I believe it’s possible that they compared prints from her crime scene to prints of Zodiac,and they did not match,thus,ruling Zodiac out as her killer,but we can’t get a straight answer about that.

Was there recent information stating the prints (Z to Riverside) were never compared? Or was that DNA.

I think I was as simple as they took BB’s prints and handwriting, then ruled him out as a possible Zodiac suspect. Since RPD was sure BB was the perp, they stated Z and the Bates killer (BB) were different people.

I believe it’s possible that they compared prints from her crime scene to prints of Zodiac,and they did not match,thus,ruling Zodiac out as her killer,but we can’t get a straight answer about that.

Was there recent information stating the prints (Z to Riverside) were never compared? Or was that DNA.

I think I was as simple as they took BB’s prints and handwriting, then ruled him out as a possible Zodiac suspect. Since RPD was sure BB was the perp, they stated Z and the Bates killer (BB) were different people.

Not sure, I hope they didn’t simply wash their hands of z involvement in Bates case simply because Barnett’s stuff didnt match Z

Glad I’ve sparked some interest.

Even if Ross didn’t kill Cheri, I think its very plausible he became obsessed with her case. It happened at his school, his library and it would have been all everyone was talking about.

Maybe he became so obsessed he wrote the letters to keep it alive in the media. And then, maybe, he decided he wanted to do it again but this time the murders were completely his…and the zodiac was born.

I think the desktop poem is the closest handwriting ive seen to zodiac. And the limited samples of Ross’s that we have seen looks VERY promising!!!

Morf13 ; "I have a theory of my own,about something we can not get a definitive answer about, but RPD has always been staunchly opposed to Zodiac killing Cheri Jo,and have flat out said, "Cheri Jo was NOT a victim of the Zodiac". I believe it’s possible that they compared prints from her crime scene to prints of Zodiac,and they did not match,thus,ruling Zodiac out as her killer,but we can’t get a straight answer about that."

That is very true Morf, they did compare the latent prints from the Zodiac case to the Cheri Jo Bates case. Revealed here in the memorandum mailed from Riverside to Napa County on October 20th 1969. I believe the fingerprints were compared to the Napa payphone prints and the Stine taxicab prints in blood. It stated "We were able to lift some latent fingerprints from the victim’s vehicle. These prints were not identified. Our unidentified prints are on file with the FBI under the FBI file No 32-27195, Latent case No 73096. Copies of the latent lifts from your homicide were obtained from CII and sent to the FBI for comparison with the latent lifts in our investigation." ​

If they had matched, it is unlikely we would be still asking the question nearly 50 years later, it would have been released, but certainly not kept quiet. The fact that Riverside Police still had their pet suspect under the microscope many years later and not Zodiac, who were obviously deemed mutually exclusive to one another, indicates that Zodiac likely did not murder Cheri Jo Bates. This does not rule Zodiac out as the author of the letters or desktop poem mind. If we believe the blooded fingerprints retrieved from the Paul Stine taxicab are Zodiac’s, then reasonably, if these have been compared to the Riverside fingerprints, and no match has been established, then only one conclusion can be drawn. It depends on your belief that any fingerprints collected in the Zodiac case are his.

Here is the FBI file documented in 1974 referencing Latent case No 73096.

Morf13 ; "I have a theory of my own,about something we can not get a definitive answer about, but RPD has always been staunchly opposed to Zodiac killing Cheri Jo,and have flat out said, "Cheri Jo was NOT a victim of the Zodiac". I believe it’s possible that they compared prints from her crime scene to prints of Zodiac,and they did not match,thus,ruling Zodiac out as her killer,but we can’t get a straight answer about that."

That is very true Morf, they did compare the latent prints from the Zodiac case to the Cheri Jo Bates case. Revealed here in the memorandum mailed from Riverside to Napa County on October 20th 1969. I believe the fingerprints were compared to the Napa payphone prints and the Stine taxicab prints in blood. It stated "We were able to lift some latent fingerprints from the victim’s vehicle. These prints were not identified. Our unidentified prints are on file with the FBI under the FBI file No 32-27195, Latent case No 73096. Copies of the latent lifts from your homicide were obtained from CII and sent to the FBI for comparison with the latent lifts in our investigation." ​

If they had matched, it is unlikely we would be still asking the question nearly 50 years later, it would have been released, but certainly not kept quiet. The fact that Riverside Police still had their pet suspect under the microscope many years later and not Zodiac, who were obviously deemed mutually exclusive to one another, indicates that Zodiac likely did not murder Cheri Jo Bates. This does not rule Zodiac out as the author of the letters or desktop poem mind. If we believe the blooded fingerprints retrieved from the Paul Stine taxicab are Zodiac’s, then reasonably, if these have been compared to the Riverside fingerprints, and no match has been established, then only one conclusion can be drawn. It depends on your belief that any fingerprints collected in the Zodiac case are his.

It’s also uncertain if the greasy fingerprints recovered from CJB’s car belong to her assailant.

The wristwatch is also not 100% certain is from her attacker.

The only evidence that is 100% certain is the hair and skin recovered from CJB’s hand.

"It’s also uncertain if the greasy fingerprints recovered from CJB’s car belong to her assailant.
The wristwatch is also not 100% certain is from her attacker.
The only evidence that is 100% certain is the hair and skin recovered from CJB’s hand."

There is a lot of uncertainty in the Zodiac case and Riverside murder Monarch. All we have is likelihood in many instances. It is likely the person who disabled her vehicle murdered her and therefore likely contributed the fingerprints. It is likely the person observed in Paul Stine’s taxicab was the murderer, but not conclusive. Without a video recording of each event, I tend to go with the likelihood of one thing being true over another. Nobody can say the wristwatch was definitely wrenched off in the attack, it may have been planted etc. However this was a vicious close combat attack, the killer likely left skin, hair and possibly fingerprints at the scene. I tend to believe the wristwatch was just another error on his part and the whole crime scene seems to indicate inexperience from a killer, who undoubtedly would have been caught had he committed this today.

All we need to know is that in 1966, RPD was positive BB was the perp. They were sold on it, but 30 years later DNA ended up not matching. Many cold cases from pre-DNA were later solved by DNA matching an early suspect.

RPD tried very hard to find any evidence that connected BobB. If they had any match, DNA / prints / writing, BB would have been locked up years ago. So its safe to say they don’t have anything physical connecting him.