Compare the letter B in ‘Bettye’ to the B of Zodiac’s ‘Badlands’

tracers, Subject: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:25 am

Check out this eBay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ZODIAC-Killer-Book- … 35a85178e2

if someone can scan the pix and post them here, it would be appreciated, since after the listing ends, at some point it is no longer available by clicking the url.

Thanks!

Zodiac Book from Salinas Public Library with Message inside

The second hand-written page reads,
"The author use to drive around Salinas to pick our brains —
all we told him was already public news that made headlines 5 inches long.
Our code-solving.
Bettye"

Does anyone know if this is one of the books found by the people who did The Grand Inquisitor?

, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:53 am

The implication being that Betty and Donald were driving around on a killing spree, why object to Badlands then, if they were the real Kit and Holly, not an objection then mmm. It’s rather curious. You would think that if someone were going to fake a message they would pick someone like Marshall or even B***** or one of the Hunters. And 199 bucks was that, bit stiff. Might check the writing against the Lass Card if Morph’s not done it already. Good Find Tracers.

tracers, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:03 am

This may not be a hoax. Maybe Graysmith DID drive about with the Hardens when he was doing research for his book.

As for the message on the first page, Betty had been working on solving the 340 for some years and thought she was onto something at some point. Maybe the first page is some reference to her solution and what it would reveal.

Could be a prank, but could be real. Hoping to get some more definitive info.

, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:13 am

morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:43 am

Here you go!

morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:45 am

Might check the writing against the Lass Card if Morph’s not done it already.

I did look, and it is similar, but there are some differences too. Unfortunately, when you enlarge the photo, it starts to distort the photo. Here are some letters from my POI that are formed in a similar fashion to the letter "y" & the letter "g" written in the book seen here:

But again, its hard to enlarge the photo of the book page without distorting the photo

The Ebay seller is almost marketing this book as "this could be the Zodiac’s writing". If It truly was, the seller should turn it over to police because the book could have prints, or possibly Z was one of the people that checked the book out of the library.

, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 12:07 pm

Well I was going to say as well do the libraries sell books off from time to time or has someone been light fingered and ‘cough’ removed it. I agree Morph there are similarities and differences in equal measure. Betty I think had an e at the end of her name as in Bettye. It looks as though where the name is just signed from Betty it poss has an e there as it trails off, a bit hard to see. It’s certainly a curious message.

tahoe27, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:13 pm

Funny…at one point I have considered almost everyone. Including the Hardens’.

What does (whoever wrote this) mean by "the last half of this book is theory"…?? It sounds like something Graysmith would have written…not Betty(e).

• "This is……"[/*:m:vx9tskme][/list:u:vx9tskme]
• Writing slants down to the right[/*:m:vx9tskme][/list:u:vx9tskme]
• the tone (somewhat)[/*:m:vx9tskme][/list:u:vx9tskme]

That’s about it. And what’s up with "the true ending will shake the earth"? Even RG’s conclusion didn’t shake the earth. What ending would be an earth shaker?



tracers, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:33 pm

Libraries often do sell old books they have taken out of circulation due to condition, age, or need to make room for new acquisitions. Sometimes they will be stamped "discard" or something like that. The Maury Terry Most Evil book I purchased was one of those type of books. So, the seller probably did obtained the book through legitimate means.



Theforeigner, Subject: Who bought the Salinas Public Libarary copy of Robert Graysmith´s book "Zodiac" Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:03 pm

LOOKING FOR HELP…VERY IMPORTENT!!!

I would like to ask if anyone knows who bought this Robert Graysmith Zodiac book on ebay ?

It is of VERY significant importance for me to find out wheter it ideed WAS Bettye Harden who wrote those two messages, OR one of the messages, and especially if it was NOT her who wrote them.

Anyone you knows?

Another VERY significant importance for me
is to get a close up of the handwriting of the page with the wording:

"The author use to drive around Salinas to pick our brains —
all we told him was already public news that made headlines 5 inches long.
Our code-solving.
Bettye"

If anyone can help, in any possible way, on thise matters, I would be VERY thankful.

Theforeigner



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:01 pm

I want to compare the handwriting in the mysterious messages with Zodiac´s handwriting, because I have found an interesting/signifiacant match:



However I don´t belive that any of the Harden´s, in any way whatsoever, was involved in the Zodiac murders, but I belive that it is possible that the Zodiac killer went to the Salinas Public library found the book and wrote the messages, OR possibly just one of the two messages.

