The following is important as it will show a completely different side of Zodiac:

Q: Why did Z walk away slowly from the BRS and the LB crime scene, even leaving his writing on a car door (LB) and coming back to shoot again (BRS)?
A: Zodiac did not care. He did not feel any guilt (at all!) about committing this crime. All of us would rush away to not get caught – not so Zodiac. He was not the hunted one (anymore), he was the ‘hunter’. So he had no reason at all to rush away, he just was in ‘control’, felt strong. And it was ‘justified’ – because he had received so many ‘brush-offs’ before.

Q: Why did Z kill young couples in the moment of a feeling of intimity?
A: Emotionally he did not kill the couples. Instead, his killing action was against their relationships, against such young ‘luck’. The relationship he never had.

‘I am not sick. I am insane.’
Q: Sick?
A: Zodiac: ‘I can’t believe she died. I can’t believe she is really dead. My love is gone, forever. I’m getting insane..because I can’t live without her…everybody must know that – I’ve got to write letters’.

QT

Interesting post. I agree with a lot of it. The first one brings up something I’ve been thinking about – the concept of "risk" Zodiac was taking. When looking at this, there is a huge difference when considering different POIs. For instance, if you think Mr. X was Z, the risk taken in killing Stine and then reappearing at the scene minutes later is incredible (the timing might actually be impossible, but again, we’re focusing on Z’s thought process here, not so much the facts.) Mr. X had quite a lot to lose by being caught as Z. His entire life’s work, the empire he’d built, his status in the community and among his circle of friends and associates… That’s quite a lot to put on the line, just to kill a cabbie in the middle of the city.

Same thing, generally, perhaps to a lesser extent, for POIs who were leading somewhat normal, productive lives.

But, suppose Z was someone like Ross Sullivan. Whole different story. As Morf discovered recently, Ross could go off on violent rages, and we know he was mentally ill. While in this state, his actions would not likely be rational. For instance, dawdling at crime scenes (like wiping down Stine’s cab and then walking away.) If you’re Ross, and Z, and in a lucid state, you realize that you don’t have much to fear even if you are caught. Really all that changes is, the game ends. I mean, what will the authorities do? Send him back to a mental hospital (this time as a celebrity of sorts?) Not much at risk there.

Murderers often try for the insanity defense as a last resort. In Ross’ case, he already had that diagnosis in his hip pocket.

I agree, the murders are remarkably emotionless, as though Z was killing a thing, rather than people.

When Z says I am not sick, I am insane, I think it’s because, he actually is, and has basically been diagnosed as such. It’s almost like saying: "Try to catch me, and if you do, so what?"

QT, while I disagree with some of your post, I think you nailed some of your points and in any case, this is interesting.

There is an element of fatalism in Z’s homicides. All of them occur at times and places where he could easily have been discovered–as actually happened, in SF. Yet he, in a sense, sleepwalks his way offstage. The important thing, to him, is that he is the protagonist in a tragedy he’s written; the stage is unimportant. Truly, for Z, "The play’s the thing."

The important thing, to him, is that he is the protagonist in a tragedy he’s written; the stage is unimportant. Truly, for Z, "The play’s the thing."

And the reviews he writes, afterwards, praising his own performances.

What a great topic! I agree–by letting loose with how we see z was motivated it can (at least) activate the imagination, allow new insights.

I agree with some of what you wrote, quick trader but also have a different take in other areas.

1. I had never believed z was involved in Riverside killing until I looked more closely at the style and content of the letters, as well as the excess stamps on the envelopes. The killings are so radically different–whoever killed Cheri Jo obviously targeted her, engaged with her, did not alarm her, at least initially. And we know from BRS that it was a quick, silent hit. LHR had to be relatively down and dirty–there wasn’t time to engage in conversation. LB was different, but even then, it was a surprise attack–walking at them with a gun, gaining control of the victims and situation relatively quickly. So, either z DID kill CB but "started" his killing spree as the zodiac–a completely different persona–or else he lived in the Riverside area, maybe even was in college there when the murder happened–and became obsessed with the crime and wrote the letters. I had never seriously entertained that idea before but, as I’ve read about these recent school shooters, they read about other killers and how the other killers become glorified, etc.

