I agree that if the caller referred to the public park as "Blue Rock Springs" it would give the impression that he was local, however I am not certain that this is the impression the caller wanted to leave with the police.

We also have to consider that the Zodiac Killer had two days from Stine murder to October 13th 1969 letter, so if we applied this failure to mention locations by name across the board, we would have to contend he didn’t know Presidio Heights & Presidio Park because he used the wording "The S.F. Police could have caught me last night if they had searched the park properly". It can be argued that Columbus Parkway is more specific than Blue Rock Springs Park, as this is an individual road not a vast expanse of land.

We also have to consider that the Zodiac Killer had two days from Stine murder to October 13th 1969 letter, so if we applied this failure to mention locations by name across the board, we would have to contend he didn’t know Presidio Heights & Presidio Park because he used the wording "The S.F. Police could have caught me last night if they had searched the park properly". It can be argued that Columbus Parkway is more specific than Blue Rock Springs Park, as this is an individual road not a vast expanse of land.

Well, it could be that he knew the area well enough that he specifically said "public park" because he saw that area of BRS as a public park, opposed to the lake, swimming area and also to differentiate the location from the golf course across the street and also named BRS if I am not mistaken. That would seem to indicate someone who knew the area well.

He wasn’t good, for whatever reason, at describing the scenes of his attacks, such as saying "North Bay area" instead of each town/locale. He also wasn’t very good at distance, as the "one mile" doesn’t really work either way you go, and he was also off on the mileage from the ranger station to the LB site.

I have no idea what he actually meant during the BRS phone call but the "one mile east" fits better coming from the north for me.

Well, it could be that he knew the area well enough that he specifically said "public park" because he saw that area of BRS as a public park, opposed to the lake, swimming area and also to differentiate the location from the golf course across the street and also named BRS if I am not mistaken. That would seem to indicate someone who knew the area well.

He wasn’t good, for whatever reason, at describing the scenes of his attacks, such as saying "North Bay area" instead of each town/locale. He also wasn’t very good at distance, as the "one mile" doesn’t really work either way you go, and he was also off on the mileage from the ranger station to the LB site.

I have no idea what he actually meant during the BRS phone call but the "one mile east" fits better coming from the north for me.

He also wasn’t good at describing dates of his crimes, such as Christmas (actually Decemer 20) and 4th of July (actually just past midnight, July 5.) Except at LB where he was precise down to the minute.

I think the obfuscation Richard details is likely, and important to Z because of something Z didn’t know when he made the phone call, but did when he wrote his letter. That being, MM would survive, and describe him pull into the park earlier, leave at high speed, and then return not long after. This, too could indicate not only familiarity with the area (Z is going somewhere specific before shooting his victims) but possibly even more specifically – Z was going home to get his gun and ammo.

We have no indication he went "directly home" after the attack. His mention of the witness of his brown car is very unlikely to be an attempt to mislead that he walked to the phone. Claiming he drove to the phone booth first, or after having parked his car somewhere and then walking to it, does not mislead investigators in any meaningful way. Driving to some place, parking, walking to the phone, or driving to the phone and then driving to a parking changes nothing really.

Since this is a letter where he is trying to prove his involvement as he had been requested to do, it appears he is trying to confirm that his car is brown (to mislead) or he actually did see a NMA while making the phone call which he would assume then spoke to the police and is trying to use that as proof by explaining how the witness noticed him.

Whether it was Mageau who provided the info or not doesn’t really matter, the info is public, so negating that the car was brown would not have disproven his involvement. He chose not to negate this claim for whatever reason.

He doesn’t seem worried about the NMA describing what he looked like, how he was dressed, etc., but I guess he could tell from the police description that none was provided. That being said, if that witness did exist, we could have had another description. I wonder if the police did go around and ask if there had been any witnesses to the phone call.

Something I rarely see mentioned when people define a timeline for this: this was the 4th of July in a non-secluded part of Vallejo, I have to assume he had to wait for a bit before heading for the phone to make the call. Imagine the awkwardness if someone else came by and just waited for him to finish, or him walking to the phone and having to wait. Using the phone would have been quite risky, so waiting for favorable conditions could have been part of the reason the call was made at 12:40.

The brown car was subheaded in the July 6th 1969 Vallejo Times-Herald.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/112412867 … 880253085/
It was identified by Mageau.

Sorry to go off topic but whose handwriting is that on that paper?

It looks like such a close match to the door writing:

Edit: Also had this one on another clipping, same handwriting.

Once you reach the 1971 clippings it’s a completely different handwriting, so likely a different person. Are those found written in the archives themselves?

I believe that handwriting was found by Hoaxer Horan. So in other words, who cares.

Those scans came from this message board:
viewtopic.php?f=94&t=165

It’s either the writing of a librarian or somebody who posts on ZKS or ZK.com.

Those scans came from this message board:
viewtopic.php?f=94&t=165

It’s either the writing of a librarian or somebody who posts on ZKS or ZK.com.

Ah great, was expected! Goes to show how handwriting comparaisons are too easy, thanks!

In September of 1969 the Zodiac (or whomever you wish to call him) made attempts to link the Lake Herman and Blue Rock Springs crimes to the Lake Berryessa crime by writing on the car door. Would it be possible that, when the Blue Rock Springs crime occurred, he was making an attempt to link this crime with the Lake Herman road crime by giving directions from Lake Herman Road? The entrance to Lake Herman road is 8/10 of a mile southeast from the location of the crime at Blue Rock Springs. Could it also be possible that he might be giving misdirection to a possible route of travel away from the crime scene while heading in another direction?

Soze

I suspect as close as 5-10 minutes. But if he had changed clothes, hidden the gun and washed his hands at home, there would be little risk to him venturing out as a pedestrian with the July 4th celebrations likely increasing the foot traffic that morning.

Can’t argue with your logic Richard. Also possible that he lived East of the booth as both attacks happened in that direction and MM stated that he was heading towards Springs and not going north on Columbus?

This is roughly a 10 Minute Walking radius from the Phone Booth with the streets which not present at the time removed.

What type of neighborhood was the spring rd area back then? Was it lower class , middle class, upper class, etc .. were there apartment complex on that road or mostly single homes? Just wondering.