Chapter 16
A New Plan Needed
April, 2011
Cameron and Neal met the following day. They both had received numerous E-mails asking how Edwards’ death might affect the book. John tried to remain upbeat and offered, “Neal, don’t worry; it’s okay. This isn’t that bad. We can work around it. In fact, it might even be a good thing! We need to regroup. Why don’t we look at everything that indicates Edwards was the Zodiac?”
1)He had no father, and his mother was shot in front of him. He was forced to change his name by age 7 so he immediately has an identity crisis.
2)He was a bed-wetter, and sexually and physically abused in the Catholic orphanage by age 8.
3)He was sexually active and deviant by age 12. Those first three statements alone could produce such a killer as the Zodiac.
4)He was jailed more than half of his teen years in institutions and was diagnosed as a psychopath at age 13.
5)He enlisted in the Marines at age 17 and went AWOL within 6 weeks, after being told he wouldn’t be allowed to go to Korea and kill communists.
6)At the age of 22 he killed a couple on a lover’s lane in Great Falls, 1956.
7)He killed a couple on a lover’s lane in 1960 in Oregon.
8)He did 7 years in Leavenworth and was released in 1967, just before the Zodiac started.
9)He killed the couple in Wisconsin in 1980. He killed a couple in Ohio in 1977. Both on lover’s lanes.
10)In a news article in 1971 he claimed to have “known someone in Deer Lodge” who was the Zodiac.
11)He says in his book he knew someone who believed the people they killed would be his slaves in the afterlife.
12)He provides the only explanation ever as to why Paul Stine, the cab driver, was picked as a victim. (Dawn Bellett, relative, lived there.)
13)Edwards considered himself the executioner, evidenced by his methods of killing. Zodiac did also, noting not only his methods, but his references to Koko in the Mikado.
14)Eyewitness Hartnell said the Zodiac hood appeared professionally sewn—Edwards was a tailor while in prison in Chillicothe.
15)All the phone calls and letters to the press and police that Edwards did. The Zodiac would call the police station from a nearby booth to announce his deeds.
16)He not only wrote letters his entire life, but he called the TV stations in 2010 to announce his confession to 5 murders. His need for publicity was astonishing.
17)He was the right age, height, weight, hair color; military trained, police trained, and drawl in voice. Everything physically and mentally matches Edwards.
18)Edwards has confessed to 5 murders and he used knife, rope and gun to achieve it! That’s exactly what the Zodiac claimed in his letters.
19)His handwriting matches the Zodiac letters… Edwards gave us every one of his writing styles in the dozens of letters we got from him over the past year. The man could write forwards, backwards, left, right, print, block and cursive. He was a horrible speller when it came to certain words and double consonants. Just like the Zodiac.
20)Neal cracked the ciphers naming Ed as the Zodiac
21)Last but not least, the composites match.
The Zodiac case had been fraught with misinformation since it started. The media hyped up the lies and the story grew and grew as the decades went on. Once the internet came about in the 90’s, people exploited the case.
After Ed’s death in 2011, Cameron contacted Tom Voigt, from Portland, Oregon. He was the owner of the web site Zodiackiller.com, said to be one of the most knowledgeable people regarding the Zodiac investigation. Phil Stanford also lived in Portland and had written a book that named Ed as a suspect in a double murder in 1960. They agreed to meet in May of 2011.
Phil Stanford was an editor for the Portland Oregonian and had written extensively about a 1960 lover’s lane murder he felt Edwards was responsible for. In that case a young man and woman were killed while parked on a lover’s lane on Thanksgiving. Three innocent men were tried for that murder in 1968-70. Edwards was living in Portland at the time of the murder and had written about being there in his book.
Cameron shared his information on Edwards and showed Phil his extensive notebooks of findings. After watching the “To Tell the Truth” episode, Stanford said, “I’m most interested in Edwards’ exploits in Portland. I’ve always been convinced he killed the couple here in 1960 and they convicted the wrongs guys.”
Ralph Edward Jorgenson and Robert Brom were both convicted of the 1960 lover’s lane murders of Larry Peyton and Beverly Allan. The murder occurred Thanksgiving weekend, 1960. Edwards had been caught at the scene shortly after it happened and escaped the Portland jail. He made the FBI Most Wanted list and went to Leavenworth in 1962. They couldn’t prove he did the murder.
