How special playing cards help solve cold case murders

(NewsNation) — In 2007, a peculiar platform of cards being utilized by situation inmates helped solve a execution case that had gone cold. Now, corrections facilities astir the state are adopting the program.

In situation connected cocaine charges, Derek Hamilton was playing cards successful Lake City, Florida, erstwhile helium pulled a 7 of clubs with a acquainted look connected it. It was a representation of Jim Foote, a antheral helium had murdered extracurricular a Fort Myers karaoke barroom 3 years earlier.

"He was gunned down successful the parking batch and murdered," said Trish Routte, Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers manager. "There was precise small information."

The platform of cards being utilized by inmates astatine the situation successful Lake City, Florida, was marked with the faces of acold lawsuit execution victims.

After seeing Foote's face, Hamilton began to brag to the different inmates astir having killed him. Then, 1 of those inmates sold him out.

"Out of nowhere, a instrumentality enforcement cause ended up getting a missive from an inmate from the situation successful Lake County, who was playing with that precise archetypal platform of acold lawsuit cards, and said, 'Hey, my erstwhile cellmate was talking to maine astir the Jim Foote case, helium told maine that helium had killed the guy,'" Routte said.

Donna Foote, the widow of Jim Foote, who had been mourning her nonaccomplishment without answers, abruptly knew who killed her husband.

Hamilton yet agreed to a four-and-a-half-year plea deal, ne'er contesting the execution charges.

Now, much than 75 corrections facilities from Minnesota to Indiana and Connecticut person adopted this program, distributing playing cards with the state's cold lawsuit murders connected them.

Lori Massey of Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers saw the occurrence of the programme successful Florida and decided to instrumentality it successful 7 Mississippi countries successful 2024. Thousands of decks later, she tells NewsNation the tips are pouring in.

One of Massey's wardens, Evan Hubbard, says the cards are an accidental for prisoners to atone for their past mistakes.

"You person radical that conscionable made a atrocious decision, but their motivation compasses are precise good aligned, and if they person information, you know, successful this situation, you had a lot, a batch of clip to deliberation astir your transgressions," Hubbard said.

However, it is not each bully news.

Hubbard admits inmates could beryllium motivated to snitch connected their chap inmates for selfish reasons, similar landing amended deals from prosecutors. Groups similar the Innocence Project accidental this information tin easy pb to wrongful convictions.

This is what happened with Donald Raynor, whose precocious overturned condemnation was primitively achieved done jailhouse grounds tied to a platform of the peculiar cards.

"You person immoderate inmates that effort to usage it for their ain gain. They archer you that they person information, and they privation X, Y and Z to springiness you that information. And that's not what it's for," Hubbard said.

Still, victims' families accidental the anticipation of clearing acold cases makes it worthy betting connected the program.

"Whenever we person the accidental to propulsion the cards oregon archer radical to proceed to combat to effort to get immoderate answers to a convulsive crime, my girl and I are close determination trying to bash it," Foote said.

The platform successful Florida is presently connected its 3rd variation and has helped lick astatine slightest 2 cases. In Connecticut, the cards are connected their 5th variation and person contributed to solving dozens of cases. The extremity is to turn the programme to go an planetary instrumentality for families who are missing loved ones.