Mailboxes

[Cragle]

Even before the Stine attack he was posting from the SF Richmond area, /quote]
My best guess - and it's merely and educated guess - is that if he lived in Vallejo, he took the 37 to the 101 across the Golden Gate and straight into north SF. From there he could continue down the 101 towards the Van Ness-Union mailing site, the Stine pickup site, the SF Chronicle/Examiner, etc. or take he exit to Route 1 straight into the Presidio, Richmond, and points south.

It appears that it was traveling convenience if nothing else.

ETA - I'd like to see the letters compared geographically and then chronologically. Perhaps his dropoffs changed over time.

Is something like this what you mean ?

[Xcaliber]

<Last month, I filed a FOIA request from the United States Postal Inspection Service for their records and documents pertaining to the Zodiac Killer case. I thought it might provide some information regarding the postal aspect of the case.>

Good idea, thanks for trying this.

[Cragle]

<Last month, I filed a FOIA request from the United States Postal Inspection Service for their records and documents pertaining to the Zodiac Killer case. I thought it might provide some information regarding the postal aspect of the case.>

Good idea, thanks for trying this.

Well said.

[Chaucer]

Cragle,

Yes, this is terrific. There DOES seem to be a pattern. The early letters were mostly mailed from northern SF, but as time passed the letters became more and more far flung. I wonder if this can be attributed to Zodiac's behavior or perhaps a change in the way the letters were picked up and processed.

Do you have any observations?

[Cragle]

Cragle,

Yes, this is terrific. There DOES seem to be a pattern. The early letters were mostly mailed from northern SF, but as time passed the letters became more and more far flung. I wonder if this can be attributed to Zodiac's behavior or perhaps a change in the way the letters were picked up and processed.

Do you have any observations?

What struck me was the lack of mailings from the east side of the bay. I think if anything this lands weight to the argument that he was not from Vallejo. If as Xcaliber states the I-80 would have been the route take from Vallejo to SF, I would expected some pattern from that side. The road in Red is obviously the I-101, the map does seem to indicate that he frequently used that road rather than the I80.

Another puzzling aspect is :-

Reno - San Francsico - Reno, Seems quite a large distance to alternate between. So you would have to believe on those two dates he had a reason to be in that region. Especially when you consider that there is only two days (Sunday and then Tuesday) between the later two, this was also the only time during his first spree of letters (Excluding the Initial 3 408 letters) that it was a weekday.

[Xcaliber]

If he didn't live in San Francisco, logic might say he worked there, and had a somewhat flexible job, that allowed him to make the various weekday mail drops.

Maybe he was a cab driver.

[Chaucer]

That's interesting! I would take the alternate view: I think it lends credence to the idea he WAS from Vallejo. Think about it...if you are a murderer and don't want to get caught. Do you mail taunting letters from the mailbox down the street? Or do you mail them from places AWAY from your home to avoid detection? I think he avoided mailing letters from the east side of the Bay to avoid having any investigation near where he lived.

Also, (and I know I may get slammed for saying this) "actual" Zodiac letters - meaning those excluding any mailed after 1970 - were all mailed from either north San Fran or Reno. So if we exclude the questionable ones, it really comes down to those locations.

Even the 11th mailing (the Pace card) is questionable. So you have one confirmed letter from Reno and the rest in north San Francisco. Not sure what that indicates, but I think it's interesting nonetheless.

[Cragle]

That's interesting! I would take the alternate view: I think it lends credence to the idea he WAS from Vallejo. Think about it...if you are a murderer and don't want to get caught. Do you mail taunting letters from the mailbox down the street? Or do you mail them from places AWAY from your home to avoid detection? I think he avoided mailing letters from the east side of the Bay to avoid having any investigation near where he lived.

Also, (and I know I may get slammed for saying this) "actual" Zodiac letters - meaning those excluding any mailed after 1970 - were all mailed from either north San Fran or Reno. So if we exclude the questionable ones, it really comes down to those locations.

Even the 11th mailing (the Pace card) is questionable. So you have one confirmed letter from Reno and the rest in north San Francisco. Not sure what that indicates, but I think it's interesting nonetheless.

It was the Kathleen Johns and the Halloween card which had the 89 postmarks Chaucer, I've not included the Pace or Pines cards.

I don't know, working on that logic would he commit two attacks in Vallejo, Make a phone call from Vallejo and Napa and send a letter to the Vallejo newspaper ?

Unfortunately I am struggling to find a good copy of the Dragon Card envelope so I still have not got a clue where that one was mailed.

[Xcaliber]

Are you sure that letter is confirmed as mailed from Reno?

[Xcaliber]

< I would take the alternate view: I think it lends credence to the idea he WAS from Vallejo. Think about it...if you are a murderer and don't want to get caught. Do you mail taunting letters from the mailbox down the street? Or do you mail them from places AWAY from your home to avoid detection? I think he avoided mailing letters from the east side of the Bay to avoid having any investigation near where he lived.>

Perhaps, but it didn't work.