A creative initiative in Mississippi aims to crack cold cases using a unique approach - a deck of cards.
The Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers has introduced "cold case" playing cards containing information about various unsolved homicide and missing persons cases. A total of 2,500 decks have been printed and will be distributed across seven jails in the region.
Each deck comprises 56 cold cases, with 20 missing persons cases and 36 unsolved homicides. The cards feature photos of the missing or deceased individuals, along with details about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance or death.
Lori Massey, CEO of Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers, mentioned that the idea for the playing cards was inspired by similar successful initiatives undertaken by Crime Stoppers units in other parts of the country.
Speaking to CBS News, Massey shared, "We are not the first, but we are the first in our state to issue them. It's not my idea, I just borrowed it from someone else."
The technique has a history of success. Back in 2009, a similar set of playing cards was handed out in Minnesota, aiding in the identification of a missing woman. Fast forward to 2017, and playing cards containing case details led to the resolution of two cold cases within a week in Connecticut jails.
"We can't deposit funds into their commissary account or anything like that," Massey explained. "So, we'll need to find a way to get the money to them. However, not everyone is serving a 15-year sentence. These are our county jails. ... We're optimistic that this will yield results."
Families of the individuals featured on the cards expressed gratitude for the program. Lacy Moran, whose father Joey vanished in 2019, shared with CBS News affiliate WLOX that she is hopeful the cards will generate new leads.
"I'm optimistic that this will reach a new audience that we haven't tapped into yet," Moran expressed. "Throughout the coast, everyone is familiar with Dad's name, and I believe there are individuals who haven't heard about it yet, and this initiative might bring closure."
