The Florida Association of Crime Stoppers is printing Cold Case Playing Cards featuring photos of murder and hurt-and-run victims and missing persons along with details of the unsolved crimes. According to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, they're printing more than 5,000 decks that will be delivered to 100 of Florida's jails and prisons where over 100,000 inmates are housed.
Back in 2007, they sent out prior editions of the decks that resulted in inmates helping close the books on two murdef cases.
"This isn't just a hopeful experiment, it's a proven concept," Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper told the Tampa Bay Times. "We are turning playing cards into a catalyst for justice."
In one case, an inmate tipped off Crime Stoppers that another prisoner was "bragging about how he tricked the cops" about his involvement in one of the cases shown on the cards.
(Thanks to our Florida Bureau Chief, Charles Pescovitz!)
Previously:
• DNA on chewing gum leads to conviction in 1980 cold case
• Sweet potato and The Wire led police to suspect in cold case murder
• A cold case is solved with the old 'DNA on a coffee cup' trick