2. It is interesting that z targeted couples. I mean, he didn’t target hitchhikers or people in their houses. I believe he trolled areas and the areas were remote, and any couples were likely there to neck (this is excluding SF.) But I think consciously he was just committing murder, murder that he would later publicize for his fame, or infamy. IMO he did not even think of rape. So, subconsciously maybe he hated couples, that they were the "normal" he wasn’t and couldn’t be.

3. The ring. I think it was too dark a night, and too fast a hit for z to have any inkling about David’s ring. But, sadly, I think the ring actually played a huge part in this murder. DF had told his sister he was going to ask Betty Lou to go steady. DF was suppose to have her home at 11pm. The fact that the ring was found in David’s possession tells me he either didn’t have a chance to ask her yet, or, more likely, they were discussing it (since her parents were so protective BLJ might have been worried how they’d react.) Maybe they lost track of time–but, in any case, if they would have been in on curfew z would have had to find another victim.

4. On an emotional forensics level, IMO, z was probably driven by several forces. I think he was between 25-29 when the zodiac murders were committed. I believe he had some kind of autistic disorder–unacknowledged or treated due to the ‘times." I believe he was either first-generation US citizen or else came here as a young child with his family from Europe. I think this because of some of his mis-spellings–Christmass comes to mind–and the clothing he was observed wearing–the old-style baggy dress pants. Also, his letters to the newspapers are oddly formal. They are almost over-correct in construction. I remember kids in high school around that era who were immigrants–they were treated as different/strange. I had a friend from Hungary and I know, inside her house, life still revolved around the old country. Her brothers wore belted, baggy pants when everyone else was in blue jenes. For some reason I equate z with an old-world household. But then adding in that he was in his head most of the time.

5.I was still an adolescent when the z killings occurred, but I consider my self of that era. There was no cable TV, no internet–writing reports meant hours at the library looking through
different sources. Constructing the ciphers would have taken some effort. Seeing them published in the newspapers–I imagine that was huge. I don’t think z was so much communicating in his letters as publishing himself–like a blog today–or Facebook maybe.

6. Lake Berryessa. I think z was going to come out in his scary zodiac costume–hooded, like an executioner–and the big surprise was that BH and CS obviously didn’t recognize "him." What’s strange is that he didn’t say anything—in fact, he creates another story on the spot. If you’re doing emotional forensics you have to wonder–did he have the back-up story about breaking out of prison, killing the guard, etc? From the description of the hood he had to have spent some amount of time stitching it together, and the cross-hairs symbol –HIS symbol on the front piece–I think he must have been sure in his own mind that people knew of him and feared him. I’m kind of amazed that he reacted so quickly and came up with a story when BH
& CS didn’t jump up and scream "oh, no–zodiac!"

7. San Francisco. Interesting thought about whether this one was planned or PS recognized z. I tend to think he had semi-planned it. He was carrying a gun–maybe the opportunity arose, maybe PS was rambling on about something z didn’t like. I remember reading somewhere there was a kind of lover’s lane/cul-de-sac in that area. He may have been heading that way and Paul S said the wrong thing.

Well, I spent more time on this than I intended. Thank you for introducing the topic! I like reading other people’s take on the whole zodiac mystery.

There was a letter found in a Hotel (location not sure)
Recall reading it on a site. Hand writing looked z like.
About a woman named Jenny I think? About how much
He Wanted to be with her( a love letter)But,couldn’t.
Can not remember.

I recall it was about two pages maybe
More. A maid find it on the night stand by the
Light, next to the bed.
Was turned in to the authorities.(police) again
The letter was Zodiac like that’s what Drew their
attention to it.

