The Zodiac Killer

The second item received was a Halloween greeting card which had been sent on October 27. It was addressed to Paul Avery, a reporter at the Chronicle, misspelling his name as "Averly." Inside the envelope, written  twice very lightly in the shape of an X, was the comment "Sorry no cipher." In addition to signing the card with a "Z" and the customary crossed-circle, the Zodiac drew an unusual symbol (also used as a return address on the envelope), 13 eyes, and the message "Peek-a-boo, you are doomed."

The halloween postcard

Kathleen Johns, the woman abducted on Highway 132, has since stated in an interview that she received a similar card at about the same time. She claims to have forwarded the card to Avery, but there is no evidence of him having received it.

As her name and address were published in the newspaper shortly after her abduction, Johns considers the card to be the work of a sick prankster but her description of it and the time that it was received suggests that it may well have been genuine.

The card to Avery, on the other hand, was considered to be a death threat which prompted the Chronicle to devote a front page story to it which ran on October 31.

After it was published, the following anonymous letter was sent to the paper urging Avery to investigate a link with the still-unsolved Bates murder:

Please forward the contents of this letter to the detective in charge of "The Zodiac Murder Case." I hope this information will also help you, as we would both like to see this case solved. As for myself, I wish to remain anonymous and I know that you will understand why! A few years ago in Riverside, California, a young girl was murdered, just about, I believe, on "Halloween" evening! I could write a much longer letter, citing the similarities between Zodiac's case and this murder, which occurred in Riverside but if the police department cannot see said comparative similarities between these two cases, then I will take a "slow boat to China," even if these two crimes were committed by two different people! I think, after all the facts are studied, regarding both of these cases, if police have not already investigated these possibilities and are not already aware of the "Riverside case," then, even so perhaps they should look into it.... Letters to newspapers, "similar erratic printing" find out about these two different cases ....Give Captain Cross a call on the phone, he knows that "I do not quit." Mr. Avery, I will give you a call in the near future, please look into the case, the Riverside police have a wealth of information, so does San Francisco, let us hope that they are not too proud to work together, and if they already are, let us hope that there has been an exchange of information...

After receiving this letter, Avery tracked down another letter that had been sent twelve months earlier, from the Riverside Chief of Police to a Napa County detective who had investigated the possibility of link between the Bates murder and the Zodiac. Avery later visited the Riverside police, reviewed their evidence, and arranged a meeting between their detectives and other detectives from Napa, Solano and San Francisco counties, who were able to compare notes on the Bates murder and each of the known Zodiac attacks up to that point.  The SFPD, particularly Inspector Bill Armstrong, felt that there was a "definite link" between the Bates murder and the Zodiac crimes, and were most likely committed by the same man. State handwriting analyst Sherwood Morrill checked the writing on the desk and envelopes against samples of known Zodiac writing and found that they were "unquestionably" from the same hand.  Riverside police were not so sure as they had not released the full details of the crime to their counterparts upstate such as the number of stab wounds inflicted on Bates which strongly suggested that it was a "rage killing." 

To date, the Riverside Police Department and many independent investigators believe that Cheri Jo Bates was not a Zodiac victim.  

Five months later another letter was sent to the Los Angeles Times. It had been posted on March 22, 1971 complete with two 6-cent stamps that had been attached to the envelope upside-down. It was the only letter ever sent to the Times, and was the first to be sent from outside San Francisco, having had been postmarked in Pleasanton, 15 miles to the east.

This is the Zodiac speaking Like I have allways said, I am crack proof. If the Blue Meannies are evere going to catch me, they had best get off their fat asses + do something. Because the longer they fiddle + fart around, the more slaves I will collect for my after life. I do have to give them credit for stumbling across my riverside activity, but they are only finding the easy ones, there are a hell of a lot more down there. The reason I'm writing to the Times is this, They don't bury me on the back pages like some of the others. SFPD-0   (crossed circle symbol) -17+

From information obtained by researcher Mike Butterfield, there is a suspicion within the RPD that this letter and the anonymous letter sent to Paul Avery suggesting the Zodiac was responsible for the Bates murder, may have been counterfeit. Yet another source reported that SFPD Inspector David Toschi was also under suspicion as being the author of this letter. No hard evidence exists to support either theory.

One week later, Paul Avery received another postcard. As before, it was sent to the Chronicle but this one was decorated with a sketch of a condominium complex that had been under development at Incline Village near Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Three days earlier, the same picture had appeared in the Chronicle as part of an advertisement for the complex which was called Forest Pines.

