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What does Z13 say?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·4 answers·0·0 following
Four answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible.

Why it matters

Z13 follows "My name is" and is the cipher most often claimed to name the killer. It has 13 symbols, too few for any substitution reading to be unique⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 4

None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
Evidence: 1 against
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible

History

  1. Avery puts forward: z13 is a simple substitution of the writer's name or alias.
  2. Oranchak et al. puts forward: z13 uses a further step (transposition, nulls, or a key unlike Z408's), as Z340 did.
  3. Oranchak et al. puts forward: z13 does not encode a name; it is a taunt or meaningless.
  4. Oranchak et al.: z340 showed the writer added transposition and irregularities to homophonic substitution.For: Z13 uses a further step (transposition, nulls, or a key unlike Z408's), as Z340 did.
  5. Oranchak et al.: z408 explicitly refuses to give his name, and Z340 contains none.For: Z13 does not encode a name; it is a taunt or meaningless.
  6. Asked on this site
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