act of walking down Jackson Street in view of his claim 'I am the murderer of the taxi driver at Washington and Maple' is suggestive of a killer backtracking to his original destination. In other words had he originally planned or committed the murder one block earlier and was heading back to a vehicle somewhere in the region of the Jackson/Maple intersection. If the murder wasn't pre-planned, his quickest and safest exit was straight north on Cherry, over the small retaining wall and into the Presidio park. This cul-de-sac wall at the top of Cherry however was hidden by bushes etc and it was dark. Does this suggest he was not totally familiar with the area and didn't realize this as a viable escape route. However the retaining wall at the top of Maple was equally disguised by bushes etc, although it was believed by Donald Fouke he likely gained access to West Pacific Avenue and the park via this route. Had he checked this exit point out prior to the murder of Paul Stine, but not the Cherry exit route, which is why he was backtracking to the intersection of Jackson and Maple, in direct line with his planned Washington and Maple murder. Just trying to throw a spanner in the works. Having said all that we actually don't have any evidence of where the Zodiac went after Fouke and Zelms passed him on Jackson Street. The Zodiac himself claimed in the Bus Bomb Letter he travelled 1 and half blocks and disappeared into the park. This suggests he is claiming he entered via Spruce Street, so why not kill the taxicab driver at the Washington and Spruce Street intersection and travel directly north into the park. This again suggests a disorganized pattern of events. I suppose Gregory if you believe this wasn't a planned murder, it was spur of the moment, then his original destination of Washington and Maple was not designed for his getaway or exit point and may very well be close to his residence and have greater significance. In other words, if the Zodiac hadn't originally planned to kill Paul Stine, then when he got into the taxicab at Mason and Geary, his destination of Washington and Maple was a destination he initially chose with good intentions and not for subversive means. If he was travelling home, then logically this intersection could be very near to where he lived.

Richard

12/11/2015 03:35:02 am

Also if he did live close to the intersection of Washington and Maple and somewhere en route got into an altercation or argument with the taxicab driver enough to kill him, it makes perfect sense to divert the cab away from your own residence in order to kill him. You certainly don't want to kill him and be seen exiting the taxicab and entering your residence nearby. Hence the reason you send the cabbie one block further. Once at Washington and Cherry you don't want the be spotted on a same main road walking back along Washington, so you round the corner into Cherry away from the focal point of the murder. When Fouke and Zelms passed or stopped him, then possibly he concealed himself in the park for a short period before exiting back down Maple to his residence or travelled directly there. If Donald Fouke spotted him entering the upper portion of Maple, this could simply have been a feint, before heading south on Maple Street. This scenario would rule out the convoluted plan of having a stationed vehicle nearby for your escape. The idea of Zodiac being of theatrical persuasion also bears fruit in respect of the taxicab pick-up point at Mason and Geary in the theater district, had he visited a show or been returning home from a shift at the theater along with his access to costume materials used at Lake Berryessa. The San Francisco Chronicle is also nearby at Mission Street. If the Zodiac had ordered a taxicab at Union Street outside the Westin St Francis Hotel, this may also suggest a 'spur of the moment' attack, because it affords less anonymity than randomly flagging down a taxicab. If you were to commit a planned murder, you would want to flag down a random cab to minimize contact or hanging around, and flagging a taxicab in the busy theater district in the hustle and bustle of Mason and Geary Street on a busy Saturday night is ideal. The Hines report seems to suggest that indeed the Zodiac Killer did order a taxicab from a public payphone at Union Square near to the St. Francis Hotel on the night of October 11th 1969. If this was the case, the killer has not only revealed his pick-up point, but has to hang around for the taxicab to arrive, not ideal if the murder was pre-planned. However if it was a 'spur of the moment' attack this common sense goes out of the window, hence the late alteration from the Washington/Maple intersection to the Washington and Cherry intersection. However my theory of the murder occurring at Washington and Maple would be blown out of the water, because even if it was 'spur of the moment' out of anger, you still wouldn't do it right on your own doorstep.

Greg H.

