New Forum & News Updates

[georger]

This is upsetting. NAMUS, the database for missing persons will cease operations on January 1st.

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“Due to funding limitations and significant program modifications directed by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), beginning January 1, 2021, the UNT Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) management and operation of the National Missing and Unidentified Person System (NamUs) will cease. UNTCHI will no longer be able to support NamUs stakeholders with any analytical or case support; victim services; system development; or new forensic services. The forensic services include: DNA typing (currently suspended), fingerprint examination, forensic odontology, and forensic anthropology (currently suspended). Effective immediately, NamUs will also be unable to support states that have passed legislation mandating the use of NamUs, including bulk data import needs.
UNTCHI at the University of North Texas Health Science Center has been proud to manage NamUs through a cooperative agreement with NIJ since October 1, 2011. However, despite our best efforts over the past several months to reach a sustainable solution, the sweeping program changes being mandated by NIJ at this time make it untenable for UNTCHI to continue management of NamUs.

We deeply regret the negative impact this situation will have on the thousands of NamUs criminal justice and public customers and stakeholders across the country. NamUs is the only program of its kind in existence, and we hope the program can continue its important work for agencies and families nationwide.

We will provide more information as it becomes available.”

It will return .... just wait. Many gov offices/programs are temp closed due to Covid.

[dblea88]

... ah, Lepsy was a poetry lover and a philosophical kind of guy. Now we're getting somewhere.

Then to cut out from his family, stealing money, cheating on his wife. Very random for a 'sweet guy' personality to do that. Than you have Cooper who's known to be the "gentleman thief".

[EU]

The Christmas theme looks great Shutter! I actually look forward to it each year.

Perhaps you should entertain a special 50th Anniversary theme...maybe with some gold features...beginning in January?

Cheers!

[Chaucer]

Looks like georger was right. NAMUS received a grant to continue operations.

Great news.

[Bruce A. Smith]

The Christmas theme looks great Shutter! I actually look forward to it each year.

Perhaps you should entertain a special 50th Anniversary theme...maybe with some gold features...beginning in January?

Cheers!

Snowflakes were okay. Black backgrounds, not so much.

[MEYDC]

I just wanted to mention that in the Zodiac Killer case that the 340 cypher was solved and confirmed by the FBI after 51 years. It didn't reveal a name. But hopefully soon we will get a big break in the Cooper case.

[Chaucer]

Yes, as some of you know, I have spent a considerable amount of time researching the Zodiac case. I heard rumors of this a few days ago and the announcement was made this morning.

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This would be similar to more Cooper money being found. It’s a monumental achievement and moves the case forward in a positive way. Everyone involved- one of whom is a friend - should be congratulated.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled episode of DB Cooper...

[Shutter]

Now, back to your regularly scheduled episode of DB Cooper...

Anything can be discussed on this thread. it was originally made due to problems we had with the site some years back. now, it's basically an off topic thread.

[fcastle866]

Yes, as some of you know, I have spent a considerable amount of time researching the Zodiac case. I heard rumors of this a few days ago and the announcement was made this morning.

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This would be similar to more Cooper money being found. It’s a monumental achievement and moves the case forward in a positive way. Everyone involved- one of whom is a friend - should be congratulated.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled episode of DB Cooper...

My Twitter feed had Loki the God of Mischief being Cooper, and then the Zodiac cipher.  Thanks for making the analogy to the Cooper money.  At first I thought this was an alternate world where the Rackstraw team got a story in the news and told some half-truths and withheld some key info.  But it looks like some of the main players in the Zodiac group are saying this is big news.  Congrats to them.  I've always enjoyed ciphers and codes and have felt the Zodiac group and Cooper group are sort of kindred spirits, although the Zodiac is a monster plain and simple, no questions there.  Keep us updated if you can.  Any thoughts on what this cipher could tell us?  Aren't there a couple more that have not been de-coded? I've always wondered if the police have a guy in mind and just can't connect the dots enough for a conviction.

[Shutter]

Didn't they have a strong suspect or is the case like this one with wannabe's?

[Chaucer]

Didn't they have a strong suspect or is the case like this one with wannabe's?

It's very similar to the Cooper case with several compelling suspects, but all with fatal flaws in terms of confirmation.

None of the LE agencies investigating the Zodiac case (and there are several because the crimes crossed jurisdictions) have a "prime suspect".

The bottom line is:  this doesn't bring us much closer to identifying the Zodiac Killer necessarily, but this cipher had been on the FBI top ten unsolved codes list for 48 years and was considered by many to be unbreakable or even not a code at all, but just gibberish. Solving it is a historic achievement and one that should be breaking on the news media very soon.

