ZODIAC CIPHERS
RICHARD GRINELL, COVENTRY, ENGLAND
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THE SACRAMENTO DMV LETTER [PT2]

10/26/2019

 
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Chaucer, an excellent investigative contributor to the Zodiac forums, noted correctly that Robert C. Cozens was director of the State Motor Vehicles from 1969 until at least 1976. Here is a notation in history stating "DMV letter from the Director of the California DMV, Robert C. Cozens, dated May 31, 1974", indicating he was certainly active as director in 1974.

Ronald Reagan was the Governor of California for two terms, the first beginning in 1967 and the second in 1971. He left office in 1975, declining to run for a third term.
Here is an excerpt from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
OFFICE OF THE GOVERER, Sacramento, California:
Governor Ronald Reagan
today announced the appointment of Robert C. Cozens, 50, of Del Mar, as director of the State Motor Vehicles effective December 29, 1969. Cozens, a member of the San Diego county Board of supervisors with wide experience in transportation, highway and traffic safety matters, succeeds Verne Orr who has been appointed State Director of General Services.

As director of DMV, Cozens will also serve as Safety Coordinator for the State. He will receive a salary of $30,000 and will serve at the pleasure of the Governor. A Republican, he was appointed to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 1960 and was re-elected in 1962 and 1966. In addition to serving as both vice chairman and chairman of the Board of supervisors, he has also served as a chairman of the Local Agency Formation Commission, the San Diego County Comprehensive Planning Organization and Regional Transportation Coordinating Committee, the Airport Study Group of San Diego County, the Governor's committee on Traffic Safety, Traffic Operations to Improve Capacity and Safety Committee and the California Highway Functional Classidfication Advisory Comraittee.

Active in the County Supervisors Association of California, Cozens has served as general chairman of that group's Transportation and Public Works Committee, Aviation Committee, county Highway Safety Organization and City-county Sign Industry Committee. He is a member of the Southern California Regional Air Transportation Study Comrnittee, the Southern California Air Space Committee, the San Diego Stadium Committee, the United Community Services and the Engineering Grading Contractors Association.

A native of San Diego, he is a graduate of the Black-Foxe Military Institute and San Diego State College. During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and commanded a bomber squadron in the European theater. In 1944, as a lieutenant colonel holding the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three clusters, he was assigned to the Pentagon where he worked on the nation's missile program. Cozens and bis wife Patricia have three married children.


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The Zodiac Killer mailed several communications regarding the murders of Debra Furlong and Kathie Snoozy, brutally stabbed in San Jose on August 3rd 1969 - inextricably linked to the Zodiac Killer's Monticello Card mailed on July 13th 1971 insinuating the murder of Kathy Bilek in a wooded park in Saratoga on April 11th 1971. Three communications in 1971 can be linked together in the three young girls murders, one of which resulted in Karl Francis Werner being described as a "phony" by Zodiac, who he deemed responsible for snatching away his previously claimed attacks while being interviewed by detectives.

Tom Voigt of Zodiackiller.com stated "While I don't yet have as many details as I would like, at some point the Zodiac wrote a letter to the chairman of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California. The letter was authenticated, apparently via handwriting, and was kept quiet for reasons unknown".

Without knowing for certain, I have concluded that the DMV Letter was yet another response to newspaper and magazine articles that the Zodiac Killer had read. In October 1971, a magazine publication entitled 'True Detective' comprehensively featured the murders of Kathie Snoozy, Debra Furlong and Kathy Bilek, stating "At about the same moment, Park Ranger Ken Williamson was informing a member of the investigative team that he, too, had noticed a tall, bespectacled young man who had been a frequent visitor at Villa Montalvo. He was a loner and had impressed the Villa's ranger staff with his almost furtive conduct, said Williamson. The ranger had jotted down the license number of the strange youth's auto. The license number was forwarded to the California Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters in Sacramento, the state's capital 150 miles to the north of San Jose. The information teletyped back from the registration bureau was that the auto was the property of a Karl Francis Werner, living at an address on Shawnee Lane in San Jose".

After several 1971 communications such as the Monticello Card and 148 Character Cipher Letter mailed from the Zodiac Killer (including the March 13th 1971 'Los Angeles' Letter), it was apparent his obsession was focused on the savage knife murders of several females, including the suggestion of his involvement in the Riverside murder of Cheri Jo Bates on October 30th 1966. Then came the unfortunate news from his perspective, that his claimed murders of Debra Furlong and Kathie Snoozy as early as November 8th 1969, had been ripped away from him with the arrest of Karl Francis Werner in late April of 1971. His response was the 148 Character Cipher Letter and Monticello Card, which unfortunately fell on deaf ears. The police had arrested the real killer of these three young girls and Zodiac's vain attempt to claw them back had exposed him for the "phony" he was. However, that wasn't going to deter the Zodiac Killer, and he may very well have fired off one last hurrah in the form of correspondence to the Sacramento Department of Motor Vehicles. As Chaucer pointed out, Robert C. Cozens was appointed Director of the California DMV in 1969 and was serving during this period in 1971. 