12/11/2015 10:53:58 pm

"However my theory of the murder occurring at Washington and Maple would be blown out of the water, because even if it was 'spur of the moment' out of anger, you still wouldn't do it right on your own doorstep."

Again, all excellent points about the possibility of Zodiac having taken an intentionally circuitous route around the neighborhood in order to possibly avoid detection. But you have to wonder to what extent this may contradict human naure. If you've done something as heinous as committing a murder, one's first instinct would likely be to remove or destroy evidence (hence, his wiping down the cab). Second instinct might be to find cover, get out of sight asap. If he did, in fact, have a place somewhere along Maple and had a direct path of getting there, I'd think he'd waste little time in heading home. What happens instead is that Fouke testifies he sees the fugitive meandering about in what appears, arguably, to be a somewhat aimless fashion. We don't know about the psychological state of the killer. Obviously for one to habitually murder people there is likely a degree of abnormal perception or orientation toward reality taking place. My point being that the 'rational' approach we take in trying to analyze his behavior may not be entirely applicable.

To return to the quote of yours I pasted above. I think that if he did commit this murder out of anger, then we can't say he would've taken any provisions or guarded against doing so near his residency. Anger is an emotion and when it is expressing itself it will override a person's good sense. When people get angry they will normally throw caution to the wind.

The ultimate reason we may be so mystified by Zodiac's actions and behavior is because he could have conducting himself under the influence of an abnormal thought process which is rather alien or foreign to us as calm observers reflecting on the events.

All the while, it's useful to continue trying to understand just what may have happened. The geographical profile Oct. 11th offers us is undoubtedly a great way of further developing our theories.
The nearby location of the SF Chronicle, as you mention, is certainly extremely interesting.

Greg H.

12/11/2015 09:50:05 pm

All good points, Richard. I need to brush up my geography of the area, streets, etc., for me to get a better idea of his walking pattern. But if, as you suggest, his destination of Washington-Maple was actually near his home and the killing was not premeditated why is it then that he was observed wandering around some distance away from the crime scene, witnessed by Fouke on Jackson St. apparently ducking into a residency to obscure himself from the passing police? If he lived near Washington-Maple I'd suspect he'd proceed directly to his doorstep after the shooting. The entire scenario seems a bit illogical as we go about dissecting it. Fundamentally I think we have little to go on concerning Zodiac's business in S.F. on this evening. What I take from Fouke's testimony is that the fugitive appeared to be adrift and not walking with a clear purpose or destination point. This ties into the reasons I made the case that his actions on Oct. 11th appeared to very much lack cohesion and forethought. Moreover, and this has been said many times before, it's probable that Saturday was a day of leisure for him (just as he was unoccupied two Saturdays prior at Berryessa). Not impossible he used Saturdays to venture around the Bay Area, whether heading toward rural areas in Napa or alternatively into San Francisco. Therefore, we're still left to conjecture as to whether these geographic hints provide any real information about where he lived. Not certain what the S.F. infrastructure is like, but if he was based in a bedroom community he could have taken a train into the city on the 11th and commuted around town via cable car or taxi.

I'll give this some more thought. You make a great point about him backtracking. One is still left to wonder, though, about the significance of Mason-Geary as the pick-up point. Was this just a totally random spot he chose in which to call for or hail the taxi? Good chance he was stationed at that spot for a legitimate reason. And why does he direct Stine to Washington-Maple? The questions to weigh are whether there is meaning and personal information about the killer to be ascertained by these geographical points. In all likelihood there is substance behind them.

Greg H.

12/12/2015 12:01:04 pm

Something else I'd argue which weighs against him living around Washington-Maple: supposedly this was a very rich, wealthy neighborhood. Zodiac, ostensibly driving a beat-up car with mismatched tires, seems not to fit with an upscale socio-economic bracket.

There's not a great reason I have to offer for why they ended up on Washington-Maple / Cherry.. Did he have a confederate he was driving to see who lived in that section? Had he scoping out the neighborhood for a robbery?
Taking it back his entry spot on Mason-Geary and the examining the businesses, etc., that operated along that blvd. might provide more clues. From what I gather Washington-Maple seemed to contain primarily houses, residencies whereas Mason-Geary was more a village with theatres, hotels, shops, etc...

