MO MO - Ricky McCormick, 41, St Louis, 30 June 1999

[BloodshotEye]

Back again.
Forgot to add that the lack of punctuation is probably obvious to all. I'm wondering if he uses a letter, to "end" a thought or note. Like the letter "E". Plug that in, and see if it works to "end" a string of words. If I extract the E, from my compass bearing, (continue bearing east), the directions still take you to the same places. i.e., the E could easily be used to "end" that line of direction. As would the . (period punctuation).

... back later

 

[bessie]

BloodShotEyes, I agree the numbers in those three lines could correspond to highways, and it does look like directions. But if NCBE stands for North, continue bearing East, how do we explain the many other instances of NCBE throughout the cipher?

What about the letters preceding the "hwy numbers"? Thoughts?

FLRSE PRSE ONDE 71 NCBE
CDNSE PRSE ONSE 74 NCBE
PRTSE PRSE ONREDE 75 NCBE

I think the three sets of different three letters at the beginning of those three lines (FLR, CDN, PRT) are significant. Any ideas about what they mean? I've googled them, but couldn't find any correlation.

 

[BloodshotEye]

bessie: I know what you mean. I pondered that very thing. That's why I wondered if the "E" was his punctuation, for ending a sentence or phrase. Really struggling with this one.

State of mind:
If RickyM wrote cryptically, since he was about 10 year old (as reported), it caused me to think that he was a very secretive child. Wondering more about that, than anything. Protecting one's own private thoughts, all through his young life, is very interesting to me.

 

[bessie]

I think that line 8 on page 1 actually ends with "INC" not ING. think the parenthesis is in the way. i had to look close and also line 2 ends with INC. so i think this is more repetition...

also think the first part of line 2 says TFRNE... which repeats in line 8....TFRNE, i dont think its a scratched out R i think it says TFRNE line 8 and is the same word as like 2

when i first wrote this out i noticed all of the "SE". i was thinking SE was maybe used as a space, a way to separate words. or maybe just E's bc sometimes there is no SE. but you cant help notice patterns when you read this.

You're right about INC and TFRNE. I changed my working transcript this morning when I looked at the cipher with fresh eyes. Made a few other changes, too.

I'm not sure what to make of the SE's except they are indeed plentiful. I've been working with the assumption that they simply represent the letter "S". Like in this line:

[FONT=&quot]651 MTLSE HTLSE N CUTCTRS NMRE

motels and hotels on 651?
[/FONT]

 

[BloodshotEye]

Bessie, you might try this. I write these kind of directional notations to myself. And it is maddening to anyone who tries to figure it out, if they are trying to help me, while I drive. Try simply "saying" the first word that comes to your mind, if you had written down these directions. It is not going to match exactly to the letters. You are just trying to get the mood/flow of the directions. It might help us "stumble" on the exact word.

For example:
I'm getting the "sense" of "Follow Right or south, Proceed on Down 71, North, Continue Bearing.

Just continuing to play with this word "flow", rather than searching for the exact meaning of individual groupings of letters.

 

[BloodshotEye]

Try using all of the "E"s, as a way to simply end a word.

 

[BloodshotEye]

Bessie, your post #68 is very helpful. We should make that a sticky.
Thank you very much for the sequence count.

 

[Steely Dan]

Ok, so here's what I've got for the 2nd page, if it makes it any easier to try and figure out. Some of his letters weren't super-clear, so I did the best I could:

ALPNTE GLSE-SE ERTE
VLSE MTSE-CTSE-WSE-FRTSE
PNRTRSE ONDRSEWLD NCBE
NWLDZLRCMSPNEWLDSTSMEXL
DULMT6TUNSE NCBEXC
(MUNSAISTENMUNARSE)
KLSE-LRSTE-TRSE-TRSE-MKSEN-MRSE
(SAE6NSE SE NMBSE)
NMNRCBRNSEPTE2PTEWSREBKNSE
26MLSE74SPRKSE29KENOSOLE173RTRSE
356LE CLGSEOUNUTKEDKRSE PSESHLE
651MTCSEHTLSENCUTCTRS NMRE
99.84.5 5UNEPLSENCRSEADLTSENSKSENBSE
NSREONSE PVTSEWLDNCBE (3XORL)
NMSENRSEIN2NTRLERCBRNSENTSRCRBNE
LSPNSENGSPSEMKSEKBSEPCBEAVXL’R
HMCRENMREFCBE 1/2MUNDPLSE
D-W-M14HIL XDRLX

Here's what I've got for the other page (there's a lot of "NCBE" in it, fwiw):

