ZODIAC CIPHERS
RICHARD GRINELL, COVENTRY, ENGLAND
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THE 1978 LETTER UNLIKELY PENNED BY TOSCHI

7/27/2024

 
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It is no coincidence that the April 24th 1978 letter stated "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me" just three weeks after the 50th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles on April 3rd 1978, and was followed by a second communication on May 2nd 1978 stating "Hey-you actors-this is your lucky Break. Remember-whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" and "​please hold the applause". The May communication having been mailed to the KHJ-TV Studios in Los Angeles after they ran a public voting poll on the eve of the ceremony (April 2nd 1978) on who their viewers thought would win certain categories at the Academy Awards. A ceremony where the Oscar winning song "You Light Up My Life" was sung at the ceremony by Debby Boone, whose father Pat Boone was threatened in the May 2nd 1978 letter.

​These two letters came four years after the last Zodiac letter arrived on January 29th 1974, which stated "I saw + think "The Exorcist" was the best saterical comidy", three days after the 31st Golden Globe film awards at the Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills, California on January 26th 1974, in which "The Exorcist" film won "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Supporting Actress" and "Best Screenplay". Three consecutive communications that just happened to piggyback off award ceremonies for the film industry, that were all presumably conceived and written by Inspector David Toschi and/or Robert Graysmith according to some. If Inspector David Toschi wrote the April 24th 1978 letter, then he probably wrote all three of these letters, and had a hand in the phone call 42 days before the "I am back with you" letter, when somebody rang an individual living in the Mission District and stated "This is the Zodiac. Tell the press that I am back in San Francisco". ​

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On July 18th 1978, the Santa Cruz Sentinel (and numerous others), reported on the opening game in the World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi in the Philippines. The following day, the July 19th 1978 letter stated "Maybe you play chess with me".
PictureInspector David Toschi
​Then we have the consistency of language between the April 24th 1978, May 2nd 1978 and July 19th 1978 letters, with all three using the verb "play" and the singular pronoun "me" in the same sentence. Only the first letter being published in the newspapers. They read "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me" (04/24/78), "whoever plays me has his work cut out for him" (05/02/78} and "Maybe you play chess with me" (07/19/78). The third author could not have copied the second author if different individuals, but they could have been the same person.

If the author of the January 29th 1974 (Exorcist), April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters is one person (linked through a film industry theme), then where does that leave us with the July 19th 1978 letter, which has a common theme with both the April 24th 1978 and May 2nd 1978 letters? The author of the July 19th 1978 letter could have borrowed wording from the published April 24th 1978 letter, however, they did manage to continue the consistency in language used in the May 2nd 1978 letter, which they could never have seen if not the same person. The author on May 2nd 1978 and July 19th 1978, on both occasions, opted to mimic the verb "play" and singular pronoun "me" in the same sentence, from the April 24th 1978 letter. That probably leaves one author responsible for the last two letters. And if the May 2nd 1978 letter is linked by one theme to the January 29th 1974 and April 24th 1978 letters, then the July 19th 1978 letter is probably genuine too.

​This consistency, now seen through four communications, would be implicating Inspector David Toschi in a much bigger hoax, who would have also investigated the "I am back in San Francisco" phone call on March 13th 1978 and then mailed the "I am back with you" letter the following month. Additionally, it could open the door to the similarities shown between the April 24th 1978 and Melvin Belli letters. Either David Toschi has played a leading role in fabricating many Zodiac communications, or he is responsible for none. The obvious choice seems to be none. Inspector David Toschi was a busy man, unlikely to be scouring the newspapers for Academy Award and Golden Globe ceremonies, KHJ-TV Studios polls and the World Chess Championships, to create common themes in order to manufacture an elaborate hoax. But there was one man that seemed to find the time. Bearing in mind that the author of the April 24th 1978 letter wrote "I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me", it was quite ironical that the winner for best film in 1978 at the Academy Awards was a "satirical comedy", claimed by some to be semi-autobiographical about the life of "Allen". Woody Allen that is. The film was "Annie Hall", winner of four Academy Awards, not unlike "The Exorcist" movie, which won four Golden Globes on January 26th 1974  

Rubislaw32 link
7/27/2024 02:24:20 pm

Nicely laid-out article, Richard.