If the Zodiac Killer had read the True Detective magazine or accompanying newspaper articles, detailing the capture of Karl Francis Werner through the diligent work of park ranger Ken Williamson at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, then he would have read the passage stating that the "license number was forwarded to the California Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters in Sacramento". The perfect recipe for his fifth and final communication of 1971, conceivably addressed to Robert C. Cozens, who was the director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles at the time.

Of course, the exact contents of the elusive DMV Letter remain unknown, so the above thoughts on the communication must be viewed with this in mind. But if there is one thing we do know for certain, it is the inability of the Zodiac Killer to resist responding to publications that concern him - and the arrest of Karl Francis Werner through number plate recognition at the Department of Motor Vehicles, may very well have been one of those instances.

Ken Williamson and the DMV Letter
The Story of San Jose
1971-The Epitaph of a Killer
The Sacramento DMV Letter

Gus
10/26/2019 10:55:01 am

Richard, I want to thank you for all these great detailed articles you keep posting. They're all incredibly interesting and it's clear you put a lot of work into them. How come the podcast series has not continued? It seems to me these articles would be really great in form of a podcast or video. Is that due to technical limitations / time constraint? Thanks again.

Richard
10/26/2019 12:20:51 pm

Thanks very much Gus. Regarding the podcast series of one !, I started it using an old microphone which unfortunately wasn't very good quality and kept giving me problems, and thoroughly intended to replace it with a decent one, but as with a lot of things I never got round to it. I then thought of doing video explanations using screen images on my computer and voice over, but again, didn't purchase a new microphone. Not great excuses I know, but I will consider the option again Gus, because soon a fresh approach will be required. In the near future there will come a time when the ideas for new articles will dry up and it may be a case of revisiting old topics and presenting them in a an audible or visual style that is sometimes preferred by people. Video explanations are also easier to convey a message, even if it's done unrehearsed. Thanks again Gus, it is always nice to receive positive feedback from people - even when they don't agree with each particular article.

Richard
10/26/2019 12:41:51 pm

Corrected the article above: I accidentally wrote Richard instead of Robert.

BB
10/26/2019 05:39:11 pm

Richard - I agree with Gus
Very smart of you to
piece all these things together.

The DNA of student
Karl Francis Werner
should be checked-out.

He could have done the
killings in the Zodiac case
while Bettey Harden did the
letters and her husband teacher
did his code. DON-ZOD
Graysmith was also from Florida
as was Don. And visited him at Don's
place in North Salinas (Where the town
has named many things for the Harden's)
admittedly several times to talk about the
Zodiac. There are too many things linking
this notion together - for there to be nothing.

Richard
10/27/2019 01:47:17 am

Initially, San Francisco police Inspector Dave Toschi suspected the Zodiac Killer may have perpetrated the Furlong/Snoozy murders. At the time of his arrest, there was consideration given to the possibility that Karl F. Werner was the infamous Zodiac; however, it was subsequently determined that Werner had been residing in Marlborough, Massachusetts at the time of some of the earlier Zodiac slayings. Wikipedia. My guess is they checked him out BB, because he was certainly intelligent enough, although too young to be described as having an average age of 40 at Presidio Heights.

Michael
10/27/2019 09:07:39 am

Interesting thoughts.
I always wonder why Zodiac stopped committing killings that he immediately proved with hard evidence but on the other side put so much effort in writing letters claiming this and that murder. It would have been so easy for him to commit a murder again and provide hard facts such as descriptions of the crime scenes or sending personal Items of the victim. He would be back on the front page with a big bang. But instead letters of implausible claims.
One explanation could be that his mental health deteriorated in such a way that he was hospitalized but was still reading newspapers and writing letters. Another that "Zodiac" consisted of more than one person.

Richard
10/27/2019 11:23:30 am

When he first claimed the "Aug" murders of Snoozy and Furlong on November 8th 1969, he probably banked on them never being solved, and for nearly two years he was safe in that belief. When Werner was captured for the Bilek murder, the other two murders were soon linked to him. Zodiac's reaction by eventually mailing the Monticello Card claiming Bilek, effectively corroborated the "Aug" meaning on the Dripping Pen Card. It's noticeable that Zodiac has failed to provide any corroborsating evidence in any of his claimed crimes, other than the canonical four. This is probably because he hasn't committed any subsequent to October 11th 1969, despite his "get out clause" of I will no longer announce my murders. That statement alone, on November 9th 1969, should have told us everything - that the Zodiac was likely finished killing. I have done many articles exploring the notion of two killers, with the best "evidence" to support this at LHR and PH, but I tend to consider this only a slim possibility.

