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

[Adrian Harbinger]

This one is hiding behind a pay wall

In this instance you don't have to pay up, you just have to scroll up.

Welcome.

 

[Reannan]

Just some updated information. There are many references to work that would be done on E Coli. Now is its basic state E Coli is not all that harmful. But there is a reference early on that refers to WLD (wild) strains of a protein and RNS E par se which is a direct reference to manipulating E Coli. Also if the government was not worried about terrorism and E. Coli then why is each state required to have a plan for a outbreak. For example http://www.scdhec.gov/administration/library/ML-025272.pdf refers to a plan from SC. In most cases if someone was to clone a new strain a person would not even know that they have E. Coli until its to late and it shuts down your kidneys or other internal organs. I also feel that CITRS E WiLD NCBE refers to a strain of E coli that is found in fruit and the protein (NCBE). I just would hope I am wrong or else this is distrurbing.

Welcome to WS's Upper90! Your ideas are intriguing, but I am not really surprised about the E. coli links. We ALL have E.coli in our intestines, and if we don't we can get very sick. There is a strain of E. coli called "E. coli 0157:H7" that can cause a condition called HUS - Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. It can kill you, or it can lead to kidney failure. I work in health care, and actually see this fairly often. You usually acquire it from eating poorly cooked meat. I tell my family that I have two words for "E. coli 0157 - HOT GREASE"!!! In the South we fry things, and that may be hard on your heart, but it kills E. coli 0157. Any sudden outbreak of HUS or E. Coli 0157 would be an alarm to us in health care because it could be bioterrorism, or a restaraunt with sloppy cooking techniques. As to the cloning and the NCBE protein - that would be "Sodium (NA+)-driven Chloride Bicarbonate Exchanger". It is an important protein in many cells for managing the pH of those cells. Humans can only live with a tightly controlled pH - usually about 7.37 - 7.47. If you get slightly beyond that, pH, all of your enzyme systems cease to function, and you die. I am not sure how a High School dropout from Missouri would have been plugged into all of this stuff???? I find it interesting because I am a geek, and I am thrilled that we have members like you who are thinking outside of the box!

 

[shadowraiths]

Not saying there is anything new here, but maybe a little different take on where RM's body was found.

This is extremely helpful. Here's the first pass crime map (thanks to you and carbuff!)

http://crimsonshadows.net/crimemaps/unsolved/rm

Eta ~ will add the Travis murders later.

 

[shadowraiths]

I think also the obvious question is why would the FBI be involved in this to begin with? It was a suspicious death in a smallish town...seems like it would be an issue for local police to contend with.

I could see them bringing the feds in hopes of cracking the code.

 

[sfbaynancydrew]

I could see them bringing the feds in hopes of cracking the code.

But isn't it generally that when a case has local jurisdiction they only summon the FBI if their help is vitally needed? This low-profile "suspicious death" just doesn't seem to rise to that occasion. Also, it seems like the FBI took over the case, they are no longer just assisting with their code cracking specialists.

Some of the mentally ill folks I've worked with over the years could have filled dumpsters with their bizarre notebook journals. It's not like gibberish on paper is that uncommon.

I'm tired and my criminal justice classes are a little foggy. I seem to be on a losing streak today, so I can concede loss when appropriate .

 

[chemcopout]

Maybe you guys have already seen this, but this article has a lot of good info... including a picture of Ricky and an example of a cipher that is easy to solve.... it uses one letter before what is written. ("Nffu nf bu uif qpsl bu oppo" = "Meet me at the park at noon".)

Here is what was interesting from the article:
1. Ricky McCormick was a high school drop out and according to his family had used the coded writting since childhood. His own family does not know if anyone has the key to the code. I find that sort of odd.... surely he shared it with someone!

2. Ricky was last seen 5 days before he was found "when he received medication from a doctor at Forest Park Hospital in St. Louis for chronic heart and lung problems."

3. "He had a minimal criminal record but nothing that investigators believed would have contributed to his death. No one had reported McCormick missing and he was identified by fingerprints."

