A message from Tom Voigt trying to gather extra info on Gaik-
I paraphrased it a bit

"looking for any records or materials about Gaik,not previously gathered,willing to pay-plus I will throw in an
extra $100 to boot. You can post this in public if you want so everyone will know I
am not bullshitting. Already have Gykes Social Security app
and a few mentions in the FBI files. I’ll pay for any new stuff we don’t yet have"

OK fair enough.

Since no other researchers have come forward, I will go ahead and do FOIA’s to FBI and State Dept for Gaikowski’s files. Morf also transmitted a private message from Tom to me, so relying on that and his public statement, I will take him at his word that he will cover any reasonable fees I am charged (I doubt they would be more than $50 to $100 for all copying costs and application fees). I do not think it very likely that he was the Zodiac, but Gaikowski is an interesting enough character on his own, and has generated enough interest as a Z suspect, so that if I can uncover any files, hopefully it will be worth it. I don’t know if there will be a "smoking gun" document that will conclusively rule him in or out for Zodiac, but if I can get something maybe it will add to the knowledge on him.

So I will give it a try. I will send my receipts for any actual fees incurred to Tom (via Morf).

I will post any interesting documents obtained (good, bad or otherwise) here on ZKS and make sure that Drew and Tom get all of them. They know a lot more about Gaikowski than I do, and may find significance in documents that I might miss.

The problem with placing Gaikowski in Ireland during the first week of January, 1969 is that we have to rely on his word that he was there. Then we find out his man-on-the-street interview was "borrowed" from Mary Holland’s reporting. Maybe a better description is "crude plagiarism," — this was a journalist’s reaction after I showed him both stories.

I agree with your point about the passport. I’ve also never put much stock in whether he could produce a passport in 1986 showing European stamps from 68-69. But this Ireland article could be part of a ruse to make it appear he was there when he wasn’t.

If that were true, then the implication here would mean that the paper responsible for printing this article was either mislead by Gaik into believing that he was in Ireland when he was not, or, the paper knew he wasn’t and printed the article as co-conspirator with Gaikowski in order to create a false alibi for him. The first scenario, if true, would mean that not only did Richard dupe the newspaper writer, editor and every single one of the papers readers with none of them noticing that Richard wasn’t actually in Europe, but neither did anyone from Ireland see this article and realise that Richard had never been where he said he had, nor did what he claimed to do In Ireland.
The second scenario would explain why this was, because they were all in on the cover up to begin with, which for me, is ludicrous.

I think the easiest answer is that Gaikowski simply plagiarized on his own — considering he had worked at the KBN since January, 1966, the editors would have no reason to question his article. Also remember that Richard’s article was published on February 1, 1969, several weeks after Mary Holland’s story. And this plagiarism was not at all easy to find; I had the benefit of an online archive and existing knowledge of Richard’s February, 1969 article. When reading through the February, 5th article, I kept thinking something seemed oddly familiar.

Just found this….

This small article featured in The Knickerbocker News: Vol: 32-No.178. Published Daily, Albany, N.Y., Jan. 31, 1969.

Nice find, Chappie. I think that reference to Richard’s article may also have appeared at the top of the front page that day. I had looked though the entire January reel and then ordered February’s microfilm when I saw that.

Not at the top of the front page, but the bottom. Here’s the top of the front page….

I think the version on microfilm is the one printed in the morning and not the "Late News Edition." But the words are the same.

Well having done a quick search about the Irish protests and riots of 68/69, it seems that the first incident that occurred happened on Oct 5, 1968. The Irish Prime Minister called a truce in response to this Oct 5 event, but the peaceful protest’s continued. The truce was broken in Jan of 69, when riots again broke out. The article states that Gaik had "been on the scene of the protests and rioting." So that could mean he was there from Oct 68 through Jan 69, or simply a small period of time within these few months.

Richard mentioned he was going to live on a commune in New York state in a letter to his friend Bob. That was his plan after quitting his position at the Knickerbocker News at the end of September, 1968. Additionally, a letter to Bob (most likely mid-November, 1968), mentioned the first snowfall in the Albany area. When I first started researching the protest march that Richard allegedly covered, I also thought it took place in October, 1968, but my research proved otherwise…

The Belfast to Derry march that Richard claimed to have witnessed actually took place at the beginning of January, 1969.

Wednesday 1 January 1969
Approximately 40 members of People’s Democracy (PD) began a four-day march from Belfast across Northern Ireland to Derry.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/pdmarch/chron.htm

Richard mentioned he was going to live on a commune in New York state in a letter to his friend Bob. That was his plan after quitting his position at the Knickerbocker News at the end of September, 1968. Additionally, a letter to Bob (most likely mid-November, 1968), mentioned the first snowfall in the Albany area. When I first started researching the protest march that Richard allegedly covered, I also thought it took place in October, 1968, but my research proved otherwise…

The Belfast to Derry march that Richard claimed to have witnessed actually took place at the beginning of January, 1969.

Wednesday 1 January 1969
Approximately 40 members of People’s Democracy (PD) began a four-day march from Belfast across Northern Ireland to Derry.

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/pdmarch/chron.htm

That rite, now you mention it I remember Loomis stated that Richard was "Back East" in Albany, NY in Dec of 68.

As another forum member pointed out, the contents of that first-snowfall letter would probably contain information about Richard’s travel plans if he was thinking about heading out to California in December, 1968.

As another forum member pointed out, the contents of that first-snowfall letter would probably contain information about Richard’s travel plans if he was thinking about heading out to California in December, 1968.

So if I am understanding you correctly, your implying that due to Richards not telling Bob that he was about to embark on a tour of Europe, he obviously never had any intensions of going?

Well there are some who claim that Gaik only told people he was not going to be in CA around Dec of 68 so that he could create an alibi for himself when in reality, he would be prowling Lake Herman Rd. But see what I don’t understand now is, why would Dick tell Person A over here at the Knickerbocker "I will be in Ireland as of Dec" and then tell Person B "I’m off to Albany over the Christmas period." The whole idea of creating a false alibi is to appear at one specific place at the time the offence was committed in order than you could not possibly be responsible. Not a very well thought out plan for getting away with homicide really, is it?
I mean, one Dick cannot be on two Continents simultaneously no matter how hard he tries, just can’t be achieved. He send’s Loomis a letter postmarked "Albany, NY" in Dec even though he’s in Benicia.

Sorry for using sarcasm, I don’t mean it disrespectfully to any member specifically but rather to show how ridiculous some of the claims are that people make because they are determined that Richard is Zodiac. My intent isn’t to offend anyone here, as I’ve said nothing demeaning in regards to anything specifically, only at the claims themselves. I personally would rank the source for ‘Suspect Gaikowski’, Blaine Blaine, in terms of credibility, rite up there with Deb Perez. No offence to Miss Perez intended, but I just think to claim that your the illegitimate offspring of one John F. Kennedy is one thing, but to claim then that you were adopted by The San Francisco Zodiac does make one raise an eyebrow!

one Dick cannot be on two Continents simultaneously no matter how hard he tries

And then I giggled like a little girl.