Someone on this forum pointed out that the section marked “must print in paper” on page 3 in the letter contains 340 symbols. I suspect it’s a cipher but I haven’t found any attempts to extract an alternative meaning from it so I’m starting from scratch by transcribing and trying various transpositions.
My transcription (may contain errors):
PS. 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3 min after I left the cab. I was walking down the hill to the park when this cop car pulled up + one of the m called me over + asked if I saw any one acting supicisous or strange in the last 5 to 10 min + I said yes there was this man who was runnig by waveing a gun + the cops peeled rubber + went around the corner as I directed them + I dissap - eared into the park a block + a half away never to be seen again.
The length is indeed 340 when spaces, line breaks and full stops are removed (leaving us with the 0-9, A-Z, “+” and “-“)
>>> z340b_raw = """
... PS. 2 cops pulled a goof abot 3
... min after I left the cab. I was
... walking down the hill to the
... park when this cop car pulled up
... + one of the m called me over
... + asked if I saw any one
... acting supicisous or strange
... in the last 5 to 10 min + I said
... yes there was this man who
... was runnig by waveing a gun
... + the cops peeled rubber +
... went around the corner as
... I directed them + I dissap -
... eared into the park a block +
... a half away never to be seen
... again.
... """
>>>
>>> z340b = "".join(x for x in z340b_raw if x not in (" ", ".", "\n")).upper()
>>>
>>> print(z340b)
PS2COPSPULLEDAGOOFABOT3MINAFTERILEFTTHECABIWASWALKINGDOWNTHEHILLTOTHEPARKWHENTHISCOPCARPULLEDUP+ONEOFTHEMCALLEDMEOVER+ASKEDIFISAWANYONEACTINGSUPICISOUSORSTRANGEINTHELAST5TO10MIN+ISAIDYESTHEREWASTHISMANWHOWASRUNNIGBYWAVEINGAGUN+THECOPSPEELEDRUBBER+WENTAROUNDTHECORNERASIDIRECTEDTHEM+IDISSAP-EAREDINTOTHEPARKABLOCK+AHALFAWAYNEVERTOBESEENAGAIN
>>>
>>> print(len(z340b))
340
>>>
17×20
PS2COPSPULLEDAGOO FABOT3MINAFTERILE FTTHECABIWASWALKI NGDOWNTHEHILLTOTH EPARKWHENTHISCOPC ARPULLEDUP+ONEOFT HEMCALLEDMEOVER+A SKEDIFISAWANYONEA CTINGSUPICISOUSOR STRANGEINTHELAST5 TO10MIN+ISAIDYEST HEREWASTHISMANWHO WASRUNNIGBYWAVEIN GAGUN+THECOPSPEEL EDRUBBER+WENTAROU NDTHECORNERASIDIR ECTEDTHEM+IDISSAP -EAREDINTOTHEPARK ABLOCK+AHALFAWAYN EVERTOBESEENAGAIN
34×10
PS2COPSPULLEDAGOOFABOT3MINAFTERILE FTTHECABIWASWALKINGDOWNTHEHILLTOTH EPARKWHENTHISCOPCARPULLEDUP+ONEOFT HEMCALLEDMEOVER+ASKEDIFISAWANYONEA CTINGSUPICISOUSORSTRANGEINTHELAST5 TO10MIN+ISAIDYESTHEREWASTHISMANWHO WASRUNNIGBYWAVEINGAGUN+THECOPSPEEL EDRUBBER+WENTAROUNDTHECORNERASIDIR ECTEDTHEM+IDISSAP-EAREDINTOTHEPARK ABLOCK+AHALFAWAYNEVERTOBESEENAGAIN
68×5
PS2COPSPULLEDAGOOFABOT3MINAFTERILEFTTHECABIWASWALKINGDOWNTHEHILLTOTH EPARKWHENTHISCOPCARPULLEDUP+ONEOFTHEMCALLEDMEOVER+ASKEDIFISAWANYONEA CTINGSUPICISOUSORSTRANGEINTHELAST5TO10MIN+ISAIDYESTHEREWASTHISMANWHO WASRUNNIGBYWAVEINGAGUN+THECOPSPEELEDRUBBER+WENTAROUNDTHECORNERASIDIR ECTEDTHEM+IDISSAP-EAREDINTOTHEPARKABLOCK+AHALFAWAYNEVERTOBESEENAGAIN
A connection to z13?
