I think Norse explained it all, DNA questions abound in this case. The Police have been tight lipped about what they do and do not have regarding DNA. I know that DNA was discovered under a stamp on a letter(it was later compared against well known Z suspect Arthur Leigh Allen, and did not match him). In recent years, Napa Sheriffs dept tried to do some stuff with touch DNA from plastic clothesline used to bind a couple at Lake Berryessa, and that was not successful for whatever reason. Also, there is DNA that came from possible Zodiac Victim, Cheri Jo Bates,from hair or skin found in her hand or under her nails. That DNA was used to rule out the prime suspect in her murder,as it didn’t match him(technically, they still think he killed her). We do not know for sure, but we suspect that the DNA found at the Bates scene was compared against DNA from the Zodiac crime scenes and it did not match, because after initially thinking Bates’s murder might be related to Zodiac, they quickly distanced her murder from the Zodiac crimes,so either the DNA didn’t match,or print evidence didn’t.

What does male targeted typing mean in layman’s terms?

I new processed used in California is called familial DNA searching. It was used in a famous Northern California case, The Roaming Rapist. You would need a full DNA profile (15 markers or loci) and then target the male DNA portion. This 15 locus profile along with the male DNA profile would be searched in CODIS for any brothers, fathers, or male siblings that may have their DNA already in the system.

However, it sounds like we do not have a full DNA profile of zodiac so familial searching would not be possible. Even if we did have a full DNA profile, one of zodiac’s male relatives would have to be in CODIS to search against.

Anyway, just another tool for the investigative toolbox.

Even in my position as a criminalist I do not know what evidence has been processed for DNA and if those DNA profiles have been compared to suspects and/or examiners who may have contaminated the evidence back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I definitely know DNA wasn’t thought about and examiners didn’t wear gloves, masks, or other protective equipment.

I think Norse explained it all, DNA questions abound in this case. The Police have been tight lipped about what they do and do not have regarding DNA. I know that DNA was discovered under a stamp on a letter(it was later compared against well known Z suspect Arthur Leigh Allen, and did not match him). In recent years, Napa Sheriffs dept tried to do some stuff with touch DNA from plastic clothesline used to bind a couple at Lake Berryessa, and that was not successful for whatever reason. Also, there is DNA that came from possible Zodiac Victim, Cheri Jo Bates,from hair or skin found in her hand or under her nails. That DNA was used to rule out the prime suspect in her murder,as it didn’t match him(technically, they still think he killed her). We do not know for sure, but we suspect that the DNA found at the Bates scene was compared against DNA from the Zodiac crime scenes and it did not match, because after initially thinking Bates’s murder might be related to Zodiac, they quickly distanced her murder from the Zodiac crimes,so either the DNA didn’t match,or print evidence didn’t.

Morf, The clothesline was handled by too many people who were not wearing gloves, is my guess as to why it was unsuccessful.

In the Bates case, when the Zodiac was first thought to be a possibility, DNA wasn’t developed yet. By the time DNA was in the forefront, Riverside PD had their sites on MR Bill B. I would hope that they checked the prints against prints that SFPD or Napa has, but who knows if they did or not ?
Sadly I doubt they would spend any of their money to check for a comparison to SFPD’s DNA on Zodiac. Because they are hell bent on Cheri Jo’s killer being anyone other than Zodiac.

Moved from another thread so to stay on topic…

I have searched, and can not find information about
The 9 markers that SFPD Lab has on the Zodiac DNA
Profile. The blood type,O Negative, or O positive?
European dissent are other? What informations
Do they have? It would help with process of illumination.
If anything a good discussion. All we have or letters,cards,?
the sketch and DNA. Maybe fingerprints?
Oh one more thing. Riverside,Bates, was the DNA matched
Against the DNA on file in San Francisco?

While researching the history of the DNA evidence, I stumbled upon this article from the Times-Herald…

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/genera … -revisited

When SFPD closed the case, Maloney alluded to "authenticated letters on loan from VPD" that (along with Stine’s shirt) were never submitted for testing. I found an article that mentioned sending letters back to VPD ( http://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfranc … id=2155041 ), but the comments from the Times sound rather odd.

Three letters penned by the Zodiac were unearthed and sent recently to a state crime lab for DNA testing in a new attempt to create a genetic profile of the serial killer, Vallejo cold case Detective Matt Meredith said.

Meredith said the movie didn’t prompt the decision to test the letters, because he was only made aware of those untested letters within the last couple months. "I’m not gonna get caught up in the hype," Meredith said. "They were letters from the original evidence sent to various organizations, agencies and newspapers."

There were blank spaces next to the first four Zodiac letters on the lab report, but those were sent to newspapers, not "agencies" or "organizations." Top secret Zodiac correspondence, probable forgeries, or was he just rambling?

There was no clarification in the follow-up, either.

In February, Vallejo police sent three letters written by the killer known as the Zodiac to a state crime lab for testing, in a new attempt to develop a genetic profile of the serial killer. They learned of the discouraging results a few weeks ago, said Vallejo Police Department spokesman Lt. Rick Nichelman.

"The initial testing is complete, and they didn’t yield anything," Nichelman said. "But there’s still a chance something could be found with new tests."

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/genera … -on-zodiac

The DNA from Cheri’s murder was not compared to the Zodiac DNA.

It was of a different type and no comparison could thus be made.

I’ve often thought the watch found at the Bates scene would have to yield DNA. whether it belonged to the killer who knows, but I would think for sure they would have at least ran that watch band through DNA testing.
To my memory there’s been no confirmation that any prints/DNA, found/tested at any Z crime scene, including Cheri Jo’s, has ever matched to any other Z crime scene. So in reality no police agency even knows if what they hold is Z evidence at all.

BayArea60s

I’ve often thought the watch found at the Bates scene would have to yield DNA. whether it belonged to the killer who knows, but I would think for sure they would have at least ran that watch band through DNA testing.
To my memory there’s been no confirmation that any prints/DNA, found/tested at any Z crime scene, including Cheri Jo’s, has ever matched to any other Z crime scene. So in reality no police agency even knows if what they hold is Z evidence at all.

BayArea60s

I fully agree with the watch and having DNA. A watch is constantly rubbing the wrist collecting skin cells.