ROSS & THE RCC LIBRARY

[Tahoe27]

By no means do I wish to sound argumentative, but it seems to me that Sullivan's candidacy (at least, as Bates' killer) is largely based on his scaring a librarian. Hundreds--probably, thousands--of people were in and out of the RCC Library. We know Cheri was a frequent visitor there--her photo on the front page of the school paper certainly suggests this. Further, that photo would have alerted anyone attending RCC who had a grudge against Cheri that the Library might prove a good staging area for an attack on her.

Except I don't think that photo was Cheri after seeing the clear version.

***

As to Joanne being involved, the thought never crossed my mind.

Surely if she and others felt this way, and her being a librarian there, she was interviewed at the time or at the very least expressed her concerns in regards to Cheri's murder at the time Cheri was killed. I cannot see her avoiding LE if she felt this strongly about Ross. I agree with Morf that she probably brought this up years later at the request of someone else--probably Peterson like mentioned.

IF her letter was written in 1977 it's curious since Ross died in 1977, but that could just be a coincidence. She didn't seem to know he was dead, but one has to wonder why did this come to light then?

This Harry Beck guy has probably passed on or is very old, but what about Reference Librarian "Winifred Turner"--has anyone (morf) tried contacting her? http://www.zodiackiller.com/BatesHeadline2.html

[Norse]

I really hope LE did not drop Ross as a suspect just because "he had an alibi." That would be very irresponsible on their part.

That surely depends entirely on what the alibi was. And we don't know that.

[Norse]

OK, ill bite........what is the case?

There aren't any details in the letter which were known only by the killer and the cops. The only possible detail is the phone call, but RPD have never confirmed that they received any such call. I don't think they did, personally: They seem to doubt the letter themselves, which they wouldn't have if a call had actually been made.

[monarch]

One detail in the confession letter was "A small knife at her throat".
I don't think it was known she was murdered with a small knife.

[Dag MacLugh]

Tahoe: Maybe the "clear vision" of the photo doesn't look like Cheri to you, but the one on the cover of the college paper sure looks like her to me. And, it does to several others I've discussed it with, including one guy who knew her back when. I don't remember his name, but he said he'd bought her VW, and some papers of hers were still in the glove compartment. Wish I'd asked him what they were!

[snooter]

With ross mental issues could he have been manipulated into committing the cjb homicide...

[bitterbeatpoet]

One detail in the confession letter was "A small knife at her throat".
I don't think it was known she was murdered with a small knife.

thanks Morf. i love the way some people on this site leave out
relevant information to suit their story. it was mentioned in the
letter sent by Riverside to Napa. i think 3 1/2 inch blade. i call that
nothing but a pocket knife. i can't imagine planning ahead to kill someone
with a knife that small. most likely, that would be heat of the moment.
also, where she was found was between 2 vacant houses the College
had bought for future growth. wouldn't it seem that the killer would
have known this. which again points towards anything but random.
most likely he knew her, her car, something about Volkswagens and
the library itself. now, i wonder who fits that description?

[Tahoe27]

bbp---What about Monarch's post did you feel relevant to yours? Am I missing something?

[bitterbeatpoet]

the size of the knife. when was this information made public?
the confession letter refers to, "a small knife." if that info had
not already been made public, most likely the letter-writer
was also the killer. does that male any sense?

[Dag MacLugh]

Two considerations: 1. That the RCC Library was open on Sunday night. How many people other than RCC students/faculty/employees would have known that?
2. That the "Wing Walker" footprints found at the scene of Cheri's death, and suggestive that her killer was service-related (probably Navy) were also the type of
footprints found at Lake Berryessa in 1969?