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Post subject: Dispelling GYKE Myths: THE PASSPORT
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Some of Goldcatcher's documents have been published elsewhere online and they incorrectly seem to indicate Gyke was eliminated as a Zodiac suspect in 1986 via fingerprints, handwriting and a passport stamp showing Gyke was in Europe in December 1968. Time to correct a myth.
Where to begin?
After launching Zodiackiller.com in 1998, Gyke was one of the first suspects I learned about. My prime source of info on him was Pam Huckaby, sister of Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin. Huckaby supplied me with Gyke-related documents prepared by Goldcatcher, who had shared them with her. In 1998, Huckaby still had occasional contact with Napa Detective Ken Narlow, who briefly investigated Gyke in 1986. When I first contacted Narlow in 1998 over the phone and in subsequent visits to his home in Napa, Gaikowski was often a topic of our discussion. While the reports I had access to indicated Goldcatcher was under the impression that Gyke had been eliminated as a suspect by Narlow, Narlow had a different story entirely.
Narlow told me that he did a background check on Gyke and put him under brief surveillance in San Francisco after Huckaby and Goldcatcher presented him as a suspect. Nothing suspicious was uncovered, so Goldcatcher wore a wire to Gyke's apartment to see if Gyke would say something incriminating while Narlow listened outside. Again, nothing. Meanwhile, Huckaby and a few of her family members confronted Gaikowski and tipped him off that he was under suspicion, thus ruining the inverstigation. Huckaby has since confirmed these events.
Out of his jurisdiction and with nothing to warrant devoting more resources on investigating Gyke, Narlow turned over the materials he had collected on Gyke to the San Francisco Police Dept. and went back to Napa. Narlow told me that he never interviewed Gyke in person, as that would have been overstepping his bounds, and that Gyke later phoned him and said something to the effect of "So you think I'm the Zodiac, eh?" Narlow said that Gyke's fingerprints were never taken or compared to Zodiac's as a part of his investigation (if Narlow had Gyke's fingerprints the surveillance would have been unnecessary), and Narlow also told me that he didn't actually see Gyke's passport stamp, but that Gyke used it as an alibi over the phone by claiming he was in Europe at the time of a Zodiac killing. What little they had of Gyke's handwriting looked good, but they didn't have enough of his known handwriting to use as a comparison, and nothing on Gyke was strong enough to get a warrant. And thus the investigated ended.
Here's a portion of the FBI report referring to Gyke, and it corroborates Narlow's version of events regarding never seeing Gyke's passport:
Unless you choose to believe the above report was merely repeating the claims of Goldcatcher regarding Gyke's passport, and the FBI didn't bother to attribute a source or even add a footnote to explain, which would have been inconsistent with not only their procedure, but also with logic, and in fact would contradict the rest of the report that did attribute sources, the report above implies the FBI had contact with Gyke.
If Gyke had lost his passport before Narlow investigated him, he couldn't have shown Narlow the passport. If Gyke had lost his passport after Narlow investigated him, why didn't Gyke tell the FBI he had shown the passport to Narlow and been cleared?
The answer is obvious: Narlow never saw the passport.
So, why would Narlow allegedly tell Goldcatcher that he had seen the passport? Those of you who have listened to the recorded conversations Goldcatcher had with Gyke know that Goldcatcher lived in a van in San Francisco and had no private phone. Calling from an urban phone booth, it's my opinion that Narlow told Goldcatcher about Gyke's claim of having a stamped passport, but Goldcatcher thought Narlow said he had actually seen the passport. A simple misunderstanding. Or, perhaps Narlow was just fed up with Goldcatcher's persistent hounding about Gyke.
Regardless, all of the information indicates Gyke never showed the passport to anyone, and the lack of any record otherwise merely proves it. (With his background, Gyke would have been easily able to fake a passport stamp, so maybe he really did lose it.) 
But for the final nail in the coffin of this myth, see below --
Fast forward to 2004: After moving to San Francisco, I was fortunate to spend some quality time with Inspector Mike Maloney of the San Francisco Police Dept., including a group gathering with fellow researcher Sandy Betts and filmmaker John Mikulenka. Maloney had recently spent several years in charge of the Zodiac case along with a partner. Maloney knew about Gyke and was adamant that Gyke had never been eliminated as a Zodiac suspect, but that he hadn't seen enough evidence against Gyke to warrant an investigation. Maloney was openminded about Gyke and said he was willing to review whatever information I could find. At that point I made an all-out effort to locate Goldcatcher, as evidenced by the June 27, 2004 entry at the Zodiackiller.com News Center:
"> If anyone has contact information for the San Francisco informant called "Goldcatcher," please contact me."
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make contact with Goldcatcher until early 2008.
Bottom line: Ken Narlow told me that he never saw Gyke's passport, and the FBI report backed up his word in their report by stating Gyke had lost his passport.
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Zodiackiller.com
Last edited by TomVoigt on Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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 Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:53 pm |
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Rank: Moderator -- Zodiac Buster
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Thank you for laying out all the info on Gaik's passport, fingerprints and handwriting.
I do remember seeing the portion of the FBI report posted before stating that Gaik had lost his passport and it has been clear, to me at least, that there was no confirmation one way or the other about Gaik's whereabouts in December of 1968. The lost passport is reminicent of the article he wrote about having lost his draft card (or whatever the card is called when you've served) and seems consistant with his MO on retaining personal papers.
