"Dead Man's Riddle" still haunts the FBI

[@masterbuilderproductions]

My main goal in life is to never end up in a strange, dark, and mysterious incident delivered in story format.

[@bruhmoment6469]

I mean some people do survive in these stories but not all of them...

[@NikoTamer]

My main goal is to never become the like button

[@scottmccloud9029]

Lol. You and me both.

[@erikb7385]

Should be your life goal to have your life told in story format by Mr. Ballen however.

[@jestifizzle]

My worst fear in life is to be in a situation where I realise "damn, I think this might end up on one of MrBallen's videos"

[@鬼ø狼]

Only OGs remember having to look for random characters in the background while being incredibly invested in MrBallen's stories

[@kishaa819]

Omg, yes, I remember those 😂

[@simonalexander2354]

Shit i forgot that, i don't think i ever found one!!

[@NickyBlue99]

Lol I could never find them.

[@Yakuzish]

Or how he use to post multiple times a week

[@althompson3451]

Not flexing but I remember when he had not many subs and over night he had millions 😂 these kind of channels are my go to . Always have been. But ballen is boss . Disturbian is good also

[@thenon-vapingsubie]

Shout out to the ER nurse for going the extra mile to help Ricky in the middle of the night

[@irishime]

Indeed.

[@neilborden9202]

Yes yes

[@kdizzle901]

Idk they didn’t admit him in the psych ward if the doctors thought it was psychological…..two different same diagnosis from two different hospitals that’s odd too me especially since they thought he was mentally ill and homeless

[@mary-janereallynotsarah684]

@@kdizzle901 mental illness is undertreated so badly... it's tragic. But bless nurses who don't drive patients into the cold.

[@DonutsWithCrackheads]

@@kdizzle901unless they’re at risk of harming themselves or others, we can’t hold them or force their admission to a psych hospital.

[@ObiWill1]

My mom once told me she heard of a waitress that was illiterate but nobody knew. She had somehow managed to get through life with this as a secret. It was discovered finally when someone noticed her notepad she used while waiting tables. This woman had basically created her own form of writing to take orders. Perhaps that's what this is?

[@Jimothy-723]

thats not a bad idea.

[@skipanardoross6805]

That's about where my mind is. In fact, given the fellows history of embellishments etc., it could be nothing more than a prop. If were of any major significance relating to his demise, I'd think it would have been removed by the...demiser?? Then again, my failure rate is nearly a hundred percent when it comes to detective work so they should probably keep up the decrypting effort lol.

[@carboneagle]

Turns out it's just a grocery list

[@Mizvanechat]

Exactly what I was thinking too, he was illiterate and so had written something that looked like real writing to him, for whatever reason his crazy brain decided. He could have been a runner for the dealer, they use unsuspecting homeless people all the time. This story isn't the best ... Seems pretty basic

[@miaknig3130]

​@@Mizvanechator he just transcribed what a voice in his head was saying. The drug dealer may have known he was prone to delusions and sometimes writing them down, so he could never be relied on as a witness against the dealer. Seriously, it isnt unusual for schizophrenic people to think there are secret codes in everyday things, and some dedicate immense amounts of time trying to decipher them. His code could be every 4th letter he saw in a newspaper article or anything just as random; not really a code at all, except to him. I wouldn't wish schizophrenia upon my worst enemy.

[@jonas2378]

Sometimes when I start doing something dangerous I start to hear mr ballens voice in my head narrating all my actions. I then usually go back doing "safe" stuff because I dont want to figure out the end of the plot.

[@brown2889]

Exactly! Lol..😂

[@SandySez]

I just bought keychains for my 2 grown (mid-30's) sons, engraved with "Don't do stupid SHIT! ~Mom". I hope it serves as just such an effective & haunting talisman, lol!

[@kristinsevin]

Mr ballen, saving people one weird dark and mysterious story at a time 😅

[@shaunmcloughlin418]

Seagulllung is the reason, let's be real

[@necroticzxx]

I thought I was the only one. Instead I have the voice from 1000 ways to die 😂

[@galwaygirl401]

I cannot imagine ever being intrigued enough by "a dark shape" in a random cornfield to get out of my car and go into the field to see what it was, if anything I'd probably lock the doors and speed up!

