SHERLOCK HOLMES
SINCE ZODIAC WANTED TO PROCLAIM HIMSELF INVINCIBLE AND SMARTER THAN THE POLICE, WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO CONFESS TO A MURDER YOU DID NOT DO!
IN THIS WAY YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY IMPREGNABLE ....SINCE YOU ARE NOT GUILTY, HOW INCREDIBLE A FEELING TO KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PROVE YOU ARE.
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE POWER...THE POWER OF KNOWING IT CAN'T BE PROVEN, NO MATTER HOW SMART THEY ARE.
IN PLAIN FACTS AS WELL, IT IS FAIRLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT HIS STYLE OF KILLING, NOR HIS CHOSEN LOCATION.
IN ALL THE VERIFIED ZODIAC KILLINGS THERE ARE CERTAIN DEFINED PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH HE WILL CHOOSE TO KILL.
1. HE ALWAYS CHOOSES A REMOTE AREA.
THE EXCEPTION TO THIS IS THE PAUL STINE MURDER BUT BY THEN HE WAS GETTING BOLDER AND MORE DARING AND THERE WERE OTHER FACTORS WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED IN ANOTHER CHAPTER.
2. HE ALWAYS CHOOSES COUPLES IN A VULNURABLE POSITION..AS IN A VEHICLE OR LYING DOWN.
3. HE COMMITTED ALL THE VERIFIED MURDERS WITH A PISTOL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CECELIA SHEPARD AND BRYAN HARTNELL WHERE, ALTHOUGH HE HELD THEM AT BAY WITH A PISTOL HE UNTIMATELY ATTACKED THEM WITH A KNIFE....AFTER, HOWEVER, THEY WERE BOTH SECURELY TIED UP.
ADMITTEDLY HE USED A KNIFE BUT WITH A TOTAL OF 16 WOUNDS TO THE BOTH OF THEM TOGETHER AS COMPARED TO THE OFT-QUOTED 42 WOUNDS TO CHERI JO IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE HIS M.O.
OFTEN THE EVIDENCE OF HIS "SECRET" KNOWLEDGE OF DETAILS OF THE CRIME COMES INTO PLAY AND THE POLICE THEMSELVES HAVE STATED AT TIMES THAT THIS INDICATED HIS GUILTY KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRIME BUT I DISAGREE UNLESS MORE DETAILS ARE REVEALED BY THE POLICE.
I SEE NO UNIQUE INFORMATION IN HIS CONFESSION AND WHAT HE DID SAY...1 MONTH AFTER THE FACT COULD BE INFORMATION THAT WAS LEAKED, GUESSED OR AS IN THE CASE OF THE COIL WIRE...KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOST LIKELY METHOD OF DISABLING ANY CAR OF THOSE YEARS IN A WAY THAT WOULD ASSURE NO ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIST HER ...AS WOULD BE THE CASE OF A SIMPLE FLAT TIRE.
THE POEM TOO SEEMS A LITTLE TOO 'LITERATE' AND HAIKU FOR THE ZODIAC AND I DON'T SEE HIM EXPOSING HIMSELF TO THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT HE WAS SO CLEARLY UNFAMILIAR WITH.
IT "FEELS" MORE LIKE THE WORK OF AN UNHAPPY..MAYBE EVEN 'SUICIDAL' STUDENT THAN ZODIAC.
I BELIEVE HE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO 'CASH IN' ON SOMEONE ELSE'S JOB AND WHY NOT??? ...WHO WOULD COMPLAIN...THE REAL KILLER???...THE POLICE?....NOT LIKLY EITHER.
TO HIM IT WAS A WIN-WIN SITUATION AND HE WAS ASTUTE ENOUGH TO GRAB THE BRASS RING OF OPPORTUNITY.
ULTIMATELY WE FIND, AND WILL EXPLORE IN THESE PAGES, THE MIND OF THIS KILLER THROUGH HIS ACTS AND WORDS AND HE HAD LOTS TO SAY.
ONE FINAL WORD.....IN EVERY ONE OF HIS OTHER KILLINGS AND THREATS HE WAS EXTRA CAREFUL TO PROVIDE THE POLICE WITH THE TROPHEYS AND PROOFS THAT HE AND HE ALONE DID THE JOB, AND HE DIDN'T WAIT LONG TO TELL THEM MOST TIMES.....WHERE IS THE "INSTANT" PROOF HE GAVE US SO OFTEN?
