If this is the Zodiac these are probably why he doesn’t want to be linked up with these crimes. He left evidence behind. His calling card. These books. There is probably more also such as links to him.

Tom has said that Zodiac left something behind at all four canonical murder sites. This was specifically in reference to someone asking if it was certain that Lake Berryessa, which was so different from other crimes in the series, was in fact a Z crime. Those leave behinds are what convinced investigators the four attacks were Z crimes. Tom hasn’t said what items were left at the crime scenes, but for several reasons, books are a possibility.

There was a book of Playboy dirty jokes found at the Lake Berryessa crime scene. I’ve always seen it stated that the book belonged to Hartnell. Maybe it was Zodiac’s.

Here is a completely hypothetical scenario as a thought experiment. It’s known that the police didn’t get a chance to secure the LB crime scene; a ranger "swept everything into a blanket" (to use the wording from the movie) before police arrived. Maybe the rangers knew about the book, and let it slip, perhaps to reporters, not realizing its importance. The police didn’t want it known that Zodiac’s calling card was to leave books behind. They asked Hartnell to claim the book was his to conceal the nature of Z’s leave behinds. (Also found at the crime scene: condoms, likewise attributed to Hartnell, but that seems an unlikely calling card.)

Like I said, it’s a thought experiment. The idea of a book being used as a leave behind is interesting knowing that there was a book left in Ray Davis’s cab in the Oceanside murder, which many of us believe was a Z crime.

Do we know if finger prints were collected?

If this is the Zodiac these are probably why he doesn’t want to be linked up with these crimes. He left evidence behind. His calling card. These books. There is probably more also such as links to him.

Tom has said that Zodiac left something behind at all four canonical murder sites. This was specifically in reference to someone asking if it was certain that Lake Berryessa, which was so different from other crimes in the series, was in fact a Z crime. Those leave behinds are what convinced investigators the four attacks were Z crimes. Tom hasn’t said what items were left at the crime scenes, but for several reasons, books are a possibility.

There was a book of Playboy dirty jokes found at the Lake Berryessa crime scene. I’ve always seen it stated that the book belonged to Hartnell. Maybe it was Zodiac’s.

Here is a completely hypothetical scenario as a thought experiment. It’s known that the police didn’t get a chance to secure the LB crime scene; a ranger "swept everything into a blanket" (to use the wording from the movie) before police arrived. Maybe the rangers knew about the book, and let it slip, perhaps to reporters, not realizing its importance. The police didn’t want it known that Zodiac’s calling card was to leave books behind. They asked Hartnell to claim the book was his to conceal the nature of Z’s leave behinds. (Also found at the crime scene: condoms, likewise attributed to Hartnell, but that seems an unlikely calling card.)

Like I said, it’s a thought experiment. The idea of a book being used as a leave behind is interesting knowing that there was a book left in Ray Davis’s cab in the Oceanside murder, which many of us believe was a Z crime.

For EARONS there was also something held back… only it wasn’t really held back. We knew from some crime scenes he took away a photo of the target with him (he stole a photo from their collections/picture frames). What we didn’t know was that he had done this at every crime scene. So what was being held back was the extent to which he did something.

If books left at crime scenes is a signature, then you have CJB’s so called library books in her car and Stine’s A-Z to think more about. I would guess he dumped a book in her VW that isn’t a library book and that item we think is Stine’s A-Z, isn’t Stine’s A-Z.

I thought there might have been books in Stine’s cab. When you say “A-Z,” do you mean a dictionary?

I thought there might have been books in Stine’s cab. When you say “A-Z,” do you mean a dictionary?

https://www.zodiacciphers.com/presidio- … ttack.html calls it an A-Z.

Basically a map book of streets.

I have never seen or found a SF street map book with a back like the one in that photo on it.

From what I remember reading Paul Stine was studying English.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he was reading something in relation to that. In which case my vote is English prose/poetry from William Yates or William Blake. Maybe that’s what set the Zodiac off on him?

Hartnell was reading a book, though…

If the Zodiac is triggered by people reading books then that’s a form of bibliophobia. This would indicate that some of those spelling errors are genuine because he is semi-illiterate. It would explain why his chosen form of media are movies, theatre, and radio songs. The Zodiac seems to be able to spell some complex words though but his handwriting is terrible. Poorly educated stocky sports jock who beats up on nerdy bookworms. Bibliophobics vs bibliophiles. Obviously in that case the Zodiac is no rocket scientist and seems to have a disdain for whoever is educated. If that is his kink then you can be sure he would be complaining about ‘intellectuals’ all day long around his buddies… strike-that… his mom.

BD Holland, brilliant find..not knowing more than 6 homicides in 1966….now it is 8. The MO at Kirchgessner’s case is unique, in Smiths case I’d like to see the DNA of her ‘new’ boyfriend (clothes she had there)..

QT

Bryan Hartnell when asked if the Zodiac sounded like an educated man replied…

"Heck no!"

I wonder if Zodiac was able to pull one over on Hartnell and fake being uneducated. I would wager, not. He didn’t expect Hartnell to live. No doubt though we shall be accused of stereotyping, but I just don’t second guess what things point at anymore after DeAngelo was identified.

BD Holland, brilliant find..not knowing more than 6 homicides in 1966….now it is 8. The MO at Kirchgessner’s case is unique, in Smiths case I’d like to see the DNA of her ‘new’ boyfriend (clothes she had there)..

QT

I hope it helps. At the very least it would give SFPD a reason to liaison with Sonoma County again.

As for homicide count. Yeah, the Zodiac is the just one part of a career in murdering people along the West Coast.

I like your idea of looking for DNA in the clothes.

Hartnell was reading a book, though…

?

I thought there might have been books in Stine’s cab. When you say “A-Z,” do you mean a dictionary?

It was a Thompson Bros street guide map booklet like these, they were very common and the company was in business until recently.

EDIT: This one posted huge, so I changed it to a link.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ … ncisco.jpg

This is probably what you wanted to post.

This is probably what you wanted to post.

https://youtu.be/cougeyF-JNw

A book can make a way to deflect some splatter.

Thanks, CuriousCat.