BOSTON (WPRI) — Massachusetts State Police are hoping a deck of playing cards will generate new tips for detectives in a number of unsolved homicides and missing persons cases across the state.
The 52 victims featured on the cards were selected by each of the participating district attorneys’ offices. Each one features a victim’s name, photo and relevant facts about the investigation into their death or disappearance, along with the number for the Unresolved Case Tip Line and a mailing address for the Unresolved Cases Unit.
“The victims in this deck were someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, child, or partner,” Col. Christopher Mason said. “Much time may have passed since the crime that took them from their loved ones, but they, and the victims of all our unresolved cases, are not forgotten.”
“Our detectives and forensic specialists across the state work daily to solve cases like these,” he continued. “Often, after years of dedicated work by investigators, we find that we just need a little more information to solve the case. The people who loved, and were loved by, these victims have waited too long for justice. Help us end that wait.”
The playing cards will be distributed by the Department of Corrections to state prison inmates, “in the hope they may have and share information about the crimes.”
The State Police Unresolved Cases Unit plans to create subsequent decks in hopes of soliciting information for other homicides and missing persons cases that were not included in the initial one.
This is the first time Mass. State Police have used a deck of playing cards to generate tips for unsolved crimes. Other states, however, have also made their own versions in recent years, including Rhode Island in 2018.
Massachusetts State Police created a video slideshow of all of the playing cards in hopes of also receiving tips from the general public.
Anyone who has information regarding any of the cases on these playing cards is asked to call 1-855-MA-SOLVE, email mspunresolved@pol.state.ma.us or send a letter to the following address:
Unresolved Cases Unit
470 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702
