Alleged meeting arranged between Melvin Belli and the Zodiac

[Zabagliona Profile]

...not necessarily, Kram...Ted Bundy would be a good example of that...

[Pettibon Junction Profile]

It's strange in how this letter he sends Belli his printing is so much more neater than usual and has lost the entire forward slant thing. Weird when the guy claims to be 'losing it', one would think that this would usually cause someone's handwriting to deteriorate, not get better..

It's my belief that Zodiac was bipolar, with the messier letters being written during his so-called manic phase and the neater communications coming during periods of depression. I feel that, in many ways, the Belli letter was a genuine cry for help (or at least as genuine a cry as Zodiac was capable of), though I do believe there may have been ulterior motives at work.

It would also seem that during these manic phases, Z would sit down and fire off a bunch of letters at once. The three-part letter after the Ferrin murder shows his writing becoming increasingly sloppy over the course of transcribing each copy, indicating repetitive stress. Gotta wonder if Zodiac was a guy who was more comfortable typing...

[Esau Profile]

It's strange in how this letter he sends Belli his printing is so much more neater than usual and has lost the entire forward slant thing. Weird when the guy claims to be 'losing it', one would think that this would usually cause someone's handwriting to deteriorate, not get better..

He was, after all, writing to a famous attorney. Maybe he was sincere to some degree. Maybe that's why his writing appears to be neater than in other letters.

[Lucifer's Angel Profile]

It's strange in how this letter he sends Belli his printing is so much more neater than usual and has lost the entire forward slant thing. Weird when the guy claims to be 'losing it', one would think that this would usually cause someone's handwriting to deteriorate, not get better..

The letter starts off neat, and remains neat for the most part. But you can see Zodiac slip back into his usual 'manic' style with its final lines.

It's my belief that Zodiac was bipolar, with the messier letters being written during his so-called manic phase and the neater communications coming during periods of depression. I feel that, in many ways, the Belli letter was a genuine cry for help (or at least as genuine a cry as Zodiac was capable of), though I do believe there may have been ulterior motives at work.

He was, after all, writing to a famous attorney. Maybe he was sincere to some degree. Maybe that's why his writing appears to be neater than in other letters.

Totally agree with both these posts. To go off on a little tangent, I think Zodiac may even have viewed Belli as a father figure who could guide him to salvation, perhaps after seeing him on Star Trek and identifying with the kids on Triacus. A 'friendly angel', if you will.

[duckking2001 Profile]

Of course it's only speculation... but I believe that Z wrote his letters very meticulously. Whether on purpose or not his writing pretty clearly shows off his emotional state to some degree. I'm inclined to believe that his letter to Belli, truly meant as a personal correspondence, follows a more relaxed and "natural" writing style. While he may be "losing it" that might just be that he is being honest and that is why his writing comes off more neat and less frantic. That letter also seems to me to have more grammar and spelling errors than others and that might speak to him writing the way that he normally would, as opposed to a communication that he intended to be publicized.

[aquiman Profile]

Just an opinion, but I believe that the "Badlands" letter is closest to whom the man behind the mask truly was. No Z persona, threats, hints... just a letter to the editor. And no spelling errors either. He even took the time to cross out and correct the word "consternation."

-A

[smithy Profile]

Just an opinion, but I believe that the "Badlands" letter is closest to whom the man behind the mask truly was. No Z persona, threats, hints... just a letter to the editor. And no spelling errors either. He even took the time to cross out and correct the word "consternation."

-A

Yep. My long-held opinion, too. And that correction's interesting n'est pas?

[Kram Profile]

The letter starts off neat, and remains neat for the most part. But you can see Zodiac slip back into his usual 'manic' style with its final lines.

Looking at it now I see what you mean, the first third is particularly neat but does slip back a bit through the rest of the letter. Thinking about it myself as someone with pretty messy writing whenever attempting to print something neatly for once the exact same thing always happens.

[TradeName Profile]

Oakland Tribune, December 7, 1975 P34

A Farewell To Homicide

[...]

Helen Barbara Smith, who
as a secretary has handled
virtually every robbery and
homicide report in the Oakland
Police Department for
the last 12 years — a job she
did not want originally — is
retiring at the end of the year,
in concluding almost 25 years
of civil service

[...]

As far as anyone knows, she
talked to the infamous Zodiac
killer over the telephone on
one occasion. "They had my
desk wired for some time
after that but he never called
back," she said.

[...]