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12-12-2020 09:13 PM - edited 12-13-2020 03:14 PM
The three men that solved the case are David Oranchak, an American computer programmer, Jarl Van Eycke a Belgian programmer and Sam Blake an Australian applied mathematician. Blake ran 650,000 computer variations to figure the direction to read the characters to solve the cipher. It was run through through the decryption software when one of the men noticed the words "gas chamber" and "the TV show." This was a reference to an AM San Francisco show on KGO-TV in October of 1969. A person calling into the show claimed to be the Zodiac and is quoted as saying "I don't want to go to the gas chamber."
Here's the message the cipher contains. I can't help but think that some relative or acquaintance knew of someone with this particular ideation. I often think that Zodiac would be likely to commit suicide, speeding up his ticket to "paradice" as he calls it.
I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS
LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH
12-12-2020 09:17 PM - edited 12-12-2020 09:19 PM
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:Okay, I give up ..... If the cipher didn't make any sense, and the person was obviously some weird version of crazy, how did they know it meant anything?
@Tinkrbl44 @Because the other ciphers he sent had meaning and law enforcement was working to decipher as soon as they could in order to fend off any future killings. After the killings there was the effort to solve the ciphers to help solve the case and through the years there have even countless persons interested in the case for many reasons including the mysterious nature of the crimes and the unknown identity of the Zodiac.
12-13-2020 02:58 AM
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:So by now he's probably dead .... and anyone who knew or suspected him could be dead. Too bad they can't get a lead from a good DNA sample somewhere ....
@Tinkrbl44 @You would think with all those stamps they could get a decent sample, but not so far.
12-13-2020 11:39 AM
@Mindy D wrote:The FBI has confirmed that a group of citizens from Belgium, the U.S. and Australia have finally deciphered the mysterious last section of the coded message sent by the serial killer. Other parts of the messages in cipher had been previously solved but this last part remained what seemed to be unsolveable even by expert and non-expert code breakers from multiple countries over these many years. The FBI is not providing more comment at this time.
The cipher is known as the 340 cipher because there are 340 characters in it. It was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969. The Zodiac sent many cards letters to newspapers. law enforcement and to individuals such as lawyer Melvin Belli. The letters were written to taunt and play with law enforcement.
The newly decoded cipher reads:
"I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me. That wasn't me on the TV show which brings up a point about me. I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me."
The Zodiac made other references in his writings about taking slaves with him to paradise. It's always made me wonder if he could have been an adherent to a faith that believes in paradise. I've also speculated that he could have been delusional and this was a schema of his delusion. He also made many references to Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, The Mikado.
Just in case you are wondering, the letters and stamps have been tested for DNA but the testing did not lead to a complete DNA profile. Other sources from the crime were also tested for DNA and prints and there have been many experts working on this case over the years. The Zodiac killed a cab driver and ripped off part of the driver's bloody shirt and then mailed the fabric. Analysis of the shirt and of the cab's door have not yielded enough material to solve the case. The Zodiac was seen unmasked by living survivors of his attacks and statements from survivors have also not led to a solution of the case. The Zodiac is known to have killed five people but is suspected of killing more.
Other sources say that the word paradise was spelled " paradice " . Hope they eventually identify who this person was who committed the crimes.
12-13-2020 02:53 PM - edited 12-13-2020 03:05 PM
@skatting44 wrote:
@Mindy D wrote:The FBI has confirmed that a group of citizens from Belgium, the U.S. and Australia have finally deciphered the mysterious last section of the coded message sent by the serial killer. Other parts of the messages in cipher had been previously solved but this last part remained what seemed to be unsolveable even by expert and non-expert code breakers from multiple countries over these many years. The FBI is not providing more comment at this time.
The cipher is known as the 340 cipher because there are 340 characters in it. It was sent to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1969. The Zodiac sent many cards letters to newspapers. law enforcement and to individuals such as lawyer Melvin Belli. The letters were written to taunt and play with law enforcement.
The newly decoded cipher reads:
"I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me. That wasn't me on the TV show which brings up a point about me. I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradise all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me."
The Zodiac made other references in his writings about taking slaves with him to paradise. It's always made me wonder if he could have been an adherent to a faith that believes in paradise. I've also speculated that he could have been delusional and this was a schema of his delusion. He also made many references to Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, The Mikado.
Just in case you are wondering, the letters and stamps have been tested for DNA but the testing did not lead to a complete DNA profile. Other sources from the crime were also tested for DNA and prints and there have been many experts working on this case over the years. The Zodiac killed a cab driver and ripped off part of the driver's bloody shirt and then mailed the fabric. Analysis of the shirt and of the cab's door have not yielded enough material to solve the case. The Zodiac was seen unmasked by living survivors of his attacks and statements from survivors have also not led to a solution of the case. The Zodiac is known to have killed five people but is suspected of killing more.
Other sources say that the word paradise was spelled " paradice " . Hope they eventually identify who this person was who committed the crimes.
@skatting44 @I've posted photo copies of some of the original letters. The Zodiac did spell paradise as 'paradice'. Thank you. You are totally correct. My quote came from CBS new online. They are probably mistaken. This is the article I got my quote from.
"Zodiac Killer's cipher solved by amateur codebreakers after 51 years"
BY CAITLIN YILEK
DECEMBER 12, 2020 / 7:03 AM / CBS NEWS
12-14-2020 11:26 PM
@Mindy D wrote:
@Dragonflyveb wrote:I think it's astounding that the killer set up this cipher long before computers. Yet, with all the technology we now have, it took this long to crack the code. That says something about the killer, no? Who would have such expertise in codes that long ago?
@Dragonflyveb @There were navy cryptologists among other specialists back then. BTW,the unsolved cipher was put into computers for solving and the computers were unable to solve it. It took three humans to solve it.
@Dragonflyveb The three humans used their own computer program developed by one of the three men, a mathematician from Belgium. It still took a human to spot a few words among that thousands of permutations he was scanning with his eyes. Had he not noticed th words "gas" "chamber" and a couple of others the cypher would not have been solved. I'm imagining that the math guy's program is going to be sought after for purchase. He was only using it strictly to help the two other guys solve the cypher.
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