I read somewhere that the use of "shall" when most Americans would use "will" is common to Brits, as is "Happy Christmas" (used by Z in another message). Where’s UK Spycatcher when you need him–or is it her? (No offense intended UK, but your icon is, well, ambivalent).

SHALL is not commonly used in the USA. Not many people ever use that word when talking in a normal conversation. Where do we find that word use a lot? In legal papers, insurance, real estate, lawyers, etc. The other place we see it is in literature, plays, books, etc

I think you missed one very other important place we see SHALL: the Bible and the 10 Commandments. At least thats what jumps to my mind.

And I also think it could be part of a persona Z puts on. I drive my husband crazy when I speak Canadian/European- I call my cell a mobile, radiators are rads, about is aboot along with other pronunciations like organization, consortium, etc.

Which leads me to a thought as I typed that, he doesn’t use "Queen’s English" that I recall- where they use s’s in words like organization, not a z, inversion of er at the end of a word- ex. theatre? And we would need to stop calling him Z, he would be Zed.

-M

Good point. Somebody speaking Bible verses, may be used to using the word SHALL.

In the spirit of a Pro-Riverside list, I’ll call out the obvious: Zodiac took credit for CJB’s murder in his affirmation by letter about this "Riverside activity." This amounts to a confession — whether we believe Z did it, or was just prone to exaggeration.

Good point. He took months to respond to it rather than capitalize on the Riverside link when it was fresh in the news. Why?

Got away from the love of his life or the obsession that she (cjb) was to him which ended up consuming him…took a few months for the shakes to stop and he finally penned the letter…guess he could have let the dust settle for a few months as well..

This is why it’s easy to see that Z wrote the Riverside letters

I find it difficult to envision two homicidally psychotic individuals rubbing elbows (so to speak) in the RCC Library in the same time span: one, authoring a gruesome poem that depicts the brutal stabbing of a young woman; the other, killing Cheri Bates with the weapon, and in the manner, of the poem. IMO, the poet murdered Cheri. Now, if the killer were Sullivan, why did he sign the poem, "rh"? To divert investigators to someone else? In that case, why write the poem underneath a desk top where it might never be found?

Now, if the killer were Sullivan, why did he sign the poem, "rh"? To divert investigators to someone else? In that case, why write the poem underneath a desk top where it might never be found?

If you look at the H in RH, and consider it’s on the underside of the desk, its not impossible that’s a sloppy S. Might just be dumb luck it looks like an H.

Now, if the killer were Sullivan, why did he sign the poem, "rh"? To divert investigators to someone else? In that case, why write the poem underneath a desk top where it might never be found?

If you look at the H in RH, and consider it’s on the underside of the desk, its not impossible that’s a sloppy S. Might just be dumb luck it looks like an H.

Every letter is easily distinguishable. It’s an h.

Now, if the killer were Sullivan, why did he sign the poem, "rh"? To divert investigators to someone else? In that case, why write the poem underneath a desk top where it might never be found?

If you look at the H in RH, and consider it’s on the underside of the desk, its not impossible that’s a sloppy S. Might just be dumb luck it looks like an H.

Every letter is easily distinguishable. It’s an h.

I agree, it’s an R H

This may be irrelevant, but what about the BY__________________ at the beginning of the CONFESSION letter.

I think all (or most) of us assumed it was a place to put in a name, but given his use of BY later- by knife, by gun, by rope, by fire, maybe he couldn’t decide. He talks about her being battered, choked, and stabbed. Or it could have provided him with later inspiration to use the by knife, etc.

-m

Certainly an interesting possibility.

just back on the r.h initialing of the desk top.. could it be two people ..say robert and howard. lower case like two naughty boys. I know it could stand for trillions of combinations. just thinking its a strange sign off.

"rh" are the poet’s initials–simple as that. That the "poem" (and its initials) were found on the reverse side of a desktop indicates it was written by Cheri’s killer before her murder. Had it been written after, it would have been to divert suspicion from the killer, and would have been written on the top side of the desktop, so as to be readily found, and the initials those of a known RPD suspect.

Please, don’t misunderstand me… But, rh means real hell.
I should know, I wrote it…

Please, don’t misunderstand me… But, rh means real hell.
I should know, I wrote it…

So you’re the Zodiac, then?

Tigerdove9 wrote:

Please, don’t misunderstand me… But, rh means real hell.
I should know, I wrote it…

Are you telling us that you are the writer of the desktop poem?