Fifteen days prior, on October 12th 1970, Paul Avery wrote an article entitled ‘Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac’. This may have been the inspiration for the Halloween card choice of “let me clue you in”.

Here is the brand in the comic book. You can see two R’s and two S’s. Also there’s an O with a hatchet or something in it.

Fifteen days prior, on October 12th 1970, Paul Avery wrote an article entitled ‘Gilbert and Sullivan Clue to Zodiac’. This may have been the inspiration for the Halloween card choice of “let me clue you in”.

Could be, Idk. I just think whatever he put on that card leads to the clues. Just my take.

Could be, Idk. I just think whatever he put on that card leads to the clues. Just my take.

I agree with this as a basic idea, that the Halloween card functions as a ‘clue’. I would go further than this, and state that I believe that the whole sequence – 13-hole postcard, Halloween card, Pines postcard and Exorcist letter – are ‘clues’ that are additive and of the same fashion; and, more than this, that they are all clues of the same nature, as in pointing to the same thing, if that makes sense.

I don’t, however, give too much credence to the usual loosely connected, ‘kind-of-looks-like’, ‘kind-of-suggests’ interpretations of everything on the various cards as clues. I believe that, like the solution to the decryption of the 408, the solver (and everyone else) will ‘know it when they have it’. The solution won’t appear as some shapes or letters, lost in other shapes and letters that, when interpreted in a certain way hint at something or other. Rather, when the clues are followed through they would surely point to something that will produce the same strong feeling of ‘yes, we got that right’.

Perhaps the oldest and most direct form of clue is clue by instruction. As example, you might think of the eponymous ‘ritual’ in Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual:

‘Where was the sun?’
‘Over the oak.’
‘Where was the shadow?’
‘Under the elm.’
‘How was it stepped?’
‘North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, …’

I don’t see that it is often viewed this way, but in the search for ‘clues’ it is possible to note that there are ‘instructions’ of this kind (albeit briefer and more direct) on both the Halloween card and the Pines postcard. More than that (degree of confirmation through commonality), they are both of the form:

Peek … [at/through something].

The two other ‘clues’ – the 13-hole postcard and the Exorcist letter – show a similar commonality in that they both appear to be referencing the importance of some variation, or arrangement, of ‘FK’. It is then just a matter of putting all these things together.

The symbol on the Halloween card that kind of looks like the cattle brand (but isn’t), I would argue, is merely (with embellishment) drawing attention to the pose of the skeleton above and to its eyes (instruction to peek).

(That said, if followed through, none of the above has the least to do with ROSS, unfortunately.)

Could be, Idk. I just think whatever he put on that card leads to the clues. Just my take.

I agree with this as a basic idea, that the Halloween card functions as a ‘clue’. I would go further than this, and state that I believe that the whole sequence – 13-hole postcard, Halloween card, Pines postcard and Exorcist letter – are ‘clues’ that are additive and of the same fashion; and, more than this, that they are all clues of the same nature, as in pointing to the same thing, if that makes sense.

I don’t, however, give too much credence to the usual loosely connected, ‘kind-of-looks-like’, ‘kind-of-suggests’ interpretations of everything on the various cards as clues. I believe that, like the solution to the decryption of the 408, the solver (and everyone else) will ‘know it when they have it’. The solution won’t appear as some shapes or letters, lost in other shapes and letters that, when interpreted in a certain way hint at something or other. Rather, when the clues are followed through they would surely point to something that will produce the same strong feeling of ‘yes, we got that right’.

Perhaps the oldest and most direct form of clue is clue by instruction. As example, you might think of the eponymous ‘ritual’ in Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual:

‘Where was the sun?’
‘Over the oak.’
‘Where was the shadow?’
‘Under the elm.’
‘How was it stepped?’
‘North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, …’

I don’t see that it is often viewed this way, but in the search for ‘clues’ it is possible to note that there are ‘instructions’ of this kind (albeit briefer and more direct) on both the Halloween card and the Pines postcard. More than that (degree of confirmation through commonality), they are both of the form:

Peek … [at/through something].

The two other ‘clues’ – the 13-hole postcard and the Exorcist letter – show a similar commonality in that they both appear to be referencing the importance of some variation, or arrangement, of ‘FK’. It is then just a matter of putting all these things together.

The symbol on the Halloween card that kind of looks like the cattle brand (but isn’t), I would argue, is merely (with embellishment) drawing attention to the pose of the skeleton above and to its eyes (instruction to peek).

