Riverside Police Department Breaks from Forty-Year-Old Northern Calif Task Force Zodiac Investigation: Believes Cheri Jo Bates “Not Connected”:
August 15, 2021
Los Angeles, California
In a cryptic and rather startling Press Release, the Riverside Police Department Cold Case Unit has just announced they no longer consider the 1966 stabbing murder of a teenager, Cheri Jo Bates as “Zodiac related.”
Riverside Police Press Release (In full)
On October 31, 1966, 0545 hours, Joseph Bates called Riverside Police to report his daughter Cheri Jo Bates missing. She left a note for her father stating she was going to the RCC library. On October 31, 1966, 0632 hours, a civilian reported that he found a body in the alleyway of Terracina near Fairfax on the RCC college campus. Officers responded and determined the death to be a homicide. The female was identified as, 18-year-old, Cheri Jo Bates.
In 1967, Riverside Police Department received a handwritten letter in the mail. This letter initially led investigators to believe the murder of Cheri Jo Bates may be associated with the murderer known as the “Zodiac Killer.” The letter and the interpretation of the signature on the letter generated much attention to the investigation and fueled many theories and much speculation regarding the case. In addition, sensitive information was released to the media which added to the curiosity and conjecture.
In April 2016, investigators received an anonymous letter postmarked from San Bernardino, California. This letter was typed and appeared to have been generated from a computer. The author of the anonymous letter admitted to writing the handwritten letters. The author apologized for sending the letters and said it was a sick joke. The author admitted that he was not the Zodiac killer or the killer of Cheri Jo Bates and was just looking for attention.
In 2020, the Homicide Cold Case Unit and the FBI Los Angeles Investigative Genealogy Team, submitted the stamp from the letter for additional DNA analysis and subsequent interviews were conducted. The individual linked to the DNA evidence on the stamp admitted to writing the letter and sending it to Riverside Police Department. The author was a young teenager at the time and had a troubled youth. He said he wrote the letter seeking attention and was remorseful for his actions. (Emphasis SKH)
Investigators confirmed the person was not involved in the murder of Cheri Jo Bates or involved in the murders associated with the “Zodiac Killer.” Additional information was developed regarding a separate set of letters sent to Northern California police agencies. The author claimed to be the “Zodiac Killer,” but the author ultimately admitted to sending the letters to keep the investigation going.
Early in the investigation, a potential suspect was identified in the killing of Cheri Jo Bates. Based on the evidence, this person of interest has remained the primary suspect over the years and continues to be the focus of the investigation. It is believed, acquaintances of the suspect have additional information which could potentially lead to the successful prosecution of the suspect. The FBI Los Angeles Investigative Genealogy Team and various additional law enforcement agencies continue to work the “Zodiac Killer’ murders. Information regarding the “Zodiac Killer” can be emailed to https://tips.fbi.gov
Based on the developments in the case, Riverside Police Department will not be directly involved in the “Zodiac Killer” investigation and will focus its attention on who killed Cheri Jo. Riverside Police Department investigators will continue to cooperate with the handling agencies as needed.
In 2021, Riverside Police Homicide Cold Case Investigators were contacted by a private citizen wishing to offer a $50,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and the conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murder of Cheri Jo Bates. The private party has requested to remain anonymous to the public. The reward offer is valid until January 31, 2022.
Anyone with information specifically about the Cheri Jo Bates murder can contact investigators at the following dedicated email: cjb@riversideca.gov
END OF PRESS RELEASE __________________________________________
Anonymous Donor Offers $50,000 Reward For Info Leading To Arrest And Conviction of Cheri Jo Bates Killer
SKH Comments on Riverside PD Press Release:
To summarize in a few bullet points as I understand it, RPD is saying:
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In 2016 an anonymous letter writer claimed he was the one who actually mailed in three separate “There Will Be More” letters and signed them “Z”.
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RPD conducted further DNA analysis on this 2016 letter and identified the writer and under questioning, he claimed to have written and mailed the 1967 notes. Police described him as a “young troubled teen.” (Unusual to qualify a teen as “young” raises the question, how young was he in 1967? Age 12? Age 13?)
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Based on the boy’s singular “confession” claiming he wrote the 55-year-old notes, RPD has decided to no longer investigate their Cheri Jo Bates murder as “Zodiac related” and will pursue their own “prime suspect” in an effort to connect him to the Bates murder. RPD advises anyone with Zodiac-related info should not contact them, but rather, contact the FBI.
