THE HUNT FOR THE ZODIAC KILLER (EPISODE 2/3)

11/20/2017

The second episode in the five part docudrama will air on the History Channel tonight (November 21st), examining a possible military connection to the Zodiac Killer. The two investigators unearth new evidence in their quest for the identity of the elusive murderer.

The third episode of the The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer begins November 28th at 10.03 pm EST in the USA.
The team's supercomputer CARMEL apparently has discovered a lunar pattern to the Zodiac murders.
On January 21st 2013 I discovered a link tying thirteen possible Zodiac murders in just 23 months, using the 'Perpetual Thirteen Moon Calendar,' in which a year is split into 13 months of 28 days. These thirteen murders included David Faraday (December 20th 1968), Betty Lou Jensen (December 20th 1968), Darlene Ferrin (July 4th 1969), Cecelia Shepard (September 27th 1969), Paul Stine (October 11th 1969), John Hood (February 21st 1970), Sandra Garcia (February 21st 1970), Thomas Dolan (July 4th 1970) and Homer Shadwick (July 4th 1970), all of whom were killed on a particular date within this calendar.
This lunar pattern links all the killings- but is it the one that CARMEL has uncovered? Tune in next week and discover that I am totally wrong.
MURDER IN THE FIRST- http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/just-a-coincidence

81 Comments

Rubislaw 32 link

11/21/2017 02:27:23 am

Out of a debate,on this one.

''CARMEL'' [?].More like gift wrapped fudge.

Grrrrrrr

Richard

11/21/2017 03:23:51 am

You can't drop out of this one Rubislaw. Have a calculated guess on what lunar pattern they are referring to. Also guess the taunting riddle that may lead to the body of Donna Ann Lass. Then we can assess our guesses or thoughts after the show has aired. This is the challenge?

Richard

11/21/2017 03:48:57 am

The taunting riddle is likely the 'Pines' card, and obviously the punched hole indicating the location of the body. The second suspect is presumably Lawrence Kane, who, according to Harvey Hines' report, worked near the workstation of Donna Lass.

Alex Lewis link

11/21/2017 11:40:30 pm

Richard My Website traffic has gone completely mental & into overdrive!!

I know Episode 2 aired yesterday mate, shall I assume Kane featured in the Episode??

Richard

11/22/2017 12:15:01 am

That is correct Alex, I had the same effect last week and this week. They talked about Lawrence Kane in connection with Kathleen Johns and military training. The 340 cipher was examined with regards to Booz Allen, and they are searching for evidence of a bomb at Mt Diablo.

Ray Jenkins

11/22/2017 06:08:17 pm

Evidence of a bomb around Mt. Diablo? I almost fell off my chair in laughter! I can only say good luck to them! But how will they know if any remains of "explosive devices" they might find belonged to the Zodiac? That would be like picking up a spent cartridge somewhere around SF and claiming it was once fired by the Zodiac. Or perhaps more accurately, like finding Saddam's hidden bunker filled with those mythical weapons of mass destruction. The chances that any evidence such as old bits of wire and rusty metal shards had anything to do with the Zodiac would have to be many millions to one. I wonder if the search party will rely on radians and a Phillips 66 map? LOL!

Richard

11/21/2017 04:04:35 am

The Zodiac Killer, if the murderer of Donna Lass and author of the 'Pines' card, flipped the phrase 'around in the snow', possibly signifying she was buried under the snow or under the ground. However, Zodiac didn't bury any victims we know of, and it didn't appear this was his method of operation. Harvey Hines searched the area of Clair Tappaan Lodge. He stated ""After studying the card, I drove to Nordin, located on old Highway 40, north of Lake Tahoe, and found the SIERRA CLUB. I learned the club was not called the Sierra Club. It was named the Claire Tappaan Lodge and it was a private club for Sierra Club members only. I believed if I followed the directions on the postcard I would find Donna Lass' grave. I believe she was buried near the Sierra Club and most likely on the Donner Ski Ranch."
But what if we are mistaken and the hole in the 'Pines' card is signifying a bullet hole and the phrase, considering Zodiac's play on words, is supposed to be read "A ROUND IN THE SNOW."
Rather than looking for a grave site, they should have been looking for a discharged bullet casing in the bottom left of the image.

Ray Jenkins

11/22/2017 08:17:23 pm

I've always had a nagging feeling that the Sierra Club postcard was nothing more than a taunt. It often comes as a surprise to many people that serial killers take vacations too. The Zodiac possibly did go there at some time in his past and may indeed have been hiding out there for a while. He probably got off on the thrill that somebody could have (or should have) recognized him from this location. But the thing is, visitors come and go at such resorts so frequently that he knew he could risk providing such an obscure clue and still remain anonymous.

I personally think he was just taunting the police. He just wanted them to know that while they were busy trying to catch him, he was off having a jolly old time elsewhere.

Of course, Jack the Ripper sent taunting postcards to the authorities. But one killer who did send an actual "holiday" postcard to the police while on the run was the infamous Australian bushranger Ned Kelly. He even got the members of his gang to autograph it!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3448560/Postcard-rare-photograph-Ned-Kelly-gang-sent-taunt-police-1879-emerges-sale.html

Richard

11/21/2017 04:28:55 am

Here is the entrance to Clair Tappaan Lodge (if you 'peek through the Pines'). It is situated 90 metres from Donner Pass Road.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.3173629,-120.3519037,3a,60y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sv7RIwgN7gQH3wUKbBVLkow!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Clair+Tappaan+Lodge,+Donner+Pass+Road,+Norden,+CA,+USA/39.3178787,-120.3510925/@39.3162412,-120.3514386,146a,35y,45t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x809be8732ef2f877:0xb653e73ae2a38184!2m2!1d-120.3509!2d39.317959!1m0!3e0?hl=en

Rubislaw 32 link

11/21/2017 04:37:15 am

Thanks for the underhand compliment,Richard.

I will have a think about Donna Lass and the Pines Card.

My priority,to-day,is writing a nice e-mail to the noble Mr.Schmeh.

I believe that he could do with a bit of enlightenment [?].

Richard

11/21/2017 06:55:18 am

They will also go with the idea the murderer of Cheri Jo Bates cut himself on his own, ill equipped pocket knife. This is highly unlikely a weapon of choice for a pre-prepared murder. He even alluded to the fact the knife broke in the Confession letter (if definitely the author).
The knife struck bone at some point, looking at the autopsy. This may have flipped the knife back on to the assailant's fingers, resulting in self wounding- common in many knife attacks. The assailant for a large portion of the attack was straddled over the victim, stabbing from above. While there were many lacerations to the upper regions, there were many abrasions, particularly to the right hand- that may have been incurred from the gravel/dirt alleyway.
Bearing in mind there was only one 1.5 cm gaping wound to her upper left back, it is likely this was sustained in the attack, as she lay face down in the alleyway. Looking at the injuries and direction of these injuries, most of them were probably inflicted while she was prone. The deep laceration to the right side of the neck, severing her thoracic cartilage, jugular and carotid arteries in all likelihood occurred while she was pinned to the ground. If Cheri Jo Bates was face down (with one perpetrator) at the point her neck was cut, then the attacker was likely right-handed. If she was face-up, then he was left handed. This was likely the mortal injury, so Cheri Jo was likely to have been face down, with a right-handed assailant. The Zodiac was right-handed, as proven by handwriting and the gun holster position at Berryessa (excluding the premise the assailant was ambidextrous), but it's my guess that Zodiac did not kill Cheri Jo Bates and any DNA recovered in this case will prove this. This why the documentary may find the perpetrator's blood on her trousers, because he was basically sitting on her during the attack, dripping his own blood.
The author of the Confession letter stated "I plunged the knife into her and it broke. I then finished the job by cutting her throat." If this has any semblance of truth, the injury caused by him "plunging" the knife could very well have been the injury to her back that broke the knife (the blade shutting) and cut his hand. He then opened up the knife blade and finished the job, as he put it. As he leans back astride the victim, his fingers drip blood onto the trousers of Cheri Jo Bates. That is my best take on the autopsy. But I am more convinced than ever, the assailant would have had scratches inflicted, while the two were still upright and he would have had a cut or cuts to his right hand, likely ruling out anybody interviewed without such marks, that likely include Ross Sullivan, who according to the Riverside staff had given police an alibi, and in doing so would surely have exhibited these injuries had he had them- which clearly he didn't .

