ON THE ZODIAC KILLER AND HIS WRITINGS

 

ZODIAC KILLER and HIS WRITINGS

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  Few cases have caught public imagination like that of the 

Zodiac Killer of the 1960's and 1970's. During such time,

the killer wrote threatening letters, taunting letters, cryptograms,

and the gift of police evasion/detection.

  Zodiac's first murder was October 30, 1966. At approximately

9:30, an 18 year old was beaten and stabbed, repeatedly, 

with a short black knife on the campus of California's Riverside

City College. The victim went to leave in her car, and it had

been rendered un-driveable. No indications of robbery, or

sexual assault. Exactly one month from the date of Zodiac's

first kill, which was still unsolved. The Riverside Police 

Department and local newspaper were mailed copies of a letter

from the Zodiac; written as follows, in all capital letters.

"SHE WAS YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL 

BUT NOW SHE' BATTERED AND

DEAD. SHE IS NOT THE FIRST AND SHE WILL NOT BE THE LAST

I LAY AWAKE AT NIGHT THINKING ABOUT MY

NEXT VICTIM. MAYBE SHE WILL BE THE BEAUTIFUL

BLONDE THAT BABYSITS NEAR THE LITTLE STORE

AND WALKS DOWN THE DARK ALLEY EACH EVENING ABOUT

SEVEN. Or MAYBE, SHE WILL BE THE SHAPELY BLUE EYED

BRUNETTE THAT SAID NO WHEN I ASKED HER OUT IN 

HIGH SCHOOL. BUT MAYBE IT WILL BE NEITHER. BUT,

I SHALL CUT OFF HER FEMALE BODY PARTS AND DEPOSIT

THEM ALL OVER THE WHOLE CITY TO SEE, SO DON'T.

SO, DON'T MAKE IT EASY FOR ME. KEEP YOUR SISTERS,

DAUGHTERS, AND WIVES OFF THE STREETS AND ALLEYS.

MISS BATES WAS STUPID, SHE WENT TO THE SLAUGHTER,

LIKE A LAMB. SHE DID NOT PUT UP A STRUGGLE, BUT I DID.

IT WAS A BALL."

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    The killer went on to describe how he disabled a person's

car by pulling out the middle wire from the distributor.  The 

killer waited in the library for the victim, watched as she drained

her car battery, and then asking her if he could give her a ride

somewhere. When she agreed, he stated "it's about time." She

then stated, "time for what?" He then he said, "time for you to

die;' and proceeded to attack his victim. He continued writing

on the same subject/victim/circumstances below:

"ONLY ONE THING WAS ON

MY MIND. MAKING HER PAY FOR THE BRUSH OFFS

THAT SHE HAD GIVEN ME DURING THE YEARS PRIOR.

SHE DIED HARD. SHE SQUIRMED AND SHOOK

AS I CHOKED HER. AND HER LIPS TWITCHED

SHE LET OUT A SCREAM ONCE AND I KICKED

HER HEAD TO SHUT HER UP. I PLUNGED THE KNIFE

INTO HER AND IT BROKE. I THEN FINISHED THE JOB

BY CUTTING HER THROAT. I AM NOT SICK. I AM INSANE.

BUT TIME WILL NOT STOP THE GAME. THIS LETTER SHOULD BE

PUBLISHED."

If this account was true, Bates may have indeed known her

killer. It is unlikely, however, that she would have willingly

accompanied him to his car at 9:30; if she had repeatedly turned 

him down in the past. It is more probable that, they were

strangers, and that, in his mind, he had 'known her before." 

These kind of victims are merely a symbol for the killer. An

object of focus, to displace the years of rejection by a number

of people of the opposite sex, who he desired, and had come to

despise.  Clearly, as well, is/was Zodiac's secondary gain, after

murder, of taunting the police departments with his writings

he left for the police.