Betsy Aardsma Case Background

While trying to put RH in Riverside, I came across ''Desert Magazine'' which you can read in pdf format on the net. It did seem very much like a publication RH might have appreciated reading, so I had a closer look and found some interesting articles. The first relates to "The Lost Dutchman", which was the name of the Gemboree RH ran in his later years. Notice the Petroglyghs.

Here's a petroglygh from california, I found this symbol only in the californian petroglyghs but i'm not much of a sleuth, it's probably everywhere. There is also a petroglygh identical to the ''single line through the circle"from Z's first letter, but I cant find it. Here is a link to some petroglyghs in Shoshine ca, where I believe RH may have lived at some point.....not sure about that http://saber.net/bernal/petroglyphs/pages/page3.html

I did keep looking and found in the oct 66 issue(and probably in many other issues), an advert for a gem store in riverside. There were adverts from all over california, it seems too have been a very popular hobbie back then. There were also alot of advertisements for mail order supplies, including Airoplane epoxy. There was also an advert for a book about Zodiac Party's.

I might just add that there is a type of quartz called a red phantom. Oh, and I believe a small magnet can be used to help determine mineral identity when fossiking, here's a magnet that looks a little like the keyring in the Eureka card. https://zodiackillersite.forummotion.com/t318-1990-eureka-card

RH does have a large face with a resemlance to Zodiac's identikit(my opinion), but seems maybe a lttle tall for Z? (I dont recall where i saw his hieght, but i believe it was 6'+?)

Thanks for that info, pretty interesting. I looked into R.H. a year or two ago, and I am the one that dug up some of the photos you see online of R.H., from his college days. He is interesting, but I dont know if he can be placed in the bay area ever. He was pretty thin, and at some point, he did wear glasses. I know he was in southrn CA in the 1960's, but in Death Valley. Not sure that is very close to Riverside. I do know for a fact that he had done some studies in RED LODGE, MT (not Deer Lodge, MT). I always thought that was interesting. Also of interest to me was that I think Lindy Sue Biechler may have been a Z victim(or at least its possible that Z wrote a letter in her case). She was killed in 1975 in the Lancaster area of PA, after the last Z letter was sent in CA. R.H. lived in Lancaster PA, and had Family there.

Yeah I was trying to find a connection to riverside in 1966 (the rh desk poem is so similar to Arrdsma's murder) but instead found this stuff. Probably just rubbish, but I thought I should share it anyway

Oh btw great photos Morf!....dead ringer for the Arrdsma identikit!
I might just add, I think the hair found in Cheri's hand was blonde, not sure that matches RH?

[quote="AK Wilks"]This post was done by THEFOREIGNER:

Interesting that thise two, possibly suspected Zodiac victims, were both killed at Thanksgiving, November 28, exactly 12 years apart & they were very much lookalikes:

Betsy Ruth Aardsma, Penn State College, PA Student, Jul 11, 1947 -November 28 1969, Killed at Thanksgiving

Joan Lucinda Webster, Harvard Universety, Ma Student, Aug 19,1956 -Novemeber 28 1981, Killed at Thanksgiving





http://joanwebstermurder.yolasite.com/ Joan Lucinda Webster case info

http://www.whokilledbetsy.org/what.html Betsy Ruth Aardsma case info

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98028 Betsy Ruth Aardsma case info[/quote

AK Wilks wrote:

This post was done by THEFOREIGNER:

Interesting that thise two, possibly suspected Zodiac victims, were both killed at Thanksgiving, November 28, exactly 12 years apart & they were very much lookalikes:

Betsy Ruth Aardsma, Penn State College, PA Student, Jul 11, 1947 -November 28 1969, Killed at Thanksgiving

Joan Lucinda Webster, Harvard Universety, Ma Student, Aug 19,1956 -Novemeber 28 1981, Killed at Thanksgiving





http://joanwebstermurder.yolasite.com/ Joan Lucinda Webster case info

http://www.whokilledbetsy.org/what.html Betsy Ruth Aardsma case info

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98028 Betsy Ruth Aardsma case info

Look at the picture of the next victim in this list of possible victims and see the astonishing resemblance of Lynda Christine Kanes, murdered 2/26/71. Sorry I don't know how to add her picture here. Lynda looks much like Betsy and Joan! Lynda was murdered February 26, 1971.