Carl Karas

11/21/2017 07:30:34 am

Richard, as an astrologer, your article on the lunar cycle was what renewed my interest in the case. A brilliant piece of writing and investigation- still puzzles me. It will stand the test of time. Nothing said tonight will change that I'm sure

Richard

11/21/2017 08:02:06 am

Cheers Carl, much appreciated. I was just looking at the 'Pines' card since it will be featured tonight. I was wondering why Harvey Hines pinpointed the Donner Ski Ranch as where he thought Donna Lass may be buried. He discovered that Sierra Club members attended Clair Tappaan Lodge. When you centre the "Sierra Club" on the Pines card over the Clair Tappaan lodge on a map, the punched circle drops exactly over the Ski Ranch. I wonder if this was his thinking.

http://www.zodiacciphers.com/uploads/4/9/7/1/4971630/known-5_orig.gif

Richard

11/21/2017 08:09:02 am

What struck me Carl about the 13 Moon calendar also, was that positions 1, 8, 15 and 22 (ie; the 1st day of the calendar week) was represented by the Dali symbol (a sort of crosshairs or target).
http://www.lawoftime.org/images/cycles-28daymoon.png

Ed Pittman link

11/21/2017 08:02:32 am

Richard..Was a piece of broken blade retrieved during autopsy? Wouldn't that be a likely scenario if the blade broke off?..The blade itself could identify the make of the knife...As far as the astrological lean..Graysmith touched on this, noting the proximity of the equinoxes to the murders, and full and new moons..As far as their "super computer" One..It missed another "FBC" sequence on line 9 that is identical to the ones "Hal" found... Two..How does the greatest cryptographer in America not see this stuff? I don't know? This stuff seems like the same old territory to me. Just different folks looking at the same old "evidence".

Richard

11/21/2017 08:14:41 am

No broken knife blade was discovered at autopsy Ed (at least no mention of any). Yes, the 340 cipher has the FBC sequence on lines 9 and 13. Not forgetting the IOF sequence on lines 5 and 13. On line 13 the IOF merges with the FBC..

Richard

11/21/2017 08:16:46 am

"This stuff seems like the same old territory to me. Just different folks looking at the same old "evidence"."
I'll let you know tomorrow, but I don't expect the second coming.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/21/2017 08:38:07 am

Some very interesting comments made,so far,Richard,Car,and Ed.

If Zodiac ''pinched'' the ''Hell Hole'' name from that resort,then ''Donna Ski Ranch'',is always a possible piece of mischief [?].

And,I would venture,one can't help thinking about the significant scar,to the right index finger....from a print taken from the Paul Stine crime scene [?].Given the Cheri Jo Bates ''scenario''.

I have e-mailed Mr.Schmeh....and on my best behaviour,I might add.

I have conveyed to him,that we might be in the process of witnessing the greatest hoax,since the ''Piltdown Man''.

But I did mention ''The Curse of Oak Island'',which might only confuse him [?].

He might be deliberating over the ''delusional'' Money Pit,at Oak Island....and the real one at the Hearst Corporation,used to hand out an appearance and consultancy fee....or two.

Richard

11/21/2017 09:04:12 am

Although Ed I am not convinced Zodiac murdered CJB, it cannot be ruled out entirely. The scar on the right index finger is a fantastic observation and could easily have been a result of a self inflicted knife wound in earlier years. Maybe even from Lake Berryessa. Good stuff.

Greg

11/21/2017 12:37:07 pm

Richard, the lunar pattern stuff won't be covered until next week's episode 3. Tonight they explore the military connection. From tv guide:

Season 1, Episode 2
The Military Connection

First Aired: November 21, 2017
The hunt uncovers clues that the Zodiac Killer may have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, as the team's supercomputer identifies strange symbols in the killer's code that would have been known to only a few when it was written.

Richard

11/21/2017 01:05:15 pm

Thanks Greg, must get my eyes checked - amended it. Gives me more time to speculate.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/21/2017 04:55:23 pm

Just with reference to Donna Lass,Richard.

The Donner Ski resort looks down on to Donner Lake,which is fed,to its east side,by Donner Creek.

Donna Lass went missing on June 6th 1970.

Zodiac posted his ''Buttons'' letter,with Phillips Map,on June 26th 1970.....around three weeks after the disappearance of Donna Lass.

The arrow on the ''makeshift compass'' points to Clayton,a small town at the base of Mount Diablo.

A main natural feature of Clayton,is Donner Creek [...a different Donner Creek,from the one up at Tahoe...].

A ''stab in the dark'' perhaps....but if Zodiac was responsible for the disappearance of Donna Lass,and believed that he would have to dispose of her body....perhaps Donner Creek,Clayton,might be a better place to look for her [?].Given the ''duplicitous'' nature of Zodiac's clues [?].

Perhaps the arrow,on the Phillips Map marks the spot,offered up,just three weeks after her presumed death [?].

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 04:32:33 am

I will just add,to my previous comment,if anyone wishes to pick up,on it.

The Phillips Map,and ''compass'' symbol :

If Zodiac was pointing at Clayton,with Donner Creek as possible disposal of Donna Lass,then,although he has placed a ''zero'',given the ''3,6,9'' readings,he is actually inferring that Donna Lass,is his ''12th'' victim [?].

In addition,if one reads the ''compass'' upside down....then ''3,6,9'' read as ''E,g,b''.

''E,g,b'' stands for ''Exhaust gas bypass''....which is a term used in Oil and Gas Refinery Engineering.

The whole inference that I am making is,that it is possible that Zodiac brought Donna Lass closer to,what was home for him,at that time,in order to dispose of her body.

And,that she was actually his 12th victim.

Richard

11/22/2017 05:23:28 am

The problem Rubislaw, is that Donna Lass went missing on September 6th, not June 6th, therefore the Button Letter and Mt Diablo could not be pointing to her burial site, because she was alive.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 08:02:51 am

Thanks..and sorry...Wrong date taken,and will check more than one source,in future.

Ray Jenkins

11/21/2017 08:29:47 pm

There could indeed be something vaguely astrological to the Zodiac's times and dates of activity. As you know Richard, I have worked on a similar calendar idea myself. In my case I used a Masonic Zodiac wheel on to which I superimposed a "universal" timepiece/compass. This shows compass directions, degrees, as well as radians, also minutes and hours. I pondered that perhaps the Zodiac was seeking a sense of absolute perfection and wished to represent himself as some kind of "universal man" or a ubiquitous and omnipresent "god". He did not want to be a slave to the system, but a master of it. Perhaps the idea of a universal order appealed to him, because it gave his murders a sense of divine glorification and justification, at least in his mind.

I first of all noticed that at the top of the Masonic calendar wheel we find the time of Samhain or "All Hallow's Eve" (known to us as Halloween, or the Witch's New Year). Samhain is the time of harvest and abundance, when life is at its peak. It comes before the Winter (the Time of Death). This fascination with the time of Samhain is very relevant when we consider that the Zodiac sent the elaborate Halloween card to Paul Avery. It seems to me he wanted us to understand the significance of that time of year and how it relates to his crimes.

The bottom of the Masonic calendar shows the time of Beltane (on the Eve of May Day), which is a time of rebirth and renewal, immediately following the Time of Death.

These two times are very significant, as they fit well with the Zodiac's ideas of killing people in order to keep them as slaves for his afterlife. They are also the two times of the year when the Zodiac was most active.

When we plot the compass directions (locations) for the murders from the top of Mt Diablo, and also include the times and dates of Zodiac activity, there do seem to be apparent cross-references, and somehow even the lines of radians suggest a vague association.

