So he deviates

Wow! That should be the first red flag that somethings wrong. Why does he deviate? What reasons can anyone give for why "he" deviated. Whatever list that can be compiled would not be all inclusive. Sure, you might could do a little Occam’s Razor and say that the simplest explanation is usually the best but that doesn’t mean it is, always correct. What if it is incorrect? Only asking Joe. Would like to hear your thoughts.

Soze

Z is constantly deviating in his MO. From changing guns, to changing weapons, adding a costume, going to different locations, etc. Even though the first two known attacks mirror each other almost verbatim, there are few common denominators to all the attacks. Cars being the glaring one.

Even with the deviations there still are some basic similarities. He always attacks in relatively isolated/quiet places from where he can presumably make a clean getaway. He never leaves his "victoms" much chance. He takes measures not to be seen/not leave any witnesses (to what extent and how successfully is another matter, but he does take these measures). All this points to someone fairly cautious and at the very least not positively reckless.

The way in which he kills may also be described as similar throughout the series. It’s business like, one could say. Even at LB he completes his stabbing quickly and leaves right away. He doesn’t torture his victims, doesn’t mutilate the bodies, nothing of the sort. This points to someone who didn’t take pleasure in the act of killing as such – but who got his kicks from something else, associated with the killing: thrill of the hunt? Possibly. Notoriety gained from taking credit for the murders? Almost definitely.

I personally think Z found inspiration (directly or indirectly) for his murders in various sources – pulp fiction, movies, comic books. He may have acted out scenarios that he had formed in his head, based on stories he had read or movies he had seen. This would explain the different methods. I’ve seen several comments suggesting that Z seems uncomfortable at LB, as though the whole stabbing thing is something he wants to get over and done with as soon as possible once the victims are tied up properly. This makes some sense to me. If he was acting out a scenario here – complete with a costume designed for the occasion – he may have discovered that the method of stabbing was very different from shooting someone; more "intimate" and thus much harder to do for someone who didn’t actually enjoy the "material " side of killing people.

Finally, his choice of victims is hard to say anything definite about. The fact that he initially targeted couples may be highly significant – or not. Location may have been as important to him as type. He hit lovers’ lanes and similar locations – the type of victim likely to be there would be couples, not solitary men or women. Stine could be explained – simply – as a kill he went for to prove that he wasn’t incapable or unwilling to kill men, as had been suggested in the press.

It could be a bit of everything, for all we know. He may have resented couples – and what they stood for – on one (perhaps even subconscious) level, whilst preferring lovers’ lanes on a more pragmatic level.

Got to say that Z’s primary goal was to kill. No torturing or distance killings, rather – all – at close range.

From a neutral pov I’d say he had known all of his victims.

QT

Got to say that Z’s primary goal was to kill. No torturing or distance killings, rather – all – at close range.

From a neutral pov I’d say he had known all of his victims.

QT

Got to disagree.
Z’s main motivation was seeing his writing in print.

I agree with what Norse said. His ambush method is constant throughout and very telling about him. He likes to take huge risks —- stabbing in daylight, sticking around his crime scene on a populated street —- but he needs to be in absolute control of the killing situation.

Z is constantly deviating in his MO. From changing guns, to changing weapons, adding a costume, going to different locations, etc. Even though the first two known attacks mirror each other almost verbatim, there are few common denominators to all the attacks. Cars being the glaring one.

The Zodiacs deviation in weapon used as well as his use of a costume in the first three attacks is an understandable M.O. He ‘s doing what it takes to complete the crime, escape and avoid capture. Nothing the Zodiac did with regards to Paul Stine fits anything the Zodiac did in the three prior cases. He has lost his mind here. He literally put himself in so much jeopardy of being caught and, for what, to kill 1/2 of a couple? To kill someone in a car in a public place? Doesn’t make sense Joe.

