Since no one’s rreplied to my posting, I will! I’m an advocate of Occam’s Razor: that is, the simplest explanation is usually the right one. IMHO, the solution to Cheri Bates’ murder lies in joining these facts: a gory "poem" signed with the initials, rh was discovered on a desktop at Riverside City College; Cheri Bates, a student at RCC, was murdered in gory fashion eerily reminiscent of the poem’s victim; "The Confession", written by someone who had to have knowledge of facts unknown to any but the police, complained of being ignored by Cherie Bates in the past.
Riverside Police Department has had forty-plus years to connect these dots. To my knowledge, it has ignored them, preferring to obsess on its prime suspect, "Bob Barnett." What should RPD have done? Have someone check the Bates-Era annuals at Ramona High School for males with names conforming to the poem’s rh. Then, check out these individuals for meaningful connections to Bates. Pretty simple, basic stuff, huh? THEN WHY DIDN’T RPD DO IT?
Frustrating. Absolutely frustrating.

Riverside Police Department has had forty-plus years to connect these dots. To my knowledge, it has ignored them, preferring to obsess on its prime suspect, "Bob Barnett." What should RPD have done? Have someone check the Bates-Era annuals at Ramona High School for males with names conforming to the poem’s rh. Then, check out these individuals for meaningful connections to Bates. Pretty simple, basic stuff, huh? THEN WHY DIDN’T RPD DO IT?
Frustrating. Absolutely frustrating.

Maybe they did.

Riverside Police Department has had forty-plus years to connect these dots. To my knowledge, it has ignored them, preferring to obsess on its prime suspect, "Bob Barnett." What should RPD have done? Have someone check the Bates-Era annuals at Ramona High School for males with names conforming to the poem’s rh. Then, check out these individuals for meaningful connections to Bates. Pretty simple, basic stuff, huh? THEN WHY DIDN’T RPD DO IT? Frustrating. Absolutely frustrating.

Maybe they did.

I know I did it,and I didnt find anybody promising,however, I just went back a few weeks ago and rechecked, and found a real promising RH suspect that I am looking at closer.

The thing about the handprinted notes and the desktop poem is that although they can be linked to each other, and to Zodiac, they cannot be said to contain facts about the case that only the killer could know. The only Riverside communication that conforms to that criteria is the typewritten confession letter. It cannot be conclusively linked to the desktop poem, to the handprinted notes, or to Zodiac. I think the jury is still out as to whether the desktop poem and the handprinted notes were prepared by the same hand that prepared the typewritten letter.

Maybe they did.

Or maybe they didn’t.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Zodiac case, Tahoe, it’s that I can no longer assume that the police actually performed what might seem to us like a reasonable investigative tactic.

The thing about the handprinted notes and the desktop poem is that although they can be linked to each other, and to Zodiac, they cannot be said to contain facts about the case that only the killer could know. The only Riverside communication that conforms to that criteria is the typewritten confession letter. It cannot be conclusively linked to the desktop poem, to the handprinted notes, or to Zodiac. I think the jury is still out as to whether the desktop poem and the handprinted notes were prepared by the same hand that prepared the typewritten letter.

Maybe they did.

Or maybe they didn’t.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Zodiac case, Tahoe, it’s that I can no longer assume that the police actually performed what might seem to us like a reasonable investigative tactic.

I’m just saying we don’t know everything they did. But, it wouldn’t surprise me if the didn’t scroll through old yearbooks looking for guys with RH initials based of a poem scratched into a desktop.

Riverside Police Department has had forty-plus years to connect these dots. To my knowledge, it has ignored them, preferring to obsess on its prime suspect, "Bob Barnett." What should RPD have done? Have someone check the Bates-Era annuals at Ramona High School for males with names conforming to the poem’s rh. Then, check out these individuals for meaningful connections to Bates. Pretty simple, basic stuff, huh? THEN WHY DIDN’T RPD DO IT? Frustrating. Absolutely frustrating.

Maybe they did.

I know I did it,and I didnt find anybody promising,however, I just went back a few weeks ago and rechecked, and found a real promising RH suspect that I am looking at closer.

Dag MacLugh, I totally agree with your point and also at least try to shave myself with Ockham..would you explain a bit better about why your rh suspect is connected to Bates, otherwise than going to the same school? Thx.

The ones I’ve found in the 1964/65 yearbooks are

Roger Hocking
Robert Harding
Robert Harris
Roy Harris
Robert T Hunt
Randy Halseth
Ricky Horn
Rick Hadley
Russell Hudson
Roy Helgeson
Ron Herrera
Robert Heersema
Raymond Hyman
Richard Hanley
Raymon Harris
Robert Tom Hayes
Rob Hagen
Rich Harbor
Robin Harper
Richard Harrold
Robyn Hiser
Robert Hansen
Randy Hartshorn
Roger Hess
Rick Horn
Robert Howard
Russell Hudson

QT

(P.s.: also a Ken Bloch is present there…Bloch was the name of the youth probation service family living in the building in Presidio, the one where Z had been going up those 4-5 steps after the Stine murder)

Quoting QT,

"Dag MacLugh, I totally agree with your point and also at least try to shave myself with Ockham..would you explain a bit better about why your rh suspect is connected to Bates, otherwise than going to the same school? Thx.
The ones I’ve found in the 1964/65 yearbooks are

