I won’t refer to the Lawrence Kane part too much, because the suspects named in the Zodiac case are pretty weak. A typical night shift would be 11 pm to 7 am, so if Donna Lass did travel somewhere along Jackson at around 10 pm, it’s certainly possible Zodiac could have been in the same vicinity as Donna Lass. However, I doubt she wood have took the extremely dark entrance of Julius Khan playground into the Presidio park, in which later, spotlights were required to illuminate it. The proposal you have offered is intriguing, but relies on the perfect timing of Donna leaving 4122 Balboa at the correct time to intersect with Zodiac, which is extremely speculative, but not implausible. I believe there is a distinct possibility of Zodiac and Lass having interacted in some way in San Francisco, as I have said before, on account of the "Sought victim 12" card, presented in the past tense. Here is a snippet from a piece I wrote:
"Many observers believe the ‘Pines’ card was crafted by a hoaxer, on account of the fact ‘Victim 12’ had already been claimed by the Zodiac Killer on June 26th 1970 when he mailed the ‘Button’ letter to the San Francisco Chronicle.
On the contrary, this could go a long way to actually validating this correspondence. Bearing in mind the make-up of the ‘Pines’ card, it is extremely likely it is referring to the disappearance of Donna Lass. But in order for its author to have deliberately chosen the phrase ‘Sought Victim 12’ in reference to Donna Lass, we could assume he knew her previous employment and movements in the preceding few months, or just made a lucky guess when choosing this particular phrase.
Would a hoaxer, having gone to all the effort of pasting up a card, then have made the basic error of getting the victim total incorrect. One could argue that the author of this card knew Donna Lass, knew that she had previously worked at the Letterman General Hospital and knew exactly when she had moved to South Lake Tahoe.
Donna Lass left her job at the Letterman General Hospital and moved to South Lake Tahoe on June 6th 1970. Had he targeted Donna Lass before her move to the Sahara Tahoe Hotel? If so, then ‘Sought Victim 12,’ in its use of the past tense, could simply be implying that he had intended Donna Lass as a target before she moved from San Francisco.
Harvey Hines stated in his 120 page report "Now we have the Zodiac running into the Presidio in the direction of Letterman General Hospital. The very place that Donna Lass worked. Also, in looking at the area map, I found that Lass lived six blocks south in the 4000 block of Balboa. That meant the Zodiac Killer started his ride near where Kane lived and ended it several blocks away where Donna Lass lived and worked.
During the time she worked in San Francisco she lived at 4122 Balboa Street with a roommate named Carol Emerich. Emerich was also a nurse. According to the employment records, Lass was working a late night shift in October of 1969 when the San Francisco cab driver, Paul Stine, was killed by the Zodiac."
If the killer knew Donna Lass, or indeed was familiar with the Presidio Park and Letterman General Hospital, then it is not beyond the realms of possibility he likely was familiar with this area and the advantages it provided as an escape route after the murder of Paul Stine on October 11th 1969.
If the killer knew, worked with, or was familiar with Donna Lass during the short period she worked at the Letterman General Hospital, then clearly he may have sought her as victim 12 during this period.
The Zodiac mailed the ’13 Symbol’ cipher on April 20th 1970 claiming 10 victims. On June 26th 1970 he was claiming 12 victims in the ‘Button’ letter. Therefore, he must have ‘Sought Victim 12’ between these two dates. The window of opportunity narrows when we consider that Donna Lass left for South Lake Tahoe on June 6th 1970. If the Zodiac Killer targeted Donna Lass while she worked and lived in San Francisco, it likely fell between April 20th 1970 and June 6th 1970. A window of just 46 days. Is this something a casual hoaxer would be aware of.
Unless the employment records and movements of Donna Lass between these dates had been reported in the newspapers, was the choice of the ‘Sought Victim 12’ phrase just a lucky guess on behalf of the hoaxer, and just happened to fall correctly between these dates. Did the author of the ‘Pines’ card do his research, or was Donna Lass specifically targeted by the Zodiac Killer, who moved or traveled to South Lake Tahoe with the sole purpose of completing his ‘mission,’ and the wording on the ‘Pines’ card was anything but a mistake.
It may possibly dispel the preconception that the Zodiac Killer only targeted strangers, as has been alluded to in the case of Darlene Ferrin, murdered on July 4th 1969. Maybe the Zodiac Killer didn’t care who he killed."