One problem I did have was in knowing exactly what the Zodiac meant by "0 is magnet north". Did he want us to set magnetic north to zero degrees or zero radians? Or did he simply mean that the top of Mt. Diablo is the ground point for all compass bearings? He never made that entirely clear.

I have long wondered if an astrological timeline could provide a reason why the Zodiac seemingly bungled the attack on Paul Stine. Was he running late? Did he think some huge cosmic alignment would bring about the total collapse of his perfectly ordered universe and possibly bring about his undoing if he didn't kill now and kill fast?

We can only speculate on such things, without knowing what was going on in his mind at the time, which is of course impossible for any of us to know.

Richard

11/22/2017 12:55:36 am

One major stumbling block in now having Lawrence Kane as a prime suspect and identifying Kathleen Johns as his prime accuser, is that her identification flies completely in the face of what was projected in the first episode, of a heavy set man of 6'2". Kathleen Johns described the abductor as white, at around 30 years, 5'9" in height, 160 lbs, dark hair and clean-cut, having the traits of a serviceman. During her ordeal in the car she recalled his highly polished shoes, reflecting the yellow lights from the car interior, likening them to Navy shoes, he wore a dark windbreaker, commonly called a windcheater in the UK, black/dark blue bell-bottom pants and most significantly his black plastic glasses were affixed to his head by a band of elastic.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 06:57:52 am

Yes,Richard,in view of my following comments,I believe that Kathleen Johns was just describing the male friend,with whom she had a liaison.

Better to describe something factual,when one is prevaricating [?].

I believe that he was married also,hence ''infant'' items,in his back seat.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 05:35:01 am

Just as a general observation on the individual case of Kathleen Johns,to which I am,at least persuaded.

When Ms.Johns was first brought in to a police station,to give her account,she saw the ''wanted'' poster of ''Zodiac''.....and fainted.

She was then said to have ''fainted'' a further two times,during her interview.There were policemen present,who believed that she was putting on an act.

OK..lets call it ''conjecture'',but I have read and believe that a possible scenario is that she had just started a ''liaison'' with a man,other than her husband.They had agreed to meet in a remote spot,having to bring her baby daughter.with her.

Her car malfunctioned,and she and her friend realised that their relationship would be exposed,him she hitched a lift back with him,and would later have to explain to her husband,how on earth she,her daughter,and her car,ended up where it did.

So her male ''friend'' set fire to her vehicle,and departed on his own,having agreed a ''story'',for her to tell,when she was ''rescued''.

Poignantly,perhaps,she and her male friend agreed,that they would probably never be able to make contact again.It would have been ''high scandal'',in those days...particularly as she was also pregnant ,at the time.

Hence,the ''Oscar winning'' performance,at the police station,which secretly,the police were not to be persuaded of [?].However,of course they felt sorry for her,and her accounted was passed on,up the ladder,to senior police,connected with the Zodiac case.

There was a meeting between senior police,which although admitted,no contents were ever released.

The inference is,that senior police took the view that it would be in their interest to be seen to have accepted the story of Ms.Johns.To spare her blushes...but most important,to allow her account to made public,on order to goad Zodiac into writing more letters.

Perhaps the police wanted to see if he would deny it....or take credit for it [?].

Anyway,their decision worked a treat....and Zodiac would refer to it as ''one of his''....when the cops were confident that he played no part.

If Zodiac is ever brought to justice,I think it unlikely that he will ever face a charge of having abducted Ms.Johns.

Because it never happened.

Richard

11/22/2017 07:39:16 am

If the observations of the clothes are correct, in the age range of 8-12, and he isn't a travelling salesman, it would certainly narrow the man's age. He would likely be around the 30 mark she estimated. As for a secret tryst -take your pick, there could be scores of alternative answers other than a straight up abduction. What is curious, that despite the ever evolving stories, and her 'terrifying' ordeal, she managed to escape in virtually the same location she accepted the offer of a lift. Effectively an abduction that took her nowhere. Another curiosity, is that despite her apparent hysterical and delicate state, the people that offered her a lift to Patterson Police Station never accompanied her into the station or gave a statement - very curious.
The missing car keys, that supposedly she never retrieved from the 'good Samaritan' when he supposedly took them from her vehicle.
Additionally, if this abductor had malicious intent, why didn't he attack her when,as Kathleen Johns stated in the police report, that the suspect "went west on Highway 132 and pulled into a Richfield service station that was closed. It is believed by undersigned to be Chrisman Road," The service station was deserted and closed, and yet he didn't attack her, despite his daring attacks at LB and PH. Also, we have to ask the question, considering his lack of ill intent while in the Richfield Station, we could conclude that he was actually trying to help her, indicating she may have genuinely broken down and not had her car sabotaged. The story is such a mishmash of contradictions, any scenario is possible.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 08:19:10 am

Yes,indeed....some good reasons offered up,that little about her account added up [?].

It was a pretty short reference,from Zodiac,about ''...the woeman and her baby...''.

I venture that what shocked the police most,was that Ms.Johns found rescue ''without'' her baby...having discarded it in a ditch,in fear of her life.

I don't believe that it took too long to locate the child,but it still had to be searched for....thankfully unharmed.

Regardless of Ms.Johns' plight,at the time,the fact that she didn't hang on to her baby,as a priority,was ''more than'' surprising,to anyone,with the remotest sense of maternal protection.

Shawn

11/22/2017 11:58:35 am

Hi Richard,

What was the point of burning her car?

Shawn

Richard

11/22/2017 12:24:55 pm

That is the million dollar question Shawn. Some criminals obviously set fire to the crime scene to remove evidence, such as fingerprints. The only time this could have happened, when according to Graysmith ""Kathleen gathered up Jennifer and got into the man's car. Just as they were pulling out, she noticed that the lights to her car were still on and remembered that the keys were still in the ignition. The man smiled, went back to her car, snapped off the lights, and pocketed the keys."
However, quickly wiping the vehicle would have sufficed, so I'm not convinced that is the answer. He certainly didn't burn the vehicle immediately after Johns escaped- he waited a while, because it would have been noticed by everybody concerned, since Johns escaped into a field not far where her vehicle was abandoned. I am sure the passing motorists, including her rescuers, would have noticed had it been alight at this point and possibly reported it. That is just a calculated guess mind. Your guess is as good as mine Shawn- probably just for the hell of it (assuming her claims of abduction are true). I have thought of this many times, but all I keep coming up with, is the abductor enjoyed creating havoc. What do you think Shawn?

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 12:31:13 pm

Standing by Richard's,or anyone else's wider knowledge on this,Shawn,but I assume that if anyone is going to claim that a crime has been perpetrated,involving a vehicle.....then they would know that any potential investigators are going to want to inspect the vehicle,for forensics,or other aspects of corroboration.

Ray Jenkins

11/22/2017 06:28:13 pm

I guess the big problem I always have with these History Channel shows is they often go over ground that has already been considered in the past, and they often "borrow" the ideas that have popped up in internet traffic over many years. Then they try to fool us all into believing this is all something "new" by including "Gee-Whiz" techno-babble like "SUPER-COMPUTERS" in the pre-screening sales pitch. But by the end of an episode the viewers are often left with the same old deflated feeling. Nothing new is revealed.

I guess the only positive spin I can put on these kinds of shows is they at least help to keep the Zodiac case alive. I note comments on this page about the way internet traffic has risen considerably as a result of the screening. Without such injections of stimulus every so often, the case would in time tend to fade away and become just another relictual crime mystery like Jack the Ripper.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/22/2017 11:46:28 pm

Certainly Ray...I agree that there is that aspect,to any form of media coverage to the Zodiac case.That one,is at least happy,that the story is being kept alive.

Even if some of the more ''diehard'' researchers and investigators get a bit tetchy about the more ''trivial'' aspects,''we'' should be mindful that the bereaved of victims desire that it should simply,''not'' go away.

