WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT2]

9/29/2024

WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT1]

The earliest estimates of the payphone trace in Vallejo fall between 12:41am and 12:47am, meaning that the responding officer from Blue Rock Springs arrived at the Springs & Tuolumne payphone at approximately 12:50am to 12:56am. If the police officer was talking to a scruffily dressed black man around 40 to 45 years old, then the Zodiac Killer was still in the area observing this interaction. If the Zodiac Killer had earlier experienced this black man while talking to Nancy Slover, why was this individual still in the area of the payphone at least 10 minutes later?

Had he passed the Zodiac Killer in the payphone to go somewhere and was returning home along the same sidewalk when police arrived? Did he live in the area and approached police to offer assistance when they pulled up at the payphone? Had he noticed the dangling receiver and spoken to the operator, who asked him to remain at the scene? Was he just hanging around the area, or was he homeless? There could be innumerable possibilities, but if the police arrived at the payphone and saw a black male in the area (or anyone else for that matter), it would have been correct police procedure to question the person to find out if they had seen a white male using the payphone in the recent past. If police did talk to the black male as Zodiac contended, then the obvious conclusion is that it was in the vicinity of the payphone. Only the police know for certain if they spoke to this black man, and only the police know if he matches the description given by the Zodiac Killer - and they have never openly confirmed or denied this interaction.

The attack at Blue Rock Springs culminated shortly after midnight, on July 5th 1969, yet the phone call to Nancy Slover was placed at 12:40am, despite the journey time from the park being only 9 minutes. This opened up the possibility that the Zodiac Killer went home, changed his clothes and stashed his gun, before walking to the payphone absent of any incriminating evidence. This would mean that the August 4th 1969 letter which stated "The man who told police that my car was brown was a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed" and "When I hung the phone up the damn X@ thing began to ring & that drew his attention to me + my car". was designed to misdirect police into believing the Zodiac Killer was still in his vehicle - and as such - he was not giving away the fact he was now on foot and thereby lived nearby.

If the police encountered a black man by the payphone who matched the later description given by Zodiac in the August 4th 1969 letter, then adding his absent vehicle into the equation wouldn't detract from the verifiable characteristics of the man described by the Zodiac Killer, if the black male simply couldn't recollect a vehicle near the payphone. When reading "The man who told police that my car was brown", the police, if they knew that Zodiac's description of the black male was extremely accurate, may have assumed the Zodiac in his letter had just believed that the eyewitness saw and described his vehicle, when in fact he had not. If this was the case, this wouldn't harm his claims, it would further benefit the Zodiac story.

The Zodiac Killer hiding nearby on foot, observing the police talking to the black male by the payphone, would have been the far safer option for somebody now separated from their vehicle, the smoking gun, and their clothes, which could potentially have received blood transfer from leaning into the open window of Darlene Ferrin's Corvair. Conversely, absent of a residence (or accessible workplace nearby), the Zodiac Killer remaining in the area after the phone call for upwards of 10 minutes, with the car, gun and clothing he committed the crime with, would have presented far more risk for the Zodiac Killer. If he really did spot the black male talking to police by the payphone, it can be argued that he likely arrived at the payphone on foot to place the call to Nancy Slover.

The million dollar question is, did the Zodiac Killer describe the man as "a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed" because he was selling us a fictional character who spotted the vehicle of Zodiac, or did he give this overly detailed description of the man to taunt law enforcement or give them proof of his presence, because he was watching the responding officer talk to this individual when he arrived at the payphone? I doubt he inserted this black man into his letter for no reason whatsoever, but honesty. This "negro male" made an appearance in his August 4th 1969 letter because it benefited the Zodiac Killer in some way. I doubt we will ever get the true answer.

On the 4th of July I did not open the car door. The window was rolled down all ready. The boy was origionaly sitting in the front seat when I began fireing. When I fired the first shot at his head, he leaped backwards at the same time, thus spoiling my aim. He ended up on the back seat then the floor in back thashing out very violently with his legs; that's how I shot him in the knee. I did not leave the cene of the killing with squealling tires + raceing engine as described in the Vallejo paper. I drove away quite slowly so as not to draw attention to my car. The man who told police that my car was brown was a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed. I was in this phone booth having some fun with the Vallejo cop when he was walking by. When I hung the phone up the damn X@ thing began to ring & that drew his attention to me + my car.