Richard

12/11/2015 02:44:32 am

I don't fully understand the gun laws in America, but would it not suggest that either Zodiac had a 'carry permit' and he committed the crime in the spur of the moment or if not then by hailing a taxicab in possession of a loaded firearm suggests intention by the carrier of the said firearm. Why leave the house with a loaded firearm unless you have malicious intent. And if he had a carry permit, then wouldn't records show this.
From Wikipedia; "Concealed carry, or CCW (carrying a concealed weapon), refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed or hidden manner, either on one's person or in close proximity. While most law enforcement officers carry their duty pistol in a visible holster, some officers, such as plainclothes detectives or undercover agents, carry their pistols in concealed holsters. In some countries and jurisdictions, some civilians are legally able to carry concealed handguns". Why would a normal citizen be issued concealed carry.
At Lake Herman Road and Blue Rock Springs it is believed he trawled the area for victims, he knew it was frequented by couples at night and showed intention and pre-planning, and at Lake Beryessa the costume was indicative of detailed planning. But if Presidio Heights was not pre-planned, why carry a gun. He only needed to carry a gun when he knew it was his time for murder. Would a 'spur of the moment' kill at Presidio Heights suggest he was either a career criminal who always packed a weapon or had a concealed carry permit. Possibly even connected to law enforcement, somebody who would utilize a flashlight when approaching a vehicle from the rear, not unlike Blue Rock Springs and possibly Lake Herman Road, who also accessed police communications at these two crimes to aid his escape.

Greg H.

12/11/2015 08:02:04 pm

Well, gun laws in America are a dicey topic, Richard. In fact, in the present day it's one of the major issues we're dealing with socially and politically. As you well know, as a country America has been racked by the brutal epidemic of public massacres. Literally we seem to struck by a mass shooting at least a couple of times a month. As a result there is a groundswell of public support to tighten-up existing gun laws. But of course this is an onerous process due to Constitutional, Second Amendment rights which give citizens the right to 'bear arms.'

Here and now, California is known to have one of the more rigorous gun control policies in the nation. (Gun laws vary by state.) I'd be curious to research what gun policies were like in California during Zodiac's day. Most likely, the policies were looser back then but grew more restrictive with the passage of time and the commission of increasing amounts crimes. So speaking hypothetically, it would not be a stretch to say that a deviant person such as Zodiac had a large gun collection (obtained legally or otherwise) and was not averse to carrying his gun with him as he went about his life. In fact we do know from crime scene ballistics that Zodiac did use varied weapons from one shooting to the next.

Reading different Zodiac books over the years, I do remember investigators attempting to trace the guns he might have used - but to little avail. Then again, Zodiac himself seems to have said that he ordered his weapons from catalogs through the post in order to avoid them being traced. Of course, he could have been bluffing about this as he was wont to do.

Bottom line, my best answer on this is that America is historically an extremely gun-friendly place. It's very much part the nation's heritage and people proudly tout their rights to gun ownership. You may be correct in that Zodiac's possession of a weapon on this evening is suggestive of malicious intentions. But then again, he knew he was a wanted man. It's not impossible that he was carrying at all times should he have been presented with an arrest warrant. It's certainly likely he may not have been the sort to go gently into the night.

Alex Lewis

12/12/2015 12:04:51 pm

I have to disagree Rich in the idea of an 'On the spot' decision made by Zodiac to shoot Paul. I mean I know cabs can be a tad expensive even back then but I can't see the meter reading enraging Him so much that He pulls a gun He rather conveniently has secured on His person to kill the driver.

On the contrary Rich, here's what I have thought of lately....

We've pointed out numerous times that this killer seemed to do the most odd things, make the most odd and rather unintelligent decisions such as turning onto Jackson instead of using Cherry St entrance etc, but, what if this was all deliberate? What am I getting at?
What if He deliberately hung around wanting to be seen? Sounds absurd on the face of it, but lets look at the evidence...

