Theory by Timo P.
copyright © 2014 Timo P.
zodiackillerpuzzle@gmail.com
1. Introduction
First i want to apologize my poor english. That is why i have included lot of pictures. You can click pictures to see them bigger.This is my eight-months work try to solve Zodiac`s 340 Cipher. Along the way I realized the extent of the mystery. It forced me to make a summary of my work. My theory main idea is that all strange things in letters are clues for Cipher. Letters contain puzzles that will open 340Cipher piece by piece. You can`t solve 340Cipher without letters and vice versa. They belong together. There is no short cut. You have to go the route decided by Zodiac. For that reason the first task is to ensure that all needed letters are in a safe place and available to all read. If even one genuine letter is missing, cipher may be impossible to decrypt.
There are many things done suspicious ways in letters. For example style to write text over a line. There are three letters were Zodiac has done this way.
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| Example |
I believe that Zodiac was preparing this for years. All key letters were ready and he only delayed of mailing them. For example when 340Cipher was posted it was impossible to crack without unposted letters. This way people get frustrated and Zodiac could decide by himself when cipher is breakable. He could sleep nights without worry that someone cracks cipher.
On the following pages I will try to clarify my thoughts on 340Cipher. They are only theories and I hope people see them that way. So what to do with 340Cipher. I can think two things 1. Find a bus-bomb in cipher 2. Find buttons in cipher. Read ahead and you know what I mean…
2. Celestial Navication
Step 1
In the Mt. Diablo map, ”is to be set to Mag. N.”, is written over a line so that the line cuts across b, o and N. This could mean that Zodiac tries to tell that these letters are at the same column. If you rotate cipher 180 degrees, symbol 9 looks like b. All these three letters at same column can be found only in one cipher column. So if these assumptions are correct Zodiac is pointing this column in cipher.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 1 |
Step 2
N and b are positioned in column exactly same way as in map. Also peak of Mt. Diablo is in same place as dot in cipher. So this formation is telling location of compass rose center in cipher.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 2 |
Step 3
I have rotated cipher counterclockwise 90 degrees. Under O is Z that looks like letter N now. They are exactly same way as in map. This time a dot in cipher is in same place as O in compass rose of Mt. Diablo map. So this formation is telling an angle for O - 6 line of compass rose.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 3 |
Step 4
Now we can transfer compass rose from map to cipher. We know center and angle. 0 is now set about mag. north.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 4 |
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Step 5
Compass rose in Diablo map is numbered so that it is divided 12 parts and starts from zero and ends at number eleven.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 5 |
Step 6
In analysis
"The Zodiac Killer and Celestial Navigation"
Michael Cole suggests that compass rose is for celestial Navigation.
There are also astrological signs in cipher for example sun and
equinox/solstice. Compass rose is divided in 12 parts and each part is
30 degrees wide. 0-30 is Aries and so on.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 6 |
Step 7
Each zodiac sign represent month. Aries is April and so on.
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| Celestial Navigation, Step 7 |
3. Mt. Diablo Code
Step 1
There are two symbols in Mt. Diablo Code that can`t be found in 340Cipher. First one looks like Aries symbol upside down and second one is like Libra but underscore is missing. Maybe they refer to these zodiac sign sectors in cipher. In code next to Aries symbol are mirror K, half-filled square, H, C and A. Only H can be found in cipher`s Aries sector. Also only one P is in cipher`s Libra sector. That concludes us, that overlapping symbols make a pair so that C is pair to X and so on.
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| Diablo Code, Step 1 |
Step 2 - 14
Then start finding these pair of symbols in cipher. First are C and X. It is logical to look for the symbols in the same column. With C and X we can make two lines. Then do the same for all pairs.
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| Diablo Code, Step 2 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 3 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 4 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 5 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 6 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 7 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 8 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 9 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 10 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 11 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 12 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 13 |
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| Diablo Code, Step 14 |
Step 15
T and G don’t have pairs so they are dots.
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| Diablo Code, Step 15 |
Step 16
Now we can put all together. We have many lines and thirteen dots. Five T, six G, H in Aries sector and P in Libra sector.
