Conjecture: Zodiac Indeed Used Fake Clews

While I generally ascribe to the theory of a “truthful” Zodiac in his letters, let me point out what I believe to be an obvious time he was not truthful and attempted throw people off the trail.

In the “Bus Bomb” letter of November 9, 1969, Zodiac says he left fake clews (his misspelling of “clues”) for the cops when he spent so much time wiping down Paul Stine’s cab, unaware he was being witnessed.

“If you wonder why I was wipeing the cab down I was leaving fake clews for the police to run all over town with, as one might say, I gave the cops som bussy work to do to keep them happy. I enjoy needling the blue pigs.”

I think there are two things one can take from this passage.

First, obviously the idea of leaving “fake clews” has crossed the mind of Zodiac. Whether he actually left fake clues is unknown, but he was aware of the tactic. It is almost certain he did so at some point.

Second, it is clear that Zodiac is lying, and here’s why: Zodiac would certainly be aware of what uncaught criminals and pranksters know instinctively–that once the crime has been committed you need to GET THE F OUTTA THERE—get away from the crime scene ASAP. As the instantaneous prank, or instantaneous crime would be uncatchable, the ones that take a long time to commit are eminently CATCH-able.

Prior to the crime, right up to the moment that the first anti-social act is committed, you can mosey around, case the situation, change plans if you need to, make sure no one is watching. Sure, you don’t want to be seen, but if you are, you can still abort the mission, you haven’t done anything wrong yet.

All this changes once the crime is committed. Then the clock is running. Seconds count. Moreover, you are in great danger and that danger is rising. Fast. Every second you hang around the crime scene your risk rises. Stay there one minute, two minutes, anything over a few seconds, and the risk of being seen skyrockets. As people, cars, police may be approaching from any direction (or as children who did see Zodiac and told their parents, who then called the police), the risks rise exponentially, not linearly.

There would have to be a very good reason to spend any time at the scene, let alone a minute or two. A VERY good reason that would justify the risk. This would not be the time to dally around leaving fake clues. You can leave fake clues later, when it’s vastly safer. That’s what he’s doing in the letter—leaving fake clues–trying to devalue and obscure that he screwed up and was seen thoroughly wiping down the cab. Zodiac’s claim that he used airplane glue on his fingertips is also attempting to throw off investigators.

No, the only thing that would be worthwhile to stay at the crime scene that long would be to obscure REAL CLUES or the even scarier POTENTIAL REAL CLUES. You do more because you think the possibility exists something could lead back to you.

Wiping down the car and emptying Stine’s pockets had to have been important to the killer. He thought his, or someone else’s, fingerprints could be on that driver side door. Or a hair follicle or something on the dashboard, the steering wheel. And he thought something in Paul Stine’s pockets might also lead back to him. A business card, an address, a show program, it could be anything. While he was doing all of this, he was unaware he was being watched.

Then, after reading the articles in the press and noting the children had watched his time-consuming behavior at the murder scene, he realized it was a path to catching him. It became in his interest to cast doubt upon wiping the cab and emptying the pocket as being significant. Add in the time it took to rip the shirt and he’s really risking getting caught.

I conjecture that later, upon realizing he had been witnessed, he utilized the idea of “fake clews.”

Excerpt from The Only Time Richard Got Angry at Me