There is indeed a physical similarity between these three victims, particularly in hair color and style, somewhat in basic face structure, smile, lips, mouth, nose and some other elements.

I understand someone was convicted in the Kanes murder, though there are some who have questioned the evidence. I don't know much about the case I will try to read more.

Betsy Aardsma, Penn State College, PA Student, Killed November 28 1969

Joan Webster, Harvard Universety, MA Student, Killed November 28, 1981

Lynda Kanes, Pacific Union College, CA, Student, Killed February 26 1971

AK Wilks wrote:

There is indeed a physical similarity between these three victims, particularly in hair color and style, somewhat in basic face structure, smile, lips, mouth, nose and some other elements.

I understand someone was convicted in the Kanes murder, though there are some who have questioned the evidence. I don't know much about the case I will try to read more.

Betsy Aardsma, Penn State College, PA Student, Killed November 28 1969

Joan Webster, Harvard Universety, MA Student, Killed November 28, 1981

Lynda Kanes, Pacific Union College, CA, Student, Killed February 26 1971

Thanks, Wilks. Do you think it would be of interest to compile all of these victims together someplace (if it hasn't been done already)? I think it was on some of the nurses somewhere and I know there was a group of about 4 girls resembling Cheri Jo Bates and below it more look-alike victims but with darker hair and I think some of the Vallejo victims were in that grouping.

I think if we could see all of these known victims and suspected victims grouped it would be most interesting to see the similarities in physical appearance, geographical areas, dates of murder and m.o.'s. including ages of victims. Then it seems it would be easier to eliminate some suspects and/or link them. As someone said, Z could have moved far away after he was almost caught with Stine.

A timeline might help eliminate some poi's too, ie. one can't be at two places at the same time.

If Z is telling the truth re. the number of his victims, then I think we are seeing many of them right here in the list of "possibles."

If considering any victims in PA, please do not forget Lindy Sue Biechler, murdered 12/5/75:

For what its worth, she looked pretty similar to these girls, and a note that was VERY Zodiac-like followed her murder.
This is the text from the letter-

hi sheeler

"Just Eats up your heart knowing you havn't caught me yet, still around, Lindy's marker on her grave just turned me on like she did, and the way she looked all bloody, like the paint on her Marker, the scratch and nick marks represent the knife stabes.

Count them.

you wondered if the guy at the gas station in Mountville were related to Biechlers murder. forget it man, no way.

I'll tell you what Chief Pig, you print this Letter in the paper along with a Picture in Friday nights Lancaster Paper and saturday mornings paper, and I might confesss When I get off my trip. You see the world owes me a living, maybe I give you a few hints who I am.

got busted once for Drugs a few years back

Live in West end of Lancaster Suburbs

I am 5'10" tall 205 LBS fat and Beautiful

and capable of killing again without knowing it

Dec. 5, 1975 was under the stupor of amfetamines Like right know.

Well educated man in the Community, single, good job but god please chief help me I am loosing my mind help me before I kill again, the headaches kill me Every time it aches, the Drugs only Calm it temporarily.

Will god forgive me ---------

Please print this Chief in the paper so I know you got it.

then I write you again, god I need a priest what have I done.

Help me please

P.S. chief sheeler

my friend has confess to the killing of Lindy Sue biechler, as god is my withness Do as he asks, print this letter on the front page, I am not aware of his intentions right now but contemplating murder is not his intentions, he is mentally sick. When the letter appears, then he will turn himself in, he described the relationship he and Lindy had before he killed her. He only realizes it now when your on Drugs your not responsible for your actions. Please he is asleep now. That's why I finished the letter. All I can tell you my friend frequents manor shopping center in the Evenings and the fields around it. Mostly weeknights. He will contact you very soon and oh when he Does please bring a Catholic priest to the police station.

