Super … I pressed play on that at least twice … just so you know. 
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
I’m such a tease. 
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
I’m such a tease.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
That’s funny!!
***
Here is an added tidbit: http://www.history.com/news/history-lis … iac-killer
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
A SF Chronicle review on this new series. They got to see the first episode.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/tv/article/C … o-14509902
Can the latest Zodiac ‘hunt’ finally solve the case?
By David Wiegand |
The search for the Zodiac Killer ought to be on the same level of “oh spare me” credibility as “Finding Bigfoot,” but after about 50 years (depending on which murder you believe to have been the killer’s first), it is the crime story that keeps on giving.
The History Channel reopens the case in the five-part docuseries, “The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer,” premiering on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Although the channel made only one episode available for review, it’s enough to give you a sense of why the murders remain one of history’s great unsolved cases.
The murders took place over a relatively short span of time, from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. There were seven confirmed Zodiac murders, but possibly more — the killer claimed to have murdered 37 people.
The first murders were always thought to have taken place in Benicia in 1968, a young couple, David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen. However, in recent years, earlier deaths are suspected to have been the work of Zodiac, including that of Cheri Jo Bates, stabbed to death in Riverside in 1966.
The History Channel series focuses specifically on what is considered the Holy Grail of the investigation, one of four cryptograms sent by the killer. The cipher in question, called Z340, is a 340-character puzzle sent by Zodiac to The San Francisco Chronicle that allegedly contains the identity of the killer.
“The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer” takes a two-pronged approach to reviving the case. While Kevin Knight of the University of Southern California’s Information Science Institute heads a team of researchers who use a supercomputer, named Carmel, to try to crack Z340, former Los Angeles homicide Detective Sal LaBarbera and former FBI investigator Ken Mains retrace the investigative paths of others who have tried to solve the cases. To begin with, they go to Riverside to test their theory that Cheri Jo Bates was a Zodiac victim. Without giving anything away, they discover some details that suggest a link.
That said, Mains and LaBarbera aren’t the first to link the Bates murder to the Zodiac, although you wouldn’t know that from the way the series plays it.
By the end of the first episode, Mains and LaBarbera have a name, although, again, it’s someone who has been suggested as the killer by others, and Knight and his team find something in Z340. But there’s a reason there are five episodes in the limited series. If solving Zodiac were that easy, the case would have been closed years ago.
Watching even the most complicated fictional mysteries on television or in movie theaters suggests that cases can be solved with relative ease once you know the killer’s motive and patterns. But we don’t know Zodiac’s motive, other than to create mayhem, and his patterns have remained, well, indecipherable for the most part. Those unknown factors have fueled unending conspiracy theories and crackpot suggestions of the killer’s identity over the years, as well as legitimately serious investigations.
Still, mystery loves company, and no matter how skeptical we may be, we’re often hooked by the possibility of identifying the Zodiac killer. At least there’s a greater chance of solving those cases than finding Bigfoot.
Thanks for sharing Seagull.
I think often, many of these shows are meant for people less knowledgeable than folks like us. What is news to viewers, and even some newer investigators, is old news to us. Exciting for some…not so much for others. Just grateful when these cases get back out in the public eye. I’m super-excited for things like the new DNA tests…that sort of thing is what matters most.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
Sneak peek of the first episode. A full two minute scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLWDqKGmG8
Very exciting. It’s not before time that this got the exposure it deserves. Perhaps more importantly, I’ve have something to look forward to on television apart from the next episode of the new Red Dwarf. I’m genuinely delighted that you guys all had the chance to be involved in this in one capacity or another.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
What a smeghead! 
Smeeeee … Heeeeeeee. No Mr Lister sir, I simply can’t say it.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
Kryten: Sir, you’re a SMRRRRR HEEEEE
Rimmer: I’m a "SMRRRR HEEEE?"
Kryten: A complete and total one!
It’s just the best. That and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.
“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“
Oh, boy., This is complete trash. First of all, it is a big assumption to say that Zodiac wrote the Confession. We don’t know that, and while I don’t agree with Kelleher and Van Nuys on their profile, their analysis of the differences between Z’s letters and the Confession in TITZS strongly suggests two different authors. Second, we know that Z (if he did not kill Bates) very carefully studied and imitated the techniques of the Bates killer (overposting letters, automotive ruse on Johns, etc.). The text of the Confession was published in 1966 and was therefore available for all to see. Using those same words could easily be a homage by Z to the Riverside murderer. I’ve always warned about "chickens and eggs" in the Bates vs. Z cases. Which behavior came first and which could have been aped by Z? And to compare two words and say they’ve made a strong link to Riverside seems to be overly dramatically interpreting the evidence.
BTW, they are feeding the Confession to their computer in order for them to get it to think like Z. Everyone knows the old saw, "Garbage in/garbage out."
If the entire show is this type of stuff, we’ll be in for a long ride.
Mike
Mike Rodelli
Author, The Hunt for Zodiac; 3.9 stars on Amazon and
In The Shadow of Mt. Diablo: The Shocking True Identity of the Zodiac Killer, a second edition in print format. 4.3 Amazon stars and great Editorial reviews. Twitter:@mikerodelli
I have been told by one if the investigators on the History Channel, that no one has BTK as a suspect on that show, that is "false information", so that needs to be cleared up. I know that that "false information" has turned many off from watching the show. I wasn’t going to watch it because of that, but now I will up grade my TV package,just so I can watch the 5 part series.
Morf , do you know anything about why they are announcing that only one of the Zodiac cypher’s was unbroken? Sorry if that has been addressed already.
Great. This info came from Voigt’s board and I fell for it. Nice work tapping into sources over there. I’m relieved it is a *legit* suspect like Kane, lol. Now we can all rest easy.
Mike Rodelli
Author, The Hunt for Zodiac; 3.9 stars on Amazon and
In The Shadow of Mt. Diablo: The Shocking True Identity of the Zodiac Killer, a second edition in print format. 4.3 Amazon stars and great Editorial reviews. Twitter:@mikerodelli
Just throwing in my 2 cents with this from my experience…
I think if there is going to be a 5-part series about the Zodiac case, it’s inevitable suspects we aren’t fond of (out flat out think are ridiculous) are going to be a part of the program. How far they take it is what is making me grit my teeth, but we’ll see where they go with it. Again, a lot of these people involved aren’t as up to par with us–which is why they bring more knowledgeable folks in. But, they do mix it up with what makes people watch–the hype. A lot of good people put a lot of hard work to make this production happen.
I know for a fact "some" involved shared their knowledge of some things while possibly disagreeing with the "who/what/when/where/why", but the information is put out there for those to come to their own conclusions…even if that means less seasoned investigators and the viewing public.
While I agree with you wholeheartedly (Mike R) when it comes to the Bates case, and don’t think that stuff is of any new revelation (to us here), it’s a part of what draws people in…take it or leave it, ya know?
The show is for entertainment, but there is VALID investigating going on as well. Respectable detectives who have already had access to things none of us (or anyone I know of) has. The code work is fascinating, in my opinion, and we have to find out the real from the fake…and this process could help do that to save wasted time in the future.
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
