AK Wilks, Subject: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:51 pm
Glurk suggested applying a Caesar shift to the 340. Gee, what a novel idea! Wish I had thought of it.
This is from doranchak at ZKF:
It’s easy to test the Caesar shift idea. You could perform all 25 Caesar shifts on the 408, and since you know ZKDecrypto can solve the 408, it should also be able to solve all 25 of the Caesar-shifted 408’s. Once you accomplish this, then there’s a better chance ZKDecrypto will solve the 340 if it is Caesar-shifted.
To make it simpler, set up ZKDecrypto with a new parameter: Caesar shift number. Possible values: 1 through 25. Then, it only scores one possible Caesar shift at a time. Then, just run all 25 ZKDecryptos independently.
I would love to see this happen!
AK – I do think this is the key to a complete solve of the 340.
I know we have some people here, like doranchak, Auth, thebigz and others who know about this stuff.
If anyone wants to try this, I STRONGLY SUGGEST starting with the graphic below as a solution, and then doing your Caesar shifts from it.
The problem is I don’t think a straight +1 for all of the 340, then 2 for all 340, then try a +3 for all 340 will solve it.
You need to do things IMO: do a 0, then +1 through +25 for each line, but then stack the results, so that the +3 line is atop the +2 line, the +4 line is atop the +3, etc. Then you will be able to see the change in shifts. For example, you might see an "S" on the 0 line, then "ORRY" on the +3, then "BUT" on the +6.
The other thing is I think you will find the messages are either ALL on certain lines or mostly on certain lines. These would be -9, -6, -3, 0, +3, +6, +9. Might also be something on the -12 and +12. So I would strongly suggest doing a version that just has these Caesar shifted lines -12, -9, -6, -3, 0, +3, +6, +9, +12. My three years of research tells me that it is mostly or entirely on these lines that you will see coherent messages.
Remember there may be some vertical, backwards and diagonal messages that appear when you do this, but I think most will be normal left to right read.
If anyone has the time, energy, knowledge and creativity to do this, I think you will be rewarded with incredible results.
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Sat Jul 16, 2011 8:04 pm
I do think this is the correct FIRST STAGE solution to the 340.
Nobody – not Graysmith or anyone at the ZK board – ever noticed or found or claimed the words that I mark here. Like BOMBS and LIST appearing diagonally. Two key Zodiac words – what are the odds that happens by coincidence? Then there other words noticed by Kite and myself. Forms of restraints like BARS and LEASH.
I then think this first stage solution needs a Caesar Code analysis with the 0-3-6-9 (and maybe 12) + and – shift values that Zodiac kept giving us as clues.
I find it highly unlikely these words all appear by mere chance. They cannot be fabrications or forces by Graysmith because he never noticed them. So either all these happen by chance – doubtful – or they were placed there by Zodiac and this is a correct first stage solution.
If someone can modify the ZKDecrypto so it can apply a -12 to +12 Caesar Code shift on the 340, everything I have learned from 3 years of work on this tells me it will likely lead to a major breakthrough.
Jem, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:23 am
Quick question.
The pattern of symbol substitution in the Harden solution of the 408 is nearly perfectly cyclic. What I’d like to know is – how does the, uh… cyclicity of this 340 solution compare to the 408? Like, is it just about as cyclic, slightly less so, quite a bit less so, or what? Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer! A very brief answer is fine.
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:45 pm
Quick question.
The pattern of symbol substitution in the Harden solution of the 408 is nearly perfectly cyclic. What I’d like to know is – how does the, uh… cyclicity of this 340 solution compare to the 408? Like, is it just about as cyclic, slightly less so, quite a bit less so, or what? Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer! A very brief answer is fine.
Jem – Not sure what you mean by "cyclic"?
The 340 solution I posted fits perfectly and is a one for substitution. The 408 has some switches. For example, I think the trianle is both an "I" and an "S", so you switch, first time you see a triangle you sole it as an "I", next time as an "S" (or whatever the letters were).
The solution I posted has no switches. Every symbol translates to one letter, though some letters like "E" are represented by more than one symbol.
Best way to see this code is this:
http://oranchak.com/zodiac/webtoy/
At the site above is a fun and interesting little tool by Doranchak to help solve the Zodiac 340 Code.