Phil Stanford began sharing some fascinating information. First, he provided transcripts of two telephone conversations he had with an unidentified male caller in 2007. The calls were made from a local Fred Meyers grocery store. The caller apparently knew that Stanford was writing about the Peyton-Allan murders and appeared to have intimate knowledge of the case. The first call came in June.
June 29, 2007 Phil Stanford Anonymous Call
Phil Stanford Phone Message, July 17, 2007
“That is Edwards talking!” Cameron shouted. “Phil, I don’t know if you are aware of this but a Navy man named Wayne Budde was blown up with a bomb on the morning of the 1960 lover’s lane murder. His ID was deliberately placed at the scene to be found, but there was nothing left of his body. They claimed he committed suicide. I am convinced Edwards did it and stole the man’s identity.”
Phil thought the call was very suspicious and wanted to know more about Wayne Budde and his connection to Ed Edwards.
Cameron opened his briefcase and pulled out an article, handing it to Phil.
Portland Oregonian
January, 1960 Portland, Oregon
Cameron explained, “Wayne Budde, a 26 year old Navy man, was blown up by a bomb the morning after the lover’s lane murder. An explosion had been heard by residents in the area. He had been picked up hitchhiking that morning and told his ride he was meeting someone in the area to go hunting. He didn’t have a gun and wasn’t dressed properly. Residents heard a loud explosion the morning after the murder. His ID was found a month later near a large crater. He had been placed in a pre-dug hole, a large log placed over the top of him, and he was blown to bits by a bomb. Police only found his I.D. conveniently placed near the site. The bomb was made of material that left no trace of what it was. Officials labeled Budde’s death a suicide, but were insistent at first that there was a connection between his death and the Peyton-Allan murder.”
Cameron pointed out to Phil, “As the Zodiac killer, Edwards wrote the bomb letter 9 years later that described the bomb that blew up Wayne Budde.”
“Take one gallon of Coleman fuel, bag of gravel and ammonium nitrate, set that shit off and it would obliterate everything.”* (Zodiac Killer Bomb Threat, 1969)
“He also sent a letter about ‘shooting a man with a .38’ while he was sitting in the car, teasing police about ‘I hope you have fun figuring out who I blew up.’ Wayne Budde was most likely that man, Phil. Edwards had placed Wayne in the book, calling him Johnny.”
“One evening, in November, 1960, in a lover’s lane on the west side of town, a boy was shot to death, and his companion was abducted. The crime received extensive news publicity. Many sightseers visited the scene of the crime. Since I had an appointment for a demonstration the following day in that part of town, I asked Johnny if he wanted to check out the area with me. Like everyone else, I too was curious”.*MOAC
Cameron furthered, “Don’t you have a report of Edwards being questioned that day?”
Phil provided it.
Writer contacted above listed subjects who were at the scene of the crime on the above listed date. Subject # 1, Edwards at this time listed the three autos as those he owned or operated at that time.
Writer and Officer Bergstrom talked with both subjects at this time & then directed them to leave the scene.
Subjects checked 10-4 at the time.
END REPORT
Cameron stated, “Did you notice Edwards’ age of 27 is within one year of Wayne Budde’s age of 26? They were even similar in stature. Edwards stole his identity and fled Portland shortly after. What’s even more incredible is that during the Zodiac killings, Portland was trying the 3 innocent men that were arrested in 1968 for the murder Edwards had done.”
Cameron whipped out an article from the New Castle, Pennsylvania, newspaper dated April 6, 1971, recovered in his investigation. Edwards is quoted as saying he recalled two men who were serving time for a crime that he alone committed.
New Castle Pennsylvania Newspaper, April 6, 1971
Former Fugitive Tells YDC Audience. Prison Breeding Grounds
Paragraph 7: “The pleasant-speaking Edwards said he committed just about all crimes ‘except those of violence (murder) and sex.’ Ironically he made the FBI’s ‘10 most wanted’ list for suspicion of murder.”
Paragraph 8: “This happened in Portland, Oregon, where Edwards said he was a suspect of a double murder. Working through his mind was the awful realization that he could very well be executed for something he said he did not do, and he recalled two men who were serving time for crimes that he alone had committed.”