After the challenge by Vallejo police chirf Jack Stiltz in questioning whether the recent letter writer was the killer, the purpose of the following August 4th 1969 letter was to provide law enforcement with details they could verify. The Zodiac Killer was correct that he did not open the car door, and was telling the truth that the window was already rolled down and Michael Mageau leapt into the back seat of the Corvair. Although he was incorrect about the exact point of entry of one of his bullets, he knew that Mageau was shot in the leg while in the backseat. This can be shown to be true because two firearm casings were found on the floorboard of the back seat.

The Zodiac Killer then moved the clock forward by describing a shabbily dressed negro male about 40 to 45 years of age, who investigators could easily have verified existed by speaking to the police officers designated to the payphone in the aftermath of the double shooting. All of the above details were able to be checked by investigators. The one thing they couldn't verify for certain was whether the Zodiac Killer was still in his vehicle when the "negro male" spotted him. For that the police would have been reliant on the black man, who the Zodiac may have known could never have seen and described his vehicle, because he wasn't in one. But by adding into the equation that the negro male told police that his car was brown, he was selling the story a little more. The August 4th 1969 letter after confirming details at the crime scene, immediately jumped to "The man who told police that my car was brown was a negro about 40-45 rather shabbly dressed". This suggested one continuous sequence of verification regarding the events on July 5th 1969 - and something the Zodiac Killer knew police would be able to corroborate by interviewing the responding officer to the payphone. Why follow up the truth about the crime scene with an immediate lie and negate your credibility with something that was easily falsifiable?

The potential presence of Zodiac near the payphone 10 or more minutes after speaking to Nancy Slover is probably one of the most, if not, the most important questions in the Zodiac case. A murderer still present near that payphone approximately 50 minutes (or more) after the Blue Rock Springs attack would be extremely important to know with regards to where he lived. If he was there, he was far safer without his vehicle and the smoking gun. The search parameters for the Zodiac Killer would narrow demonstrably.

WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT3]

Johnny

9/30/2024 03:18:20 am

This is something to think about: "If he was there, he was far safer without his vehicle and the smoking gun."

No confirmed sighting of any car has reached us.

Richard

9/30/2024 03:35:08 am

I believe he chose this payphone specifically because it was surrounded by closed businesses, including Joe's Union, just like he did when he initially selected the intersection Washington & Maple to murder Paul Stine, which was largely free from close proximity residential housing. I suspect he was familiar with both areas. One he may have lived near, one he may have worked near, planning his escape route from Washington St in advance of the crime.

Richard

9/30/2024 03:50:14 am

Vallejo Times-Herald: "Here is a cyipher or that is part of one. the other 2 parts have been mailed to the S.F. Examiner + the S.F. Chronicle."

San Francisco Examiner: "Here is a cipher or that is part of one. The other 2 parts are being mailed to the Vallejo Times + S.F. Chronicle."

San Francisco Chronicle: "Here is part of a cipher the other 2 parts of this cipher are being mailed to the editors of the Vallejo Times and SF Examiner."

In the very first letters authored by the Zodiac Killer on July 31st 1969 and August 4th 1969, both of which, possibly revealed the home location of the killer (or his anchor point when perpetrating the crimes). You will notice in his July 31st 1969 letters when addressing the San Francisco Chronicle or San Francisco Examiner first, the Zodiac Killer refers to posting letters to these newspapers in the past tense of "have". In other words, suggesting the significant time that has elapsed, and the distance he has traveled before returning home. When first addressing the Vallejo Times-Herald in his July 31st 1969 letters he uses the present tense of "are", because (possibly) he doesn't associate any great time and distance to the Vallejo Times-Herald offices, as they are within his close proximity. They are in his "here and now". If you left your house in Vallejo and mailed three letters into a San Francisco mailbox, before returning home - you would write "Here is a cyipher or that is part of one. the other 2 parts have been mailed to the S.F. Examiner + the S.F. Chronicle" (associating distance to these two newspaper offices). If you live in Vallejo and are addressing the Vallejo Times-Herald first in two instances, you would write "Here is a cipher or that is part of one. The other 2 parts are being mailed to the Vallejo Times + S.F. Chronicle" or "Here is part of a cipher the other 2 parts of this cipher are being mailed to the editors of the Vallejo Times and SF Examiner". The Zodiac Killer uses the word "are" in both instances he immediately addresses the Vallejo Times-Herald offices (because he doesn't associate distance to this newspaper office). He uses the present tense of "are" to associate something in his lived "mental map" or "here and now". Of course, this isn't conclusive evidence he lived in Vallejo for his first two crimes, but it may point to a subconscious use of language that he failed to keep in check. There is similar language used at the beginning of his next communication on August 4th 1969.

