In previous articles we have made a case for the Vallejo and Benicia areas being the home of the Zodiac Killer based on geographic profiling, but on this occasion in the interest of impartiality we shall make a case for San Francisco, but from nothing more than what the killer specifically wrote in two pieces of correspondence. He was a braggart and egotist and like many killers he may inadvertently have left clues in his correspondence, that individually reveal nothing, but taken as a collective could possibly narrow down his possible residence to within a few blocks, when we piece back the jigsaw.
The biggest argument for his base being San Francisco is the correspondence itself, with the majority of the letters mailed in this region to the San Francisco Chronicle. Using the 'least effort principle', in that people are generally lazy and usually perform a task closer to home, when at all possible, this could apply to the Zodiac Killer when mailing his letters. One alternative suggestion was that he lived across the bay and worked in San Francisco and this is equally plausible, however for the purposes of this argument we will leave that one behind.
We are fairly certain the Zodiac Killer used a vehicle to depart the scene in his first three attacks, but in the Presidio Heights murder of Paul Stine there is much doubt, some swear he had a getaway car waiting nearby, while others suggest he may have lived close by. What we do know, is the Zodiac Killer fled the scene on foot and claimed he entered the park and for the purposes of this article we shall take everything the Zodiac stated at face value and see where it leads us.
The biggest argument for his base being San Francisco is the correspondence itself, with the majority of the letters mailed in this region to the San Francisco Chronicle. Using the 'least effort principle', in that people are generally lazy and usually perform a task closer to home, when at all possible, this could apply to the Zodiac Killer when mailing his letters. One alternative suggestion was that he lived across the bay and worked in San Francisco and this is equally plausible, however for the purposes of this argument we will leave that one behind.
We are fairly certain the Zodiac Killer used a vehicle to depart the scene in his first three attacks, but in the Presidio Heights murder of Paul Stine there is much doubt, some swear he had a getaway car waiting nearby, while others suggest he may have lived close by. What we do know, is the Zodiac Killer fled the scene on foot and claimed he entered the park and for the purposes of this article we shall take everything the Zodiac stated at face value and see where it leads us.
In the article 'The Truth Behind 9/11', we took the Zodiac statements in the Bus Bomb Letter mailed on November 9th 1969 and saw if all his wording corroborated itself from the standpoint of his claim he was in the park. In other words did every phrase he used, tied together, point to one specific location only and if nothing else, it did. It suggested he was in the park watching the unfolding events for a limited time before moving off. That location was into the park off the intersection of Jackson and Spruce Street. The idea was, that this was his intended escape route from the moment he planned this murder.
The Zodiac stated "I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington St + Maple St last night." and if this was originally his intended murder site, then an exit up Spruce Street into the park is definitely closer than where ultimately the taxicab was found.
The Zodiac stated " 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of them called me over + asked if I saw anyone acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun & the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I disappeared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again." This description tallies with Spruce Street, which is situated approximately a 'block and a half away.' from the Donald Fouke and Eric Zelms sighting.
The Zodiac stated "The dogs never came with in 2 blocks of me + they were to the west." Arguello Boulevard, where Zodiac described the police cars and fire trucks and where the hive of activity was focused, is just over two blocks west of Spruce Street.
And finally Zodiac stated "there was only 2 groups of parking about 10 min apart then the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west." The only view of Arguello Boulevard from Zodiac's position in the trees adjacent to Spruce Street, is the section of road running northwest. In fact it runs from south to northwest, just as the Zodiac stated. In fact if he was concealed in the trees by Spruce Street, then everything he said would effectively be true. The reason the Zodiac only has an eyeline on this section of Arguello Boulevard, is that the rest is masked by trees, as it was in 1969. Here is the depiction once again before we continue.
The Zodiac stated "I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington St + Maple St last night." and if this was originally his intended murder site, then an exit up Spruce Street into the park is definitely closer than where ultimately the taxicab was found.
The Zodiac stated " 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of them called me over + asked if I saw anyone acting suspicious or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun & the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I disappeared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again." This description tallies with Spruce Street, which is situated approximately a 'block and a half away.' from the Donald Fouke and Eric Zelms sighting.