Roger Hocking
Robert Harding
Robert Harris
Roy Harris
Robert T Hunt
Randy Halseth
Ricky Horn
Rick Hadley
Russell Hudson
Roy Helgeson
Ron Herrera
Robert Heersema
Raymond Hyman
Richard Hanley
Raymon Harris
Robert Tom Hayes
Rob Hagen
Rich Harbor
Robin Harper
Richard Harrold
Robyn Hiser
Robert Hansen
Randy Hartshorn
Roger Hess
Rick Horn
Robert Howard
Russell Hudson
QT
(P.s.: also a Ken Bloch is present there…Bloch was the name of the youth probation service family living in the building in Presidio, the one where Z had been going up those 4-5 steps after the Stine murder"

One of the Guys on this list wound up living in the SF Bay area. He was stocky, wore glasses , had a full face,looked similar to the Berryessa sketch, was in the service, and most interesting of all, in 1967, his parents lived within 1 mile of these Kathleen Johns like attacks that happened in Fall,1967-
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=44

I started a thread about him, and included a edited photo of him here a week or two ago,but deleted the thread for reasons I cant discuss. I am VERY INTERESTED in him as a suspect! If you want his name, PM me. He appeared in the 66 Ramona HS yearbook,but he did NOT graduate there,instead, transferred to a high school in the Van Nuys area.

By the way, we should be considering guys with those initials from 64-66 in my opinion,at Ramona HS, Riverside Polytechnic HS,and Riverside City College

Part of me ‘hopes’ that ‘rh’ is a lapse, a slip.

Unfortunately, if this is/was Zodiac then he had quite the penchant for monikers, monograms and pseudonyms. 3z, The Zodiac, the crosshair, the batwing, Z, a friend, a citizen, R.P. (The Red Phantom) ……. rh?

Part of me ‘hopes’ that ‘rh’ is a lapse, a slip.

Unfortunately, if this is/was Zodiac then he had quite the penchant for monikers, monograms and pseudonyms. 3z, The Zodiac, the crosshair, the batwing, Z, a friend, a citizen, R.P. (The Red Phantom) ……. rh?

I personally think Z did not write that desktop poem with the intention of it being found or later linked to the Bates or Zodiac case. I hope,and would not be surprised if those are his real initials

Morf:
I think I can share this much with you safely: rh attended Ramona High in the Bates Era; he joined the Navy Reserve after graduation and was stationed near Vallejo; according to Student Records in ’91, he attended RCC in the Fall of 1966; and, after graduating, moved to the Bay Area and attended SF State.

Morf:
I think I can share this much with you safely: rh attended Ramona High in the Bates Era; he joined the Navy Reserve after graduation and was stationed near Vallejo; according to Student Records in ’91, he attended RCC in the Fall of 1966; and, after graduating, moved to the Bay Area and attended SF State.

Can you PM me the one you are talking about, and I can tell you which one I am talking about?

I’ve always looked at the rh signature as too obvious. Of course we would think they represent the writers name, that’s what he would have us believe. It could have stood for Ramona High, Riverside High, or something totally unrelated. Even his story, while I believe it represents his relationship with Cheri Jo, I may be wrong. He could have run into Cheri Jo for the first time that evening and she treated him like other girls have in the past, and the story is saying is "she is just like the rest of them who have blown me off." I know her type.
I do feel the Benedict Case is tied in to Cheri Jo, and thus to Z. I think it was the day after Benedict when the letter came out. Coincidence of timing? Could be, but I don’t think so.
Morf is this suspect of yours PF? I may have the first initial wrong, but the last one is F. He lives in the town that begins with a C. He was a wrestler. Still think he’s a valid suspect, unless you found something to eliminate him.

Dag….
Don’t think I’ve heard of this guy before. I like the Navy Reserve connection. The fact that he went to SF State (Cheri Jo was there with boyfriend’s parents the week before she was murdered). You mention Student Records of 1991? What records would they be? You would think that logic wouldn’t escape LE back then, they’d be looking into an rh from Cheri’s school, who migrated north, but then RPD was locked into Barnett and SFPD probably wouldn’t have got involved in that stream of connection. Maybe I’ve run into this guys name before, but I don’t think so.

I’ve always looked at the rh signature as too obvious. Of course we would think they represent the writers name, that’s what he would have us believe. It could have stood for Ramona High, Riverside High, or something totally unrelated. Even his story, while I believe it represents his relationship with Cheri Jo, I may be wrong. He could have run into Cheri Jo for the first time that evening and she treated him like other girls have in the past, and the story is saying is "she is just like the rest of them who have blown me off." I know her type.
I do feel the Benedict Case is tied in to Cheri Jo, and thus to Z. I think it was the day after Benedict when the letter came out. Coincidence of timing? Could be, but I don’t think so.
Morf is this suspect of yours PF? I may have the first initial wrong, but the last one is F. He lives in the town that begins with a C. He was a wrestler. Still think he’s a valid suspect, unless you found something to eliminate him.

His initials were not RH, but you’re right about his last initial. I know he lived in Vallejo up until 1974, was stocky, wore glasses, resembled the Berryessa sketch,and since he wrestled in HS, likely moved in the same circles as Cheri Jo,and her Boyfriend Dennis. So far, nothing to rule him out,but thats the problem, I cant find much of anything at all.