I hope you are all aware that these watches had to be wound every day or they just run out and stop working… the bottom line is it appears to have been torn off in a struggle, and is a size seven wrist band which indicates the wearer was a man of lean statue or a youth, as it were. Also, the FBI recovered a DNA profile from it and sent the results to Riverside. Could the Timx have been lost by some random student, perhaps, signs of a struggle indicate there was some sort of tearing at the band, like a girl desperately clawing at a killer, trying to save her life? Ahhh, the DNA from this watch may be the Killer’s. If you believe that Zodiac killed Cheri Jo Bates then his DNA is I the hands of Riverside PD.

I think option 1 is the more exciting. From my POV anyways.

Good post smithy. Like the varnish analogy. As for the paint, yeah I can’t see any but then i’m wondering – we don’t have the best images so could it be a fine dusting from a roller? The watch strap does look like it’s seen some use from the condition of the leather. Any watches I’ve had with leather straps that worn soon got relegated to being worn in situations where I didn’t mind if they got paint on them or whatever.

They linked Gary Ridgeway,The Green River Killer, to paint particles found on his victims. WOnder if they could do any kind of exam with the paint from the watch? Dont forget, there was construction going on at the college when Cheri was killed, although I dont know if painting was involved

For what it’s worth, I have a lesser known suspect, George Saxberg, who was a painter during the Zodiac murders. While in local jail for being drunk, he stated to other inmates that he was Zodiac. The prison guard called Vallejo PD,and they broght him in to question him. The report states that he has a "marked similarity,right down to the black horned rimmed glasses" (or something to that nature)with the Zodiac sketch. He stated to police that he was drunk when he said he was Z, and wasnt Zodiac. Police released him,and the very next 2 days in a row,Zodiac mailed not one,but two letters back to back,including the 340. Zodiac never did that before or after! The timing is very interesting in my opinion,coming the next 2 days after Saxberg was questioned. Eventually, police ruled out Saxberg based on writing samples. No wheres left to go with him, and he’s dead now. I can see how they think he was similar,based on this class pic of him from the 50’s, add a few years and some glasses,I think he is pretty close to the SFPD sketch:

Maybe the timing of Saxberg getting questioned is coincidence, but something set Zodiac off to write back to back letters those two days

It was different for Ridgeway though because the paint he worked with IIRC was specially made/mixed for the place he worked at. As for the paint on the timex, again IIRC, it was determined to be ‘house paint’ so there’s probably not anywhere to go with that, even with more modern techniques. A ‘best of’ scenario might be that they could identify a brand but beyond that, if that’s even possible, what could that tell us? At the time maybe more but 44 or so yrs later – company no longer exists? no records? Would probably just end up finding out it was sold in the US.

I hope you are all aware that these watches had to be wound every day or they just run out and stop working…

Well, nope. not necessarily. I have a 70’s TImex that doesn’t need winding every day, and a Zodiac (ha!) from the early 60’s that does. (That’s annoying.)
It would be nice to have TF experiment for us, since she bought the exact same model from eBay a while back, bless her – but hey, since we don’t know when that one WAS wound, it doesn’t really matter. (It won’t help us catch the perp. It’s nice to debunk the myth, though.)

…. is a size seven wrist band which indicates the wearer was a man of lean statue or a youth…..

Well, nope (sorry 1WK! I’m not picking on you!) it wasn’t a "size 7" it was a "seven inch" band.
Since my wrist is about that size and I’m not a youth, and neither am I lean (ahem), we should consider other types and demographics.

If you believe that Zodiac killed Cheri Jo Bates then his DNA is in the hands of Riverside PD.

I don’t, so it ain’t. My 2 cents.

If you believe that Zodiac killed Cheri Jo Bates then his DNA is in the hands of Riverside PD.

I don’t, so it ain’t. My 2 cents.

What would be the harm in checking??? Zodiac,or not, I want to know if the hair in Cheri’s hand has ever been entered into the natl database? Riverside has had blinders on,bumbling this case for 47 years, I think the only thing that will breathe life into itis a new regime. Alot of times when you watch these cold case documentary shows,the case is only solved AFTER a new investigator delves back into the case with fresh eyes,and no bias,or pre-conceived notions. Maybe that can happen here one day,at least I hope it does for Cheri’s sake.

What would be the harm in checking???

NO harm – and they should check yes! Now! Regardless of any opinions we may hold, mine included!

There is also a photo with it showing 12:23 that has a sandy background shown /or placed on a curb just after it was found maybe at the link below
that is not the of the greatest photography which I think suggests it was taken at the scene ,by the detective with the camera on the halloween morning.

http://207.56.179.67/steve_hodel/Bates% … %20all.jpg

Same photo as the other, Ace, with bits cut off it and one shown "flipped" – for reasons which escape me!
That ain’t a kerb that’s a piece of card which would ordinarily have a scale on, like a forensic ruler, I’d suggest.

I hope you are all aware that these watches had to be wound every day or they just run out and stop working…

Well, nope. not necessarily. I have a 70’s TImex that doesn’t need winding every day, and a Zodiac (ha!) from the early 60’s that does. (That’s annoying.)
It would be nice to have TF experiment for us, since she bought the exact same model from eBay a while back, bless her – but hey, since we don’t know when that one WAS wound, it doesn’t really matter. (It won’t help us catch the perp. It’s nice to debunk the myth, though.)

…. is a size seven wrist band which indicates the wearer was a man of lean statue or a youth…..

Well, nope (sorry 1WK! I’m not picking on you!) it wasn’t a "size 7" it was a "seven inch" band.
Since my wrist is about that size and I’m not a youth, and neither am I lean (ahem), we should consider other types and demographics.

If you believe that Zodiac killed Cheri Jo Bates then his DNA is in the hands of Riverside PD.

I don’t, so it ain’t. My 2 cents.

I did the experiment:

Yesterday at 6:10PM I wound up the Timex watch fully (It had not been wound up for a LONG time)
Today it stoped at 2:34PM.
So it worked for ca 20 houres, and it never lost a minute, it showed the exact time all the way until it stoped.

Thanks TF!
Did you take photographs?
(I’m just kidding. Take no notice.)
That was very kind of you. What does it prove? Well, not a lot. Except that yes, it might indeed have already stopped when it was photographed at 12:24, I suppose. That myth survives!

PS What a useless watch! You need to wind it MORE than every day? Might as well wear a sun dial! Pah! I’ll give you $10 for it.

Takes a lickin’, but you better wind it to keep it tickin’!

•Adult Small:
◦6" to 7"
•Adult Average:
◦7" to 8"
•Adult Large:
◦8" to 9"
•Adult X-Large:
◦9" to 10"

Height and average wrist size

•5’8" Tall ◦7 inches

•5’10" Tall ◦7.1 inches

•6′ Tall ◦7.27 inches

•6’2" Tall ◦7.45 inches

•6’4" Tall ◦7.62 inches

•Adult Small:
◦6" to 7"
•Adult Average:
◦7" to 8"
•Adult Large:
◦8" to 9"
•Adult X-Large:
◦9" to 10"

Height and average wrist size

•5’8" Tall ◦7 inches

•5’10" Tall ◦7.1 inches

•6′ Tall ◦7.27 inches

•6’2" Tall ◦7.45 inches

•6’4" Tall ◦7.62 inches

I don’t follow. At that rate, someone would have to be 10ft. tall to wear the Adult XL.

I’ve got skinny wrists. * shrug *

What size are your feet?