(MNDMKNEARSE-N-S-M-KNARE)
TFRHENPINSENPBSERCBBNSENPRSEINC
PRSENMRSE DPREHLDWLDNCBE(TFXLFTCXLNCBE)
AL-PRPPITXLYPPIYNCBE MGKSEWCDRCBRNSEPRSE
WLDRCBRNSE NTSSHENTXSE-CRSLE-CLTRSEWLDNCBE
ALWLDNCBETSMELRSERLSEURGLNEASNWLDNCBE
(NOPFSENLSRENCBE)NTEGDDMNSENCURERCBRNE
(TENETFRNE NCBRTSENCBEING)
(FLRSEPQSEONDE71NCBE)
(CDNSEPRSEONSDE74NCBE)
(BRTSEPRSEONREDE75NCBE)
(TFNQCMSPSOLEMRDELUSE TOTEWLDN1HLDNCBE)
(194WLD’SNCBE)(TRFXL)

BBM

Do those look like license plate numbers to anyone else?

 

[Reality Orlando]

Fascinating case; you guys really have me curious about this one.
Forgive me for not remembering exactly who posted what.

I completely agree with those who believe that some of these lines, are traveling directions. I went to Google Maps, and clicked on the state of Missouri. Click down to St. Louis. Select the most direct route to the 71. If one makes an assumption that Ricky starts in St. Louis, he could easily take highway 64 to Louisville, Indiana. There is where he would pick up highway 71 North. Use the Highway numbers, 71, 74, and 75, in the same order in which they appear in the note. Let it simply "guide" you, on the map. One seems to be headed due north, toward Dayton, Ohio. Further north, on 75, would be Toledo. Now reverse it, 75 south, is another way to head back to the 71. i.e., back to his starting point.

If one's objective was to go to 75 north, it begs the question, why the reference to the 74? It may be that it is Ricky's indication, that he must "pass" highway 74, and proceed to the 75. A kind of landmark. Or... he created a sort of "route" for himself, where he would exit off of the 74, and get back on. At that point, he would pick up Highway 75 again, and head north or south. Heading south, would take him back to the 71. His starting point.

I pluggged in the 71 NCBE, and used the compass direction notation: North, continue bearing East. This actually makes sense, if you are looking at the map. You must travel North East on the 71, to get to the 74.
Followed by 74, North, continue bearing East. This suggests that the "driver" should NOT exit on the 74, but continue bearing east. It suggests that the reference to the 74 is a landmark, not a designated exit.

More to follow...
Missed all of you, hope you are all well.
BSE

Wow, impressive. I especially like the NCBE reference. Good job!

 

[bessie]

Bessie, your post #68 is very helpful. We should make that a sticky.
Thank you very much for the sequence count.

Actually, I made corrections/changes this morning. This new version is more accurate. This time I counted 46 instances of SE used alone, 14 in the first page, and 32 in the second.

[FONT=&quot]P1[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot](MND MKNEA RSE-N-S-M-KNARE) (ALSM)
TFRNE NPINSENPRSERCBBNSENPRSE INC
PRSE NMRSE PREHLDWLDNCBE(TFXLF TCXL NCBE)
AL-RPPIT XLYPPIYNCBE MGKSEWCDRCBR NSEPRSE
WLDRCBRNSE NT SSNETXSE-CRSLE-CLTRSEWLDNCBE
AL WLDNCBETSME LRSERLSE URGLSNE AS N WLDNCBE
(NOPFSE NLSRE NCBE)NTE GDDMNSENCURERCBRNE
(TENE TFNE NCRTSE NCBE INC)
(FLRSE PRSE ONDE 71NCBE)
(CDNSE PRSE ONSE 74NCBE)
(PRTSE PRSE ONREDE 75NCBE)
(TF NCMSP SOLE MRDE LUSE TOTE WLDNWLDNCBE)
(194 WLD’S NCBE)(TRFXL)
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[FONT=&quot]NOTES[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]ALPNTE GLSE- SE ERTE
VLSE MTSE-CTSE-WSE-FRTSE
PNRTRSE ONDRSEWLD NCBE
NWLDXLRCMSP NEWLD STS ME XL
DULMT6TUNSE NCBEXC
(MUNSAI STEN MUNARSE)
KLSE-LRSTE-TRSE-TRSE-MRSEN-MRSE
(SAE6NSE SE NMBSE)
NMNRCBRNSEPTE 2 PTEWSRC BRNSE
26MLSE74SPRKSE29KENOS OLE 173RTRSE
356LE CLGSEOUNUTXE DKRSE PSESHLE
651 MTLSEHTLSEN CUTCTRS NMRE
99.84.5 ZUNEPLSEN CRSEADLTSEN SKSENSE
NSREONSE PVTSEWLDNCBE (3XORL)
NMSENRSE IN2 NTRLERCB RNSENTSRCRBNE
LSPNSENGSPSEMKSERBSENCBE AVXLR [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]HM CRENMRE NCBE 1/2MUNDDLSE
D-W-M-Y 14HIL XDRLX[/FONT]