SKH Re. Cheri Jo Bates Letters and Linkage to Zodiac:
Personally, I find the 2016 claim (made 54-years after the fact) by a man now in his mid-to-late Sixties that he wrote the three notes as “a troubled young teenager” difficult to believe. Does Riverside PD have any corroboration? Yes, the letter sent five years ago traces back to him through DNA, but that’s it? As presented in my own investigation, there is much evidence that potentially links Zodiac to the Bates murder. I will not here attempt to restate all of it. (I will also be presenting additional linkage of Zodiac to the Bates murder in my upcoming book, “The Early Years: The Further Crimes of Dr. George Hill Hodel.” (Anticipated to publish in 2022.)Below are the three letters written and mailed back in 1967 addressed to the RPD, the Press-Enterprise newspaper, and the victim’s father at his home address. (Each letter contained over-postage. ) Note each was signed “Z” before Zodiac ever signed his name “Z” in Northern California which first crime was in 1968. Did the “young teen” just make a lucky guess into the future? I think not.
In addition, we have RPD seemingly completely ignoring “The Confession Letter” and the Riverside Library Poem corroborating the linkage to Zodiac. The typed letter cannot be ignored with its references to “The Mikado” and its promise to spread body parts throughout the city. (This, just one month before George Hodel commits his “Jigsaw Murder” in Manila and spreads her body parts throughout the city.)
I will be presenting much more in the near future, but for now, I find it most curious that Riverside PD has publicly acknowledged their belief that “there is no connection of their victim, Cheri Jo Bates to the Zodiac.” And further, “they will be pursuing their own long-standing prime suspect (previously cleared by DNA?) and hope to present a prosecutable case on him in the near future.”
Maybe even in time for their Department to get the $50,000 reward which offer expires in January 2022. (Though I’m not sure, as paid public servants, they would qualify to receive it in this day and age?) On the 1946 Suzanne Degnan Chicago Lipstick Murder, the two Chicago Police officers split the $25,000 reward, which would be equivalent to $350,000 in 2021 dollars.)
In closing, here is a reproduction of the Bates “Confession Letter” and the Riverside Library Desk Poem both of which are not addressed by Riverside PD in their Press Release discontinuing their investigation of a possible Zodiac link to the Bates crime.
Zodiac usage in Bates “Confession Letter” of Mikado terms:
George Hodel notes/letters in crimes promising “There Will Be More”:
Zodiac “Z” letter identical in Bates and Paul Avery letters:
Bizzare! What’s their motivation???
Dennis E:
Hard to know? They have never wanted it to be “connected” from way back when.
They’ve been focused on the victim’s school friend early on and despite the DNA exclusion still
according to their own words want to put a case on him?
Steve, Interesting (to me) how easily the stamp on the letter was tested for DNA and how adamant Riverside PD quickly eliminated the murder as Zodiac related! There would be no further investigation of the Bates murder connection to Zodiac by the RPD! No further dicussion here of (assumed) Zodiac letters regarding the Cheri Jo Bates murder! Why not…. Riverside is easily reachable from SF/northern CA! Why, Steve, have your repeated requests for DNA testing on samples you have on GHH been consistently ignored as “no time for such an old case” or “too many current cases to be investigated, no time” etc.! Very obvious to me that all of CA PD’s hope for the Zodiac along with all the murders you have gathered evidence on to slip into the genre ala “Jack the Ripper”……..good fodder for fiction tv movies etc. WHY!! There are true crime(s) here and the criminals here along with the murderer are the police departments, government agencies, etc. who just hope & pray with time your voice will fade from sight & hearing! And time is on not your ally here!😔. Keep fighting Steve….. there are many like me who know what you have said & will keep stating who cannot be “pushed aside” or silenced! 😓🌵
Patricia O:
Thanks as always Patricia. Your support means a lot and has for these many years.
I just this morning discovered information on the Riverside PD that was completely unknown to me and likely to many readers and followers of the Zodiac crimes. Will do a post on it probably when I get back from visiting my two sons and two grandchildren in the Great Northwest for the next ten days. Also, huge linkage in “The Early Years” to GHH’s later crimes as BDA and Zodiac, so won’t be stopping pressing forward anytime soon. Best to you and yours. Steve
It just really seems like the PD doesn’t actually want the Zodiac case solved. Do you think there’s something they’re trying to cover up?
