Usually, from FBI reports I’ve seen on some of the questioned DOCS, ones they are suspicious of being legit, usually include phrases like "not written as freely" or "show some signs of deception"

I don’t need an interpretation of the poem, or even Sherwood to tell me the handwriting matches because there is a big fat candy cane F I can see with my own eyes.

No disrespect, but so what? I have candy cane f’s. We’ve seen handwriting from dozens of suspects that have similarities to Z’s.

The desktop y’s, d’s, and b’s are unlike ANY of the ones from known Z correspondence… unless someone can show me one. Just one.

I’m curious, what things don’t you agree with in the first few comparisons in this thread? viewtopic.php?f=80&t=18

I agree with the comparisons that show the similarities. I’m talking about the inconsistencies. Specifically the letters that I mentioned above. They are formulated in a completely different way from anything that zodiac wrote. The differences are as telling as the similarities.

Usually, from FBI reports I’ve seen on some of the questioned DOCS, ones they are suspicious of being legit, usually include phrases like "not written as freely" or "show some signs of deception"

True enough. But there are also many examples of them pointing out that there are certain similarities but no positive match.

Besides, the desktop isn’t a forgery whatever else it may be, so there wouldn’t be any indications it was forced.

Look, my point here is very simple: This is a matter of forensic conclusions, if you will – not mere opinions. To conclude that Z prepared a certain sample is dramatically different from failing to conclude that he did so. If there had been sufficient similarities, the FBI would have done what Morrill did, presumably. But they did not.

I am going to give my interpretation of the desk top poe
First I want to make a comment on Soze interpretation of the
The individual who wrote the poem. Soze wrote that the writer
Had a condition known as dythmia, also that the writer was female.

This is my interpretation, first sick of living, her live is a real hell. Not knowing
What the next hour could bring. She just exists.
Unwilling to die, she has made attempts of suicide but they were unsuccessful.
Because her existence was a real hell, her heart a graveyard. Most likely
Prayed to die daily.

Now, cut clean if red! (Blood) clean blood spurting dripping all over
Sounds as if these are her duties in order to survive she must clean up
Where the murders took place.

I will wok on the rest of the poem

I am continuing on with the rest of my interpretation of the desktop poem
I feel as if this female is looking into a mirror and seeing her reflection.
In her new Red Dress.
All over her new dress (blood) oh well, it was red anyway.
(No one will see the blood or her) it was red?
(She no longer has the dress)
Life draining into a uncertain death, not knowing from
One moment to the next if she lives or dies. (Real hell)

She won’t die this time, she has attempted suicide once
Again it was Unsuccessful. (Unwilling to die)

This will make my third attempt on the desk top poem.

Someone ll (will) find her (the writer) So, she knows some
One is look for her. How strange ,when I put in the double L’s
(please) pop-up.

Who is that someone looking?

Just wait till next time. She is holding out for hope.
(A survival mechanism) She is waiting.
Why,when I read this ,the 1974 letter comes to mind.
About a female waiting for someone to free her from her
Tormentor.
If my eyes are correct then the letter are the only evidence.
My thought is that the letters were dictated and she wrote them.

Again, the interminable argument over whether the desktop poem (DTP)was homicidal or suicidal in nature; and whether it was written by a male or female. I’m no collector of suicide notes, but I can’t imagine one being as gory as the DTP. From what I understand, they follow a kind of formula, composed of one or more of the following elements: an explanation of why suicide is deemed necessary; instructions as to the type of funeral to be conducted; and a farewell. None of these elements are present in the DTP. The DTP is a murder fantasized–a dress rehearsal, so to speak, for the real thing.
As for the poet’s sex…. The printing is distinctly masculine in nature, as is the subject matter, and the way it is addressed. I’ll probably be faulted as "sexist" but, IMO, women–at least, in the Sixties–wouldn’t compose such blood-drenched "verse."
Whoever wrote the DTP was–again, IMO–a man, morbidly psychotic, and thoroughly capable of translating his "poem" into the actual murder of Cheri Bates.

Mary Shelley comes to mind she was the writer of Frankenstein.
Again just my interpretation. But, it screams!female to me.
suicide, not homicide, but, just trying to survive. Just like
Frankenstein’s monster. It is a sad and Disturbing poem.
A real hell, to just exist,attempt to survive. And, the waiting.
Holding on to hope. She’s sick of living/unwilling to die.
Her purpose in life has not been fulfilled. she is waiting for
Someone to find her.

