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A little Mystery I solved, well partially

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morf13
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I have always kept open the possibility that Zodiac may have moved from the SF Bay area after 1974, so I started looking for cases after that in other parts of the country. I looked primarily for cases in which anonymous letters were received, as I felt that Zodiac, while he may no longer call himself that, might demonstrate the same behavior of writing letters, taunting police, etc.

I actually did not find many cases in which this letter writing happened, and it proved how uncommon it was. I found a few which I have spent time researching including the 1975 Lindy Sue Biechler murder in Lancaster PA, and the 1987 murder of Penn State Student, Dana Bailey. I still continue to research these cases, and have a Zodiac interest in doing so.

However, I found 3 more cases, seemingly unrelated to each other, and in different parts of the country, yet, there was an unmistakable connection between the three. Taunting letters, from somebody claiming to be the killer of missing girls, or claiming to know where their Bodies were. These 3 cases were from New Hampshire, PA, and Florida. In all 3 cases, young women or girls went missing. In each case, letters were mailed from the same small area in New Hampshire containing similar details, or clues. There simply was no way that these letters, all mailed from the same small area in NH were not related, especially since they contained very similar clues and details. The question is, were they part of a harmless and cruel prank, or did the writer really have any connection to any of these cases? I contacted police in all 3 cases, and they came to the conclusion that I was indeed correct, and the letters in these 3 cases were likely the work of the same writer, but felt, that they were part of a cruel prank. They may be right, but it was a fascinating connection I think. One of the cases was solved, two remain unsolved. More info-

3 missing girls linked to a single letter writer in NH. Is it part of a cruel hoax? Are there clues to be gained? No matter what the motive, the letter writer’s Identity needs to be determined:
It has become increasingly clear to me that in the state of New Hampshire, a single source is responsible for mailing anonymous letters in multiple cases of missing girls, in various States
. Somehow, this COMMON LINK, has escaped detection of law enforcement. These girls are missing in various parts of the country, and from different years. All of the letters (that I have found so far) usually tell the police to dig near bodies of water ,or to check in the water for the remains, in all these cases, there is NO sign found of the victims. Sometimes , the letter writer claims to be the killer. Also of importance, the letters are sent to Police, Or Members of the victims families. The letters seem to all have been sent from2000-2003. Some are typed, some are handwritten. We are dealing with a sick twisted person who gets a kick out of dashing families hopes, and draining police resources, wasting man hours and money. He is either a liar or a mass serial killer! PLEASE NOTE THE OBVIOUS CONNECTIONS CONTAINED HERE, THIS IS NO COINCIDENCE! Perhaps the various police agencies can compare notes, letters, handwriting, clues, etc, and come up with a suspect. Here’s the list-

Deborah Ann Quimby disappeared May 3, 1977 from Townsend,MA.
“In November 2002, police received the first of 2 anonymous letters. The letter prompted police to do a search of Walker Pond near where Quimby was last seen in May of 1977. After a well-publicized sonar scan of the pond proved inconclusive on May 3, 2003, another letter arrived a year to the day after, in November 2003. This one stated "Take a closer look". The second search yielded some articles of clothing and an old bike, but it is not known yet if these items are connected to Quimby.” “Marshall revealed yesterday that a pair of anonymous and "somewhat specific" letters, sent exactly one year apart, inspired police to search the pond.”
The letters were postmarked in MANCHESTER,NH & WORCESTER,NH
Investigators
If you have any information concerning Quimby’s whereabouts, please contact:
Townsend Police Department
Missing Persons Unit
508-597-2176
All information may be submitted on an anonymous basis.