1. Hangs around the crime scene.

Witnesses observe Him casually wiping down the exterior of cab when apparently, He's got finger tip guards. Hangs around so long that the kids tell Pelissetti as He arrives that the offender has just seconds ago walked off down Cherry.

2. Ignorance of Cherry Escape,

As Zodiac arrives at Cherry & Jackson Intersection, Armond is likely seconds away or just pulling up at the scene having got there with 'Red Lights and Siren' so Zodiac, unless deaf, knows cops are responding. Despite this knowledge and imminent danger present, He ignores rushing into darkness of the the Presidio and heads off Down that very well lit street.

3. As He's lumbering down Jackson, Don Fouke and Eric Zelms are coming up the street and are doing 15 to 20MPH over the limit so we can assume that they too, like Armond, have their lights and Siren activated which means anyone walking down Jackson will see and hear that Police Car coming from literally Miles away. We'd expect a murderer to have ducked into an alcove, dashed up some steps into a garden etc long long before the oncoming patrol car gets anywhere near Him. Not this guy, He waits for the cop car to get so close that its driver can remember seeing His eyes. Only then does He stick His head down, turn away from them, and shuffle up the steps.

4. PS - 2 Cops pulled a goof....

He writes to the press and announces Him being encountered by police and seemingly doesn't care that He's confirming now for the cops who saw Him 'Yes, that was me who's face you looked directly into.'

Greg H.

12/12/2015 12:24:44 pm

All good points, Alex.. You're certainly welcome to disagree, but it was me, not Richard, who wrote the essay...

Your commnets about his peculiar behavior touch on a few ideas I was mentioning in my earlier comments. With his apparent cavalier, unconcerned manner, you have to wonder about the killer's psychological state. Was he on some type of drug? Or was he in general inflicted with a condition which compromised his ability to respond to situations in a way as most humans might? (Lawrence Kane, of course, is one suspect whose accident could have rendered him as such).

The whole thing about the supposed 'finger-guards' doesn't make sense. Why would you be wiping down the cab if your fingers were protected in the first place? Unless, as you say, he wanted to be seen. The wiping down of the vehicle is one of the reasons it seemed to me that this murder was committed in a moment of passion. Nevermind even going through the trouble of 'finger-guards' why not just wear a pair of gloves...

Alex Lewis

12/12/2015 12:33:40 pm

My apologies Greg. But yeah I tend to believe that Paul was always going to perish at the end of that Journey with the person responsible knowing what He was going to do before He got into the Cab.
But, as always Greg, it's just opinion. Your idea is just as likely to be correct as mine.

Alex Lewis

12/12/2015 12:44:59 pm

Greg....

"Was he on some type of drug? Or was he in general inflicted with a condition which compromised his ability to respond to situations in a way as most humans might? (Lawrence Kane, of course, is one suspect whose accident could have rendered him as such)."

Well I've done extensive research into the effects and symptoms of Traumatic Brian Injury & specifically The Frontal Lobes and yes, a person with Damage or Injury to the Frontal Region of the Brain would fit with the kind of responsive actions seen carried out by the offender in Presidio Heights. The main obvious ones are:
Lack of Awareness.
Shuffling Gait or Limp like walking.
Assuming High Risk Behavior

There are many more that I lay out at my site: https://welshchappie.wordpress.com/

Alex Lewis

12/12/2015 12:27:39 pm

Now I know the idea seems ludicrous and people will ask 'Why the hell would He wait around to purposely be spotted by cops?'

Well let's say the person/persons responsible are not your average Jo, and that the person/persons are Higher up the Chain of Society so to speak so the person knows that being stopped by a cop is fine because the cop will realize who He is and apologize for stopping Him and let Him on His way......Just as happened on Jackson St.

Many have questioned also why His MO switched from couples in the first three attacks to a single male in the last? And why in such a risky location right in the middle of a street? I was wondering the other day whether the Mikado Little List is actually a specific reference to events rather than just a rehashing of a Characters lines. "As some day it must happen that A Victim must me found...." The poem opens with. Well this points to the singular victim 'A Victim' and states this victim MUST be found....Can't leave a victim in a cab at an intersection with any desire on the part of offender to conceal the crime.