You just type in a letter for a symbol, and it puts that translation throughout the code.
Take this solution and type it in.
Or even just type in the 8th line THESE FOOLSHALL SEE, the 4th line SEE A NAME and the start of the code on the 1st line that goes to 2nd HERC EANB I GIVE THEM HELL TOO.
Do that and watch the rest of the code fill in.
You will see the code solution fits, no cheats, and works. But that does not prove it is right.
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:53 pm
I will post here what I think is the probable first stage solution to the Zodiac 340 and a Caesar Shift matrix of -9, -6, -3, 0, +3, +6, +9.
THE FIRST TEN LINES.
I am leaving out my prior attempt at a second stage solution. Though I still think it is partially to mostly correct.
So this matrix is virgin, unmarked. No suggestivity!
Let us see if anyone comes up with something similar to what I did, or completely different. Maybe an ambitous person out there will want to take a look at this and see what can be found in the weeks or even months ahead.
What is tricky is that we are programmed from birth to read left to right. I now think Zodiac did a lot backwards here.
So looking at possible solutions in this matrix I offer these tips – however if you want zero suggestivity do not read them, and just approach it in whatever manner you think best:
1. Look for key words Zodiac used like SLAVES, BALL, GAME, KILL, COLLECTIONS, etc. You might want to write a list on paper and keep it visible while you work.
2. Look for generally relevant words, like PARK, JULIUS KAHN, CHERRY STREET, POLICE.
3. Look for all words and names.
4. Allow for some possibility that Zodiac may have used some moderate anagrams and word scrambles to increase difficulty. For example, if you see LAVESS, that could be an anagram for SLAVES.
5. Look for backwards words. I have reason to think there could be a significant amount of backwards writing in here. That is based on my prior work on the Unsolved 18 from the First Code and my take on another part of this code. For example, EMAG could be GAME.
6. The first line above the center is +3, the next is +6, etc. Look for numerical patterns like 3333 00 6666 99 33. In other words, sequences of repeats. This complicates it, but based on my past work Zodiac often considers numbers for their absolute value. In laymans terms, don’t pay too much attention to the positive or negative sign. I have reason to believe Zodiac would consider this a patterned sequence of repeats +3+3+3-3 00 -6-6+6+6.
7. Graysmith had "B" translated as a space, a filler, like a "-". To designate the end of a sentence or thought. I think it was sometimes that but switches to a "V".
8. There are no rules, all of my ideas may be wrong and any idea you have is worth a try!
Post any interesting results. One way is to color word finds.
———————————-
LINE 1
Q N A L N J W K R P R E N C Q N V
N K X I K G T H O M O B K Z N K S
K H U F H D Q E L J L Y H W K H P
H E R C E A N B I G I V E T H E M
E B O Z B X K Y F D F S B Q E B J
B Y L W Y U H V C A C P Y N B Y G
Y V I T V R E S Z X Z M V K Y V D
LINE 2
Q N U U C X X K C B J U C N B N Q
N K R R Z U U H Z Y G R Z K Y K N
K H O O W R R E W V D O W H V H K
H E L L T O O B T S A L T E S E H
E B I I Q L L Y Q P X I Q B P B E
B Y F F N I I V N M U F N Y M Y B
Y V C C K F F S K J R C K V J V Y
LINE 3
U B N – R U D N Q B C Q N X U Q B
R Y K – O R A K N Y Z N K U R N Y
O V H – L O X H K V W K H R O K V
L S E – I L U E H S T H E O L H S
I P B – F I R B E P Q E B L I E P
F M Y – C F O Y B M N B Y I F B M
C J V – Z C L V Y J K Y V F C Y J
LINE 4
B N N J W J V N K F N X U U A T N
Y K K G T G S K H C K U R R X Q K
V H H D Q D P H E Z H R O O U N H
S E E A N A M E B W E O L L R K E
P B B X K X J B Y T B L I I O H B
M Y Y U H U G Y V Q Y I F F L E Y
J V V R E R D V S N V F C C I B V
LINE 5
B N R U U U O V R C Y R U U B P J
Y K O R R R L S O Z V O R R Y M G
V H L O O O I P L W S L O O V J D
S E I L L L F M I T P I L L S G A