NCIC Number: M-195533564
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
NorthWest Herald
The Doe Network: Case File 274DFMA

COLLEEN EMILY ORSBORN– Missing from Daytona Beach, FL. March 19, 1984(UPDATE: THIS CASE HAS BEEN SOLVED)
“Colleen Emily Orsborn vanishes on March 15,1984 in DAYTONA BEACH, Florida . No sign is found of her,and the case goes cold. Then in Feb of 2001, an anonymous letter is mailed to Colleen’s brother, from somebody claiming to be her killer.
"Orsborn’s brother received an unsigned, handwritten letter filled with misspellings and postmarked February 21 in Manchester, New Hampshire."
The anonymous writer in this letter goes onto say that they could find her body buried along the Tomaka River off Route 415 in Daytona” The lead is a dead-end

Case Type: Non Family Abduction
DOB: Mar 3, 1969
Sex: Female
Missing Date: Mar 19, 1984
Race: White
Age Now: 37
Height: 5’2" (157 cm)
Missing City: DAYTONA BEACH
Weight: 95 lbs (43 kg)
Missing State : FL
Hair Color: Blonde
Missing Country: United States
Eye Color: Hazel

Case Number: NCMC603387
Investigators
If you have any information concerning Orsborn’s case, please contact:
Daytona Beach Police Department
904-255-1431
904-254-1596
All information may be submitted on an anonymous basis.

Agency Case Number:
840310162

NCMEC #: NCMC603387

NCIC Number:
M-211494922
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information on this case.

Alicia Bernice Markovich -Alicia Bernice Markovich, vanishes from Blairsville, PA on 4/26/87, No sign is found of her. Then, in Oct. 2000,13 years after she vanishes, her father gets an anonymous letter from somebody claiming to be her killer. The writer tells police that they should dig in a spot along the Conemaugh river outside of Blairsville. They dug ,and found nothing. There is a Bedford NH, return address on the letter. Police drive 10 hours to NH to question the person who’s name & address is on the return envelope. The person at the address knows nothing about the case, and has never heard of Blairsville PA. Police rule them out as a suspect, and decide the letter a hoax.
(My personal feeling is that the letter writer may be a relative or neighbor of the person who lived at this address where the police were sent to. I think they would get a kick out of seeing the police there, or would hear about it after the fact from the startled unsuspecting person that lived at that address)
Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Feb 20, 1972 Sex: Female
Missing Date: Apr 26, 1987 Race: White
Age Now: 37 Height: 5’2" (157 cm)
Missing City: BLAIRSVILLE Weight: 120 lbs (54 kg)
Missing State : PA Hair Color: Brown
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Blue
Case Number: NCMC601810
INVESTIGATORS CAN CALL : PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE AT (724)832-3288 OR (724)357-1988

There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS

 
Posted : April 27, 2015 6:05 pm
traveller1st
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Good work morf.


I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.

 
Posted : April 27, 2015 6:24 pm
morf13
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Good work morf.

Thanks. Still doesn’t tell us who the letter writer is, but shows they are likely a cruel & twisted person at best, or at worst, had something to do with one or more of the cases

There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS

 
Posted : April 27, 2015 6:30 pm
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morf13
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Thanks Rich

There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS

 
Posted : April 27, 2015 9:03 pm
Tahoe27
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Goof for you morf! It is good of you to contacted the police about this. They appreciate the help. We all know most cases are solved by tips from citizens.

These phonies are out there by the thousands. To me, they should be punished when they are caught.

It is important to weed out these people. If LE is fortunate enough to be led to the actual killer via these notes, that of course would be a wonderful thing, but it is also just as important to eliminate these a-holes who provide this phony stuff and muck up the investigations. It’s sickening really.

I have suggested (to some LE) to consider amateur investigators help. Maybe those studying criminal justice, etc. This could be done on an internship basis–swear them in so it’s confidential….something. Especially for really cold cases. Why not??


…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

 
Posted : April 27, 2015 10:13 pm
morf13
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Goof for you morf! It is good of you to contacted the police about this. They appreciate the help. We all know most cases are solved by tips from citizens.

These phonies are out there by the thousands. To me, they should be punished when they are caught.

It is important to weed out these people. If LE is fortunate enough to be led to the actual killer via these notes, that of course would be a wonderful thing, but it is also just as important to eliminate these a-holes who provide this phony stuff and muck up the investigations. It’s sickening really.

I have suggested (to some LE) to consider amateur investigators help. Maybe those studying criminal justice, etc. This could be done on an internship basis–swear them in so it’s confidential….something. Especially for really cold cases. Why not??

