People that knew Ross

[bitterbeatpoet]

if ross liked skeeter davis its case closed...The End Of The World....????
maybe you could clarify...")

[Susie]

I am not saying that I think Ross is Z based on what this person said or any of the information we have. I just think he makes a very good and interesting suspect. I’m still very open to hearing other people’s opinions and enjoy hearing many different theories (well some of the really crazy ones I could do without). IF Ross is Z, I think what this person said makes sense as to why the tone of the letters changed the later on in the case. It also adds more doubt to his brother statement of Ross being harmless.

[zodiphile]

Good Job, Morf! I was very skeptical about Ross but i am with every POI. Any info that could rule Ross or anyone in or out is awesome. Progress is what we like!

[ophion1031]

The info provided to Morf by the new informant does in n o way rule Ross out for me. At the very least, he is a great suspect for Cheri Jo. If this guy was basically Ross' neigh ot and rarely ever saw him, that tells me that Ross probably moved around a lot...

[Marshall]

The Person I spoke to was giving,what I felt,was his honest recollection. He did add that, there was some acid going on around that time ,but he came across as honest,forthright,and not a burnout,LOL. Was he definitely sure it was 1970? I don't know, but he was giving his best recollection to the year.

This info is GREAT! I think it could point towards Ross, if the timeline could be fit around Z activity more definitely. All the guy would need would be a couple days of lucidity here and there to write and mail a letter. And, it almost seems consistent with the Stine murder - the bizarreness of it. Rolling the body to cut off the shirt piece, wiping off the car and then strolling away.

Morf, when you talk to people like this, do you ask them for names and contact info of others who were around Ross at that time? Just thinking, more perspectives, people who saw Ross in other situations, and so on. This guy might be a great lead to several others who had experiences with Ross.

Also, I hope you really make sure they know how much appreciated their cooperation is... cuz it would be understandable if they didn't quite understand that. But you're a very polite guy so I'm sure you do.

Thanks!

[1doctor]

Great find, morf! In my opinion, this is the final nail in the coffin for Ross.

[Coffee Time]

The notion that somebody was Zodiac on their good days amuses me , but I have a hard time buying that Ross could have kept the lid on his Z persona if he was that out of control.

[traveller1st]

The notion that somebody was Zodiac on their good days amuses me , but I have a hard time buying that Ross could have kept the lid on his Z persona if he was that out of control.

I was thinking the same thing.

Hey at least we have a possible reason for his weight gain ... mmmmm butter aaaggghhhhhh.

[murray]

Great work, Morf. I realize this guy's input is not conclusive evidence either way (for or against CJB, or Z) -- however it helps to begin to tell the larger story on Ross.

I agree that people are very complex; it would be unwise to try to analyze whether or not we think Ross is capable of murder based on one guy's recollection -- still, these are the interviews that will eventually lead to a critical fact or event in the timeline. Ultimately we are after the truth.

[Susie]

The notion that somebody was Zodiac on their good days amuses me , but I have a hard time buying that Ross could have kept the lid on his Z persona if he was that out of control.

You're taking the term "good day" way too literal. When someone with mental illness is on a steady therapy regiment they can go months or years with much clearer thinking. I do not believe that during the murders Z was suffering from severe mental health episodes but it's not unlikely that he started going down hill rather quickly. There was a large gap in confirmed letters and if he was receiving the support he needed his thinking could have been clearer for awhile (not literally a day). As far as being "out of control" as you put it, people with schizophrenia are not going to all of the sudden tell the world their deepest secrets and even if they did drop hints from time to time not very many people would take them seriously. They tend to blow off the things that they are saying. There is definitely a good possibility that Ross was not Z; however at this point there's also plenty of interesting circumstances that keep him on the list of interesting suspects.