[@fuzzamajumula]

No 💩! The thought of getting out to investigate is terrifying!

[@anonone8954]

​@fuzzamajumula the thought of not knowing or caring is more terrorifing to some people. That's how missing people are found. People with missing loved ones understand this.

[@dariastrezova7428]

Idk I guess if u care about someone’s health and safety you will go and check it out like not everyone is going to flee from someone who is helpless and dead. If she ran away and sped up he wouldn’t have been found

[@chrissy2844]

You can care about humanity without doing dangerous things. Calling the authorities and reporting the suspicious thing you saw is an option, weirdos. 🙃

[@RebelRolls77]

​@@anonone8954 ppl with missing loved ones have all the motivation in the world to investigate every dark or light object they see anywhere, anytime and always.

[@acerix4103]

This man went from 50k subs to 7 million and counting in under 2 years. I applaud your works

[@Azubjourni]

Yeah and its not your work

[@yerik6034]

@@Azubjourni tell me you’re a degenerate without telling me…

[@Azubjourni]

@@yerik6034 You are jealous of mrballen and could never ever reach his greatness. Stay mad.

[@CTS55555]

@ Acerix I didn’t know that. I discovered Mr Ballen in January of 2021 when he had about 3 million subscribers. Your comment should have more likes and a hearted comment from MrBallen

[@kaitbunni]

@@Azubjourni they clearly said “YOUR WORK” they never claimed it was their own

[@TheRealZoeyZeros]

While I do not watch all of your videos, I wanted to thank you Mr. Ballen. Last year, my father lost his fight with lung cancer, and one of the few things that brought him joy in the last days was binge watching Mr. Ballen videos. I want to thank you for unknowingly giving and old man some peace during the darkest moment of his life. A year after his death, the only thing that remains are the memories, and the fact I see his face for a moment when I see these thumbnails. Thank you again

[@tylerthompson1842]

Love it when I forget about mrballen for a while and realize I have a bunch of new episodes to watch👌

[@zaftigkitty308]

Lucky!

[@iankenny79]

Bit over the top your arm ad hand movements mate bloody hell lol

[@mysandwichlife]

Yep lol

[@Juslom92]

Ole’ Seagull Lung won’t be pleased to know you forgot about them. Haha

[@Off3er]

Yeah! I haven't watched the 6 latest episodes! Happy times!

[@Gearhart45]

Imagine if mr ballen was a history teacher , he’d have the attention of literally everyone 😂

[@lynncarter3565]

If Mr B was a history teacher, kids would actually listen and pass their history exam with flying colours 👍🏼🇬🇧

[@VelcroKittie]

If he was my history teacher, I'd never have gone cave diving or into the woods as a kid

[@danielfullerton620]

When he has a b in views this statement will be accurate

[@AndreaHaze]

No one wd EVER cut his class...in fact they'd cut other classes to come sit in on his ...

[@timefoolery]

He’d make a very good teacher. But I think he’s got a good gig going here.

[@mars_thee_star]

My first thought about the coded message is maybe that was what Ricky thought English was supposed to look like and tried writing himself a note. Maybe Ricky knew the alphabet, but not words. This could have been his way of writing reminders to himself. They could have also been delusions in writing form. I think they may have just been for him to know and for us to always wonder about.

[@101AstyMasty]

Agreed.

[@AldoSchmedack]

Not with certain parts clearly divided into parts. If he can't read he wouldn't write letters that well or straight or know to box of seperate ideas and or info. If he couldn't read he wouldn't even know WHY we who read do that in documents.

[@k.albania1262]

Eaven if he dosn’t write word’s he can copy random letters or numbers from different signs around him … for me its bullshit

[@CoachBill315]

😊

[@mars_thee_star]

My thought is that he knows the alphabet since he can write his name. He just doesn't know individual words. The first thing kids typically learn in school is the alphabet followed by how to write their name.

[@Seven_709]

Imagine being a farmer of a field where "it's common place for murderers dump" bodies.

