For me, it’s because Zodiac did so much to get himself caught. Leaving survivors, showing his handwriting to the world, having sketches made of him, possibly linking himself back to Riverside….so many things to help catch him, yet, he remains at large. He was not an evil genius, he was sloppy, took chances, and just plain lucky. It’s knowing that there’s something out there someplace that may eventually nail him, that keeps me going. Then again, I do get burned out and have to take a few days off to recharge.

For me, it’s because Zodiac did so much to get himself caught. Leaving survivors, showing his handwriting to the world, having sketches made of him, possibly linking himself back to Riverside….so many things to help catch him, yet, he remains at large. He was not an evil genius, he was sloppy, took chances, and just plain lucky. It’s knowing that there’s something out there someplace that may eventually nail him, that keeps me going. Then again, I do get burned out and have to take a few days off to recharge.

"same as above" that saved a lot of one finger typing

I was a nurse at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, CA when, one afternoon, a nurse from another station barged into ours. She was crying hysterically: "The Zodiac killed Celia Shepard, and almost killed Brian Hartnell!" LLUMC is a Seventh-Day Adventist facility; and Shepard and Hartnell, members of that denomination. This was, understandably, a dramatic incident and affected me deeply.
In ’91, I purchased "The Yellow Book" at a used book store and was, since I lived only few miles from Riverside, particularly drawn to Cheri Bates’ murder. I drove to Riverside, saw her home; visited the RCC campus, where I ran across the Library photo of Cheri; did some researching at Ramona High’s library; prowled through microfiche at Riverside Library; and chatted with a Metro Editor at the Press-Enterprise, and suggested they do a special on Cheri, as the 25th anniversary of her murder was approaching. They were kind enough to take my suggestion, and published an extensive article, with lots of photos.
Unfortunately, I became obsessed with the Bates case, to the point that my wife seriously considered divorcing me. I therefore trashed all my files and, since, have had to rely on my memory. I’m older, and perhaps wiser, and have been able to keep my current interest in the Zodiac murders within reasonable bounds.

Unfortunately, I became obsessed with the Bates case, to the point that my wife seriously considered divorcing me. I therefore trashed all my files and, since, have had to rely on my memory. I’m older, and perhaps wiser, and have been able to keep my current interest in the Zodiac murders within reasonable bounds.

Isn’t is weird how common this is?

I am no longer allowed to print any more copies of the 340.

I honestly don’t know. And it’s pretty weird in many ways, because my interest in this case – which certainly borders on some kind of obsession at times – is quite untypical. Of me, I mean – it doesn’t really fit in. Not many people I know and interact with on a regular basis are aware of this interest – and most of them would probably be surprised if they knew about it.

It started somewhere around 2005, I think it was. Might have been an article somewhere about the upcoming Fincher movie, I don’t remember exactly what it was. But I did some preliminary research about the case and came across Voigt’s forum. I got fascinated with the interest others took in the case as much as with the case itself at first – and that’s where it ended too, back then. For several years I didn’t think about Z matters at all – but then, after someone started talking about the Fincher movie at a party, it sort of came back to me. And I began checking out the forums again.

And then I just got hooked at some point. Will it last? Who knows? I think the deeper you dig, the less likely it is that you’ll be able to just walk away. At least not while you remain hopeful, to some extent, of the case being solved. No harm in it, though – to me, it’s become a hobby of sorts, for lack of a better word. I try to keep it at that level – because getting too involved, too obsessive, with something like this…well, that’s no good unless you get paid for it, so to speak.

I think for me it stems from watching the case profiled on Unsolved Mysteries wheni was a kid. It was the first time I ever got the creeps. The Fincher movie helped reinvigorate it. There was a time when this case was interfering with my work and keeping me up nights. Fortunately I’ve moved on since then. The reason, I suspect, is that I lack the hope I once had that he would be identified in my lifetime. I still have a keen interest in the case, but healthier.

This case is very addictive. It’s hard for some people not associated with it, to understand. I think people would brand us all as weirdos, but I bet if you polled people on this site, you would find Bankers, Military people, Retirees, Moms, Dads, Teachers,Sales people, and an entire host of different people, NORMAL People.

Does this case draw some weird people too, some ‘out there’ people? Absolutely, without a Doubt. But all in all, I think most people attracted to this case just love a great mystery, like one of those great books you can’t put down,but with those books, they have a last page. This case doesn’t,at least not yet.

The best way for people to understand how this case sucks you in, is for them to watch Zodiac, and watch what happens to Graysmith by the end of the movie.

My long winded post in the introduction threads explains my interest.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=346&p=840#p840

My long winded post in the introduction threads explains my interest.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=346&p=840#p840

Deb,I forgot the intro you posted, and I meant to ask you long ago, did you ever figure out more about the Bodies on your proprty?

They were three of the SRHM victims and I’ve posted most of what I know about them.

They were three of the SRHM victims and I’ve posted most of what I know about them.

Wow, how creepy, and no wonder you got so into the case

I have OCD. Things NEED to make sense and be put in a ‘place’. When I heard of the unsolved Z cases…I just knew that I had to make it all make sense. There had to be a pattern that was identifiable…something that would just jump out at me that would make it all fit together. I started digging…and digging…and reading…and doing timelines…printing ciphers and reading books about the crimes and watching movies and documentaries…and then one day it happened….I was sucked in.

One day…I will find that one something that will make it all fit…..one day….lol!

This is a cool question. I know sometimes I’m on this site obsessively, and sometimes I’m mostly absent except to pop in every now and then for a couple minutes and see what new things people are bringing to the table. It’s hard to say exactly what interests me in this case. I think, to me, the idea that it definitely doesn’t seem like it should be unsolvable for any good reason makes it highly attractive. Like, why couldn’t they catch him? There’s evidence, a lot of it is bad, some of it is good, and others just don’t seem to fit at all. There are so many dimensions to this case, whether its the extreme ambiguities of what happened on the night of Paul Stine’s murder, to the taunting by Zodiac through the newspapers. First hand witnesses that don’t seem to match up with each others in many cases. Then there are all the Zynchronicities. Does this random splotch on his letter mean anything or did he drop his pen by accident. And the use of cyphers, especially those that have not been solved. So many mysteries, so many questions. Overall it’s just a really odd case. And I do honestly think that, whether it is someone on this site or not, that this case is still be solvable, otherwise, why else would be all be spending so much time here.