P B F I I I C J F Q M F I I P D X
M Y C F F F Z G C N J C F F M A U
J V Z C C C W D Z K G Z C C J X R
LINE 6
N V A W Y J X M N V J Q Y L N C C
K S X T V G U J K S G N V I K Z Z
H P U Q S D R G H P D K S F H W W
E M R N P A O D E M A H P C E T T
B J O K M X L A B J X E M Z B Q Q
Y G L H J U I X Y G U B J W Y N N
V D I E G R F U V D R Y G T V K K
LINE 7
X J U B C K W N D R B Q K U U N R
U G R Y Z H T K A O Y N H R R K O
R D O V W E Q H X L V K E O O H L
O A L S T B N E U I S H B L L E I
L X I P Q Y K B R F P E Y I I B F
I U F M N V H Y O C M B V F F Y C
F R C J K S E V L Z J Y S C C V Z
LINE 8
C Q N B N O X X U B Q J U U B N N
Z N K Y K L U U R Y N G R R Y K K
W K H V H I R R O V K D O O V H H
T H E S E F O O L S H A L L S E E
Q E B P B C L L I P E X I I P B B
N B Y M Y Z I I F M B U F F M Y Y
K Y V J V W F F C J Y R C C J V V
LINE 9
V C R U T U D A N Y U – B J J B T
S Z O R Q R A X K V R – Y G G Y Q
P W L O N O X U H S O – V D D V N
M T I L K L U R E T L ? S A A S K
J Q F I H I R O B M I – P X X P H
G N C F E F O L Y J F – M U U M E
D K Z C B C L I V G C – J R R J B
LINE 10
M U J D K U W B U X N J C Y U B M
J R G A H R T Y R U K G Z V R Y J
G O D X E O Q V O R H D W S O V G
D L A U B L N S L O E A T P L S D
A I X R Y I K P I L B X Q M I P A
X F U O V F H M F I Y U N J F M X
U C R L S C E J C F V R K G C J U
Jem, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:53 am
Thanks, AK. Here’s an example of cyclic substitution. Suppose you use the symbols ^, & and * to encrypt the letter E in the following sentence:
"See these seventeen sentences encoded here."
Then a cyclic substitution for E would look like this:
S^& th*s^ s&v*nt^&n s*nt^nc&s *ncod^d h&r* .
Here the substitution symbols ^, & and * occur in a repeating pattern, rather than a random pattern. So the Es are perfectly cyclic in this example. The letters in the 408 were substituted cyclically, more or less. I can check the 340 myself, might take awhile, just figured you or someone else might know.
Besides the things you’ve found, the things I see in the 340 are the word "blue" twice and also "blau" (german)
OOB
LUE
BU
LE
LAUB
Probably coincidence, though.
Also, BIG LEO – middle of first and last lines. Could mean "big cat" or, imo more likely a reference to law enforcement – FBI or SFPD, for example. I keep thinking this BIG LEO is significant, not sure how to interpret it, though.
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:41 pm
Yes, what you are calling a "cyclic substituion" most of just call a "switch". Though your term is actually more precise. And yes in the 408, the first Zodiac code, he uses switches, in a cyclic, or ordered pattern.
In the 1986 Graysmith/FBI file/THESE FOOLSHALL SEE solution presented above, there are NO switches. Every symbol translates into only one letter. I personally think the "B" may be not just a "-" as Graysmith has it, but a switch between a puncuation "-,., ?" and "V". I also think a few other symbols may have switches.
I do see a BIG on the first line and LEO on the last line. Also the LEO is preceded by an "S" and in the same vertical path are the 3 letters in LEO and an "S". Probably just coincidence, maybe not, not sure what it might mean though. It is interesting.
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Thu Aug 25, 2011 5:01 pm
http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/cryptogram-solver.php
Great site above for working on ciphers.
It can do a Caesar application, also you can make it a Gronsfeld type Caesar by applying shifts of, say, 0-3-6-9, or 669666633, or whatever you fancy.
To get an idea how it works do a Gronsfeld with number code key for ASK DLA of 000333.
Nin, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:38 pm
http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/cryptogram-solver.php
Great site above for working on ciphers.
It can do a Caesar application, also you can make it a Gronsfeld type Caesar by applying shifts of, say, 0-3-6-9, or 669666633, or whatever you fancy.
