On February 3rd 1974 the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), an affiliate of the group, or a "friend" of the militant collective, mailed a communication from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Chronicle on the eve of the kidnapping of Patricia Campbell Hearst, the granddaughter of American newspaper publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. The Symbionese Liberation Army were an anti-capitalist organisation, fueled by a hatred for the publishing magnate, who would later demand anywhere between 4 and 400 million dollars of food to be distributed to the public, to be donated from the Hearst family. Their connection to William Randolph Hearst didn't end there, when on May 8th 1974, somebody from the Symbionese Liberation Army (or a sympathizer or friend of the group) mailed the Badlands card, urging the newspapers to remove the advertisements for the recently released Badlands movie, directed by Terrence Malick and starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. The communication read "Sirs -- I would like to expression my consternt (crossed out) consternation concerning your poor taste + lack of sympathy for the public, as evidenced by your running of the ads for the movie "Badlands", featuring the blurb: "In 1959 most people were killing time. Kit + Holly were killing people." In light of recent events, this kind of murder-glorification can only be deplorable at best (not that glorification of violence was ever justifiable) why don't you show some concern for public sensibilities + cut the ad? A citizen". The choice of words in this communication will take us back to one person in 1938 and 1941, indicating that the individual who composed this card was extremely well read and historically knowledgeable.
On October 30th 1938, aired by the CBS Radio Network, an adapted broadcast was narrated by Orson Welles, based on the 1898 H .G. Wells novel "The War of the Worlds". The broadcast attempted to convince radio listeners that the human race was under attack by Martian invaders. It was reported in the statewide newspapers as causing panic and hysteria amongst the public. But one word was prevalent, as shown by a New York newspaper on the left, featuring Orson Welles, "whose radio dramatization of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" caused nationwide consternation Sunday night". This word appeared over and over again in newspapers throughout America. A New York Times publication on October 31st 1938 stated H. G. Wells had "expressed profound regret that his dramatic efforts should cause such consternation", somewhat mirroring the words used in the Badlands card of "I would like to expression my consternation". A simple search on Google shows this word's prevalence with regards to Orson Welles.
This connection may seem weak, until you consider the rest of the wording on the Badlands card.
This connection may seem weak, until you consider the rest of the wording on the Badlands card.
The author of the Badlands card wrote "I would like to expression my consternt (crossed out) consternation concerning your poor taste + lack of sympathy for the public, as evidenced by your running of the ads for the movie "Badlands". In light of recent events, this kind of murder-glorification can only be deplorable at best (not that glorification of violence was ever justifiable) why don't you show some concern for public sensibilities + cut the ad? A citizen". The individual who chose these words was very likely referring back to the widely publicized spat between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst (Patty Hearst's grandfather), who attempted to prevent the movie release of Citizen Kane (1941), by claiming that it presented an insulting portrayal of his life story (see below). William Randolph Hearst also demanded that his newspapers "cut the ads" promoting the Citizen Kane movie, just like the author of the May 8th 1974 card, who asked for advertisements of the Badlands movie to be removed from the newspapers. The Badlands card was mailed on May 8th and signed off with "A citizen", The Citizen Kane movie by Orson Welles premiered in Los Angeles on May 8th. This theme of censorship would continue in the Red Phantom letter on July 8th 1974, in which the author insisted that the newspapers "cancel the Count Marco column". These attacks on newspapers and the media - in particular, William Randolph Hearst - were prevalent in the communiques written (and typed) by the Symbionese Liberation Army. In fact, they would sign off their February 10th 1974 typed communication about Patty Hearst (and addressed to the Hearst family), by using "A Friend", just like the February 3rd 1974 letter, a week earlier.
It is extremely likely that the SLA letter (2/3/1974) and the subsequent kidnapping of Patty Hearst the following day (2/4/1974), along the Badlands card (5/8/1974), both had links to William Randolph Hearst. It also seems credible that the Badlands card, through the subtle use of language and an acute awareness of history, tied Orson Welles to William Randolph Hearst by referencing "consternation", "cutting the ads" and "A citizen". The author of the SLA letter, Badlands card and Red Phantom letter was almost certainly not the Zodiac Killer, but somebody within the Symbionese Liberation Army, or closely allied to them.
MORE READING: THE PHANTOM ZODIAC LETTER ON JULY 8TH 1974
It is extremely likely that the SLA letter (2/3/1974) and the subsequent kidnapping of Patty Hearst the following day (2/4/1974), along the Badlands card (5/8/1974), both had links to William Randolph Hearst. It also seems credible that the Badlands card, through the subtle use of language and an acute awareness of history, tied Orson Welles to William Randolph Hearst by referencing "consternation", "cutting the ads" and "A citizen". The author of the SLA letter, Badlands card and Red Phantom letter was almost certainly not the Zodiac Killer, but somebody within the Symbionese Liberation Army, or closely allied to them.
MORE READING: THE PHANTOM ZODIAC LETTER ON JULY 8TH 1974
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