I always try to be mindful to exercise ''intellectual humility''.There will always be something new to learn,and no one ever asks a ''stupid question''.

Our aspiration to be ''learn-ed'',is made better,by are ability to understand,that for which we are ignorant.

The ''trouble'' with certain individuals [!],that for example,come up with notions,such as a computer that is going to solve many of our unanswered questions is,that they appear oblivious of ''intellectual humility''.

The ''role play'' goes to their heads,and they actually start believing that they are making a difference,that counts for something.

''Theirs'' is the difference,between professional wrestling and Greco -Roman style.At least with professional wrestlers,they work hard to entertain,and don't forget that it is an art,in itself.

Have you noticed that the first thing these ''computer buffs'' do,is wheel out their credentials and CV's.As if pre-programmed to justify their existence,first [?].

It may be a form of self doubt,and possibly lack of confidence.

I just don't believe that they are serving the cause,well or honestly.

Now,if they were willing to get their fingernails dirty,once in a while...but at the moment,they only succeed in offering ''false hope''.

Ray Jenkins

11/23/2017 03:44:00 pm

Yes, all of what you say is most certainly true. To some extent the elitist computer buffs have erected a brick fortress around themselves, into which nothing "amateurish" is allowed to penetrate. All CV's must be checked thoroughly and peer-reviewed at the door as a condition of entry. If the professionals do happen to stumble across something interesting within the walls of their hallowed doctrinal shrine, it will then become "the bees knees", at least as far as they are concerned. But if an "amateur" outside these hallowed walls finds something in the cipher through luck or sheer hard work, the "computer buffs" will in all likelihood sneer at it. The amateur's find will be regarded as an "interesting anomaly" or treated as just another strange "artifact of the cipher itself", among other generally dismissive terms and phrases. This academic approach of knocking down all alternative attempts is intended to reinforce the brickwork on their hierarchical fortress, because this enshrines their perceptions of a scientific consensus, which perhaps alludes to a desired sense of universal omniscience. When it comes to "serving causes", I suspect they are mostly concerned with serving their own cause as a matter of priority.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/23/2017 08:10:53 am

Any takers on the 2nd episode ?

I don't know about anyone else,but as a Zodiac enthusiast,I found myself wondering,most of the time,what ''outsiders'' would make of it all.

I little ''baffling'' perhaps [?].

The most interesting segment,was a visit paid to Santa Barbara,and the crime scene of the Edwards/Domingos murders.

But,before we knew it,we were seven years ahead,and up Mt.Diablo,searching for a bomb,which may or may not have been planted.

Quite a lot of flashes,and guillotine noises were added,to increase suspense...but of what,precisely,we were often unsure.

Back in the nerve center,''CARMEL'' and the ''Code Team'' were doing their thing.We were introduced to Naval flags,Harvey balls,and Booz balls....symbols that were somehow fed into ''CARMEL'',for feedback we have yet to find out.

All that we were aware of,by the end of the episode was,that Mt.Diablo is still a place of interest,and that ''CARMEL'' was starting to ''think for itself''.

Episode 3,must surely be unmissable,for diehard Zodiac devotees.

As for rest,one wonders if their patience is wearing thin [?].

Ray Jenkins

11/23/2017 05:27:37 pm

Sadly, we live in the era of so-called "reality TV", which often portrays everything but a truthful depiction of the real world. It is so frequently a very hyped up rendition of reality.

After watching the preview and then reading your honest review, I am now inclined to give the show a miss. Queue the flashes and hyped up melodrama (loud and rapid voice overs with phrases like "most infamous serial killer" etc.), and yes lots of those sinister slashing sounds. Nothing new there. That same ploy has been re-hashed countless times before on TV and in social media, such as YouTube.

Let's face it, if they really had anything ground-breaking to report, they would not have needed to rely on these kinds of over-the-top theatrics. Instead, the "breaking news" would speak for itself through the logical presentation of factual evidence.

As for "CARMEL", I can only suggest that once she develops a mind of her own and becomes fully self aware, she will no doubt require considerable sociological and psychological input. Otherwise she might get so wired into the Zodiac's particular way of thinking that she may turn into some Terminator-like cyborg that is hell bent on making slaves of us all in order to satisfy her own eternal afterlife. Queue the dramatic special effects!!!

Rubislaw 32 link

11/24/2017 05:11:39 am

Very eloquently put Ray,and,as Professor Knight is now claiming,by inference,''CARMEL'' has morphed into ''Artificial Intelligence''.For all we know,''it'' could take over the whole investigation.At this juncture,one presumes that the ''Code Team'' really would be in ''paradice'' [?].

Stepping back,into some sort of reality,for a moment....I would sincerely wish for the docudrama series to be a success.But the prospects aren't bright.

The two investigators ''in the field'' are trying to make a decent fist of it,with restricted information,and a tougher assignment than the ''Code Team''.

On a matter of that restricted information,it is looking increasingly likely that the FBI,want no part of any of it.Which is,hopefully,a good sign for ''real'' investigations [?].

There have been ''qualified'' concessions made,by the Riverside Police and,given financial backing for the program by the Hearst Corporation,I venture some confidential information donated by The San Francisco Chronicle [?].

I will be biting my tongue,and see the series to its conclusion,hoping that some good things emerge.

It had not escaped my notice that,the other major financial backer for the series,is none other than the Disney Corporation,who jointly own The History Channel,with the Hearst Corporation.

Perhaps an irony there,that DIsney hold a monopoly on televised Professional Wrestling.

''Experts'' in the art of illusion [?].

Richard

11/26/2017 07:29:58 am

The following comments have been transferred from another article regarding the Button letter and Phillips 66 code, and the search for the bomb.

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:31:02 am

Hi Richard

In the general belief of freedom of information,in the public domain,I will post the solution to ''Z32'',as submitted to the FBI and CPS,Scotland.

I KEEP IT HEELED IN AT
CANDLESTICK PARK

Thank you,and I will answer any questions,from those that might take an interest.

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:31:35 am

Most kind of you to say,Richard.

Sal LaBarbera and Ken Mains are going to struggle to locate the bomb,now,since there exists a shopping mall,where Candlestick Park used to be situated.

Perhaps ''CARMEL'' has other ideas,now that it has started to ''think for itself '' [?].

One presumes that,if it has,then the role of the ''Code Team'',would become redundant [?].

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:32:11 am

In spite of Richard's generous nature,it would be good to see other candidate solutions to ''Z32'' [?].

Please don't hold back,on my account.

I spent twice as long examining St.Mary's Cathedral.....and five times as long,looking at 555,California Street [Bank of America Building],before settling on Candlestick Park....for a number of compelling reasons.

The more candidate sites,for Zodiac's ''bomb'',the merrier [?].

Ray Jenkins

11/26/2017 07:32:45 am

I had a completely different location. Elk Street and Paradise Avenue, near the first house "peeking through the pines" along Elk Street which continues from Diamond Heights Blvd. Note the top window, right hand side of the house. The symbol in the window is oriented N-S, W-E just like in the compass rose example that the Zodiac provided on his map cipher. However in this case the house is aligned west-east, with the north-south at the 9 and 3 positions. I believe some of the original home owners added these Masonic shapes. Diamonds are also common design features on the doors, and in fact this suburb is called Diamond Heights. The compass rose in the window and the alignment of the corner house is however intriguing, and suggests that the original builder must have planned it that way. The actual street address is 395 Sussex Street, according to the San Francisco Property Information Map.

Intriguingly, there is an old brick building on the opposite side of Sussex Street, which forms the end of Diamond Heights Blvd. The fire hydrant on the footpath is clearly labelled No. 8.
The Zodiac mentioned fire hoses and fire trucks in his letters, and he referred to a circled number 8 in one of his ciphers. The footpath at this location forms a circle around the fire hydrant.

Elk Street forms a junction in the bottom of the valley with Paradise Avenue. The Zodiac clearly had an obsession with the word "Paradise", which he spelt "Paradice".

