In another thread, we had discussed bodies found on Fire. Zodiac wrote, by gun, by knife, by rope, by FIRE. We know he used the gun,knife, and rope in his crimes, how about the fire aspect? Any victims PRIOR to him using that fire term? Was he planning to use fire for future victims? Was his mention of fire strictly in relation to the burning of Kathleen Johns’ car?
Figure we could put some articles in here regarding burned people under mysterious circumstances to see if any could be the work of Z.
First off, from the 11/21/67 Long Beach press Telegram, mentions that not one but rather two southern CA wives committed ‘suicide’ by fire in less than one week. Fire sounds odd enough for suicide,but to have not 1 but 2,in less than a week? The two fires sound very suspicious.Also, November 1967, in southern CA, is when there were multiple attacks on female driver’s near Canoga Park about an hour from these females burned by fire. The attacks on these female drivers were remarkably like that of Kathleen Johns:
In case it’s hard to read, the two female ‘suicide by fire’ victims were,CATHERINE ANNE STRADLEY & BETTE HERGERT
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
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This next post here may deserve further exploration and perhaps a thread of it’s own….wow
EXHIBIT A-
This 5/6/75 Santa Ana Register article about an 18 year old RIVERSIDE man arrested for murdering his step mom with a fire.
Well the Riverside connection is interesting, but then again, the guy is 18 at the time of the 1975 murder, so he cant be Z obviously. But that’s where things get odd.
EXHIBIT B-
The guy gets married 3 months later in Solano county in 1977.
Name: Gregory G Coates
Age: 20
Est. Birth: abt 1957
Spouse Name: Nanette R Griffith
Spouse Age: 18
Est. Spouse Birth: abt 1959
Date: 2 Aug 1977
Location: Solano
He then divorced 4 months later back down in Riverside:
Name: Debra L Watje
Spouse Name: Gregory G Coates
Location: Riverside
Divorce Date: Jan 1976
And then he remarried in 1978 Back up In Solano:
Name: Gregory G Coates
Age: 24
Est. Birth: abt 1958
Spouse Name: Linda M Espicha
Spouse Age: 37
Est. Spouse Birth: abt 1945
Date: 18 Apr 1982
Location: Solano
I take it from the multiple marriages later in Solano County, and divorce in Riverside county,that he was released as a suspect in his step mom???? That brings me to the next question, what connection does he have so far north up in Zodiac’s stomping grounds? Does he have Family there, and if so, could a Family member be Zodiac? He certainly has an ongoing back and forth connection between Riverside & Vallejo, and perhaps his Family does too!
The issue is, I don’t know the name of his step Mother since she is unnamed in the article. Anybody have any other info on this???? ANybody that would like to help dig? Any help is appreciated, thanks
EDIT: What a letdown, just found this, he did serve time, as seen in this 10/22/75 Santa Ana register article-
Still, it’s curious how he wound up in Solano County, unless they made him serve time there??/ Hmmm. The victim was BETTY LORRAINE GOATES, the article mentions the name change for him of his last name by one letter.
His StepMom-
Name: Betty Goates
Birth: 16 Jul 1926
Death: May 1975
Civil: California
Still want to know who his Family, Father etc was. I think his step mom;s maiden name may have been LEAKEN or DALEN, and his Father may have been MEARL G. GOATES
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
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I found this online.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside- … prison.ece
It sounds like Gregory Glen Coates has been in jail or prison since being arrested for his stepmother’s murder. He was convicted of another murder that happened before the stepmother’s murder.
I’d venture to say that the Gregory G. Coates in Solano County coincidentally has the same name.
I did a little more searching. Gregory Coates has been in prison since 1975. The Solano County marriage could have been a jailhouse wedding if he was sent to the state prison in Vacaville. That seems totally possible.
I found this online.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside- … prison.ece
It sounds like Gregory Glen Coates has been in jail or prison since being arrested for his stepmother’s murder. He was convicted of another murder that happened before the stepmother’s murder.
I’d venture to say that the Gregory G. Coates in Solano County coincidentally has the same name.
Thanks Seagull, pretty interesting. I think it’s possible that the guy that got married and divorced in Solano county could actually be the same one thats in jail. If there are two different Gregory G. Coates in CA, that are the same age,I would be shocked. We have seen instances of women that marry convicted felons. Either way,looks like a dead end,thanks for checking
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS
I did a little more searching. Gregory Coates has been in prison since 1975. The Solano County marriage could have been a jailhouse wedding if he was sent to the state prison in Vacaville. That seems totally possible.
LOL, we posted the same thing at the same time. 
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS
The one in jail was born 4/18/57 I believe in San Bernardino County, mother’s maiden name HOLLAND
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS
Dorothy Jane Scott May 28,1980 her remains were found off Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim California she lived in Stanton worked in Anaheim she disappeared from the UCI Medical Center her car was found burning in a Santa Ana alleyway.Kathleen Johns car was also found burning.A couple of years later Patricia Jean Schneider went missing from a Circle K market on Limonite Ave making a call that her car had broke down they found her car burning near the intersection of Van Buren Boulevard and Doolittle Ave this is only a few miles from Riverside College. http://truecrimediary.com/index.cfm?page=cases&id=191 http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40964 http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2764dfca.html
38 years in prison..think he could now get paroled. Questionable if he’d like to. Killerchaser, great find (Dorothy Scott)..
QT
*ZODIACHRONOLOGY*