(That said, if followed through, none of the above has the least to do with ROSS, unfortunately.)

I thought the pines card was bogus? I’ve heard some ppl say it was across the forums.

Just to note, looking back at my post here from last night… it’s a little strung out. I was tired. However, I do agree that there are very obscure clues and references to who the killer was.

A theory I’ve seen talks about the eyes on the card. Unusually drawn singly (eyes are normally drawn in pairs) and not especially fitting the Halloween motif but scattered all over to make them obvious. The skeleton’s eyes seem highlighted also to draw attention. Importance is the name O’Suileabhain (O’ Sullivan) in Gaelic means "one eye". Remember too, etymology reference appears in the SLA letter. Just a thought, but I agree the card holds valuable clues ( I’ll clue you in).

A theory I’ve seen talks about the eyes on the card. Unusually drawn singly (eyes are normally drawn in pairs) and not especially fitting the Halloween motif but scattered all over to make them obvious. The skeleton’s eyes seem highlighted also to draw attention. Importance is the name O’Suileabhain (O’ Sullivan) in Gaelic means "one eye". Remember too, etymology reference appears in the SLA letter. Just a thought, but I agree the card holds valuable clues ( I’ll clue you in).

Exactly! ‘I’ll clue you in’ is exactly what tells me there are indeed clues! Very obscure clues, but nevertheless— clues! I checked out the Sullivan coat of arms to see if anything correlated with that, but nothing! Always the places you never really think to look, are where something can be found. Who’d thought to look in a Tim Holt comic book back when the Zodiac was operating??? I believe the Zodiac was delusional based on using a comic book for ideas (I.e. by gun, by rope, etc). Many delusional schizophrenics resort to magazines, comics, cards, etc.

All these years, people thinking Z was some genius when in reality — he was delusional and just lucky!

Exactly! ‘I’ll clue you in’ is exactly what tells me there are indeed clues! Very obscure clues, but nevertheless— clues!

So, clues. Yes, I would agree. But what leads you to suppose that they need to be obscure?

There are eyes all over the card. What are they looking towards?

The skeleton. The skeleton is somehow important. Anything distinctive about it? It’s eyes. They are blanked with a red box. The skeleton’s eyes are somehow important.

What do we do with eyes? We peek. Anything else to do with eyes and peeking?

An explicit reference—an instruction: “Peek-a-boo.”

How can we get the skeleton’s eyes to peek a boo?

(Note: one distinctive element about the skeleton on the inside of the card that is often not taken into consideration is that it is both 1.) not a feature of the card as purchased—it is an addition and 2.) not drawn on the card but is affixed and hence removable—it is an object.)

Exactly! ‘I’ll clue you in’ is exactly what tells me there are indeed clues! Very obscure clues, but nevertheless— clues!

So, clues. Yes, I would agree. But what leads you to suppose that they need to be obscure?

There are eyes all over the card. What are they looking towards?

The skeleton. The skeleton is somehow important. Anything distinctive about it? It’s eyes. They are blanked with a red box. The skeleton’s eyes are somehow important.

What do we do with eyes? We peek. Anything else to do with eyes and peeking?

An explicit reference—an instruction: “Peek-a-boo.”

How can we get the skeleton’s eyes to peek a boo?

(Note: one distinctive element about the skeleton on the inside of the card that is often not taken into consideration is that it is both 1.) not a feature of the card as purchased—it is an addition and 2.) not drawn on the card but is affixed and hence removable—it is an object.)

I believe the clues are obscure because no serial killer is going to JUST reveal who he is in broad daylight. Maybe I should have used the term elusive, because the clues are hard to find — just like he is.

just a coincidence?

just a coincidence?

Harold Lowe?

just a coincidence?

Harold Lowe?

actually two lowes.
a Howard Martin lived just around the corner and went to school with Cheri Jo Bates his dad was a post master at the university. mum owned a card shop? he made a comment about knowing Cheris misfortune
the other we know was Larry who was interviewed and lived with Donna Lass. ha ha L Lowe
just coincidences i`m sure

one of the most common chess sets found in everyone’s cupboard was the lowes mass produced chess set. you want swim gear or some tape get it at lowes

Exactly, obscurity would be essential for Z. It allows him to stay in control and affords very little chance of him being found out Hence the comic book and the etymology (which wouldn’t ever be thought of and only alluded to years later in the SLA letter).

I’ve always thought the Halloween card held answers. We may be coming closer to them.

Good work, Levi.