Johnny

9/30/2024 04:59:34 am

Yes, the different tense is one thing and we also should not forget, that he is at the same time adressing Vallejo in a different way then when writing about the San Fransico newspapers.

We have atleast 2 other possibilities aswell, the first one is that he wants us to believe that he lives in Vallejo but really don't, and i think this is the lest likely alternative.

But another pretty likely alternative is that he lived in Vallejo as a child or atleast have lived or worked long days there and come to know the place real intimately. The smart money may be on he lived there as a child ( because the childhood really sticks in the mind for most people) or that he is a current resident of Vallejo. ( or really close by? )

Richard

9/30/2024 06:14:05 am

With that in mind consider the difference between "In answer to your asking for more details about the good times I have had in Vallejo", and "In answer to your asking for more details about the good times I had in Vallejo".

Johnny

9/30/2024 07:17:09 am

Yes, thats the same both times, right? Just a bit different wording. It could also include ( speculation ) a double meaning, both childhood and his criminal career. I shall be cautious though because english is not my first language.

I think it would be good if somene could locate a suitable individual owning an Impala, perhaps ermine white as you have suggested, Rick. I have never heard that Doerr owned a similar car. Chester i dont know. But ofcourse the search after the car shall in the best of cases go from car to individual and not the other way around.

I wonder if law enforcement got something of this in their papers.

Johnny

9/30/2024 05:00:41 am

I think Zodiac may have had Dyslexia, Rick. Both according to his cognitive profile and also because of his spelling. He probably had a hard time in school, and when he now have learned to spell somewhat he is arrogant about it and wants us to know that he just don't care about his previous disability and he uses this as a arrogant weapon of his.

This could be wrong, but much points to this i think.

One other thing that is far from certain but could very well be, is that the dyslexia made him a lifelong underachiver because of his trouble in school with it, and because he know that his mathematical intelligence could have taken him further in life.

Also throw in a little social imcompetency and you have a potential lethal mix.

Johnny

9/30/2024 05:46:24 am

I don't believe in psychological profiling anymore then you Rick and you Rubi, Jibberjabber etc. I just use it certain times, and im not any good at it either. I don't either believe in these so called metaphoric psychological disorders more then as sometimes to give a broad personality profile, if even that.

For example as i have said before, the Dyslectic mind often sees the "big picture" first, is good at mathematics ( visuospatial ..not so much at arithmetics ) and could be "unsensitive" because of his lack of subitility ( problems with details ) in his mind.

This is not so hard to understand, that when the verbal side in a brain goes south other parts turns on instead, the brain seem to work that way.

A more detail oriented person ( left side of the brain ) would be more of a coward and couldn't normally handle stress in the way Zodiac seem to have done. Socially Zodiac seem to have been a very great generaliser. He never get's bogged down in unecessary details. I'm much impressed that he did so much and wrote so much without giving out almost anything to us.

I know that many of you already know what im talking about and in a more refined way then myself, and maybe you ask yourself why i go on about this, because it will not solve any case?

Richard

9/30/2024 07:06:29 am

There are many people out there that question why Zodiac enthusiasts go into such minutiae, when the only thing that will solve the case is more than likely forensics such as DNA and fingerprints. The simple answer is that some people like answering unanswered questions to gain a better understanding of the crime or topic. Some people like "getting into the mind of the killer" to understand why he did what he did. I understand why this approach is taken, I just think every brain is different and the notion of studying identified serial killers to predict the behaviour's of future killers is fraught with danger. We know that the Zodiac Killer was a psychopath lacking in empathy, who projected the public image of a narcissist. Beyond that it's difficult to say. However, studying simple behaviour such as a person not wanting to kill on their doorstep has to be weighed alongside the need to get home after the murder. You know, the "buffer zone" and "least effort principle" that is indicative and understandable to most of us, which can be used against the killer. It's the same with subconscious language that the Zodiac Killer was keen to not leak into his communications. Currently there is no concensus on whether the Zodiac had dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc, or was just manufacturing his incompetence in his communications. I tend to go with the latter, but again, it's a minefield when looking for the correct answer. All we know about the Zodiac Killer communications is what he wanted to sell about himself. They could be a complete misdirect and he is the complete opposite of the picture he painted. I think the key is determining what language he used was by design, and what language was subconscious and unintentional. In the comission of his crimes however, he is governed by constraints such as time, location, eyewitnesses, police etc, that will govern his selection processes and actions. This is why I think geographic profiling is the best tool to identify the Zodiac Killer or at least narrow the search field. The only problem is we are bound by only 4 canonical crimes and and a few phone calls. The area he posts his letters have less constraints of criminal consequence. I believe the best route to identifying the killer is through this unintentional language and his murder locations, and movements thereafter.