That is why I find it VERY importent to get Hardens daughter Leslie, to confirm or exclude the handwriting as beeing Bettey Harden´s.

IF it can be confirmed that it was NOT Harden who wrote the message then we might have an extensive portion of CURSIVE from the Zodiac killer, which IMO would be a HUGE thing.



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:04 pm

WOW Foreigner, that B does look like a match. Keep up the good work, and let us know.



Zamantha, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:32 pm

Very Curious for sure. Hope you track down the Book. Might need to take out an add saying you are looking for it? Just an idea.
Wonder IF it’s her writing, or another idea… someone copied her writing? Jes thinkin…



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:34 pm

The book listing on ebay is gone since it sold over 90 days ago. Thats a shame. Dont even know who the seller or buyer was, but i would love to know if that book could be dusted for prints to compare against Z. Also, Foreigner, I see that in the two questioned writings, Betty is spelled two different ways, BETTY & BETTYE. Which one is the right way for her? Seems like she would not misspell her own name.



Zamantha, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:42 am

Looks like there’s a site to Ck what items bidden on actually went for.
This one’s on the book.
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/z … -100863685

It would be interesting to know who actually brought it. Maybe Graysmith, ha. Or…



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed Jan 05, 2011 2:37 pm

Thanks for you inputs Morf and Zam, the link was of HUGE help Zam :cheers:

I have now traced and contacted the seller of the book, and I´m waiting to see if I hear from him/her.

Morf, the correct spelling of Bettye Harden´s first name is with an "e" at the end of Bettye.

Zam I belive that it is very possible that it was Zodiac who wrote those messages and that he tried to mimic Bettye Harden´s handwriting.

Due to my x-husband (who has a penmanship and has worked for ca 40 years as an old school educated typographer, art directors og graphic designere, and is VERY good at it) the two messages were written by the same person but at two different occations.
He also do not belive that Bettye Harden wrote those messages. I have one real/true authograph by Bettye Harden for comparation, but my x is of that opinion that the writer of the 2 messages tried to mimic her signature and possibly her natural handwriting. But due to that we so far don´t have anymore of BH´s handwriting, except for the one authograph, it is hard to be 100% sure wheter she wrote the messages or not.

And sure, I will be updating when I have any news on this issue.



Quagmire, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:39 pm

"The author use to drive around Salinas to pick our brains – all we told him was already public news that made headlines 5 inches long. Our code-solving."

Found the above phrase particularly disturbing as I have just been reading about the murder of Arlis Perry on another Zodiac forum. She was killed by a 5inch ice-pick to the brain… (pick our brains…headlines 5inches long…) Creepy.



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed Jan 05, 2011 6:20 pm

"The author use to drive around Salinas to pick our brains – all we told him was already public news that made headlines 5 inches long. Our code-solving."

Found the above phrase particularly disturbing as I have just been reading about the murder of Arlis Perry on another Zodiac forum. She was killed by a 5inch ice-pick to the brain… (pick our brains…headlines 5inches long…) Creepy.

Wow, that is creepy



AK Wilks, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:17 pm

Yes, in the Arlis Perry case, a 5 1/2 inch ice pick was found embedded in her brain. The handle was gone.

And it does seem odd that Bettye would spell her name as "Betty".

Weird.



Zamantha, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:07 pm

"The author use to drive around Salinas to pick our brains – all we told him was already public news that made headlines 5 inches long. Our code-solving."

Found the above phrase particularly disturbing as I have just been reading about the murder of Arlis Perry on another Zodiac forum. She was killed by a 5inch ice-pick to the brain… (pick our brains…headlines 5inches long…) Creepy.

Wow, that is creepy

Thanks for remembering an pointing that out to us Quagmire, that’s rather strange to write unless….



, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:12 am

Dammit… that pesky Foreigner has got me interested in this too now!

This has been mentioned elsewhere before, i think, but is intertesting in light of TF’s info.

According to the FBI Zodiac PDF #2 (pages 12-20) "A concerned CITIZEN" sent in a typed 3×5 inch card to the Vallejo cops (beginning "Dear Sergeant") postmarked 10 AUG 1969. Accompanying it was a handwritten cipher-key (beginning A – G S backwards L).

Seems this was postmarked 2 days after the Harden solution appeared in the Times-Herald, and was perhaps not looked at closely enough. The 10 AUG 69 Citizen is almost 5 years before the "Citizen Card". Interesting.





Not sure where i got this Harden Key image from (i’ll ref. it when i find out.) Anyway, like the Citizen Aug 69 letter it begins A – G S backwards L.




Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:58 am

Hi Rufus

Thanks for your interesting input

The card at the end of your post, is that the original key card sent by "Concerned Citizen" ?

And do you have the full image of the card? only part of it shows up in your post.



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:50 am

Foreigner, I read on ZKfacts that you found the seller of the Zodiac book. Maybe you can ask them who bought it. That may be EVIDENCE that the police should be made aware of. It is possible that Zodiac himself wrote that and had a library card to be tracked.



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:04 am

Foreigner, I read on ZKfacts that you found the seller of the Zodiac book. Maybe you can ask them who bought it. That may be EVIDENCE that the police should be made aware of. It is possible that Zodiac himself wrote that and had a library card to be tracked.

Hi Morf

If you read my post from Yesterday at 2:37 pm on this thread, I also informed this forum anout that I´d found the seller and contacted him.
And of course I asked the seller about who bought the book and several other question, however I have not heard anything from him/her yet.

I also wrote, in my post from yesterday that I belive that Zodiac probably wrote the messages.

And IF it was Zodiac who wrote those messages, I don´t think he borrowed the book, I think he went to the library, found the book on the bookshelf, made sure noone saw him and wrote the message. He then probably did it all over agin at a later time.

But sure, the list of who borrowed the book at salinas Public Library should bee looked into in any case.

Maybe Zodiac even was in contact with Bettye at som point and/or in som way found a way to get a look at, or a sample of her handwriting, and then mimiced it, just like he, it seems, mimiced Count Marco´s way of writing, and also mimiced the font of the address of Melvin Belli?
A possible Zodiac game of his.

Concerning contacting the police about this matter, I´d prefere to wait until I have gathered som more info that I´m waiting to recive, this concern possible handwriting samples, comparations of the handwriting samples and different information I have asked different people for.



, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:23 am

….The card at the end of your post, is that the original key card sent by "Concerned Citizen" ? ….

No. Can’t remember where i got it from & don’t know who wrote it. It’s also at http://unazod.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=108 … maybe AK knows?

….And do you have the full image of the card? only part of it shows up in your post….





morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:28 am

Just a thought Foreigner, I personally think Z read books, and went to the library. Even if he never checked that book out, he may have checked out other books on the same day that he wrote that message. They could check records of the dates that book was checked out, and then look at all other books checked out on the same dates. I think chances are that Zodiac had a library card there and checked out books on the same day. Perhaps one or more of the popular suspects had a library card there.

By the way, how far from Vallejo is this library? Which direction is it on?



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:44 am

….The card at the end of your post, is that the original key card sent by "Concerned Citizen" ? ….

No. Can’t remember where i got it from & don’t know who wrote it. It’s also at http://unazod.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=108 … maybe AK knows?

….And do you have the full image of the card? only part of it shows up in your post….



Thanks Rufus

And to AKWilks do you know who wrote that "Harden Key" shown in Rufus post ?

Due to that it says "Haden Key" I assume it is NOT the 3×5 cipher key card sent by "A Concerned Citizen" right?
However it was sent Aug 10th, 1969 and at that point the Harden Key HAD been published in the newspaper
Times-Herald right?
SO, that means that "A Concerned Citizen" could have named his cipher key card "Harden Key"

Hope you or somone else can clear up this issue.

And if this image of "Harden Key" that Rufus have posted an image of is NOT identical with the 3×5 key card sent by "A Concerned Citizen", does anyone have an image of the 3×5 cipher key card sent by "A Concerned Citizen"?



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:59 am

Just a thought Foreigner, I personally think Z read books, and went to the library. Even if he never checked that book out, he may have checked out other books on the same day that he wrote that message. They could check records of the dates that book was checked out, and then look at all other books checked out on the same dates. I think chances are that Zodiac had a library card there and checked out books on the same day. Perhaps one or more of the popular suspects had a library card there.

By the way, how far from Vallejo is this library? Which direction is it on?

I´m have no doubt that Zodiac read books, lots of books, and went to librarys but I doubt he had a card to Salinas Public Library, WAY to dangerous for him IMO to write messages in a Zodiac book like that, if his name was connected to that particular Library.

Vallejo Salinas is ca 125 miles drive…takes ca 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Adress of SPL is : 350 Lincoln Ave, Salinas, CA 93901

Her is a map of the disatnce and location:





AK Wilks, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:45 pm

I do not know for sure where that "Harden Key" came from, except to say it was NOT the one sent in by a "concerned citizen". That was sent in the mail the day before or day of the publsihing of the Harden solution, and the thought is that person solved it on their own. And that person may be the Zodiac. I do not have what was sent in.

