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

[bessie]

Bessie,
When you have time, please elaborate on how all those numbers would then convert to other numbers/letters to decode the thing. I'm not sure I'm following.

I had another random thought last night. Where are the creases on the notes? Where were they folded? I was wondering if we can tell if they were actually grouped and folded in the pocket together and if that would tell us anything, but I can't see much evidence of there even being folds. Maybe in the 2nd one there is a fold below the 4th line (right above NE WLD STS). ?? (I wonder if the discoloration on this page is from an attempt to dust for fingerprints.)

Haven't gotten that far yet, Deadcat, but I'm having a lot of fun tearing through the packaging since I worked the knot out of the bow. I'll update later if my husband doesn't hide my cell phone this weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[V1Jet]

Bessie the link is missing.

 

[DeadCat]

Here's what I've been working on today...

I remembered that Whitehat and/or Bessie said that the appearance of letters in the notes was similar to letter frequency in normal English writing. Therefore, I was going on the idea that each line (or parenthetical grouping) is an anagram. But maybe with extra letters thrown in at the end. For example if one looks at the line with the backwards YIPPY (P1 4th line down), doesn't it look like the XL before YPPIY goes with the letters after: NCBE....and the YIPPY was added in to fill the space later?

Anyway, there's one line on P1 which looks bigger than the others. The line: TENE TFRNE NCBR TSE N CBE INC
We can unscramble letters to find the words: Sentence Nineteen (with TFRBRCBC left over)

On the notes page, line 1 has: Sergeant Lee (?)
And line two has: Secret

Not very significant (as there are lots of left-over letters). If he is using a scrambling system, he might try to always put his common letters together just to make it tricky--hence the multiple SE endings.

Lastly, for those looking at the sociological angle, I've been reading about the Railroad Killer. There was a June 15, 1999 murder by this serial killer near St. Louis. Wasn't RM's body found near train tracks? Were the tracks in use at the time?
Ángel Maturino Reséndiz - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Adrian Harbinger]

Well, I must say that the closer I look at the handwriting discrepancies in DM's "code", the more I am understanding why the FBI has been stumped. They really are stark and it is hard to know if they are intentional or due to something else. Even the ubiquitous E's in his writings can differ quite dramatically.

Perhaps he was under the influence of some mind-altering substance when they were written or RM had some mental condition that caused this phenomenon.

I even ran through the notion that he was mimicking one of the computer fonts available at the time or mixing in foreign characters to represent others. In any case, it seems pretty unlikely that anyone will be able to crack this case until these anomalies can be explained and we can know what characters we are actually attempting to find a pattern in.

I suspect that this is the very conundrum that the FBI faced and still faces.


I will keep working on this.

 

[DeadCat]

Adrian,
I find I see different letter when I'm looking for them ;-) An "L" can even be a "G" if that's what I need.

On another note:
Just a link on RR routes---for anyone who wants this:
http://www.dot.state.il.us/officialrailmap.pdf

 

[dotr]

For anyone who might be interested, I just noticed that Websleuths has a thread devoted to decoding the zodiac notes.
Zodiac 340 Cryptogram Solution - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[V1Jet]

I have to look at these two pages as RM’s personal shorthand because I am not smart enough to wrap my head around code. I am happy to leave code to everyone else!
Could the last line NOTES page read:
Dead - With - M14 Military Hugs and Kisses youR Loving X

 

[Walker]

I have to look at these two pages as RM’s personal shorthand because I am not smart enough to wrap my head around code. I am happy to leave code to everyone else!
Could the last line NOTES page read:
Dead - With - M14 Military Hugs and Kisses youR Loving X

I agree that it may be shorthand.

Many times the letters seem ambiguous;

but my interpretation of line 31:

D – W – m.y M16 xDRLx

JMO: Dead - White – male young M16 [rifle] ...
[DRL is a company which sells guns. Link: http://www.drlwholesales.com/drl/index.php]

The large D by itself somehow spells "DEAD." After all, this message was written by a man who was in extreme danger, who was killed himself within 3 days of this particular writing.

Line 7: ...GDDMN ...

Could that be just what it looks like? The phrase "God damn ..."

MSP appears: ( 1.) line 12 of Page 1, and ( 2.} Line 4 of the Notes page.

