Ross Sullivan: A Notorious Suspect In The Death Of Cheri Jo Bates
TwitterSome believe that Ross Sullivan has a strong link to possible Zodiac victim Cheri Jo Bates.
There are a couple of reasons why some believe that Ross Sullivan was the Zodiac Killer. But the most compelling has to do with the murder of Cheri Jo Bates, who some consider a potential Zodiac victim, in 1966.
Then, on Halloween, Bates’ body was discovered on the Riverside City College campus, where the 18-year-old had just started her freshman year. According to Voigt’s Zodiac Killer website, she had been beaten and stabbed.
Sullivan was one of the original suspects in Bates’ murder. He worked at the campus library, which was close to where the body was found, and several of his coworkers at the library remembered that he made them uneasy. He even briefly disappeared after Bates’ death.
TwitterCheri Jo Bates was just 18 when she was murdered, possibly by the Zodiac Killer.
Though Bates isn’t considered an official Zodiac victim, her murder has struck many as eerily similar to the Zodiac Killer’s crimes. Bustle reports that local newspapers received letters after Bates’ death with details only her killer would know, and that these letters bore a resemblance to the Zodiac Killer’s letters (including word usage and misspellings).
What’s more, Sullivan’s possible connection to Bates isn’t the only reason why some think that he’s a convincing Zodiac Killer suspect. Sullivan studied cryptology, wore army boots (similar to prints that were found at a Zodiac crime scene), and with his thick spectacles, he bore a strong resemblance to the Zodiac Killer.
Today, however, Sullivan’s whereabouts are unknown. And since Bates is not officially considered a Zodiac victim by the police — though she is by some experts like Voigt and the Case Breakers — her murder might not have anything to do with the Zodiac Killer or his mysterious identity.