Greg H.

12/12/2015 05:50:50 pm

Very well could be the case, Alex.. But I wonder wheather he was, in fact, high up the social ladder to the point that he'd be impervious to police interrogation, etc.. I tend to think he was actually on the fringes and lower rungs of society. Recall the car tracks which were taken from Lake Berryessa: mismatched tires which suggest a person without the means to maintain a quality automobile...

I also take his poor spelling as a sign of a person not especially well educated.. Even The Mikado quotations you allude to above: I remember once reading that letter and was struck by just how badly he butchered the lines he was attempting to quote. He may have been primarily an auditory learner with a very low ability to read and write...

Another idea I had, an addendum if you like, to the theories I stated in the essay involves why they came to a stop at the arbitrary Washington-Maple/Cherry location. If there was a disagreement that occured between Stine and Zodiac, it's not impossible Stine may have brought the car to an abrupt halt and ordered his unruly / disrespectful passenger out of the vehicle immediately. In the heat of the moment Zodiac is then irate and decides to shoot the driver.
As far as Zodiac having his gun with him, it's not uncommon for people in America to carry firearms at any given time. Zodiac, being the most wanted man in the city, may have been nervous he'd be arrested at any moment and was of the mind that he'd go out in a blaze of glory.

Finally, the general area of The Presidio may indeed have significant implications with respect to Zodiac's home residency or at least his basic stomping grounds...Recall how many of his letters were sent from mailboxes which were within walking distance from the Stine shooting. I believe several were sent from the Anza Vista district which essentially just down the road from where the Oct 11th crime took place.

Alex Lewis

12/13/2015 01:24:09 am

Greg: "Very well could be the case, Alex.. But I wonder wheather he was, in fact, high up the social ladder to the point that he'd be impervious to police interrogation, etc.. I"

You mean, the sort of individual who, should a witness at the scene identify Him as the man who the witness viewed murder the driver, be kept covered up and not recalled in any police report? That kinda person?

I'll read the rest of your post now, just needed to make that point because I have become more and more convinced recently that they know something that they are determined to keep concealed. You don't stop people 100 yards from a homicide 3 minutes after it happens as a cop and fail to ascertain that mans details even if simply as a potential future witness and especially one who spots you and responds by looking down to the floor and turns His back to you and starts up a few steps. Not in my opinion anyway.

Alex Lewis

12/13/2015 01:40:53 am

" He may have been primarily an auditory learner with a very low ability to read and write..."

A man struggling to grasp the concept of the English Language who creates fairly complex Substitution Ciphers? Hmm, can't see it.

As for Paul being shot without premeditation, very possible. We don't know where Paul was shot along the route with teens at scene stating none of them, nor any other homes residents at that Intersection, heard a shot fired.
For all we know He may have pulled the gun almost as soon as Paul pulled away from the Westin Hotel and ordered Him to drive to a quiet and remote area and shot Him there and driven the cab himself to the destination.

Also Greg, Zodiac stated He had a disguise and only looked like the composite when He did His thing. I think, based on Hartnell's description of what Z was wearing at Berryessa matching almost word for word Foukes description of WMA's clothing, Zodiac really did dress and look a certain way only when killing.
If the guy got into Paul's cab wearing the Navy Blue Parka type jacket, brown pleated pants and the Engineering type boot (WingWalker) then it's overwhelmingly likely He's wearing His Kill kit (so to speak) with every intention of killing Paul before He even sets eyes on Him.

Greg H.

12/13/2015 08:38:32 pm

"A man struggling to grasp the concept of the English Language who creates fairly complex Substitution Ciphers? Hmm, can't see it."

Well, this is an interesting point, Alex. My response to this is that he could have been a savant of some sort, or may been stricken with an Asperger's-like syndrome. Meaning, he was able to excel in this particular area - crytography - but could have lacked basic skills in other - more fundamental - areas of life, including reading and writing. Also, of course, he may have received formal training - wheather in the military or an educational setting - which taught him the skills that allowed him to construct the ciphers...

