Just as an additional point to my previous post, I can’t help thinking that there are, in fact, so many constraints on the repeats in this cipher (see image below) that an open-minded – even brute force – attempt at solving must have a good chance of succeeding, on the assumption that this is likely not much more complicated than a simple substitution without homophones or shifts.

I mean, just look at the extent to which the third line locks in with everything else. Only 2 out of 10 symbols don’t repeat somewhere. There are several two letter forms that all have a match-up with somewhere else and, as 2-gram words, have a very constrained set of possible solutions.

Maybe the one thing that we really do have to do, right at the outset, is just to begin by ‘de-Zodifying’ the whole thing, like:

If it can be solved, and if it does come back as a quote by the killer, all well and good.

Hi Shaq, Richard. I don’t know if this will be helpful for discussion but I did my best to write out the cipher in Dave’s web toy (although some symbols we are obviously guessing at) and inputted Richard’s Crawford solve. Considering that it was sent to the Vallejo paper and uses exclusively Zodiac symbols I think we can rest assured that the author is intentionally evoking the killer made world famous by Graysmith only 4 years prior.

There are definitely inconsistencies in the Crawford solve. This could be due to it being incorrect or that, like in the Zodiac’s 408, multiple assignments were given to letters. After years of pondering the My Name Is cipher I still can’t imagine the motivation of a serial killer revealing his name to authorities but I suppose if one were to do so, they would probably do it unfairly. Without Google Crawford could never have be found in this "cipher". If it was Zodiac who wrote it then I think there is definitely not a correct name in there. I commend Richard for his efforts here. I think he may have struck google gold!

Why not use the solved cipher as our Rosetta Stone? The B in the solved cipher= L the tripod with a dot in the middle = A. ( That shows LA) I don’t agree with the address being Oakland Ca.
I think it is meant to be LA for Los Angeles. Oakland is a hub for most mail coming from other bay area towns, the Oakland post mark means nothing anymore.

The last half of line three is : The F = S, B= L, 1 =A ( leave out the sideways V) The backwards C = V, + = E . The word is ( SLAVE) I used the solved cipher for those letters.
The sideways V’s may be nothing just there for confusion? The number one is A first letter in the alphabet. The first line I drop the Z logo to the next line like Zodiac has done and I have 9 letters for that last name. The "ROBT" is obvious. I can get these letters from those 9 " D Z A N H E A, the U and the L throws off the last name of Hernandez but most of it is there. Some people will change the symbols to make letters they need to get the words they want, That is not the way to do it. Use the symbols that Zodiac used and the letters that go with them from the solved cipher ,you will be surprised what you get that way. That is how Lyndon Lafferty deciphered that code.

As Rubislaw has so ably pointed out, each individual John Hinde Postcard is issued with specific code of numbers and letters in the top left of the address side. The MK Zodiac Carmel postcard has the code 2CG 66-B, and so does the 1990 Celebrity Cypher, indicating they are one and the same.

Castlemont stuff is wrong as I symbol would represent multiple different letters (R, C, M, I). Nice idea, but no good. The my name is part could be correct, however, was known before.

QT

As Rubislaw has so ably pointed out, each individual John Hinde Postcard is issued with specific code of numbers and letters in the top left of the address side. The MK Zodiac Carmel postcard has the code 2CG 66-B, and so does the 1990 Celebrity Cypher, indicating they are one and the same.

I am pretty sure that when a artist does a series of one subject , like Sandy beaches in Calif. All of the cards in that particular series will have the same number. We know there is no driftwood laying on the beach in the Carmel picture, as mentioned by Lyndon Lafferty who saw the original card.He would know the difference between driftwood and cypress trees. I have to go by what Lyndon saw, because he is the only witness that I knew who saw that card.

There are of course the people at the VTH and VPD, but so far I have not heard back from the reporter who thinks we are all a bunch of people who are like the Manson followers! I have sent a email to the Editor of the VTH and asked him if he has a copy of that card he can show? Still waiting for his reply. Trying to contact Byron Tate, who was the Editor I went to see at the VTH in 1990 a few weeks after I took my suspects picture in Aug.10th 1990.

I read that the numbers on these cards have to do with the area like the C for Ca. perhaps the B at the end is for Beach pictures? I found another Ca beach picture of JHC , it was from 1987, the number is 2CG 124-B.

For the numbers on the Carmel card and the one sent by who I believe was Zodiac giving us a clue being a match, it tells me all the cards from that series has that same number.

The stamp showing Marianne Moore who died on Feb 5th 1972, is the same date as the Swindles murder on Feb 5th 1964. I do not believe that is just a coincidence. Zodiac I believe was telling us that murder in 1964 was his, the stamp helped to confirm it for me. I am trying to buy the series, to see which one is "Ocean Beach" to see if its the one in San Diego?

So, if someone popped up with a John Hinde postcard with the serial number “2CG 66-B“ it would be materially substantial?

