The identity of the Zodiac Killer still remains a mystery after nearly five decades of searching, despite numerous suspects being thrust into the limelight, some with more merit than others. This often involves digging deep into the history of the suspect, their profession, acquaintances, social life, personality and movements in and around the Zodiac timeline, to get a better understanding on their viability as a serial killer. But in the following analysis we shall do the complete opposite and examine what the Zodiac Killer didn't do. The only tangible evidence we have to go on are the crimes themselves and the correspondence he mailed, so we shall use these to search for any anomalies or departures from the expected, bearing in mind that the Zodiac Killer courted attention, with an insatiable appetite for baiting the newspapers for nigh on five years. However two things stand out during the Zodiac timeline, one of which happened, or should I say didn't happen after the 'Los Angeles' Letter mailed on March 13th 1971 that is particularly telling, or quite possibly after the 'Pines Card' mailed on March 22nd 1971, if you are inclined to believe this card to be genuine Zodiac material. The second is something that has been covered before in an article entitled 'Away for the Winter', and concerns the Zodiac Killer's notable absences during three consecutive years. For now though we will concentrate on March of 1971.
Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry (1971) The Zodiac Killer remained silent for nearly three years until the Exorcist Letter surfaced on January 29th 1974, widely regarded as his final correspondence, although a further three letters would be received in February, May and July of that year. The SLA Letter was mailed on February 14th, the Citizen Card was mailed on May 8th and the Red Phantom was mailed on July 8th. Every other correspondence after this year has generally been received with widespread skepticism. Recently an article on Zodiac Revisited sparked my interest detailing the Zodiac Killer movie released in the April of 1971, just one month after the 'Los Angeles' Letter mailed on March 13th 1971 and six months after the Halloween Card mailed and addressed to Paul Avery on October 27th 1970. This article covers many aspects of the movie, and Michael Cole, the author of this website and the Zodiac Revisited book due for release in 2016, highlights the involvement of Paul Avery as a consultant to the movie, and is credited as such on the Internet Movie Database.
http://zodiacrevisited.com/the-zodiac-killer-1971-movie/
So bearing in mind the Zodiac's insatiable ego and penchant for letter writing, surely the Zodiac could not resist contacting the newspapers to give us his review of the movie, considering he had no hesitation in giving us his opinion on The Exorcist and Badlands movies. The Exorcist was released on December 26th 1973 and one month later the Zodiac Killer would give his appraisal of the movie; calling it 'the best satirical comedy that I have ever seen.' The Badlands movie was released on October 13th 1973, featured in his 'Citizen Card' correspondence seven months later, yet he fails to ever mention anything about a movie solely dedicated to his murderous rampage. The Zodiac Killer replied to Jack K Stiltz in the San Francisco Examiner, replied to Martin Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle, and to Paul Avery in a personalized Halloween Card, yet in this instance nothing.
Eight months later Zodiac would get a reprieve, in the much higher profile movie 'Dirty Harry' starring Clint Eastwood, a movie that wouldn't have escaped Zodiac's attention, based on the Zodiac enigma. Here is the perfect opportunity to bathe in his notoriety, but yet again nothing. In fact the Zodiac would keep up this silence for nearly three years until the Exorcist Letter in the January of 1974, commenting on a movie that has nothing to do with him. His moment in the sun had been lost.
"P.S. If I do not see this note in your paper, I will do something nasty, which you know I'm capable of doing." I'm afraid your three years too late.
http://zodiacrevisited.com/the-zodiac-killer-1971-movie/
So bearing in mind the Zodiac's insatiable ego and penchant for letter writing, surely the Zodiac could not resist contacting the newspapers to give us his review of the movie, considering he had no hesitation in giving us his opinion on The Exorcist and Badlands movies. The Exorcist was released on December 26th 1973 and one month later the Zodiac Killer would give his appraisal of the movie; calling it 'the best satirical comedy that I have ever seen.' The Badlands movie was released on October 13th 1973, featured in his 'Citizen Card' correspondence seven months later, yet he fails to ever mention anything about a movie solely dedicated to his murderous rampage. The Zodiac Killer replied to Jack K Stiltz in the San Francisco Examiner, replied to Martin Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle, and to Paul Avery in a personalized Halloween Card, yet in this instance nothing.
Eight months later Zodiac would get a reprieve, in the much higher profile movie 'Dirty Harry' starring Clint Eastwood, a movie that wouldn't have escaped Zodiac's attention, based on the Zodiac enigma. Here is the perfect opportunity to bathe in his notoriety, but yet again nothing. In fact the Zodiac would keep up this silence for nearly three years until the Exorcist Letter in the January of 1974, commenting on a movie that has nothing to do with him. His moment in the sun had been lost.
"P.S. If I do not see this note in your paper, I will do something nasty, which you know I'm capable of doing." I'm afraid your three years too late.
The three year hiatus was broken by the confirmed Exorcist Letter mailed on January 29th 1974, indicating he was still alive, so what interrupted his insatiable appetite for communication. One of the most likely answers is incarceration, for a lesser offence other than murder. An inability to maintain his contact with the world surreptitiously from the confines of a cell, with constant vetting of correspondence, would definitely negate his literary prowess, and utterly refute his claim of 37 victims in the Exorcist Letter as a bluff too far. A massive increase of victims, totaling up to 20 since the 'Los Angeles' Letter nearly three years ago, to shift our focus into believing he was footloose and fancy free during this time period and likely his greatest lie of all.
One avenue to discover the identity of the Zodiac Killer is to examine this hiatus, and is maybe more fruitful than examining the crimes and letters themselves. If we believe the Zodiac Killer to be a resident of the Bay Area, then it makes perfect sense to examine prison records of the locality and work outward, starting with San Quentin Prison, opened in July 1852 and located in Marin County.
The 'Los Angeles' Letter was mailed on March 13th 1971 and the 'Exorcist Letter' on January 29th 1974, so a prisoner jailed in late March of 1971 or possibly April or May, and released in late 1973 or early 1974, for a time period approximating two and a half years, may just give us the identity we have yearned. The answer may not lie in the crimes the Zodiac committed, more in the crimes he didn't commit.
A special thanks to Michael Cole.- Zodiac Revisited.
* If anybody can provide information regarding this subject or any links to the relevant prison records, please contact me in the comments section below.
One avenue to discover the identity of the Zodiac Killer is to examine this hiatus, and is maybe more fruitful than examining the crimes and letters themselves. If we believe the Zodiac Killer to be a resident of the Bay Area, then it makes perfect sense to examine prison records of the locality and work outward, starting with San Quentin Prison, opened in July 1852 and located in Marin County.
The 'Los Angeles' Letter was mailed on March 13th 1971 and the 'Exorcist Letter' on January 29th 1974, so a prisoner jailed in late March of 1971 or possibly April or May, and released in late 1973 or early 1974, for a time period approximating two and a half years, may just give us the identity we have yearned. The answer may not lie in the crimes the Zodiac committed, more in the crimes he didn't commit.
A special thanks to Michael Cole.- Zodiac Revisited.
* If anybody can provide information regarding this subject or any links to the relevant prison records, please contact me in the comments section below.
