"Cold case" playing cards on sale to Conn. inmates

HARTFORD, Conn. - Officials in Connecticut are introducing the third edition of "cold case" playing cards for sale to inmates, in an effort to solicit tips in unsolved homicide and missing person cases, according to a Division of Criminal Justice press release.

Each playing card in the deck of 52 features a photograph and a brief description of the case and also includes a telephone number and e-mail address where tips can be sent. The cases featured on the cards differ in each deck to allow for the maximum number of cases to be circulated through the correctional system, the release says.

The cards were produced by the Cold Case Unit in the Office of the Chief State's Attorney in conjunction with the Department of Correction and other law enforcement agencies. Revenue from the card sales is used to produce more decks of cards, making the project self-sufficient.

According to the release, to date, investigators have received more than 470 tips generated by the cards. Since the first decks were first distributed in 2010, arrests have been made in nine homicide cases featured on the playing cards, officials say.

"It is all about the victims and their families," Interim Correction Commissioner Scott Semple says. "The faces on these cards are someone's mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband or child. Any tip, or lead, might be the missing piece to solving a case and bringing resolution to a victim's loved ones."

All three editions of the cold case playing cards can be seen on the Department of Correction website. Members of the public are encouraged to view the cards and to share any information they have on any of the cases. Tips can be submitted via e-mail at cold.case@ct.gov or by telephone at 1-866-623-8058.