I think the "Harden Key" may have been done by Mr. Harden himself?



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:57 pm

Trying to look at this writing a bit closer, but it is hard to see with the poor image quality.

If we are assuming that one set of writing is from the real Bettye Harden, and the other from Zodiac, which one is which? We have no confirmed cursive writing from Zodiac to compare to this writing. The only questioned cursive we have is the writing on the Lass Christmas card which I personally think could be from Z, and the cursive writing on the "Patricia Hautz" envelope, which I am a bit skeptical of being Z.

Anyhow, on the Lass Xmas envelope, the letter M in the words MRS, MARY, and MAIL, (most similar in the word MAIL) seem pretty similar to the letter M seen here –





I wish I could see a larger & clearer image of both the Xmas card to Lass’ sister, and the library book writing. Can anyone do a clear and enhanced side by side?



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:53 pm

Can anyone enhance/enlarge the writing on this photo without distorting it?



It was really an interesting topic that seemed to get quiet all of a sudden. I think Foreigner found an interesting clue, that capital letter B in my opinion, looks alot like zodiac’s



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:03 am

Concerning the Salinas Public Library book "Zodiac" by Graysmith with two handwritten messages:

I have recived information that people who knows Bettye Harder´s handwriting well, have doubts that the handwriting in the book is Bettye´s. It has be stated that there are similarities but there are also distinct differences.

The seller of the book informed me that the book, quote :
" was purchased at a Goodwill book sale in Medford, Oregon around 2003 " and
" and no records were kept of its contents or the Ebay buyers name"

This is all I have to share at this time.



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Tue Mar 22, 2011 2:54 pm

Concerning the Salinas Public Library book "Zodiac" by Graysmith with two handwritten messages:

I have recived information that people who knows Bettye Harder´s handwriting well, have doubts that the handwriting in the book is Bettye´s. It has be stated that there are similarities but there are also distinct differences.

The seller of the book informed me that the book, quote :
" was purchased at a Goodwill book sale in Medford, Oregon around 2003 " and
" and no records were kept of its contents or the Ebay buyers name"

This is all I have to share at this time.

Interesting still!



Azazel, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:43 am

"The first hand-written page reads,
"This is my story. I started the Zodiac case, and ended it.
The last half of this book is theory. When I write the true ending it will shake the earth!
Betty Harden"

Phillip Garrido
Days before he was arrested on charges of kidnapping and rape in the 1991 disappearance of Jaycee Lee Dugard, he handed Cheyvonne Molino, who runs a Pittsburg auto wrecking yard, a four-page manifesto that he said was going to shake the world.

http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=7169.0

Just reflected over the same or similiar sentence…



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:07 am

I think this book, and the writing is very interesting. I know the identity of the person that bought the book, but they asked me not to reveal their ID, but perhaps they will share their thoughts.



patinky, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Wed May 02, 2012 3:35 pm

Has anything else come of these exemplars?

The writing does not look feminine to me. Neither does the style.



morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Thu May 03, 2012 3:23 am

Has anything else come of these exemplars?

The writing does not look feminine to me. Neither does the style.

I know the person that claims to have this book. They told me personally that they have it and I have no reason to doubt them. They asked me NOT to share their identity,but I still hope that they one day,will make the book available for a better view, etc.



Daniel Gillotti, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri May 04, 2012 12:09 pm

This topic is very interesting to me. The murder of Arlis Perry and this book’s inscription is important. I hope to see more posts and ideas on this topic. I hope we can add this to the discussion, the possible ritualistic murder of Ms. Perry.

TF:

Do you still feel a possible “Aleister Crowley” and a follower or followers, possibly involved in the ritualistic murder of Perry? Which occurred in a church, possibly connected? Can you post your findings including your hexagram pattern that was made with Ms. Perry’s legs and removed pants?

Daniel



Theforeigner, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Fri May 04, 2012 6:24 pm

This topic is very interesting to me. The murder of Arlis Perry and this book’s inscription is important. I hope to see more posts and ideas on this topic. I hope we can add this to the discussion, the possible ritualistic murder of Ms. Perry.

TF:

Do you still feel a possible “Aleister Crowley” and a follower or followers, possibly involved in the ritualistic murder of Perry? Which occurred in a church, possibly connected? Can you post your findings including your hexagram pattern that was made with Ms. Perry’s legs and removed pants?

