Alphabet murders

The Alphabet Killer kidnapped Carmen Colon on November 16 1971, 45 days before year-end, and Michelle Maenza on November 26 1973, 35 days before year-end.

He used the numbers 45 and 35 to determine where he would leave the girls’ bodies. First, he doubled the numbers 45 and 35 to create two sets of axes. Then, he drew one set of axes 90 (2 x 45) degrees from the horizontal and the other 70 (2 x 35) degrees from the vertical. The axes are the blue lines in the map.

The top pin on the map indicates the road leading into the old Irondequoit Bay rest area, where the police found Wanda Walkowicz’s body. A line drawn from the origin to the pin slopes at an angle of 52.7 degrees. The 70-degree line sloping downwards from left to right creates a 110-degree angle to the perpendicular when it sinks below the horizon (90 + 20). Thus, the angle from this line to the line to the old Irondequoit Bay rest area is 57.3  (110 -52.7) or one radian.

 Although the Alphabet Killer left Michelle Maenza’s body on Eddy Road, approximately 70 meters to the east of the intersection with Mill Road, Michelle Maenza’s pin is located at the junction of Eddy Road and Gananda Parkway.

Once again, the pin is at the start of a road rather than the actual dump site—the line from the origin to Michelle’s pin slopes at an angle of 100 degrees. Thus, the angle between this line and the 180-degree axis is 80 degrees (35 +45).

Carmen Colon’s pin is near the intersection of Griffin Road and Stearns Road. A line from the origin angled at 237.3 (or one radian (57.3 degrees) past the 180-degree axis.