Zodiackiller.com Message Board: Zodiac Media: Tech TV's "Cyber Crime" Z-segment

Tech TV's program Cyber Crime delves into the Z case and explores how the internet is helping to advance the case. It will broadcast soon, and the Real Video version is now apparently available. There is also a text story that accompanies the show. Check out http://www.techtv.com/news/story/0,24195,3333160,00.html (I couldn't link it the conventional way because of the commas in the address).

P.S. I was interviewed for the segment for about 15 minutes, but I don't know if any of it actually made it in... oh, well...

Yep, the scene where we reenacted that famous pose of Lundblad and Butterbach at LHR made it.

Ed interesting article ,down right cute. By the way did you discuss the Ramsey case with Blum?

Zoe, you need to start making sense or it's bye-bye.

Now the Cybercrime.com Web site has an online poll regarding whether my claims about Allen are grounds for a lawsuit.
Here's the url if you want to vote:
http://www.techtv.com/cybercrime/

You have to scroll down a bit for the form.

According to the TechTV story:
"Vallejo Police Lieutenant JoAnn West is not a fan of Tom Voigt or of other amateur sleuths like him.

'The problem with the information on the website is it's not all accurate,' West said.

. . . The department is not at liberty to clarify or correct the information because the investigation is still open."
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Not everyone agrees with Tom or his suspect, but it is clear that all of the original documentation that he has posted is accurate (I sincerely doubt that the class picture he posted is "inaccurate", nor are the LB police report or the copies of letters).

I really don't like Ms. West or certain other "law enforcement professionals" who feel so threatened when "amateurs" get involved. If the police are really so competent and we are all so bothersome, then why hasn't the Zodiac case been solved yet? I don't like being told what to do, and I don't think it's honest of West to claim that not all of the information on the website is accurate, and then refuse to cite even one "inaccuracy".

If she's referring to the message board, it's not intended (at least I don't think that it was Tom's intention) to be a source of "evidence", but rather a place for us "amateurs" to "play detective" by offering theories and interpretations of the case.

Maybe we should leave the case to a "real cop" like JoAnn West (a spokesperson).

Spencer

Maybe she thinks she's Angie Dickenson.

Did anyone else notice the "comments" at the bottom of that page. Someone bashing Tom said that people should read BOTH of Graysmiths books. Did I miss something? I didn't think his other book was out yet. You know what that means Tom. You need to publish a book so you will have credibility like Graysmith and Penn. Er.. ok, maybe you shouldn't publish a book. Classic

Actually, I like Lt. West. She's very good at her job.
I agree, though, that she might be referring to the message board, rather than the rest of the site. It's hard to argue with the validity of police reports.

Considering that even a cursory examination of the case makes the Vallejo PD look incompetent at best and complicit at worst, it doesn't surprise me that they might prefer that the general public not look too closely at the facts.

Boojum: Bravo! I just hope Tom isn't considering whether or not to drop the message board from his site. I feel that the MB is a positive way to brainstorm the Zodiac enigma. There are some really bright minds that post messages on this board. I feel it would be an injustice - a blatant case of censorship - to not allow such a forum to take place. Furthermore, I feel that this site has not libeled or slandered ALA's good name or reputation. He took care of that all by himself, whether he was Z or not.

Scott

Maybe Lt. West of VPD considers Deep Throat of Watergate fame as a viable Z suspect. She could then write a book about the case and the 1st edition then could be presented to the NIXON LIBRARY-THEN MAYBE VPD COULD GET A FEDERAL GRANT TO INVESTIGATE ANY PURPORTED SITINGS OF Z IN VALLEJO(THE LAND OF OZ)
Bruce D.

Bruce D: "THE LAND OF OZ" - Brilliant! VPD = O and Z = Z! I like it!

Scott

Are the geniuses at TechTV (or those who responded "yes" to the poll) aware that Allen is dead? Or what Tom's claims are, exactly? I assume Tom has covered his legal bases. I am not one who believes that there are no stupid questions, and TechTV has proven the position to be a sound one.

BTW, Tom what are your claims, exactly? I don't recall you ever saying "Allen was the Zodiac Killer", only that the evidence makes him the best suspect. These may sound like the same thing to those answering the poll, but they are two very different assertions in the law of libel. If Allen were alive, the former would be libel if Allen could prove it untrue. The latter is probably defensible either as true or as an opinion.

Peter H.- From the way the article is written it appears as though "the geniuses" don't know that Allen is dead, otherwise I doubt they would've written it-but with the media you just never know! Professor Miriam Smith I assume knows because of the reference to heirs (thank God someone took the time to read ALA's file!). I was amazed by the broad generalizations made by her and Lt. West such as "many people don't take the information on zodiackiller.com with a grain of salt. To them it is the gospel truth." What "information" is that? All of the files and police reports etc.? Theories on the Message Board, etc.? Being a little specific would be helpful. Yes we believe everything we read on this site with blind obedience! Then they complain about us inundating the police with leads, well doesn't that basically go with the territory especially with a case like this? I don't think Tom has anything to worry about.

Bruce-let the brutality continue (ha ha!)

TOm: THought you might like to see the email I just sent to Techtv:

"Re: The article on Arthur Leigh Allen, Tom Voigt and the Zodiac Killer, and the libel poll.

Certainly your reporter was aware that Allen is dead, and as Prof Smith said, any libel case died with him. What sense does it make then to ask if Voigt's assertions constitute libel? Prof Smith has already told you that as a matter of law, they cannot be libelous. In addition, the article asserts that Voigt claims to have solved the case and that Allen was the Zodiac. It is notable that the direct quotes in the article do not support either characterization of Tom's statements or his site. Any fair reading of the material on the site plainly shows that Voigt is seeking to solve the case, not that he claims to have done so already. Also, nowhere is there any assertion by Voigt or the site that Allen was the killer, only that he is the best suspect, which is not only a matter of opinion, but its a pretty darn sound one at that."

Peter H: Nice! Perhaps we should all send e-mails to TechTV to let them know the errors of their ways. If anything, it should be Tom who is suing TechTV for their false claims about him and his site. I participated in the poll (Tom, the votes, when I last checked, were clearly in your favor), but didn't think to send them an e-mail. I think I'll do that this evening.

Nice job Peter!

Scott

I agree.Some of the stuff these outside media types come up with."The police agencies gave him the name "Zodiac".Come on...Its like they got their info watching "The Limbic Region".

Scott:

Thanks for the comment, but forget commenting to TechTV (except maybe a snail mail addressed to "General Counsel") They respond with a form (no doubt automatically generated) claiming to read every post and thanking the writer for something that has nothing to do with the posted comment.

Peter H: Unfortunately, it's too late. Did you detect the tone of "sincerity" in their response? Absolutely deplorable!

Scott

Hey! I just noticed something in the Tech TV CyberCrime segment that Tom posted on 1/1/02. At the point in the commentary when the narrator notes that interactivity -- i.e. this board -- is the key to Tom's site, they cut to Tom with the Message Board on screen in the background. The thread Tom chose to put up in that shot happens to be my all-time favorite on the whole Board. Thanks,Tom!

Correction: the MB is not in the background shot: its the whole shot a couple of cuts before they go back to Tom. Even better.