Two observations
The door was obviously taped in the first pic of this thread to hide the “by knife”. But rather than the paper continuing straight across, it looks like there was an attempt to cover something more on the right lower side door. Why would they tape it up like that if nothing was there?
Secondly.
Just throwing this out there, but remember the Bates letters had that symbol/monogram? that could be interpreted as a ML. Not to many words ending in ml.

Interestingly, when Hartnell sees the car door, he bends down, pulls up the plastic/paper on the bottom right corner (the general location of the "ML") and peers beneath it…

This was what I also noticed when researching held back LB stuff. They tell him to not touch it. So that caused the research into this strange writing for about a month on Reddit. It turned up all those photos and videos. So I concluded this is not what is being held back. That is my position today until I see more evidence to the contrary. I think it was just a rabbit hole based on some evidence contamination but to be honest they had already done the fingerprint dusting. You can see the gravitational dripping around the car door handle for example. They were not thinking about DNA so once prints were recovered that was it for them. Hence why they don’t even have gloves on handling it in the various media where they touch it.

Sorry I didn’t realise that you had noticed this a while ago, but instead of putting it out there you kept it to yourself

Try to research into it with an open mind and you be surprised at what you uncover. It would not be the first time in this case that we have only been shown part of a piece of evidence, or a piece of evidence which had had part of it hidden from the public view.

Interestingly, when Hartnell sees the car door, he bends down, pulls up the plastic/paper on the bottom right corner (the general location of the "ML") and peers beneath it…

This was what I also noticed when researching held back LB stuff. They tell him to not touch it. So that caused the research into this strange writing for about a month on Reddit. It turned up all those photos and videos. So I concluded this is not what is being held back. That is my position today until I see more evidence to the contrary. I think it was just a rabbit hole based on some evidence contamination but to be honest they had already done the fingerprint dusting. You can see the gravitational dripping around the car door handle for example. They were not thinking about DNA so once prints were recovered that was it for them. Hence why they don’t even have gloves on handling it in the various media where they touch it.

Sorry I didn’t realise that you had noticed this a while ago, but instead of putting it out there you kept it to yourself

Try to research into it with an open mind and you be surprised at what you uncover. It would not be the first time in this case that we have only been shown part of a piece of evidence, or a piece of evidence which had had part of it hidden from the public view.

It was in the public domain on here also in my POI thread. It was on Reddit for awhile also. A few others would have seen it because they were commenting on it. I keep these photos and links to the topic aside should it come again.

I have questions if anyone wants to answer them.

1- The ML part is not hidden from public view in the two indoor photos. Why not? What is the point in revealing that little piece?
2- What is the R symbol next to the Captains hand? Someone’s initials from the Force?
3 -What is M next to the ML part on the lower right corner you are pointing out? Could they, like the R, be part of an initialing?

I think the mystery would be firmly solved if we have two detectives involved. R something and ML. Or possible candidates.

Well, it could simply be that Hartnell, like the rest of us, had seen the "ML" pic and wanted to check if it was actually there. But he definitely examined that area of the car door, which appears to be blank in the crime scene photo.

I’ve also wondered if they might be two arrows, with the "M" arrow next to a stain that makes it look like an "M."

“ I have questions if anyone wants to answer them.

1- The ML part is not hidden from public view in the two indoor photos. Why not? What is the point in revealing that little piece?
2- What is the R symbol next to the Captains hand? Someone’s initials from the Force?
3 -What is M next to the ML part on the lower right corner you are pointing out? Could they, like the R, be part of an initialing?

I think the mystery would be firmly solved if we have two detectives involved. R something and ML. Or possible candidates.”

1. Ok can we agree that marks were made on the paper to points of reference on the door? Why would the right third of the door need covering. Why would this writing only be visible in this image, and not subsequent images if it was made by LE ? Why would it ever needed to have been covered up card if nothing was there, there was obviously a concerted effort by LE to obscure this portion of the door.

2. If I had to guess I would say it was officer who taped the paper to the door as the R is at the left side as one would sign of a letter. Probably R for R. Hughes who completed the highway patrol report on the door.

3. I still can’t believe the LE would intentionally write on the.

I think that still has not been addressed is what looks like the top of a Z in the top middle of the original photo.

In the closeup photo provided by BDHolland I clearly see what appears to be a M followed by an L. I am very sorry but I don’t see how this ML can be a part of any word unless it carries over to the next line of text obscured by the paper. Absent of a word, I would be more inclined to believe that ML, was part of a cipher. Now wouldn’t that be a reason to hide it.

Detective Sergeant Kenneth Narlow’s partner, Richard Lonergan is a candidate for the R also.

Another problem with claiming this blank sheet is covering up something the Zodiac wrote is that there is an identical sheet on the left that is doing the same thing. So why not just say there something behind that one also?

Anyway, they have let the ml visible in both pictures so they aren’t covering it up. Why not if they are trying to hide it? Are they so incompetent they can’t hide it? Or they in fact know it is visible and has an explanation when the sheet is attached back up?

