FWIW I don’t think this is Z.

There’s just too many patterns and habits that I’ve never seen him use in his writing.

In regards to the Manson connection don’t forget the envelope. 1234567 A.G.C.G.T.H (All good children go to heaven) is an even better one. Seagull posted about it here in the Tex Watson thread.

http://zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?t=844&p=6642

As I’ve mentioned in the past, if this was a hoax, someone really did their homework where it came to the tone of the communication. The handwriting is quite dissimilar, though.

There still is the possibility that Z had connections to the Manson family but has never been caught or mentioned..

QT

‘Remember – whoever plays me, has his work cut out for him.’

Does anybody understand a deeper intention behind this sentence?

QT

Recently I read a book titled The Accidental Warden (2008) by Brook Carey. Ms. Carey was the warden at CIW Frontera from March 1975 until February 1976. Frontera was the only women’s prison in California at that time. The Manson Family girls were housed there during her tenure. The book told about an incident that I had never heard of before and when I read it, it made me think of the Channel 9 letter.

There was a threatening letter sent to the FBI saying that unless all Manson Family members were released from prison by a certain date five people per day would be killed. Ms. Carey learned of this letter on July 3 1975, apparently the FBI kept the letter for at least a couple of weeks before informing prison officials. The letter was postmarked Chicago Ill.

Here is an image of a transcription of the letter as it appears on pages 90 and 91 of the book.

This threat was made a couple of months before Squeaky Fromme attempted to assassinate President Ford and a little more than six months before Sandra Good and Susan Murphy were arrested and convicted of writing well over 100 threatening letters to corporations and the heads of those corporations.

I did some searching to see if I could find if this threat was ever printed in the newspaper. I was unable to find any news reports about it. But I did find an article about threats that Charles Manson had made toward Presidents Nixon and Reagan. Reagan was governor of California at the time of the Tate LaBianca murders and subsequent trials.

Edwardsville (ILL) Intelligencer September 11, 1975

Notice that Manson is quoted as saying he will send five people to kill Nixon and Reagan.

When you compare those two threat incidents to the Channel 9 letter which names five people that should be killed it’s hard to ignore the theme with the number five relating to threats.

Don’t forget, too, the envelope with its cryptic message in the return address portion. It mirrors what was written on the Helter Skelter door that was taken from Spahn Ranch as evidence.

It is my belief that the Channel 9 letter was probably written by a Manson Family associate and was not written by Zodiac.

"It is my belief that the Channel 9 letter was probably written by a Manson Family associate and was not written by Zodiac."

This indeed might be an option.

Let’s have a closer look:

PRO’s:
– ‘This is the Zodiac speaking’ intro
– Letter was sent only a few weeks after the "Tell Herb Caen I am here" letter
– Some similarities in handwriting, e.g. ‘g’ or ‘f’
– Spelling errors (‘gona’)
– Zodiac symbol
– Use of expressions such as ‘chief pig’
– Felt pen

CON’s:
– Referring to Manson family
– Zodiac symbol circle drawn without any interruption, as if it was drawn slowly, quite unusual for Z
– Edgy handwriting
– Unusually frequent use of many ‘dashes’
– Numbers written in brackets
– No ‘action’ was taken at all after this letter
– Unusual handwriting of the letters ‘q’, ‘d’ and ‘G’:

The longer I do look at the handwriting, the more I believe that this one could have been a forgery.

QT

The longer I do look at the handwriting, the more I believe that this one could have been a forgery.

Then you’re in the majority.

Not a Z letter. Look at the spacing on double consonants. One of Zodiac’s hallmarks are gaps in the spacing of double consonants on either side of the preceding and/or proceeding letter. Only with the double Ps do we see spacing otherwise no spacing on any others punks consonants in the letter.

Hi Seagull

I found that the threatening letter that you refered to, was indeed published in the media September 1975
(I can’t copy the article on the computer I am using so I will just write what is written in the article.)
I found it published in 3 North Caroline newspapers in September 1975, so I’m sure it was published in a lot of other states too, California included,
probably Los Angeles Times since the letter was sent to them. And my guess is that the SF Chronicle would also have published it.
And maybe other parts of the letter was published in other newspapers?

SO… Zodiac could indeed have read this and later used it as a ruse/red herring to make LE and who else believe that Zodiac was connected to the Manson clan.

