Hello, all. I received another email from someone who is related to Ross. Here is what he wrote (with a couple typo corrections) in the two emails in which he described what he knows.
February 22, 2017
Eric, we have recently been made aware of Ross' possible relation to both the Cheri Jo Bates homicide and rumored connections to the Zodiac. I will tell you both my father and I are in law enforcement and have had contact with the current investigators in California, one of which seemed to quickly dismiss Ross' connection, we went as far offering to have a cousin supply DNA for comparison.
My father is Ross' first cousin and we still have contact with Ross' brother John Sullivan, who is in California.
Let me talk to my father, he may be more adapt at providing you with information that you seek.
This I do know, Ross was in the area during the Cheri Jo Bates time, was "sent away", which my parents believed to have meant he was institutionalized for some time. On occasions my mother asked about Ross and she was told that he had passed away unexpectedly, only to find out that he passed years later, according to my parents it seemed like the family had a dirty little secret they were trying to conceal. My father spent time with Harold's three sons growing up they would come visit his mother, Grace (Sullivan) Flaherty. My father describes all three cousins as extremely intelligent, however, he says that Ross was odd, socially awkward.
June 5, 2017
I have periodically been talking with my parents about Ross. I am not sure that they have much more information to offer. My father is a few years younger that Ross, he is John's age. He was a young child when Ross, John and Tom could come to Connecticut to visit his mother. My father did say that it was always thought that Harold had deserted the boys after Harriet had died, but my father clearly remembers that Harold had left prior to Harriet dying and once Harriet died the three boys were placed into an orphanage. He is not sure exactly that was, but it was definitely in California. He says that growing up they always lived in California except for a short time when Harold had brought Harriet, John, Tim and Ross to the east coast where they lived in up-state New York for a short time.
My mother says she clearly remembers having a conversation with Tim one time shortly before or shortly after my sister was born (1966) when she asked about Ross. According to my mother Tim told her that Ross had died while in an insane asylum. She always thought it was odd that they were told Ross died about ten years earlier than he actually did in 1977.
Both of my parents said that they never really had much contact with Ross, Tim or John because that always lived on the west coast, or in Canada when they were dodging the draft. They both were not able to recall any of Ross' interests, knew if he was into collecting military items. My father said he never knew Ross to even have a license and therefore couldn't tell me if he even ever owned a car.
My mother said that other family had discovered the connection with Ross and the Cheri Jo Bates homicide back some years ago and that John had been asked about it and he said "it's bull shit".
Like I think I told you before, my father always said that all three boys were very smart, but that Ross was always odd and they knew that he was in and out of institutions
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