Judging by the video we saw it seems to me they have actually cleaned away these marks they left on the door. Not just the writing part being referenced but also the stuff I circled.

On the topic of it being hard to accept that some forensic handling was so clumsy in 1969 Napa, I would say it seems consistent with every other jurisdiction in the history of serial killings that are experiencing these stranger killings for the first time. They just don’t really have the resources to deal with it nor the training. That comes later in the early to mid-1980s.

Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders has the same problems.

Look at the CJB case.

They are a mess because the investigators just didn’t know how to deal with any of it much. Letter sending killer promising more. Still, I am quite surprised by all the leads they did get right and followed up on for 1969.

Detective Sergeant Kenneth Narlow’s partner, Richard Lonergan is a candidate for the R also.

Another problem with claiming this blank sheet is covering up something the Zodiac wrote is that there is an identical sheet on the left that is doing the same thing. So why not just say there something behind that one also?

Anyway, they have let the ml visible in both pictures so they aren’t covering it up. Why not if they are trying to hide it? Are they so incompetent they can’t hide it? Or they in fact know it is visible and has an explanation when the sheet is attached back up?

Clearly the main sheet of paper with the tape was initially used to cover the entire door panel (from the door handle at least.) In the photo which reveals the message, they have obviously peeled off the the top and sides of this sheet, dropped it down, and re-affixed it along a line above "By Knife". They’ve simply re-used the same tape, apart from unused pieces of tape running down the sides of the sheet, which can be seen in the photo.

So, yes, what about those two square panels? Were they in any way part of the main sheet when it was fully covering the door? It doesn’t appear so. On the face if it, they appear to have been introduced only after the main sheet of paper has been lowered to reveal the written message. Logic would suggest that they are being used to specifically cover up those parts of the door. In which case, yes, we should be asking the same question about both panels.

Those two panels don’t appear to be affixed to the door, nor do they appear to be taped to, or part of, the main sheet of paper. The left hand panel sits on the floor, propped up against the door, while the right side panel has been placed behind the main sheet. Again, it’s hard not to see this as a deliberate attempt to cover the two respective parts of the door.

I don’t doubt the white sheet on the right is partially covering something. I just doubt what it is covering is something the Zodiac left.

IMO, they pulled the sheet down in front of the photographer who was setting up, saw the initialing stains and so covered them up for the shot.

Does that have explanatory power over all the evidence and the phases in the timeline where it suddenly appears and disappears? I think so. Just add in that they were willing to rub away all those markings at a later date for the video which clearly shows there is nothing there.

Furthermore if that is the Zodiac’s writing why is it left exposed in the photo with the Captain holding the door up ungloved? Why is it not under the brown paper sheet? It is evidence right?

I corrected the levels so you can see ML next to the stain and in fact they join together. It is one writing.

Whoever is signing that probably got the M in but not the L and said "Hey can’t fit my initials in" and someone replied "Do it next to it" as in under it and they probably just signed ML literally next to it on the car door.

I don’t doubt the white sheet on the right is partially covering something. I just doubt what it is covering is something the Zodiac left.

IMO, they pulled the sheet down in front of the photographer who was setting up, saw the initialing stains and so covered them up for the shot.

Does that have explanatory power over all the evidence and the phases in the timeline where it suddenly appears and disappears? I think so. Just add in that they were willing to rub away all those markings at a later date for the video which clearly shows there is nothing there.

Furthermore if that is the Zodiac’s writing why is it left exposed in the photo with the Captain holding the door up ungloved? Why is it not under the brown paper sheet? It is evidence right?

I corrected the levels so you can see ML next to the stain and in fact they join together. It is one writing.

Whoever is signing that probably got the M in but not the L and said "Hey can’t fit my initials in" and someone replied "Do it next to it" as in under it and they probably just signed ML literally next to it on the car door.

This makes no sense though, if there was nothing there why cover it. If they were trying to cover up what “they” had written I.e. initials I seriously doubt that they would then cover up a part of the door which was blank and still leave the initials showing.

We still haven’t addressed the elephant in the room either, the top part of a letter which can clearly be seen.

This makes no sense though, if there was nothing there why cover it. If they were trying to cover up what “they” had written I.e. initials I seriously doubt that they would then cover up a part of the door which was blank and still leave the initials showing.

We still haven’t addressed the elephant in the room either, the top part of a letter which can clearly be seen.

The writing is continuous. Look closely again at that picture. The M type squiggle on the brown paper is not just followed by another M on the car door, but is attached to it. It is like MM L.

You can see where the pen has drawn a short line leading to and connecting with with the leg of the first M.

Plus we have evidence for bleeding through elsewhere. So we know the paper is seeping through with that pen.

How do you explain this if the Zodiac did it?

What elephant in the room hasn’t been explained? What letter and where abouts?

What’s important when it comes to explanations is that they can explain all the evidence and not just some of it.

For example, saying the Zodiac wrote something under there does not explain all the evidence where there is nothing there.

