Zodiackillersite.com

Washington and Maple vs Washington and Cherry:
- my mind sees Maple and Cherry as streets named after trees. Then it goes to President George Washington (SF has streets named after US Presidents), and then the old story we heard about Washington cutting down a cherry tree. Teachers would bring up the story during February during Washington's birthday, and in SF, it is also the time of pink cherry tree blossoms, where we young students would tie in the blossoms into art work during that month as part of the lesson.

The cherry tree story is now seen as a myth. Did Zodiac know that and become upset about it? Is it any statement about the President, or about liars vs the truth? Was he mad at his teacher for telling him a lie?

https://www.mountvernon.org/library/dig ... tree-myth/

Also, in the SF Bay Area growing up, field trips to the Japanese Tea Gardens, with cherry trees in blossom, are common for school children, as well as tourists. It could be a truly magical experience for a young child, seeing the wonderment of the bushes, trees, flowers, fresh air. It could be a break from bullies and mean kids on a field trip day with enough chaperones, so a good memory for the killer. Or a bad memory, if something happened, someone was cruel or mean to him. Basically, it could be a make it or break it memory day of good or bad that changed his life. Remember back to your own youth, what kids were like, any memories of field trips. If the Z had ever met with a priest/chaplain, or therapist/psychiatrist, they may have asked and taken him back to this memory, good or bad, from his youth.
https://www.marinmommies.com/spring-blo ... tea-garden

The murder date was on 10/11/69. So a time when kids are back in school, could be taking a field trip, or they waited until Spring. Around Columbus Day, another holiday studied in school, like Presidents Day, that wouldn't be studied at home really with parents. Maybe he enjoyed learning at school on these holidays, and his parents berated him about it being useless, stupid, and irrelevant, and ruined the memory for him.

All good stuff...any theories as to why Zodiac may have parked his car in the Presidio area and went to the Mason / Geary area?

In theory, Zodiac could have stalked the area around Washington & Cherry, picked off any random pedestrian and achieved the same goal of murder. Therefore, we can probably conclude that the Zodiac Killer had a prescription for murder that night - he had likely planned to kill a taxicab driver and secure a piece of his shirt within the confines of the vehicle. Knowing he has to hail a taxicab at some point, and direct the driver to his desired location, it is therefore incumbent upon him to position his getaway vehicle in an area of least or limited visibility (assuming he doesn't live in San Francisco). If we look at the location, it may give us the answer to why he chose this area. It has the safety net of a wooded park, it is near a major highway (Highway 101) and you are out of San Francisco within minutes over the Golden Gate Bridge. The Zodiac Killer clearly planned his Lake Berryessa attack well in advance, and this attack was no different. He was spotted running into the park at Julius Khan playground just after 10:00 pm, negating any idea he had a car parked somewhere by Jackson and Maple. He then headed east through the park. I agree with Rex wholeheartedly - that Zodiac escaped somewhere near the Lyon Street Steps, near Presidio Boulevard.

I never read anywhere that Zodiac was spotted entering the park after Stine's murder!

This was Zodiac, unless somebody matching Zodiac's description by four previous people just happened to be entering the park just minutes after the murder.

we don't know that zodiac asked for washington and maple, only that it was printed on the taxi ticket.

What I was doing in an earlier comment was speculating that it may not have been Zodiac that Stine picked up near Mason and Geary to get the experts thoughts. Based on what I have now researched and the comments, the chances are high that the Zodiac was picked up by Stine. I understand why Zodiac parked his car in the Presidio to facilitate his escape. What is bothering me is that why would he presumably take a bus to the Mason and Geary area? Why wouldn't he hunt for a target in the Presidio where he was already parked? In my mind, it doesn't fit the prior murders where he just went to a particular location. He really wasn't particular in the prior murders other than targeting couples in lovers lane. Why a cabbie? Did Zodiac go to the Mason and Geary area for a reason? Did he forget something? Did he work in the area? Did he live in the area? Why did he go there? I'm sure others have asked the same questions. It might not be a big deal to some on the board, but to me, it's a quandary.

Quicksilver wrote:What I was doing in an earlier comment was speculating that it may not have been Zodiac that Stine picked up near Mason and Geary to get the experts thoughts. Based on what I have now researched and the comments, the chances are high that the Zodiac was picked up by Stine. I understand why Zodiac parked his car in the Presidio to facilitate his escape. What is bothering me is that why would he presumably take a bus to the Mason and Geary area? Why wouldn't he hunt for a target in the Presidio where he was already parked? In my mind, it doesn't fit the prior murders where he just went to a particular location. He really wasn't particular in the prior murders other than targeting couples in lovers lane. Why a cabbie? Did Zodiac go to the Mason and Geary area for a reason? Did he forget something? Did he work in the area? Did he live in the area? Why did he go there? I'm sure others have asked the same questions. It might not be a big deal to some on the board, but to me, it's a quandary.

Certainly easier to pick a cab driver of your choice--which is an easy kill, imo. Paul even resembled Zodiac that night.

Quicksilver wrote:What I was doing in an earlier comment was speculating that it may not have been Zodiac that Stine picked up near Mason and Geary to get the experts thoughts. Based on what I have now researched and the comments, the chances are high that the Zodiac was picked up by Stine. I understand why Zodiac parked his car in the Presidio to facilitate his escape. What is bothering me is that why would he presumably take a bus to the Mason and Geary area? Why wouldn't he hunt for a target in the Presidio where he was already parked? In my mind, it doesn't fit the prior murders where he just went to a particular location. He really wasn't particular in the prior murders other than targeting couples in lovers lane. Why a cabbie? Did Zodiac go to the Mason and Geary area for a reason? Did he forget something? Did he work in the area? Did he live in the area? Why did he go there? I'm sure others have asked the same questions. It might not be a big deal to some on the board, but to me, it's a quandary.

If your intent was to hail a cab, it would make sense to go to the Union Square area, which extended to the theater district.

There weren't many other areas in San Francisco where you could routinely and easily hail a cab.

I agree w quicksilver - it has always seemed like too many moving parts.

park near presidio
get to union square
hail taxi back to presidio area
escape to car
presumably take car over bridge

lots of time to chicken out, be interrupted
to not be in control of things...

Although it could be said that berryessa was a move out of the shadows into the open - pretty brazen

Of course, what if Z had aleady established this as a route. Park in a quiet area near the park, head downtown, then get back to car - in a way sounds like a nice way to do things in SF