Chapter 20

Edwards’ Recognition

Neal started out, “John, I’m totally on board with you on how Edwards tried to set up Dryman, but I’m confused on a big issue and I’m not alone here. Edwards says everywhere that everything he did was for recognition. It’s repeated in his book; he said it on ‘To Tell the Truth,’ and it’s in his interviews before his death. Most people feel that with the Zodiac’s affinity for the press and recognition that he would have bragged about it to the world. At the least, he would have left the story somewhere to be discovered upon or before his death. He would have told everybody how smart he was.”

“I’ve analyzed that,” responded Cameron. “He did.”

“He did what?!!” Neal yelled.

“He left the story! He has been confessing for 60 years and nobody would listen! He wrote a book, he cut an album, he was on ‘To Tell the Truth’; he did radio shows and gave lectures everywhere. We have pictures of him with the highest officials in government. What was he telling us? Nobody listened! Look at this brochure he was handing out during the Zodiac.”

He looked at Neal, “This is what Ed meant by recognition. He loved to stand in front of everyone. It fits the whole deal: the Zodiac letters, the press, the mystique—all Edwards stoking his fires. Down to pulling the fire alarms in Great Falls and in Portland. Calling the police in the Zodiac cases. He didn’t want to be recognized—he wanted his deeds recognized, thrown all over the front pages, as he sat back and listened to everyone. He was reverting back to childhood. He kept his mouth shut, never told anyone anything, and never got caught. He said exactly that in a January, 2011, letter to me.”

Letter to Cameron from Edwards, January, 2011

“Everything I did in life was for recognition”

At this time, Cameron and Neal had it exactly right. But they had no idea of the magnitude. The Zodiac, JonBenet and Atlanta cases were only the tip of the iceberg. The answers were just beginning.