Daniel

I have posted the info in the Arlis Perry thread:

http://zodiackillersite.forummotion.com … sity#28056



AK Wilks, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Sat May 05, 2012 1:43 pm

Until TRAV1ST can do a much better series of comparisons, thought we could just look at this. IMO mostly some clear matches but also some differences, in particular the "H".





morf13, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Sat May 05, 2012 1:58 pm

Its too light for me to read,but in the book writing,it seems as if there is NO e on the end of Betty’s name,but in the signed photo of her,she did sign her name with an e at the end.



traveller1st, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Sat May 05, 2012 4:55 pm

Okey Dokes.

A cursory look at the signatures suggest to me that they are all Betty/Bettye Harden’s.

I have compared the one on the bottom left to the one above it from the polaroid. I have marked on the comps with red lines to show where there are matches in the curves and angles on the various letters. They look pretty good to my untrained eye.

I have then taken the highlighted overlay of red and placed it over the signature on the bottom right over ‘Betty’ and there are some very strong match ups on the letters and on the cross stroke.

The end of the surname looks close enough to me to be a match and even though the ‘H’ is different both examples show similarity in the distance between the uprights.

Given that these signatures were written at an unknown time difference and with different types of pen and on different materials with the space available on a polaroid possibly restricting a full signature with the usual loops – the similarities between the construction seems quite strong and possibly all from the same person.





onewhoknows, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Sat May 05, 2012 7:57 pm

The content sounds bragadocious, and she doesn’t look like that kind of Lady.
If it is her note, what does she know about the "Ending of the Story" that we don’t know.
Did the Harden’s in fact, have Zodiac’s name, perhaps, and were too afraid to come forward?
Were they ever harrassed in anyway like Sandy Betts?
The signature does look like hers, and like the pen was running out of ink.
Could Bettye Harden have been "conned" into signing a Zodiac book, like asking
for an autograph and someone else wrote the note?
I agree, with the second half of the book being theory.



duckking2001, Subject: Re: ZOdiac Book With Cryptic Message Sun May 06, 2012 1:08 am

I’d amend that to include the first half too.


“I don’t know Chief, he’s very smart or very dumb.“

 

I know a little more about this book than most people do. I have some info on it that I was asked not to share. If I get permission to share the info,I will gladly do so. The owner of this book and I have talked about it, and maybe they would one day be willing to shed more light on it. Until then,I am afraid that I can’t voice a real opinion,other than to say that the very first post in which WelshChappie does a side by side of the letter B, it DOES look similar

I can’t voice a real opinion,other than to say that the very first post in which WelshChappie does a side by side of the letter B, it DOES look similar

I think it’s better than similar, it’s nearly identical. I only say nearly because there is nothing else to go on but on the merits of the B’s alone they look identical to me.

Unfortunately I’ve seen that B before used by other people so it’s a bit of a non starter. I used to think a lot of characters were unique but I’ve seen them crop up in different sources over the last few years. As such, it takes a lot more than that now to indicate something might be of interest. It could well be but without more corroboration in other characters there isn’t much that can be done with the handwriting aspect in regards to Z.

I can’t voice a real opinion,other than to say that the very first post in which WelshChappie does a side by side of the letter B, it DOES look similar

I think it’s better than similar, it’s nearly identical. I only say nearly because there is nothing else to go on but on the merits of the B’s alone they look identical to me.

Unfortunately I’ve seen that B before used by other people so it’s a bit of a non starter. I used to think a lot of characters were unique but I’ve seen them crop up in different sources over the last few years. As such, it takes a lot more than that now to indicate something might be of interest. It could well be but without more corroboration in other characters there isn’t much that can be done with the handwriting aspect in regards to Z.

More samples would help

I know a little more about this book than most people do. I have some info on it that I was asked not to share. If I get permission to share the info,I will gladly do so. The owner of this book and I have talked about it, and maybe they would one day be willing to shed more light on it. Until then,I am afraid that I can’t voice a real opinion,other than to say that the very first post in which WelshChappie does a side by side of the letter B, it DOES look similar

*Slips Morf $20…..What is this info that your not allowed to share? Lol.

Only Joking. In all seriousness though, the Hardens Daughter has said some things that make you wonder such as…

"The three part Cipher is now sequenced, but when my parents took it on there was no sequence whatsoever so you have three pieces of code and you don’t know what order they go in or where it began and that adds to the puzzle. There are some puzzles that are simply made to obfuscate and they are not meant to be solved. I think that is a very very important point and it has something to do with the fact that this code was not cracked, not until someone…. who had some extra ability came to it and looked at it. My mother had a connection to the mind of the killer and to his way of thinking and his way of being. Some things she just knew, and one of the things she knew was where it began. (The 3 parts of the cipher)."

