If it was because of wearing a different shoe size I would imagine that he would have trouble with both feet and not just favor one. My guess is either an injury or disease such as polio.

Thanks Susie. Polio definitely was prevalent back before the 60’s so I can see it as a strong possibility! Did all the victims describe his odd walking style or just some of them? I need some guidance on this from you guys. . Researching myself for the time being.

The three girls at Lake Berryessa never mentioned anything about a limp.

The three girls at Lake Berryessa never mentioned anything about a limp.

Thank you. The site I sourced must have been mistaken. I’ll take your word over theirs and remove the incorrect LB info. This is why I need yall!

The three girls at Lake Berryessa never mentioned anything about a limp.

Interesting. Did they see him walking or just see him standing observing them? If they saw him walking without a limp, and if the man they saw is the same one who attacked Bryan and Cecelia, then I would think surely he changed shoes when he put on the disguise and was wearing shoes that were the wrong size or had something stuffed in them to either change his height or cause the unusual walk.

Imo, the latter is the case and that would make it easier for Z to blend in at his job without suspicion if he walked normally and everyone was looking for someone with a limp.

The three girls at Lake Berryessa never mentioned anything about a limp.

Interesting. Did they see him walking or just see him standing observing them? If they saw him walking without a limp, and if the man they saw is the same one who attacked Bryan and Cecelia, then I would think surely he changed shoes when he put on the disguise and was wearing shoes that were the wrong size or had something stuffed in them to either change his height or cause the unusual walk.

Imo, the latter is the case and that would make it easier for Z to blend in at his job without suspicion if he walked normally and everyone was looking for someone with a limp.

The girls never described an unusual walk. They did see him walk. He came down in the same manner as the guy who attacked Bryan & Cecelia.

If anyone needs to refresh–via zodiackiller.com: http://www.zodiackiller.com/LBReport8.html

The three girls at Lake Berryessa never mentioned anything about a limp.

Interesting. Did they see him walking or just see him standing observing them? If they saw him walking without a limp, and if the man they saw is the same one who attacked Bryan and Cecelia, then I would think surely he changed shoes when he put on the disguise and was wearing shoes that were the wrong size or had something stuffed in them to either change his height or cause the unusual walk.

Imo, the latter is the case and that would make it easier for Z to blend in at his job without suspicion if he walked normally and everyone was looking for someone with a limp.

The girls never described an unusual walk. They did see him walk. He came down in the same manner as the guy who attacked Bryan & Cecelia.

If anyone needs to refresh–via zodiackiller.com: http://www.zodiackiller.com/LBReport8.html

The murder likely took place at Washington and Maple Street, as he said in the October 13th letter ‘I am the murderer of the taxi driver over by Washington St and Maple St last night, to prove this here is a blood stained piece of his shirt’. there was nothing to be gained by lying here, with the killer shooting Paul Stine at this location, however any control was forfeited when the taxicab, not in park, motioned forward. The killer’s plan of removing items from the victim, particularly the portion of Paul Stine’s shirt, to send to the San Francisco Chronicle, was now in jeopardy. Thinking on his feet, quite literally, the murderer quickly exited the moving vehicle by the left rear door and entered the left front driver door, stepped over the lifeless body of Paul Stine, possibly bracing himself against the front compartment for support, he then pushed against the left side of Paul Stine, to access the vehicle pedals and coasted the taxicab to the next intersection, Washington and Cherry.
When the Zodiac Killer exited the moving vehicle, he may have injured his ankle as his foot planted or jarred on the roadside or quite possibly he aggravated a previous injury. This may explain his unhurried exit away up Cherry Street and the ‘lumbering gait, sort of stumbling along, like a ‘semi-limp’, described by Donald Fouke.
Two weeks prior to this murder, on September 27th 1969 three girls spotted the unknown man. On page 396 of Robert Graysmith Unmasked, one of the girls recalled the suspicious character, stating "I wouldn’t say he had a limp, but he favored one leg when he walked".
Wing-Walkers and Jump boots are designed for ankle support, favored by the military, but why was the Zodiac Killer wearing them. Was it indicative of a military connection or nothing more than a man who chose this style of footwear, to protect and support a long standing foot or ankle complaint, that came under close examination, as he exited the moving vehicle at Washington and Maple.