I was rereading your Q and A on the letter from Riverside.
On the first Q&A

That Zodic was in cotrol,felt strong,
Was not in a rush, cool, calm,and feeling so much better.
I agree with you on that, along with he knew CJBates.
And, got the brushoff. She was to dedicated to her studies
To become a nurse,to get involved in a relationship.
She wanted to Concentrate, and Focus strictly on that.

But, here is where I’m going, if Zodiac was so cool,calm,
And incontrol. Then the sweaty palm print at the phone booth
Was not his!!! (the one that was hanging) Zodiac would be calm,
Incontrol, he would not have sweaty palm !( that shows fear,

Scared, nervous, even frightened) Not a zodiac trait at all!!!
Something to think about? He made the call,that we know.
But, who was holding the receiver? (Sweaty palm remember)

Cecelia was not studying to become a nurse.

I was rereading your Q and A on the letter from Riverside.
On the first Q&A

That Zodic was in cotrol,felt strong,
Was not in a rush, cool, calm,and feeling so much better.
I agree with you on that, along with he knew CJBates.
And, got the brushoff. She was to dedicated to her studies
To become a nurse,to get involved in a relationship.
She wanted to Concentrate, and Focus strictly on that.

But, here is where I’m going, if Zodiac was so cool,calm,
And incontrol. Then the sweaty palm print at the phone booth
Was not his!!! (the one that was hanging) Zodiac would be calm,
Incontrol, he would not have sweaty palm !( that shows fear,

Scared, nervous, even frightened) Not a zodiac trait at all!!!
Something to think about? He made the call,that we know.
But, who was holding the receiver? (Sweaty palm remember)

Sweat is always there, this is what a fingerprint actually consists of (sweat, fat..). Also it needs to walk from a car (holding it’s steering wheel, too) to a phone booth to get sticky fingers..but good input,

QT

I believe it is actually the oil–not "sweat". And that phone was wet–so wet they had a hard time getting prints. I actually think it was steam from the dry cleaners that the phone backed up to.

First, I apologize for making that era sometimes I getCJ. Bates and D. Lass crisscross applesauce in my head.
Not at my best, quite agitated and a touch of walking pneumonia.
Not running on all 6 cylinders. Like I have said, before, it is not easy
To do it on a iPhone. Would need to be there,files, locations,Faces, etc…
But, found letters written on the run on a ZKSForm that has been closed.
Misc unconfirmed letters from Z FBI Files By Morf 13 on Sunday Aug 19
2012 @ 3:41 pm. One was written in Carib Motel, New OrleaIns LA
I truly believe these letters are the real deal. Don’t let the altering
Of the writer mislead you. Because that’s what it was mean to do.
Some thing about 66, Cuba,(Dr.IGNACIO MORALES Y HERRERA)
Prison,Chicago Mob, he was on the run. But, he was getting to them first.
Being a hit man, also, falsely accused. And he is saying all this
To JANE, speaking to her about his affection towards her and the kids.
It goes on and on. But, part of the story is there QT. It is Confirm.
The LOVE, betrayal,murder,building a Mystery, even the
Secret service was mentioned. The killing Games begin.

Regarding the ring between David’s fingertips..it is possible, compare the following link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnaB5bc … M_PeOsomR0

@ 2:50 something similar can be seen (graphic).

QT

The following is important as it will show a completely different side of Zodiac:

For a second, let’s forget about the facts (yes). Let’s focus – completely – on the emotional side of Zodiac’s activities. It will change our view on some aspects regarding his behaviour. I’ll put it into Q&A’s.

Q: Why did Z walk away slowly from the BRS and the LB crime scene, even leaving his writing on a car door (LB) and coming back to shoot again (BRS)?
A: Zodiac did not care. He did not feel any guilt (at all!) about committing this crime. All of us would rush away to not get caught – not so Zodiac. He was not the hunted one (anymore), he was the ‘hunter’. So he had no reason at all to rush away, he just was in ‘control’, felt strong. And it was ‘justified’ – because he had received so many ‘brush-offs’ before.

