THE 18 UNSOLVED CHARACTERS [PT3]

10/7/2018

This is the final installment covering the 18 unsolved characters at the foot of the 408 cipher. Part one. Part two.
Nobody knows for sure the exact process in which the Zodiac Killer crafted the three ciphers mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Vallejo Times-Herald, but one possibility is that the author wrote the message first and then transferred it to the chosen grid formation, with the intention of leaving a number of spaces to insert his identity at the end of the cipher - a signature of sorts. The killer actually stated this: "I want you to print this cipher on the front page of your paper. In this cipher is my idenity."

We now know his identity as the 'Zodiac Killer', so one may expect to see 12 unsolved characters remaining at the foot of the cipher. He could have signed off the cipher with the wording 'Zodiac Killer' or 'I am the Zodiac', but either way, he would have had to leave himself 12 available spaces to complete the entire grid of 24 rows and 17 columns. The reason for believing he intended to leave 12 characters for his identity, rather than 18, is that he transferred the message from draft to grid incorrectly, actually omitting one important word - people.

The author had just switched from cipher 2 to cipher 3 (see below), which may have instigated the error.

In the trinity of letters to the newspapers, the Zodiac Killer described the inevitable consequences of not printing his ciphers.
To the Vallejo Times-Herald, he wrote "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."
To the San Francisco Examiner, he wrote "If you do not print this cipher, I will go on a kill rampage Fry night. This will last the whole weekend, I will cruse around killing people who are alone at night untill Sun Night or untill I kill a dozen people."
To the San Francisco Chronicle, he wrote "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."

With regards to his threats, he used the word "people" no less than six times, so it was probably unfortunate that this was the word he mistakenly dropped from his grid when transferring the message to it.
The murderer wrote in the cipher "the best part of it, is that when I die I will be reborn in paradice and all the I have killed will become my slaves." It is highly likely that he accidentally reproduced his message incorrectly and failed to include the word "people" in the resultant cipher. The cipher should have read "the best part of it, is that when I die I will be reborn in paradice and all the people I have killed will become my slaves."

Since "killing", "kill" and "people" were routinely written 'hand in glove' in all the three newspaper communications, then it is no great leap of faith that the two words should have been bound together in the cipher as well.
In the San Francisco Chronicle portion of the cipher below, I have added "people" into the grid, thereby shifting the cipher across six spaces. The resulting cipher now contains 396 characters of legible text, leaving only 12 unsolved characters at its foot. The 12 characters we discussed earlier, in which the author had reserved for his identity or pseudonym. Signing off with the 'Zodiac Killer' or 'I am the Zodiac'.

However, the Zodiac Killer had made an error, accidentally omitting the word "people", and consequently had to improvise by using a combination of 'Zodiac Killer' and 'I am the Zodiac' to enable full use of all 408 spaces on the 24 X 17 grid. He may have settled for 'I am the Zodiac Killer', thereby satisfying the 18 spaces he had inadvertently left himself.

The idea of a 396 letter message (including "people" within it) would have negated the possibility of creating 30 rows by 13 columns totaling 390 characters - which is why he didn't do it. Therefore, he opted for 17 by 24, creating the grid we have been accustomed to.

What methodology he employed to encrypt these final 18 letters is another matter entirely.

THE 18 UNSOLVED CHARACTERS [PT1]
THE 18 UNSOLVED CHARACTERS [PT2]

20 Comments

Rubislaw 32 link

10/7/2018 02:03:39 am

Fascinating stuff,Richard....and who is to say that ''people'' and only a 12 character space allocation,isn't the case [?].

I'll give way to allow others a chance to debate this,this time.But in ''raptures'' over this ''collection of people'' phrase,found in Scorpion's ''S1'' cipher soution,from 1991.The FBI will get it first,then I'll publicly post it.

A possible ''thorn'' in Zodiac's side,that festered,and annoyed him ?

Could be....and there is little doubt that there was a side to the press,that couldn't take Zodiac,wholly seriously,anymore,after the composition content of that ''408'' cipher solution.....with such ''frightening'' gems,as : ''I like killing because it is so much fun.''

