Ricardo, Subject: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:49 pm

I would like to find out more information about Phil Sins who lived in southern California.

Solar Pons mentioned Phil Sins in this thread:

http://zodiackillersite.forummotion.com … visit-2011

Here is another link about Phil Sins:

http://zodiackiller.21.forumer.com/a/po … 4&start=15

How was Phil Sins ruled out as a suspect?

Phil Sins = P S

Seagull, Subject: Re: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:13 pm

Ricardo I don’t think that Phil Sins was a suspect but the person who tipped Paul Avery to there being a connection between Cheri Jo’s murder and the Zodiac. Phil is mentioned in that capacity in Graysmith’s ZU page 37. As far as I know Phil Sins is still living and lives in 29 Palms CA.

I was able to determine that Phil Sins did live in Riverside at the time of Cheri Jo’s murder by birth records as one of his children was born there at that time.

Phil has a son named Maurice Sins who a little more than a year ago was arrested for bank robbery and is currently a resident of a California State Prison.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local … 21379.html

Ricardo, Subject: Re: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:24 pm

Thanks, Seagull!

I know that Phil Sins was the person who wrote to Paul Avery about the possibility that the murder of Cheri Jo Bates could be linked to the Zodiac.

In other words, I know that Phil Sins was not officially a suspect. I am asking to find out the reasons that he was not investigated.

(Or maybe he was investigated and it was kept confidential by the detectives?)

It might be helpful to learn upon what basis various people were eliminated from the investigation.

tahoe27, Subject: Re: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:53 pm

If he was not investigated, I would be extremely disappointed!

morf13, Subject: Re: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:55 pm

Good timing… I posted today that I had requested info on ‘Phil Sins’ from the FBI, specifically, requested any letter he may have written to Avery(who knows, it may have never been turned into the FBI for examination). They responded quicky telling me that the had NO letters written by Phil Sins and sent to Avery.

AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:24 pm

Graysmith says it was "Phil Sins" who sent multiple letters to RPD to get them to look at this possible link. In "Zodiac" he says there were anonymous letters sent to police with the only return address given as "General Delivery" in "an ever changing number of cities." (Zodiac, p. 162). And the letter writer himself says "As for myself, I wish to remain anonymous and I am sure you will understand why!" (Zodiac, p. 161). But in "Zodiac Unmasked" Graysmith states the letters were from "Phil Sins" (Zodiac Unmasked, p. 37). But given his expressed desire to remain anonymous it is not even clear if he ever represented his real name to be "Phil Sins" or if that was just a fake name he was using to remain anonymous.

Of course murder is a "sin", and "Phil Sins" sounds a little like "Fills In". It is an odd name.

There is a "Phillip Sins" who currently lives in 29 Palms, which is not that far from Riverside. So perhaps he wrote the letters – but there is no proof he wrote them.

Why didn’t Z just claim credit for Riverside? Why do I speculate that he may have used letters first signed "Anonymous", then "Phil Sins", to tip off police? Because he wanted police to look at Riverside and think "Ah, this is an early Z crime, where he slipped up, mentioned that he killed Bates because of the ‘brush offs over the years’, probably wrote a poem on a desktop, meaning it is likely Zodiac either knew Bates, at least casually, and/or was a student or local resident" What a brilliant misdirection, and as we both know, it basically worked. Later RPD would conclude that the Bates killer was local, and even SFPD and Cal DOJ, who thought the Bates killer was Zodiac, put effort into seeing if Zodiac was local or connected to Riverside.

IMO it could be the case that Zodiac made up the name "Phil Sins" or saw the name of the real person "Phillip Sins" and based it from that name. Or of course it could be from the real guy.

That is my theory anyway, based on what we know. "Phil Sins" played an important role in this case, it seems, and it would be nice if he came forward, if he were real. But he may not want publicity, could be a different Phil Sins who is dead, or, he never existed to write these letters. Maybe someone could write him a letter and ask him. It seems odd to me that if it was this real Phillips Sins who wrote the "Phil Sins" letter, he never came forward to take credit, not then, not when the movie came out, never. But maybe he just is very private and wants no credit or publicity. In which case, he may not respond to a letter now.

Seagull, Subject: Re: Phil Sins Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:32 pm

The trouble is, we don’t know what is true and what is not. The Phil Sins that I tracked and now lives in 29 Palms did move around a lot. I found various addresses for him in Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties during the ’60’s and into the ’70’s.

Somebody should try to do a personal interview with the guy or maybe his ex-wife who was still married to him back then.