This is getting a little off topic, and that’s a good deal on me. It’s becoming more of a general discussion about Zodiac authors, but I think that’s OK.
As for Kelleher’s book, it is indeed pretty atypical for a true crime book all around. I think, guessing, the main reason he was able to get it published is because he was already a well known true crime writer, so him writing about a famous case might not be quite the same as a random person no one has ever heard of.
Wasn’t Allen everybody’s favorite suspect? Obviously not everybody, but the most popular choice at the time of the research? It’s not like Graysmith picked someone out of the blue for unknown reasons.
Wasn’t Allen everybody’s favorite suspect? Obviously not everybody, but the most popular choice at the time of the research? It’s not like Graysmith picked someone out of the blue for unknown reasons.
graysmith’s books was most people’s first foray into the zodiac case, so it took a while to debunk a lot of what he wrote. when you read it, it makes perfect sense and it’s almost infuriating that le didn’t arrest ala. however when you read the rebuttals and the research work done by others it becomes clear that graysmith’s book toes the line between fact and fiction. my point is that it makes sense that ala was everyone’s suspect, as graysmith wrote a pretty damning indictment of his guilt.
Wasn’t Allen everybody’s favorite suspect? Obviously not everybody, but the most popular choice at the time of the research? It’s not like Graysmith picked someone out of the blue for unknown reasons.
He didn’t pick someone out of the blue, that’s true. SFPD favored Allen heavily at the point where Graysmith’s journey would have started.
Fast forward to the point where he published his book, though, and SFPD had abandoned Allen. Bawart (VPD) was the one still pushing ALA, with nothing to show for it as it eventually turned out. But, yes – even in the years following Yellow Book, LE as such could be said to have been on the ALA trail (through Bawart/VPD).
So Graysmith’s book – and his theories – weren’t outlandish in that light.
