This is something I sent to a friend a short while back. Ramble alert! Sorry I may not make this very clear but I’ll try my best.
For me this is by far the most interesting of any of his letters.
If you look at the “TitWillow” position in relation to the rest of the letter, directly after “Signed, Yours Truly :” he has used it as his name so to speak. Not Z, Zodiac, Crosshairs or any other related motif. It is my belief that he uses this passage as a metaphor for both himself and this letter.
“He plunged himself into the billowy wave and an echo arose from the suicides grave”.
His last known letter was in 71, then out of the blue this appears 3 years letter. During this time he has “Killed” the Zodiac off (effectively he has committed the suicide of his Zodiac persona).
This letter itself is the “Echo from the Suicides Grave”.
HE even uses “me” in his score count.
By using the Mikado reference people would be under no illusion who it was from but without the need of resurrecting the Zodiac. To add further weight to this the envelope contains all the extra paraphernalia that was in the stamp book that he used for the majority of his earlier mailings. By adding these to the envelope he was showing that he was finished as Z.
This letter is also very interesting in it’s construction. The whole structure of the letter is professional and not the previous ramblings, the Grammar is correct, even the spelling for the most part is correct. Also how would a previously, for the most part poorly educated man, understand the meaning of “Satirical Comedy”.
It feels to me as though he is saying I’m still around but I’m doing what I said I would, I’ve changed my way of “collecting slaves”. I’ve resurrected myself as something different now.
For the life of me I can’t understand why no one has responded to this. It’s absolutely brilliant Cragle.
Soze
tit wi L LOW hA L LOWEen
thats my contribution thats all i have
Just throwing the letter on here for easier comparison:
It has been said that this letter could actually be a fake. If so, it’s the best there was, imo.
As you say, the grammar is better "for the most part", but of course he spells truly wrong…and suicide wrong as well.
Sometimes I look at it and clearly see Zodiac’s writing and mannerisms, and sometimes it just looks like a perfect copy. If it was Zodiac (and I lean toward it being him), he clearly was not over himself. His ego always took center stage–"Zodiac" or not.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
It has been said that this letter could actually be a fake. If so, it’s the best there was, imo.
Yep.
It is.
I think.
If you think this letter is a fake then I have a bridge to sell you. Why would a hoaxer bother with such an understated fraud?
Why bother with a fake three years after the last known Zodiac missive?
Keep the thing going (because Z himself wasn’t interested anymore)? Who knows. Perhaps it’s real. Like T says, if it’s a fake it’s very good.
There have been plenty of rumors surrounding that letter, though. And for me, personally, it would fit the bill quite nicely if it were a forgery. I don’t buy any of the other ’74 letters (which aren’t fakes, granted, just wrongly attributed) – so, for the sake of neatness, yeah: he was retired at the time, couldn’t have done it.
Why bother with a fake three years after the last known Zodiac missive?
Keep the thing going (because Z himself wasn’t interested anymore)? Who knows. Perhaps it’s real. Like T says, if it’s a fake it’s very good.
There have been plenty of rumors surrounding that letter, though. And for me, personally, it would fit the bill quite nicely if it were a forgery. I don’t buy any of the other ’74 letters (which aren’t fakes, granted, just wrongly attributed) – so, for the sake of neatness, yeah: he was retired at the time, couldn’t have done it.
Norse! Great to hear from you!! I thought you had left us…
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
Why bother with a fake three years after the last known Zodiac missive?
Keep the thing going (because Z himself wasn’t interested anymore)? Who knows. Perhaps it’s real. Like T says, if it’s a fake it’s very good.
There have been plenty of rumors surrounding that letter, though. And for me, personally, it would fit the bill quite nicely if it were a forgery. I don’t buy any of the other ’74 letters (which aren’t fakes, granted, just wrongly attributed) – so, for the sake of neatness, yeah: he was retired at the time, couldn’t have done it.
What rumors?
“Murder will out, this my conclusion.”
– Geoffrey Chaucer
In Robert Graysmith’s book ‘Zodiac’, Don Harden made the following statement regarding the code – "Even though she (Bettye) had never looked at a code in her life, she ‘PLUNGED‘ herself right into it!"…..True story 
What do you mean "the paraphenalia from his stamp book"???
Never heard of this
What do you mean "the paraphenalia from his stamp book"???
Never heard of this
The extra bits and bobs out of the stamp book I.e these stamps are gummed etc that he also included on the envelope
What do you mean "the paraphenalia from his stamp book"???
Never heard of this
The extra bits and bobs out of the stamp book I.e these stamps are gummed etc that he also included on the envelope
The stuff on the right hand side with & around the stamp.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