This was to be the last communication received from the Zodiac for nearly three years.

On January 29, 1974, the Zodiac wrote four more letters to the Chronicle spread out over a period of six months. All were postmarked from within the Bay Area. Although they were later analyzed and identified as being genuine, these latest letters had two distinct differences from the previous ones. Firstly, they did not open with the usual “This is the Zodiac speaking” greeting and secondly there was no crossed circle symbol in the signature.

The first letter received had been sent from either San Mateo or Santa Clara, which is just south of San Francisco, and made reference to the newly-released movie The Exorcist. Also included was a quote from The Mikado about a bird who commits suicide because the one it loves won't pay it any attention, and a drawing resembling a hieroglyph.

I saw and think "The Exorcist" was the best saterical comidy that I have ever seen. Signed, yours truley: He plunged himself into the billowy wave and an echo arose from the suicide's grave titwillo titwillo titwillo PS. If I do not see this note in your paper, I will do something nasty, which you know I'm capable of doing. Me-37 SFPD-0

The envelope bore a single eight cent stamp and two US Postal Service stickers. One showed a picture of a clock set to 12:55 or 11:05 with the slogan "mail early in the day." The other was a reminder note to use the new zip codes.  Also included was a note describing the stamps and their packaging. At first this letter was believed to be a forgery but it was later examined by a group of leading handwriting analysts and pronounced genuine.

All of the Zodiac letters had been typed or hand written on different types and brands of paper. Further examination revealed that the edges had been cut with industrial paper cutters. Curiously, the dimensions of this letter (17cm x 24cm) matched the same configuration as the 3-part cryptogram (17 columns, 24 rows).

The next letter, with an obscured postmark, was mailed from San Francisco and arrived at the Chronicle on February 14, 1974. The mailing was just seven days after the newspaper heiress Patty Hearst was allegedly kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. It appeared in the Chronicle in August 1976.

Dear Mr. Editor, Did you know that the initials SLAY (Symbionese Liberation Army) spell "sla," an old Norse word meaning "kill." A friend

Three months later, on May 8, another letter was sent from Fremont, about 25 miles southeast of San Francisco. It drew attention to newspaper advertisements for Badlands, a movie inspired by spree murderer Charles Starkweather.  

Sirs - I would like to expression my consternt 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

Another letter was sent from San Rafael on July 8, 1974. The back of the envelope was signed "RP." In a looping, obviously disguised script. The subject matter of the letter was directed at Chronicle columnist Count Marco.

Editor - Put Marco back in the, hell-hole from whence it came -- he has a serious psychological disorder -- always needs to feel superior. I suggest you refer him to a shrink. Meanwhile, cancel the Count Marco column. Since the Count can write anonymously, so can I -- The Red Phantom (red with rage)

Of all the detectives involved in the search for the Zodiac, SFPD Homicide Inspector Dave Toschi was the most flamboyant. Known as San Francisco’s "Supercop," he dressed and acted just like a “Hollywood-style” detective. 

With his muscular frame, dark eyes, curly black hair and cleft chin, he looked so much like a movie detective that actor Steve McQueen was said to have copied Toschi’s style for his 1968 movie Bullit. In 1978, Dave Toschi was the only SFPD detective working on the Zodiac case.

On April 24, 1978, another “Zodiac” letter was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle..  The postmark indicated that it had been mailed from either Santa Clara or San Mateo county. Because it was obviously written by someone with an intimate knowledge of the case it was originally thought to be genuine but over time both the authorities and most independent researchers came to the decision that it was a fake.

After the letter was examined by Duffy Jennings, who was working for the Chronicle in place of Paul Avery, he contacted Dave Toschi. Unfortunately for Toschi, who was out of his office at the time of the call, the letter found it’s way to the desk of Deputy Chief of Police Clem DeAmicis.  It read:

Dear Editor This is the Zodiac speaking I am back with you.  Tell herb caen I am here, I have always been here.  That city pig Toschi is good but I am bu (word/s crossed out) smarter and better he will get tired then leave me alone.  I am waiting for a good movie about me.  Who will play me.  I am now in control of all things. yours truly: (crossed circle symbol) - guess SFPD - 0

Later, when Toschi returned to his office, he was summoned by DeAmicis. The two men discussed the letter and Toschi was allowed to take it away with him. Toschi gave it to John Shimoda of the US Postal Service crime lab to confirm that the letter was written by Zodiac, which he did. The letter was then passed on to a fingerprint expert at the SFPD crime lab, but no trace was found of any prints or any other evidence on the envelope or it’s contents.