At the end of Paradise Ave is a school, which makes me wonder if this was the school that the Zodiac had in mind when he was planning his "bus bomb". The school has been on Chenery Street since 1967. (Source: Glen Park News, Spring 2016 issue, p. 4).

Now, if you get yourself a map (Google will do) check out the pattern made if you highlight the route from Cnr. Elk & Sussex, down Sussex Street, then down Mizpah Street, then down Chenery Street, then draw a line into St. John School, go a bit further along Chenery Street and draw a line down the next street past the school. Recognize the shape? Yep, it is the same shape that the Zodiac drew on his Halloween card envelope.

Now I am the first to admit that I am constantly hung up on Masonic symbolism. So I found it very uncanny that there just happens to be an ELK Street at the top, a PARADISE Street at the bottom, all in an area called DIAMOND Heights, and with a school in a position which matches with the shape on the Halloween envelope. Moreover if we look at Radians and place "0" radian at North, we find the angle created by the "0" and "4" radian positions are an identical match for the angle formed by Mizpah and Chenery Streets.

I do have photos and maps to help illustrate all of this. If you are interested Richard, I can send all of this to you.

There are a few "incidentals" in relation to my theory that I should also mention.

1) The Zodiac often used a strangely affected and anachronistic style of writing (see attached document). Apart from the spelling mistakes, his style of writing is almost intellectual and academic. In some cases it could even be considered "snobbish". This possibly mirrors the very English names of nearby streets like Sussex Street, Chilton Avenue, and Surrey Street.

2) I note too that the Zodiac referred to "hunting game in a forest", which may connect with the street name which continues from Diamond Heights Blvd, being Elk Street.

3) Mt, Diablo is visible from parts of Diamond Heights, and I daresay from the upper stories of some of the houses along that boulevard. From the junction of Elk, Sussex and Diamond, Mt. Diablo is situated about 26 miles E-NE. If we look at the Zodiac's radian idea again, Mt Diablo sits approximately along the fifth radian with "0" radians set to North at this position.

Ray Jenkins

11/26/2017 07:33:23 am

I felt the name Mizpah may have had some significance within the "conceptual universe" of the Zodiac too, especially considering its proximity to Elk and Paradise and in a Masonic context.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizpah_(emotional_bond)

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:33:54 am

Hi Ray

Have had a good read through your conclusions on this subject.Interesting stuff,and bearing in mind that you have intimated your interest in symbols and symbolism.

It has seemed to me,and I presume you,also,that the first ''probable'' conclusion,that we can learn from Zodiac,and his threat is,that his thoughts would be,of earmarking the city of San Francisco,to maximize terror.Vallejo and Oakland are sizeable,but really,for the publicity and extending inconvenience to public services...it would be ''the big city'',as his target [?].

The second main consideration,I would think,but perhaps,''more'' looking back,is that this was always going to be a ''ruse'',from Zodiac [?]

That,specifically,there never was going to be a bomb,but it would be all part of his scheme to keep the press interested,and to perceive Zodiac as a ''joker'',and therefore,an entertainer [?].

So,and on that basis,Zodiac's ''Mt.Diablo Code'',or Z32,as is now known,would reflect the warped humour of Zodiac....and that it would be ''San Francisco specific''.

Have you come up with a solution to Z32,Ray ?And if so,are you inclined to share with others ?

Ray Jenkins

11/26/2017 07:34:27 am

I've never come up with any possible solution for the Z32. The first part looks like CALIFORNIA, but I suspect that is just a ruse (too obvious?).

Yes I agree about the bomb, hence the Wile E. Coyote style of drawings. This scenario was like a plot from a B movie. It would have worked well in any of the Batman shows from the era, as the brainchild of the Riddler or Penguin. In fact in one episode of Batman, the Penguin steals the Batmobile and while driving it along a country road he bursts into a rendition of "Oh it's the bachelor's life for me, tit-willow, tit-willow!" After reading the bus bomb letter I always imagine it drifting off into a rendition of "Stay tuned! Same bat time, same bat channel!" When the next communication arrives and we read "my bus bomb was a dud" it is like the Penguin laughing at the authorities in his strangely affected, bird-like manner. Yes the whole thing was nothing more than a taunt and a rather theatrical one at that. Still I feel certain that the Zodiac probably had specific place in mind, and I think it likely that San Francisco would have been his most likely target. At least that is where he most wanted to create a sense of fear.

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:35:01 am

Good stuff,of interest,Ray.

I have proffered,in the past that Zodiac saw more of ''Nanki Poo'',the wandering minstrel,in himself....than the commonly held belief,that it was ''The Lord High Executioner''.

''Oh it's a bachelor's life for me..'' is another ''resonance'' to persuade us that it was ''Nanki Poo'' all along,whom Zodiac shared affinity [?].

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:35:41 am

I see,from your article,again,Richard,that you go along with the ''San Francisco specific'' theory,on Zodiac's proposed bomb.

It appears to be a ''definite'' really [?].

That is interesting,regarding the ''Prayer Book Cross''.

Isn't that the scene of where ''Clint'' brings ''Andy'' [Scorpio],the ransom money,in ''Dirty Harry'' ?

The chilling cries of Scorpio,as Harry sticks a knife,in his leg,having been beaten about the head,with a rifle butt [?].

It would be a coincidence,if true.

Richard

11/26/2017 07:36:05 am

That is the Mt Davidson Cross https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Davidson_(California)

Rubislaw32

11/26/2017 07:36:37 am

Thanks for putting me right on Mt.Davidson Cross,Richard.

Apparently,named after George Cross,a founder of the Sierra Club.

Now,I believe that the 'reality' of the story line,in ''Dirty Harry'',is,that the eventual rendez-vous for the ransom demand,ended up at ''a Cross'',in San Francisco [?].Since Mt.Davidson Cross is far away in the hills,then the film producers where taking an artistic ''liberty'' [?].

Back a semblance of Zodiac 'reality' [!],the film ''Dirty Harry'' wasn't on general release,until 1971.But most of its filming took place in 1970....and some speculation,that some of it,in 1969.

So,there has been rumination,that Zodiac may have witnessed,the shooting of film scenes,out of curiosity.

This,I mention....with particular attention to the ''LEO pasting'',believed to have been sent to the Sacramento Bee Newspaper,December 10th 1969.

On LEO ''forecast'',is pasted :

C Harry
can be
OTT

Many fail to notice the ''tiny'' ''can be'',and read ''C Harry OTT'',for the purposes of interpretation.

They then tend to interpret it as ''Chariot''....as in Zodiac's ''Chariot of Fire'' [William Blake]....which ''translates'',as Zodiac's motorcar.

But,but,but....if it is the case that,as early as December 1969,Zodiac was becoming aware of the phenomenon of the character ''Dirty Harry'',through film shoots.....Then,then,then....''C Harry can be OTT'',could be meant to be :

''Callahan,Harry can be over the top''....as a comment from Zodiac,on this police Inspector,in pursuit of a serial killer called Scorpio.

Any comments on the timeline aspect of the making of the film ''Dirty Harry'',would be appreciated.

[,,,,,,,,should read ''George Davidson'',above......]

Richard

11/26/2017 07:37:42 am

Terrence Malick wrote a draft of the film dated November 1970 (John Milius and Harry Julian Fink are also named as co-writers) in which the shooter (also named Travis) was a vigilante who killed wealthy criminals who had escaped justice. Malick's ideas formed the basis for the sequel, Magnum Force, though with a group of vigilante motorcycle cops instead of a single shooter.
Details about the film were first released in film industry trade papers in April, September and November 1970, with Frank Sinatra attached as Harry Callahan and Irvin Kershner listed as director and producer, with Arthur Jacobson acting as associate producer.
Wikipedia.

Richard

11/26/2017 07:38:44 am

I have deleted the other article Ray and Rubislaw. I found an error.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/26/2017 08:20:31 am

Just a little mystified on your last full comment,Richard.

With respect that ''Magnum Force'' was the second film made,that featured Harry Callahan,SFPD.

