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Richard Grinell, Coventry, England
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THE ZODIAC KILLER OR THE SYMBIONESE LIBERATION ARMY?

8/10/2019

 
On November 6th 1973, in Oakland, California, two members of the Symbionese Liberation Army killed school superintendent Marcus Foster and badly wounded his deputy, Robert Blackburn, as the two men left an Oakland school board meeting. The hollow-point bullets used to kill Foster had been laden with cyanide. Although Foster had been the first black school superintendent in the history of Oakland, the SLA had condemned him for his supposed plan to introduce identification cards into Oakland schools, calling him "fascist". In fact, Foster had opposed the use of identification cards in his schools, and his plan was a watered-down version of other similar proposals. On January 10th 1974, Joseph Remiro and Russell Little were arrested and charged with Foster's murder, and initially both men were convicted of murder. Both men received sentences of life imprisonment. On February 7th 1974, just three days after the kidnapping of Patricia Campbell Hearst, a communication was addressed to Andy Park, Channel 5, KPIX, San Francisco demanding the release of Joseph Remiro and Russell Little. If the demands in the letter were not heeded, the author promised that Patricia Campbell Hearst would pay the ultimate price.
PictureCamilla Christine Hall
This Symbionese Liberation Army correspondence was preceded by two letters attributed to the Zodiac Killer. The Exorcist Letter was postmarked January 29th 1974 from San Mateo or Santa Clara County, closely followed by the S.L.A. Letter on February 3rd 1974 from Los Angeles. Then came the Symbionese Liberation Army letter demanding the release of their jailed comrades. The letter was almost certainly mailed by a woman, because the the top left corner of the correspondence contained the wording "P.S. Hury. Russle Little. We miss you babe". Not withstanding, that the rest of the text had the traits of female authorship. Although I cannot know for certain, I believe this February 7th 1974 communication was written in disguised writing by either Camilla Christine Hall (eventually killed in the 1466 East 54th Street, Los Angeles shootout on May 17th 1974), or  Sara Jane Olson (born Kathleen Ann Soliah) who is still alive today. 

I have long believed that at least three of the four 1974 letters attributed to the Zodiac Killer, were in fact authored by the members or close affiliates of the Symbionese Liberation Army. There were four communications mailed in a 12 day period from January 29th 1974 to February 10th 1974 - and all were interwoven with one another. The Exorcist Letter (01-29-74) had a hidden message in the form of Asian-style characters, possibly decoded by Zodiac researcher Kevin Robert Brooks to spell the words "To Kill". Five days later the S.L.A. Letter was mailed on February 3rd 1974, stating "Dear Mr Editor, Did you know that the initials SLA (Symbionese Liberation Army) spell "sla", an old Norse word meaning "kill". a friend". Then, just one week after this mailing, a typed communication postmarked February 10th 1974 and addressed to the Hearst Family or FBI, was intercepted at the Burlingame, California, U.S. Postal Annex. This communication also began with "Dear" and ended with "A friend" - and the Symbionese Liberation Army (S.L.A.) was the common denominator in both.

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But it is the February 7th 1974 communication that provides the bridge to the other three letters in this 12 day period The February 7th 1974 communication has one significant feature contained in the S.L.A. letter. The assumed Zodiac S.L.A. Letter (not released to the newspapers), mailed the day before the kidnapping of Patricia Campbell Hearst, which was mimicked in its introduction and ending ("Dear" and "A friend") just one week later in the February 10th 1974 Symbionese Liberation Army typed letter, should be pause for thought as to its authenticity as a Zodiac communication. So, let us take a look at the February 7th 1974 letter.
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Whether the Patty Hearst kidnapping was in response to the Joseph Remiro and Russell Little arrests one cannot be certain, nevertheless, this correspondence had some interesting features. Although I am not a staunch advocate of handwriting comparisons, I have placed "kill" and "friend" from the February 7th 1974 communication alongside the same wording on the S.L.A. letter to show a distinct similarity. Both letters, unsurprisingly, contain the American left-wing terrorist organization's name, the Symbionese Liberation Army. However, it is the language used pertaining to the Exorcist Letter that caught my eye, giving the impression that the Symbionese Liberation Army may have mimicked the Exorcist letter mailed by the Zodiac Killer one week earlier.

The Exorcist Letter stated "If I do not see this note in your paper, I will do something nasty, which you know I'm capable of doing." The February 7th 1974 communication stated "I want you to put this in the news and in your paper, and if you don't you might be our next victim". This similarity would not normally be unusual in threatening letters, but for the fact that all these communications crossed over one another in just 12 days, along with the uncanny "Dear" and "A friend" in the February 3rd 1974 letter - thus far attributed to Zodiac - with the same introduction and ending attributed to the Symbionese Liberation Army on February 10th 1974. 
PictureKathleen Ann Soliah
The "old Norse" reference on the S.L.A. Letter indicated we may be looking for a Symbionese Liberation Army member with Scandinavian heritage.

