Wondering if anyone really did crack the code and/or, if any headway has been made into the investigation into Ricky's death?
[h=1]Dead man’s code still unsolved by FBI and amateur internet sleuths[/h]
WHEN the FBI struggles to solve a case, it will sometimes turn to internet sleuths for assistance.
This is exactly what it did when it was unable to decipher a code located on the body of Ricky McCormick — a man who had been found dead in an abandoned cornfield in Missouri.
However, amateur web sleuths, redditors, government conspiracy theorists and law enforcement have had zero luck deciphering the code, so the mystery remains unsolved.
The body of the 41-year-old was so badly decomposed his fingertips had completely fallen off when it was discovered on June 30, 1999.
Taking into account his 11 month prison sentence for first-degree sexual abuse and his connections to a local drug ring, police immediately suspected foul play.
This theory was only strengthened by the fact his body had been discovered in a field that had developed a reputation as a dumping ground for bodies some 30km from his home.
To this day the code remains unsolved and while the FBI is not offering a cash reward, it hopes the satisfaction of solving a perplexing mystery will be more than enough for someone to come forward.
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Be careful not to discount the intelligence of this guy. I have a stepdaughter that is highly intelligent; however, she dropped out of school. Her IQ test baffled me because she scored average; however, I was later informed by a doctor that her street smarts were what compensated for her book smarts…if she wanted to learn it, she would. She also tried writing in code. The reason why it would be nice to know the guys full name is many times kids first play with code with their names. They will set letters to represent the letters in their name. Then when they write, they simply replace those letters to pre-assigned letters in their name. It also appears the words are abbreviated…and possibly misspelled (as mentioned in other posts). If this code was used in correspondence, then it would need to be something that others would have the encryption to decode. Did none of his family not know if he communicated with these codes with other folks or were they strictly for him? Maybe the FBI needs to contact some of his school buddies/cell mates to see what they remember about the codes.
[h=1]12 Years After Ricky McCormick's Murder, the FBI Asked for Help Decoding Two Encrypted Notes in His Pocket[/h]
Feb 28, 2018
Very lengthy link within link.All of the twists and turns in Ricky McCormick's murder have made it one of the most intriguing true crime cases ever, starting with the fact that police kept two encoded notes found in his pocket a secret for 12 years before asking the general public for help translating them.
Ricky was a troubled man who suffered from severe heart and lung conditions, had four illegitimate kids, lived with his elderly mother one and off for years, and had recently served jail time for statutory rape. At the time of his death, he was living on disability benefits and was 41 years old. When his body was found in a ditch in 1999 near West Alton, MO, he had already been missing for five days, and police ruled out homicide.
Although it had been just three days since he disappeared, the flesh on his outstretched hands was already rotted to the point that his fingertips, just below the top knuckles, had fallen off and lay next to him in the weeds.
In 1995 authorities discovered the bullet-ridden body of an alleged prostitute in an abandoned house along the same stretch of U.S. Route 67. Two years after McCormick's death, state road crews mowing grass some 300 yards away from where he lay found the nude bodies of two more women.
Looking back, Gloria McCormick suspects Ricky's hospital visits were attempts to find a hideout where he could lay low. Sitting at an open window in her same apartment, Gloria's voice softens between tugs on her Salem 100's cigarettes. "Maybe he knew he got into something that put his life on the line," she says. "He knew he could have stayed here. But maybe he didn't want to put my life on the line."
My question is, were the other bodies cases solved?
Welcome to Ws aeroplanejetpac!My question is, were the other bodies cases solved?
How his corpse ended up facedown in this cornfield in rural St. Charles County — twenty miles from where he worked and lived in downtown St. Louis — was anyone's guess. But the desolate sliver of land between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers has been a criminal dumping ground for years.
In 1995 authorities discovered the bullet-ridden body of an alleged prostitute in an abandoned house along the same stretch of U.S. Route 67. Two years after McCormick's death, state road crews mowing grass some 300 yards away from where he lay found the nude bodies of two more women.
Welcome to Ws dlbrookx!I am new to Websleuths and new to the McCormick case. But for some reason it's really gotten under my skin so although I've lurked around here for a while I had to join.
I've spent most of the last four days reading everything I can find and studying the notes. One of the things that jumps out at me the most is never talked about: the formatting of the P1 note.
I am actually a graphic design teacher who deals with a lot of kids with different learning disabilities. I have trouble believing the P1 note was written by a person with huge deficiencies in writing considering how organized that note is even aside from the content. The note shows a hierarchy of items or ideas. The description of Ricky's learning disabilities would indicate he could not be the author of the P1 note. He might be the author of the other note that someone is trying to emulate. I believe there are either two hands at work here or one who is trying to fool the police into thinking Ricky wrote the notes.
I also do not believe the FBI would invest time and energy solving a cipher found on a convicted felon dead in the middle of a corn field unless they thought the notes would lead to the solving of greater crimes.
I believe they are looking for a serial killer.
Very asute and excellent points.. the great thing about this forums is the fact we come from all types of professional backgrounds. I think yours will be helpful. Welcome to the team!I am new to Websleuths and new to the McCormick case. But for some reason it's really gotten under my skin so although I've lurked around here for a while I had to join.
I've spent most of the last four days reading everything I can find and studying the notes. One of the things that jumps out at me the most is never talked about: the formatting of the P1 note.
I am actually a graphic design teacher who deals with a lot of kids with different learning disabilities. I have trouble believing the P1 note was written by a person with huge deficiencies in writing considering how organized that note is even aside from the content. The note shows a hierarchy of items or ideas. The description of Ricky's learning disabilities would indicate he could not be the author of the P1 note. He might be the author of the other note that someone is trying to emulate. I believe there are either two hands at work here or one who is trying to fool the police into thinking Ricky wrote the notes.
I also do not believe the FBI would invest time and energy solving a cipher found on a convicted felon dead in the middle of a corn field unless they thought the notes would lead to the solving of greater crimes.
I believe they are looking for a serial killer.
Thanks for the welcomes.Welcome to Ws dlbrookx!
Thanks for the insight, also thinking that the FBI might be looking for a serial killer.
What type of information do you think might be in that note?