Stanford noticeably paled when he heard Edwards confess to setting the two men up in Portland. Cameron pulled out one more article from 1972 where Edwards admitted to being arrested for a double murder and admitting again of people serving time for his crimes.
Ed Edwards 1972 interview with Reporter Regina Costigan, Ohio
That confirmed Stanford’s premise of the wrongful convictions in Portland during the Zodiac killings.
After meeting with Stanford, Cameron drove to Washington State to meet Michael Kelleher and his wife, Cindy. Mike had written a book about the Zodiac killer titled, “This is the Zodiac Speaking.” Cameron wanted to present some of his information to him.
Several hours out of Portland, Cameron arrived at their wonderful countryside home. Kelleher proved to be a tough, no-nonsense investigator, full of suspicion and skepticism. Kelleher confronted Cameron with a barrage of questions and oaths of confidentiality before any more conversation would ensue.
After passing the initial exam, Cameron was invited inside and joined the couple for coffee. He began to share his wealth of information on Edwards. Kelleher remained a staunch skeptic, probing and questioning at every turn. At length, he made his only concession. “You have really done your homework.” He explained that Zodiac wackos from around the world would hound him with wild tales and “proof” that their father or uncle was the Zodiac. By now, he was unwilling to even discuss anything, especially with strangers.
Cameron pulled out his laptop and retrieved the episode of ‘To Tell the Truth.’ As Kelleher and his wife viewed the episode, he found the file containing Neal’s translation of the Zodiac cryptograms. Cameron handed Kelleher Neal’s work. He described Neal as a friend with an extremely high I.Q. Kelleher studied the pages for several minutes. He finally set the file down, pondered, and then spoke: “This is the most incredible interpretation I have ever seen. It is so far in first place, I don’t even know what second place is. It is so Zodiac-like, so out-of-the-box thinking that I am speechless. I am blown away. This stuff is incredible! I don’t know if it’s right or what it says, but it’s just how I envision the Zodiac talking.”
After reading the solved cryptograms, Kelleher took a break. He paced in the front yard, cryptograms in one hand, cigarette in the other. Obviously, the solved Zodiac cryptograms disturbed him. The message the Zodiac was portraying was a Biblical message. Edwards was Satan.
The Kellehers were able to reach Tom Voigt and set up a meeting with Cameron for later that evening. He met Voigt at Club 21 in Portland. The fears of walking into a strip joint were unfounded—the club was originally built about 100 years ago as a Russian church. In the 1940’s, it became a steak house, and a few years later, a bar. It is a tiny, quaint structure resembling a hobbit house. Inside were some gaming machines, a few old Gottlieb pinballs, and a small home crowd cheering for the Trailblazers in the first round of the playoffs. The place quieted as the cop-looking newcomer found a spot and prepared the laptop, notebooks, and information for Tom. A couple soon arrived with a hat proclaiming, “I am the Zodiac.” Voigt introduced his significant other Angie and they joined Cameron at the table. Voigt and Angie had their own favorite Zodiac suspect and were not really interested in Ed Edwards. Cameron decided this was the time to tell about a case he encountered during the investigation. A victim had contacted him and told her story.
“In 1974, I was 15 and a runaway. I had been hitchhiking on the 101 freeway near the Golden Gate Bridge at 2-3 in the afternoon. On July 4, 1974 a man picked me up driving a newer white Cadillac. When I got in, the passenger door handle was missing. The driver was a white male, in his late 30s’ to early 40s’, a shaved head with a mole on his face, glasses, and well dressed. I think that he was either a cop or in the military. The man said he was a psychiatrist and that he was on his way to Ohio. He stated he was married and had children and showed me a picture of a dark haired girl. He added he had a good wife that took care of his kids. He mentioned studying Egyptian literature and then gave me a card that represented himself as a San Francisco police officer. He wrote his name on the back of the card. I no longer have it and I don’t remember the name.
“As we were driving towards the mountains near Marin County, he tried to convince me to go to a motel so he could tie me up. He then told me that he had to kill me. He made me reach in the back seat and grab a box. I was told to open it and inside was a square handled automatic handgun with bullets and a clip. He made me hold the gun for a while which only made me fear him more. I asked him if he had ever killed anyone and he said he had killed his wife and baby in Idaho. He said he had to kill me and then drove into a mountainous area near Santa Rosa, California. We encountered some hikers and I ran away. He never caught me.”