Johnny

9/30/2024 07:35:04 am

"Currently there is no concensus on whether the Zodiac had dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc, or was just manufacturing his incompetence in his communications."

I believe both things ( dyslexia and that he don't mind exaggerate it ), so on this we think a bit different, but i wouldnt be suprised if it turns out either way. I have known people like this besides reading ( very little ) about it. I can see the outlines of this personality but i have trouble going deeper, and that's because they don't think so much in words i think. I don't want to generalise dyslexia as "one", because then i would believe more in the metaphor then in the individual.

"This is why I think geographic profiling is the best tool to identify the Zodiac Killer or at least narrow the search field."

I agree. Rossmos Zodiac profiling PDF was at scribd.com before, but has been taken down it seems. I should have saved it.

On a last note, besides the witness descriptions, i would hesitate if someone named a suspect below 30-35 years of age. But if he is lower in age i think he is even higher in IQ and the we need to think a bit different on certain things.

He seems to have began killing at 35+, why is that? In that age his personality begin to be completely set, and he now takes a mature decision to go and kill?! I can think of reasons and things that held him back earlier in life from killing, but it's unusual still, but it fits the complete control he got in everything he does. He really seems lika a mature person, almost like he have created a persona of pure nihilistic evilness.

Johnny

9/30/2024 07:40:06 am

The Badlands letter, Rick. Do you think its genuine? I wonder because you have debated about it before and i myself have such a hard time believing this isn't genuine, but i guess someone fairly intelligent could have disguised it as being genuine.

But if its so, could the -01 letter also be a "extremely" good disguised letteraswell, maybe of the same individual/ s as the Badlands?

Richard

9/30/2024 08:16:08 am

I believe 99.99% that the Red Phantom & SLA letters were written by a female member, associate or friend of the Symbionese Liberation Army. I am 95% confident the Badlands letter was written by the same group or someone close to them. There are multiple reasons why, but the main reason is the mention of cutting the advertisements for the Badlands movie. The SLA had well documented disdain for William Randolph Hearst, demanding millions from him via a food program for the needy. When the movie "Citizen" Kane was released by Orson Welles in 1941, which was based on the character of William Randolph Hearst, he demanded that the newspapers cut the ads for the film. The SLA having referenced Randolph Hearst many times in the Hearnap FBI files and kidnapped his granddaughter, had every reason to mail the SLA and Badlands letter. A part of Citizen Kane not only formed the signature of the Badlands letter, it was mailed on May 8th, the date Citizen Kane was released in Los Angeles. The location the SLA letter was mailed one day before Patty Hearst's kidnapping. As for the Red Phantom letter, it was directed towards misogynist Count Marco, who ridiculed women in his column. Several women made up the SLA and they wrote about feminism throughout their writings. They were left wing feminists, and were anti-capitalist to their core. So it's unsurprising that they wrote to Count Marco.

Johnny

9/30/2024 08:26:26 am

I will check into this. I know you have articles about it that i will read again. Maybe theres a small percentage that Zodiac had something to do with SLA? Oscar on the old board said Zodiac was member of the black panthers, but i don't know how that fits with the SLA organisation.

You see, i have read your articles about SLA ( and everything else ) and really tried, but now i will try again even harder to see if i understand the indications that makes up the 99.99% and 95%. See ya all soon.

Richard

9/30/2024 08:39:37 am

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/why-people-believe-the-red-phantom-letter-to-be-zodiac-in-absence-of-any-evidence

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/is-the-badlandscitizen-card-authentic

Jibberjabber

9/30/2024 10:34:57 am

Just as a bit of recalibration for me Richard, did anyone describe Zodiac being in a brown coloured car at BRS or the phonebooth?

I am just trying to get it clear who are we saying the Zodiac was trying to decieve, is it the people reading the newspaper (who dont know one way or the other) or is the police? As you say the police would know if there ever was a black man or not, and if there wasn't then Zodiac has told his first and most provable lie right at the beginning of his letter writing campaign.

I am getting rusty on basic details but did anyone ever say Zodiac was in a brown car that night?

