A question . . . I can't wrap my head around.

[Abby Normal]

I am not sure where we are disagreeing? -- Of course he was a serial killer, the issue I was replying to was the suggestion that he got a bigger kick out of taunting the cops then killing, which I agree and I believe Smith recognized.

When they got close he had no difficultly shutting down operations and never killed again.That is something few can do.

I agree he seems to hold a strong jealousy of couples but his style of murder, with a gun has less a psychopathic tint to it than most serial killers who use knifes or garrote, and who like to dominate/humiliate their victims. There seems to be less of that in Zodiac; his killing seemed less personal, more of a swing at the world at large, thus more joy from taunting.

Guess we took away different opinions from the read.

hi AP
no big wup. either way he got a huge kick out writing letters, obviously, because he apparently continued to write them long after he stopped killing. it was a huge part of his motivation I agree.

however graysmith believed that he did go on killing and tries to attribute many deaths to him-something I doubt. mainly because if he did go on killing he would be taking credit for it in his letters.

also-just to point out that the Zodiac did use a knife in his killing-the couple at lake Berryessa he tied up and stabbed-very personal.

[APerno]

hi AP
no big wup. either way he got a huge kick out writing letters, obviously, because he apparently continued to write them long after he stopped killing. it was a huge part of his motivation I agree.

however graysmith believed that he did go on killing and tries to attribute many deaths to him-something I doubt. mainly because if he did go on killing he would be taking credit for it in his letters.

also-just to point out that the Zodiac did use a knife in his killing-the couple at lake Berryessa he tied up and stabbed-very personal.

Ah did not remember that he used a knife (it has been a while), I thought all the kills were by gun.

[Wickerman]

I'd be surprised if the likes of Zodiac, Rader, Son of Sam, Green River, etc., knew anything about Jack the Ripper, outside of a passing comment.
Though I do think the urge to taunt the authorities like Zodiac stems from a different motive than our Ripper seems to have had.