Where did you get that he may have aggravated a previous injury? There are a ton of "may haves". One could assume many things.

Graysmith had a way of trying to convince people of this "lumbering gait" since he used the term about a hundred times in his book. In the official police report, none of the girls mention anything about the way he walked. It’s certainly up to folks if they choose to believe Graysmith–but, by the time ZU came along there was so much fluff thrown in that is simply isn’t anything I can put a lot of faith in.

We know Fouke mentioned it, but it doesn’t mean Zodiac always walked that way and I think it unfortunate it has become some sort of Zodiac folklore that this man walked around all the time with some sort of gimp and a droopy left eye.

Do you have any theories as to why Z may have walked in an awkward manner? Please share with me thanks.

That was a theory. Nobody asked for fact. ‘May have’s’ are theories. If we only went on facts this forum would have ran out of topics a long time ago. If the initial question had asked for facts, then nobody could answer and the thread couldn’t exist.
Quote: I am going to theorize that the Zodiac may have wore different shoe sizes at different crime scenes/attack sites so his shoe print could throw off investigators. I’m thinking "The Usual Suspects".. This is a ‘may have’. The whole Zodiac community relies on theories and ‘may have’s’. That’s called speculation and creates discussion.

‘One could assume many things’. Yes, and we all do it, all of the time.

Thanks for clarifying UK. It just wasn’t clear if you were quoting someone or if this was your theory.

I won’t guess as to why he would have been walking in a particular manner. Too many possibilities.

Yes Tahoe It’s like ‘how long is a piece of string’. If he was upwards of the age description the possibilities increase. If he was military it could have ‘been an old shrapnel wound’. Either way it didn’t stop him getting away.

Graysmith had a way of trying to convince people of this "lumbering gait" since he used the term about a hundred times in his book.

Yes. He also had a way of suggesting rather unsubtly that Z was a swimmer, a scuba diver and God knows what else.

The interview with the LB witness (where she mentions that the person “favored one foot”) is a prime example of this “methodology”.

My take on the gait, as mentioned elsewhere, is this: Z was walking downhill. He was in a hurry, not running, but not lazing along either (he knew the cops had arrived at the scene, unless he was deaf). He may very well have tucked the gun inside his waistband. All or even some of the above could explain what Fouke, there and then, noticed as a somewhat conspicuous gait.

There’s no reason to assume this gait was permanent or even that it was a definite limp or impairment. What Fouke describes is a sort-of-something, an impression he got from looking at the guy briefly, nothing more.

There is absolutely no reason to think this gait was something Z went around with normally.

The definition of lumbering is a heavy or clumsy movement.
An example of lumbering is an elephant climbing a muddy hill; a lumbering elephant.

ber1
ˈləmbər/
verb
gerund or present participle: lumbering
move in a slow, heavy, awkward way.
"a truck filled his mirror and lumbered past"
synonyms: lurch, stumble, trundle, shamble, shuffle, waddle; More
trudge, clump, stump, plod, tramp, tromp;
informalgalumph
"elephants lumbered past"
clumsy, awkward, heavy-footed, slow, blundering, bumbling, inept, maladroit, uncoordinated, ungainly, ungraceful, gauche, lumpish, hulking, ponderous;
informalclodhopping
"he was a lumbering bear of a man"

antonyms: nimble, agile

Almost seems it just has to do with someone seeming as if they are weighted/heavy and have issue moving fast/picking up
Their feet. Initially I assumed it would be shuffling/bumbling but that might not necessarily be the case (although shuffling is a description of Lumbering). It doesn’t sound like a limp. It sounds like heavy feet.

Ever tried walking with soaked trousers. Now go back 3 minutes.