The point you make about him having unveiled the gun much sooner than the conventional explanation depicted (that he drew his weapon suddenly and shot) is something else I'd been thinking about. As we know from Lake Berryessa, he did just that - using his gun as form of power to get his victims to comply with his demands. It's not unreasonable to think he did the same inside the cab with Paul. One hypothesis is that Paul - at 29, a bit older and possibly more mature than his younger victims - was not going to allow himself to become hapless prey and so he may have deliberately chosen to try fighting back or was uncooperative with the killer's requests (whatever on earth they may have been)... The explanation you give, that he told Paul to drive to a remote spot, is equally viable...

I'm not married to any particular theory. I took stock of assorted evidence and circumstances and put forward the idea that this may have been a spontaneous act. I certainly could be completely wrong. But I enjoy the discussion and examing the possibility for alternative explanations....

Richard

12/14/2015 10:36:41 am

To understand a crime fully, the crime scene usually has to be explained. If many Zodiac sleuths believe this is a Washington and Cherry murder and the blooded fingerprints are Zodiac, how did they get there. You certainly don't rest your right hand on the panel between the driver and left rear door while wiping fingerprints off the driver door. There is in fact no logical reason whatsoever for touching this area any time after the murder. Zodiac was spotted mid to right in the front passenger area, having most likely entered the right front passenger side. From here he can access the shirt, wallet and keys. What could he do from the opened driver side door, he couldn't do from the passenger side, absolutely nothing. Was it a mistake, did he initially enter the driver side door to rifle Paul Stine's pockets, but when this proved difficult or Paul Stine slumped over, did he have to revise his plans and access the shirt, wallet etc from the side of the taxicab not drenched in blood. Unfortunately for Zodiac though, is he inadvertently braced his right hand on the door panel as he leaned inside the taxicab. However even this sounds unlikely as you would more than likely need both hands to rifle somebodies pockets and when you open the driver side door you don't need two hands. Apart from a whacking great palm print on the Exorcist Letter and who knows if that is genuine, Zodiac was clearly astute enough to avoid plastering his prints all over the majority of his correspondence, but here he is, despite taking the time to remove a neat section of Paul Stine's shirt, taking time out for the wallet and keys, and the confidence to commit a brazen murder in the heart of San Francisco, ambling up Cherry and down Jackson Street, he would then commit the complete cardinal sin of buffoonery by inextricably linking himself to the crime by placing his blooded fingerprints on the panel of the car. Anybody doing this, when he possibly had a handkerchief, along with the blooded shirt for protection, and even a pair of gloves in the back seat would probably need their head examined and he probably did. I don't believe for one scintilla of a moment these are Zodiac's fingerprints. He isn't a master criminal but he's not a master dumbass either.

Richard

12/14/2015 10:42:00 am

Take a look at these:
http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2745&context=jclc

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/fingerprints-can-tell-lies-forensic-experts-1.297550#.Vm8NXUqLTox

http://www.fprints.nwlean.net/f.htm

Greg H.

12/14/2015 03:31:57 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM1QgwaKv4s

http://www.psmag.com/politics-and-law/bias-and-the-big-fingerprint-dust-up-3629

Yes.. I'd written post about this in the facebook group a couple of months ago...

"But what if fingerprint analysis itself was far from a credible science?.. It's been assumed that fingerprints are like snowflakes and no two are alike.. But this myth was actually busted in the 1980s when a researcher found two snowflakes with precisely the same pattern (Gopnik, Adam. "All Alike." The New Yorker. 3 Jan. 2011).. And then there was the recent case of Brandon Mayfield.. He was arrested for the Madrid train bombings when the world's top fingerprint experts said he was a perfect match for a print found at the scene.. Mayfield is an attorney from Oregon who'd never even been to Spain, but because the FBI believed fingerprints tell no lies, he was still arrested and jailed for weeks.. There's also an arbitrary nature to fingerprint evaluation: "It's been shown that fingerprint analysts can unconsciously change their evaluations depending on the details of the case." Russell, Sue. "Bias and the Big Fingerprint Dust-Up.""

