Prison playing cards aim to help solve Indiana cold cases

PUTNAMVILLE -- The Indiana Department of Correction, in partnership with the Indiana State Police and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, has released a third edition of the Indiana Cold Case Homicides Playing Cards.

The deck of playing cards profiles 52 unsolved homicides and missing persons cases from around the state.

Although there are no Putnam County cases in the deck, it does include a Clay County homicide as the five of clubs. It profiles the murder of Jennifer Stockrahm, 21, who was shot and killed Feb. 12, 1997.

Her body was found inside her maroon 1988 Ford Escort, which had been set ablaze in Harmony.

The card decks are being distributed throughout Indiana prisons and to law enforcement authorities, and will be the only decks of cards available for purchase in the state's 25 prison facilities.

Each playing card features information on an unsolved murder or missing persons case and a photo of the victim. The aim of the project is to create an awareness of these unsolved cases in the prison population and encourage offenders to provide information that might help solve the cases.

Officials hope the cards may jar inmate memories or provide a clue that, when combined with other information, might provide the break investigators need to solve a case.

A further goal is to remind the families of victims who have suffered through years of uncertainty and despair over the inability of the system to bring the responsible criminal to justice that their loved ones are not forgotten, and that law enforcement remains committed to resolving these cold cases.

Members of the public who would like to provide information on the victim of a cold case homicide or missing persons case, or who would like to have a case reviewed for inclusion in a future release of the deck, may contact the Indiana Department of Correction at coldcasetips@idoc.in.gov.

If you have information about any case in this deck or a case that does not appear in this deck, call the Indiana State Police Hotline 1-(800)-453-4756.

Copies of the playing cards may be viewed at http://www.in.gov/idoc/2826.htm.