For what it's worth, I believe Dave Toschi had nothing to do with the April 1978 letter. He was beyond reproach in that respect. Sadly though, he had a vanity streak which cost him the job he loved most - a homicide detective.

I put the April 1978 letter at : Authentic 65 % ; Forged 35% - if so, by the FBI, as possibly an attempt to entice the Zodiac back to letters.

May 1978 : Authentic 100%. Subliminal false claim - Reet Jurvetson.

July 1978 : Authentic 100%. Subliminal false claim - Brenda Page, Murdered July 14th 1978, 13 Allan Street, Aberdeen Scotland.

Rubislaw32 link
7/27/2024 02:43:03 pm

Just as a postscript, Reet Jurvetson goes all the way back to November 14th 1969 - then becoming known as Jane Doe 59.

So, the May 1978 letter served as a reminder to Intelligence processors FBI, as such. One could say, the Zodiac claiming for Reet, twice.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ....8th victim claim.

Richard
7/27/2024 03:12:07 pm

I've for a long time believed the 1978 letter is genuine, even though this seems to upset certain people. The May 2nd letter I've thought genuine for a couple of years at least. The July 19th letter I've always doubted until recently. We differ on the reasoning behind these communications but I think we're in near lockstep on their authenticity. The Reet Jurvetson connection to Melrose Avenue where the KHJ-TV Studios were located, is another one of those interesting details we once examined in previous articles. Especially with the believed Manson family link to her murder.

Rubislaw32 link
7/27/2024 03:38:00 pm

My inclinations are with you, with the April 1978 letter. It's just that I find it a bit on the ''spartan'' side, to be confident.

I think the Zodiac's main motivation for the July 1978 letter is, to poke fun at Dave Toschi's professional misfortune.

Jibberjabber
7/28/2024 05:39:23 am

I also firmly believe the Pig-Toschi letter is genuine but a question is why is he calling himself The Zodiac again when he did not call himself that in 1974? Yet the killcount and crosshairs are on this 1978 letter and the exorcist letter for example. The crosshairs do precede the first use of the name Zodiac and at Lake Berryessa he had the crosshairs on the hood and wrote it on the cardoor,but never used the name Zodiac either when talking to the victims or when he called Napa PD. Zodiac had maybe not even wrote that name on paper since March 1971,which would be 7 years at this point. Why reintroduce the name into his letters after 7 years but never had dropped the crosshairs in all that time (other than some of the anonymous 74 letters he may have written)?

And why does he say "I am back with you" , where is he back from?

Rubislaw32 link
7/28/2024 07:06:00 am

Most Z-followers in for the long ride will formulate their own theories, Jibberjabber, - so I never expect whatever I post will sit well with others.

But...a few misconceptions - He was primarily a compulsive small-time extortionist, who hit on the idea of a persona named ''The Zodiac'', initially for the purpose of when he killed 5 in the Bay area.

He adopted other monikers also - it's just that ''Zodiac'' was one he came back to, if he felt so inclined.

In the 1970's he made Los Angeles his primary home - but found himself rarely there. Apart from August 1973 - August 1974, he was work based in Western Europe. So, for that ''window'' of April 1978 to July 1978, he was on leave from abroad. I believe related to North Sea Oil.

Others will have other theories.

Richard
7/28/2024 07:56:43 am

Here is another theory. We assume he went quiet between 1971 and 1974, and 1974 and 1978, but we don't know how many letters were written during this period from Zodiac. The 148 cipher, Monticello card, Novato letter, Albany letter, Channel 9 letter, July 19th 1978 letter and 1986 letter were never reported in the newspapers. Even though it's pretty obvious that the 1986 and 1987 letters were written by the same individual, the 1987 letter was splattered throughput the newspapers statewide, yet the 1986 letter appeared not once. Robert Prouty, a documents examiner, said in 1987 they were getting about 15 bogus Zodiac letters a year. Even at this rate, we could have 60 letters between 1974 and 1978 that could be from Zodiac. How did they know they were bogus without DNA and fingerprints? By handwriting of course. But assuming there were none, I would argue that the Zodiac Killer never stuck to a template - he was unpredictable in just about everything he did. He responded to The Esorcist movie but seemingly ignored Dirty Harry - or did he?