So, your suggestion of a killer who knew Donna Lass from San Francisco is certainly viable, although Lawrence Kane I doubt was the Zodiac Killer.

You wouldn’t choose to walk from Sacramento Street through the Presidio to Letterman Hospital at night – have to take my word for that.

Even Z wouldn’t have done that (if he didn’t live in PH).

If he didn’t live in PH, the smart move was to exit the Broadway gate. Letterman was way too far.

FWIW – pretty sure the casino was open 24 hours.

Thanks for the info on that area… suppose its not "family friendly" then

I’m still leaning towards the distinct possibility they knew each other. If I were her abductor/killer, I would not know her land lord’s number, her work number, or her sister’s address for a Christmas card later.

The address of her sister could have easily been found because Mary Pilker had been mentioned in the newspapers along with Sioux Falls, her home location. Any directory search could have found this. The phone number at work wouldn’t have been too difficult. Then it’s down to knowing she lived at Monte Verdi apartments and locating her landlord, but by the following morning, which is a little harder. The killer of Lass almost certainly knew her. If these phone calls are cracked up to what has been presented, it certainly can be argued, as you said, that the killer is buying time.

The address of her sister could have easily been found because Mary Pilker had been mentioned in the newspapers along with Sioux Falls, her home location. Any directory search could have found this. The phone number at work wouldn’t have been too difficult. Then it’s down to knowing she lived at Monte Verdi apartments and locating her landlord, but by the following morning, which is a little harder. The killer of Lass almost certainly knew her. If these phone calls are cracked up to what has been presented, it certainly can be argued, as you said, that the killer is buying time.

The Halloween postcard, from my view, is a puzzle. And I don’t mean to put this man on a pedestal, but it’s an ingenious puzzle. I cannot speak on the matter much, because I don’t want anyone "stealing" my solution to it in order to profit their personal agenda. I’ve been trying to contact the Hunt for the Zodiac Killer producers to no avail. If right, I think I might be able to find her remains. Everything is just a hunch though, until proven. I believe he was buying time for a specific reason, and the postcard shows that (IMO)

I won’t pre-judge your thoughts on the Halloween card, as they may be good. However, the problem with the Halloween card is that it has been interpreted hundreds of different ways, as it contains so many variables. Therefore, actually claiming a definitive solution or possible solution to the card will likely always be a subjective opinion, rather than an objective one.
It is like the many claims of a solution to the 13 Symbol cipher. In essence this code is simply too short for any verifiable solution, and as such, any claim to have found a solution is a false one. The only way your solution will be verified is if it unearths her remains as you suggest, but I doubt contacting the History Channel is the correct course of action, because the History Channel are not the arbiters of truth regarding the Zodiac case. The History Channel production tended to perpetrate long held myths of the case for ratings, coupled with sensationalism. Tahoe discovered the excellent Halloween card connection regarding Tim Holt, and everybody on the internet is fully aware of the origins of this find as her’s. Unless you seek to profiteer off such a solution, which I doubt, then I see no harm in releasing your idea. You will know very soon if people think it’s a good, average or poor solution. But seeking advice from the History Channel, who have no long term vested interest in the Zodiac case other than making money, is no place to protect your intellectual rights.

