Was the Zodiac killer an Okie? The idea that somebody who was raised in an Okie family, having been born in the 1940’s, and had a serious beef with the California natives, seems like a good match for these senseless crimes. The way the people of California treated these people, it’s no wonder somebody didn’t give them a little payback, so to speak. These so called native Californians were merely the offspring of gold prospectors and the women that were imported to service them. Who do they think they’re kidding. The only people who have objection to outside laborers are the low class people that these outsiders would displace. Can you imagine these descendants, of the underbelly of society, having a problem with good honest farmers from Oklahoma and surrounding Dust Bowl states. I could only imagine the hatred that these groups had against each other. And the cops were the ones who stopped the Okies at the California border. This would be a perfect reason for someone to kill these people, and to taunt the cops.
In 1969 though?
“…they may be dealing with one or more ersatz Zodiacs–other psychotics eager to get into the act, or perhaps even other murderers eager to lay their crimes at the real Zodiac’s doorstep.“ L.A. Times, 1969
In 1969 though?
Of course 1969. Can you imagine being born in 1945 into a family of people that were persecuted by these Californians. The miserable upbringing is a given. A home full of hate towards others who are not Okies. I have researched this migration for years, and I can say without a doubt that these people considered them their enemies. I guess it’s hard to understand this idea if one has not held tremendous hatred in their hearts. To see these people carrying on with their lives, all the while knowing the terrible wrongs that were inflicted on their fellow Okies. I’m pretty sure the Zodiac considered himself an avenger of his people. And I bet he wasn’t alone either. There is little doubt that there were more than one killer. The Zodiac has been described as looking different in several eyewitness accounts. Why do think that is? Because there was a couple of good old boys out hunting people. It’s very obvious that there were more than one individual involved. He was a heavy man, then he was not a heavy man. There is no confusing these observations. A big man looks big. The idea that his clothes made him look big is ridiculous. The San Joaquin Valley is not to far from were the killings took place. But it is far enough that nobody would be looking there for a suspect. The writing on the desk has nothing to do with the Zodiac. The reason for the slow deliberate speach pattern attributed to Zodiac, was to hide his distinct Okie accent, in my opinion. We must take a completely different path to solve these murders. The killings seem to make no sense to anybody, except the killers, who had a vendetta to carry out.
The thing is here, that my ideas aren’t from the "North Face Jacket" crowd. You know who I mean. The young wannabes who populate our planet. Their ideas are quite foolish, in most cases.
It’s an interesting perspective, I’ll give you that.
And sometimes hatred of the sort you describe (which can easily be passed on to younger generations from the ones who actually suffered the original injustice) can make people do strange and terrible things. I buy that concept – as such.
There are several points I can’t easily reconcile with this theory, though.
If the agenda behind the Z killings was so clear-cut (one could say), isn’t it strange that no reference was made to the actual agenda? I mean, this was a statement – a clear statement. He/they targeted Californians for no other reason than them being Californians – wouldn’t this be reflected somehow, in the communications (which were arguably the most important part of the “campaign”)?
One may also look at the demographic, so to speak, of Z’s known victims. There isn’t an obvious patterns here, in terms of these victims being typical “Californians” (whatever that would be in the eyes of a deranged person intent on revenge). BLJ and DF were just kids, pretty normal ones at that. DF was a married but seemingly “straying” young woman– a waitress, someone who might be considered promiscuous, perhaps, by a moralist. Completely different category from BLJ. CS was a 7th Day Adventist – completely different category again. And Paul Stine was a well educated, urban type – again a completely different category.
If the only criterion was that the victims had to be, physically, in California at the time of the attacks, then yes – but one would think a killer who targets a specific type of people would make sure they actually belonged to that category. Paul Stine could’ve arrived in San Francisco from…Hawaii two weeks prior, for all Z knew. Did he make sure Stine was a proper native before killing him?
Lastly, there’s the LHR problem again. Whoever struck at LHR knew the place – that’s my theory anyway. It wasn’t a random location in that sense. The killer knew what sort of place it was, which an outsider wouldn’t have. To my thinking, then, what we need in order to make the theory fit the facts, is this:
An Okie who knew the Vallejo/Benicia area well and who decided that a pair of kids like BLJ and DF fit the profile of the typical sort of Californian who deserved their comeuppance (but their profile clearly does not match that of other Z victims). I’m skeptical – but again, it’s an interesting perspective. Z’s true motive may indeed be something which has, simply, never occurred to us. That idea, in itself, has plenty of merit.
I see the Okie thing as a stretch … but hey some people think he was 6’2" now too 
who has the link to the 91 oklahoma very remote radio station talk show that seemed to be from zodiac 
The Grapes of Wrath was on last nite on cable. I was watching the movie and noticed the bad treatment dished out to these unfortunate people. That gave me the idea about this rivalry. It’s a very sad film.