[@DareCutzStudios]

Free fertilizer

[@SimonJansen-p2d]

could be a fine sidehussle

[@zosmanovic9763]

@@SimonJansen-p2d premium burgers

[@SunRayz3r]

If we discover what these ciphers mean in our lifetime, I think it would be really cool if MrBallen did a short “closure” video explaining how this story ends.

[@ljones2087]

ballen simp.

[@SunRayz3r]

@@ljones2087 ?????

[@mav3298]

@@ljones2087 Gaylord

[@ronaldpettifurd5957]

​@@ljones2087 🤡

[@splifstar85]

The cipher clearly says: FBI are butt pirates And the other one says: feds take it up the back side 🤷‍♂️

[@jamiemercer5221]

this guy could tell a story about just painting a living room and he would have me on the edge of my seat. Great storyteller one of if not the best

[@Catnipfumar]

It was at that precise second the paint was fully dry.😹

[@b.s.7693]

The dude from Why Files is at least on par

[@Highwynd]

Little did we all know that this isn't a cipher, it's just a couple pieces of paper that Ricky was practicing his letters and numbers on in his journey to literacy.

[@maliamiller123]

You Kinda On To Something Here Though🤨🤨🤨🤨

[@poka26ev2]

"alpnte glse se erte" I researched this first line and it means "Express Yourself" in germanic latin. Edit 1 31/7/2023: "ylse mtse ctse wse frtse" is a catholic phrase (not really confirmed due to lack of evidence but it makes sense with the last phrase), it means "take an hour or forever to express yourself". Edit 2: "36 MLSE 74 SPRKSE 29 KCENO 6? OLE 173 R7RSE" partially already decrypted; 36, 74, 29, 173 are current unknown values; 6? OLE means "aproximated 6 ounces".

[@michaelbriggs3787]

@@faiiry333you know what’s funny? I go to the hospital a lot just like Ricky but for fallow up appointments for my surgeries going to the hospital for me is like a normal every day thing for me at this point 😂

[@narcokidyadigg]

@@poka26ev2ouuu 6 ounces like 6 ounces of weed or drugs and he was linked to a drug lord

[@pitchblack2304]

thought about this to, however the pattern seemed like more than just practice, he also circled some parts, somewhere in life he wrote his name, they'd just compare the handwriting and I assume they alrdy did.

[@nonovyobiznez3735]

Less than an hour in the ER and the doctor already saw him? Amazing.

[@refinedheart1175]

Lmao

[@JenSmyre]

I'M " WAITING IN ER" AT LEAST 6 HRS " B4 I'M SEEN BY THE 👩🏽‍⚕️ TO ✍🏽 ME, THEN COUPLE OF MORE HRS, IN THE WAITING WITH EVERY ☝🏽, KIDS ARE #1 ???

[@TotallyCircumstantial]

Breathing and heart problems; as well as head trauma, are always immediately looked after.

[@woodysbarndominium]

That is in fact, strange and mysterious

[@lakovkreativity]

I thought he was about to say they made him sit in the waiting room for hours

[@frankoconnell6745]

Shoutout the nurse who helped Ricky fill out his paperwork ❤

[@heinzh5687]

I was a Deputy Sheriff back in the 90s..Richard looks very familiar. I know back then Crips and Bloods wrote a lot of cryptic letters from prison to the outside and vice versa. I'm wondering if Richard was used by the gangs to deliver these messages and they knew he was illiterate and would never be able to decipher it therefore making him the perfect person or Richard knew how to write the letters of the alphabet but was mostly illiterate and he could write in a way he could understand but to a literate person made no sense

[@fabiolamena6887]

My thoughts exactly

[@EIRE55]

Your comment is close to my thoughts, too.

[@rakachacha5953]

That makes sense..

[@JohnRiversOfficial]

same.

[@VegBeefSoup]

What y’all think about the “1/2 munddles” he was talking about? You see at 16:31 bottom of the paper. He clearly knows fractions and how things work. Right? So this has to be a real code

[@andrewellington9503]

I can't help but think how hilarious it would be if someone finally breaks this code after all these years and it just ends up being a recipe for like banana nut bread or something.