The Zodiac stated "The dogs never came with in 2 blocks of me + they were to the west." Arguello Boulevard, where Zodiac described the police cars and fire trucks and where the hive of activity was focused, is just over two blocks west of Spruce Street.
And finally Zodiac stated "there was only 2 groups of parking about 10 min apart then the motor cicles went by about 150 ft away going from south to north west." The only view of Arguello Boulevard from Zodiac's position in the trees adjacent to Spruce Street, is the section of road running northwest. In fact it runs from south to northwest, just as the Zodiac stated. In fact if he was concealed in the trees by Spruce Street, then everything he said would effectively be true. The reason the Zodiac only has an eyeline on this section of Arguello Boulevard, is that the rest is masked by trees, as it was in 1969. Here is the depiction once again before we continue.
Tracker dogs were employed in the search of the park 'The military police headquarters of the Presidio of S.F. was notified and an intense search of the Julius Khan area was made by seven dog units, other Richmond and C.P. units- to no avail.' From the Stine Report. But this took time, enough that the killer could observe the unfolding events for a brief while. Now going on the basis the Zodiac Killer lived in San Francisco and was on foot, where does he go now. He can see the commotion on Arguello Boulevard so he certainly doesn't head west. Heading through the undergrowth into the park north is equally risky. View on Google Maps. He was aware he was spotted on Jackson Street, where Donald Fouke saw him (these were his claims), so it would be foolish and unnecessary to re-enter Jackson Street in a southerly direction, leaving the logical choice of heading east, away from the current search area. In other words the Cow Hollow district. But if he had no vehicle, did he live somewhere close by. In the 'My Name is..Letter' mailed on April 20th 1970 the Zodiac stated "I have killed ten people to date. It would have been a lot more except that my bus bomb was a dud. I was swamped out by the rain we had a while back," and in the Bus Bomb Letter he said "What you do not know is whether the death machine is at the sight or whether it is being stored in my basement for future use."
So again taking the Zodiac Killer at face value we shall look in this region of Cow Hollow or the Marina District for basement residences and flood plains in the region. The 'My Name is..Letter' could easily have been telling the truth also. It was mailed on April 20th talking of "rain we had a while back." San Francisco's rainy months are between November and April, averaging over 100 mm monthly. Here is the chart. If you take a look at this historical monthly and yearly rainfall map of San Francisco, it is evident that December and January were particularly heavy monthly rainfall totals in 1969/70 compared to the average, bearing out the Zodiac's claim of being 'swamped out a while back.' http://ggweather.com/sf/monthly.html
So again taking the Zodiac Killer at face value we shall look in this region of Cow Hollow or the Marina District for basement residences and flood plains in the region. The 'My Name is..Letter' could easily have been telling the truth also. It was mailed on April 20th talking of "rain we had a while back." San Francisco's rainy months are between November and April, averaging over 100 mm monthly. Here is the chart. If you take a look at this historical monthly and yearly rainfall map of San Francisco, it is evident that December and January were particularly heavy monthly rainfall totals in 1969/70 compared to the average, bearing out the Zodiac's claim of being 'swamped out a while back.' http://ggweather.com/sf/monthly.html
The map on the left shows areas vulnerable to sea level rise, low level areas close to the coast at mercy to the weather, in addition to heavy rainfall and storm surges. Click here to enter the map. Some residences within this area had basements, plus if you zoom in on the map you will notice Scott Street. One Zodiac suspect, Rick Marshall, highlighted in the 2007 movie apparently lived in a basement residence in Scott Street in 1969, a few miles from the crime scene. See here, although its exact address needs verification. So if we take it that Zodiac had no car that night, lived nearby and we take his statements as true, then logically his escape route from the park was east to low lying ground, vulnerable to flooding, which would send him on a collision course with the Marina District of San Francisco or very close by.
But equally, if he had a vehicle on stand by, his journey may well have been relatively short also.
http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/the-truth-behind-119
http://www.zodiacciphers.com/rick-marshall.html
But equally, if he had a vehicle on stand by, his journey may well have been relatively short also.
http://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/the-truth-behind-119
http://www.zodiacciphers.com/rick-marshall.html
