Cheri Jo Bates murder site - Zodiac killer (Riverside, California)

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On the evening of October 30th, 1966, at appoximately 9:30pm, 18-year-old college student Cheri Josephine Bates was brutally stabbed to death in an alleyway near to the library at the Riverside City College campus. She had been studying at the library and was leaving when she was attacked. There were no witnesses to the crime. The only evidence left at the scene was a man's wrist watch, believed to have been lost by the attacker during the struggle, and a boot print from a size 10 military-style boot. The victim's car had also been vandalized and disabled.

One of the suspects in the case is the infamous Zodiac serial killer. In December of that year, a "confession" poem carved in the underside of a desk at the RCC library that was found. Some believe that this was done by the Zodiac due to the similarity of the handwriting and style. A number of letters were also received by the police and press from someone claiming to be Bates' killer. Some believe there are similarities between the letters and those of the Zodiac, but this has never been officially established.

An interesting aspect of this case is that it occured some four years before the infamous northern California Zodiac killings, and is one of the earliest crimes that may be attributed to the Zodiac. However, the Riverside Police Department does not believe the murder was done by the Zodiac, but that he may have written the confession poem and letters to claim false credit.

The case remains officially unsolved as of March 2007.