make the news much. it s called crip ton also cryptonalysis. we think the solution will come from somebody who recognizes the style of writing. it s a type of language they used to use as kids or recognize the abbreviations as something they re familiar with in their line of work. reporter: in n june of 1999 st. louis sheriff s deputies discovered the body of ricky mccormick. someone murdered the 41-year- old and dumped his body in a field. the only major clues? two coded notes found in his pocket, 30 lines of material that uses a maddening variety of letters, numbers, dashes and parenthesis. the fbi wants your help. it s not random. it s clearly communication of some type. there are characteristics in here that indicate it s a type of language. the frequency the letters suggest english, however, it s lacking vowels except for the e which appears more than any e should appear in the english language. reporter: the face of ryan regan hangs in richard olson s office.