Rubislaw 32 link
10/27/2019 01:37:08 pm

Difficult to be any further assistance to the debate over,what has now become an ''enigmatic'' DMV letter,Richard,when I go along with the late Lyndon Lafferty's claim,that the letter amounted to ''whining'' on the Zodiac's part - having failed to secure a driver's licence,in the name of William Joseph Grant,and having failed in this application ''twice'',in one day.

What I really wanted to ask you,and if any readers might know...is a question about the sharing of newspaper releases,between the SF Chronicle and SF Examiner,at the time of the Zodiac's reign of terror..

To what extent,if any,did the two newspapers actually share the same features ?

Although the Hearst empire officially owned the SF Examiner,it appears more and more likely,that the business empire had extensive financial interest in the SF Chronicle,also...though not so open.

My specific interest is whether the two newspapers shared the same daily crossword puzzle.But,any information would be appreciated.

Richard
10/27/2019 02:18:30 pm

I couldn't say for certain what they shared Rubislaw, other than the joint contribution in the form of the San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle.

Rubislaw 32 link
10/27/2019 03:14:11 pm

Thanks Richard....hoping to do some searching of my own,when time allows.I belive that a few expressions employed by the Zodiac,were inspired by crossword cryptic clues or solutions,appearing in the Examiner or Chronicle....in the month of October 1969.

One of which,alludes to the ''new'' Beatles Album released,in that month of October 1969 - Abbey Road.

Rubislaw 32 link
10/27/2019 02:41:28 pm

Exclusive....fires raging at Lafayette....thousands being evacuated.

Only 11 days ago,mysterious fires broke out,at nearby Rodeo Phillips 66 Refinery.

And now this....check news,everyone

BB
10/28/2019 07:49:42 am

Rubislaw 32

Have you seen this on YouTube?

Zodiac Killer Identified,possible Zodiac victim's Watsonville Ca Mary Elizabeth Grant Wilma Johnson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9h6pm6SKXI

Rubislaw 32 link
10/28/2019 03:09:30 pm

Thanks for the pointer,BB.

May 25th 1971.

Angry face ? Before the term ''road rage'' was invented ( ? ).

A lot of bullets fired,with Ms.Johnson very lucky.

I wonder how did she estimate her attacker,as '' 5ft 9in '' ( ? ).

BB
10/28/2019 05:48:20 pm

I think police questioning goes.
Was he short? Or was tall?
With the average man in the US being about 5' 9''.
The police would then ask "Or was he about average height?".
Then the police officer would try to narrow that down later with
further questions. Sometimes staring off with a qualifier. And you thought he was 6 feet in height? With that the witness is vetted.

Rubislaw 32 link
10/29/2019 03:30:58 am

Inferred good point,BB.

I find that this seems to occur on a regular basis....and estimations,as reported about suspects who remained in their cars,tends to crystalize this issue about ''height''.

About 90% of men [...and women...] have close to the same size heads.But once you come across a man with a larger than average head....then the whole dynamics of ''height assessment'' by their fellow humans change.

And that is why,for instance,that dwarves appear to have large heads....when their heads are usually exactly the same size,a everyone else's.And,often,very tall people look as if they have small heads,if their heads are ''average size''.

It's an illusion of ''perspective''.

Personally,I believe that the Zodiac had a large head,and was also tall.And this made him appear shorter,to witnesses,at brief glance.

And,on a more cynical note...I do believe that ''official'' reportage is sometimes messed with,for law enforcement's specific reasons,according to a particular case,in question.

''Weight'' can,to an extent change...but ''Height'' is accepted as an ''immovable'' fact.

Unless,law enforcement have anything to do with it......that is.

BB
10/29/2019 12:59:45 pm

Don and Bettye Harden (18 characters) owned a light blue
1966 Ford Galaxie 500 if Don ordered it with the Windsor 408 engine option
it would have been a very powerful car. Even today will blow the doors off most.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHUw-QKk7RU

In this video the host talks about a Galaxie registry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r4hf0YvnEk

So I looked for the Harden's 408 Windsor option order
http://www.galaxieclub.com/glxylink_Car%20Clubs%20Registries.html

BB
11/14/2019 09:16:42 am

Richard

I found this reference to the engine size at 3:03 into the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KNanYSwBSE

The Hardens car had a "390" V8

1966 Ford Galaxie 500 (18 unsolved characters?)

The term Galaxie is space related just like the Zodiac

390+18 = 408

BB
11/27/2019 01:10:54 pm

These killers are possibilities
Charles Gary Sullivan
James Richard Curry

And the most suspicious of all
Carroll Edward Cole
Born May 9, 1938
Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.
Died December 6, 1985 (aged 47)
Nevada State Prison, Carson City, Nevada, U.S.
Born and Died on Dali-day
Cole said - he was plagued by violent fantasies involving strangling women - and called police on himself in 1960 - while living in Richmond in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Wikipedia


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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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