Q: Why did Z kill young couples in the moment of a feeling of intimity?
A: Emotionally he did not kill the couples. Instead, his killing action was against their relationships, against such young ‘luck’. The relationship he never had.

Q: Why did Z not rape any of his victims?
A: Z was satisfied by killing. His sexuality was disturbed, most likely from his childhood (abuse, impotence etc.). He was not able to perform. Killing replaced this satisfaction – another reason why he had no reason at all to hurry from a scene. He was – we deal with an anormal personality – simply satisfied after having killed. We do not hurry after having had sex either, do we? Killing the girls more efficiently may lead to the conclusion that his hate might have been mother-oriented somehow.

Q: Assuming that David Faraday’s ring was actually placed in his fingers (instead of simply falling on the floor or being somewhere) – what does that mean? How could that happen?
A: The ring is a symbol of relationship. As described above, Z had to ‘destroy’ such relationships due to his anger and past experiences (parents relationship = danger; girls relationship = danger). Nevertheless he was weak enough to symbolize his deep emotion. It is a symbol of Z not being able to enter such a first-time relationship. By placing the ring into David Faraday’s hand, his message is: ‘I was not able to give my girl a ring – so you, David, won’t be either! And I do want the police to see it, so everybody knows about it!’

Q: Zodiac was connected to ‘paper’. Sending letters. Reading the SF Chronicle. Double stamps that have not been obliterade (temporary work at the Riverside post office?). He sent letters to the SF Chronicle, Melvin Belli and others. Why the heck that?
A: Paper represents a way of communication, mostly this is learned early at the school. Sending letters, in fact, itself is a very emotional and personal issue. You send postcards, holiday greetings and especially: Love letters. Love and hate is very close, the letters Z had sent did actually replace his rejected love letters.

Q: Why did Zodiac send letters at all?
A: All the letters Z had sent are substitutions of his rejected love letters.

Q: Why did Zodiac want that much publicity?
A: Due to his rejection, he wanted his letters to become public. This was actually what he wanted, a maximum of publicity to tell everybody: ‘Look, I’ve written a love letter..but it was rejected! I have been rejected! Everybody shall know about it!’

Q: Why did Zodiac write in a felt pen and not in e.g. a normal ball pen?
A: Because it is common to send love letters written with a ‘nice’ pen’. The content was not nice anymore, but the way he had used to write his love letters was still the same. Clearly readable single letters, a maximum of expression of his emotions. Somehow ‘decorated’ instead of plain text (except the confession letter, this one may be assumed being a letter written during his deepest breakdown – the begin of his boastful behaviour after the death of CJB). The felt pen – connected to school time as well, btw – is a way to ‘really write a beautiful love letter’. It also explains the special paper type Z had used. Not expensive, but special enough to write a love letter on it.

Q: Why did Zodiac kill Paul Stine?
A: For a long time I had thought it was because Stine had known Darlene Ferrin. But now I do think there are two additional possibilities:
a.) Paul and Z were talking about becoming a writer for the SF Chronicle. Z as a rejected ‘author’ (due to his dyslexia) felt himself dispraised when a cab driver told him he would be able to become a SF Chronicle author.
b.) Paul and Z talked about the weather (yeah, the weather – it’s what you do with a cabbie..). November, it’s cold and Zodiac answers ‘Yes, three weeks ago at Lake Berryessa the weather was still fine’. Enough for a cab driver (who definitely reads all the newspapers) to mention the crime over there. ‘Yes, there were those two kids killed by a knife..’. Enough for Zodiac, surprised by this offensive answer, to eliminate his cab driver. Did Z live in that area? Letterman connection / Donna Lass?

Q: Why did Zodiac use cryptology?
A: Because it was the only way to send letters without (immediately) revealing too many details about his identity.

Felt pen, letters, hate of successful relationships, rings to be given to a girl – all this reflects – mirrorwise – the emotional situation of Zodiac. Zodiac was simply expressing his emotional state and experience through his killing activities. This is meant literally (ring/ring, control/control, letter/letter, secret/secret, publicity/publicity – all activities on both sides: Relationships & Killing).

