The confession letter isn’t proof of anything other than someone sent a letter.

No..no explicit link has ever been proven…Ross, Mr X and ALA are best poi’s as they at least had plausible reason to have ever been in riverside…out of the box reasoning does also support TK possibly having reason to be in riverside….

The more and more I research the zodiac killer I’m starting to believe that while Ross is my prime suspect for Cheri’s murder I don’t believe he is the Zodiac I think his mental state of mind and the lack of concrete proof we can put him in san Fransisco bar looking at the census (which I don’t think is available?) I do however think maybe he knew the zodiac or the zodiac killer could have sort him out maybe

Despite the confession letter is ther any other proof that Cheri’s killer and the zodiac are the same?

The desk top poem found written under a desk at RCC, the hand writing is strikingly similar to Zodiac’s handwriting and
Sherwood Morrill was certain it was written by Z. It seems there are just too many coincidences, I would have to place
the odds at least 50/50.

Why is Ross Sullivan your prime suspect for the Bates murder – nobody can place him at the crime scene, his hair was obviously cross-checked with the hair from the base of CJB’s thumb, his fingerprints didn’t match any fingerprints on the Volkswagen, he undoubtedly didn’t have a 7 inch wrist or could be linked to the Timex, and his handwriting would have been compared to the Riverside desktop.
Additionally, Riverside City College Library staff in later years detailed how Ross Sullivan was high on their list as the murderer, an unnerving man, who wrote morbid poems. However the correspondence also stated "A couple of years ago I had called the police to ask about our suspect and was told he had an alibi for that night."

The police performed a reconstruction of all the attendees to the library on October 30th 1966, took hair samples and fingerprints. Are we to assume the police, who did a thorough investigation, just overlooked Ross Sullivan, never checked his hands, arms and face for scratches, never took his fingerprints, never sampled his hair, never measured his wrist and never sampled or obtained any handwriting exemplars. Are we to assume the Riverside Police, who are trained professionals, failed to do everything that You or I would have done as a matter of basic common sense.

If Ross Sullivan is the prime suspect based on he was a bit "creepy", smelled, and worked at the library, then it’s obviously case closed. I would like one tangible piece of evidence linking him to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates.

Ross looked extraordinarily similar to the police composites of Zodiac.

If Ross was Zodiac but not responsible for Cheri’s murder, that would spark as many questions as it would answer.

Could Ross have falsely taken credit? Jealousy towards the conquest achieved by Cheri’s killer could have driven him to become Zodiac.

Many people say Ross looks like the Zodiac sketch. Many people say Earl Van Best looks like the sketch. But Ross looks nothing like Earl Van Best. Eyewitness descriptions are notoriously unreliable, so the best we can say is, Ross Sullivan looks similar to the sketch, which is based on unreliable methods. Therefore any comparison between the two is unreliable as evidence.
Additionally, the closest anyone can place Ross Sullivan to a Zodiac crime is 76 miles. Not a compelling suspect based on geography.

If Ross Sullivan is the prime suspect based on he was a bit "creepy", smelled, and worked at the library, then it’s obviously case closed. I would like one tangible piece of evidence linking him to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates.

Agreed. Ross was worth looking into for the CJB murder, but apparently there was nothing to it except he creeped out some of the women who worked in the library. I’d say there’s no doubt he had some mental problems, but so do a lot of other people. So far, there’s just no there, there.

Whatever happened to Hamsammich or whatever his name was? He had supposedly found something in a yearbook that was going to #BLOWTHLIDOFF, then he ghosted. I can’t remember if that was here or Tom’s.

Whatever happened to Hamsammich or whatever his name was? He had supposedly found something in a yearbook that was going to #BLOWTHLIDOFF, then he ghosted. I can’t remember if that was here or Tom’s.

I remember Hamsandwich too … He had some writing samples that (when turned sideways) matched the "signature" at the bottom of the Bates Had to Die letters. Is that they guy that you are thinking of?

No idea where he went. I was hoping he’d show up with more samples / pictures.

Many people say Ross looks like the Zodiac sketch. Many people say Earl Van Best looks like the sketch. But Ross looks nothing like Earl Van Best. Eyewitness descriptions are notoriously unreliable, so the best we can say is, Ross Sullivan looks similar to the sketch, which is based on unreliable methods. Therefore any comparison between the two is unreliable as evidence.
Additionally, the closest anyone can place Ross Sullivan to a Zodiac crime is 76 miles. Not a compelling suspect based on geography.