So, if someone popped up with a John Hinde postcard with the serial number “2CG 66-B“ it would be materially substantial?

Yes , especially if it shows driftwood on the beach and that beach is Ocean Beach! Have you found one with that number that has not been shown here yet?

Lyndon Lafferty’s solution is: Longed hunt late sleuth invite u to a slut yuth hotel hide.

Lyndon adds ( IQ =TM )??

Lyndon taught code and was asked if he would help other top code breakers, but he had to decline, I trust he knew what he was doing.
I have seen other solutions to this cipher and this one seems more Zodiac like than the others I have seen. I am not opposed to Oakland Ca. being part of the address, it just so happens that my RH suspect was from Oakland Ca. The phone call made to Oakland PD from someone saying he was thee Zodiac and wanted to have F Lee Bailey or Mel Belli on the Jim Dunbar show, could very well have been the Zodiac! He gave details that only Zodiac would know according to the officer who took that call. Zodiac seemed to have a connection to Oakland Ca.

I have received one reply back from a person I contacted about getting copies of the the Sandy Beach- California series. She told me it has been too many yrs ago and they do not have any way of finding them. she said the best way would be through the photographer who took the pictures,they usually keep copies.
My next step is to locate the photographer who did the series. The original card sent to the VTH did not show a name of the photographer, but I do have a few names who worked in southern Ca. Still have not heard back from the editor I spoke to at the VTH in 1990. Has anyone given any thought to what may have stirred up Zodiac in 1990?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pre-1980-LARGE … SwRLRdHqMc

Vintage northern California driftwood beach postcard:

Pre-1980
LARGE DRIFTWOOD AT SALMON CREEK BEACH
Bodega Bay By Santa Rosa CA d6784

Thank you so much TF , you know I have a lot of respect for you and your investigating! That is for sure a card with driftwood on the beach, but it is not a John Hinde Curteich post card. I need help in finding a card from that company only, and it has to have "white sand"not tan in color, which is only found near southern Calif. I am 99 and 9/10’s percent sure it will be Ocean Beach in San Diego Ca. But any beach down south showing driftwood made in the late 80’s by the John Hinde Curteich Inc or company. It should show on the front of the card driftwood on the sand and the Ocean with the words: Sandy Beaches- California on the right bottom corner of the card and a Large California across the bottom frame. The back will have a description of the front of the card. The number for that card on the back upper right will be 2CG-66-B. Thank you for your help!

You are still welcome to stay at my home anytime you can make it here! I can show you all of the crime scenes and show you around Ca. Would love to meet you!

Thank you so much TF , you know I have a lot of respect for you and your investigating! That is for sure a card with driftwood on the beach, but it is not a John Hinde Curteich post card. I need help in finding a card from that company only, and it has to have "white sand"not tan in color, which is only found near southern Calif. I am 99 and 9/10’s percent sure it will be Ocean Beach in San Diego Ca. But any beach down south showing driftwood made in the late 80’s by the John Hinde Curteich Inc or company. It should show on the front of the card driftwood on the sand and the Ocean with the words: Sandy Beaches- California on the right bottom corner of the card and a Large California across the bottom frame. The back will have a description of the front of the card. The number for that card on the back upper right will be 2CG-66-B. Thank you for your help!

You are still welcome to stay at my home anytime you can make it here! I can show you all of the crime scenes and show you around Ca. Would love to meet you!

Thank you very much for that info Sandy.
And I would absolutely love to come to Ca and thank you SO much for your sweet offer,
I hope to be able to make it some day.

You are welcome anytime!

I need to make a correction on the card numbers , I said they will be on the back of the card on the right. (They will show on the upper left corner.)

I’m sure others have already tried but a few months ago I submitted an eFOIA request to try to get fresh copies of the Celebrity Cipher card:

An encrypted postcard was received by Vallejo Times-Herald, postmarked September 25, 1990. I believe it was forwarded to the Vallejo Police Department who may have later submitted it to the FBI for analysis, due to writing of cipher symbols resembling those used by Zodiac serial killer. Requesting any records pertaining to the postcard, including images of both sides of the postcard, results of cryptanalysis, results of document analysis, fingerprint evidence, etc. An image of the back of the postcard is attached.

This morning I got this response:

Potentially responsive records were identified during the search. However, we were advised that they were not in their expected locations. An additional search for the missing records also met with unsuccessful results. Since we were unable to review the records, we were unable to determine if they were responsive to your request.

Disappointing!

Disappointing!

This reminds me of the DB Cooper case. The FBI had 8 cigarette butts that Cooper smoked in their possession. With the Cigarette butts they might have been able to get Cooper’s DNA.

Currently the FBI claims the butts are somewhere at the Las Vegas field office. But do not know exactly where.

A recently released FBI document states that after analysis (in 1971) of the Cigarette Butts they could be destroyed if wanted.

Disappointing!