Seems stupid to me to try and pull a fast one on the police 1 month after the events, they would know whether they ever talked to black man or not.

jibberjabber

9/30/2024 10:36:08 am

I should have said - apart from the black man that is!!!

Richard

9/30/2024 11:33:00 am

In the early minutes of July 5th the police were looking for a brown car identified by Mageau at the crime scene. Many following newspapers described the assailant's vehicle as brown, All Zodiac was attempting to do on August 4th was to concur with the newspaper reports he was in a brown car, in order to sell the notion to police.that the earlier descriptions of the vehicle's colour was correct. However, he may never have been in a vehicle at the payphone and it was just a ruse. Read the following article - top right.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/112412867@N06/albums/72157639880253085/

Johnny

9/30/2024 01:14:02 pm

I have looked at the Count Marco letter now and i have no reason whatsoever to doubt Ricks analysis of it. The handwriting is unlike, nicer and more artistic compared to Zodiacs, and the three adresses on the envelopes looks extremely similar all around. If anyone can't see it, please just look at the first word "editor" and compare the three.

Now it will be very interesting to study the Badlnds card.

Johnny

9/30/2024 01:54:24 pm

Badlands has a grey paper at the revisited site and white at zodiackiller.com.
Both Count Marco and Badland uses a black pen, but it is a thicker pen in Count Marco,
and the handwriting in Count Marco is beautiful, and it also has these long lines going below the
letters just as on the envelope adresses.

The Badlands letter writer has an ok handwriting aswell, could it be the same person? If it is, he/ she was
sloppy when writing the Badlands letter.

The machine-written Hearst letter and the SLA both ends in "a friend". In that sense the Symbionese Liberation Army
don't even try to disguise their activity. The Badland ends suspiciously similar with "a Citizen", but the
Count Marco letter don't have any similar ending.

The Three letters Rick has analysed is mailed within a small timeframe, and that begs
the question if the previous letter the same year, namely the "exorcist letter" is genuine or not.

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/zodiac-news/verifying-the-exorcist-letter

This i so much info. for me to take in!

Johnny

9/30/2024 02:27:23 pm

I think that Zodiac felt unloved and lacked a purpose in life. We modern people often is lacking that we feel meaningful towards others, i think that is important and i don't think he had it.

I believe if he had waited a few years he would have not have killed, because people tend to learn in a certain age to accept and enjoy life and maybe it was therefore he stopped, because he come to enjoy life more.

He tries to be evil and psychopatic a little to much, but i don't believe he is, that no one is. He is more of a lost person trying hard in every way to find hapiness, and maybe he found it. Maybe it was Chester with his farmwork.

I believe in Balzac and he says that chaotic times forces individuals to be moral from the inside, and that more stable times makes us inmoral ( like a beast within -Giambattista Vico ) but on the outside we only seemingly is good, but that is because the state laws demand it.

When Zodiac had his little career it was easier to evade capture, now our inner beasts instead is interested in his case, but we could all be the one Zodiac was and would be if our trajectory demanded it. People in bygone days knew suffering much closer and was much better persons then most of us are today.

Johnny

9/30/2024 03:19:20 pm

Its Wrecking crew live right now folks, see the replay! I myself forgot the time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK0BhJb4oos

Jerome did that fun radio voice again!!

Jibberjabber

10/1/2024 12:02:49 am

Thanks Richard.
The concerned citizen card 6 days later (which I believe was likely Zodiac) mailed to Vallejo from San Francisco, so if that was Z he was still trying to present an image he resided outside of Vallejo and was maybe why he made the jump to attacking at Lake Berryessa next so far aware from the previous crimes.

I honestly dont know what to think about this one, it could be entirely true or entirely false. If the Aug 4th letter was his response to the police asking for more material to prove he was the killer and the person who mailed the ciphers on the 31st July, it would seem counterproductive at this stage where he is just establishing some sort of 3-way relationship between himself, the police and the press to just out and out lie in a way so provable one way or the other.

Logic is making me think it was an obvious ruse, but there is always that miniscule chance he was telling the truth, Zodiac did not always lie and I dont think he ever did in such a way as it could have been determined if it was a lie at the time he wrote it in the paper. SFPD denied he ever spoke to Fouke & Zelms - which he claimed he did, but we now think it likely he did.

On balance I think it is a lie, but it would seem a stupid one to make so early. But did he even care if he was deemed as fully credible or not to the police

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WHEN THE BLACK MAN WAS WALKING BY [PT2]

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