The Zodiac Killer

A short note that seemed to confirm Kathleen Johns' claim was sent to the Chronicle on July 24, 1970.  Although several Bay Area newspapers had reported on Johns' abduction, only the relatively small Modesto Bee included the detail that her car had been burned, and many cite this as evidence that it truly was the Zodiac that Ms. Johns rode with.  Sent with this note was a lengthy perversion of the song "I've Got a Little List" from Gilbert & Sullivan's musical, The Mikado.  Its postscript refers back to the June letter and its unsolved 32-character cipher.

This is the Zodiac speaking

I am rather unhappy because you people will not wear some nice [crossed-circle] buttons.  So now I have a little list, starting with that woeman + her baby that I gave a rather interesting ride for a coupple howers one evening a few months back that ended in my burning her car where I found them. 

[Crossed-circle]

As someday it may happen that a victom must be found.  I've got a little list.  I've got a little list, of society offenders who might well be underground who would never be missed who would never be missed.  There is the pestulentual nucences who whrite for autographs, all people who have flabby hands and irritating laughs.  All children who are up in dates and implore you with im platt.  All people who are shaking hands shake hands like that.  And all third persons who with unspoiling take thos who insist.  They'd none of them be missed.  They'd none of them be missed.  There's the banjo seranader and the others of his race and the piano orginast I got him on the list.  All people who eat pepermint and phomphit in your face, they would never be missed.  They would never be missed And the Idiout who phraises with inthusiastic tone of centuries but this and every country but his own.  And the lady from the provences who dress like a guy who doesn't cry and the singurly abnomily the girl who never kissed.  I don't think she would be missed Im shure she wouldn't be missed.  And that nice impriest that is rather rife the judicial hummerist I've got him on the list All funny fellows, commic men and clowns of private life.  They'd none of them be missed.  They'd none of them be missed.  And uncompromising kind such as wachamacallit, thingmebob, and like wise, well-nevermind, and tut tut tut tut, and whatshisname, and you know who, but the task of filling up the blanks I rather leave up to you.  But it really doesn't matter whom you place upon the list, for none of them be missed, none of them be missed. 

[Another giant crossed-circle, more than half the page]

PS.  The Mount Diablo Code concerns Radians + # inches along the radians.

A radian is a specific angular measurement based on the transcendental number pi.  It is equal to a circle (or 360 degrees) divided by 2pi (or 6.23818...).  The resulting degree, whose legs are equal in length to the length of the arc they form, is equal to 57.29578... degrees.

Two days later, exactly one month after the Mount Diablo letter, the Zodiac sent his thirteenth mailing, devoted to the tortures that his slaves would undergo in the afterlife. The penultimate sentence is another corruption of The Mikado.

This is the Zodiac speaking

Being that you will not wear some nice [crossed-circle] buttons, how about wearing some nasty [crossed-circle] buttons.  Or any kind of [crossed-circle] buttons you can think up.  If you do not wear any type of [crossed-circle] buttons, I shall (on top of everything else) torture all 13 of my slaves that I have waiting for me in Paradice.  Some I shall tie over ant hills and watch them scream + twich and squirm.  Others shall have pine splinters driven under their nails + then burned.  Others shall be placed in cages + fed salt beef untill they are gorged then I shall listen to their pleass for water and I shall laugh at them.  Others will hang by their thumbs + burn in the sun then I will rub them down with deep heat to warm them up.  Others I shall skin them alive + let them run around screaming.  And all billiard players I shall have them play in a darkened dungen cell with crooked cues + Twisted Shoes.  Yes I shall have great fun in flicting the most delicious of pain to my slaves 

[Giant crossed circle, about half the length of the page] = 13

SFPD = 0