I think too people tend to look at the 60’s as a time these things didn’t happen. A woman couldn’t have these thoughts…not then! Women were proper and polite–etiquette of the time. But the feelings they possessed weren’t all that different than today and maybe their dark sides raged even more for having to behave a certain way and having different expectations than men–not having the same rights and feeling inferior.

I also think the writing reflects state-of-mind. This person appears to be in a funk and the writing (imo) reflects that. It reeks of "I don’t care anymore..."

All right, ladies, you’ve convinced me women can be as crazy and vicious as men. But, you’ve not persuaded me the DTP was composed by a suicidal female.
I can’t think of anything more personal than ending one’s own life. A woman writing a suicide note would refer to herself in the first person, not the third (e.g., "I", "me", vs. "she", "her"). The "Sick of living/unwilling to die" title, interpreted by some as the poet’s rationale for suicide can be instead a male’s take on a particular female. Further, it provides a lunatic rationale for killing her–if not now, then "next time".
Finally, women who commit suicide prefer ODing. They don’t blow their brains out, or stab themselves to death. There are exceptions, of course, but that’s all they are: exceptions.

Idk… The handwriting seems masculine and not feminine. So if written by a male why would he be speaking about a females dress being red anyway? And the blood spurting.

If I had been the custodian and came across that poem EVEN WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE of CJB I would be pretty creeped out and note it to myself.

For that timeframe I don’t think that behavior was very common – to scrawl a very disturbing/gruesome poem on a desk. It’s not like it was the goth era of the 80’s/90’s or emo era of the early millennium.

Not to mention, it would be quite the juvenile thing to do for a college student – to scrawl on desks. Sure middle or high school, but college? College Students are typically too busy, focused, and ambitious to do that and are in the library voluntarily- im assuming in most cases It was not as if the students in the library were stuck there in a lecture bored and scrawling on desks until class is out. Rather, the library is where one chooses to go to study and such. Which leads me to think there was some sort of deliberate message in the poem and also makes me wonder if the poem was written by someone who was often "stuck" in the library and bored at times bc they worked there.

All right, ladies, you’ve convinced me women can be as crazy and vicious as men. But, you’ve not persuaded me the DTP was composed by a suicidal female.
I can’t think of anything more personal than ending one’s own life. A woman writing a suicide note would refer to herself in the first person, not the third (e.g., "I", "me", vs. "she", "her"). The "Sick of living/unwilling to die" title, interpreted by some as the poet’s rationale for suicide can be instead a male’s take on a particular female. Further, it provides a lunatic rationale for killing her–if not now, then "next time".
Finally, women who commit suicide prefer ODing. They don’t blow their brains out, or stab themselves to death. There are exceptions, of course, but that’s all they are: exceptions.

I agree with you that female suicidal ideation typically doesn’t include self mutilation, but rather typically overdose/suffocation. This doesn’t mean that the letter wasn’t written by a suicidal female, but uh… I don’t read it as a suicidal female jmo. Then again I need to read over it and really think about it all.

I do have to say though after reading it again there is just as high a likelihood it was a suicide note written by someone who cuts themselves. It’s just strange they wrote it not in the first person at some points like "all over her new dress" – maybe second person was employed bc it was the authors attempt to dissociate the identity of the female in the poem from herself.

This post is fairly old, but I’ll give my two cents about it.
The poem is vague and could be interpreted several different ways. It reminds me of a Nostradamus quatrain. It has one meaning to the author, yet open for interpretation by everyone else. The only person, that can tell you exactly what the poem is about, is the author themself. Imo, the poem could be talking about a murder, or even a suicide. Maybe both? If it was talking about a suicide, it’s self reflection. If a murder, it was written by the murderer. I feel it was a male who wrote this poem. The wording and handwriting is masculine.
Maybe a female hipster of today would write something like this, but in the 60’s? Maybe, maybe not. If it was a female, she had an emo or Gothic side to her.
Also, the poem written on the backside of a desk speaks some volume. This tells me, the author was a secretive or vague person themself. They wanted the poem to be found imo, yet hid it at the same time.
As far as the initials rh, it could mean many things. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the initials of the author.
To just throw this aside as a suicidal cry for help only, is looking over, what could be an important piece of the Zodiac puzzle! I think many things have been overlooked. That’s why the case is still unsolved!

Sorry if there’s any typos. I’m on my tablet.

Also, I see "word salad" in this poem. It’s a way some schizophrenics communicate. Their thinking isn’t exactly organized. Google up word salad, and you can see what I’m talking about.