[@spindleblood]

😆 that would be hilarious.

[@andrewharless6587]

Honestly could just be Ricky trying to learn to write while on drugs or some shit. Or some note he wrote that only he understood

[@nemovox]

It’s the secret formula from Mr krab

[@ALmizzle415]

@@andrewharless6587I thought The same thing.

[@i_luv_hecklefish]

Better be some amazing banana nut bread. 😂

[@lizarttherapy2425]

I’ve worked in a psych inpatient hospital for years - patients in the midst of psychosis will write stuff like this and it often means nothing. Did they test to even see if it was his handwriting? If so, I’ll say it was likely just his psychosis. He’s illiterate so he just put random letters together probably thinking he was writing something that made sense

[@esposexy2210]

They will also create bizarre art and sing songs that don't make sense. The paranoid schizophrenics can spend a long time, even hours, describing theories about the government and corporations (aliens too) that are running their lives. Ive heard about angels, asteroids, characters from "The X-Files", viruses, and beams from the sun killing their family members, from such people.

[@danielx15one]

Possibly but unlikely. He probably would've had past issues with this. The FBI got involved.. I'm sure it was looked into. Giving a quick look through.. it does appear like many other cypers. There's so many patterns re-emerging. PRSE, variations slightly different. It's possible.

[@EstanislaoSantino-xk8uz]

Not probably...

[@hootinouts]

I'm with you on this.

[@dariang4725]

It's been confirmed that it's indeed a Cypher. There are patterns present that wouldn't be there if it were just random characters.

[@GROUNDHOGCULT]

Wow it's so brave of you to just go into the middle of a field and film a video there!We need more people like you!!!

[@brandonayong5823]

Not only that. He goes to houses of the victims. Forests. Beaches. The streets. Wherever the action took place Mrballen is there 😂

[@GROUNDHOGCULT]

​@@brandonayong5823 He does anything for our pleasure!

[@sophiabennett8088]

Lmaooo that's dedication 😂😂😂

[@jamstagerable]

Don't look just yet...MrBallen is sitting behind you gathering content for a future story.😬

[@Carlos-oh7vm]

​@@jamstagerable 😂😂 good one

[@ssdfgardiner1233]

I wish the FBI had provided an email instead. Anyway, here's my guess. There are several words that appear to be close to medical terms in English: oxygen, first responder, pulse, nurse. In addition, there are several numbers. As an English as a Second Language teacher, I've seen people practice writing by mimicking the letters they see to master the letters first before forming actual words. From that, they start mimicking words. This looks like an approximation of English by someone who has a learning disability such as dyslexia. My guess is this is not encoded and he was copying notes from his hospital visit from paperwork or anything with writing in the room he was in. What's unusual is that it's all in capital letters. I think the FBI should speak to a learning disability specialist.

[@ssdfgardiner1233]

I think I see something that looks like "Munchausen." It would be interesting to see his discharge paperwork and see if they gave a possible diagnosis of Munchausen's syndrome, especially given that they believed it was psychological.

[@rapnewsworldwide]

@@ssdfgardiner1233 you sound so damn smart i hereby announce this case CLOSED 😤

[@jamesSmith-im5jo]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@ssdfgardiner1233]

I think I see an attempt at "ventricle," too, which would make sense since they monitored his heart. I think he left the hospital and was just copying words from his discharge summary. I'm sure the FBI tried to get the discharge summary and compare it. If not, then they need to pay me for solving the cipher. Still, how did he die?

[@paranoyd70]

That was pretty much my guess as well, as it doesn't look like any code, but rather something that a person who lacks writing skills (& possible disabilities) might write by using letters to approximate sounds that they consider words. Sections being circled could be his way of differentiating paragraphs. I doubt the writing was meant for anyone else but Ricky, who would make sense of his own writing, sort of like a diary. If Ricky had mental problems, he could also have had memory problems, and this was a way of keeping track of his daily life. I'm curious to know if the FBI went to his dwellings & looked for similar notes? As if this was Ricky's way of keeping notes (like a diary) then he would have more similar writings.