One possible author of the S.L.A letter (and possibly the Exorcist letter) was Sara Jane Olson (born Kathleen Ann Soliah on January 16, 1947). She was a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 1970s. She grew up in Palmdale, California, the daughter of Norwegian-American parents, Elsie Soliah (née Engstrom) and Palmdale High School English teacher and coach Martin Soliah. Engström, Engstrøm and Engstrom are surnames of Swedish and Norwegian origin. Was she responsible for authoring the S.L.A letter on February 3rd 1974, one or two days before the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst?

The other was Camilla Christine Hall, whose
parents, George Fridolph Hall (1908-2000) and Lorena Daeschner Hall (1911-1995), worked at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota from 1938-1952. In addition, her father was a minister in the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church in America, and later the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Her mother, Lorena (Daeschner) Hall, helped found Gustavus Adolphus College's Art Department and served as the department head.

Camilla Hall attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She transferred to the University of Minnesota after her freshman year at Gustavus. Hall attended special lectures, exhibits, and concerts at the University. On June 10, 1967, Hall graduated with a humanities degree from the University of Minnesota. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. A four-year, residential institution, Gustavus Adolphus College was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college retains its Swedish and Lutheran heritage. Gustavus is guided by five core values: excellence, community, justice, service, and faith.
Camilla Hall's blonde hair and fair complexion caused people to remark of her Scandinavian ancestors.

Since the author of the February 7th 1974 communication was likely a woman - and bearing in mind the Scandinavian connection to the S.L.A. Letter - it has to be considered that one of these female members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, could be the author of the S.L.A. Letter. We can ultimately rule out Camilla Hall because she was killed on May 17th 1974 in a shootout with police before the Red Phantom letter was mailed on July 8th 1974. The reason why, is because the same person authored both the S.L.A letter and Red Phantom letter. See The Phantom Letter On July 8th 1974 

Gokser
8/10/2019 01:41:35 pm

There are two suspects with scandavian descent..George Saxberg and Kjell Qvale

Richard
8/11/2019 12:59:07 am

That is very true Gokser, but unfortunately neither were ever connected to the Symbionese Liberation Army, which would effectively rule both suspects out of the authorship of either the Exorcist or SLA letters, if the above connection was proven. I don't actually rate them as good Zodiac suspects full stop, but I will leave that for others to debate.

BB
8/10/2019 04:28:06 pm

Richard - Nice job!
I'd like to throw in my two cents.
Not just Swedes are Viking. As you know
Finns, Scots, Germans, and even the names of many of these groups are of Scandinavian origin - the word Russian etc.
Also
Via - Travel King - Lord
Viking - traveling lord
Minnesota is the land of the Vikings in the USA.
It is also where my old man taught from 69-72.
Side note - I started kindergarten there in 1969
The Norse culture and genes are prevalent there.
That's why my vote is for Camilla Christine Hall.
The double L's in her name are also interesting.
But, do you think the SLA as a group may have
consulted one another, while a girl would write?

Richard
8/11/2019 01:05:23 am

Yes, I previously proposed Soliah, but I think Camilla Christine Hall is the better option, who was much more immersed in the Symbionese Liberation Army group than Soliah. They both could have created a 74 letter, but the connection (albeit tenuous) between the SLA and Exorcist letter may indicate one responsible.

Rubislaw 32 link
8/11/2019 04:07:29 pm

A novel piece of information,BB,that might interest you,is that there still exists an unrepealed law,on the Isle of Man - an island nation between Britain and Ireland,and a British protectorate.

That law is that Vikings are to be ''slain on sight''.

How would one recognize a Viking,now [?].They might be a tourist,with lots of money to spend,for all any of the Manx people,might know [?].

BB
8/12/2019 10:21:13 am

There are tons of dumb laws.
It is difficult to tip toe around this topic too.
If I go too far l'll get slapped upside my head.
So, I'll have to just say that the law is for the fearful.
Every time some thing scary happens like the terror
of the Vikings, 9-11, Isis, WW2, these rage shootings
people make laws. These laws are usually worse than
not having the new laws to begin with. The Zodiac's
terror has never ended because the law can't deal with
something superior intellectually. Some thing fearless.

Sigmund
8/10/2019 10:50:52 pm

Indeed, who was mimicking who, or all just a big coincidence? But wow, the writing on that letter sure looks good for the Zodiac!

Then again, why would SLA be running about the countryside, visiting lakes and dressing in a strange costume just to attack a mostly non-political couple for no real gains or reasons? None of that makes any sense at all.

