Just a minor observation. The "one down, two over" pattern could be thought of as a variation on a "knight’s tour". Chess was relatively popular around that time.

Maybe an oblique clue to Zodiac’s identity might be an interest in chess.

Actually, damn:

"I am the ZODIAC and I am in control of all things. I am going to tell you a secret. I like friction tape. I like to have it around in case I need to truss someone up in a hurry….I have my real name on a small metallic tape. You see, while you have it in your possession, I want you to know it belongs to me and you think I may have left it accidentally. I am athletic. It could be swim fins, or a piece of scuba gear. But maybe you play chess with me. I have several cheap sets in closets all over. I have my name on the bottom of the lid with the scotch tape….My tape is waiting for me all over California. Do you know me? I am the ZODIAC and I am in control".

Knight’s tour, with the "name on the bottom of the lid with the scotch tape" – seems to suggest the pattern for decryption, with the "one over, two down" pattern, and the strip at the bottom.

Zodiac was living in Los Angeles in July 1978, if the chess letter was indeed him.

really don’t understand how some people feel septic with the Z340 decoding by boys.
I who do not know English understood the solution PERFECTLY.
There is symmetry and logic.
There may be some corrections in the future of this or that part, but it IS the solution
In fact, I believe that skepticism stems from the desire that a name or similar thing appears at the end, and that is not the merit, the merit is the work on a code seen for many years and without solution.
In addition, the authors, who have a name and reputation to watch over, are not adventurous.

I read nonsense in some places, not necessarily here

Marcelo

If anyone could show a source for the "friction tape letter" OTHER than Graysmith, that would be great. All we know is what he wrote in a book about a scuba diving enthusiast.

If anyone could show a source for the "friction tape letter" OTHER than Graysmith, that would be great. All we know is what he wrote in a book about a scuba diving enthusiast.

Ah, thanks for that. It’s not been ruled out that Graysmith fabricated the existence of that letter?

Reference the solution, if we assume that the standout words
"life is" that are located at the end of the first line in the
second section, are meant to be matched up with the word
"death" that is located at the end of the last line in the third
section, and we treat the resultant phrase ‘life is death‘ as a
separate rider to the main text, then the main text is more
grammatically correct and understandable.

I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW life is
LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE death

To my untrained eye, this seems like a complex code. Does this indicate Zodiac was much more proficient at code making than the 408 seemed to indicate? This one seems far more sophisticated.

I am a little skeptical of this solution. The complexity and the rules are much more liberal for this solution than the 408. The solution is only as good as rules applied. Ted K. developed a diagonal code but the solution was much more clean. The solution would never have been decoded without the key found in his cabin.

This is what I ask Doranchak….

Hi Dave,

Good work with the of the bulk power of modern computer software power and human intervention.

My question is how could the FBI confirm the solution so quickly when your solution takes several leap
Of faiths, much more than one can with the 408 solution.

Another thing. Can such massive brute force computer power we have today along with your powerful AZD
Computer program create….. a false positive solution?

Creating a (false positive) solution for the 408 would be much more difficult because of its simplicity as you
have tried in the past.

Because the validity of the solution is self evident. I don’t say that lightly, not much in life is self evident, and I understand acutely the importance of frugality, but this is a rare occasion where the results are far beyond reasonable doubt. Consider the contents, it makes reference to a specific exchange on the Jim Dunbar show. The minute specificity of these details could only be reached either by formulating them first and trying to force them out of the code, or because it is the valid solution. We share a universe with fractal geometry and quantum superposition, some pretty amazing things do seem to happen without intervention, but this is not one of them. The cosmos is not spewing forth references to the Jim Dunbar show. Believing that a reference to the Jim Dunbar show could appear randomly, at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localised entirely in David Oranchak’s office, is like believing in magic.

Because the validity of the solution is self evident. I don’t say that lightly, not much in life is self evident, and I understand acutely the importance of frugality, but this is a rare occasion where the results are far beyond reasonable doubt. Consider the contents, it makes reference to a specific exchange on the Jim Dunbar show. The minute specificity of these details could only be reached either by formulating them first and trying to force them out of the code, or because it is the valid solution. We share a universe with fractal geometry and quantum superposition, some pretty amazing things do seem to happen without intervention, but this is not one of them. The cosmos is not spewing forth references to the Jim Dunbar show. Believing that a reference to the Jim Dunbar show could appear randomly, at this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localised entirely in David Oranchak’s office, is like believing in magic.

Very good point. And I would add, the entire solve is a consistent message; the logic and sentences flow naturally together. Previous "solutions" were random, disjointed phrases or sentence fragments that really didn’t say anything. With this solve, Z is giving his motive and in saying he now has enough slaves (he’s now killed enough people) it reads like a retirement speech. We’ve wondered why Z stopped – he’s telling us why.

This is clearly, undoubtedly, an accurate solve of the 340. And the solution isn’t just gibberish.

Here is my take on how the order of words in the last sentences in the solution will make best sense, highlighted in red:

I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID
I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IN PARADICE
WILL BE AN EASY ONE
BECAUSE DEATH IS LIFE

Here is the original solution from the latest episode of “Let’s Crack Zodiac”, the same words in the last sentences in this solution is highlighted in blue :

"I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASN’T ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS
LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH"

I really like how you came up with “death is life” as how it ends….I also thought perhaps that since the last word is “death” and it doesn’t seem grammatically correct so what if it’s just simply his “signature” like signed-Death, so in fact there would be a coma, like “easy one in paradice. -Death” I do find your thought on how the wording works at the end as elegant. I’m also super excited that it’s finally been solved!!!