What makes you wonder, in that statement? I’ll give you my ha’pence.

"The three part Cipher is now sequenced, but when my parents took it on there was no sequence whatsoever so you have three pieces of code and you don’t know what order they go in or where it began and that adds to the puzzle."
– The first thing they had to do when trying to solve the cipher, was to put the three pieces in the right order. Which they did.

There are some puzzles that are simply made to obfuscate and they are not meant to be solved.
– Ah, how true. Perhaps the 340 is one of them?

I think that is a very very important point and it has something to do with the fact that this code was not cracked, not until someone…. who had some extra ability came to it and looked at it.
– "My family are very clever and I’m very proud of them." Quite right too. Extra ability? Well, we all love our Mums.

My mother had a connection to the mind of the killer and to his way of thinking and his way of being. Some things she just knew, and one of the things she knew was where it began. (The 3 parts of the cipher)."
– Bettye figured out that the killer would talk about "killing" a lot (yes, it does sound simple now) – and also presumed he’d be egotistical enough to start the cipher with a reference to himself. "I". She was right. And that helped her put the three pieces in order, or recognise when they were. Bravo.

There! Clear as mud.
* Edited to put in that last italic tag. Doh!

This thread reminds me of something I’ve always thought, but never posted, as it is really a minor point.

Not to dismiss the Hardens work at all, but in the past I have seen posts like "The FBI could not solve it, the police could not solve it, the army could not solve it, and etc."

As if Donald and Bettye had not solved it, it would NEVER have been solved. Obviously, given any problem, someone will be the FIRST to solve it. In this case, it was the Hardens.
But I don’t think they had any special ability other than a rather 24/7 dedication to working on it. We will never know, but I’d guess that had the Hardens not even existed, the 408
would still have been solved by some agency within days. Those agencies just didn’t need to keep working on it once the solution was found and known!

-glurk

Missed this thread the first time around… That note is just bizarre whether it was written by Bettye Harden (most likely) or is fakery. She started and ended the Zodiac case? Rather odd/delusional statement about a case that’s never been solved.

Totally agree with glurk that it was only a matter of time that the 340 cipher would have been solved, whether by someone in law enforcement or an obsessive public citizen. The Hardens certainly deserve credit for solving the thing but it really did little or nothing toward solving the case. If anything, the publication of the solution seemed to piss Zodiac off and make him communicate in a much more opaque manner. That’s not the Hardens’ fault, of course. It was a laudable achievement even if it didn’t contribute much toward the investigation.

Re: The Harden solve: seconded.
It does seem to have had an affect on the family one way or another, this period in the limelight, doesn’t it?
"Ripples on a pond", indeed.

It makes you wonder why Bettye allowed Donald to go public with the solve and have their names printed in recognition of it if it’s going to end up in her being so terrified that, according to her daughter, she ends up sleeping in the bath for fear the Zodiac is coming for her.

But to be honest, the whole scenario of an amateur cryptographer and his home maker wife solving a cipher in three days between them that the best Naval, FBI and D.O.D cryptography experts couldn’t decode is highly suspicious to me. Maybe it wouldn’t have been if the Cipher hadn’t happened to be the ‘408 Cipher’ and 408 just so happens to be the area code of Salinas, CA where they lived.

Bettye kept insisting she had a connection to the mind of the Zodiac, she knew how he though. I mean assuming she wrote that nice message in Graysmiths book, the one where she states that she started the Zodiac case, and she will finish it and when she reveals the truth it will rock the World, then that wouldn’t seem like the actions of a woman terrified to the point where she refuses to sleep in her own bed?

Someone has posted a youtube video about it, I think it to be the work of a "kook", and there have been plenty, just looking to make some money and or notoriety off of The Z.

✝♄ℯ ℭøηƒεṧṧḯ☺ᾔ Bettye Harden Partial Confession in Graysmith’s Zodiac Killer Book.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToBOjItzRkI

Vic, be specific please. I said a few different things. What has someone posted a youtube video about? Why are they classed as kooks? And I don’t think it’s the mentally unstable that are claiming that Salinas area code and Zodiac’s cipher code are a match digitally, both being 408. Lock these nut cases up!

Well, unless pointing out a fact about the case that is not open for argument renders one a ‘Kook’. I would have have to go with the fact being a fact though and a ‘Kook’ being a personal opinion.