Rubislaw 32 link

10/7/2018 05:18:40 am

Just to make a further point,for consideration :

The ''official'' solution,to the 408 message composition,does come from the FBI,with the CA DOJ's blessing.

At the time of the Hardens solution publication,the FBI had only just joined the Zodiac case,and had not gotten round to tackling the 408.

There is documentation,to this effect,in their files,and one presumes that,the official solution,came about,after and including,examination of both the Hardens and ''concerned citizen'' solutions.

So,what is my point ?

Specifically,''not'' to dismiss out of hand,possible subliminal messages on the ''columns'' of all cipher solutions,that may be attributed to the Zodiac....and how those subliminal messages ''might'' re-enforce accuracy of the intended ''vertical row'' composition solution text.

A case in point :

Down the central column [9th] of the official 408 solution,we can observe : '' IM MR ERTT BELLY ''

This could be a sarcastic,or at least ''playful'' reference to Melvin Belli.

''ERTT'' stands for ''Emergency Response & Technical Training'' which is a course of training,to learn the combined skills of firefighting,industrial chemicals disposal,and paramedics.

Mr.Belli,was well known for a number of quotes,regarding self-deprecation.

This included :

''I am not an ambulance chaser - I always ensure that I arrive 'before' the ambulance.''

Nobody

10/7/2018 04:37:57 pm

If he wanted to leave a "clew" to his identity on the last line, he could have left it in any number of ways. A partial anagram, an initial, an acronym, an abbreviation that alluded to his name or occupation, or perhaps one of the symbols had a vague relevance to his identity.

Once again he abandoned the police and public to a game of "Guess my clues!" He knew they had about as much chance of gleaning an identity from that final line of nonsense as finding a diamond among the pebbles on a beach.

I personally think the only "word" of any meaning on that last line is "meth", and perhaps the Zodiac was full of it!

Shawn

10/8/2018 07:42:26 pm

Elmer Fudd....

Is that Alice in the Wabbit hole?

Nobody

10/9/2018 12:38:25 am

Many people do not appreciate just how easy it is to write some lines of code and encrypt them in a way that will prevent an easy decryption.

The cryptologists have resorted to calling the 340 a fake cipher. Yet they also know that a perfectly legitimate cipher can be encoded in many ways way that will make it close to impossible to solve.

So just because a cipher cannot be solved (by them), that does not mean it is a fake. It may not be uncrackable either. It may just be extremely difficult.

I am sure as our technology advances, we will come up with more sophisticated and powerful software in future that can run the kinds of iterations that we can only imagine at present.

The following is a legitimate cipher that I wrote. I think it will be extremely difficult to crack. My guess is nobody will be able to crack it, even with the aid of present day software. But it only took me about half an hour to encrypt using nothing but pen and paper.

%%#(-*%(+&%%(&+)(-.$!)&&-$%+&$".$&
#.$$."*+&-$*-)!-&!$+$.$,+-"**$,&*)
-&$--&*+)(-&#*.."$,+(#.-)(+)-&#(+&
#(&&,-&).%&(%-)!*)$,!$'(%(#$..)*&+
)#*++&#(,)&#)$.((%%#-$&#)+",!*)."*
-!(.(+&#%(.+(&)(."%(++(.*&,,((*+-&
-&$#)&#(+*-&(!*$"(.('*)-#*&(%%$!!(
.%(.)-"$)((&*.-&#!$&*)(.-++),)()&(
*.))**-)!*.&$$.-.%#%.)*)*-(&&(!*-#
$.*.-&(.-#!-$'(+"+*()-(&#)$!&).+#+

Rubislaw 32 link

10/9/2018 04:44:14 am

The ''408'' is the ''showroom'' cipher belonging to the Zodiac,simply on the basis that has been solved,''warts and all''.

This includes.Zodiac's deployment of 8 polyphonic symbols,which improves the Hardens effort,from about 98.5% accuracy,to close to 100% accuracy,which ''concerned citizen'' achieved.