He had written love letters, but he got rejected. This was not fair, so he wanted the whole world to know about. He changed the words and the recipients (no wonder – she was ‘battered and dead’). However, he did not change the style of writing with a felt pen. And writing the text clearly, in a ‘beautiful’ and more importantly ‘understandable’ way. And to express his (then reciprocal) emotions by sending cards and beautiful dragons and halloween skeletons..even placing David Faraday’s ring that was not supposed to be given. Because he could not give his one either. She simply did not want it.

And there is the confession letter. Assuming this letter being from Z, it represents a resumée of year-long ‘brush offs’. In fact, he had lost ‘control’ about someone. Someone whom he had under his control, so far (at school!). For multiple years. He always was able to ask her again and again. Do you go out with me? He could have sent her love letters written in felt pen. He could even have offered her rings. But she grew out of it and he had lost control. Instead, she spent her time with Marines next to the school. Something he could not stand and thus decided to completely destroy her. But his awareness must justify this irrational activity. The ‘confession’ letter had to follow. He had to ‘confess’. A closer look:

‘Miss Bates’
Q: Not a girl, but Miss Bates. He knew the address of her father. He waited for ‘her’ outside the library. He knew her car. Nevertheless he calls her ‘Miss Bates’. ‘Cheri Jo’ would indeed imply that he might have been a classmate. Instead he calls her not ‘Bates’ (as he did later) or Cheri Jo Bates but ‘Miss Bates’. Why?
A: On the one hand, he did not want to disclose that he knew her. However, from his point of view the ”Miss’ could have been a ‘Misses’. But now she is battered and dead. Not my Miss? So you must die.

‘..the shapely blue eyed brownett that said no when I asked her for a date in high school.’
Q: Why does he consider her?
A: Because he had asked her for a date in high school. Not in the street next to the high school or in his painting course, no. In the high school. Z went to high school (!). And got another rejection there.

‘..Blond that babysits near the little store and walks down the dark alley each evening about seven’
Q: How does he know?
A: Because he SEES it. Either because he lived there or because he simply had worked there. At the little store? Near Ramona High / RCC?

‘Miss Bates was stupid.’
Q: Why? Did he know her?
A: Because he had known her (!!!). And because she did not want him as her ‘Mister’.

‘Then I waited for her in the library’
Q: Not taking another girl? Anyone? Why not?
A: Because he wanted HER.

‘She was then very willing to talk with me’
Q: Not so before?
A: No, before ‘then’ she was not willing to talk to him at all. Although he had tried to!

‘Making her pay for the brush-offs that she had given me during the years prior’
Q: Brush-offs? Really?
A: Yes..brush-offs over years. High school? ‘Not willing to talk to him?’ Z realized that he had lost ‘control’ over her, the control to check out if she’d now like to talk to him or not. The mean reason why he had killed her.

‘I plunged the knife into her and it broke’
Q: But the knife did not break, did it? Why writing so, then?
A: No. Not the knife. But his heart. His heart broke in the moment of killing his own love. So the knife actually had broken his own heart. Because he had been in ‘love’ with CJB. No ‘real’ knife broken in that scene ever.

‘I am not sick. I am insane.’
Q: Sick?
A: Zodiac: ‘I can’t believe she died. I can’t believe she is really dead. My love is gone, forever. I’m getting insane..because I can’t live without her…everybody must know that – I’ve got to write letters’.

‘This letter should be published for all to read it.’
Q: Self-explaining..
A: Yes. Writing letters to cry like a baby about his loss. Write letters, write.

‘Might save that girl..but its up to you, it will be on your conscience, not on mine’
Q: Why?
A: Zodiac does not feel any guilt. Or too much to be aware of. The guilt is on the side of ‘you’, the others. The classmates, all people who did not accept him being the boyfriend of CJB. All the others who have seen the brushoffs and tolerated that over years. It will be on your conscience. I am not guilty. So I can walk away from BRS and LB slowly, too.