Cameron explained to the Voigts, “She contacted me after watching a You-Tube video of Ed Edwards on the show “To Tell The Truth.” She wanted me to know that Edwards was the man that picked her up in 1974. He had a shaved head at the time and a mole on his face.”
Voigt was familiar with the now 51-year-old woman who had contacted Cameron. Voigt knew every detail of her story and even furthered that the victim had submitted to hypnosis which seemed to back it up. He was a wealth of information and had incredible recall of facts and events surrounding the Zodiac. Angie also proved to be extremely well informed and seemed to be the more interested of the two in their findings. Polite thanks were shared all the way around, a final toast was made, and Cameron headed back to the hotel to research the Highway 101 murders.
The Highway 101 coastal highway had a string of killings which occurred from 1972-73 in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco. Investigators felt the Zodiac was responsible for killing countless young girls in this area. Egyptian symbolism had been left at the scene of one of the dump sites. The meaning of the symbolism was, “To carry the souls into the afterlife.” (The Highway 101 murders website.) http://www.santarosahitchhikermurders.com/zodiac.html
The 101 Highway victims totaled 8 known. They were all young, teen hitchhikers, strangled, bashed and left for dead. Edwards sent the Zodiac Albany New York letter August 1 and then traveled to California August 4th to promote his book.
Zodiac Letter Albany NY, August 1, 1973 Edwards California Tour, August 4, 1973
The significance of the Zodiac Albany letter was that it was a puzzle. Edwards made everyone think he was going to kill in New York but he was referring to Albany, California, right across the bay from San Francisco; Vallejo is just north, right where he is doing his book promotion. This is the same time he is committing the Highway 101 murders. He is doing it on the anniversary of his mother’s death and funeral. The 10th is the weekend and the 11th is the anniversary of his mother’s funeral. Killing on the weekend is a Zodiac trademark.
Cameron was able to place Edwards in New York in 1973, where the Albany letter was sent from, promoting his book on “Dialing for Dollars” on WTEN. He recovered a picture with the host, Lee Leonard.
Edward Edwards, “Dialing For Dollars,” New York, 1973
Edwards didn’t say he was going to kill in Albany, New York in the letter. He said: ‘I’m going to kill her August 10th at 5.00 P.M. when the shifts change. Albany is a nice town.’ He meant Albany, California, the heart of the Zodiac and Highway 101 killings.
As the investigation wrapped up in Oregon Cameron reminded Neal, “When you get the right guy, the pieces just fall into place. Everything starts to fit and it snowballs. Edwards is sending letters from the East Coast and traveling to the West Coast to kill. Every letter he sends is a puzzle about who he is. You can see the symbols in the Albany letter. It all connects to Egyptian history, and Satanism. Everything Edwards did was against Christian beliefs. Neal, your solutions proved that Edwards was acting out as a mythological Satan.”
Neal’s theories on the ciphers were correct and having Mike Kelleher so highly praise them was nice to hear. People have fought over the Zodiac ciphers for decades, speculating as to what they meant. Edwards sent puzzles, letters and killed repeatedly in August of every decade. His daughter, April Edwards, had told Cameron that her father acted out in August more than any other month during their childhood. The reason Edwards killed in August was the anniversary of his mother’s death by gunshot August, 1938.
A friend of Cameron’s, Deb Laveson, had recovered the original death certificate of Edward’s mother, Lillian Cecelia Myers, born April 1st, 1911 and died August 8th, 1938. She was born April Fool’s Day and Edwards will kill on that day, and in August, throughout his life. Ed was 5 when she was shot and his real name was Chuckie. Charles Edward Myers. He was named after his grandfather who is the informant on the death certificate.
Edwards’ 2010 confessions were lover’s lane killings in 1977 and 1980 on the anniversary of his mother’s death. As the Zodiac killer he sent his debut letter on the anniversary of his mother’s death. In the Zodiac debut letter he claimed that when you crack his codes you will have him. Neal cracked his codes in 2010 and it named Edward Edwards as the Zodiac killer.
Death Certificate Lillian Cecelia Myers, Edwards’ Mother