Peek Through The Pines The Guardian of Donna Lass?

Whilst researching Zodiac's Letters and communications, some to be genuine and some which are still of question, I couldn't help but keep staring at the Postcard sent to Paul Avery on March 22nd 1971, with the caption Peek through the Pines. As I sat and looked I thought what is Zodiac trying to tell us, does he want us to find Donna Lass? or just give us enough clues to lead in a certain direction.

I started to play about with the words he had glued onto the Postcard, Sierra Club, Peek though the Pines, Around in the snow, Pass Lake Tahoe areas and Sought Victim 12, it entered my head for some reason that what if Zodiac had used anagrams, was that what he was telling us, was Peek through the Pines and the other clues the actual answer themselves, so as mad as it sounded I thought I have to take a look at it now the thought has occurred.

Here is my take on the Peek Through the Pines Postcard and how I think it can be connected to 2 other pieces of Zodiac's correspondence, that of the Celebrity Cypher Postcard Letter on September the 25th 1990, sent to John Walsh and the Christmas Card sent to Mary Pilker, Donna Lass's Sister on 27th December 1974.

Lets look at Peek through the Pines to begin with, when looking at the letters as an anagram we can get the translation from

PEEK THROUGH THE PINES becomes HIGH TOP HUNTERS PEEK

PASS LAKE TAHOE AREAS A PEAK SALT SEA SHORE

AROUND IN THE SNOW DROWN IN SEA ON THU

SOUGHT VICTIM I'M GHOST CUT VI

SIERRA CLUB CLUE IS BARRA

So from the clues above I began realizing that Peek through the Pines wasn't telling us to look through the pine trees but that it was an an actual Peak that had pines, a High Peak possibly with a connection to hunting.

A Peak that was near a salt sea shore, Zodiac tells us he has drowned Donna Lass in the sea. The Sought Victim is a bit harder to make sense of other than that Zodiac see's himself as a Ghost and that he may have cut 6 victims, the 6 works with the 12 that was next to the quote Sought Victim 12, whether this means anything more I do not know.

The Sierra club is a very interesting clue as it holds the key to the Christmas Card that Mary Picker received which we will go into soon but for now the Clue is Barra could lead to the name of a Merchant Navy Ship that lay in Long Beach, San Diego, called the Isle of Barra, there is also a Maid of Barra that says it was in Bremen - berg West Germany.

So the clues were becoming clearer to me, the words were leading me somehow so I went with my gut and continued on my journey with the next clue I felt Zodiac had given us which was the Christmas Card sent to Donna Lass's sister Mary Pilker on 27th December 1974.

Another interesting detail came to light after posting my blog on Reddit, user /u/idunnomaybe57 worked out the Sierra Club Anagram could be read as follows

SIERRA CLUB CAR IS BLUE

What this Reddit User found was that Donna Lass had a Blue Renault Car, Renault was also Michael Mageau's Middle Name, a definite link can be seen looking at Zodiac's quotes as Anagrams, so thank you /u/idunnomaybe57 for seeing what I didn't

Looking at the above Christmas Card I felt the only piece of the card that was meant to give Mary a clue as to where her sister was, was the Hand Written note saying "Best Wishes St Donna & Guardian of the Pines". What was Zodiac trying to tell us, did he believe Donna to now be a Saint who guarded the pines? What was the religious connotations, so I went hunting and don't ask how but somehow I may have found Donna's resting place, here's how I got there and I believe Zodiac to be very intelligent indeed as everything was in plain sight, the use of the quote "Best Wishes St Donna & Guardian of the Pines* gave me 2 very important clues and am amazed that these 2 clues com from the one message.

BEST WISHES ST DONNA & GUARDIAN OF THE PINES after many hours lol became

IN SAN DIEGO DOWN PAST THE FREE SAINTS & BUSH also after more hours

HOG'S BREATH INN PAID I FEAST SUN SEASIDE TOWN

After many hours researching I found out that the Free Saint of San Diego was the Patron Saint of California, his name Junipero Serra O.F.M, his Major Shrine is at Carmel by the Sea, I was astounded to say the least. The reference to Carmel made me think of the Celebrity Cypher Postcard with the view of Carmel Beach on the front of the Postcard. Also note that the Saint's name is in Sierra of Sierra Club.