4. "Investigators believe the notes notes found in McCormick's pockets were written up to three days before he died." - If he was last seen 5 days before he was found, and they believe the notes were written 3 days before he died, then they have to think he died in the previous 2 days before he was found.

http://crimesceneinvestigations.blogspot.com/

#4 i have a question about. this one article says that his body had decomposed to the point where determining his death to be a homicide was impossible.
since le can't determine cod due to decomp, was the note safe in a pocket of his clothing? obviously it didn't get ruined by weather or body secretions from decomp...

if he died 2 days prior to being found, i would think that the decomp wouldn't be that bad as to them not be able to determine cod
here's a link about the decomp:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/03/31/fbi-inundated-tips-encrypted-notes-1-murder-mystery/

 

[AzureDragon]

Looking back at the actual notes again, I notice a couple of things that I overlooked before. On the letter marked P1, top right-hand (). Most places online agree that this is (ALSM) or (ACSM). But it looks like something is written over, or maybe under, the ()'s. I am seeing FACSMSD or something similar... thoughts?

Also, I am noticing a mark between the N an P near the beginning of line 2. Typo? Scanner artifact? Intentional?

Finally, it seems WLD must be a noun. On the last line there is a pretty clear WLD's. Person's name or initials?

I dunno. Will look more closely tomorrow.

 

[chemcopout]

imho, i think that maybe the code belongs to the killer. why would the fbi be bring into a small town case that cod wasn't even able to be determined as a homicide?

then to bring out the code 12 years later? wow...

regardless of where the code came from, it needs to be cracked so that they know what it means.

 

[bessie]

Here's something interesting:

snipped from the document

[FONT=&quot]NATIONAL CITY BANCSHARES, INC.
227 MAIN STREET
P.O. BOX 868
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 47705-0868[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
(812) 464-9677

[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]This prospectus covers the sale of up to 312,850 shares of common stock of National City Bancshares, Inc. ("NCBE").[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq National Market tier of the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "NCBE". On April 9, 1999, the last sale price of our common stock as reported by Nasdaq was $25 1/2 per share.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The date of this prospectus is April 12, 1999.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]References in this prospectus to "we," "us," "our" and "NCBE' refer to National City Bancshares, Inc. and its subsidiaries.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]ABOUT NCBE[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]GENERAL[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]NCBE is a multi-bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. As of the date of this prospectus, NCBE owned 15 financial institutions operating from a total of 68 locations in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio. NCBE also owns a leasing subsidiary and a property management company.[/FONT]

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/21725641/Prospectus---INTEGRA-BANK-CORP---4-13-1999

NCBE is now Integra Bank and the ticker changed to IBNK in May, 2000.

Note the dates of this Yahoo group discussion.

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/S...55&tid=38&mid=44&tof=9&so=LR&rt=2&frt=2&off=1

There was a lot of buzz on the yahoo finance group about NCBE in 1998-99. Google turns up other items of interest regarding NCBE around that time when the company gained many acquisitions.

 

[OneLostGrl]

This thread is gettin' scary..

How close is his "code" to the Zodiac's "code"?

 

[OneLostGrl]

But isn't it generally that when a case has local jurisdiction they only summon the FBI if their help is vitally needed? This low-profile "suspicious death" just doesn't seem to rise to that occasion. Also, it seems like the FBI took over the case, they are no longer just assisting with their code cracking specialists.

Some of the mentally ill folks I've worked with over the years could have filled dumpsters with their bizarre notebook journals. It's not like gibberish on paper is that uncommon.

I'm tired and my criminal justice classes are a little foggy. I seem to be on a losing streak today, so I can concede loss when appropriate .

As always I'm speaking from my own experience with mental illness, in this case psychosis. IMO if this were simply notes of a psychotic person we would be seeing neologism, rhyming and looseness of association (it's clear there is a sequence involved in these "codes"). I'm just not seeing psychosis in these notes.

JMO

 

[shadowraiths]

But isn't it generally that when a case has local jurisdiction they only summon the FBI if their help is vitally needed?

If you check out the FBI's site, you'll see their request is part of a series on Cryptanalysts.

Part 1: Breaking Codes to Stop Crime
March 21, 2011
Link: click here

Part 2: Help Solve an Open Murder Case
March 29, 2011
Link: click here​

So, it could be something as simple as trying to raise awareness of their various articles.

 

[smithsonian]

SheerLuckHolmes,

You mentioned that you couldn't find those articles you referenced prior. Well I've been pretty active in this pursuit as well, with about 100 pages of notes so far...
I did also observe those articles; but I only saw partial commentary because I am not a paying subscriber (they were there, I can confirm and can post the references if need be).

So... this is also my first post.

