Only six weeks away from claiming the August 3rd 1969 San Jose murders of Kathie Snoozy (15) and Debra Furlong (14) in the "Dripping Pen" card on November 8th 1969, the Zodiac Killer attempted to augment the perception he was involved in their murders, by reinforcing newspaper stories of his possible connection to this crime and adding "by knife" on the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia of Bryan Hartnell at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969. The obviousness of the double stabbing by the lake, a clear indication that the wording on the car door had greater purpose. This became clear when the Zodiac Killer drew us a "bleeding knife" on December 16th 1969, when he mailed the second Fairfield letter. This letter was the product of a Los Angeles Times newspaper article earlier that morning, which told of the Zodiac Killer's "hint" on November 8th 1969 that he was responsible for the slayings of Snoozy and Furlong. There is no way to prove the following concept, but it's eminently possible that his two phrases of "bleeding knife" and "by knife" were deliberately taken from the newspapers which detailed the murder of Debra Furlong and her resulting autopsy.
In the San Jose Mercury on August 6th 1969, Dr. John Hauser, who performed the two autopsies on the teenage girls, stated that he couldn't attribute a specific cause of death, but concluded that it may have been from "bleeding" or lacerations of internal organs or both. On the same day, August 6th 1969, the Los Angeles Herald & Examiner ran an article entitled "The Victims: 16 Young Girls", featuring pictures of Kathie Snoozy and Debra Furlong. The picture of Debra Furlong had the wording "killed by knife" written under it. The phrase "by knife" that was written on the car door at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969. One year later, on October 27th 1970, "by knife" was added to the Halloween card, which appeared to incorporate "4-TEEN" or "4 teenagers" into the running victim total of fourteen. The Zodiac Killer was only claiming the murders of four teenagers by October 27th 1970. They were David Faraday (17), Betty Lou Jensen (16), Kathie Snoozy (15) and Debra Furlong (14).
In the San Jose Mercury on August 6th 1969, Dr. John Hauser, who performed the two autopsies on the teenage girls, stated that he couldn't attribute a specific cause of death, but concluded that it may have been from "bleeding" or lacerations of internal organs or both. On the same day, August 6th 1969, the Los Angeles Herald & Examiner ran an article entitled "The Victims: 16 Young Girls", featuring pictures of Kathie Snoozy and Debra Furlong. The picture of Debra Furlong had the wording "killed by knife" written under it. The phrase "by knife" that was written on the car door at Lake Berryessa on September 27th 1969. One year later, on October 27th 1970, "by knife" was added to the Halloween card, which appeared to incorporate "4-TEEN" or "4 teenagers" into the running victim total of fourteen. The Zodiac Killer was only claiming the murders of four teenagers by October 27th 1970. They were David Faraday (17), Betty Lou Jensen (16), Kathie Snoozy (15) and Debra Furlong (14).
Also, on August 6th 1969, the San Francisco Chronicle released an article entitled "The Frenzy of San Jose Girls' Slayer". The newspaper gave the proposed burial site of Kathie Snoozy at the Oak Hill Memorial Park in the Monticello neighborhood of San Jose (which formed part of the 07/13/1971 Monticello card), and released details of the five remaining family members of the Furlong family, that the Zodiac Killer may have threatened on December 19th 1969, three days after the "bleeding knife" of Zodiac offering.
It appeared as though August 6th 1969 was integral to at least three "communications" (car door, Fairfield letter, Monticello card), and one phone call to the San Jose Highway Patrol on December 19th 1969, in which the Zodiac Killer spoke to dispatcher Shirley Searey and claimed he would "kill five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday".
In 1971, two communications were mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle (the 148 character cipher in probably May and Monticello card on July 13th), which both indirectly referenced the Snoozy & Furlong murders and the recent murder of Kathy Bilek (18) in Saratoga on April 11th 1971. The 148 character cryptogram contained the ciphertext symbol of a "mirrored N", just like the Halloween card on October 27th 1970.. The phrase "by knife" was written on the Halloween card, not only reminiscent of the car door and picture of Debra Furlong, but the Halloween card very possibly also referenced Debra Furlong amongst the four teenagers he was claiming as victims at this juncture. The "mirrored N" would therefore have appeared in two communications from the Zodiac Killer, both of which suggested his involvement in the murders of Kathie Snoozy & Debra Furlong. The plaintext character for the "mirrored N" in the decrypted 148 character cryptogram was "K" for "Knife".
Another message would appear on September 18th 1973:
WHAT INSPIRED THE TOMBSTONE WRITING?
It appeared as though August 6th 1969 was integral to at least three "communications" (car door, Fairfield letter, Monticello card), and one phone call to the San Jose Highway Patrol on December 19th 1969, in which the Zodiac Killer spoke to dispatcher Shirley Searey and claimed he would "kill five of you officers and a family of five between now and Monday".
In 1971, two communications were mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle (the 148 character cipher in probably May and Monticello card on July 13th), which both indirectly referenced the Snoozy & Furlong murders and the recent murder of Kathy Bilek (18) in Saratoga on April 11th 1971. The 148 character cryptogram contained the ciphertext symbol of a "mirrored N", just like the Halloween card on October 27th 1970.. The phrase "by knife" was written on the Halloween card, not only reminiscent of the car door and picture of Debra Furlong, but the Halloween card very possibly also referenced Debra Furlong amongst the four teenagers he was claiming as victims at this juncture. The "mirrored N" would therefore have appeared in two communications from the Zodiac Killer, both of which suggested his involvement in the murders of Kathie Snoozy & Debra Furlong. The plaintext character for the "mirrored N" in the decrypted 148 character cryptogram was "K" for "Knife".
Another message would appear on September 18th 1973:
WHAT INSPIRED THE TOMBSTONE WRITING?
THE SOLVED 148 CHARACTER CIPHER
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