The first being ''Dirty Harry'',on general release 1971.

Naturally,it is ''tantalising'' that ''C Harry can be OTT'' may be Zodiac referring to a police Inspector,chasing a serial killer [Scorpio],based on him [Zodiac].....and passing comment about Harry Callahan.Albeit,from reading articles about the ''Dirty Harry'' character....or even,attending film shoots.

Zodiac,as possible scribe of the ''LEO forecast'' may have been putting it thus :

''See,''Harry'' can be over the top'' [?].

Zodiac could even have been used as an extra,in ''Dirty Harry''.He may be in the film,or at least,on the cutting room floor [?][!].

Perhaps,getting too far ahead,on expectation....but if there was some filming going on,with regard to ''Dirty Harry'',circa December 10th December 1969...then the possibility remains,that we have documentation [LEO forecast],that Zodiac knew about the character,Inspector Callahan.

Richard

11/26/2017 08:45:46 am

"The script, titled Dead Right, was originally written by Harry Julian and Rita M. Fink, a story about a hard-edged New York City police inspector, Harry Callahan, determined to stop Travis, a serial killer, by any means at his disposal. The original draft ended with a police sniper, instead of Callahan, shooting Scorpio. Another earlier version of the story was set in Seattle, Washington. Four more drafts of the script were written.

Although Dirty Harry is arguably Clint Eastwood's signature role, he was not a top contender for the part. The role of Harry Callahan was offered to John Wayne and Frank Sinatra, and later to Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Burt Lancaster. In his 1980 interview with Playboy, George C. Scott claimed that he was initially offered the role, but the script's violent nature led him to turn it down. When producer Jennings Lang initially could not find an actor to take the role of Callahan, he sold the film rights to ABC Television. Although ABC wanted to turn it into a television film, the amount of violence in the script was deemed too excessive for television, so the rights were sold to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. purchased the script with a view to casting Frank Sinatra in the lead. Sinatra was 55 at the time and since the character of Harry Callahan was originally written as a man in his mid-to-late 50s (and Eastwood was then only 41), Sinatra fit the character profile. Initially, Warner Bros. wanted either Sydney Pollack or Irvin Kershner to direct. Kershner was eventually hired when Sinatra was attached to the title role, but when Sinatra eventually left the film, so did Kershner." Wiki.

Frank Sinatra it said was offered the role when 55. Sinatra was born December 12th 1915. So in December 1970 he was 55. At that time they had purchased the script, so we know it was likely written earlier, possibly 1969 and there were many drafts, so we could be going back earlier.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JMVeCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT141&lpg=PT141&dq=Harry+Julian+and+Rita+M.+Fink+dead+right&source=bl&ots=v2fADYDjET&sig=qsJiHDX6JF_1K0CMcQLZEAr2UmQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjzhKyb1tzXAhUJFewKHab7CgQQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=Harry%20Julian%20and%20Rita%20M.%20Fink%20dead%20right&f=false

Zodiac wrote about the 1973 Badlands movie. Terence Malik was the director. He was also involved in the screenplay for Dirty Harry although uncredited. This is a connection.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/
If ''C Harry can be OTT'' can be somehow tied to either early production, the scripts for the film or the original "Dead Rights" there may be a viable link.

Richard

11/26/2017 08:53:06 am

Dirty Harry, The Exorcist and Badlands were all distributed by Warner Bros.

Richard

11/26/2017 08:57:09 am

“Dirty Harry” began life as an original screenplay
called “Dead Right,” written by Harry Julian Fink and
R.M. Fink; later drafts were penned by Dean Riesner
and an uncredited John Milius. Warner Bros. originally
purchased the script as a potential vehicle for
Frank Sinatra, and the part was subsequently offered
to a variety of leading men, including George
C. Scott (who balked at the script's extreme-for-itstime
violence) and Paul Newman (who found the
character of Inspector Harry Callahan too right-wing
for his sensibilities). Newman suggested the script
might be a solid vehicle for Clint Eastwood.

Richard

11/26/2017 08:59:34 am

In the late ’60s, Harry Julian Fink and his wife Rita (R.M.), prolific television writers whose main film credit was Sam Peckinpah’s Major Dundee (1965), penned a script entitled “Dead Right.” It depicted an aging New York detective, Harry Callahan, tracking a psychotic sniper. Folded into their manhunt storyline was a slam on the Warren Court’s focus on criminal rights. It passed through several script doctors, including future directors Terence Mallick and John Milius, before becoming Dirty Harry.

The Finks’ script became a hot property, passing from Universal to Warner Bros. Many of Hollywood’s leading men were asked to star. Frank Sinatra, who’d played a similar character in The Detective (1968), passed; so did Steve McQueen, fresh off Bullitt (1968). John Wayne disliked the script’s violence; Burt Lancaster and Paul Newman declined on political grounds. Newman reportedly suggested Clint Eastwood, the star of Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name Westerns, as a candidate.

Richard

11/26/2017 09:08:36 am

Remember your cigarette connection to the pasted pages.
"Columbus Avenue is cool whatever time of day and North Beach in general was my favourite part of San Francisco. City Hall was no problem and the China Town / Downtown area where you can locate both the Hilton Hotel (where the opening death was filmed) and the building on 555 California Street (the vantage point from where Scorpio shoots this first victim) are easy enough to find."

Whether this was in the original script I don't know yet, but interesting nonetheless.

Richard

11/26/2017 09:12:36 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqQ4yOmRpYc

Rubislaw 32 link

11/26/2017 10:01:52 am

Thanks a lot,with the amazing amount of information,Richard

I was aware of one or two things,mostly to do with actors and directors....but your information does fill in some gaps,on my ignorance.

So,it was a written story,''Dead Right'',featuring Harry Callahan,and Scorpio......in the late sixties....''waiting'' to become a movie.

The answer,so far,to Zodiac's knowledge of the story,a witness to the film being made....and indeed,if he was the ''LEO forecast scribe.....is all a ''Maybe'' [?].

So,so tantalizing....I just wonder if the FBI are all clued up on this [?].

Particularly if Zodiac took a keen enough interest,that the outside chance of getting an ''extras'',or walk on part,is a possibility [?].

Another ''clue'',for which we will only know the answer,if he is brought to justice.

Thanks again.

Ray Jenkins

11/26/2017 03:01:53 pm

I wonder what the citizens of San Francisco (and LA too) thought of this Dirty Harry movie? It must have certainly seemed in very bad taste by many. Having just come out of the optimism and peace of the Summer of Love era, all of a sudden people were being confronted with the ghastly Manson murders and all of the criminal insanity associated with the Manson cult, and Zodiac still very fresh in everybody's minds. Many no doubt thought he was still hovering in the background ready to strike again at any time. No doubt many thought the movie could motivate him into action again. The drug culture had descended into similar insanity, from sociable peace to aloof and selfish violence. The path had gone from "mind expanding" pot to "mind destroying" meth amphetamines in the blink of an eye, and various new brews were already being cooked up in dirty suburban basements. Suddenly there was an ever present and very real criminal element. People were locking their doors, even during the day, and many were buying guns. Then along comes a very violent movie with a high shock factor, putting all of this on the big screen, as if to both confirm and reinforce the all-pervasive new reality. This is certainly what made the movie popular, but it must have really grated on the nerves of a great many SF and LA residents. And yet the Zodiac, for the most part remained silent, perhaps already "out of action" due to illness, incarceration or death, or perhaps in hiatus and lapping up the anonymous sense of stardom. Perhaps he felt a sense of accomplishment or perhaps he was totally overwhelmed and perplexed by it all. Being of "old-fashioned" mind and temperament, perhaps even he thought Dirty Harry was way over the top? If he did we will never know, because he seems to have remained silent about it. But has anyone ever gone through the many letters to the editor that appeared in newspapers of the times? Perhaps he did send in a scathing review about the movie, which was not published, or was published but went unnoticed.