There will remain debate,over which words,for the purpose of composition,that Zodiac employed as misspelled ones....and which were the result of an unforced error.

It does seem apparent that,that is why Zodiac opted for the second puzzle ''anagram''.It's ''length'' to be determined,after Zodiac setting out the main message ''1st puzzle''.

I believe that that,is the long and the short of it,and would doubt that the FBI would consider otherwise.

Just loving getting stuck into Scorpion's ciphers,Richard.

Now ''S5'' reveals ''Collection of Slaves'',after ''Collection of People'',in ''S1.

In addition,''Espresso Nescafe'',after ''Frothy Coffee Latte''.

Just when you think that the Zodiac is going to reveal something ''sensational'',he reverts back,to the same old ''plodding'' inane nonsense.

But,should we really have expected more ?

Rubislaw 32 link

10/9/2018 06:29:33 am

If anyone does happen to be interested on Scorpion's [Zodiac's [?] ],great coffee debate...he concludes that he would rather settle for an iced lemon tea.

Just finishing off ''S5'',with his recipe for ''Bread and Butter Pudding''.A lot more goes into his culinary references,than collection of his victims....surprisingly,or otherwise.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/9/2018 06:55:54 am

Yes,It does look likely that ''Zodiac'' had acquired the hobbies of photography and food,as well as murder,after 1990.

I will put this to the FBI's Cryptanalysis Unit,in the confidence that ''Zodiac'' sent accompanying pictures,with the ciphers.

Perhaps the pertinent inference is,that ''Zodiac'' became a regular visitor of ''The Big Apple'' [?].''Bagel Bob's'' also had a place in Greenwich Village,as well as York Avenue.This,frequented mostly by students.

Richard

10/9/2018 08:19:46 am

I'll leave the Scorpion ciphers to you Rubislaw. I have never claimed to have any cryptography skills, and like suspects, I generally steer well clear. My articles with respect to the ciphers is analyzing them from the standpoint of a layman. I'm not completely convinced the Scorpion letters are from Zodiac, so I've got enough on my plate with the confirmed material. Hopefully you get a reply to your correspondence. I shall leave the responses to the cipher geeks.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/9/2018 08:35:06 am

Thanks for your comments,Richard.

I talk about the ciphers,more in celebration of their phenomenon,and might reveal sides to Zodiac,that would not necessarily transpire in either his physical crimes,or letter writing.

Whatever is discussed,with regard to the ciphers,it comes down to whether they can be forensically linked to each other,as an assessment,prior to the man actually being arrested.

If I do ever appear to approach his cipher solutions,and text,in a lighthearted way,it belies the work invested....and first and foremost,without the use of machines.

If I have a personal opinion about the Zodiac,as interpreted from his ciphers....above all else....it is that he was actually amusing....but,from a ''deadpan'' and ironic perspective.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/10/2018 04:12:10 am

Just to stick with ''script'',and the real purpose of your article,Richard.

Given Zodiac's decision,and as you have intimated,to draw the line,at 408 symbols,he was to find that he had allocated 18 ''remainders'',for the purpose of an anagram.

But here's the ''cheeky monkey'' bit : Two of Zodiac's deployed polyphonic symbols appeared in that last list of 18 symbols.And,we know that the polyphonic symbols,were of an ''either or'',two type choice.

So,even if we assessed,for example,that purely on a homophonic basis,the last 18 symbols might give us 200 realistic solutions to the anagram....the knowledge of polyphonic symbols,suddenly increases those realistic anagram solutions available,to 800.

In other words,Zodiac knew that there would be little chance,of anyone finding the correct solution to his anagram.And,in this knowledge of ''our'' condemned ignorance,more than likely was the first caller to the Vallejo Police,on the day of the Harden's solution publication...with the ''Robert E EEE'' hoax solution.

Similarly,with his 13 symbol ''my name is ----'' cryptogram.

Zodiac condemning us,to his knowledge....and our ignorance.

How thrilling for him.