Very intriguing search. I have a gut feeling we'll see this issue solved... it's a group effort. It's very encouraging to see all of these brilliant minds working together.
I'll post some of my personal findings soon enough...

I also concur that I think he (the victim per notes) is mentioning not only directions, but locales, shipments, and I believe he was also tracking something.

... now I don't know if this has been pursued or if it can be... but if the victim was familiar with encoding of any kind; might he have been active on the internet? If so was he active in any news groups/etc...? What was his user name? I'm willing to bet he was. He was only 41, still young enough to learn, and probably knew just enough to get himself into trouble...? (possibly) Internet crimes back in the 90s were difficult to pin point because the technology was evolving so quickly; and with a lack of experts in the legal fields.

Last note here, from what I gather, and from what little I've found on cause of death (witness noticed large injury to the victim's skull/head); I believe he was executed. Either he got too nosy or he was networked within a crime ring... very probable in my opinion.

 

[tfrohning]

I work in manufacturing, it looks like a bunch of random serial and part numbers. That's all I can come up with.

that was my thought too. one them is just like one of my software:waitasec:

 

[websurfer]

Anyone with photoshop here?

Make all letters BLOCk letters

line up as if it were a WORD FIND puzzle

then do as you would a WORD FIND PUZZLE

there are letters not being used in the notes.
so after lining all the BLOCK letters up eliminate them.
Also like in a WORD FIND PUZZLE
words can be from any direction.
He does have an abreviation for NUMBERS the one with the < next to it.

so try this.....
it just may be a complicated WORD FIND version of a note?

what surprises me is he did not use any kind of SYMBOLS or little scribble pics like most people.
like smilies and such?
He used only letters .

I also considered his numbers
would they add up to something?

and sept is in there someplace sept
and
I do hope PHOTOSHOPPING and making all letter block and lining them up in rows will help some...:loser:

 

[websurfer]

Anyone with photoshop here?

Make all letters BLOCk letters

line up as if it were a WORD FIND puzzle

then do as you would a WORD FIND PUZZLE

there are letters not being used in the notes.
so after lining all the BLOCK letters up eliminate them.
Also like in a WORD FIND PUZZLE
words can be from any direction.
He does have an abreviation for NUMBERS the one with the < next to it.

so try this.....
it just may be a complicated WORD FIND version of a note?

what surprises me is he did not use any kind of SYMBOLS or little scribble pics like most people.
like smilies and such?
He used only letters .

I also considered his numbers
would they add up to something?

and sept is in there someplace sept
and
I do hope PHOTOSHOPPING and making all letter block and lining them up in rows will help some...:loser:

I do not open them do you?
I doubt the FBI would contact me .....via email?
It is Phishing I am sure...:innocent:

 

[websurfer]

the letters are in computer or typewriter keyboard order?

 

[websurfer]

were there any keyboards on pagers in 1999?
what does the keypad on a cell phone in 1999 look like?
Were there cell phones in 1999?

I was thinking he must have wanted his code to be from something easy to refer to so?

 

[websurfer]

EDIT: I FIND THE ABOVE QUOTED STORY POSTED BY SheerLuckHolmes TO BE SUSPECT GIVEN THE LACK OF A LINK OR OTHER PROOF THAT IT IS GENUINE.


Roughly ten years later...




And where does our journalist Mr. Whitworth work?

The Telegraph
111 E. Broadway
P.O. Box 278
Alton, IL 62002


Hello Mr. Whitworth.

plus i notice at the bottom a 1/2

which in location is also on there....bottom right so he may have written directions to the location he is found dead at?
routes?
roads?
exits/
whatever the numbers do kinda match...

 

[websurfer]

EDIT: I FIND THE ABOVE QUOTED STORY POSTED BY SheerLuckHolmes TO BE SUSPECT GIVEN THE LACK OF A LINK OR OTHER PROOF THAT IT IS GENUINE.


Roughly ten years later...




And where does our journalist Mr. Whitworth work?

The Telegraph
111 E. Broadway
P.O. Box 278
Alton, IL 62002


Hello Mr. Whitworth.

I think the numbers towards the bottom depict the date and time?

99= year
84= month & day? somehow ?
the 5 time maybe?
the 2 ='s 2 men?

the 1/2 ='s location?
if he met the killers friday the day number would be 6
sat = 7
if he was using the calendar format maybe?

but the 99 just seems to be the year in my mind....the other numbers may be the day?time?month ?
I will re read the actual article on here again any thoughts so far group?