One Man and His Dog.

[Seagull]

The extortion classification is because Zodiac said in his letters to the newspapers that if specific portions of his letters not were printed in the paper that he would kill people. That qualifies as extortion.

[Tahoe27]

The extortion classification is because Zodiac said in his letters to the newspapers that if specific portions of his letters not were printed in the paper that he would kill people. That qualifies as extortion.

I asked this same question at zk.com's mb and received some interesting replies. U.S. Mail being one: http://zodiackiller.fr.yuku.com/topic/1 ... zor5KhdWSo

(might be worthy of another thread)

[Welsh Chappie]

The extortion classification is because Zodiac said in his letters to the newspapers that if specific portions of his letters not were printed in the paper that he would kill people. That qualifies as extortion.

That's not extortion, that's blackmail. Some have even labelled Zodiac a domestic terrorist. I suppose he is in a way. But I cannot see how it could be classed as extortion because extortion defined in Law is: "The crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of ones office or authority."

In order for Zodiac's crimes to be classified as extortion, he'd have to have tried to blackmail the city of San Francisco by demanding he be paid $x x x or there will be more deaths.

Saying "If you do not print this cipher on your front page I will go on a kill rampage" is just blackmail. Blackmail to get the Chronicle to do what he asks by using threats and intimidation.

[Seagull]

WC, Tahoe started a thread for the discussion of the extortion classification by the FBI. Lets take over there so we don't derail this thread.

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtop ... 103&t=1523

[Welsh Chappie]

WC, Tahoe started a thread for the discussion of the extortion classification by the FBI. Lets take over there so we don't derail this thread.

http://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtop ... 103&t=1523

Ok no problem, probably deserves it's own thread as a point of discussion.

[13Zebra5]

The extortion classification is because Zodiac said in his letters to the newspapers that if specific portions of his letters not were printed in the paper that he would kill people. That qualifies as extortion.

That's not extortion, that's blackmail. Some have even labelled Zodiac a domestic terrorist. I suppose he is in a way. But I cannot see how it could be classed as extortion because extortion defined in Law is: "The crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of ones office or authority."

In order for Zodiac's crimes to be classified as extortion, he'd have to have tried to blackmail the city of San Francisco by demanding he be paid $x x x or there will be more deaths.

Saying "If you do not print this cipher on your front page I will go on a kill rampage" is just blackmail. Blackmail to get the Chronicle to do what he asks by using threats and intimidation.

Tomahtoes, tomatoes: CA Penal Code Sections 518-523. Extortion.

[Welsh Chappie]

And if Z had a car waiting on W. Pacific, then the question to DF would be, "did you see any car driving out of W. Pacific towards Presidio Blvd"? I would think if DF saw tail lights he would have given chase.

Just a minor point which struck me: DF and AP didn't know they were chasing the Zodiac. They were after a cabbie killer. So, I would think the idea of him having a getaway car parked nearby wouldn't have occurred to them - at least not as an obvious possibility. I think they were primarily - perhaps exclusively - looking for a man on foot.

That's a very good point Norse, hadn't thought of it from that angle. Armond arrives at Wash & Cherry St and see's Stine slumped over the passenger side with his clothing torn and dishevelled and Armond probably instantly thought, as would we all confronted with such a scene, 'Robbery gone wrong' as the driver seems to have been involved in a struggle. Also, this type of crime is not one that police would assume is pre-meditated murder, it appears to all intent and purpose to be an attempted robbery by passenger, driver has tried to fight assailant off and driver ends up shot dead. The motive would appear robbery, not homicide with the homicide being a result of a scuffle.

And as you say, if your a cop and your suspect has taken a cab from downtown to here, then the last thing on a cops mind is a getaway car because he's had to get a taxi to this spot as it is.

Quite clever on Zodiac's part when you think about it. The crime and it's motive, just like his letters and ciphers, appear one way at first glance, but nothing is as it appears at face value when Zodiac is involved.

[Welsh Chappie]

Another point of discussion that has no shortage of theories is the whole 'Why or how did Z end up at Wash & Chry streets when he'd asked to be taken to Wash & Maple?' After thinking about the event as a whole, I have come up with a theory (Yes, another one!

Zodiac gave Paul Washington & Maple Streets in Pacific Heights as his 'final destination.' But, for reasons unknown, the cab ends up a block further at Wash and Cherry streets. Many theories have been proposed but here's one that I have yet to hear, and one which to me would make sense...

When Don saw Zodiac he said he was "Stumbling along, like a semi-limp" down the sidewalk. Now assuming this isn't a regular medical problem that Z has to cause this, what if the following happens:

Zodiac is seen at the cab with Paul already slumped and non responsive by the three witnesses across the street. However, all three specifically state that at no point did any of them hear a shot fired. So, what if Paul did stop at his passengers intended intersection, and as he does, Zodiac shoots him in the head from behind which causes Paul to spasm, slump forward and his foot, at the time the bullet impact, tenses in a spasm and hits the gas and Zodiac doesn't get control of the pedals and is able to stop until one bock further down the road.

In the unexpected jolt forward that happens as Paul's foot automatically tenses up and hits the accelerator, Zodiac is jerked instantly and injures himself, most likely his back area. Then, as Don sees him, he's struggling to walk due to a pulled muscle in his back.

Or, who knows, Maybe Paul carried his own protection in the side door compartment and managed to look up into his rear-view mirrior just in time to see a gun raised toward his head and grabs for the gun. In the ensuing struggle, Paul reaches the knife and introduces it to the thigh of his passenger before Zodiac pulls the trigger delivering the Fatal piece of led to Paul's skull?

[Welsh Chappie]

Don Fouke with his Eagle Eye spotted that the colour of Stumbling Shuffling White Guy's Trousers were rust red, the colour that you might expect trousers to appear if the leg inside them was bleeding quite badly.

But if that was the case, there would probably have been a trail of blood leading along Cherry and Down Jackson.

[Norse]

Thanks, guys (and gals) - that's what I thought. The "armed and dangerous" refers to the suspect as such and not any particular person of interest in the investigation.

Does anyone have more info regarding my second point (above), i.e. the guy who was picked up to be identified by one of the kids across the street? I can't find anything substantial on this at all - and now I can't even remember where I came across the reference to this in the first place.