The Hog's Breath Inn was also of note as I had heard a link to Clint Eastwood before regarding the Zodiac Letters, I never knew Clint had a restaurant in the 1970's, it's possible Zodiac actually went to his restaurant but what intrigued me more was that it was in Carmel. I also came across the Ranch that Clint bought in Carmel, also becoming Mayor at one point, the Ranch was called the Mission and had a varied history. The word Mission again had me thinking about the Patron Saint Junipero and how this was all beginning to make some sense. I had thought I was mad to begin with but I just kept following my instinct and decided to do some more research on the area around Carmel.

I began thinking about the Pines again as Zodiac had mentioned it so many times in his correspondence, searching the Carmel area I became aware that Carmel had Monterey Pines and Bishop Pines, another religious reference, after much searching I think I may have found Donna's resting place.

Zodiac had already told us that Donna was a Guardian of the Pines and here she was, at the Lone Cypress Tree, Pebble Beach, a rocky cove and beach strand. Sitting on the 17 Mile Drive through Carmel & Monterey. The Lone Cypress Tree is said to be 250 years old, the Most Photographed Tree in North America. There was a Guard House at The Country Club, in Pebble Beach but it had suffered storm damage and is to be rebuilt soon.

The Remnants of the Guard House.

I also came across an interesting report from a travel website stuff.co.nz about the area of Pebble Beach and how in 1984 the Lone Cypress Tree was set on Fire!! see below

"And you want to know what waits beyond the edge of the postcard view.

These stories are my stab at that. This is the start of a series in which photographer Mark Boster and I revisit iconic Western destinations.

So, Cupressus macrocarpa, the Monterey Cypress. Once you reach Pebble Beach, about 325 miles north of Los Angeles, you enter 17-Mile Drive, pay the booth attendant, then head past well-tended fairways, sprawling estates and coastal open space to stop No. 16.

On your way, remind yourself that as a species the Monterey Cypress naturally occurs no place on Earth but around Pebble Beach and Point Lobos. Every one of these natives is a rarity.

At No. 16, you find about two dozen parking spaces lining the two-lane road. Above the surf, rocks and foliage, there's a wooden observation deck, and nearby there's a fenced private home that has stood within 200 feet of the tree for about half a century. (It was a woman in this home, Frances Larkey, who saw the flames and called authorities when an unknown arsonist set the tree afire in 1984.)

And out there on the rock, there's the Lone Cypress.

Some tourists shrug and stay two minutes. Some make out and stay 20.

Above and below sea level, it's a rich coastline. Elsewhere along 17-Mile Drive, you can stroll the beach at Point Joe, prowl the tree skeletons at Pescadero Point and take in the wide panorama at Cypress Point (which closes April 1-June 1 for seal-pupping season).

If you prefer to do your coastal rambling on foot without golf courses and private estates, it's only a few miles south to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (US$10 a car).

If you ask Kim Weston, grandson of famed photographer Edward Weston and a longtime Carmel local, Point Lobos beats Pebble Beach hands-down as a place to prowl with a camera.

So did I see the tree anew? Not exactly. We visited it morning, noon and night, watched tourists ebb and flow, chartered a boat to see it from the ocean.

More than ever, I have a soft spot for that singular figure on the rock. But the best minute of the trip - the travel moment that felt fresh, enduring and uniquely rooted in this corner of the world - occurred just up the road.

I'd rented a bike. The sun was low, and I was meandering north from the Lone Cypress toward Point Joe. Ahead, 17-Mile Drive, nearly empty, gently rose, fell and curved.

I began to sense a deepening connection, began to feel as if I'd finally wedged myself between the landscape and everything else.

A chilly breeze. Squawks and barks from Bird Rock.

Orange sky. I have no picture to show of that happy, unobstructed moment, but I have the moment all the same."

Again, I am astounded at what this report has found, Point Joe, who would have guessed it, is this the key to Joseph James DeAngelo being the Zodiac? and the fire, it all fits.

This is as well as I can explain my journey to my findings, I may be mad and have it totally wrong but it all seems to fit with me. If this is the place that Donna Lass was eventually murdered, then this is where the journey ends, Guardian of the Pine, though I like to think the Lone Cypress Tree is Donna's guardian, looking at the Landscape I doubt if we would ever recover Donna's body but it may bring peace knowing where she rests.