To get an idea how it works do a Gronsfeld with number code key for ASK DLA of 000333.
And what you do is open up multiple windows with the same URL. That way you can keep the code and just add different combinations of ciphertext or the other way around. Pretty good site, yes.
-Nin
Nin, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:40 pm
http://rumkin.com/tools/cipher/cryptogram-solver.php
Great site above for working on ciphers.
It can do a Caesar application, also you can make it a Gronsfeld type Caesar by applying shifts of, say, 0-3-6-9, or 669666633, or whatever you fancy.
To get an idea how it works do a Gronsfeld with number code key for ASK DLA of 000333.
Who’s AIX?
:clown:
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Thu Aug 25, 2011 9:02 pm
do both an encrypt and a decrypt for askdla.
Nin, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:41 pm
do both an encrypt and a decrypt for askdla.
Amen.
– :albino:
AK Wilks, Subject: Re: Applying a Caesar Shift to the Zodiac 340 Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:27 pm
WRENCH –
I saw your work at ZKF. As I understand it, you are finding some evidence to suggest the 340 COULD have a vertical message?
You mentioned my "crossword puzzle" solution as well, thanks! Actually that is the 1986 Graysmith solution as thought to be in its raw state, before he messed it up with wild anagramming and silly forced word solves. I think credit for the clean up back to raw state goes to BULLITT, Ed O’Niel, though he may not want it, as I don’t think he feels there is much valid in it. I think Obiwan, Kite and others at the old ZK board helped. But I generally call it the "1986 Graysmith Raw Solution". Kite and myself found many of the circled words.
Anyway, maybe you can do a post in the general cipher section here on possible vertical messages in the 340, because your finding comports with my finding.
Based on these results regarding the 340 3rd line I can say I have a HIGH DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE that lines 1 to 8 of the Graysmith 340 solution are likely all correct or at least likely partially correct. What is interesting is that lines 1 through 8 show meaningful words and phrases DIAGONALLY like LIST and BOMBS but mostly HORIZONTIALLY, like I GIVE THEM HELL TOO, SEE A NAME, THESE FOOLSHALL SEE and horizontal backwards like HE SET BLAST, GAME.
But lines 10 through 20 show more meaningful words VERTICALLY, like DUEL SIR, BARS LEASH, TAKE LOSE.
Could it be the seemimg gibberish between the meaningful vertical words would make sense if subjected to a Caesar 0-3-6-9 (and maybe 12) analysis?
MODERATOR
Did any more ever come of this? I can see words in some of the lines as well….such as "stalls" in the second to last line horizontally and "slash" backwards horizontally on the third to last line and 8 from the bottom, 7 from the left the last name "Lass" is spelled vertically.
IMHO, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by performing a word search on a questionable (at best) "solution."
Ciphers are not my forte, and I find the use of them juvenile in this case. However, if not the solution above, then what solution?
There are no others, in spite of elaborate computer programs. I find the messages that bleed out of the above solution extremely
disturbing, right down to calling people out by name. I wonder how it made Herb Caen feel, and Toschi and Lunblad.
Just because there are "no others" does not make the one above any more correct.
Edit: I was being a bit facetious; as glurk states, there are many other (likely wrong) attempts out there.
LOL. "No Others?" There are way too many others. From doranchak’s wiki page:
http://zodiackillerciphers.com/wiki/ind … n_attempts
I don’t even think that is an exhaustive list. However many there are, there are way too many. And they can’t all be correct.
If someone were to ask me for "my solution" to the 340, I’d happily tell them that I don’t have one. It’s one of the world’s most famous unsolved ciphers.
Better to be honest about it than to add more bulls**t to the case.
-glurk
——————————–
I don’t believe in monsters.
It is technically considered unsolved.
The 340 cipher is unsolved. The one thing all of those solutions that doranchak has compiled have in common is a proponent who lacks the objectivity to see why their own solutions don’t work.
I agree with up2something that trying to manipulate even the best effort into forcing it to work is not a great method for success. If we consider Graysmith’s effort to be the best (and it actually might be, IMO), the longest coherent portion of the solution is "I GIVE THEM HELL TOO". It works great for 16 out of the 340 symbols and yields almost total gibberish for the rest without selective anagramming, rearranging letters, leaving out unwanted letters etc. etc.