Hi Richard! Huge reader of your site! Do you happen to have a favorite suspect? Or do you feel that Z has yet to be identified? Just wondering …. possibly not the correct thread to ask …

Thanks!

Many people say Ross looks like the Zodiac sketch. Many people say Earl Van Best looks like the sketch. But Ross looks nothing like Earl Van Best. Eyewitness descriptions are notoriously unreliable, so the best we can say is, Ross Sullivan looks similar to the sketch, which is based on unreliable methods. Therefore any comparison between the two is unreliable as evidence.
Additionally, the closest anyone can place Ross Sullivan to a Zodiac crime is 76 miles. Not a compelling suspect based on geography.

Hi Richard! Huge reader of your site! Do you happen to have a favorite suspect? Or do you feel that Z has yet to be identified? Just wondering …. possibly not the correct thread to ask …

Thanks!

No, I have no suspect Margie. I tend to go with the killer never having been identified or named. I don’t rule out the idea of him at sometime being questioned, but certainly not one of the regularly touted suspects.

Why is Ross Sullivan your prime suspect for the Bates murder – nobody can place him at the crime scene, his hair was obviously cross-checked with the hair from the base of CJB’s thumb, his fingerprints didn’t match any fingerprints on the Volkswagen, he undoubtedly didn’t have a 7 inch wrist or could be linked to the Timex, and his handwriting would have been compared to the Riverside desktop.
Additionally, Riverside City College Library staff in later years detailed how Ross Sullivan was high on their list as the murderer, an unnerving man, who wrote morbid poems. However the correspondence also stated "A couple of years ago I had called the police to ask about our suspect and was told he had an alibi for that night."

The police performed a reconstruction of all the attendees to the library on October 30th 1966, took hair samples and fingerprints. Are we to assume the police, who did a thorough investigation, just overlooked Ross Sullivan, never checked his hands, arms and face for scratches, never took his fingerprints, never sampled his hair, never measured his wrist and never sampled or obtained any handwriting exemplars. Are we to assume the Riverside Police, who are trained professionals, failed to do everything that You or I would have done as a matter of basic common sense.

If Ross Sullivan is the prime suspect based on he was a bit "creepy", smelled, and worked at the library, then it’s obviously case closed. I would like one tangible piece of evidence linking him to the murder of Cheri Jo Bates.

What confirmation do we have that Ross’ fingerprints were taken ? his wrist measured, hair sample taken, stripped and checked for
scratches etc. ? They say he had an alibi, but we know people can and do lie.

We know that the librarian said in her letter that Ross disappeared the day Cheri Jo’s body was found, she also said he wore the
same clothes everyday and when he reappeared weeks later he had a new set of clothes. Sounds a little suspicious ?

You said that you spoke to RPD on the phone and they said he had an alibi, Did they say if they checked his finger prints, hair,
etc ??

Ross Sullivan knew Cheri Jo Bates and worked in the library, and you stated "We know that the librarian said in her letter that Ross disappeared the day Cheri Jo’s body was found, she also said he wore the same clothes everyday and when he reappeared weeks later he had a new set of clothes. Sounds a little suspicious ?"

Therefore, he worked close to the murder scene, knew the victim and acted a little suspicious. Despite this, the police just decided not to check his fingerprints or take a hair sample (as they did with all the attendees of the library), check his arms, hands, face and body for scratches or injuries, despite the prolonged viscous attack in which CJB had multiple defensive wounds and skin under her fingernails, or cross-check his wrist size with the 7" Timex strap.

Why do we need confirmation that this simple police work was undertaken. We would have to suspend all reality and believe the Riverside police are the stupidest people on earth had they not. The only reason to believe that the Riverside police just said "to hell with checking that Sullivan guy, he seems like a nice chap" is to keep him in the frame, citing a complete oversight on the part of police.

Probably the best question to ask Monarch, is why wouldn’t they check his fingerprints?

I didn’t speak to RPD, that is what the library staff individual said in the correspondence to Mike Morford.

Is there any actual proof Ross and CJB knew each other. The only thing I recall is that they might have both went to his brother’s wedding.