Why the man Fouke saw has to be Zodiac.

[Welsh Chappie]

So what do you both think, he ran into Julius Kahn Park and hid there avoiding the many dogs, swarm of officers, and the search lights illuminating the entire area? He hasn't dashed into a car and sped away remember, he's still there somewhere in the vicinity because he's able to recount the two groups of parking, the motorcycles going by, the approx distance between the two sets of parked police cars etc. If he wasn't at or near the scene then to enable him to recall this in his letter, then someone else he knew was and told him.

He mentions the police bikes going by, the parked police cars, and could hear, maybe even see, the dogs also because they never came with two block of him. The bikes, and cars he speaks of are travelling on, or stationary and parked along, West Pacific Avenue. If he walked down the drive of 3712, reiterate IF, then that home has a gated entrance that allows access into the rear garden which back rite onto West Pacific, separated only by the wooden fence.

Why is it such a unlikely scenario that he did walk up the steps and went straight through to the rear garden to hide and wait for the storm of police activity to pass?

[Welsh Chappie]

From this front shot of the home, the gate through to the back garden area is visible.

3712-jackson with gate to back of house visable.jpg

[Tahoe27]

I think he was on the outskirts of it all...probably up on the hill by the entrance looking down. I think hanging out in a backyard of the house he was just seen at (if you want to go that route) wouldn't be such a good idea. Especially if there were dogs looking for him.

I just don't buy what Fouke says so many years later. If Fouke would have mentioned the same thing, about the house on Jackson, the cops might have gone to the house...and not the park.

[Welsh Chappie]

Seems to me this would be a good a place as any for Z to be hiding, the rear garden of 3712...

back garden of 3712 today!.png

[Welsh Chappie]

Could have been Tahoe, I've suggest previously he may have been up at the car park overlooking the Presidio in the photo to the left below. Right, the back of 3712 and the fence as seen if you are standing on West Pacific.

W P Avenue!.png

[Welsh Chappie]

Plus, here's the official listing for the home as it appeared when on the market...

3712 Jackson St official listing.png

[Nachtsider]

So what do you both think, he ran into Julius Kahn Park and hid there avoiding the many dogs, swarm of officers, and the search lights illuminating the entire area? He hasn't dashed into a car and sped away remember, he's still there somewhere in the vicinity because he's able to recount the two groups of parking, the motorcycles going by, the approx distance between the two sets of parked police cars etc. If he wasn't at or near the scene then to enable him to recall this in his letter, then someone else he knew was and told him.

He mentions the police bikes going by, the parked police cars, and could hear, maybe even see, the dogs also because they never came with two block of him. The bikes, and cars he speaks of are travelling on, or stationary and parked along, West Pacific Avenue. If he walked down the drive of 3712, reiterate IF, then that home has a gated entrance that allows access into the rear garden which back rite onto West Pacific, separated only by the wooden fence.

Why is it such a unlikely scenario that he did walk up the steps and went straight through to the rear garden to hide and wait for the storm of police activity to pass?

I think you're half right on that bolded part, Chappie.

I still maintain that the only way he could have remained in the vicinity without being spotted is for him to have run for his car, then slowly cruised through the neighbourhood, watching the search unfold.

[Welsh Chappie]

So what do you both think, he ran into Julius Kahn Park and hid there avoiding the many dogs, swarm of officers, and the search lights illuminating the entire area? He hasn't dashed into a car and sped away remember, he's still there somewhere in the vicinity because he's able to recount the two groups of parking, the motorcycles going by, the approx distance between the two sets of parked police cars etc. If he wasn't at or near the scene then to enable him to recall this in his letter, then someone else he knew was and told him.

He mentions the police bikes going by, the parked police cars, and could hear, maybe even see, the dogs also because they never came with two block of him. The bikes, and cars he speaks of are travelling on, or stationary and parked along, West Pacific Avenue. If he walked down the drive of 3712, reiterate IF, then that home has a gated entrance that allows access into the rear garden which back rite onto West Pacific, separated only by the wooden fence.