I’ve used the analogy of playing multiple draw poker where you throw back the cards that don’t give you a royal flush and keep picking cards until you get what you’re looking for. Graysmith’s solution might be a pair of deuces at best and the amount of manipulation required to make it work as a solution just makes it pretty pointless, IMO. No offense to AK for trying the approach…
And maybe that was all it took for Zodiac to continue to mess with us, using anagrams in the final analysis.
Herb Caen may be a clue. Caen’s column used to be on the front page of the entertainment section of the Chronicle.
Right near by would always be the word game Jumble. Jumble was a game of anagrams.
And maybe that was all it took for Zodiac to continue to mess with us, using anagrams in the final analysis.
Herb Caen may be a clue. Caen’s column used to be on the front page of the entertainment section of the Chronicle.
Right near by would always be the word game Jumble. Jumble was a game of anagrams.
Maybe, OWK, and I really don’t want to hijack this thread from AK by turning it into a debate about the method. I’m just suggesting a genuine solution has to have some consistent method or else it becomes very random and open to intentional or unintentional manipulation. The one hallmark of all of the other claimed solutions is that they generally employ multiple methods randomly. If one method doesn’t produce something coherent for part of the cipher, another one is chosen until something coherent pops out. Sure, Herb Caen may be a clue (although we don’t even know for sure that Z ever mentioned him) but that doesn’t make Graysmith’s solution any more correct because he built his solution around this.
The Hardens made an educated guess that Z would talk about KILLING in the 408 cipher. Because the guess happened to be correct, it made the rest of their solution work and the basic correctness of their solution is obvious to everyone. I’m not opposed to trying multiple encryption methods like AK does here but we’re taking a questionable solution attempt that includes anagramming, using Caesar shifting and using a word search technique in different directions. To me, that borders on selective manipulation and still really doesn’t create an actual SOLUTION to the 340 cipher. Just my opinion…
Out of respect for AK, I think I’ll start a thread to discuss the pros and cons of the Graysmith solution and some of the other ones compiled by doranchak if there isn’t one already. It’s a good discussion but shouldn’t interfere with AK’s hypothesis here.
Entropy, thanks, I don’t mind if others branch off into other areas here, as long as we stay on the general topic. I mean, lets not get into chocolate chip cookie recipes or the pros and cons of Obamacare, but aside from that, its good.
The thing is I don’t consider the Graysmith solution correct. But before he forces word solves and gets into wide anagrams, I think he probably arrived at a partially correct solution. A solution that when you apply Caesar shifts to the nine letters before SEE A NAME and around THEO just by chance create KAC ZYN SKI. Which would happen by chance less than 1% of the time.
And 95% of what I point out as words and phrases are NOT anagrams.
But it is seemingly a lost cause. I have not been able to get many others interested in this and I am not really trying anymore.
What I keep saying is FORGET GRAYSMITH. START FROM SCRATCH AND YOU WILL STILL GET SEE A NAME, THOSE FOOLSHALL SEE and + as L.
The study by QuickTrader largely confirms what Graysmith, Kite and I have long said, that the + is very likely an L.
And as Doranchak noted at http://www.zodiackillerciphers.com , a recent study by code expert Professor Knight at USC showed that unlike the 408 which shows a strong tendency towards traditional left to right bigrams, the 340 shows no particular bias, in fact there are more bigrams in a north east diagonal read.
This could mean encoded words appear left to right, diagonally and vertically.
In the Graysmith-Kite-Wilks proposed solution to the 340 there are words that appear in a northeast diagonal read, like LIST and BOMBS, and vertically, like DUEL, BARS, LEASH. Highly unlikely all those happen by chance.
MODERATOR
"By vasa croe » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:35 am
Did any more ever come of this? I can see words in some of the lines as well….such as "stalls" in the second to last line horizontally and "slash" backwards horizontally on the third to last line and 8 from the bottom, 7 from the left the last name "Lass" is spelled vertically."
AK WILKS: I have to think the LASS is probably just coincidence or if intended just means "young girl". Without "DONNA" or "NURSE" the appearance of any four letter word, in and of itself, is likely coincidence. Yes there is a SLASH, in fact on the 18th line backwards it reads SO I SLASH (HELL). Could be coincidence as well, but slightly more compelling. There is also a second line backwards HE SET LASTB. Most compelling of all IMO are LIST BOMBS appearing together.
