From what I understand a janitor found the desk in storage. I’ve always wondered how long it was in storage. Like was it from the previous semester or an old desk that had been in storage for several years. I personally think that Cheri Jo Bates’ killer was not someone her age or one of her peers but someone at least 5 or 10 years older than her. This was also a library or city college desk so the writer could presumably have been any age(library’s attract a lot of weirdos of all ages.) I think people assume that since it was found on a desk that the killer was around her age. However, in my high school even there was stuff scrawled on desks that had been written decades ago. In the modern investigative world they would have brought in a scientific expert to determine how old the writing on the desk was, but we know they didn’t seem to bother with this kind of stuff in the zodiac or cheri jo bates case…..
That would be interesting to know. I’d also like to know if they ever traded desks with other schools.
I go back and forth with the age of Cheri’s killer. IF the writing on the desk belonged to Cheri’s killer, I’d vote for younger. The author of the Confession letter, I’d vote for older. The Bates letters? Just some A-hole. Kidding, but not really. It would seem that person was trying to make themselves look younger and possibly writing with their non-dominant hand.
I also wonder if the desk was placed in storage BECAUSE of the writing. Sure seems like, if it was, there might be a teacher who remembered coming across it and having it removed.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
Having been a high school custodian, let me say that I suspect the desk was found during Winter break, and placed in storage until repaired or replaced. I doubt it–particularly, its poem–would have been ignored during the general cleaning of the previous summer. My guess? The poem was written between the beginning of Fall semester, 1966 and Winter break, in December, 1966.
Having been a high school custodian, let me say that I suspect the desk was found during Winter break, and placed in storage until repaired or replaced. I doubt it–particularly, its poem–would have been ignored during the general cleaning of the previous summer. My guess? The poem was written between the beginning of Fall semester, 1966 and Winter break, in December, 1966.
Thanks for your thought Dag.
I’m wondering…why store it at all? Maybe they would just replace the top?
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
Having been a high school custodian, let me say that I suspect the desk was found during Winter break, and placed in storage until repaired or replaced. I doubt it–particularly, its poem–would have been ignored during the general cleaning of the previous summer. My guess? The poem was written between the beginning of Fall semester, 1966 and Winter break, in December, 1966.
Thanks for your thought Dag.
I’m wondering…why store it at all? Maybe they would just replace the top?
Actually, it was written on the under side of the desktop, probably wouldn’t be easy to spot.
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
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The RCC desktop poem was discovered in December, 1966, by, I believe, a janitor. If so, it lends weight to the probability the poem was written between September, 166 and December, 1966. The summer cleaning of a school is quite thorough, and it is likely the poem would have been discovered if written before then. As I indicated, mine is a guesstimate but it squares with the facts.
The RCC desktop poem was discovered in December, 1966, by, I believe, a janitor. If so, it lends weight to the probability the poem was written between September, 166 and December, 1966. The summer cleaning of a school is quite thorough, and it is likely the poem would have been discovered if written before then. As I indicated, mine is a guesstimate but it squares with the facts.
I agree, it was likely written not too long before being found, possibly earlier that school year.
There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS
Which lends even more credibility to rh being Cheri Jo’s killer. If rh were not, that would suggest there were two homicidally psychotic students on the RCC campus at the same time. This is possible, of course, but a bit of a stretch.
Dag, in that last statement about "rh" and two killers do you mean a known murderer with those initials, or just the unknown author of the desktop writing?
Which lends even more credibility to rh being Cheri Jo’s killer. If rh were not, that would suggest there were two homicidally psychotic students on the RCC campus at the same time. This is possible, of course, but a bit of a stretch.
But, imo, that poem doesn’t necessarily sugguest homicide.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
I still think that the poem could have been there for at least a couple years. Since it was on the underside of the desk it would have been hard to notice.
When I was in high school we would write on the inside of our desks, and that stuff would stay there for many years. I think the desktop poem is one of the most important clues, since it hints at Zodiac’s life before killings. Everything else that we have to go by with him was released to us on his terms(mailings, letters etc.) Finding something that he didn’t filter through his tricks first is very important. Someone doesn’t just get to become the zodiac without displaying some prior idiosyncratic/creepy behavior in life. The poem could be an example of some such display.
Another consideration. The "Confession" and "Bates had to die" notes were typed, using multiple carbons; and written with the non-dominant hand. Evidently the author did not want his handwriting recognized. Could it be because, by that time, the RCC Desktop Poem desk had been stashed in storage and he couldn’t find it–and its incriminating initials–in order to destroy his gruesome verse?
Well, it certainly wasn’t written by a Boy Scout!
If the desk is still available, why couldn’t it now be tested with the techniques available to determine how old the writing is as mentioned by b_a?
Several years ago I came to the conclusion that the poem could have been written any time between the desk being acquired by the school and when it was found. Since it was on the underside of the desktop, it may have remained undiscovered for years. Only the random chance of the desk being put in storage upside down led to it being noticed at the time of CJB’s murder and brought to light. I’ve wondered if it was seen earlier by someone besides the writer, but not thought of as being significant because it was well before the murder. I doubt there’s anyway to know for sure.
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Formerly Clovis.