[@FailingArtist]

When I was mentally sick, I walked from my house to a friends house that was 28 miles away. It can be done. I left during the night and got there in the early hours of the morning. Your mind is so occupied that the walking doesn’t phase you. It’s like time stands still and all of a sudden you’re at your destination.

[@bethheston4400]

But that doesn't fit with the conditions of his body when he was found. Unless he was decomposing on the way.😂

[@kanabaki]

Did the soreness kick in later? Like in your legs?

[@FailingArtist]

@@bethheston4400 you know there is such a thing as dehydration and passing out, right? Dying from exposure. Doesn’t take a scientist to know that. EDIT: you do understand bodies can be found days, weeks and even decades later, right? Hence, decomposition.

[@FailingArtist]

@@kanabaki Yeps

[@leahwinter9169]

My ex boyfriend was schizoaffective. He didn’t realize it at times and did realize something was off other times. He refused to get help for it. He would keep notebooks that contained weird messages and “codes” that were “messages” he received from people around him and from what I grew to realize, messages from the voices in his head. He believed that everyone was specifically against him and he didn’t know why. He thought there were these organizations that included all the people closest to him. He started to tape his notes and codes up on his wall. His windows would all be covered in blankets and curtains because he thought he was being watched. It was all very bizarre. Before I realized something was actually going on in his head, I ran across some of drawings in his notebook. I was sitting there trying to decipher it and didn’t understand. It was gibberish. It took until he started having delusions about me and accusing me of being in this organization and thinking my skincare bottles were messages I was secretly giving him to realize that none of it actually was real.

[@jackrobinson5679]

I had a schizophrenic gf She was nice until she started attacking me and then calling the police saying I had attacked her instead Also the following stalking , and long meandering messaging A nice lass in a lot of ways, but that illness, man the baby raindeer vibes were real with this one. Stay safe.

[@mexcavazos]

Do you think two thousand years ago or more, that farmers would start telling their friends and family that they were being stalked by organizations out to get them? That they were being watched and followed? The answer is no and the human brain is exactly the same now as then. So what gives with people going crazy in this way only in recent times? Look up STAZI to learn more or just keep ignoring people...

[@mikaelaltairbruneau474]

I absolutely love how MrBallen uses ambient noise in his storytelling. It really adds depth

[@chief8559]

Yeah, absolutely fits these type of stories, got me hooked.

[@NoneYuh-kg1qz]

Its annoying af

[@b3to653]

@@NoneYuh-kg1qzhis hand movements are annoying asf

[@NoneYuh-kg1qz]

@@b3to653 true

[@stolen_e46]

@@b3to653it's more of a vibe anyways listening in bed with da light off and close yo eyes, that's how real crips listen to mr ballen

[@kalebmims81]

You tell these stories so well. It legit sounds like you were there to watch these events happen.

[@mrfrost4064]

Well that’s because he was. 👀 And All those unsolved 411 cold cases. MrBallen. 😂 And so his super villain backstory unfolds🗿

[@StrangeDetectives]

He was

[@KeithDrawz]

It infuriates me that they didn’t even figure out if he was murderered or not…thats the first amount of tests they should do, to figure out if it was a homicide or something else. This person got no justice and his case was not treated correctly:( I feel bad for his family.

[@MikeMike-dv7iv]

I mean they tried. And they got nothing. Stfu

[@Dontneedahandle0]

Me too.

[@juliemanarin4127]

Yeah me too...he clearly did not have heart or respiratory issues...or say the hospitals he was in...

[@Your-local-idiot222]

Well no one can tell all the time if someone is or not so you can’t always have the answer but I get were you are coming from and I don’t wanna fight with ya

[@KeithDrawz]

@@Your-local-idiot222 Think the worst part is how long it took for the case to actually close. I do agree with you, but, the government has access to all documents, so its pretty easy for them to rule it out.

[@TiffanyGillispie-fq9sy]

Hat's off to you Mr. B. Not all veterans that survive life threatening experiences go on to start their own business. Don't let the haters get you down. God bless you and your family. From one veteran to another, thank you for your service.