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| Diablo Code, Step 16 |
So Mt. Diablo code could be instruction to draw lines and dots in 340Cipher. Zodiac himself gives a clue what to do with these lines “ The map coupled with this code will tell you where the bomb is set”. So my theory is that with all the lines we drew, the bus bomb can be found in cipher. I don’t think there ever was a real bomb. It was all part of this puzzle. And what is the point saying, quote” Tell every one about the bus bomb with all the details”. Why details? Maybe because details are part of the picture what is hidden in cipher.
4. Bus Bomb Diagram One (Cloudy Day)
Mirror and Road
First Bus Bomb diagram is in Bus Bomb letter`s page five. Upper left corner of page it reads “mirror” and one arrow comes to it and one leaves. Under mirror is one horizontal line, then road and second line. In cipher`s first column there are two arrows which first is pointing up and second down. Diablo Code horizontal lines help us now see the road. Under this “mirror” is one line we have drawn, four columns without line and then line again. This is mirror and road.
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| Mirror and Road |
Bom bs
Zodic has a strange writing style to put spacing within some words. In Bus Bomb page five there is two this kind of word, Bom bs and pass es. You can thing this is not intentional. But if this is intentional, what it could mean. It reads ” Bom bs ( 1 bag each)” over five bombs. If you look closely the letter O has a dot in center.
Letter b can be cipher 9 if cipher is upside down. Only one place in cipher b and S are side by side. B, O with dot and M can be found written in diagonally. W is now M because our cipher is upside down. I have drawn Diablo Code Lines now in cipher. From each symbol starts a line which leads to filled circle symbol. For example from letter S there is only one direction where filled circle symbol can be. Five filled circle symbols represents bombs in bomb diagram. All five letters can be found in correct order in cipher so that it reads “Bom bs”. Now we understand why there was spacing in word Bom bs. This word is spilt in two parts in 340Cipher too.
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| Bom bs |
Battery
Letter G in cipher looks like 6. You can find G, V and dot in a row one place in cipher. It could represent battery. There are two batteries in bus bomb diagram. Only one can be found in cipher. Maybe X symbol before battery indicates that two wires come to it.
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| Battery |
Orthographic projection
Zodiac has drawn timer using
Orthographic projection. There is right view and front view. Both views have diagonal other end. In cipher there are three diagonal line symbols. Two of them can form a pair with straight line so that right view is six symbols high and front view is five symbols wide. This add up to views in bus bomb picture. Right view`s L shape spike is not in middle, but little more up. That’s why upper L symbol in cipher could be correct. Front view`s center spike could be upside T in cipher. These views are maybe used to draw timer in cipher.
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| Orthographic projection |
Timer
Now i have drawn timer in cipher using right and front view dimensions. Maybe whole purpose of these views is that you can find them in cipher and draw timer with them. What is interesting that timer is not circle but ellipse in bus bomb`s picture. Right view is longer than front view. Why Zodiac has drawn it this way. If bus bomb picture`s timer is just a picture of timer then it would have been much more easier to draw it as circle.
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| Timer |
All Together
Here are all pieces of Bus Bomb Diagram one i have found. Still missing wires, relay, flashlight, photoelectric switch, cardboard tubes and copper leaf springs. Maybe you can find circuit diagram symbols in cipher which are telling how electricity is moving?
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| All Together |
5. Bus Bomb Diagram Two (Sunny day)
Sun, Road, Bus and Bomb
Second Bus Bomb Diagram is in "My Name Is"- letter. In upper part of diagram is picture of road. If you turn cipher 90 degrees counter clockwise, horizontal lines of Mt. Diablo code are organized in way that in center is five lines side by side, then space and one line in both sides. This is road. In center of upper edge line of road is arrow pointing down in letter and cipher. Also lower edge line has arrow, but in cipher it is pointing right. This is indicating sun beam direction. Bus is coming along the road. One bomb is on the route of bus.