Why is it such a unlikely scenario that he did walk up the steps and went straight through to the rear garden to hide and wait for the storm of police activity to pass?

I think you're half right on that bolded part, Chappie.

I still maintain that the only way he could have remained in the vicinity without being spotted is for him to have run for his car, then slowly cruised through the neighbourhood, watching the search unfold.

Nach we were discussing this on the thread 'One man and his dog' recently and here's my POV on that, copied from the aforementioned thread...


"Glad you brought this point up because I meant to do so myself a few days ago after thinking about how the events of that night unfolded.

So, just for the purpose of this one post, let us assume that Zodiac has a vehicle parked up waiting somewhere fairly close by, somewhere either in the vicinity of Jackson and Maple, or as some have otherwise suggested, somewhere on West Pacific Avenue.

First, I personally think there is little doubt that the white male that Don Fouke encountered was the Zodiac. My reasons for doing so are based on Fouke's description of the suspects clothing being identical to the description given by Bryan Hartnell of his attacker, who we know was certainly 'Zodiac', at Lake Berryessa just two short weeks before.

So, we know that in Pacific Heights, Zodiac gets as far as 3712 on Jackson Street before being forced to take evasive action and turn onto that residence pathway to avoid Don and Eric who are approaching. As Don passes by the Zodiac and realises he's white, he then, in his own words, decides to "Step on the gas." After passing the WMA, He would arrive on Cherry 10 to 20 seconds, at most, later where he stops to talk with Armond Pelissetti. At this point, Armond enlightens Don on the description update, and Don immediately realises that the guy he just passed 45, maybe 60 seconds ago, is the suspect. Armond then continues to proceed onto Jackson Street, with Don stating that upon realising the guy was the suspect, said "We turned around to get to the presidio and our reasoning, well, my reasoning on that was because turning down Maple would lead directly through the Presidio wall and into Julius Kahn Playground which had a lot of foliage."

So, given that within only seconds of passing Zodiac as he shuffles up the steps onto the drive, you have Armond coming down Jackson, and Don and Eric turning around to go to W. Pacific Avenue, when does Zodiac have chance or time to escape? Here's a view of the routes to give a visual perspective.

Pacific Heights Route A.P and D.F small size.png

After their brief encounter on Cherry, Don Fouke turns around and is signified by the blue arrows, Armond's route by the red. Yellow Star: Location of Zodiac just a minute or so before both Fouke & Pelissetti set off on the above route's.

So, what's the point of all this? Well, the point is, or question is rather, if Zodiac has a vehicle waiting, whether it be on Jackson Street or West Pacific, how does he manage to get away considering Don is driving down West Pacific literally within a minute or two of passing Z at the Maple intersection so would clearly see any vehicles as they attempt to pull away and, the same can be said for Zodiac having a car on Jackson because Armond is on this street and would again see any vehicle as it pulls away. Once Fouke gets to the Presidio the area is very quickly surrounded and cordoned off. Zodiac simply doesn't have the time to leave 3712, get to the location of a vehicle, get in and pull away without Don or Armond being on that same road to see it.

[the ghost of zodiac]

I believe the Zodiac was never seen by police. Fact, as he already had spent extra time taking the victim's keys, wallet, and piece of his shirt then wiping down the cab. He in my opinion would not spend any more time be on the street 2-3 minutes later holding all the evidence from the victim. I believe he entered the Presidio at the closest point one minute later. I believe he crossed the park ( not stopping to wait on police) I think he proceeded to his barracks 400 yards to the Northeast where he cleaned himself up and laid on his bunk smiling as he listened to the city's wail of sirens and the sound of motorcycle officers swarming over at the park. He most certainly was glued to the TV the next day watching the news of his work while writing one of many " look at me" letter to the San Fran Chronicle..

[UKSpycatcher]

If that was the case why would the many sniffer dogs employed in the search with approximately 250 million olfactory receptors, compared to 5 odd million in humans all fail to pick up a trail. The answer I suspect is the Zodiac never entered the park or any house on Jackson Street either. Had he entered a barracks 400 yards away he wouldn't have been laughing for long.