[@AnonymousQwerty]

Thank you for your service brother

[@BakeXlove11]

The woman that found him was super brave to walk out in that cornfield alone.

[@Chewy_GarageBandDad]

She had to be super young. If she was my age, she would have remembered the movies 'Children of the Corn' and noone that remembers those movies walks into a corn field alone..

[@BakeXlove11]

@@Chewy_GarageBandDad Lol I used to live right next to a corn field growing up and it used to terrify the crap out of me because of those movies.

[@truthseeker2321]

What's " super brave " about walking into a cornfield alone? Since it was in the winter, there wouldn't have been any standing corn at all, only the stalks that are roughly ankle high.

[@eternall0ve16]

@@truthseeker2321 His body was found on June 30th not in Winter

[@Chewy_GarageBandDad]

@@BakeXlove11 LOL Damn, that's not cool. Id shite my pants..

[@thinking-monkey]

I found some "code breakers" input on these notes from years ago and one of the generally accepted ideas is that the "notes" are phonetic shorthand, not a cryptographic cipher. Also, with Ricky's mental conditions and illiteracy, even the phonetic shorthand has to be viewed as possibly dyslexic. There are several other ideas: Using letter "e" as periods (.) to end "sentences" or thoughts; 71, 74 and 75 are interstates in or around Cincinatti, Ohio; and, for example, "firse prse onde 71 ncbe" means "First person on d 71 nice be" ("The first person I met on the 71 was nice").

[@NinnyPoo_theFlabbergastedJoy]

I was getting some of that when reading it too! My idea is give it to prisoners even, frequently writing in code, now you say that I wonder if a dyslexic or someone in a psychiatric ward would have better luck!

[@SheaRainey]

Only problem with that is that it isn't written as FIRSE but FLRSE. The entire thing is written in caps. This is usually done in documents where other people are reading it to avoid confusion over letters like i and L.

[@zadarasimoleons1019]

​@@SheaRainey Or, if you're my dad, who has had dyslexia for 50 years, you write everything in full caps

[@SheaRainey]

@@zadarasimoleons1019 Could be true, but this illiterate man has better handwriting than my 13 year old son and my doctor. Then the text written follows a pattern with repeating words and patterns. As the FBI say, it could just be a shopping list or it could be a key bit of evidence in a murder case.

[@StirfrySpazzcake]

Best i got with working with chat gtp was this "Mind, confused and lost, seeks meaning in a world of chaos. Words evade comprehension, like whispers carried by the wind. Scribbled symbols on a page, a puzzle unseen. In a realm of distorted reality, where letters hold no shape, and numbers dance without meaning. A mind trapped in a labyrinth of disarray, longing to be understood. Desperation fills the air, as his thoughts swirl in an enigmatic haze. Frustration mounts, unable to translate the fragments within. Ink-stained pages, a testament to his struggle, an attempt to bridge the gap between the intangible and the tangible. In the absence of conventional language, his emotions speak through cryptic marks. A silent plea for connection, trapped within the confines of his own mind. Unreadable notes, a reflection of his torment, a voice seeking solace in an unfamiliar world."

[@dulsarakumarage7856]

Coming from a crypto background, my take on it is, Ricky could be an ideal messenger to carry the message. This is something we do in actual cryptography as well. If the code is complex enough that it can't be bruteforced and revealed back to normal (plain)text without knowing the secret, Ricky is no longer a liability, but an absolute asset. He will be retrieving and dropping these messages off from people who knows the code. But Ricky isn't smart enough to pick up on their conversations and decode the code used. And no one suspects someone with his intelligence to be a messenger to any major thing, because no one will take him seriously. Makes a lot of sense in my opinion.

[@mxu111]

But why would he do this work in the first place? They obviously didn't pay him all that much.

[@macheadg5er]

but that is his hand writing.

[@jasonstorm-wm2vd]

I was thinking maybe he was an idiot savant and knew the code, but that is a much better explanation.

[@user-agreement-disengaged]

​@@mxu111 could've been blackmailed over anything. Could've been a petty crime to stay out of jail or something serious. Never know.

