Groucho Marx Many people believe (but not everyone) that the Zodiac Killer paraphrased the wording from Groucho Marx's version of The Mikado into his Little List letter on July 26th 1970. The Groucho Marx connection would reappear in a possible Zodiac Killer communication in 1990, when a Christmas card was mailed to the San Francisco Chronicle from Eureka. The designer of the card was George Schill, a contract artist with the American Greetings Card Company (Corporation) for 38 years, who informed me that all the imagery on the card (including the snowman) is exactly as he created it. In other words, nothing was added to the card outer by the Zodiac Killer. So, if the Eureka card was mailed by the Zodiac Killer, why did he choose to resurrect a connection to Groucho Marx after 20 years? (assuming the original connection was correct). If the image design on the Christmas card was chosen specifically, what could have triggered this choice?
The Zodiac Killer appeared to commemorate anniversaries and dates, such as the Lake Herman Road murders and Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1968 and 1969 (possibly with the release date of the 1965 movie The 10th Victim). He mailed the Pines card on March 22nd 1971 referring to the abduction of the missing Donna Lass, exactly one year after the abduction of Kathleen Johns on Highway 132. He mailed the 1987 "Halloween" letter seventeen years after the 1970 Halloween card. The March 13th 1971 "Los Angeles" letter was mailed on the US release date of the Vanishing Point movie, which used the same language as the letter in its January trailer..The August 1st 1973 "Albany" letter was mailed in response to a recent newspaper article that featured the date of August 1st 1969, by mentioning the receipt of the Zodiac Killer's first three letters and cryptograms. The "Albany" letter also carried another cryptic offering. One could argue that these are just coincidental. But if they were not, what anniverary or date could have inspired the Zodiac Killer to select a Groucho Marx Christmas card in 1990, which he may have had to source in advance to ensure his selected choice.
The Zodiac Killer appeared to commemorate anniversaries and dates, such as the Lake Herman Road murders and Melvin Belli letter on December 20th 1968 and 1969 (possibly with the release date of the 1965 movie The 10th Victim). He mailed the Pines card on March 22nd 1971 referring to the abduction of the missing Donna Lass, exactly one year after the abduction of Kathleen Johns on Highway 132. He mailed the 1987 "Halloween" letter seventeen years after the 1970 Halloween card. The March 13th 1971 "Los Angeles" letter was mailed on the US release date of the Vanishing Point movie, which used the same language as the letter in its January trailer..The August 1st 1973 "Albany" letter was mailed in response to a recent newspaper article that featured the date of August 1st 1969, by mentioning the receipt of the Zodiac Killer's first three letters and cryptograms. The "Albany" letter also carried another cryptic offering. One could argue that these are just coincidental. But if they were not, what anniverary or date could have inspired the Zodiac Killer to select a Groucho Marx Christmas card in 1990, which he may have had to source in advance to ensure his selected choice.
Although Groucho Marx died on August 19th 1977, the year 1990 commemorated the 100th year of Groucho Marx's birth on October 2nd 1890. This was featured in many American newspapers in the run up to Christmas, with a flurry of Groucho Marx movies gracing the television screens as a mark of respect. Was this an anniversary noted by the Zodiac Killer, who decided to feature the comedian and actor on his Christmas greeting card, twenty years subsequent to the Little List letter that many believe was plagiariized from a Groucho Marx recital of The Mikado.
Philadelphia Daily News, October 2nd 1990
The Galveston Daily News, October 2nd 1990
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