The fake guy didn’t have a scrap book. Bad mistake.

Since the 10/5/70 "13-hole card" was the only unconfirmed communication that I voted for as likely legit. in UKS’ letter poll, I figured that I would try to remind myself why I voted for it…

There are actually a number of reasons. Most of the unconfirmed letters that we have seem to mimic at least repeat some aspect of previous confirmed (and therefore public) letters. The 10/5/70 card has a few repeated aspects such as the symbol and addressing the editor but it actually also appears to foreshadow three FUTURE communications (two confirmed and one unconfirmed).

-The "cut and paste" style of the card foreshadows the confirmed 10/27/70 Halloween card just three weeks later in which Zodiac uses cut and paste elements for the first and only time.

– The use of the term "crackproof" foreshadows the use of the same term in the confirmed 3/13/71 LA Times letter.

– The 13 hole punches foreshadow the 3/22/71 unconfirmed Pines card, which also utilizes a hole punch.
I think it’s conceivable that Zodiac could have actually copycatted other publicly discussed copycat letters (almost started a thread about that) but the above foreshadowing would be quite a coincidence otherwise.

Other considerations:

– Despite the symbol and addressee, it doesn’t seem derivative at all of previous communication i.e. there is a certain "originality" to it.

– The creator cut & pastes the misspelling of "closeing", which seem to fit Z’s phonic spelling mistakes, whether they are real or feigned.

– The taunting humor fits Z, IMO.

– The statement from Paul Avery indicating that SOMETHING about the card indicated to SFPD, at least initially, that it likely was authentic.
It would be interesting to know what this SOMETHING was and why both SFPD and Avery appeared to back off of that belief.

"The detectives studied the card for two days and for reasons they decline to make public say they feel it "highly probable" it came from Zodiac."

Does anyone happen to know, by the way, if the source of "THE PACE ISN’T ANY SLOWER! IN FACT IT’S JUST ONE BIG… was ever found? Reminds me of a Secret Pal birthday card perhaps but I don’t ever recall reading about the source being looked into or determined.

^^entropy,

To all your statements above, I say this: viewtopic.php?f=70&t=162

Interesting thoughts, Tahoe. The 13-hole card is kind of hard to compare but what do you think of the "Paul Averly" in the Pines card vs. Halloween card envelope? It’s not exact but certainly looks very similar, no? In this one, the suspected fake (Pines card) was sent well after the Halloween card so there is always a chance that the misspelling of Avery’s name was just hijacked by a copycatter.

I think it’s probably written by the same person who tried a little harder to copy Zodiac’s writing on the HC envelope. Tracing over letters masks it a bit, imo.

In regards to "Averly"…I have to wonder if the writer could have plain just thought it WAS Averly. Could be "Averly" was a familiar name to him in other circles.

The only communications that were created in this manner came to Paul. Minimal handwriting. A red flag, imo.

Zodiac also wasn’t big on putting info in the sender area of the envelope. He only did it once and that was with the Stine letter.

After reading that it was a 3 x 5 file card, a thought occurred to me about the holes.

It used to be common to find index cards with holes in them in places like libraries. There would be metal or wooden drawers with little metal rods that would hold the card in place through a punched hole.

Could it be that Z took an index card from some drawer of cards, then punched additional holes to disguise its origin?

If it were some form of index card, then the faint stamp and writing might be whatever it referenced.

Just a thought. Does this work?

G

I have to say Kudos for T on this one.

The similarities picked up on in these cards and the rationale for setting them apart from the rest are excellent. Here’s my problem though. There are similarities so they are, most likely by the same author. That means there are patterns to be found, despite the brevity of the missives. In handwriting that usually means prizes, for me anyway.

The copycat angle is intriguing in this instance but I’m not sure it bears fruit. I’m not sure it doesn’t either but I’m erring more towards no. We have these because at some point they were deemed valid. Out of all the crap LE were sent, these were weeded out and floated to the surface. The fact that weeding was needed means they will always be open to scrutiny.

FWIW I think they are Zodiac … for now. This isn’t based on a hunch or previous determinations. These will feature in my ongoing handwriting investigation but as I’m sure Stitch can attest, I don’t work to deadlines, I work when it feels right. I will offer this. Look to the y’s in these disputed missives then look at Z’s. Look close, it’s not always easy to spot. This is good though, this means, I think, that it’s more than likely a habit and not a copy. People tend to copy the obvious so when I see similarities in the hardly noticeable, I get interested. Sorry I can’t be more clear but I don’t want to suggest things but I am rather curious to discover others thoughts without too much prompting.

Again, thank you T, I know it wasn’t intended as such but a very good spot on the Stine envelope for me that’s another precedent in my thinking.

After reading that it was a 3 x 5 file card, a thought occurred to me about the holes.

It used to be common to find index cards with holes in them in places like libraries. There would be metal or wooden drawers with little metal rods that would hold the card in place through a punched hole.

Could it be that Z took an index card from some drawer of cards, then punched additional holes to disguise its origin?

If it were some form of index card, then the faint stamp and writing might be whatever it referenced.

Just a thought. Does this work?

G

Talking of faint stamps. viewtopic.php?f=67&t=406

FWIW, the idea of Zodiac copycatting the copycat would go something like this:

Zodiac sees the 10/5/70 13-hole card highlighted in the SF Chronicle (in an article by Paul Avery) in which SFPD is quoted as believing the card to be a legitimate communication. Three weeks later he sends his Halloween card (the first communication in 3 months and claiming a new victim) in which he mimics the cut & paste collage method of the 13-hole card (in a far more creative manner) and includes 13 eyes simulating the 13 holes of the 10/5/70 card. He picks up on the term "crackproof" for later use in the LA Times letter. I’m not necessarily sold on the idea but I would definitely not put it past Zodiac to copy a copycat to "legitimize" a fake communication just as I believe he was very willing to take credit for crimes he didn’t commit if his involvement was publicly speculated.

Tahoe makes an excellent point about the similarities between the Pines and Halloween cards. Can the writing on these be ruled out based on such a small sample? Somehow, the Halloween card has a different feel to me but it would certainly be interesting to compare handwriting from both the cards and HC envelope. All of this business actually speaks for withholding some communications or elements of communications from the public, doesn’t it? Copycatting is not difficult when all of the communications are publically displayed within days and there is, unfortunately, never a short supply of people willing to do just that.

While this card is not associated with Z, I found where part of his clippings came from:

That’s a cartoon run on September 25, 1970 from San Antonio Express in Texas

Nice!
Has this been "found" before? If not – very well done.
Isn’t it amazing – another bloomin’ comic was "sampled" for the text?
Since comic’s are themselves often syndicated, I wonder where else it appeared…… I thought I’d heard that all of the card text on that card had been found from one or more copies of the Chronicle….?
Good to see the text in its original position though – I hadn’t. Well done.

Nice!
Has this been "found" before? If not – very well done.
Isn’t it amazing – another bloomin’ comic was "sampled" for the text?
Since comic’s are themselves often syndicated, I wonder where else it appeared……

Yeah….I figure it was in more than just this paper, but haven’t been able to find any others it was in. No idea if it has been found before, just that part of the card clipping looked like comic strip writing to me…the font that is. Can’t find any of the other phrases that appear to have been taken as a whole like this one though. Like the "some of them fought it was horrible" appears to be a whole phrase clipped from something.

Wow! Great find. I have never seen this verse in it’s original context before.

Good find indeed Which paper did you find it in?
I found it in the 9/25/70 San Antonio Express newspaper

I think this card was mailed much earlier than 10/5/70. I found this, and I can’t explain the date on it-1/2/70, 9 months earlier