Quote from the news article:

The High Point Enterprise (High Point, North Carolina)
1975 September 12

Threatening Letter Is Revealed "headline"

A letter purportedly written
by a member of the "family"
of Charles Manson, convicted
in the Sharon Tate murders,
threatens the death of five
people for every day Manson
remains in prison, the Atlanta
Constitution said.
The Constitution said the letter
was written two and a half months
before Manson disciple Lynette
"Squeaky" Fromme was charged
with attempting to assassinate
President Ford.
The newspaper said the letter,
dated June 12, was sent to the
Los Angeles Times which turned
it over to federal authorities.
The Constitution said it
threatens the death of five people
for every day Manson remains in prison,
the Atlanta Constitution said.
The Constitution said the letter
was written two and a half months
before Manson disciple Lynette
"Squeaky" Fromme was charged
with attempting to assassinate
President Ford.
The newspaper said the letter,
dated June 12, was sent to the
Los Angeles Times which turned
it over to federal authorities.
The Constitution said it obtained
a copy Thursday.
"If by July 12 our LOVE
(Manson) and our family are
nor released, then on July 13
you’ll find your first
five dead PIGGIES and five more
every day until they are
released" the Constitution
quoted the letter as saying
"We swear if you don’t, then all
of you PIGS are going to need
canoes to paddle through the
blood that’s going to fill the streets.
" The Constitution said an FBI
spokesman in Los Angeles
confirmed the letter.
"The Los Angeles Times did
receive the letter and turned
it over to postal authorities
who gave it to us," the spokesman
said, according to the Constitution.
"The case is still under investigation."

I have also found that It was published in:

September 13, 1975
Statesville Record And Landmark from Statesville, North Carolina · Page 6

September 12, 1975
The Robesonian from Lumberton, North Carolina · Page 1

Found this info on Pat Bone that might explain the sentence of the May 2, 1978 letter :

"Pat Boone – his theocratic crap is a obscenity to the rest of the world!"

http://www.news.nom.co/pat-boone/wikipedia/

Religious background

Pat Boone grew up in the Church of Christ.

In the 1960s, Boone’s marriage nearly came to an end because of his use of alcohol and his preference for attending parties. After having a charismatic encounter, Shirley began to focus more on her religion and would eventually influence Pat and their daughters toward a similar religious focus. At this time, they attended the Inglewood Church of Christ in Inglewood, California.

In the spring of 1964, Boone spoke at a "Project Prayer" rally attended by 2,500 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The gathering, which was hosted by Anthony Eisley, a star of ABC’s Hawaiian Eye series, sought to flood the United State Congress with letters in support of school prayer, following two decisions in 1962 and 1963 of the United States Supreme Court which struck down the practice as in conflict with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Joining Boone and Eisley at the Project Prayer rally were Walter Brennan, Lloyd Nolan, Rhonda Fleming, Gloria Swanson, and Dale Evans. Boone declared that "what the communists want is to subvert and undermine our young people. … I believe in the power of aroused Americans, I believe in the wisdom of our Constitution. … the power of God." It was noted that Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Ronald W. Reagan, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Pat Buttram had endorsed the goals of the rally and would also have attended had their schedules not been in conflict.

In the early 1970s, the Boones hosted Bible studies for celebrities such as Doris Day, Glenn Ford, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Priscilla Presley at their Beverly Hills home. The family then began attending The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California — a Foursquare Gospel congregation led by pastor Jack Hayford.

In 1978, Boone was referenced in a letter to the then KHJ-TV, now KCAL-TV, or channel nine, by the suspected serial killer known as the Zodiac killer. In this letter the person claiming to be the Zodiac killer said he planned to murder five people and Boone was among them. "Pat Boone – his theocratic crap is a obscenity to the rest of the world!" The letter is now property of the Los Angeles Police Department. Furthermore, none of the listed murders were ever carried out.

‘Remember – whoever plays me, has his work cut out for him.’

Does anybody understand a deeper intention behind this sentence?

QT

You know, this could, indeed have deeper meaning. Zodiac is quite the clever entity.

Here’s my two cents on this topic…

What does Eldridge Cleaver, the Beatles and Susan Atkins (in a round about way) all have in common?

Answer: Timothy Leary. And no Timothy Leary is not involved at all with zodiac.
But his history is interesting. Especially his jail time. Where he was, who he was with.

I stated this some 10 or 11 years ago but, whoever wrote this letter (I feel it was the Zodiac), knew quite a bit about the people he mentioned. For example, Darrel Gates (mentioned in the letter), was publicly known as "Daryl Gates". Somehow he knew the correct spelling of his name that wasn’t used publicly.

How does he know details like this?

I stated this some 10 or 11 years ago but, whoever wrote this letter (I feel it was the Zodiac), knew quite a bit about the people he mentioned. For example, Darrel Gates (mentioned in the letter), was publicly known as "Daryl Gates". Somehow he knew the correct spelling of his name that wasn’t used publicly.

How does he know details like this?

Right!?
What connections did you find with Timothy Leary?