I’ve noticed that if you reverse the lines in the above, there’ll be a line that starts with “AEN” and the string “NAM” can be found further down (as part of “NAMSI”, “NAME IS”?):
ELIRETFANIM3TOBAFOOGADELLUPSPOC2SP HTOTLLIHEHTNWODGNIKLAWSAWIBACEHTTF TFOENO+PUDELLUPRACPOCSIHTNEHWKRAPE AENOYNAWASIFIDEKSA+REVOEMDELLACMEH 5TSALEHTNIEGNARTSROSUOSICIPUSGNITC OHWNAMSIHTSAWEREHTSEYDIASI+NIM01OT LEEPSPOCEHT+NUGAGNIEVAWYBGINNURSAW RIDISARENROCEHTDNUORATNEW+REBBURDE KRAPEHTOTNIDERAE-PASSIDI+MEHTDETCE NIAGANEESEBOTREVENYAWAFLAHA+KCOLBA
Lines 4 to 6:
AENOYNAWASIFIDEKSA+REVOEMDELLACMEH
5TSALEHTNIEGNARTSROSUOSICIPUSGNITC
OHWNAM
z13 for reference:
AEN⊕⑧K⑧M⑧⊥NAM
Maybe z13 points to a section in this text or the equivalent positions in z340? What do you guys think?
I’ve made a few “casual” attempts at treating this text like a rail fence cipher. My approach involves:
- applying one or more basic operations/transpositions to the entire cipher (left shift by one character, reverse, remove the last line, etc.)
- running the output through a rail fence decoder
- searching for keywords in the output (e.g. “KILL”, “DEATH”, etc.)
It’s not time-efficient in any way but at least it’s “cryptographically defensible” because it leaves little room for arbitrary anagramming and wishful thinking (which is probably also why I haven’t found anything substantial yet : )
Anyway, I just thought I’d share a couple of results that contain interesting words/phrases. I’ve added links to the online tool CyberChef so you can verify the output in the browser.
Here we see “TO KILL”, “RRESTED” (ARRESTED?), “AEN” (the first 3 characters of z13), “WISH”, etc.:
lines 1 to 17, shifts 7 PULLEDAGOOFABOT3MINAFTERILEFTTHECABIWASWALKINGDOWNTHEHILLTOTHEPARKWHENTHISCOPCARPULLEDUP+ONEOFTHEMCALLEDMEOVER+ASKEDIFISAWANYONEACTINGSUPICISOUSORSTRANGEINTHELAST5TO10MIN+ISAIDYESTHEREWASTHISMANWHOWASRUNNIGBYWAVEINGAGUN+THECOPSPEELEDRUBBER+WENTAROUNDTHECORNERASIDIRECTEDTHEM+IDISSAPPS2COPS rails 8, left-right PTPDOASEPSRMAEURRESTEDEHTOKILLWVRILTESAEHELFERNMDHRAG+NTETTAENUEBWISHHDEIKNHBMEOTESCAACDHWR++AEIOBGIPFLSWIERAICWOAASSUNDTNTARSOWPW5NAIRITAUAFLLNOGOSUB1YLKAIEO0YNSDWMNDNBGUEIATAHVNAPDOO+C+EEPCIITOWTNNISNOPRGANET3HOGIANSEGDSFEMHTUYUR2ANEPHIILEIS+SCITTCMLNTCIHHDOIEESAOATLORCRPEOEULHFEESWPCST