tl/dr

Just kidding. I did read it and I think it’s both chilling and highly interesting.

I’ve been thinking lately about whether he actually had a plan of a more "cosmic" nature – more specifically whether his plan was, quite literally, to kill 12 people (one for each sign of the Zodiac) in order to fulfill some…well something. Could equally well have been 13 people, though. 12 + 1 has all sorts of connotations which may have meant something to someone who was into that sort of thing.

One question, if I may: the July 31st letters – in these he instructs the editor(s) to print his cipher by "the afternoon of Fry 1st" or he will:

1. "Cruse" around killing "lone people in the night" over the weekend until he ends up with a dozen (Chronicle).
2. Kill "stray people or coupples that are alone" until he has killed over a dozen (Vallejo T-H).
3. Kill people "who are alone at night" until "Sun Night or un till I kill a dozen people." (Examiner).

I find it interesting both that he insists on the dozen and that he explains so clearly who he targets. Lone people in the night – or couples that are alone. Alone in the night. Brrrr – it’s not pleasant reading. But the most striking thing – which I haven’t really noticed before – is the clarification he makes in the last letter (Examiner): He will kill until Sunday night – OR until he has reached the dozen.

Any thoughts on this – particularly in regard to the 13 month calendar and the first day of the week theme?

Thank you for the post – again, very interesting stuff and certainly well worth pursuing further.

N.

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