Here's a brief video by one of the men who solved the code, Dave Oranchak, explaining how they did it:

[Robert99]

Didn't they have a strong suspect or is the case like this one with wannabe's?

It's very similar to the Cooper case with several compelling suspects, but all with fatal flaws in terms of confirmation.

None of the LE agencies investigating the Zodiac case (and there are several because the crimes crossed jurisdictions) have a "prime suspect".

The bottom line is:  this doesn't bring us much closer to identifying the Zodiac Killer necessarily, but this cipher had been on the FBI top ten unsolved codes list for 48 years and was considered by many to be unbreakable or even not a code at all, but just gibberish. Solving it is a historic achievement and one that should be breaking on the news media very soon.

Here's a brief video by one of the men who solved the code, Dave Oranchak, explaining how they did it:

My dear Chaucer,

I am indeed sorry to have to inform you that the 340 letter Zodiac cipher has NOT been solved despite the above claims.  And the 408 letter Zodiac cipher has NOT been solved either despite the claims from decades ago.

Not a single one of the people who claim to have solved either the 340 or 408 ciphers even understands what constitutes the ciphers.

[Chaucer]

Didn't they have a strong suspect or is the case like this one with wannabe's?

It's very similar to the Cooper case with several compelling suspects, but all with fatal flaws in terms of confirmation.

None of the LE agencies investigating the Zodiac case (and there are several because the crimes crossed jurisdictions) have a "prime suspect".

The bottom line is:  this doesn't bring us much closer to identifying the Zodiac Killer necessarily, but this cipher had been on the FBI top ten unsolved codes list for 48 years and was considered by many to be unbreakable or even not a code at all, but just gibberish. Solving it is a historic achievement and one that should be breaking on the news media very soon.

Here's a brief video by one of the men who solved the code, Dave Oranchak, explaining how they did it:

My dear Chaucer,

I am indeed sorry to have to inform you that the 340 letter Zodiac cipher has NOT been solved despite the above claims.  And the 408 letter Zodiac cipher has NOT been solved either despite the claims from decades ago.

Not a single one of the people who claim to have solved either the 340 or 408 ciphers even understands what constitutes the ciphers.

My dear Robert,

You have no idea what you're talking about. The 408 cipher has been solved for over 50 years with verifications from the FBI, NSA, and the Navy codebreaking outfit. The FBI cryptoanalysis unit has already verified this current solution and a press release is forthcoming. Any assertion to the contrary to these facts would put you firmly in the crank, kook, and crackpot category.

Maybe the solution you're looking for is in the redacted ATC transcripts?

[Shutter]

Here is an FBI statement...

FBI Statement: The FBI has a team of cryptanalysis experts that decipher coded messages, symbols, and records from criminals known as the Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit. CRRU regularly works with the cryptologic research community to solve ciphers. On December 5, 2020, the FBI received the solution to a cipher popularly known as Z340 from a cryptologic researcher and independently verified the decryption. Cipher Z340 is one of four ciphers attributed to the Zodiac Killer. This cipher was first submitted to the FBI Laboratory on November 13, 1969, but not successfully decrypted. Over the past 51 years CRRU has reviewed numerous proposed solutions from the public–none of which had merit. The cipher was recently solved by a team of three private citizens. The Zodiac Killer case remains an ongoing investigation for the FBI San Francisco division and our local law enforcement partners. The Zodiac Killer terrorized multiple communities across Northern California and even though decades have gone by, we continue to seek justice for the victims of these brutal crimes. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, and out of respect for the victims and their families, we will not be providing further comment at this time

[Parrotheadvol]

Didn't they have a strong suspect or is the case like this one with wannabe's?

It's similar in a lot of ways. There's no shortage of suspects or people pushing their own suspects. Arthur Leigh Allen was the primary suspect for a long time and he had a lot of circumstantial things that pointed his way. There are plenty of folks who still think he could be the guy, but if I remember correctly he has pretty much been ruled out from fingerprint evidence and I believe DNA evidence as well. Not to mention, he didn't look anything like the description they had of Zodiac. Richard Gaikowski seems to be the most talked about suspect now and he is pushed hard by the moderator of one of the big Zodiac forums. But, I haven't seen anything that makes be believe he is the guy either. I don't even find him to be that good of a suspect. Maybe I'm missing something there.

This in interesting news though. I'd love to see this one solved. There's still people out there that need closure from the things this evil prick did.