The Zodiac Forgery Debaucle
April 24, 1978: A letter to the San Francisco Chronicle was mailed from either Santa Clara or San Mateo County.
The letter read as follows:
Dear Editor
This is the Zodiac speaking I am back with you. Tell herb caen I am here, I have always been here. That city pig toschi is good but I ambusmarter and better he will get tired then leave me alone. I am waiting for a good movie about me. Who will play me. I am now in control of all things.
yours truly:
(circle cross symbol) guess
SFPD – 0
Back in 1976, columnist Armistead Maupin had written a serial for the Chronicle about a detective mentored by San Francisco inspector Dave Toschi. While writing the series, Maupin received three notecards from apparent citizens praising Toschi. Maupin couldn’t match the names to any list of citizens so he suspects Toschi of sending the cards. Maupin doesn’t mention the suspected notes until April 1978. When the above letter arrived at th Chronicle. Maupin felt that Toschi was now faking a Zodiac letter. Armistead Maupin and his (Tales of the City) book publicist approached Sergeant Jack O’Shea, head of the SFPD Intelligence Unit, with their claims. O’Shea and Lieutenant Jack Jordan, head of Homicide, decided that Toschi had written the fan letters. Chief Gain claims that he was not told of Toschi’s fraudulent letters until late June 1978.
Upon hearing of these suspicions, Toschi immediately called John Shimoda of the USPS crime lab to authenticate the letter. Shimoda confirmed that the letter was the work of the Zodiac. Toschi took the letter to a fingerprint expert at the SFPD crime lab, but nothing of any use was found.
July 10, 1978 San Francisco Police Chief Gain held a press conference announcing the above letter might have been forged. He also announced that Dave Toschi was to be transferred to the pawn shop detail because he had written fake letters to Maupin.
To many, this move seemed rather convenient for Gain, who could now put the ever popular Toschi down a notch in any future political pursuits. No one ever publicly accused Toschi, but the events implied a certain guilt on his part.
So, who pointed the finger at Toschi?
Keith Woodward, former chief of the LAPD’s document department.
Robert Prouty, whom Toschi avoided in favor of Shimoda back in April.
Prouty’s colleague Terry Pascoe.
John Shimoda, who withdrew his initial finding.
Sherwood Morrill could not be swayed. He could not be convinced Toschi wrote the letters.
The January 29, 1974 Exorcist letter was deemed to be genuine.
Another letter arrived at the Chronicle on July 19, 1978, ten days after Gains’ press conference that pointed an invisible finger at Toschi. If Toschi was a forger of Zodiac letters, was he brazen enough to continue sending them even after he was transferred?
With all of the politics going on in the investigation of the Zodiac and among the upper echelon of the force, can we be sure that letters were forged by Toschi? Was the much vilified Robert Graysmith any part of this? Has either Toschi or Graysmith been defamed?
I encourage everyone to take in the facts surrounding this case. Look at what is presented with an open, studious mind. Weed out the rumors, search for the truth. If you are researching this case, base your theories on factual information, not on the popular consensus. If you watch movies, read books, or visit websites about the Zodiac, be aware that all that glitters is not gold. There are lots of political tug-of wars, a multitude of agendas, and plenty of unrestrained bias. Just like Joe Friday, we should base our conclusions on “just the facts.”
More Zodiac Letters here.
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