Stories, Cheri Jo Bates

Cheri Jo Bates was one of the most memorable victims that the Zodiac Killer had murdered. She was a college student just coming out of the college library that was on campus. The Zodiac had purposefully disabled her car and had been stalking her for a while. He then somehow had encouraged her to come to him because he saw her struggling with her car. He had lured her to a dark alley that was near y and had killed her. He beaten her until she was injured and had stabbed her over a couple of times with a small knife that he held. When reporters had investigated her body there was no form of rape, and also there was a conclusion that it had nothing to do with robbery. He sent in letters explaining that Cheri had to die, because she was one of his slaves that he would be rewarded for later on in his afterlife. In the letter he said “Bates had to die there will be more.” Some believe that this was a hoax and Cheri Jo Bate’s death had nothing to do with the Zodiac killings. However, he wrote a poem and sent it in which was directed to Cheri’s death.

The poem said:

  Sick of living/unwilling to die
cut.
clean.
if red /
clean.
blood spurting,
dripping,
spilling;
all over her new
dress
oh well
it was red
anyway.
life draining into an
uncertain death.
she won't
die.
this time
someone ll find her.
just wait till
next time.
rh

Investigators say that the signature rh is referring to the president at the time, which was President Bradshaw.