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| Sun, Road, Bus and Bomb |
Cross, Step 1
There is a cross in My name is… letter bomb diagram. Cross split page so that in lower right corner is zodiac mark=10 and SFPD=0. Vertical line of the cross goes between o and p and over e in text “ I hope you have fun trying to figure out who I killed”. Above horizontal line it reads “want go off by accid. If you find these letters from cipher you can´t make a line that make sense. And you don’t have coordinates for horizontal line. You also need to forget that letters looks different in letter and cipher, which isn’t nice, even though I think there is puzzles where you need to forget that for example little e in letter means cipher E. In bus bomb letter first page is a line what splits page in half. Above line it reads “ a few fake accidents, etc.”. In My name is… bomb diagram there is same kind of words “-ect and accid”. First I thought it was coincidence. If you try to find o and p in bus bomb letter first page you find out there is only one op in whole page in the word “people”. If you draw vertical line between o and p so that it is in 90 degrees relation to the top of letter, the line goes over e in letters last line word “the”. Now we have similar crosses in bus bomb letter first page and in bomb diagram page. Both vertical lines goes between op and over e. Also you can find word “ accid” above both horizontal lines.
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| Cross, Step 1 |
Cross, Step 2
Second step is to transfer that cross to cipher. Bus bomb Letter left side has a number 1. It has drawn so that it looks like cipher`s diagonal line symbol /. Over that number 1 is fifteen lines. If you rotate 340Cipher 180 degrees you have in lower left side of cipher the same / symbol and over that are fifteen lines. Letter`s first line has Z in near middle. Also our upside down cipher has Z in same place. Now we know both vertical and horizontal lines places. Horizontal line is drawn between third and fourth line over symbol / and vertical is drawn left side of Z in our upside down cipher so that it goes between 0 and Z.
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| Cross, Step 2 |
Cross, Step 3
Cipher is now divided by cross. The lower right corner is same corner where in bomb diagram cross has zodiac sign= 10 and SFPD=0. If you find letters SFPD in that cipher corner you find only one of each. This is only corner where it is like that. There is also just one Zodiac symbol. I don’t know what this all mean. My theory is that Zodiac symbols in cipher represent victims. Purpose of this cross is to find Zodiac symbol that is tenth victim.
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| Cross, Step 3 |
6. Buttons
In Dragon card Zodiac says“ I would like to see some nice Zodiac butons wondering about town”. In many other letters Zodiac is also writing about buttons. Mt. Diablo letter Quote “ I have become very upset with the people of San Fran Bay Area. They have not complied with my wishes for them to wear some nice buttons”. Little list letter quote “ Being that you will not wear some nice buttons, how about wearing some nasty buttons. Or any type of buttons that you can think up “. In all quotes Zodiac has drawn his signature mark before word button. This is very strange that he keeps reminding about these buttons. My theory is that he wants us to change 340Cipher symbols to Zodiac symbols so that in the end maybe over hundred symbols are changed to Zodiac symbols. Puzzles in letters are telling which symbols need to be changed. These symbols are representing victims. Not necessarily yet. But there is this pattern and zodiac can kill them later. Location of Zodiac symbol in cipher define time and weapon of murder. After Stine`s murder Zodiac said that he don’t confess murders any more, but do them in secret. Maybe he still continued killings and filled the missing victims in cipher. In Hello it`s me letter Zodiac says “ At all my victims bodies I have left certain clues, but I guess it`s too much for you rebels to handle”. Perhaps this was through and he was leaving clues on victims bodies. Also in one of the unconfirmed letter, that was send in 1986, he claims that “ the body count is growing now 100+ all over the state of Ca and Na”. Perhaps this was also true.
Des July Aug Sept Oct =7
Cipher is now divided into sections by months. Every month has own sector. In Dripping-Pen Card puzzle Zodiac writes “ Des July Aug Sept Oct =7”. If month means cipher`s sectors then the solution has to be seven O symbols. That is only symbol with seven pieces. There is no symbol O in july sector. That makes you wonder why it is listed in puzzle. I don’t know the answer. I still believe this is right and what supports this theory is that two O symbols are also marked in following two puzzles.
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| Des July Aug Sept Oct =7 |
Must Print in Paper, Diagram 1
“Must print in paper” is written in left end of Bus Bomb letter third page. Right end of page is d in word "said" that looks like diagonal symbol in cipher. Under it is 4 lines and then hyphen. Also in cipher there is diagonal line, hyphen and 4 lines between them. There are more symbols that can be found in letter and in cipher. For example K in next line from hyphen. In this chapter of letter zodiac has used Zodiac symbols to replace dots and word "and" in sentences One theory that I can think of is that they are representing Zodiac symbols that needs to draw in cipher. There are three symbols that i don`t know how to draw in cipher.