Richard
8/11/2019 12:37:07 am

I shall rephrase that section of the article, because I didn't actually mean the SLA were mimicking the Zodiac pre-1974. They were mimicking him in 1974. They weren't even formed until 1973.

Richard
8/11/2019 12:53:36 am

The writing and wording on the above February 7th letter in all likelihood written without Zodiac in mind, but its traits and handwriting accidentally mimicked the SLA and Exorcist letter, thereby pouring doubt on the Zodiac authorship of either of these two specific 1974 letters.

Sigmund
8/11/2019 01:13:38 am

Thanks for the clarity, I found that a bit confusing on first read.

To my eyes the writing looks remarkably similar to some of the Zodiac correspondence and far less like the SLA and Exorcist letters. :-)

Rubislaw 32 link
8/11/2019 05:53:03 am

One could put the June 1977 letter of death threats against a list of celebrities,along side the ''February 7th'' letter,you have featured,Richard....and I believe that it compares quite favourably for likeness [?].

One just hopes that the FBI are on top of everything....personally,believing that the Zodiac could already be arrested,for correspondences pertaining to acts of extortion.

But,the authorities want ''more''......and,I believe that the Zodiac will die on them,if they leave it too long.

The man I believe to have been the Zodiac,was initially,married to a woman of Swedish citizenship....though an American,himself....so extra interest that the ''white'' side of the Symbionese Army,tended to have its roots,in more ''Nordic'' origins.

Strangely,this was the case,with the beginnings of the KKK,about 100 years ago....also.

Richard
8/11/2019 06:17:03 am

It does compares favourably Rubislaw and I believe a previous member of the SLA wrote the Channel 9 letter in 1978. So the 1977 letter and the 1978 "I am back with you" letter could be related. If the 2000 DNA chart listed the April 24th 1978 letter as not authentic Zodiac and it wasn't David Toschi, then a once member or sympathizer of the SLA remains a distinct possibility. Particularly because the Channel 9 letter arrived days later. Its contents were primarily aimed at the leaders of the LAPD. And both this. and the 1977 letter contained hit lists.

Rubislaw 32 link
8/11/2019 06:53:25 am

Yes...that it is particularly of interest...the ''hit list phenomenon'',that might be pointed,in the Zodiac's direction.

Possibly,a dig at the more covert side of law enforcement,that were preumed to be ''problem solving'',by simply executing people.

'' COINTELPRO '',as an example....and it seems that a few brave journalists,like Herb Caen,were prepared to at least infer what was going on,in columns and editorials.

I think that the Zodiac picked up on this,and saw the practice,as a means,to at least feel that he was putting the establishment,on the back foot.

Richard
8/11/2019 11:28:25 am

Have not put up the politics post BB for obvious reasons. We don't want World War 3 starting on a Zodiac site.

BB
8/11/2019 12:46:32 pm

Richard

No politics. Got it.

Rubislaw 32 link
8/11/2019 12:58:12 pm

Yes,I find that ''February 7th'' letter featured,more fascinating,the more one looks at it.

The essence of its presentation,or how it is designed to appear...seems to be that it is written by a male senior SLA member....then,''extras'' added around the periphery of the letter,by other,probably female,members.Plus arrows added,for emphisis...which I'm sure I've seen before.

Now...it could be ''all'' Zodiac....or,it could be ''all'' FBI counter intelligence,even [?].The idea that counter intelligence want to create a ''sympatico'' between the SLA and the Zodiac....in order to pi*s ''both'' off.The FBI do mention in their files that they were of the opinion that ''a serial killer'',as a concept,would be ''foreign'' to a group like SLA,and would scare them,as much as a law abiding citizen....but,just opinion,in assessing what made organizations,like the SLA,''tick''.

Yes,very drawn to that ''February 7th'' letter...and how it seems to tie in,with the Zodiac's ''supposed'' SLA and Exorcist letters.

Could be all by the hand of ''counter intelligence''.

And,as an extra possible influence....Booker T and the M.G's had a huge selling album,in 1968,called ''Soul Limbo''.Is ''Soul Symbionese Liberation Army'',inspired by that title [?].

A reminder,perhaps,that the SLA was a multi-racial organization,with universal goals.

Sigmund
8/11/2019 05:01:30 pm

I agree RS. Looks like 2 or more authors/writers. Then again I have often felt this way about the Zodiac letters.

BTW, in my opinion SLA's manifesto made about as much sense as Manson's. People must have been smoking a lot of pot and dropping LSD almost daily to believe any of their craziness.

Rubislaw 32 link
8/12/2019 06:20:45 am

Yes...to examine the content of the ''February 7th'' letter,and conclude that it was in poor taste.....woud be an understatement [?].

Speaking of which,a poster called ''Davb3'' has just posted a thread,at zodiackillermystery.freeforums.net ....entitled ''Do not view this''.

''Poor taste'',par excellence.....and highy recommended.


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