While continuing to read ‘This is the Zodiac Speaking: Into the Mind of A Serial Killer’, I came across something that I had not found in any of the online files, archives or reports regarding this case. Its common knowledge that Zodiac sent a threatening Halloween Card to Paul Avery. But, what I didn’t know, nor have I come across in the many archives I have searched, is that on the inside of the envelope that contained the card, Zodiac had written, in fine printing, "Sorry no Cipher".
According to the book’s author, Michael Kelleher, Zodiac had written these three words in two lines that crossed each other, forming the letter X.
If this is commonly known to members then I apologize. However, I still would like to get feedback on what people think about this. Why he wrote it (It’s not like Zodiac wrote Ciphers with every letter). Why he wrote ‘Sorry no Cipher’ on the inside of the envelope rather than in the letter itself. And finally, why in a criss-cross style that appears to form the letter X? (In the card itself he had wrote ‘By Fire, By Gun, By Knife, By Rope – Slaves Paradice’ in such a way that it appears to form a letter H).
"So it’s sorta social. Demented and sad, but social, right?" Judd Nelson.
http://zodiackiller.com/HalloweenCardEnvelope.html
Since I have my doubts Zodiac authored this card, I will reserve comments for others.
“…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
I have to keep my gob shut for precisely the same reason!
I’ll reserve comment for different reasons but those are very good questions WC. I”ve been thinking about the paradice /slaves configuration recently and it got me wondering about something but It was just a thought. Need to think about it a bit more.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
Along with the Paradice/Slaves writing, the middle intersection of Paul Averly (with lAv underlined) are the same. They both indicate "LAV."
The Paradice/Slaves also forms a sort of cross hair and the quadrants formed, if showing a relationship to the Phillips 66 map, might show methods of killing at locations within the map. I haven’t tried to fit "Paradice/Slaves" over the location of Mount Diablo yet.
Thanks Trav for forcing me to comment. 
When in doubt, don’t.
I was just going through my stored online pics document and opened the pic of the envelope and looked at it in sheer frustration lol. Is it just me, or does anyone else have that feeling at time in regards to aspects of this case? I just looked at the envelope wondering "WHY HAVE YOU UNDERLINED L AV in Paul’s name???" Lol, The most annoying thing about it is, we will never know for sure what, if anything at all, it means or is intended to point to because Zodiac probably isn’t around to ask anymore so anything that is put forward will only ever be theory and speculation. I mean that, along with many other things he did, will piss me off and annoy me for the rest of my life lol. At it’s most basic and simple level, my life will forever be disrupted and frustrated because a man drew a line under three letters on an envelope back almost half a century ago. I think it’s time I start looking for a rehab center for this addiction lol. I wonder if i’ll be the first to walk into a addiction clinic/rehab centre and when asked "What is the nature and/or substance to which you are addicted" they’ll get a reply " Zodiac! " Lol.
"So it’s sorta social. Demented and sad, but social, right?" Judd Nelson.
You can say all you want about the card itself, but the ‘sorry no cipher’ looks pretty damned identical to Zodiac’s handwriting.
You can say all you want about the card itself, but the ‘sorry no cipher’ looks pretty damned identical to Zodiac’s handwriting.
That writing is just one of the reasons I don’t believe it from Zodiac. The wavy r’s in sorry….the y’s aren’t sharp and straight.
“…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
I do personally believe that the Halloween card was sent by Zodiac but, unfortunately, it is chock-full of stuff that offers no definitive explanation. The "sorry no cipher" writing seems to kind of tie in with "humorous" and narcissistic taunting of the card.
"I know you want to know my identity but I’m not going to give it you. I know you’ve enjoyed figuring out the ciphers I’ve sent along but I’m not going to give you another one".
Why write this on the inside of the envelope and why in the form of an X? I have no freaking idea…
In my opinion the sorry no cipher is the authors way to say this is not a cipher but another brain teaser for you like a world scramble or etc.
I was just going through my stored online pics document and opened the pic of the envelope and looked at it in sheer frustration lol. Is it just me, or does anyone else have that feeling at time in regards to aspects of this case? I just looked at the envelope wondering "WHY HAVE YOU UNDERLINED L AV in Paul’s name???" Lol, The most annoying thing about it is, we will never know for sure what, if anything at all, it means or is intended to point to because Zodiac probably isn’t around to ask anymore so anything that is put forward will only ever be theory and speculation. I mean that, along with many other things he did, will piss me off and annoy me for the rest of my life lol. At it’s most basic and simple level, my life will forever be disrupted and frustrated because a man drew a line under three letters on an envelope back almost half a century ago. I think it’s time I start looking for a rehab center for this addiction lol. I wonder if i’ll be the first to walk into a addiction clinic/rehab centre and when asked "What is the nature and/or substance to which you are addicted" they’ll get a reply " Zodiac! " Lol.
Haha that’s good!
It looks like Zodiac’s writing to me…
I don’t know, knowing Zodiac and his love of playing games with people and the little hints he loves to drop, I would say the fact that he’s wrote "Sorry, No Cipher" on the inside of the envelope is to point out that there is a connection in the card itself to something in one of the Ciphers.
I don’t see any reason why he would state the obvious and tell us there is No Cipher enclosed as if the readers who opened it would not be aware that no cryptic cipher was in there. (I’ve said the same before in regards to Lake Berryesssa and his "Sept 27. 6:30 pm by knife" message left scrawled on Bryan’s Door. What did he think, nobody would notice that they had been stabbed and not shot and therefor he would need to leave us a clue so we are able to put it together?)
"So it’s sorta social. Demented and sad, but social, right?" Judd Nelson.
Well, WC, X marks the spot! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. As usual, you are asking a perfectly reasonable question. It may depend on the use of the word "cipher" in the sentence: "Sorry no cipher" It is unclear, (not that, other than the victims, there is much that is clear in the Z case!). If the word is being used in a narrow, technical sense, than no code, no encrypted message. However, if the word "cipher". is being used in a much broader, sense ("…..a riddle wrapped in an enigma, etc.")it may be something of a double entendre. No? Yes?!
I’d say it more likely the latter of your two suggestions. If Zodiac is making a point of saying he is sorry theres no Cipher, then it’s more likely a double bluff because there is something in the communication that is relevant to one of the Ciphers. Otherwise we could say "Well if he really is just stating the obvious and telling us something that we can’t fail to notice then why wouldn’t he say "Sorry No Cipher" in every single letter he wrote that did not have a Cipher accompanying it?
Not everyone agrees but I’ve always held the opinion that if he’s drawing attention to something, it usually for a reason. Even his constant misspelling of simple words like ‘Victim’, always spelling it ‘Victom’ I’ve something that I’ve always kept an open mind regarding and wondered is he using two names for example that are relevant, such as ‘Victor & Tom’ and combining them? Zodiac loved games where he would know that the vast majority of readers will not get the clues and just see them as a simple spelling error. I can fully imagine him finding that extremely satisfying because he would see this more than likely as everybody else is stupid and just accept everything as it appears, and miss hints & clues that he is putting right in front of them.
"So it’s sorta social. Demented and sad, but social, right?" Judd Nelson.
