FBI wants help to crack code, solve murder

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2011/04/02/17850921.html ^

[free_life]

FBI wants help to crack code, solve murder By QMI Agency

Bookmark and Share

The FBI has asked for help to decipher a note, shown, found in the pocket of a Ricky McCormick, 41, found dumped in a Missouri field on June 30, 1999. Investigators hope the note will help solve his murder.

Can you crack the code?

The FBI has asked for help to decipher a note found in the pocket of Ricky McCormick, discovered slain in a St. Louis field 12 years ago.

Investigators have tried to decode the two-page note since the body of 41-year-old McCormick was found. But it's still not known what it says, and experts say it could help solve the case.

"We are really good at what we do, but we could use some help with this one," said Dan Olson, chief of the Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit, in a release.

"Breaking the code could reveal the victim's whereabouts before his death and could lead to the solution of a homicide."

His body was found dumped in a field by sheriff's officers on June 30, 1999. In his pant's pocket, investigators found the mysterious note filled with a series of letters, numbers and dashes. It's believed to have been written by the victim up to three days before his death.

[free_life]

McCormick was a high school dropout, but was able to read and write, and was known to write encrypted notes since he was young. Apparently no one in his family knows how to decipher the secret language.

No reward is offered, "just a challenge -- and the satisfaction of knowing that your brain power might help bring a killer to justice," said the release.

"Even if we found out that he was writing a grocery list or a love letter, we would still want to see how the code is solved. This is a cipher system we know nothing about," Olson said.

If you can help break the code or if you've seen similar codes, contact the FBI online at http://forms.fbi.gov/code or by mail:

FBI Laboratory Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit 2501 Investigation Parkway Quantico, VA 22135 Attn: Ricky McCormick Case

[CaptainK]

Maybe he was just writing gibberish.

[Roccus]

It took the FBI 12 years to realize they couldn't crack it and ask for help?!?!?!?!

[Ax]

I’ll bet some of those wizards at NSA could solve this baby on their lunch break.

[rolling_stone]

err FBI, try NSA they are right down the road in Md.

http://www.nsa.gov/

[rolling_stone]

beat me to it..I bet they have a forum too...maybe already cracked it.

[Roccus]

Who knows?

The older I get, the less regard I have for the effort put into our government’s multitude of endeavors.

[wrench]

No reward, just a challenge........

I wonder how many gov’t workers would show up for work with only “the satisfaction...” being their pay.

[Jo Nuvark]

Maybe he found another one of Joseph Smith’s papyri?

http://www.dimmeria.com/?q=node/10

[TheZMan]

Doubtful. There are a couple patterns in it. I’m one of those odd people that have come up with their own encryptions a few times and there’s always an elegant solution to solving them - though this one I must admit is leaving me stumped thus far.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Shades of the Zodiac case.

That code was cracked by a schoolteacher and his wife.

[Calvin Locke]

It took the FBI 12 years to realize they couldn't crack it and ask for help?!?!?!?!

They already cracked it. It details the exact location of Jimmy Hoffa's body, and the real killers of JFK.

The herd of agents working on the former don't want to "kill the job" and have to do real, well, more pressing work.

And it wouldn't fit the template to acknowledge the real killers of JFK, as well as the conspiracy of farce and useful idiots regarding the investigation.

Seriously, one of the talk show hosts I listen to contacted the FBI about any records they had on him, and the FBI said they didn't have any. His producer found his file on line at FBI.gov.

[TheZMan]

It actually looks like an encrypted foreign language which is written in shorthand then twisted. None of the patterns line up with English even removing the delimiters. I give up.

[fso301]

[calex59]

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to come up with that one:)

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

I had a long look at it last night. There are repetitive elements in it.

Also, the 2nd part looks like driving (walking) directions if you look closely.

____________________________________________________________

(MND MK N* RS-N-S-*-KNAR) (ACSM)
*TFRN NP*NS NPBS RCBBNS NPRS 1NC
PRSE NM*S *PREHLD WLDNCB(TFXL* TCXL NCB)
AL-*RPPIT XLYPPIY NCB M*KSWCD RCBR NS PRS
WLDRCBRNS NT **N*T*S-CRSL-CITRS WLDNCB
ALWCPNCBETSM LRS RLS UR GLSN AS N WLDNCB
(NOPFSENLSRE NCB) NT GDDMNSENCURERCBRN
(TEN TFRNENCBRTSENCB 1NC)

(FLRSE PRSE ONDE 71 NCB)
(CDNSE PRSE ONS*E 74 NCB)
(PR+SE PRSE ONREDE 75 NCB)

(TF N*CMSP SOLE MRDE LUSE TOTE WLD*WLDNCB)
(194 WLD’S NCB)(TRFXL)

Document 2

[ ALPNTE GLSE-SE ER+
YLSE MTSE-CTSE-WSE-FRTS
PNRTRSE ONPRSE WLD NCB
N WLD XLRCMSP NEWLD STS MEXL
*ULMT * TUNSE NCB ** ]

[ (M*NSA*STEN MUNARS)
KLSE-LRSTE-TR SE-TRSE-M*S *-MRS
(SAE*NSE SE N MRC) ]

[ NMNRCBRNS PTE 2PT WSR*B****
36 MLSE 74SPRKS E 29KE NO*OLE 175 R*RS
35 SLE CLGSE *UNUT*E *KRSE PSESHLE
651 MTCSE HTLSE NCUTCTRS NMRE
99.84.5 *UNEPLSE NCRS AO*TSE N S*SE N* SE
N5REONSE PVTSE WLD NCBE (JXOR*) ]

[ *NMSE NRSE 1N2 NTRCE RCB*NSE NTSRCR*N
LSPNSE N GSPSE MKSE R BSE N CBE *XL*R

HM CRE N MRE NCBE 1/2 MUN D DLSE ]

[ D-W-M14 *PL X*RLX ]

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_McCormick_murder_notes

http://www.stltoday.com/news/article_bcc02074-5b1a-11e0-b199-0017a4a78c22.html

[fso301]

If it’s a good one time pad, you’ll be better off spending your time trying predict the next winning lottery numbers.

[Boogieman]

“That code was cracked by a schoolteacher and his wife.”

Yes, but they only cracked one of the ciphers. There are a few others that remain unsolved. One is so short, it’s probably unsolvable, but another is long enough it should be crackable, but still stumps the NSA, FBI, and CIA to this day.

[hattend]

The second one says: “Send More Chuck Berry!”