Rubislaw32 link
7/28/2024 08:34:54 am

Interesting comments, Richard.

I have the Zodiac down for ''The Benicia High School Note'' - of ''November 22nd 1973'' - the 10th anniversary of JFK's assassination. Furthermore, that it was a mural. The Zodiac flew in to Sacramento Airport from Los Angeles - then hired a car, and booked a hotel room in Sacramento - in order to drive to Benicia, late evening, and create the ''mural'' (closer to graffiti).. Then drive back to Sacramento, catching a plane the next day, back to Los Angeles.

One example of an ''extra'' Zodiac correspondence beyond the ones you have mentioned. Benicia PD and CA DOJ should/will be in the know on the ''Benicia High School Note''. The correspondence following the Albany letter & cryptogram (Aug 1973) - and before The Exorcist letter of Jan 1974.

Rubislaw32 link
7/28/2024 09:38:06 am

Always possible that there might be a correspondence to the phenomenon of Dirty Harry, Richard. But, somehow I doubt it.

Dirty Harry was pursuing a weirdo extortionist who also killed. The Zodiac naturally wouldn't have seen himself in that way. The Zodiac, of course, was an Intellectual Snob - but just couldn't see it.

I think the Zodiac did get his own back, in a way, on Clint Eastwood, who agreed to the role of the man who brought down ''Scorpio'' - based on some aspects of the Zodiac. Yes - the 1990 Celebrity Cipher postcard, that must have appeared to be some sort of threat on the famous actor Eastwood..

Richard
7/28/2024 10:16:47 am

But also the 1990 Celebrity Cypher arrived just after the Sally Jessy Raphael with various celebrities including Robert Graysmith and Pam Huckaby. This was the most significant event related to Zodiac prior to his September 25th 1990 card.

Rubislaw32 link
7/28/2024 10:47:37 am

Indeed there is ''competition'', as such, for inspiration content to the Celebrity Cipher solution.

Also, there was the recent announcement of the separation, with a pending divorce, of Don and Bettye Harden. The Zodiac may have seen that as a cause for celebration - inferring that their humiliation of him, over the quickly solved Z408, didn't buy them ultimate happiness. The reality seems to be that Bettye had suffered from depression for many years, and it just became too much for Don.

But, I would suggest the (dummy) threat on Clint Eastwood's life, is the favoured option. ''_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _'' could be ''Clint Eastwood'' or '' Harry Callahan''. Also, the ''apparent'' Oakland address. Essentially, Eastwood's upbringing.. Moreover the photo of Carmel, which became, and is to this day, his home. .

Joseph
7/28/2024 10:59:52 am

Officer Eric Zelms name can be seen on the fallen Officers memorial plaque at the beginning of Dirty Harry 1971. I am surprised Zodiac never seemed to mention the Dirty Harry movie.

jibberjabber
7/28/2024 01:36:52 pm

Same here, unless "I am waiting for a good movie about me" was some sort of indirect reference to Dirty Harry, Z sardonically meaning he did not think Dirty Harry was a good movie about him

jibberjabber
7/28/2024 01:35:25 pm

I tell a lie, there is no crosshairs symbol on the Exorcist letter either, so no name Zodiac and no crosshairs. Just the kill count which is consistent to previous Z letters

Johnny
7/29/2024 04:53:07 am

This letter sounds as it could be Toschi though ( or someone else
trying a little to hard ).

Jibberjabber
7/29/2024 09:05:46 am

But what is this letters DNA provenance (if any) is what I would like to know. DNA is king in this case


Comments are closed.
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    The Zodiac Killer may have given us the answer almost word-for-word when he wrote PS. The Mt. Diablo Code concerns Radians & # inches along the radians. The code solution identified was Estimate: Four Radians and Five Inches To read more, click the image.
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