As pointed out by glurk, Patricia was tracked down and turned out to be a "pretty vocal" student who was in the habit of writing letters to the editor on contemporary issues.

It would seem, then, that she has nothing to do with the Zodiac case. Unless she was masterfully deceiving Butterfield for unknown reasons.

Did she sign an affidavit stating she wrote
the (boy who turned killer) letter?
Hearsay won’t hold water in the Judges
drinking glass!
I guess her fingerprints on the PH
letter were invisible too!

Blind Bat

Didn’t she say that she did not remember ever writing that letter ? How about Zodiac using her name to write about himself ,saying that he had a very bad childhood, which turned him into a killer ? Feeling sorry for himself, faulting others for what he did , like some serial killers do. Some even blame the victim.

He could have had a sample of PH writing style and copied it. I find it hard to believe that she wrote it.

Note to self…

Never write a letter to the editor about studying why it is murderers behave the way they do and suggest we look closer at our own family life. Oh wait! I see that hundreds of times a day on social media–especially after a crime is committed.

She didn’t remember writing that letter specifically, but she confirmed (to Butterfield) that it seemed like the sort of thing she could have written at the time. I for one find that a satisfactory explanation, but to each his own.

I’m not sure exactly what this Hautz business adds to the understanding of the case at this point, to be honest.

I don’t think anyone positively suspects her of being Z, nor of being his accomplice, so what remains is a pretty much unprovable theory that Z committed a form of identity theft in order to…what? Mess with people? Well, he liked to do that. So, yes – I guess anything is possible. One has to a draw the line somewhere, though.

For me, at least, it seems less likely that Z wrote the letter (posing as a real student who could have discovered the identity theft at any time) than the alternative – which is, simply, that Hautz wrote the letter herself. Not least given that she has been tracked down, proven to be a real person – and has said that the letter is indeed of the sort she was in the habit of writing at the time.

Note to self…

Never write a letter to the editor about studying why it is murderers behave the way they do and suggest we look closer at our own family life. Oh wait! I see that hundreds of times a day on social media–especially after a crime is committed.

Precisely. It’s perfectly normal, commonplace, to-be-expected under the circumstances – and so forth. You have to pretty much force something sinister into it before it becomes even remotely suspicious.

I am always amazed people assume it to be anyone else, much less Zodiac.

Seems like if someone wrote "attn editor" on an envelope (which is what you do if you are address the editor), it was considered a possible Zodiac communique.

And how did this become a topic of conversation in this thread? I hesitate going back to look!

And how did this become a topic of conversation in this thread? I hesitate going back to look!

Sixth post in the thread. It started out with Jack Ruby’s sister (?) and then Blind Bat "connected" it to Patricia Hautz.

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=2152#p27394

-glurk

I’m starting to take a serious look at Chuck Barris…

I’m not sure exactly what this Hautz business adds to the understanding of the case at this point, to be honest.

Absolutely nothing. There are those who simply refuse to accept that some mysteries are not mysteries at all.

This is reading like the dudes board @ OPORD

This is reading like the dudes board @ OPORD

Bingo.

I doubt that Z knew Melvin personally. After all what brought him into the case was someone posing as Z that request Melvin only if Bailey was not available. After that Melvin was drawn into the case and then Z started showing him attention. It is possible that Eric knew Z and was asked to make the call, but again Melvin was second option.

I have my doubts about Eric Weil as the caller. His voice sounds so much different than the Bob Dylan video that can be found on youtube. It’s pretty much impossible to find any info on Weil.

http://youtu.be/LSjMoVCNdjc

Well, Eric Weil was certainly obsessed with Belli. He made several calls to Belli’s home from the place where he was institutionalized (these calls were traced, so there is no doubt there). The caller admits – on the show – to having called the station on a previous occasion (when Belli was a guest), which ties in nicely with Weil being the caller.

All in all, it seems they had very good reason to believe Weil was indeed "Sam".

I suppose it’s possible that some other disturbed individual made the Dunbar call, but it doesn’t seem all that important to me who "Sam" was as long as he wasn’t Z. Which he by all accounts was not (three people who actually talked to Z all firmly concluded that "Sam" was definitely not Z, nor does his "behavior" during the conversation with Belli seem Zodiac-ish at all, quite to the contrary, I should say).

Bryan also confirmed that "Sam" was not the voice of Zodiac. I believe Nancy did as well.

Bryan also confirmed that "Sam" was not the voice of Zodiac. I believe Nancy did as well.

Yes, that’s what I meant. Three people: Hartnell, Slover and Slaight (the only ones who undoubtedly heard Z’s voice).

Bryan also confirmed that "Sam" was not the voice of Zodiac. I believe Nancy did as well.

Yes, that’s what I meant. Three people: Hartnell, Slover and Slaight (the only ones who undoubtedly heard Z’s voice).

And yet, the voices Harntell and Slaight heard were apparently different than the voice Slover heard. I would image it would have been easier to disguise a voice (if that is what he did) with Nancy Slover.

At least they all agreed the caller to the show wasn’t one any of them had heard. Belli annoyed the heck out of me…