My understanding of Detective Poyser’s roll in the Zodiac case is that he can only address the things that are related to Vallejo, in other words the BRS case and the letter sent to the Vallejo Times Herald. He is only privy to what the other jurisdictions have in a general sense. The Halloween Card and in fact most of the letters were sent to San Francisco. Vallejo does not have that Halloween Card to be able to send it out for further analysis. The LHR case was investigated by the Solano County Sheriff’s Department, not Vallejo PD, so that case does not fall under his jurisdiction. Det. Poyser cannot tell the other jurisdictions what to do either.

I would have to talk to him about that. I know he is in the position to reach out to SFPD,etc. Not sure what he can ask or suggest they do.

Marshall, I totally understand what you are saying. This is a cold case though and as such it’s not going to get the attention or funding that a more recent case would get. Vallejo is cash strapped, they barely have the funds to cover the recent cases and fully staff the department. The same is true of other departments.

I understand that. As far as time and cost, this would be about as minimal as a request could possibly be. We’re not talking about sequencing DNA or even comparing a fingerprint – it’s simpler than that. If time and cost would be prohibitive, in the eyes of LE, then either:

1. This idea doesn’t have as much merit as I think it does.
2. We can hope for basically nothing from LE.

Seriously, I’ll put up the first $200 to have that ink/paint analyzed. Of course it’s a longshot – but how much new hard evidence is likely to come to light in this case, at this point? Everything’s pretty much a long shot. But if we got lucky, imagine the cost savings to LE, across all jurisdictions, to be able to close it all down, finally, and let Det. Poyser focus on more urgent cases exclusively.

People have mused that maybe the answer to Z’s identity is right under our noses. Well, maybe it is. But since the people on this forum don’t have possession of the evidence, we’re either going to need a little effort by the people who are supposed to be interested in solving murders, or we’re really basically just spinning our wheels.

Or, as I said, maybe it isn’t such a hot idea to begin with. It’s just the best I can come up with, and I firmly believe, hard tangible evidence is what’s required – all the theories on Z’s psychology, motives, and so on are interesting but prove nothing.

Even if he can not examine, or Vallejo not take part in examining the Halloween card, maybe he can fast track us to somebody that can within SFPD

Haven’t read this thread so my apologies if this is already covered. Just knocking around the site. Will get around to reading this thread eventually. Just wanted to throw it out there that that looks like someone writing with their non-dominant hand to me. Maybe forcing themselves to do it quickly too in order to further disguise hand writing? That or they’re maybe drunk as hell. My first impression when looking at this hand writing was ‘that’s a lunatic’s writing. Someone with a severe mental problem.’ Maybe there’s a little (to use a little trade craft lingo) professional attempt to avoid detection in these writings.

I opt for the "non-dominant hand" theory. this, plus the use of a doctored typed "Confession" leads me to believe the author was definitely afraid his natural handwriting would give him away. Which, to me, suggests he was a student at Riverside City College, where he had submitted hand-written papers, documents, etc. I sure would like a list of male RHs who attended RCC in the fall of ’66.

I have always wondered about the meaning of those letters. For what possible reason would bates have to die? and for what reason would letters informing the family of this be necessary?

Why did the killer feel bates "had" to die?

The "z" symbol has always looked to me like a "z" where the top line has been shaped into a heart, but that was probably not the writers intention. Though the killer does mention Cheri jo "brushing him off" and may have been romantically interested in and rejected by the women he killed, there is also the word "luv" next to the "zodiac" symbol in the z340. All just useless speculation so i will stop.

Those letters have always baffled me.

Just by looking at the "m" on one of the letters, as well as the childish form of the writing, I had always assumed that he killer had written the letters in his car. It looks like the writer wrote with his non-dominant hand possibly while driving…

I can only speculate though.

Still, strange stuff.

z: we are in agreement that the letters were written with the non-dominant hand. Obviously the author feared his natural handwriting would implicate him; ergo, enough of it was available that LE would probably encounter it. My best guess is that the writer was a student at RCC.
Re the motivation for the letters: THE CONFESSION author wanted readers to understand that he was "insane," but not "crazy." This semantic differentiation, with its upgrade in vocabulary, leads me to believe that his degree of insanity was, to him, important and important to explain to others. He wasn’t an ordinary nut, he was INSANE.
"Bates had to die" because she knew something about her killer. Perhaps he’d made a pass at her and (in the case of my POI) she threatened to tell his wife. The letter to Bates’ father reveals that Z had a deep streak of cruelty.
As far as the bizarre "Z" signature on the letters: since Z was writing with his non-dominant hand, his intended Z signature on his first letter was faulty, producing the imperfect Z that has puzzled so many. I believe Z had a perseverant personality, and persisted in replicating his graphic error using his dominant hand, rather than correcting it and, to himself, admit he was capable of error.

I have always wondered about the meaning of those letters. For what possible reason would bates have to die? and for what reason would letters informing the family of this be necessary?

Why did the killer feel bates "had" to die?

Well, we can only speculate, but CJB might have been a main source of "consternation" for him. If we are correct that she was a Zodiac victim, and that Zodiac had killed before her, it might be a reference to this one being "personal" and the others just strangers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. He might have felt murdering her would assuage whatever demon was inside him.

The letters might have been somewhat of a guilty conscience. Or just sadistic, though many of us have felt that Zodiac wasn’t really the sadistic type.

Both good responses. All reasonable stuff.

I suppose since we never identified zodiac that speculation is about as far as we will get when it comes to the questions of "why bates had to die?" and "why were the letters necessary?"

Riverside has identified the author of the handwritten Bates Had to Die letters through DNA.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/zodiackillerfr/breaking-news-cheri-bates-had-to-die-author-identi-t9786.html