So where did this generally maligned solution come from?
We know that in 1978 and 1986 Robert Graysmith was focused on Arthur Leigh (Lee) Allen as a suspect. Yet in RG’s proposed solution none of those names appear. He appears to have made an honest effort to solve the code, and yes he is an amateur, but so were Don and Bettye Harden. I doubt there was a person anywhere, in the FBI, police, academia or elsewhere, who spent more time and effort in the 1976 to 1986 time period, when the case was mostly forgotten outside of SF, trying to solve the 340.
What is amazing is that many of the words he came up with do apply to a POI, but it was not his POI, it is mine. Only mine was unknown in 1978 and 1986. Keep in mind that nobody knew who Ted Kaczynski was back then. And keep in mind that Ted only signed his letters with three names other than his own: FC, Apias Tuberosa and HERCULES. So do we just say it is pure coincidence that in his first solution of the 340 that RG sent to the FBI in 1978, he has the words HERC, I GIVE THEM HELL TOOO TED, THEO SEE A NAME, and SOME MAIL KT. If a detective thought the solution might be accurate even partially, he might speculate that he should keep an eye open for any serial killers and/or bombers named Ted or Theodore, with the initials K.T. or T.K. who might have used a nickname including the letters HERC.
I largely agree (now) with Glurk, Aquiman and Doranchak that wide extreme or even moderate anagrams simply create far too many possible solutions and set you off on an impossible task. I think Zodiac likely would not have used them. But other than a very few tight mild one or two edit decision instances like LASTB as an anagram for BLAST, I do NOT suggest the use of anagrams in the Raw Graysmith.
But the other element is that I think Zodiac may have used a word puzzle theme in the 340, as the "concerned citizen" (who may have been Zodiac) seemed to hint at. [A later serial killer, BTK, did send in a word puzzle]. This would include the use of not just horizontal words and phrases, but vertical, diagonal and backwards. The study by Prof. Knight seems to suggest this is possible as well. Ted Kaczynski used vertical and diagonal elements in his codes, to increase difficulty of solution. Some words here appear backwards, vertically or diagonally, correct spelling NO ANAGRAMS, which could be coincidence or a part of larger message which need other steps:
Horizontal:
HERCEAN B IGIVE THEM HELL TOO
THEO SEE A NAME
THESE FOOLSHALL SEE
BALL
STALLS
Diagonal:
LIST BOMBS
Vertical:
DUEL SIR BARS LEASH LOSE TAKE SEAT TIES
Backwards:
GAME
HE SET LAST(B)
SO I SLASH
The study by QuickTrader (and partially backed up by additional research by AK, Glurk and Doranchak) IMO largely confirms what Graysmith, Kite and I have long said, that the + is very likely an L.
Once you solve the + as L, and the 9 as E, and/or a few others, and go from there into the most logical possible word solves, you end up with something very much like the Raw Graysmith. Yes, as Doranchak one pointed out, you could solve the 4th line _EE___A__ as GREEK NAVY or a few others. But isn’t SEE A NAME more likely as coming from Zodiac, given the MY NAME IS code that he sent later, other teasing references to his name and the 8th line solve of THESE FOOLSHALL SEE?
And as Doranchak noted at http://www.zodiackillerciphers.com , a recent study by code expert Professor Knight at USC showed that unlike the 408 which shows a strong tendency towards traditional left to right bigrams, the 340 shows no particular bias, in fact there are more bigrams in a north east diagonal read.
This could mean encoded words appear left to right, diagonally and vertically, as does happen in the Raw Graysmith as determined by Ed/Kite/Wilks. Yes there are many, many solutions, and you can say almost anything in the first 5 lines, as I showed in my "Internet Solution/Time Traveler" post,see viewtopic.php?f=81&t=1343 , but IMO no other proposed solution has anywhere near the vertical, diagonal and backwards words as the Raw Graysmith, and none of these were "placed" there by Graysmith, as he never noted them and to this day I dont think he even knows they exist. Either they happen by chance, or the code maker created them.
