Join FunTrivia for Free: Hourly trivia games, quizzes, community, and more!
Fun Trivia
Ask FunTrivia: Questions and Answers
Answers to 100,000 Fascinating Questions
Welcome to FunTrivia's Question & Answer forum!

Search All Questions


Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims.

Archived Questions

Goto Qn #


In solving the one Zodiac Killer cypher, what correct assumptions did Don Harden make?

Question #109243. Asked by Zbeckabee.
Last updated Apr 25 2023.

serpa
Answer has 6 votes
Currently Best Answer
serpa
16 year member
2371 replies

Answer has 6 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
The Zodiac Killer kould nut spel to goode.

"As you can see," Harden said, "his spelling is rather poor and in some places he has made errors in the use of his own cipher."

These errors, Harden said, showed in incomprehensible groupings of letters, but the gist of the writer's message was fairly clear.

As Harden broke it, the cipher reads:

"I like killing people because it is so much fun it is more fun than killing wild game in the forrest because man is the most hongertue animal of all to kill something give eryetheyo a thrilling experience it is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl the best part of it I athae when I die I will be reborn in paradice and all the I have killed will become my slaves I will not give you my name because you will trs to sloi down or atop my collecting of slaves for my afterlife ebeo riet emeth hpiti."

Harden said the writer tried to make the cipher more difficult by using 12 different symbols for "e," the most commonly used letter in the language.

To further throw cryptoanalysts off the track, Harden said, the writer used a backward "q" 16 times, in an effort to make an analyst think that stood for "e," as, indeed, Harden first thought it did

Harden said he broke the code by looking for four-letter patterns which would fit in with the word "kill."

"We felt that 'kill' would be used more than once," he said.

In the message, the writer used "kill" once, but "killing" twice and "thrilling" and "killed" once each.

link http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanutbutter/2462841231/

Sep 28 2009, 2:42 PM
avatar
Zbeckabee star
Answer has 0 votes
Zbeckabee star
Moderator
18 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 0 votes.
There was yet another assumption...

Sep 28 2009, 6:41 PM
serpa
Answer has 0 votes
serpa
16 year member
2371 replies

Answer has 0 votes.
The letter 'I'?

Sep 28 2009, 8:54 PM
avatar
Zbeckabee star
Answer has 3 votes
Zbeckabee star
Moderator
18 year member
11752 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.
Yes...the letter 'I'...

Harden's break came when he started with an assumption that the killer's ego might cause him to begin his message with the letter "I" and that he would most likely be using the words "kill" and "killing" both of which contain a double-L. His assumptions proved correct, and the cipher soon began to form an erie confession of sorts.

link https://zodiackillerfacts.com/zodiac-the-ciphers-codes/zodiac-ciphers/the-340-cipher-dead-ends/


Response last updated by gtho4 on Apr 25 2023.
Sep 29 2009, 5:48 AM
free email trivia FREE! Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day!


arrow Your Email Address:

Sign in or Create Free User ID to participate in the discussion