 

[wfgodot]

Daily Mail has a new article up; basically the same info but does have a photo of McCormick, plus a bit more than I'd read from FBI Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit:

Calling all code-breakers! FBI asks for help in solving murder of man who had mysterious encrypted notes in his pocket

 

[grayjay]

I'm kind of enjoying the fact that he appears to be a simple man and yet he stumps the best of the best. I'm not past the writing on the paper, though, as far as analyzing. To me it seems some punctuation is very important to him, like the dash and parens, and I'm still wary that those N's look more like tilde's to me, "~". The overwritten letters seem somehow significant to the solution in some way, too.

 

[Quiche]

Are the margins blown for anyone else?

 

[Soulmagent]

Quiche, My margins are not.

Has anyone tried printing the paper and folding it different ways? (haha)

 

[Soulmagent]

If these are directions X may = outer In some places but not all , I dont think it will be uniform.

outer lane/ outer connecter

Again maybe.LOL

 

[Adrian Harbinger]

A woman driving along a field road near Highway 367 west of West Alton discovered McCormick's body Wednesday afternoon.

It had to be one of the roads in this area.

You guys may have already scoured this so it might be useless, but I thought I would post it just to see if any of the road names or whatever jump out at you. It would sure be helpful if the FBI would throw us a bone here with a few more details.

I am having a blast following this and I am learning a lot! Thanks.

 

[Adrian Harbinger]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here unless my aging eyes missed it is the point that the "message(s)" on the page marked "NOTES" are clearly divided into sections by being circled. I only know what I am learning, so forgive me if this sounds like a dumb question, but shouldn't each section on this page be looked at as a distinctly separate message (albeit probably using the overall encryption)? Like:

ALPNTE GLSE - SE ERTE
VLSE MTSE-CTSE-WSE-FRTSE
PNRTRSE ONDRSEWLD NCBEXC
NWLDZLRCMSPNEWLDSTSME XL DULMT6TUNSE NCBEXC


(MUNSAISTENMUNARSE)
KLSE-LRSTE-TRSE-TRSE-MKSEN-MRSE
(SAE6NSE SE NMBSE)


NMNRCBRNSEPTE2PTEWSREBKNSE
26MLSE 74SPRKSE 29KENOSOLE 173RTRSE
356LE CLGSEOUNUTKEDKRSE PSESHLE
651MTCSEHTLSENCUTCTRS NMRE
99.84.5 ZUNEPLSENCRSEADLTSENSKSENBSE
NSREONSE PVTSEWLDNCBE (3XORL)


NMSENRSEIN2NTRLERCBRNSENTSRCRBNE
LSPNSENGSPSEMKSEKBSEPCBEAVXLR
HMCRENMREFCBE 1/2MUNDPLSE


D-W-M14HIL XDRLX

Ok, feel free to dope-slap me now.

 

[Carmen29]

News article on this from the St Louis Post Dispatch

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/ad567e00-5b13-11e0-8ed4-00127992bc8b.html

For page 1.... i came up with different letters for some of the 'words' that the list above. I came up with a "RCBRN" that comes up 4 times... you have to look very closely . i saved it and zoomed in. (this is in addition to the repeating of wld (9 times), prse (4), ncbe (11), tfrne (2)

 

[tlcya]

I agree with the fact that the frequency and placement of the SE s feels like and end point to me, but they occur too frequently to represent a period per se. I wonder if they don't indicate a SpacE between words or trains of thoughts.

ETA you guys have come up with a lot of great ideas/thoughts today. I am gonna go back and read from the beginning of the thread again and see if anything hits me diferently of from a fresh perspective.

 

[Adrian Harbinger]

I think I read somewhere that Ricky only had a grade school education or something like that, so I started thinking that maybe everyone has been over-thinking this thing. The guy died in 1999 and so the internet was hot and chat was hot. U no wut I m-e-n? Whether 41 year old Ricky was into that seen or not, the notion of such simple abbreviations is not knew.

This second circled part from the NOTES page suddenly jumped off the page. Perhaps I am way off and reading into this, but humor me. Look at this:

(MUNSAISTENMUNARSE)
KLSE-LRSTE-TRSE-TRSE-MKSEN-MRSE
(SAE6NSE SE NMBSE)

Now read this and think about it:

(Man says to my nurse)
Kelsy, resty, trusty, trusty, makes'n [the] mercy (or: makes them see)
(Say sex and he's the imbecile)


Maybe nothing, but feud-4th-hot.