[@boxie13]

@@mxu111 I don’t know for sure but a lot of people in his position struggle with addiction due to lack of care for the mental stuff. Drugs in any form are expensive and when you can’t do a lot of stuff in the first place if someone says “hey take this message down the road and drop it off and I’ll give you 20 bucks” sounds like easy money.

[@pushband9382]

How did the woman spot a body laying on the ground in a corn field, while driving by!? And WHO pulls over, gets out of the car, and walks through a corn field because they seem a dark figure!?

[@beevonerd]

LOL well there is a horror movie trope that covers exaaaactly the type of person/group of ppl who do that shit. I'm willing to bet she fits the bill. 👌🏿

[@Inky_doodledoo]

Curiosity

[@Justinb1TV]

@@beevonerd😂😂😂

[@beevonerd]

@@Justinb1TV You know the vibes 😂😂

[@The-Singularity-X01]

Someone who's lying through their fucking teeth.

[@fuzzamajumula]

What a shame that Ricky never had a place to go to for safety. A mental hospital would have been ideal. Such cases always make me sad, because these people usually end up homeless or in jail - or worse. They are so vulnerable, yet there is no place designated specifically to care for them for as long as they are in need. It's heartbreaking.

[@justkim9827]

I feel this sentiment. It angers me that we have sent more than $100 Billion over to Ukraine while we have so many of our own citizens in need. That money could have been used to set up places for the homeless or mentally ill to go to for help.

[@fatherstrifemneh2010]

I feel ya, but Ballen said he refused treatment. You can’t save folks from themselves. I hate it, but I don’t know how to fix it.

[@chrisredfield6274]

Yes but sadly the US closed basically all mental hospitals decades ago. Anytime somebody brings up mental hospitals or "looney bins" or "insane asylums" they're talking about a relic from the past. I've worked in hospitals for around 10 years now, and Ricky is a very typical case. We get about a dozen every night asking to stay the night in the lobby. Or they'll claim suicide so we have to put them on 72 hour surveillance. This ends up putting a big burden on ERs around the country and contributes to the wait time substantially for the average person. This also happens to any homeless people that have committed petty crimes. They'll be brought by the police and just released to our care. Catch and release all day long, and there's next to no support or funding from the city or State.

[@czuw2967]

Why did the US close all the mental facilities? Most people only mention that, but have no idea why - or they say it was because of money. Look into it… it wasn’t because of money alone.

[@kwahwah]

In 1981 President Ronald Reagan, who had made major efforts during his Governorship to reduce funding and enlistment for California mental institutions, pushed a political effort through the U.S. Congress to repeal most of MHSA. The MHSA was considered landmark legislation in mental health care policy. Never forget.

[@darkdaygirl]

My step dad had a serious case of bipolar disorder and to me this story sounds like classic “manic depression” (The old name for bipolar). When my stepdad was in a manic state it would last four weeks. He’d become really agitated and assume people were plotting against him, even my mom. My stepdad would write stuff down non stop while he was manic. He’d write lists of things so he wouldn’t forget anything. He’d write song lyrics and poems constantly. He’d follow you around talking non stop and spit while he talked, then he’d ask you questions and guess the answer, after answer, after answer, before you got a chance to respond. Sometimes he’d do things that were reckless like picking up hitchhikers and bringing them home for family dinner or giving them rides to other cities. He would put a lot of spiritual meaning into everything. Like one time I was outside in the yard playing with my dog’s puppies while wearing a shirt with little clowns on it and he suddenly thought it was a sign that we were supposed to keep all the puppies and train them to do tricks and take them on the road as a traveling circus so we could preach the gospel and lead people to believe in Jesus. Another time he became convinced that because he read the Bible story about the army who marched 7 times around the city of Jericho and then God made the walls fall down, that we, as in me at age 6, my sister aged 17, my mom, and he, were being told by God to wake up every morning and go to our church and walk around the outside of the church building singing and marching in one direction 7 times in the morning and then do the same thing in the opposite direction at night. Why? Who knows! I’m betting it had something to do with spiritual warfare. I could go on and on with stories about my stepdad’s manic episodes but basically all this is to say Ricky’s actions do not surprise me at all. Even though he couldn’t actually read or write he may have thought that the letters he wrote down meant something to him and that he’d be able to look at them later and remember what they meant. He wasn’t heard from until he was found 20 miles away in that field and they didn’t find any proof of death by foul play. I have a strong suspicion he just randomly collapsed in that field after a really long and terrible manic episode and I feel really sad for him and his loved ones.