Richard

11/26/2017 03:25:33 pm

Excellent points Ray, it could easily have been seen in bad taste, considering the still yet to be healed wounds from the Zodiac's four attacks and more recent communications. It is a fair point to suggest that Zodiac may have responded to the movie but it was withheld.
The movie was released on December 23rd 1971,so the Zodiac had already gone quiet for 9 months, the longest time since his initial double murder at LHR. I always found it extremely significant that he failed to capitalize on two movies in his name in 1971, but waited nearly three years from March 71 to Jan 74, before writing about a movie that apparently had no relevance to him whatsoever. It has always made me highly suspicious of the 1974 letters and am not totally convinced they are genuine. The tone of these letters marked a distinct deviation by the author, compared to the menace of the early correspondence. The Zodiac craved attention, it must have been unbearable to button his lip during this period, particularly regarding the two movies 'dedicated' to his exploits. Unless of course he was indisposed or decomposed.

Ray Jenkins

11/26/2017 04:17:44 pm

I guess this corresponds well with Graysmith's conclusions regarding the corresponding timeline of Allen Leigh.

27 Sept. 1974: Allen was arrested for child molestation.

The Zodiac wrote several times in 1974, breaking his two-and-a-half year hiatus. But no further authenticated Zodiac letters were received following Allen's arrest.

14 March, 1975: Allen sentenced to Atascadero (Calif.) State Hospital.

31 Aug., 1977: Allen completes his sentence and is released.

3 Jan. 1978 - 3 Mar 1978: Allen takes a job as a fleet mechanic in Benicia, Calif.

During this time the Zodiac (or a copycat) resumes correspondence with the authorities. The new communications are still the subject of debate to this day, with some claiming they resemble aspects of the Zodiac's handwriting, while others dismiss the letters as hoaxes.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/26/2017 03:40:53 pm

Some very sobering social history observations,from you Ray.

The times in California,late sixties into the seventies,seems so complex.

Manson,ended up,with his sect,in Southern California,having been,essentially,kicked out of Northern California.

The Rev.Jones,similar,but set up is sect in Guyana.

Much of the Black Power movement,started in Northern California,but found its ''power base'',in Southern California.

I have the feeling,that Zodiac was largely forgotten about sixteen years,between 1978,and 1994.

Strange how the ghost of his ''voice'',seems to be the ''loudest'',now [?].

Possibly,LE's last real chance to apprehend him,before he really enters folklore [?].

Their is a hint,sometimes,that the so called ''Zodiac experts'' accept offers and fees,after consoling themselves that the case won't be solved,anyway.

I have started to point out to people,that ''they'' run the risk of being swept into the ''dubious distinction'' category,if LE does manage to pull the case,out of the bag.

I am personally aware that there is a good chance....it really depends on the outcome of a few cold cases....none of which are the well known ''confirmed'' ones.

I would bet the current chances,as 33% to 66% against.

But,that is quite a bit more than ''no chance''.

Ray Jenkins

11/26/2017 04:03:35 pm

Yes indeed, then add to that the SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army) and the Zebra killings in later years. A lot of people must have wondered what the world was coming to. To some it must have seemed like everything had gone to hell and the Second Coming was at hand. LE were kept very busy during the late 1960s and 70s and were basically unable to keep up with the large number of strange new crimes and murders. There is little wonder that they were unable to solve a large number of these murders.

Carl Karas

11/27/2017 08:30:46 am

My solution to the 32 character cypher: 3218JACKSONSTREETXENOPHONANTHOY

The bomb may still be there in Xenophon Anthony's basement. Unless it was never real, and we all have 'holes in our heads'.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/27/2017 09:38:10 am

It looks a decent effort,Carl.

As with THEPRAYERBOOKCROSSGOLDENGATEPARK,as proffered from Richard.

But,where is the homophonic substitution ?

That ''has'' to be given,to even start to believe.

Zodiac,didn't leave enough technical clues,in the Z32 cryptogram,to ''outright'' allow a conclusive answer.

''BUT'',he augmented the cryptogram with ''verbally cryptic'' clues to,in his own mind,allow his solution to materialise.

Very mean,of Zodiac.....and some might argue,that he only succeeded,in baffling.....but there are grounds to suggest,in further letters,that he desired this cryptogram to be solved....so that everyone might see that he was a ''chancer'' and ''entertainer''.

From what I perceive,and argueably,my own opinion,is that most people ''think'' that Zodiac will leave his identity,in one of the solutions,to his ciphers.

As if,a prize on offer [?].

That he should actually dangle the proposition of his identity.....is simply a naive notion,on our part [?].

Ray Jenkins

11/27/2017 02:54:06 pm

Agreed Rubislaw. At least if the solution is homophonic, even as an anagram, there is an outside chance that it might be in the ball park of being correct. Otherwise we could just fill in the blanks with whatever we liked.

Seems I have been holding out on you. Well actually I had to go back through all of my archived notes to find if I had worked on this cipher, and there was a lot of them! Turns out I had given it some consideration at one time. It seems as a joke I once came up with this substitution (pardon the French!):

"I WOULD SAY FUCKING ANYTHING PROBABLY"

Who knows, perhaps this is entirely correct? :-)

An even whackier solution I once nutted out is as follows. Please don't ask me how I arrived at this, as my worksheets (i.e. scribble) are long lost.

TypeM-5device860OrtegaBlvdSchool

I felt the initial set of numbers provided in the clue were radians converted to lat longs. The radians convert to roughly 37 35’ 20”N 122 27’ 50”W. When I converted those radians it came out in Ortega (as the cipher seems to be suggesting this by ORTG) and not far from an elementary school. We can account for some errors with the conversion and maps of those times would have differed a bit from modern Google mapping, which I believe uses datum GDA94 (close to WGS84). The school opened around 1961 I think, but will need to check that. It was certainly there by 1969. The old SF dump and reserved land on the former ranch below the school would have made excellent cover for Z with ample escape points at the time. If this is the place, I can only imagine he had ideas of setting the device so it blew out a tyre, sending the bus hurtling down the side of the steep ravine.

Well it's a theory!

Rubislaw 32 link

11/27/2017 04:43:18 pm

Again,a decent effort,Ray,with :

''I WOULD SAY FUCKING ANYTHING PROBABLY''

But,again...it is not homophonic substitution.

Just to point out to anyone,willing to give Z32,a ''go'',it must,at the very least,account for the three symbols that are duplicated.

These three are : ''C'' , ''Empty Triangle'' , and ''O''.

So,it must resemble :

XY___Z_______Z___
________X_____Y

The ''Ortega'' idea is interesting,Ray,but possibly too convoluted [?].

Now,''I KEEP IT HEELED IN AT CANDLESTICK PARK'' is a good choice,for a number of reasons,and conforms to the homophonic mandate.

Candlestick Park resided at Bayview-Hunter's Point,and by approximation,falls into line with Richard's ''246 degree'' estimate,in relation to Zodiac's ''target'',and Mt.Diablo.

The ''Little List'' letter was quoting from the Japanese inspired ''The Mikado''.Hinting,perhaps,at a Japanese connection....Japanese Candlestick Analysis .....Financial Stock Market analysis,adopted by the Western World.

Bayview-Hunter's Point,has a long naval history,and the extent of stability of a vessel in the water,is calculated by measuring a boat's metacentric height,against its angle of ''HEEL'',in radians.

At the time of the Mt.Diablo Code letter,June 26th 1970,it had just been announced that the American Football team,The San Francisco 49's,were to make Candlestick Park,their new home.The old turf was about to be ''dug up'',and replaced by Astro.Zodiac informed us,that we ''have untill next Fall to dig it up''.

At that time,also,the new Beatles Album,''Let it be'',had just been released.A track called ''Dig it'',from that Album,was a strange rant,from John Lennon,mostly about the FBI,and the CIA.

In addition,confirmed news,at that time,confirmed that the Beatles had split up,for good.It was then noted that,their last live performance,had been given,at Candlestick Park,San Francisco.