LE appears at least 6 times:
(Numbering the line from the beginning of Page 1, with "notes" as a 2nd page.)

1. line 5;
2. line 12;
3. line 23;
4. line 24, twice;
5. line 28;
6. line 29 (unclear).

Also, MUN appears on line 19 and line 30. Seems like "ammunition."

Therefore, McCormack may have been observing police response to a crime perpetrated by a criminal organization. Was he suspected of tipping off the police? Maybe he tipped off someone else (a private detective) who called the police.

 

[grayjay]

I also wonder if he learned not to need the vowels most of the time in his shthnd. Then he also learned about the typical frequency and other giveaways and sprinkled in E's to get the right mix. I thought at an early age that I'd create a personal code so I could write about inner thoughts in a family where no boundaries were kept. But I decided it got in the way when things got technical.

His letter forms are worse than mine, and that's saying a lot. From personal experience, I know about extremely inconsistent handwriting. It's also possible that he took advantage of an earlier writing 'handicap' like I had, and used it to his advantage later. I agree that these notes could be very important to him or almost meaningless, because he learned to be extremely secretive at an early age and probably for a reason.

 

[Walker]

I also wonder if he learned not to need the vowels most of the time in his shthnd. Then he also learned about the typical frequency and other giveaways and sprinkled in E's to get the right mix. I thought at an early age that I'd create a personal code so I could write about inner thoughts in a family where no boundaries were kept. But I decided it got in the way when things got technical.

His letter forms are worse than mine, and that's saying a lot. From personal experience, I know about extremely inconsistent handwriting. It's also possible that he took advantage of an earlier writing 'handicap' like I had, and used it to his advantage later. I agree that these notes could be very important to him or almost meaningless, because he learned to be extremely secretive at an early age and probably for a reason.

In everyday use of Arabic, short vowels are often left out. Maybe at some point in his life, McCormick took an interest in Islam, and the Koran; in this context, he may have been introduced to some rules of the Arabic language, and its alphabet. As I mentioned before, some of his characters look Arabic.

 

[dotr]

When I looked at the words reflected in a mirror, I have also found that the characters looked Arabic.

 

[V1Jet]

Walker, something that has been bothering me is the notes page and the break between the first and second circle. Someone mentioned a radio station WLDS, when I followed the link to see the map the first thing I noticed was the word “Daytime”. I checked it only broadcasts from 6am to 6pm. Do you think that it could be a time line? All of the P1 page and the first circled area on NOTES page would of taken place the same day he went missing. The third circled area, first 5 lines being night or out of the broadcast area. With the sixth line being 6am or Daytime hours the next day?

 

[DeadCat]

Walker, something that has been bothering me is the notes page and the break between the first and second circle. ?

Since V1Jet, brought up circles....I was also wondering about the divisions/circles on the NOTES page. Who drew them? Was it the note writer or FBI? They don't look like they were drawn in the right place to me. See the bottom line of the 2nd circle beginning S(5)AE6...? That is written parallel to the top line of the 3rd circle, so to me, that line belongs with the 3rd group. I see the same issue with the last line of the 3rd group: N(?)SREOUSE (more parallel to the 4th grouping).

 

[DeadCat]

When I looked at the words reflected in a mirror, I have also found that the characters looked Arabic.

Dotr,
What looks Arabic to you--maybe if you shared some specific letter, I might see it too? To me the most confusing letters are the "N"--is it an N or a dash/tilde and the "E" which sometimes looks like an arrow. But, I'm not seeing Arabic.

Here's an example of Arabic writing: http://29letters.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/arabic-type-history/

 

[DeadCat]

When I looked at the words reflected in a mirror, I have also found that the characters looked Arabic.

Dotr,
What looks Arabic to you--maybe if you shared some specific letters/words, I might see it too? To me the most confusing letters are the "N"--is it an N or a dash/tilde and the "E" which sometimes looks like an arrow. But, I'm not seeing Arabic. (Do you mean the script looks Arabic or the sounds of the words?)