rails 8, right-left TSCPWSEEFHLUEOEPRCROLTAOASEEIODHHICTNLMCTTICS+SIELIIHPENA2RUYUTHMEFSDGESNAIGOH3TENAGRPONSINNTWOTIICPEE+C+OODPANVHATAIEUGBNDNMWDSNY0OEIAKLY1BUSOGONLLFAUATIRIAN5WPWOSRATNTDNUSSAAOWCIAREIWSLFPIGBOIEA++RWHDCAACSETOEMBHNKIEDHHSIWBEUNEATTETN+GARHDMNREFLEHEASETLIRVWLLIKOTHEDETSERRUEAMRSPESAODPTP
Example (CyberChef):
Here’s “GUN”, “WORD” and “DICE”:
lines 1 to 19, shifts 298 OTHEPARKABLOCK+AHALFAWAYNPS2COPSPULLEDAGOOFABOT3MINAFTERILEFTTHECABIWASWALKINGDOWNTHEHILLTOTHEPARKWHENTHISCOPCARPULLEDUP+ONEOFTHEMCALLEDMEOVER+ASKEDIFISAWANYONEACTINGSUPICISOUSORSTRANGEINTHELAST5TO10MIN+ISAIDYESTHEREWASTHISMANWHOWASRUNNIGBYWAVEINGAGUN+THECOPSPEELEDRUBBER+WENTAROUNDTHECORNERASIDIRECTEDTHEM+IDISSAP-EAREDINT rails 9, left-right OWHHAGMEHDAESIEATYCSKINREUWNECANHPBODTHBMBOHIPISE2WCFEWE+RALIAACPOSRSAS+IWRSAPWPASAUWTUEDNN5ALLPRUKLNTNTIAIOYEILKLNDO1GRSOB0NUGEADDPEMYUSNWIA+OABGWOCNADATV+TNNOLOTEIIEHPEISNOHFOAEFGANC-OGISTHBCOIHUDARENGYPELTK3LMIEUEARNSCCTM+IOAIT+ARSTHSLTNAAHLOEHIEDERUEEFHTPDSECIDROWOMAEARRERAPEICSSSOKILLWVTTPTNEEHREHEFFERAIEDTTLSN+NTATT rails 9, right-left TTATN+NSLTTDEIAREFFEHERHEENTPTTVWLLIKOSSSCIEPARERRAEAMOWORDICESDPTHFEEUREDEIHEOLHAANTLSHTSRA+TIAOI+MTCCSNRAEUEIML3KTLEPYGNERADUHIOCBHTSIGO-CNAGFEAOFHONSIEPHEIIETOLONNT+VTADANCOWGBAO+AIWNSUYMEPDDAEGUN0BOSRG1ODNLKLIEYOIAITNTNLKURPLLA5NNDEUTWUASAPWPASRWI+SASRSOPCAAILAR+EWEFCW2ESIPIHOBMBHTDOBPHNACENWUERNIKSCYTAEISEADHEMGAHHWO
Example (CyberChef):
One that contains “RED”, “NAME IS”, “TV”, “BUS”, “ASIA”, etc.:
lines 1 to 11, shifts 177 TNIEGNARTSNIAGANEESEBOTREVENYAWAFLAHA+KCOLBAKRAPEHTOTNIDERAE-PASSIDI+MEHTDETCERIDISARENROCEHTDNUORATNEW+REBBURDELEEPSPOCEHT+NUGAGNIEVAWYBGINNURSAWOHWNAMSIHTSAWEREHTSEYDIASI+NIM01OT5TSALEH rails 11, left-right TNAEINENRROESUBR+HWINAATMOBGAHTTWAUCEOFGIALTHERGOS5EHNDHTNANEEHIDTEIWYTDNELDEDAEGS+ETNEVAISAMAEUCRKENBCAEOPWSSAIIYSRREOOATL-IAPBH+LNTGOTDPBRREAAINCISIEMANEESSKVTERSAWHNW0H1EUT+RIANSYPDER+ rails 11, right-left +REDPYSNAIR+TUE1H0WNHWASRETVKSSEENAMEISICNIAAERRBPDTOGTNL+HBPAI-LTAOOERRSYIIASSWPOEACBNEKRCUEAMASIAVENTE+SGEADEDLENDTYWIETDIHEENANTHDNHE5SOGREHTLAIGFOECUAWTTHAGBOMTAANIWH+RBUSEORRNENIEANT
Example (CyberChef):