Here is my take on how the order of words in the last sentences in the solution will make best sense, highlighted in red:

I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID
I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IN PARADICE
WILL BE AN EASY ONE
BECAUSE DEATH IS LIFE

Here is the original solution from the latest episode of “Let’s Crack Zodiac”, the same words in the last sentences in this solution is highlighted in blue :

"I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASN’T ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS
LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH"

Here are my thought on why I think Zodiac’s 340 text probably is a "Red Herring":

August 8th, 1969:
On the night of August 8–9, 1969 four members of the Manson Family invaded the rented home of actress Sharon Tate and film director Roman Polanski at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles. They murdered Tate, who was 8½ months pregnant, along with three friends and an 18-year-old visitor who was slain as he was leaving the home.

October 11, 1969:
Zodiac kill Paul Stine in SF and is seen by child witnesses AND police witnesses.
A sketch and a description of the Zodiac is published to the public.
Zodiac get scared and on Nov 8, 1969 the 3 moth anniversery of the Charles Manson murders
Zodiac send the 340 cipher.

November 8th, 1969:
Exact 3 months after the Charles Mansom murders Zodiac sent the 340 cipher
Because Zodiac got scared at the Paul Stine murder Oct. 11th, 1969.
So he make a cipher text that shall, when solved, make people think he is in some way
connected to the Charles Manson group, which he absolutely is not.
Zodiac’s intention is to try to throw off the police.
The cipher text is a "Red Herring"

Here is a Charles Manson quote from Nov 1970 compare it to the last lines in the now solved 340 cipher:
If the judge says death,
I am dead.
I’v always been dead
Death is life.

Charles Manson ’70

Here is my take on how the order of words in the last sentences in the solution will make best sense, highlighted in red:

I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID
I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IN PARADICE
WILL BE AN EASY ONE
BECAUSE DEATH IS LIFE

Here is the original solution from the latest episode of “Let’s Crack Zodiac”,
the same words in the last sentences in this solution is highlighted in blue :

"I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASN’T ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS
LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH"

Now…some will think; Then Zodiac probably WAS connected to the Charles Manson group.
But I would say no…since it seems like that the 340 in fact is a pretty complicated cipher construction
and those who solved it therefore believe that Zodiac probably had pretty good cipher / math skills
I don’t believe a Charles Manson member would be a person with the kind of skills.

The message suggests at least mildly that Zodiac expected the 340 to be solved within a few weeks or months. He likely did not have a good handle on how easy or complex to solve this particular cipher was. I suspect he was surprised by how quickly the 408 was solved and decided to ramp things up for the 340, but had no clue that it would take 50 years rather than 50 days.

The message suggests at least mildly that Zodiac expected the 340 to be solved within a few weeks or months. He likely did not have a good handle on how easy or complex to solve this particular cipher was. I suspect he was surprised by how quickly the 408 was solved and decided to ramp things up for the 340, but had no clue that it would take 50 years rather than 50 days.

That’s a good point and i agree. I wonder why he didn’t offer a few more clues in some way? Unless they were buried in his other letters somewhere. I guess after a year or two it didn’t matter anymore. It’s not like he had something to really say in the cipher. Like Dave says in the crack zodiac video "just more attention grabbing junk from zodiac". Speaking of which his "let’s crack zodiac pt. 5" video is closing in on 250k views today. Good for those guys! I’ve watched it about 20 times myself. Can’t believe they cracked the z340 – just wow!

The message suggests at least mildly that Zodiac expected the 340 to be solved within a few weeks or months. He likely did not have a good handle on how easy or complex to solve this particular cipher was. I suspect he was surprised by how quickly the 408 was solved and decided to ramp things up for the 340, but had no clue that it would take 50 years rather than 50 days.

That’s a good point and i agree. I wonder why he didn’t offer a few more clues in some way? Unless they were buried in his other letters somewhere. I guess after a year or two it didn’t matter anymore. It’s not like he had something to really say in the cipher. Like Dave says in the crack zodiac video "just more attention grabbing junk from zodiac". Speaking of which his "let’s crack zodiac pt. 5" video is closing in on 250k views today. Good for those guys! I’ve watched it about 20 times myself. Can’t believe they cracked the z340 – just wow!

The card Halloween card with Paradice and Slaves pretty much revealed the content.

And the "Sorry no cypher" x2 crisscrossed inside the envelope is in a diagonal pattern.

Not coming up with anything for 19 off the top of my head.

The message suggests at least mildly that Zodiac expected the 340 to be solved within a few weeks or months. He likely did not have a good handle on how easy or complex to solve this particular cipher was. I suspect he was surprised by how quickly the 408 was solved and decided to ramp things up for the 340, but had no clue that it would take 50 years rather than 50 days.

That’s a good point and i agree. I wonder why he didn’t offer a few more clues in some way? Unless they were buried in his other letters somewhere. I guess after a year or two it didn’t matter anymore. It’s not like he had something to really say in the cipher. Like Dave says in the crack zodiac video "just more attention grabbing junk from zodiac". Speaking of which his "let’s crack zodiac pt. 5" video is closing in on 250k views today. Good for those guys! I’ve watched it about 20 times myself. Can’t believe they cracked the z340 – just wow!

The card Halloween card with Paradice and Slaves pretty much revealed the content.

And the "Sorry no cypher" x2 crisscrossed inside the envelope is in a diagonal pattern.

Not coming up with anything for 19 off the top of my head.

Great observations. I’d long taken for granted that the remaining ciphers were unsolvable. But perhaps there really are valid clues hidden in plain sight for how to tackle the Z13 and Z32.

Cool , David updated the ciphers explorer on his website with 340 solution, I was just working with the text that the boys discovered !!!
Formidable!!
http://zodiackillerciphers.com/cipher-explorer/