I don’t doubt the white sheet on the right is partially covering something. I just doubt what it is covering is something the Zodiac left.

IMO, they pulled the sheet down in front of the photographer who was setting up, saw the initialing stains and so covered them up for the shot.

Does that have explanatory power over all the evidence and the phases in the timeline where it suddenly appears and disappears? I think so. Just add in that they were willing to rub away all those markings at a later date for the video which clearly shows there is nothing there.

Furthermore if that is the Zodiac’s writing why is it left exposed in the photo with the Captain holding the door up ungloved? Why is it not under the brown paper sheet? It is evidence right?

I corrected the levels so you can see ML next to the stain and in fact they join together. It is one writing.

Whoever is signing that probably got the M in but not the L and said "Hey can’t fit my initials in" and someone replied "Do it next to it" as in under it and they probably just signed ML literally next to it on the car door.

Those photos are very helpful. Just to be clear, I don’t for a minute believe they were trying to cover any Zodiac writing or symbols. I agree with you. I can see the "leakage" quite clearly, on more than one area of the door.

My conclusion is LE was simply covering its own markings, not for secrecy, but to avoid distracting from the Zodiac writing. The "reveal" was important and the focus needed to be only on that which was relevant. Sadly, if theses markings were visible, some folk wouldn’t be able to help themselves and would link them to the Zodiac. Anyone with the initials ML would now be a prime suspect

BDHOLLAND said;
…"they had already done the fingerprint dusting. You can see the
gravitational dripping around the car door handle for example."

What do you mean by these words?

BDHOLLAND said;
…"they had already done the fingerprint dusting. You can see the
gravitational dripping around the car door handle for example."

What do you mean by these words?

They dusted for prints at the scene. You can see it in the next photograph. In subsequent photographs it looks like this dust has run a bit around the door handle.

Ok, I understand now that’s how you see it.
That fingerprint dust is like photocopier toner, so unless it started to spit
rain out there, there’s another circumstance consistent with what we see.

The Zodiac stabbed Hartnell and Shepard pretty fast and hard, so causing
blood to splash about. If the Zodiac was wearing gloves that were not made
out of leather, but rather something like say, the material that they make kid’s
mittens out of (but in an adult size) then the right glove may have absorbed
blood. When Hartnell got stabbed (CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP, etc) that sounded
like a grip where the knife is held with the blade beneath the little finger, if
that’s the case you would expect the blood to be absorbed particularly about
the little finger then up. Regardless of how the knife was held, after the Zodiac
walked away, any gloves he might have been wearing, he could have removed
them from his hands, balled them and stuffed them into his pocket, so causing
any blood to spread somewhat throughout the bloody glove.
Now Zodiac arrives at Hartnell’s car, he could either have no gloves on and then
put them back on, or perhaps he never took them off. Assume he attempted to
open the door we know he wrote on – the handle is the old style semi-circular
type where you grip the handle and then push the protruding button with your
thumb – how would a blood pattern look?
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5491&start=10#p89694
https://zodiackillerfacts.com/gallery/d … fullsize=1
Much like what we see;
a.) some blood squeezed from the glove horizontally off the index finger onto
the top of the handle, (or is this just a refection seen in the shiny metal of the
handle?)
b.) some blood squeezed from the glove and as the grip of the hand is released,
adheres and puddles on the top of the door handle likely consistent with where
a hand bends inside the glove (at the inside of the hand where the fingers join
the palm or opposite the outside knuckles), (or is this just a refection seen in
the shiny metal of the handle?)
c.) some blood squeezed from the glove horizontally off the little finger onto
the top of the handle, (or is this just a refection seen in the shiny metal of the
handle?)
d.) some blood likely also transfered onto the door skin where the front of the
handle meets it (note the interrupted marks about the front of the handle
suggestive of a pattern matching the bulges in the skin of a hand outside of
the little finger when a hand is gripping closed or when a hand is just releasing
its grip and the bottom of an almost closed fist slides/brushes against the
door skin),
e.) some blood squeezed from between the fingers, outwards, with the hand
gripping closed and resulting in two separate visible running drip marks about
under the center of the door handle,
f.) some blood present on the door handle protruding button where the thumb
of the glove would press on it, (or is this just a refection seen in the shiny
metal of the button?)
g.) some blood most likely dripping off the thumb of the glove as it presses
hard against the protruding button and resulting in one visible running drip
mark directly under the protruding button,
h.) some blood droplets possibly flung off the gloved hand onto the doorskin
by deliberately flicking the bloodly gloved (opened) hand towards the door and
resulting in several faintly visible running drips down the doorskin,
i.) possibly some blood droplets that hit the doorskin (and maybe window) but
which were smaller and resulted in either no running trail or only a very short,
faint running trail.
Note; some blood droplet running trails that were originally very faint when
the car was on the door may have become more pronounced due to collecting
more fingerprint powder or dust over time, some parts of some trails may be
fainter than when the door was on the car possibly due to overcovering paper
gently rubbing against the blood trail.
Withheld info on the car door = (victims) blood on the door?