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| Must Print in Paper, Diagram 1 |
Must Print in Paper, Diagram 2
If you look line which is over hyphen line in Bus Bomb letter third page, you see one O that definitely has a dot in center. There is also filled circle in same line. You can`t fit these symbols to previous diagram. If you rotate cipher 90 degrees counterclockwise, in left lower corner you have H which is now rotated and looks like capital I. Now you can find previous symbols in cipher. Again location of two Zodiac symbols in cipher are complicated.
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Must Print in Paper, Diagram 2
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Halloween Card
The lower right corner of Halloween Card is Z and Zodiac symbol right side of it. This could mean that on the right side of letter Z is Zodiac symbol in cipher too. This way we get four symbols. If cipher is rotated 90 degrees clockwise symbol N is Z. Now we get five symbols more. Lowest symbol N proves that cipher is rotated clockwise. It can`t be rotated other way. There is no column right side of Z if cipher is rotated counterclockwise. Also next step requires that zodiac symbol is drawn above symbol N.
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| Halloween Card |
4 - Teen
In Halloween Card there is strange symbol made by four dots and angular line. Same symbol is in envelope but now there is also letter Z under it. Maybe dots are victims in cipher and angular line is used to locate these victims. Rotate cipher 90 degrees counterclockwise. There is one formation of victims that fits with angular line drawn by Diablo Code lines.
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| 4 - Teen |
By
In cipher and halloween card there are four times word "by" in both. Letter y in word "by" is pointing right three times and one time left in cipher. In halloween card it is pointing four times left. There is mirrored N in word knife. So next to this N have to be mirror. Also word "by" is written in same line with word "knife". I believe this means that y is now pointing right in word "by". So now there is three same and one different "by" in card and cipher. Different one is knife. Somehow cipher needs to be divided in four sectors so that in each sector has own "by".
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| By |
Sorry No Cipher
Halloween card also came with piece of paper which read "sorry no cipher". There are two times word "No" in cipher and exactly same way as in piece of paper.
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| Sorry No Cipher |
This State Is in Trouble, Diagram 1
The middle of letter is a cipher which contains five symbols from 340cipher. Because letter is written in lined paper we know how many lines wide cipher area is. It is five lines wide. Both the earlier and the next line starts with letter y. If you find cipher`s y symbols you can see that two of them are separated by five columns. If you look between these two y in cipher you find one of each five symbols in “This State Is In Trouble” cipher. They are even in same order. I mark these symbols to victims. There is still this big Zodiac symbol and four smaller ones around it that I don’t understand.
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| This State Is in Trouble, Diagram 1 |
This State Is in Trouble, Diagram 2
At the end of the letter is a list of seven lines that tells how many people Zodiac is going to kill and which places. Line before list starts with capital i. Rotate cipher 90 degrees counterclockwise. Now cipher symbol H looks like capital i. You can find two H symbols which are separated by seven columns. Now we can write number of victims at each end of the column. They match with Zodiac symbols. There is one question that undermine this theory. In letter there are no capital i after list of victims. It only reads “ ha! ha! ha!”. So actually there are no seven lines. But it is still letter h. Also list of places is written little diagonal so that h is in same position as cipher H.
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This State Is in Trouble, Diagram 2
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All Buttons
All Buttons that I have found are drawn now in cipher. There is lot more to find. I believe this is one
explanation why this cipher is so hard to crack even with computers. Part of the symbols must be changed and the remaining symbols form message. In my theory these Buttons are representing victims.
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| All Buttons |
Time of The Murder
Location of Zodiac symbol in cipher determines time of the murder.
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| Time of The Murder |
Murder Weapon
Location of Zodiac symbol in cipher determines murder weapon.
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| Murder Weapon |
7. Circle
In Little list letter Zodiac is writing about radians. Radians makes no sense without circle. So we need circle. Equal sign is drawn so that it could mean SFPD = circle. You can make only one circle this way.
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| Circle |
