I like the fact was in prison since July 32, 1960!

Good work. That is new to me.

Since that was probably only carried in that little local Helena, Montana newspaper, a valid question would be were any known Z suspects driving through Helena around Sept 22, 1969…

it would be put out on the AP wire to every where , likely making a SF newspaper.
LE within a 800 -1k miles radius would know of it very soon after to be looking for them .

So you find it likely that this would have made the AP wire and made it into a SF newspaper, but murders from right in their own backyard, relatively speaking, didn’t, as Avery had to confirm LHR and BRS with VPD upon receiving Zodiac’s first letter, as nobody at the Chronicle seemed to be aware of them.

That sound logical to you?

JS

I like the fact was in prison since July 32, 1960!

Nice catch…

I’m ambivalent about Z’s story.

It’s kinda handy I suppose because I can appreciate arguments for both sides. Either way though, he did say stuff, with words and all lol, so BS or not there’s something to be taken from it, maybe.

Just to pick up on AK’s question "Why Montana?". I have to say that my own thoughts, just reading through, was that he picked Montana because it was far enough away that he felt sure his BS wouldn’t be challenged. Now that’s just a surface thought. There’s obviously lots more questions to answer and ask in this but that’s my simple thought for now.

Apparently the 1959 riot at the prison made international news, and the prison had a reputation for bad conditions and troubles with inmates…not that anyone in Calif would necessarily pay attention or care about any of that 10 years later. But could be its reputation was known and Zodiac seized on that for his story.

I think it is interesting that a DMV in Deer Lodge MT was searched to find a personalized license plate connected to a POI in the ATL child killings.

https://books.google.com/books?id=xR-ZO … ho&f=false

Detectives searched the DMV at Deer Lodge Montana during the Atlanta Child Murders. They were looking for record of a personalized license plate. They found the plate was in use and registered sometime around 1978-1979 in Deer Lodge. The plate was surrendered in North Carolina in 1980 (or 1988 I can’t tell bc the report is scratched).

A search of Boise, Idaho’s DMV for the same personalized plate was launched. Nothing found in regard to the POI using that personalized plate there. The POI ended up on Oregon I believe. Also makes me think of Rodney Halbower.

Kind of makes you wonder what the personalized plate said, don’t it?

Makes me think of Edward Wayne Edwards, too. He was incarcerated at Deer Lodge for some time and also ended up in Oregon as well.

If Zodiac worked at a newspaper, he would be aware of the AP wire story about the prison escape. Great cover to tell the kids at LB in the event it had made the news in CA. We have to view things within the context of the times. My guess is it at least made the paper, if only a scant mention.

And prison escapes are not that common. And when there are escapes, it makes national news. There’s a big difference between walking off from work release at a local jail and a prison break from a state facility.

Zodiac real a lot, particularly police magazines. In 1959 there was a big riot at Deer Lake Prison and it made Time Magazine and got a lot of publicity. I think it is just one more thing Zodiac appropriated from his readings.