Here's an example of Arabic writing: http://29letters.wordpress.com/2007/05/28/arabic-type-history/

 

[MindSpiike]

Ive been following this post since the beginning.I have a command center of sorts I set up in my office to figure this thing out.Alot of what Im seeing posted is on the assumption that the code is close to or somewhat correct.I do not think that this is anything close to what the FBI originally pulled off of RM.I believe that over 12yrs they made corrections to clean it up.The reason I feel this way is because the pics they released are accually just transparency copies.I think the original might have been covered in something so they used a simple pressure test to remove the writing from the paper.
The p1 and notes at the top of the page might have meaning or be part of the code decipher.I am starting to believe that its a book that he uses to write his codes.I believe that the code we see is supposed to be transfered to its numerical value and then maybe the number is replaced with the corresponding word or letter.It might be a bible or religious book of sorts.I figure that because alot of people find religion when they become gravely ill.Another reason is because he did a 11mo. stint in jail which for the life of me I cant figure out why he got off of the charges.(for another discussion)I wonder why they didnt ask his cellmate about the codes.He surly would have at least mentioned it.Prisoners write in code all the time.
Anyways back to the code...
The code has to be simple enough that RM can use on the fly.I get this because how hastily some of it is written.He might have written it at one point and then made corrections later.Rm probably was using what he already written as a example for further codes.I think this is because he couldnt always bring his book with him.It might be why they didnt find any evidence to help crack this code.
In my research found there was a scientist (dr bruce ivins)who was sending anthrax filled letters to various places in the the Us.In his letters they found a secret code.It might be why the FBI got involved.It happened around the same time as the death of Rm and I believe they were like a state or so away from one another.(not sure)Some of the numbers relate to cultures and strains of viruses.Another reason FBI might be involved.
Ok so I think thats enough of my take on things.Ill post more of my thoughts later.

 

[MindSpiike]

Could it be the reason he got off of his charge is he simply claimed insanity?It might be why he was getting disablity checks.Just a thought...

 

[DeadCat]

Could it be the reason he got off of his charge is he simply claimed insanity?It might be why he was getting disablity checks.Just a thought...

MindSpiike:
I don't believe RM got off of his charge. Look at the Missouri public records http://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ and find case number: 22921-03404-01.

Click on Docket Entries and FIND all. You'll see he plead guilty (maybe he got a reduced sentence for this) and was sentenced to 3 years with Jail time served. (I think it means while waiting for the trail, his time in jail counted toward the sentence--if he didn't make bail, it looks to me like that would have amounted to around 10 months from his charge to his sentencing!) He was ordered to have a mental health evaluation which it says was done on an inpatient basis. It doesn't say anything about being found insane. His charge is listed as: "Sexual Assault { Felony C RSMo: 566.040 }" If you go to the fbi website, it explains that they investigate pedophiles (see bottom for more under Crimes Against Children)--
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/what_we_investigate

 

[grayjay]

It wouldn't have to be exposure to a foreign language. I remember a high school teacher spending time on the subject of devising good codes, and challenged us to try it. I think maybe on one of those substitute teacher days we used to have, when they didn't have to teach from the textbook but just keep us quiet and busy.

 

[Reannan]

MindSpiike:
I don't believe RM got off of his charge. Look at the Missouri public records http://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ and find case number: 22921-03404-01.

Click on Docket Entries and FIND all. You'll see he plead guilty (maybe he got a reduced sentence for this) and was sentenced to 3 years with Jail time served. (I think it means while waiting for the trail, his time in jail counted toward the sentence--if he didn't make bail, it looks to me like that would have amounted to around 10 months from his charge to his sentencing!) He was ordered to have a mental health evaluation which it says was done on an inpatient basis. It doesn't say anything about being found insane. His charge is listed as: "Sexual Assault { Felony C RSMo: 566.040 }" If you go to the fbi website, it explains that they investigate pedophiles (see bottom for more under Crimes Against Children)--
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/what_we_investigate

The problem with this charge is, you can have a 16, 17, or 18 year old kid who has a fling with a 15 year old girl, and he is labeled for life!! This whole area of SO status needs to be redefined on a national level IMHO. I honestly would not be surprised to hear that RM had a sexual encounter with a girl that was "under age". He was not assaulting toddlers, I would bet my small fortune on that! I would also love to see a system capable of distinguishing 18 year old people who have sex with 15 year old girls from the likes of Joseph Duncan, et. al. In other words, what I am saying is... "Sex Offender" has a lot of views.