Ross Sullivan in Santa Cruz

[bitterbeatpoet]

do you find it interesting that both of these men were detained
because of their likeness to the Z composite? yet, here is Ross,
who the Santa Cruz police seemed to be familiar with. who could
look anything more like the composite sketch? one more reason why
i have little faith in much of the Z investigation.

[Holmes201]

If you go to San Jose Public Library website, they have pictures ( SJPL's) Digital Collections. It shows pictures of flooding of the Agnew Hospital grounds. In fact one picture shows the flooding near the old maintenance buildings. The letter from Zodiac mentioning flooding his work shop/ basement, during the heavy rains.

[doranchak]

This is interesting:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s1/sh/45 ... a31bbb2596

The article mentions that in a two year period ending September 1969, Agnews State Hospital had reduced their patient population from 2,500 to 1,200.

Makes me wonder if Ross was at Agnews and was simply released due to reduced mental health funding by the state of California.

[doranchak]

The article also talks how LPS conservatorships went into effect July 1, 1969, and has many details about how they work.

[Holmes201]

From the sound of it, the understaffing and the sheer size of the Hospital grounds and out buildings it seems a reasonable idea thar Ross could have access to these various trade shops without to much trouble.

[Holmes201]

The article also talks how LPS conservatorships went into effect July 1, 1969, and has many details about how they work.

It appears that the hospital was very lax in its operation by 1969. It seems that Ross fell threw the cracks.

[Tahoe27]

The article also talks how LPS conservatorships went into effect July 1, 1969, and has many details about how they work.

It appears that the hospital was very lax in its operation by 1969. It seems that Ross fell threw the cracks.

Why do you believe Ross fell threw the cracks?

[morf13]

They cut their patients in half, it's possible Ross had the streets. Wonder when the actual release happened for these patients?

[Holmes201]

The article also talks how LPS conservatorships went into effect July 1, 1969, and has many details about how they work.

It appears that the hospital was very lax in its operation by 1969. It seems that Ross fell threw the cracks.

Why do you believe Ross fell threw the cracks?

I think he was medicated and discharged along with over 1,200 patients at this time. Funding was cut. Understaffing and underfunded equates to inadequate care. The trend was to send the patients back to the cities they resided before committal. Push them off the state' responibliites and have the cities and towns carry the financial burden. He fell through the cracks because he was a sick man who was sent home without being cured. Where would he get expert treatment for his mental disorder besides at the expert facilities of the state?

[Seagull]

I agree that Ross probably fell through the cracks. Ross was admitted to the mental health care system at a time when funding to the mental health hospital was in decline. It was felt that many of these patients could do better by being in the mainstream population while being cared for on an out patient basis. The mental health population in California state hospitals was cut almost in half between 1959 and 1969. Unfortunately, there were not enough programs in place on the outside to accommodate the influx of mental patients hitting the streets. There was not enough housing nor general oversight that these patients were receiving the care and medication they needed.

This is an older article, but it's a good one, regarding the mental health care situation in the US.

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/30/scien ... began.html