Curious Cat quote:
Sandy, don’t you think it’s possible what was left in your car was a copy of the Zodiac mask, or perhaps a "test version" he didn’t use? I ask that because I believe Hartnell said it was one piece, made from cloth.

It did look like one piece when it was put together. If you read other reports given by Hartnell, he said it looked like a" paper sack". He also said he was able to see the killers jacket collar. There is no way he would be able to see the jacket collar if it were one solid piece. ( That alone proves it had to be in two parts. )

The poncho part of that costume had what I thought looked like spots of mud on it, blood on black cotton material looks like mud.( I didn’t know that at that time.)

In order for there to be blood on the costume put in my car, it had to be worn during the stabbings. There was one spot that was a unusual color on a small part of the white logo. It was as if he had eaten a hamburger or hot dog and some mixture of ketchup and mustered dropped onto the logo? It was a little smaller than the size of a dime, on the right side of the logo.

If you have the hood, you need to get that to LE. The killer could have cut himself in the process of stabbing Hartnell and Shepherd. His DNA might be on it.

I think it was to hide his face and nothing more. I don’t think he cared to be a super villain or, shall I say, was his first thought. The Zodiac was successful in his first attack but only barely. In his second attack, Mageau, got a partial side view of his face. He sees at this point, fate, can play a part in success or failure. He was right. Hartnell lived. Really was no point in using the hood with Stine. He intended there to be a gun shot wound to the head and don’t think he anticipated Stine living. He didnt, obviously, but just a thought towards his thinking process.

Soze

Then why not just a ski mask? A baseball cap and dark sunglasses with a hoodie would have also sufficed. I think blood spatter and concealing his identity were two purposes. But why the symbol? He was branding himself. Why, I can’t say. There was not practical value to adding the symbol.

I state why on page 3.

The guy who did this was a whack-job. Unless you too are a whack-job, you can’t relate.

One never really knows why someone does what they do–especially when they are capable of something like this.

Even whack jobs are capable of rational thought and being pragmatic. I think the blood spatter protection was the most important reason. I don’t think either Hartnell or Shepherd knew him. If they did, following them to LB was going considerably out of his way to kill them. He could have ambushed them anytime. If he is hell bent on kill Hartnell and Shepherd, specifically, why follow them to a secluded location that is many mile from their homes? I think he wanted to kill someone with a knife. He preferred to do it in a secluded location. He picked LB. It was after Labor Day, when fewer persons would be at the lake. He preferred a secluded location. I think he probably was also planning for the possibility that he would need to use a gun, if things went south. The color of the hood would hide blood spatter. The hood would have concealed his identity while he walked/ran back to his car. The symbol offers some ceremonial aspect to this…his brand.

And yet despite his previous attacks, depending on your Cheri Jo Bates viewpoint (not that her killer seemed to have an issue with it then), blood splatter was not something he had to plan for in those attacks.

Not that I believe he knew them but “ why follow them to a secluded location that is many mile from their homes?” surely this is rhetorical question? “ He preferred a secluded location.’ You mean just like Presidio heights ?

If it was about his “brand” there was no need for this on the hood, his “brand” was left on the car door. Why choose black, surely there are better colours to hide blood splatter ? Things DID go south when BH engaged him conversation but still he did not use the gun, he also when to great lengths to show his pride at using a knife, almost as if it was a badge of honour.

“The hood would have concealed his identity while he walked/ran back to his car. The symbol offers some ceremonial aspect to this…his brand” common sense dictates that he would not need to wear the hood running back to his car, if it was for blood splatter simply take it off and put it in a pocket, problem solved. Yet he took time to write on the car.

Just playing devils advocate