Richard

10/10/2018 10:43:14 am

If you compare the last 18 characters of the 408 and 340 cipher, they both have 10 front facing alphabetical letters, 3 backward alphabetical letters and 5 symbols. I doubt it has any relevance, but I thought I'd mention it. Providing the meaning or solution to the 18 characters of the 408, based on such a small number is nigh on impossible. The solution may come from within the cipher itself.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/11/2018 04:19:02 am

I'm not really the right person to ask,the specifics of your question,Richard.

But just to say that I found that the last line solution,to the 340,was in tact.

There is a part of me that believes that Zodiac never had a defined solution to the 18 character anagram.That it should ''technically'' be eight amounts of 18 character anagrams,speaks much for Zodiac's capacity for meanness.....even though he desired for us,to play along with his games.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/10/2018 12:19:53 pm

Interesting observation Richard.

It's always possible that an aesthetic influence,might have come into Zodiac's mind.

In fact,looking back on my notes,in comparing what ''concerned citizen's'' keys uncovered,compared to the Hardens,I note that the inference is,actually,that Zodiac left ''three'' polyphonic symbols,in the last 18 character spaces [...as opposed to ''two'',that I had referred to,in my previous comment...].

An even cheekier monkey,than I had remembered [!].

I will attempt to specifically lay out,now,what Zodiac did actually leave us,with,to solve,as an anagram :

E
B
E or S
O
R
I or W
E
T
E
M
E or S
T
H
H
P
I
T
I
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now,you can see,on the left hand side,the popularly accepted ''EBEORIETEMETHHPITI''.

BUT,given the known ''three'' alternatives,those 18 alphabetic letter solutions,could have been any different Eight sets [!].

[....1X1X2X1X1X2X1X1X1X1X2X1X1X1X1X1X1...= 8....].

I came up with '' To me Herb is pithiest''.But I would be foolish to think that this would be ''the one''.It ''is'' correct....but so might be,many other solutions.

Further to this,but only really,as a ''punt'',I found that Zodiac deployed 6 polyphonic symbols,in his ''340''

''8'' For his ''408''

''6'' For his ''340'' [?].

Which could be interpreted as Zodiac employing one polyphonic symbol,per about,every 50 character spaces used.

However,I have never found Zodiac's deployment of polyphonic symbols,in any other ciphers,both ''confirmed'' and ''unconfirmed''.

The ''polyphonic'' symbol,is akin to ''the cheaters guide,for beginners''.And,cab spotted,quite quickly,by a trained eye.

As the cryptography journalist,Nick Pelling,calls Zodiac ''a homebrew cipher maker''....yes,Zodiac was a beginner,who learned it from a book.

But,he was a fast learner.

Rubislaw 32 link

10/10/2018 03:39:20 pm

Some extra information,on ''concerned citizen's'' cipher keys :

He had allocated 8 polyphonic symbols,and as it transpires,they were of the type ''Either,or'',like '' E or S '',for example.

If anyone views a copy of his keys,as sent to Sgt.Lynch of the Vallejo Police,two of the eight polyphonic symbols,appear as if they have ''four allocations'',as opposed to ''two allocations''.

Don't be put off...only two allocations,became a reality,in the solution to the ''408'',for all 8 polyphonic symbols.

It merely suggests,that that further consideration,was ''on the table'',but ''not'' implemented.

And,a further compelling clue,that ''concerned citizen'' was,indeed,the Zodiac,himself.

10/21/2018 05:56:04 pm

One more remote idea the 18 alphabet letter solution could be is

The Mayan god named "Eighteen Rabbit" required sacrifice.

And since the Dali-day notion was stolen from the Mayans calendar which exists from long, long before this particular Dali-day notion. Then it could stand to reason that the Zodiac was aware of efforts to reform the twelve month calendar with the thirteen month one.
Therefore, wanting to control that outcome, he being the paranoid control freak - he could not help himself but sacrifice someone for his after life on those dates. To make those dates profane.