I won’t pre-judge your thoughts on the Halloween card, as they may be good. However, the problem with the Halloween card is that it has been interpreted hundreds of different ways, as it contains so many variables. 1.—-Therefore, actually claiming a definitive solution or possible solution to the card will likely always be a subjective opinion, rather than an objective one.
It is like the many claims of a solution to the 13 Symbol cipher. In essence this code is simply too short for any verifiable solution, and as such, any claim to have found a solution is a false one. The only way your solution will be verified is if it unearths her remains as you suggest, 2.—-but I doubt contacting the History Channel is the correct course of action, because the History Channel are not the arbiters of truth regarding the Zodiac case. The History Channel production tended to perpetrate long held myths of the case for ratings, coupled with sensationalism. 3.—–Tahoe discovered the excellent Halloween card connection regarding Tim Holt, and everybody on the internet is fully aware of the origins of this find as her’s. 4.—–Unless you seek to profiteer off such a solution, which I doubt, then I see no harm in releasing your idea. You will know very soon if people think it’s a good, average or poor solution. But seeking advice from the History Channel, who have no long term vested interest in the Zodiac case other than making money, is no place to protect your intellectual rights.

Hey Rich,

Just wanted to touch base on some points of your reply (as there were so many), but please understand I’m not being combative here. I love the responses as it creates dialogue that helps us, in some instances, change our train of thought.

1. I claim for myself that it is definitive, however I did say it is a hunch right now though. I’ve only researched this for about 3 months. But I have a lifetime of experience in thinking outside of the box… and I think that’s what has made the difference.
2. I would not have even looked at this if not for the History Channel posting the Season One series…so I just feel I owe them something (sort of a Karma thing).
3. I just replied to Tahoe in another post! So a she (god I hope I didn’t call her a he)? If Tahoe is the one who discovered the Tim Holt connection then Bravo! It’s what allowed me to break the Halloween Card. However, she only scratched the surface (and I truly mean that). But her discovery helped me to see it all, and if right (which I fully believe is)… I’d like to work with her towards the discovery.
4. We all seek something in life. For the most part, we all want to accomplish something great in our lives and that definition varies for each individual, but there is one constant… success. This is one of the many branches of "success" I could claim in life. So I have to hold it tight, until I can enact upon it.

If I were her abductor/killer, I would not know her land lord’s number, her work number, or her sister’s address for a Christmas card later.

Unless, of course, she was carrying an address book.

If I were her abductor/killer, I would not know her land lord’s number, her work number, or her sister’s address for a Christmas card later.

Unless, of course, she was carrying an address book.

I would think that she had a address book in her purse, making it pretty easy to make those calls.

I don’t want to throw a monkey wrench into the mix , but I have checked a few times the 4122 Balboa address from 1968 through 1970. The person listed at that address for those years was Nathan E Mills.
I know that I did have her at that address, but not sure which year that was?

I looked for Carol Emerich, was unable to find her in the SF directories? Richard if you have her address I can cross reference it. If you rather not post it, you have my email.

Years ago I had a address for one of Donna’s friends or a nurse she worked with, ( That was in my notes) The address was closer to Letterman and was 225 Mallorca Way. I also looked for my notes on Joanne G , because Donna, I thought stayed at Joannes?

There was a back door to the nurses room at the casino. My theory was she was grabbed at her nurses station. That would explain the pen trailing off the paper she was writing on at that time. That is in evidence from what I understand?

Donna’s shift was 6pm to 2am. If her car was driven to work and ended up back at her new apt. It would take two people to accomplish that. The other person could have been a look out for the other to grab Donna and take her out the back door. The back lot was not well lit.

Harvey Hines told me he spoke to Donna’s friends and co workers. They were the ones who mentioned Larry Kane as someone who kept asking Donna out. Kane did work a couple of doors down from the nurses station, that doesn’t make him the Zodiac or her abductor. I have to say he was a very interesting suspect though. He took 10 years of my life investigating him!
That was because I was told he was the person playing games with me. I showed his picture to VPD and Darlene’s family and was told he was Kane. The stalking continued after Kane passed away.
This suspect claims to be Zodiac, said that the key to the 340 is in the my name cypher, he didn’t mention it being in the Halloween card.