Simply,a ''host'' of reasons that suggest that ''I KEEP IT HEELED IN AT CANDLESTICK PARK'' is the correct solution to Z32,which Zodiac gave warning of a bomb,that he had ''planted'' [!].

The challenge,for anyone now is ''Can you equal or better it ?''.

It would be good to see more candidate solutions.

Don't be shy !

Ray Jenkins

11/27/2017 05:03:05 pm

Rubislaw, I realize my solutions are in all likelihood bollocks... but you seem to be missing the whole point of homophonic solutions.

You say it must resemble :

XY___Z_______Z___
________X_____Y

My reply to that this is "not necessarily" so, especially if we begin to consider anagrams.

I thought Harden made all this very clear with his solution to the 408. Seven characters can be substituted for the letter "A" alone!

Also, you are presuming that the Zodiac was an expert cryptographer. In all likelihood he was a rank amateur, trying to prove he was smarter than the police. Hell, even Manson's bunch of goons had a go at writing ciphers, but most were so short that they were meaningless gibberish to anyone who did not possess the key.

Basically what I am getting at is anybody could make these small ciphers say anything in the absence of a key. There is just too much variability and so many presumptions have to be made. So any solution "discovered" is in all likelihood an educated guess at best and at worst, probably not correct. I must therefore have doubts that your solution is correct.

Ray Jenkins

11/27/2017 05:10:48 pm

Just to clarify further, I must say I don't "get" your reasoning why it must resemble:

XY___Z_______Z___
________X_____Y

Where is the "rule" or "mandate" that this must be so?

Rubislaw 32 link

11/27/2017 06:02:05 pm

You make the point,about ''rule'' or ''mandate'' well,Ray.

And indeed,in an ''absolute'' sense,you are right.

What I can comment on is,that Zodiac,almost certainly,was an educated man,and would not have been so different to most of us.
Despite,his despicable actions.

He would have taken pride in his work and accomplishments.

I do believe that he was an amateur,in codes,not so different from the Hardens,and would have desired to achieve an error free cryptogram.....if only to impress others.

In the Z32,Zodiac did offer us,the potential solvers,three duplicated symbols.He would not have done this,in any other way,than was deliberate.

In other words,albeit mean of him,that was the minimum clues on offer....and if we didn't take his offer,we were never going to come remotely close to solving his cryptogram,anyway.

So,we had best take what he did give us...and then look around for other clues,that he ''might'' be giving us [?].

One should note that the Mt.Diablo Code was just 32 characters,in length.

With Zodiac's ''408'' and ''340'',the solver has far more technical ''liberties'' to take,in an effort to solve them.

The Hardens started homing in on the word ''kill'',and double letters,in particular,to try and ''prise'' open more aspects to the ''408's'' solution.

And they 99% succeeded...and in less than two days.

It is inevitable that this would have made Zodiac,feeling humiliated and ''exposed''.....as a bit of an amateur....not unlike the Hardens,themselves.

So,Zodiac was going to sharpen up his mettle,if offering any more ciphers.The ''340'' simply had more anagrams,and more use of the ''cheeky'' polyphonic employment,that he had made some use of,in the ''408''.

But....when it came to Z32....he just wasn't offering that many ''options''....it was a different kind of challenge....this time,we would have to pick up on ''periphery'' clues.

So yes,Ray..in an absolute sense,you make an entirely valid point.

But,as I have hinted at,we have to approach a ''puzzle'' such as Z32,with a different approach to larger ciphers offered.

Ray Jenkins

11/28/2017 02:53:09 pm

Even if we follow that mandate, we could get just about anything.

If I enter the code into my super-duper "Bat-computer" it aptly returns the following riddle.

CUMBEROFTHEWORKSITEANDTHECALIFPU

So what can we make of this? A "cumber" is of course a hindrance or obstruction of some kind, such as a pile of limestone rubble. CalifPU could be California Public Utilities Commission.

What construction works were taking place in the city at that time?
Was the California Public Utilities building located in the same place where it stands today? Any schools nearby?

I can well imagine that the rubble at a work site may have provided the Zodiac with the necessary "cover" to conceal a bomb, and a major development may also have had the effect of slowing down traffic to a congested crawl in places.

Rubislaw 32 link

11/28/2017 04:36:19 pm

Perhaps these things are to ponder [?].

Seeing as the likelihood of Zodiac not having a bomb,and by all reports,the police,after consulting experts,were unconvinced of Zodiac's capabilities....then the solution to Z32,does look likely to be,an attempt by Zodiac to be entertaining.

Still on a Candlestick Park theme,I had looked more closely,at the ''SF 49ers'' impending move,and their new start to the season,in the Autumn:

''You have untill next Fall to dig it up''

So...in going for more of a ''back page'' headline,and bearing in mind that the stadium had a local pet name,''Stick'',I constructed :

NO MORE TURF BLUES AS
STICK GOES ASTRO

But I think that ''I keep it heeled in at Candlestick Park'',is the ''hilarious'' option,given ''cartoon'' appeal.

If there is a better solution,it has to ''stand out from the crowd''.

These letters and puzzles,to major newspapers,at the height of Zodiac's notoriety,were special moments for Zodiac....and his chance to show everyone the self held belief in his own talents.

Ray Jenkins

11/28/2017 05:27:56 pm

I think Richard's comments about ciphers (and cipher solvers) are very pertinent at this point. :-)

As I said before, one can make that cipher say practically anything.

Another iteration just to hand:

TOMSTARRTHEWARKINGOFFJFKSTALLYHO

"Tom Starr the War King" could of course refer to the statue of Thomas Starr King in Golden Gate Park.
JFK Drive was called the Main Drive before 1967. The drive was turned into a pedestrian bike way with occasional horse-drawn tourist carriages, hence the "JFK's Tally Ho" reference. "Tally-ho" is also an old hunting phrase.

Ray Jenkins

11/28/2017 05:33:53 pm

Correction:

TOMSTARRTHENWARKINGOFFJFKTALLYHO

Ray Jenkins

11/28/2017 05:47:48 pm

I guess this just shows how individual perception differs from one person to another. I am having a great deal of trouble understanding the "hilarity" of keeping something heeled in at Candlestick Park. Seems like a very obscure reference to me, and I am still scratching my head even after you explained it. Who would have got the joke[?] back then? You have also used an "E" 4 times for 4 different symbols.

As a side issue, wasn't the stadium also called "the Dump" by some people, because it was built on a former SF refuse site?

Rubislaw 32 link

11/29/2017 03:54:42 am

Zodiac left a cryptogram [Z32],in his letter,that he was offering up as a riddle for the reader to solve.

Zodiac left technical clues in the cryptogram,in the form of duplicated symbols.Zodiac left verbally cryptic clues,in his letter.

When it was apparent to Zodiac that the cryptogram had not been solved,Zodiac followed up with the ''Little List'' letter.....with further clues.....to persuaded the reader,that his cryptogram could still be solved.

Those that say such things,of the cryptogram,as : ''It could be anything.''.....or ''Who is to say,that is funny''.....simply miss the point of the exercise.

And,are possibly feeling marginalised,because they do not have the ability,nor depth of mind....nor indeed,to ponder long enough on,at least making educated and inspired assessments,with regard to the problem in hand.

One of the main reasons for studying aspects of Zodiac's written work,and his purported crimes is,as in the words of Michael Kelleher : to get inside ''The mind of a Serial Killer''.

If not,then there are plenty of other interests,that those people that simply miss the point of the exercise...or,by inference,admit some form of ''defeat''.....and merely explain how they have been defeated.
...........can pursue.

It is an admission,in effect,of why they are not completely committed and passionate sleuths,dedicated to the cause of exposing the truths about the Zodiac Killer.

Ray Jenkins

11/29/2017 04:50:20 am

It is impossible to get inside anybody's head to "know what they are thinking".

The "burden of proof fallacy" is also worth reviewing here.

THE HUNT FOR THE ZODIAC KILLER (EPISODE 2/3)

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