"Eighteen Rabbit" was the 13th ajaw or ruler - And the most powerful of all the rulers/godkings

It is also the name of the 20th day of the tzolk'in, the Maya divinatory calendar, on which a king's k'atun-ending rituals would fall.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

18 = 1/20 of 360* Dial/Clock/Calendar/Compass - Zodiac

Naomi

2/14/2019 03:50:27 pm

I feel like explanations that explore the occult or Mayan calendars are maybe a little far fetched.

Using Occam's Razor, why not try assuming that the lead suspect was indeed the zodiac. So, does that make sense?

The name "Arthur Leigh Allen" only has 16 letters BUT "Arthur_Leigh_Allen" DOES have 18 characters. So, it's plausible to me that that could be it.

How did zodiac deal with spaces? Anyone have other thoughts on this?

Fletch

12/6/2018 05:12:24 pm

I have a different idea on the 18 characters leftover on the 408. It's an idea, and I've done the work to create a spreadsheet that I can send to you if you want it. Here's how it goes, I was doing a search on some of the letters and finding nothing, then I just happened to pick 'HPITI', and found this word in a Hebrew document(I can send the link, its from Brill, circa 1897), when I translated it with Google translate it came back as 'An island'. I thought that was interesting because of the Connell book (but probably a coincidence). Then I figured, I should at least put the letters in a spreadsheet and check what all the letters translated too... all 18 in a row translate from Hebrew to English... is... 'It will be soothed'. That by itself doesn't really mean anything, other than the fact that it translated at all to something that makes sense.

Someone could do all the languages. I stuck with Hebrew to English and I added them to the spreadsheet. Another interesting fact is that since Hebrew reads right to left, I did those translations as well, and curiously there are just less meaningful words and phrases in that direction. I bet some language expert could explain why, but it was interesting anyway. I did all translations in both directions, I did not take into account misspellings, I bet some of the sleuths that you have could pick some interesting phrases. Here's 3 in the left to right direction...
'They will bring rhythm with me' or
'I was wondering God the Father' or
'Father Everett speak'.... just to name a few.
Here's one in the right to left...
'Sobbing Mother wakeup Father'

Another observation is that 'EBE' translates to Father, and 'EME' is Mother. Finally there are 3 formal names that came out of this exercise(Left to Right only), which probably means nothing. 'Pete' and 'Everett', or 'Pete' and 'Wright', but you can't have 'Everett' and 'Wright' in the same solution. 'Pete' is equivalent to 'PIT' for example.

I did this for a paper in my college class, but I tried not to fit the results to make something work. I'll let your group of people try to find a useful solution.

Richard

12/7/2018 03:32:12 am

Some good observations Fletch. I know this has been tackled extensively, with Zodiologists tackling it from the aspect of different languages. If you haven't already seen it here's the link.
http://www.zodiologists.com/z408_cipher_ebeorietemethhpiti.html

The less manipulation you apply is always preferential, the problem arises where we choose to separate the 18 characters into separate parts and then attribute meaning to them. We can get snippets of legible text, but often without meaning regarding Zodiac. As you can appreciate Fletch, arriving at 'I was wondering God the Father' as one of your examples, it is clear that this is a notable achievement, but proving such as the intention of Zodiac is nigh on impossible. Even though a 'decipherment' achieves such a sentence, we are then left with having to decipher the meaning of the English sentence as it applies to Zodiac. In the example 'Sobbing Mother wakeup Father', even though readable, leaves the observer just as confused as the original jumble of letters. Therefore Zodiac hiding messages such as these unfortunately defeats the object. It is definitely an interesting find with "island", as this does have relevance in relation to Richard Connell's short story, as you infer, but when we attempt to find wording in the 18 characters we are often left as confused by the answers we find. Kudos for the findings and hopefully somebody else can chip in.

Fletch

12/7/2018 04:08:10 pm

I completely agree with all your points Richard. Thank you for the response, I was not aware of others delving into other languages. Great point on having to decipher a 'decipherment'. I didn't see anything that stuck out obviously, especially that would go along with the first part of the cipher. Just the same, I thought it could help.

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THE 18 UNSOLVED CHARACTERS [PT3]

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