These Detectives ate overwhelmed, understaffed, and over budget. They have lots of fresh, more solvable cases, so these cold cases always take a back seat. I think that people like us could definitely help with some of these old cases.

There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS

 
Posted : April 27, 2015 10:25 pm
(@theforeigner)
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Absolutely great work Morf :)

Hi, english is not my first language so please bear with me :)

 
Posted : April 28, 2015 3:07 am
morf13
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Absolutely great work Morf :)

Thanks. I didn’t realize it was so long ago, but I discovered the connection about 5 years, and shared it with the Police that long ago.

There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS

 
Posted : April 28, 2015 5:55 am
ophion1031
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Good job morf, and very interesting stuff.

A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….

 
Posted : April 28, 2015 2:55 pm
ophion1031
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In 2005, a 20 year old man wrote a letter to his girlfriend from prison admitting that he had murdered her mother. This was in the same area of N.H., but the guy was far too young to be the guy who wrote the letters you found. His name is William Sullivan so I thought I would post about it just for the hell of it.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar … /107060014

A few minutes ago on a toilet not very far, far away….

 
Posted : April 28, 2015 3:01 pm
(@jamesmsv)
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Well done Morf, this is a great example of why it’s still worth hunting for Z, progress in any case is worth it – I shall remember this thread next time I’m thinking of throwing in the towel.
On a side-note, there’s a thread on this somewhere here about a famous hoax letter-writer in the UK related to the Yorkshire Ripper case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearside_Jack
He was caught after 25 years through DNA, which is encouraging for cold-case investigators. However, his actions allowed the real ripper to continue for an estimated 2 years (4 murders) and he only served 3 years of the 8 he was given. With that kind of impact, I would like to see hoaxers punished far more severely – and in Morf’s cases here it could be argued that the mental anguish caused to the parents of the missing girls is of a similar gravity to being an accessory the crimes themselves.

Check out my website: www.darkideas.net

 
Posted : May 6, 2015 12:11 am
(@anonymous)
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He should have been convicted for the manslaughter of four women, he as good as murdered them himself. They should have put him away for life, three years was another kick in the teeth for the families of the victims.

 
Posted : May 6, 2015 12:51 am
morf13
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Well done Morf, this is a great example of why it’s still worth hunting for Z, progress in any case is worth it – I shall remember this thread next time I’m thinking of throwing in the towel.
On a side-note, there’s a thread on this somewhere here about a famous hoax letter-writer in the UK related to the Yorkshire Ripper case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearside_Jack
He was caught after 25 years through DNA, which is encouraging for cold-case investigators. However, his actions allowed the real ripper to continue for an estimated 2 years (4 murders) and he only served 3 years of the 8 he was given. With that kind of impact, I would like to see hoaxers punished far more severely – and in Morf’s cases here it could be argued that the mental anguish caused to the parents of the missing girls is of a similar gravity to being an accessory the crimes themselves.

Goes to show, you never know what dots you will connect when you are researching this stuff.

There is more than one way to lose your life to a killer

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/
http://zodiackillersite.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Morf13ZKS

 
Posted : May 6, 2015 2:08 am
Pettibon Junction
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Thanks for keeping the Quimby disappearance in your thoughts, Morf. As a New England native (born in CT, grew up in RI) I’ve felt for a long time now that Deborah Quimby’s disappearance is linked to the cases of numerous other missing girls in the eastern CT/western MA corridor throughout the 1970s. Debbie Spickler, 13, who went missing in Vernon, CT in 1968 was likely the first. There’s no telling who was the last.

Connecticut-based crime writer M. William Phelps wrote an article a couple of years ago suggesting that convicted killer Rodney Stanger, chief suspect in Molly Bish’s murder, may also have been responsible for the abductions of Debbie Spickler, Janice Pockett, Patricia Luce, and Lisa White:

http://www.connecticutmag.com/Connectic … e=0#artanc

"There are such devils."
-The Pledge

 
Posted : May 6, 2015 3:40 pm
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