You think there's a possibility the print was manufactured? But it didn't lead to the arrest of any suspect.. Even they tried to frame someone with a bogus print they didn't ever pursue that lead as there was not an arrest made in the case. You don't think there's a possibility Zodiac may have just committed a cosmic blunder and left behind a solitary print even after going through the trouble of seemingly wiping down the cab. He was obviously rushing, trying to get out of there as quickly as he could.. Not impossible he overlooked this area of the car, despite the fact it apparently may not have been a section he needed to touch, as you point out...

Richard

12/14/2015 03:49:18 pm

What if Zodiac wasn't wiping down the doors, he was actually placing fingerprints he had lifted from an innocuous source prior to getting in the taxicab. He had the ability to create ciphers, design a costume and provide a working bomb description. He indicated his use of mail order, it would not be difficult to create a fake fingerprint. Bit of blood and hey presto. Not saying Gregory this is what happened, it sounds a bit far fetched, although it's not impossible.

Alex Lewis

12/19/2015 06:11:47 pm

"You think there's a possibility the print was manufactured?"

Just to give my two cents, my answer/opinion in response to the above question is: Absolutely.

If we believe that here is a man who is overly concerned about the potential to leave Latent Prints (unseen to the naked eye) behind in the cab that He took time to wipe the dash area down, interior handles etc before doing likewise outside on the cabs exterior would then overlook and completely miss a bright red blood illuminated fingerprint of His then I just can't see that being likely nor logical.

Greg H.

12/15/2015 09:05:36 pm

It's not impossible, Richard. But it harkens to one of my peeves about this case. The fact it's gone unsolved has opened the door for observers to ascribe a Superman-like quality to Zodiac, or at least it has attached a sort of cult of personality to him.

I think if he'd been around to witness this he'd probably relish in the knowledge of the legendary anti-hero he's become. I don't believe he is (was) in any way a special individual. We've seen thousands of serial killers just like him brought to justice and I'm pressed to think of even one who is in the least bit remarkable (perhaps Ted Bundy possessed charisma, but that is about it.) If he'd been caught, as he should have been on Oct. 11th, we'd not be having this discussion. I feel his capture would have revealed him to be just another two-bit head case who likely would have told us that his esoteric codes and ramblings were nothing more than his intention to manipulate the police, media and public for the attention and excitement it brought him, knowing he could hold this power over us.

Alex

12/24/2015 05:38:59 pm

"It's not impossible, Richard. But it harkens to one of my peeves about this case. The fact it's gone unsolved has opened the door for observers to ascribe a Superman-like quality to Zodiac, or at least it has attached a sort of cult of personality to him."

Could not agree more Greg, I've even said I don't know of any other case, solved or unsolved, which has it's very own 'Community' and the experts called 'Zodiologists.'
Even a more recent SFPD Homicide Inspector, when attesting to the Dpt. getting at least one call/tip every single day even all these years later regarding this case said: "I am familiar with the Zodiac Case, but not to the point that I could tell you a victims middle name. However, I guarantee you, there are members of the Amateur Community that could tell you."

Zodiac is in Criminology, to a lot of people, what Billy the Kid is to Wild West Historians/Experts, that being, a legend, an Icon, simply the cream of the crop and the best we have seen doing whatever He does.

If people wish to see the Zodiac in this way, A Legendary Lone Crusader and One Man taking on Napa, Benicia, Solano & San Francisco Police Agencies and Sheriffs and being 'Too clever for them, then they are free to do so.

For me though, after considering the evidence and crimes, the way victims He went after and murdering Paul via blitz style sneeky attack......Cold Hearted and Evil Coward.

boyscout69

1/13/2016 06:11:20 pm

ZODIAC never went to the park..............but by accident some one else saw ZODIAC fuel in blood..............she get kill and disappear until this present time..................guess who...............or like ZODIAC SAY: pick up a boo!

"SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION"

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