Hi Steve, hopefully you can answer a question I can’t find the solution to online. At the end of some of zodiac writings and a post card, a small symbol, 3 sides of a rectangle with a smaller rectangle inside on a line, with some dashes or dots. Kinda like a ruler, maybe. Was this used by police for scale and that’s why we see it over again or did your father place it there?
Rachel H: Need to see the object to tell for sure? Small rulers are placed in police photos for size, but not sure what you are referring to?
Hi Steve, Boy does this smack of yet another police department’s coverup. A young teenager really? I’d take this latest offering as just that – another coverup. They not only can’t handle the truth they don’t want the truth to come out as GHH was involved in such high levels of criminal corruption which you’ve more than proved. I think GHH was Cheri Jo Bates’ murderer based on the evidence. Best wishes!
Hi,
I was just wondering if the workers were DNA tested? It is a bit of a coincidence 4 workers, across from car caught nothing. For an hour. Or the man skulking about.
Let’s say he was one of the 4. He noticed her park. Paint on watch he knew her from inside the Library.
Paint comes from batches.
You may be able to link the watch to the paint.
James
(Ireland)
Kathy G:
Thanks. I don’t think it is so much a “coverup” on Riverside PD’s part as it is them wanting to get out of the line of fire by removing it as a legit Zodiac case. They have now officially done that by claiming, in their opinion, “it is not connected to Zodiac.” In my opinion, they are flat out wrong and I will be presenting additional information in my upcoming “The Early Years” showing WHY it is not only linked to Zodiac but also presenting further compelling evidence further connecting that crime to GHH.
Hello. There are a lot of different theories regarding this case. Check this podcast out covering the Cheri Jo Bates case with location visits of the crime scene. It gives a different perspective to actually see where it happened.
https://youtu.be/nyuLNXV6I8s
Michael S:
Kudos for an excellent video summary on the chronology of the Cheri Jo Bates murder.
Very well done. I was unaware of the “man in the shadows” suspect and potential DNA from a discarded cigarette. Recommend those interested in the Cheri Jo Bates/Zodiac connections view Michael’s excellent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyuLNXV6I8s
Hi Steve,
I now know who you are, and I believe you are correct about your father and Elizabeth Shortt
Not about this. The Zodiac is not even the same person who killed Cherrie Jo for me, could be.
The First couple killing is an execution and I believe to do with drugs.
Best
Jimmy
(Ireland)
Jimmy:
Well, you might want to look at the evidence (Most Evil I and II) before exonerating the suspect.
Always a good policy to hear the evidence before rendering a verdict. Lot more to come in “The Early Years” as relates to the case, so stay tuned.
Has there been a DNA check with yourself and what is inder the finger nails of Cherie Jo? You might want to do this first
From what I’ve seen the word twitch and twitched were misspelled in the same manner on the bates letter and one of zodiacs known letters. The chances of two ppl misspelling the same word the same way is in the millions. The chances of two killers, who murder without raping or robing the victims and then send taunting notes to press, police and or family in the same state in the same relative time frame( 3 yrs) are beyond ridiculous coincidences. A famous murder cop once said “in murder cases their are no coincidence” and not when the odds of that coincidence are greater the stars in the heavens. If I were onna jury that’s beyond a responsible doubt to me Period.
Zodiac killed cherry Joe Bates, I’m not sure who he is but he did em both. This new guy Gary Poste has my ears perked. I just wish they’d elaborate more on his name in the cipher evidence as well as some timeline of his movement in yrs zodiac was know for be active. I painted houses ten yrs as a young man. The paint splattered wristwatch the police found near bates is also interesting. Every watch I had when I painted was exactly the same.
Any ideas why SFPD n the other departments have drug their feet on trying to match the dna of these more well known suspects or persons of interest.
However the description of zodiac at the Stine murder describes your dad. Down to the voice and army jacket he wore in the military uniform photo of him. The description by officer Fouch?after stopping him n asking if he’d seen a man running. So I’m up in the air.
The killer is a resident of Onterio CA and is 86 yrs old. A vet. And I’ve got tons of evidence. I want to collect the reward though so I’m not gonna broadcast his name on here. But it’s him
Case will be solved soon