What drove this killer to risk everything on the night of Paul Stine’s death? The shirt piece. Its that shirt piece that allowed the three children to catch a glimpse. Its that shirt piece that allows the Zodiac and the two cops to meet up. Had the Zodiac left the shirt piece alone he could have been long gone but he didn’t and that goes to show the unraveling of a signature. Signature is the dream/illusion that motivates him. Signature is why he killed Betty, David, Darleen, Cecilia and Paul. The shirt piece aided him in his quest at a time when, killing, was no longer necessary.

You talk about common denominators. The one common denominator throughout his spree has been his communication. Its always been there, including the Berryessa attack, just in different forms.

Soze

Nacht,

You may have this information but in case you dont and,for those who do not know of the place, I offer the following:

Lover’s Lane is a historical site and a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It’s been around, since at least 1776, affording a trail between the Presidio and that of the Franciscan missionaries in the mission district. In the mid to late 1800’s it was a route used by off duty soldiers enroute to meet their sweethearts in the mission district, hence the name, lover ‘s lane.

Presently and, at the time of the Zodiac, it runs from the intersection of Presidio blvd and Pacific Ave (approximately 3.5 blocks east of where the Zodiac could have/would have entered the park) northwest to Presidio Blvd and Funston Ave within the Presidio.

The historical marker is at the corner of MacArthur Avenue near Sunset Street.

Anyway, when I think of the Zodiac being in the park, which is not very often these days, I think of him hiding out along this trail. Seems like something he would do.

Soze

I don’t think there was any hood.

So he deviates

Wow! That should be the first red flag that somethings wrong. Why does he deviate? What reasons can anyone give for why "he" deviated. Whatever list that can be compiled would not be all inclusive. Sure, you might could do a little Occam’s Razor and say that the simplest explanation is usually the best but that doesn’t mean it is, always correct. What if it is incorrect? Only asking Joe. Would like to hear your thoughts.

Soze

This is obviously, like most events/situations etc. in this world, an answer consisting of multiple factors of varying degrees of significance. I’ve got one simple one I don’t recall seeing mentioned. The deviation may have partly been induced by a drying up of lovers lane activities in the Bay Area at this time. He had pretty successfully terrorized the area by this time so there may not have been a whole lot of couples parked alone in secluded areas to choose from. That, coupled with what appears to be a growing need/urge for the thrill he’s getting out of this "game" he’s made out of killing and taunting are probably sizable factors in the deviation IMO.

I’ve touched on this subject before, but I think it warrants it’s own thread. The way I see it, Z was either motivated by the publicity, the terrorizing of society, or by an extreme hatred of LE and media, or because he was psychotic, and believed he was collecting slaves, or for some unknown purpose, in which case the letters were all one big diversion, and possibly some of the murders were diversions too. I don’t doubt that much of what Z said in those letters was merely to divert attention.

Its difficult to establish motive in this case, and in my opinion there were several motives.

Though you left out some potential motives: I think zodiac was romantically interested in and likely knew his female victims to some degree. If you consider the bates homicide to be a zodiac crime it seems pretty clear that she had rejected him and that he took it very personally.

BUT ONLY ONE THING WAS ON MY MIND. MAKING HER PAY FOR THE BRUSH OFFS THAT SHE HAD GIVEN ME DURING THE YEARS PRIOR

in the blue rock springs case, if listen to the male victim mike, this might have also been a motivating factor in that case.

t around 24m:45s into the this is the zodiac speaking film we have Mike speaking about what Darlene had told him, he says:

"She told me, uhm, a friend of hers and not to worry about it, he is just jealous, that’s all she said about him, he is just jealous, she never mentions his name…she said something about RICHARD, something about his name was RICHARD, [mumbling]…named RICHARD, and I think that was his name, she referred to him as RICHARD, [places arms behind his head] the zodiac killer, the guy… she said he had a very mean temper and that if he ever found out he would kill her, he would kill her, this she mentioned those were her words, he would kill me if he ever I knew I was talking to you about that…she told me that. [Arms still behind head]