I will say that Gaik has left behind an almost nonexistant paper trail regarding his life's endeavours. Other than his partnership in the Roxie Theater, there is nothing in the way of official paperwork. He never married or had a domestic partnership, never had kids, never bought a home or any of the other things people normally do. There is a very limited amout of things to work with regarding this guy! I find it most unusual for a person who was a writer.
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I hope everyone is happy in your head...We're all doing pretty good in mine! |
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| Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:48 pm |
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Tom,
Thanks for dispelling some Gyke myths ! Can you please post the link to the Goldcatcher documents ? Or, maybe someone can pm them to me, if you don't want to post the link. |
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| Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:52 pm |
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PM each other the link, that's fine.
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Zodiackiller.com |
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| Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:54 pm |
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| Quote: |
| Narlow told me that he never interviewed Gyke in person, as that would have been overstepping his bounds, and that Gyke later phoned him and said something to the effect of "So you think I'm the Zodiac, eh?" |
Kind of sounds like something Zodiac would do huh? Sort of a challenge, as if hes saying "Ok, you found me. But now you have to prove it"
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You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help. |
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| Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:31 am |
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| I wonder how long the telephone conversation between Narlow and Gyke lasted? From the very little that Narlow has given about the conversation, it sounds like Richard was either bewildered that he was suspect, or being nasty about it. |
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| Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:58 am |
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If Gyke was the Zodiac he probably didn't want Narlow to continue his investigation and calling him would be what someone who was innocent would do. Nice strategy.
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Zodiackiller.com |
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| Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:48 am |
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Seagull, you aptly note that Gaik did not leave much of a paper trail behind, but what about his driver's license?
Someone got ahold of ALA's 1968 driver's license when he was teaching in Burson and reproduced it. Gaik must have applied for a DMV license when he returned to California in 1969. It would be most interesting to see that picture and also what kind of weight he was carrying at the time.
I also don't remember seeing a post that mentioned anything about what kind of car Gaik was driving during his SF stint at editor of the Good Times. |
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| Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:06 am |
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According to those who knew him, Gyke drove a Karmann Ghia in 1969. He had ready access to other vehicles as well.
I am the one who obtained and posted Allen's driver's license from the late 1960s. It was given to me by the widow of one of the original Zodiac investigators.
It would take someone within law enforcement to get access to Gyke's DMV records.
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Zodiackiller.com |
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| Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:23 am |
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| Could anyone here please PM me the link to Goldcatcher's documents? |
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| Thu Oct 01, 2009 7:29 am |
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I feel and sound like a newbie here, but swallowing any pride I have left, I have a question !!
There is a lot of dispute as to whether RG's passport was seen, not seen, lost, not lost etc etc etc.
Do we know for a fact that RG actually did HAVE a passport in the first place? I know the FBI state that ".....his passport is lost but he cannot prove it....", so does that mean they had checked one had been issued to him ?
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Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. |
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| Fri Oct 02, 2009 12:20 am |
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To be fair there were books showing how to get-create false passports with alias/s and false information about the holder to create alibis,etc.
You could leave(one of the methods) on a real passport then come back, say, to the US with a false passport then engage in any crime in the US one wished.
Then later fly back on that false passport.At any point when that person returns to the US it would be with that original or real passport.Alibi established.
Remember,in the 60's it would be easier to do such things than today.But,even now it is done successfully due to computers!The criminal mind always finds a way.
Or they use false passports to simply hide from the authorities or people they may wish avoid for any reason.
I know the average normal thinking person thinks why go to such lengths ,but we have to realize that there are people who have and do this kind of thing as they are criminals and think like one.They have personality disorders.
They may learn techniques that the average criminal doesn't really know about.Travelling with multiple false passports is not unusual when you look into criminals who have and do such things.I have even seen such cases on TV and of course read about them.
Z boasted he was "crackproof."And that he was 'too clever' for the police.So who knows?
What I am saying you can't really rule out Gyke or anyone by passport activity alone.It will have be by forensics and other solid stand up in court evidence.We have to believe this can can be solved whoever Zodiac turns out to be.I know some get discouraged,as there are so many blocks and delays,etc.,but look at BTK! Anything is possible.
Look at Tom he never gives in or up LOL
Keep in mind even if he were in jail, say, July 31 1969 and on then one would say he didn't do BRS because those letters were sent to the papers."Kites" are a regular underground pasttime of prisoners.Letters of all kinds using various methods are mailed out surreptitiously all the time from jail.No problem.
Again,the State Dept.has passport records going back to 1925!
_________________
Click here for Howard Davis' TheZodiacMansonConnection.com !
(It's NOT a pro-Manson website.) |
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| Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:11 am |
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Even if we had Richard's passport records, they might only show where and when it was issued... not WHERE he had traveled on the passport.
However, if he lost his passport overseas -- as I once did -- that info could be interesting. |
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| Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:46 am |
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Thanks guys !!
_________________
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. |
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| Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:52 am |
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| UBPClaw wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Narlow told me that he never interviewed Gyke in person, as that would have been overstepping his bounds, and that Gyke later phoned him and said something to the effect of "So you think I'm the Zodiac, eh?" |
Kind of sounds like something Zodiac would do huh? Sort of a challenge, as if hes saying "Ok, you found me. But now you have to prove it" |
From what I can gather, Gaikowski was a dark person. He liked to be subversive, and anyone like that would be flattered to be suspected, if it wasn't him. |
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| Sat Oct 10, 2009 8:02 am |
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