The Unbreakable Code: Who Killed Ricky McCormick?

KRIS CALVERT
Apr 23
4 min read

On June 30, 1999, the body of Ricky McCormick was found in a Missouri cornfield west of St. Louis. At first, it looked like another suspicious but explainable death. But what investigators discovered in his pants pocket turned the case into one of the FBI’s most baffling cold cases.

Two pages.Covered in jumbled, handwritten code. No one—not even the FBI—has been able to crack it.

Who Was Ricky McCormick?

Ricky was 41 years old, living on disability, and known to frequent motels and low-income neighborhoods. He suffered from chronic health issues and reportedly struggled with schizophrenia.

He wasn't a spy.He wasn’t in the military. So how did this man—by all accounts living on the margins—end up with a set of codes so complex, even the FBI’s top cryptanalysts couldn’t break them?

What Was Found in His Pocket?

The two notes found in Ricky’s pants weren’t lists, letters, or anything coherent. They were cryptic ciphers—long strings of capital letters, numbers, and symbols arranged in ways that made no sense.

One line read:

"WLD NLX KST CDQGC KTRS GCDQ RPDRXL"

The notes are now known as the McCormick Ciphers, and they’ve become one of the most well-known unsolved encrypted messages in modern history.

Was It Murder?

The medical examiner couldn’t determine a cause of death due to decomposition, but there were no signs of trauma. Still, investigators found it highly suspicious that Ricky’s body was dumped in a remote cornfield—15 miles from his home. Especially considering he didn’t drive, and no one could explain how he got there.

Theories and Speculation

True crime fans, cryptographers, and conspiracy theorists have all taken stabs at solving the case. Common theories include:

Drug deal gone wrong: Was Ricky involved in street-level criminal activity?
Mental illness: Could the code be gibberish born from Ricky’s schizophrenia?
Serial killer: A hidden pattern or calling card?
Espionage or government cover-up: Was Ricky a pawn in something bigger?

To date, none of these theories have been proven. And the code? Still unbroken.

The FBI Wants You to Try

In an unusual move, the FBI released Ricky’s cipher publicly in 2011 and asked for help.To this day, thousands have tried, and no one has succeeded.

You can view the cipher here: FBI.gov – Ricky McCormick Case

❝ “This is not your average unsolved murder. This is a message from beyond the grave—we just don’t know what it says.” ❞— Hitched 2 Homicide

Listen to the Episode

On this week’s episode of Hitched 2 Homicide, we dive into the unbreakable mystery of Ricky McCormick.From the FBI files to cryptic theories and family interviews, we follow the threads of a case that refuses to be solved.

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your true crime fix.

More Cold Cases

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Tags:

Ricky McCormick, FBI cipher mystery, unsolved murders, true crime podcast, Hitched 2 Homicide, St. Louis cold cases, encrypted code murder, FBI cold case, cipher mystery, unbreakable code

Sources used for this podcast:

· All That's Interesting. (n.d.). The Unsolved Case of Ricky McCormick. https://allthatsinteresting.com/ricky-mccormick

· FBI. (2011, March 29). Help Solve an Open Murder Case (Part 2). https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/help-solve-an-open-murder-case-part-2

· Medium – The Unknown Blog. (n.d.). Unsolved: The Strange Case of Ricky McCormick’s Cryptic Notes. https://medium.com/@theunknownblog/unsolved-the-strange-case-of-ricky-mccormicks-cryptic-notes-a2854830ab4f

· Reddit. (2023). I Think I Solved Ricky McCormick's Cryptic Notes. https://www.reddit.com/r/codes/comments/17iq4xo/i_think_i_solved_ricky_mccormicks_cryptic_notes/

· FBI Vault. (n.d.). Ricky McCormick Case Files. https://vault.fbi.gov/ricky-mccormick/ricky-mccormick-part-01-final

· Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. (1999). Investigation Report 318. https://majorcasesquadstl.org/investigations/1999/report-318

· Thompson, E. (n.d.). The Case: Ricky McCormick's Cryptic Records. https://emiliathompson.medium.com/the-case-ricky-mccormick-cryptic-records-af2aa6ba8978

· Cold Case Explorations. (n.d.). The Cryptic Code of Ricky McCormick. https://coldcaseexplorations.com/missouri-cold-or-unsolved-cases/the-cryptic-code-of-ricky-mccormick/

· Find A Grave. (n.d.). Ricky McCormick Memorial. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207042028/ricky-mccormick

· Cipher Mysteries. (2016, April 12). Ricky McCormick’s Notes for 6th Graders. https://ciphermysteries.com/2016/04/12/ricky-mccormicks-notes-for-6th-graders

· Riverfront Times. (2012, June 14). Code Dead: Do the Encrypted Writings of Ricky McCormick Hold the Key to His Mysterious Death? https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/code-dead-do-the-encrypted-writings-of-ricky-mccormick-hold-the-key-to-his-mysterious-death-2498959

· St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (1999, July 2). Body Found in Field Near West Alton Puzzles Police. https://www.newspapers.com/image/142634022

· St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (1999, July 3). Man Found Near Field May Have Died Naturally. https://www.newspapers.com/image/142641820

MOVIES

· Farrelly, P., & Farrelly, B. (Directors). (1994). Dumb & Dumber [Film]. New Line Cinema.

· Scorsese, M. (Director). (1990). Goodfellas [Film]. Warner Bros.

· Cohen, J. (Director). (2007). National Treasure: Book of Secrets [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.

· Lee, S. (Director). (1999). Summer of Sam [Film]. Touchstone Pictures.

· Sharman, J. (Director). (1975). The Rocky Horror Picture Show [Film]. 20th Century Fox.

· Holland, T. (Director). (1985). Fright Night [Film]. Columbia Pictures.

TELEVISION

· South Park. (2007). Imaginationland: Episode II (S11E11). Comedy Central.

· The Wire. (2004). Homecoming (S03E06). HBO.

· Family Guy. (2017). Gronkowsbees (S15E11). FOX.

· Resident Alien. (2021). Love Language (S01E05). Syfy.

· Curb Your Enthusiasm. (2009). A Disturbance in the Kitchen (S09E03). HBO.

· Extraordinary. (2023). The Real Powers Are the Friends We Made Along the Way (S01E06). Disney+.

· Madam Secretary. (2016). The Linchpin (S03E02). CBS.

· The Big Bang Theory. (2010). The Irish Pub Formulation (S04E06). CBS.