‘I am stalking your girls now’
Q: When?
A: Now. Not yesterday. No, he starts ‘now’. The inital murder (although ‘claiming’ she was not the first) is the start of his game that does not stop. He starts now (and in fact he did).

The confession letter is a confession of guilt. It tries to explain why he had done this. And how ‘justified’ it was. And everybody should know about his loss. The ‘Enterprise’ and the ‘Chief of Police’. Z simply wanted to ‘clean’ himself from his guilt. In his understanding, he successfully did. Instead to regreat, Z started to boast with his crimes.

Control..felt pen..letters sent..’secret’ texts..brush-offs..willingness to talk..waiting for her in the library..the little store each evening about seven (!)..

No one will ever be able to explain me that Zodiac had not known the area with ‘the little store’. Or her car. Or her family name. Or about the brush-offs. That he had not lost control and that he did not want the texts to be secret, as a love letter should be. IMO, Zodiac went to the same class. Not only to the same school, but even to the same class. Him being young, inattractive (slim, unsure..it was a few years later that he had become ‘stocky’ or even good looking). No,this guy went to high school, saw CJB often, knew the small region area (little store, dark alley, babysitter), he knew the library and used his access to it..he knew the place CJB would have parked, he knew the car. He even had known how to open it.

Z was superclose to CJB, but still lightyears away from her.

And I bet that he is on one of her classmate pictures. And if not, her best friend would now about such a nerd ‘collecting’ one brush-off after another.

Who this friend could be? Well. Just look next to CJB on a classmate picture. Girls who like each other always stand together side-by-side.

Thoughts.

QT

I agree with some of your points, especially about Z more than likely being unable to perform sexually. I think he may have even been asexual. He desired women, but in a completely different way.

My belief is Z targeted couples on the verge of necking not out of a lover’s scorn but because of his childhood.

In another thread on this site there are some old letters to the editor from the St. Helena newspaper from a "Friar Puck" discussing the bollards scene of the Mikado. "Friar Puck" could be referencing the Henry Fuseli painting of the same name. Fuseli painted many versions of Puck, including a rendering of the character from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s dream. Z was obsessed with the Mikado and mentioned Shakespeare in letters as well. The letters were written in 1955, and were more than likely written by a child as one letter laments the absence of "…a book on retarded parents." If these 1955 letters were written by a pre-teen/teen, that would put this person around 30 years old at the time of the Zodiac killings.

I believe these letters were written by a young Z, and Z targeted young couples in the moment because he himself was the product of parents who were possibly still high school age when he was conceived/born. As a result, they took menial jobs to raise their child. The household was poor and a site of regular domestic and possibly sexual abuse. Z was a precocious child who escaped into literature and works of theater, something his parents didn’t understand and resented.

I believe women received the brunt of violence in the attacks because Z’s mother was either his primary abuser or she deserted the home.

Regarding his lollygagging and return to crime scenes, a lot of criminals return to the scene of the crime, bu with Z I think it was a combination of mental illness, adrenaline, and familiarity with his surroundings that led to many of his behaviors.

I also think while Z may have had a temper or violent outbursts, he was not especially experienced assaulting humans. The crimes that are tied to him show an escalation of violence and growing boldness, but the Stine attack was a step too far for him. Z seemed to have stalked locations mostly and took opportunities to kill when he had them.

This is a quote from “I’ll Be Gone In The Dark”. It refers to the GSK, but it struck me how it could easily apply to Zodiac:

“The future nightmare maker begins as an adolescent daydreamer. His world is bisected; violent fantasies act as a muffler against a harsh, disappointing reality. Perceived threats to his self-esteem are disproportionately internalized. Grievances collected. He rubs his fingers over old scars. “

“The majority of violent fantasizes never act. What makes one cross over? Stress factors coalesce. An emotional match is lit. The daydream steps out of his trance…”