No other 340 attempt I have seen has results anything like this. It is consistent, logical and follows basic "ETA" letter frequency code solve and word solve principles. Kite told me he started from scratch and essentially came up with the same basic first stage solution Graysmith did. So forget whatever you think about Graysmith, look at the code, it works!
Unazod poster Zander Kite found the letters to angram FIND running right alongside BOMBS. And Zodiac would talk about hiding BOMBS, so that is BOMBS to FIND.
So FIND could apply to BOMBS, as in the hidden bombs. Or, it could apply to the SEE A NAME question, in the sense of FIND THEO. And the FIND leads right to THEO, and right after that is SEE A NAME. All a coincidence? Perhaps, but highly unlikely.
Also, looking at that possible FIND line, it continues as KURT, also could be an anagram for TURK (the name of Ted’s dad).
Also, see on the 6th line, in the middle, EMAG, straight backwards that is a key Zodiac word, GAME.
Of course we have the incredible number of restraints – BARS LEASH STALLS TIES BALL – and verbs that can apply to restraints – TAKE LOSE.
The "Confession" letter in the Bates case also talked about having a "BALL."
And there is an anagram for MATH.
The most incredible of all, IMO, is the stunning and connected DUEL LIST BOMBS THEO SEE A NAME, plus going backwards from the "B" in BOMBS a tight anagram for BLAST. Zodiac talked about a "little LIST" and he talked about "BOMBS" AND "BLAST", and here we have LIST going into BOMBS with a BLAST. With THEO, then SEE A NAME.
The we have I GIVE THEM HELL TOO, THEO, then SEE A NAME, then THESE FOOLSHALL SEE. All relevant messages, coherent, no anagrams, consistent themes of seeing hidden things. But it is only a partial message, at best. It does not form a whole consistent message.
THE KEY SEQUENCE:
A close up on a series of amazing word finds in the 340 solution.
L….S….E….*….I….L….U…..E….H….S….T…..H….E….O….L….H….S
S….E….E….A….N..A…M….E….B….W….E…..O….L….L….R….K….E
S….E….I….L…..L….L….F….M….I…..A…..P…..I….L….L….S….G….A
E….M….R….N….P….A….O….D….E…M….A….G….P….C….E….T….T
O….A….L….S….T….B….N….E….U…*…..S…..H….B….L….L….E….I
………………S
…………I
……L
So we have "LIST" leading to the "T" in "A L S T B", a probable tight anagram for "BLAST" (a word Zodiac used, something like ‘when I have my BLAST’), with the "B" then forming a diagonal "BOMBS". Which leads us to "THEO", then "SEE A NAME". We also have a vertical SEAT, a place a student can be confined to, thus a type of restraint. Following SEAT is TIES. We also have a perfect backwards "GAME". On the 18th line we have a backward SO I SLASH.
The words BLAST, BOMBS, LIST and GAME are absolutely key words that Zodiac used repeatedly.
It is highly unlikely that they would all appear by chance. They serve as validation that this is probably a partially correct solution.
Robert Graysmith then used moderate and extreme anagrams and tried to force a weak baby talk incoherent solution out of some parts of the solution that were not as clear, because he did not realize that those parts require a seperate second stage analysis using a Caesar Code method with letter shifts of 0, 3, 6 and 9. And/or other unknown steps.
My frustration is that I think people have prejudged opinions about Graysmith and won’t take a serious examination of this proposed partial solution, even though it is by far the best attempt to date. But Graysmith does NOT try to force LEE or ALLEN into this solution. In fact THEO appears right before SEE A NAME. In the first attempt to solve this cipher, Graysmith sent to the FBI a solution in 1978 that had I GIVE THEM HELL TOOO TED, THEO SEE A NAME and SOME MAIL KT. And both start with HERC, interesting given that Ted used HERCULES as an alias.
Using a 0-3-6-9 Caesar shift the nine letters before SEE A NAME and around THEO can read CAK NYZ IKS for KACZYNSKI.
We have all seen many, many "solutions" where ,gee whiz, the "solver" happens to find the name of their favorite suspect. Graysmith solved it finding the name of a suspect he did not favor, indeed who was not even known to the world yet.
My thought remains that there is a good starting point here, as seen below, that remains to be explored. Below is a proposed partial solution using only the parts of the Raw Graysmith/Kite/Wilks/Ed I feel are most likely correct.
MODERATOR
