From: David Bernier <david250@videotron.ca>
Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.crypt,comp.lang.python,comp.lang.ruby
Subject: Re: FBI wants public help solving encrypted notes from murder mystery
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:22:36 -0400
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Joe Snodgrass wrote:
>
> FBI cryptanalysis hasn’t decrypted notes from 1999 murder mystery
>
> http://tinyurl.com/4d56zsz
>
> The FBI is seeking the public's help in breaking the encrypted code
> found in two notes discovered on the body of a murdered man in 1999.
>
> The FBI says that officers in St. Louis, Missouri discovered the body
> of 41-year-old Ricky McCormick on June 30, 1999 in a field and the
> clues regarding the homicide were two encrypted notes found in the
> victim's pants pockets.
>
> The FBI says that despite extensive work by its Cryptanalysis and
> Racketeering Records Unit (CRRU), and the American Cryptogram
> Association, the meanings of those two coded notes remain a mystery
> and McCormick's murderer has never been found. One has to wonder
> though, if the FBI can't figure this out, who can? But I digress.
>
>  From the FBI: "The more than 30 lines of coded material use a
> maddening variety of letters, numbers, dashes, and parentheses.
> McCormick was a high school dropout, but he was able to read and write
> and was said to be 'street smart.' According to members of his family,
> McCormick had used such encrypted notes since he was a boy, but
> apparently no one in his family knows how to decipher the codes, and
> it's unknown whether anyone besides McCormick could translate his
> secret language. Investigators believe the notes in McCormick's
> pockets were written up to three days before his death."
>
> "Standard routes of cryptanalysis seem to have hit brick walls," said
> CRRU chief Dan Olson in a statement. To move the case forward,
> examiners need another sample of McCormick's coded system-or a similar
> one-that might offer context to the mystery notes or allow valuable
> comparisons to be made. Or, short of new evidence, Olson said, "Maybe
> someone with a fresh set of eyes might come up with a brilliant new
> idea."
>
> The FBI says it has always relied on public tips and other assistance
> to solve crimes though breaking a code may represent a special
> circumstance.
[...]

There are two JPG images (note1.jpg and note2.jpg) at the web page:

< http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/march > .

As they say there:
" View larger versions (right click and save the files to enlarge further)."
i.e. :
Right click on first image and "Save image as ..." using the browser,
""     ""   on second image and "Save image as ..." using the browser.

I used the GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) to
enlarge and otherwise manipulate the images.  But each
is only about 50 to 80 kilobytes ...