Janice Crum"

This letter was filled with misspellings, mentions headaches (maybe making fun of the guy that called into the Dunbar show claiming to be z), the writer describes themselves as 5ft10, 205 lbs (thats similar size to what Z was thought to be), also, the writer missplled the word STABS as STABES. Maybe STABES was an anagram for BATES. The writer mentions a CONFESSION, like the Bates confession letter. Most impressive of all to me is the way the w writer wants to see his letter published in the Friday paper, just like Z in his original letter.

Biechler felt she was being stalked leading up to her death. The actual letter received in her case was lost by police, so we cant examine it to compare against Zodiac. Also of interest, on about the one year anniversary of Lindy's murder, her gravestone was vandalized. Zodiac, at least one time (Belli letter), commemorated the anniversary of his murder. Finally, for what its worth, Z said he would be 'reborn' in PARADISE. There is a PARADISE, PA about 10 miles from where Biechler was murdered.

Imo, Betsy Aardsma and Lynda Kanes look almost identical. I thought the picture of Kanes was another one of Aardsma.

The same thing applies to the grouping of nurses someone did somewhere. They all had dark hair and one was from Sacramento or found there.

Valerie Percy, Janelle Cruz and Cecelia Shepherd look the most alike in the group of look alikes imo.

Seeing these pictures remind me of a recent post where someone described the code being like a sandwich, ie. a code within a code.


Could the "see a name" in the cipher refer to some of the victims rather than the culprit or perhaps both? In the word search, I can see what looks like "Lass" and someone posted seeing "Kane." Sorry if off topic but these pictures of the victims along with their names brought the code to mind. When looking at the code and all the comments, I was only thinking of Z and the poi's (one of whom was someone named Kane) as were most others.

The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker victims did not look anything like the victims pictured on this page. The girls pictured here all had neatly styled hair, mostly short with a side part. The Santa Rosa victims all had long straight hair parted in the middle. You can see pictures of them on page 2 at this link:

http://www.zodiackiller.com/FrontPageDetective21.html

Leona Roberts did have a resemblence to some of the victims that are pictured here. She can be seen on page 6 of the same link.

The Santa Rosa Hitch-hiker victims really do resemble Ted Bundy's victims from 1974 onwards. And Bundy can't be ruled out for those cases but I feel it's unlikely he is responsible.

I recently read the book The Riverman by Robert Keppel which was as much about Bundy as the hunt for Ridgeway. It's interesting that Bundy did have a physical preference in his victims as much as Z and potential Z victims like those in this thread.

They have credit card records of gas purchases from Bundy in Washington State within a day or the day of some Santa Rosa murders, so he is either ruled out or unlikely but perhaps could have made the drives. Some of the victims do otherwise seem to fit both the Bundy look and MO. They just now got DNA from Bundy, but I don't know if there is any valid DNA in any of the Sonoma - Santa Rosa cases to compare to.

Bumped. The RSK clues is discussed on page one of this thread and the Lindy case is discussed above.

I'm like a 45 minute drive from St College and lived here most of my life and never heard about the case. I ordered the book off of Amazon and should be here soon. What I been reading online is rather intriguing and in one site they mention she wore a red dress when she was murdered. Similarities to Bates caught my interest. Cool you guys here already been on this a few years back! Not sure about the main suspect actually being the killer but I'm fairly new to the case so will keep a open mind.

I have a car right now with transmission issues that won't make the hill to get to St College but maybe able to help in this case in the future since I live that close if you need someone.

Around here we have a lot of issues with Ray Gricar missing and the Sandusky scandal that is huge here because of football at Penn State.Then there is Cindy Song that has been missing from Penn State since 2001 at a Halloween party.
http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Cindy_Song