I went to Soda Springs looking for her possible burial spot. The area was where the hole was punched on the Lass card.
Close to where Harvey and Dave Peterson had dug.

There is one area at Claire Tappin Lodge, where he could have put her, it was hard to find. It is a deep hole on the side of the hill with many trees, off of the main walking trail. You can hear water running in that hole. It is covered by a very heavy wooden plank, I couldn’t lift it.

As far as Paul Stine driving Donna anywhere, remember he was not a cab driver for very long.

Donna lived with JoAnne and Carol. JoAnne told me Donna lived in the garage. When Carol got married, Donna moved to Tahoe and JoAnne got her own place in the marina, as their lease was up anyway.

Much of the information on Donna and her friends comes from Harvey Hines’ 120 page police report, which unfortunately I am bound to keep from the public eye by its sender. Alex Lewis secured it and I respect his instruction on this matter. But the address of 4122 Balboa from what I understand originated from Harvey Hines, as did the information regarding Kane working for Alan Dorfman at the Sierra Tahoe Hotel. But like many, Harvey Hines was captured by the bug of chasing a suspect, so how much of the information he provided is embellishment or based in fact can only be speculated. But I’m guessing this address is likely correct.

Donna lived with JoAnne and Carol. JoAnne told me Donna lived in the garage. When Carol got married, Donna moved to Tahoe and JoAnne got her own place in the marina, as their lease was up anyway.

TAHOOOOOOEEE! So back to business…what do you think? Coincidence? That it happened in same area in SF then he’s suspected of her in South Lake Tahoe?

If I were her abductor/killer, I would not know her land lord’s number, her work number, or her sister’s address for a Christmas card later.

Unless, of course, she was carrying an address book.

There was a back door to the nurses room at the casino. My theory was she was grabbed at her nurses station. That would explain the pen trailing off the paper she was writing on at that time. That is in evidence from what I understand?

Donna’s shift was 6pm to 2am. If her car was driven to work and ended up back at her new apt. It would take two people to accomplish that. The other person could have been a look out for the other to grab Donna and take her out the back door. The back lot was not well lit.

Harvey Hines told me he spoke to Donna’s friends and co workers. They were the ones who mentioned Larry Kane as someone who kept asking Donna out. Kane did work a couple of doors down from the nurses station, that doesn’t make him the Zodiac or her abductor. I have to say he was a very interesting suspect though. He took 10 years of my life investigating him!

This suspect claims to be Zodiac, said that the key to the 340 is in the my name cypher, he didn’t mention it being in the Halloween card.

There is one area at Claire Tappin Lodge, where he could have put her, it was hard to find. It is a deep hole on the side of the hill with many trees, off of the main walking trail. You can hear water running in that hole. It is covered by a very heavy wooden plank, I couldn’t lift it.

Hey Sandy…I’ll answer these in order if I can…

I don’t think she was abducted at work. Too many people think the trailing of the pen is distress…I think she was just in a hurry to get off and fast signed it. Just my opinion though.
Yes, Lawerence Kane is a very interesting suspect.
Claire Tappin Lodge?? You just got my attention! My deciphering of the Halloween card puzzle points to your experience there. Now mind you it’s not where I think she is…but something you said intrigued me. PM me if you could with any information on that and why you thought it was relevant… please.

Donna lived with JoAnne and Carol. JoAnne told me Donna lived in the garage. When Carol got married, Donna moved to Tahoe and JoAnne got her own place in the marina, as their lease was up anyway.

TAHOOOOOOEEE! So back to business…what do you think? Coincidence? That it happened in same area in SF then he’s suspected of her in South Lake Tahoe?

Yes.

For example, if you don’t think Larry Kane was Zodiac, there is a coincidence. Heck, there isn’t even proof the Pines card referred to Donna. Just my take…