[@Mom.3]

Wow. I would like to apologize that you were subjected to so much so young. However, everyone has a story and sometimes those stories help others. I really appreciate your examples of this mental disease. Sometimes someone needs to just see/read about real life experiences vs big medical words and someone giving “possible”examples. I appreciate you sharing your story more than you know. Thank you. Here’s to nothing but peace and good vibes surrounding you. Job well done.

[@McCsnoofi]

Thank you for sharing such a personal story.

[@RedexTwo]

Thank you for sharing. Your experience was helpful in me learning and understanding the disorder better.

[@BakeXlove11]

My boyfriend of 11 years is bipolar and in the beginning of our relationship, I had no idea what it actually meant to have bipolar disorder. There would be a couple weeks where he wouldn't get out of bed. He would literally sleep for like 2 weeks and barely even get up to even use the bathroom. At first, I thought it had something to do with me until I did my own research. He's such a good, kind and caring person who has been through so much in life. He's gotten a lot better over the years and thanks me for it even though I don't take credit, we've both just learned how to navigate through the good and the bad times. Thanks for sharing your story, it really helps people understand what it can be like.

[@Lesardah]

That's a rough experience. I'm sorry to hear that someone's mania was a part of your life for so long. Unfortunately, I think you're exactly right about the McCormick Cipher. Trying to overlay meaning and intent upon a person in the throes of a manic episode is very likely futile. We had a homeless person in town exactly like this. He'd spend all day writing religious documents, burying the texts in a strange, overlapping and spiral way. Reading it was near impossible. He'd beg for money to go to Kinko's and print off a hundred copies and put them on cars around town. Borderline racist (he didn't like the Jews), obscure, twisting words - deriving meaning from every insignificant event in his life and surroundings. Also incredibly grandiose. So odd.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

It would it be so awesome if one of Mr.B’s viewers actually manage to crack the cypher!

[@ale.xia420]

@@kevinburgerking1591😂

[@Jdjd786]

Agent Reed could decipher it almost immediately 😂

[@scorpions1965]

Don’t be lazy af and type the full name

[@resolecca]

How do know that it was infact a code and not just random letters and numbers that meant nothing at all, maybe thats why the code cant be cracked, that being said i am not trying to disbarrage Ricky i genuinely want to know, i definitely believe he was murdered

[@SalemElloit]

​@@Jdjd786 he did decipher a message longhanded because it was easier than using a computer. One used dashes, and the other used ellipsis.🤷‍♂️

[@lydiawilley1727]

The craziest part of this story is that the nurse came back to discharge him within 15 minutes! 😅

[@iamb-side8613]

😂😂😂😂

[@casandrabullock9497]

I love it that he has to include a "real photo of actual phone booth" for the kids. 💜✌️

[@angelalane1307]

☎️😂📞

[@annaelisavettavonnedozza9607]

Hahaha!!! I love it

[@ashleystrout5538]

And "the not real photo of ricky" when it showed Prince😂

[@casandrabullock9497]

@@ashleystrout5538 yeah that's pretty good! 💜

[@bentonrp]

Pac *️⃣ Bell

[@TheHawkEyeFemto]

Mr Ballen the GOAT of KZbin storytelling

[@shivpatel5413]

*F U RræI*

[@dexterdahmer]

Mr. Scare and Southern Cannibal are 2nd and 3rd

[@michele6624]

❤

[@al1383]

​@@dexterdahmer the why files ain't to shabby

[@dexterdahmer]

@@al1383 I’ll check him/her out for sure

[@Junkt123]

My uncle was an agent for Game and Wildlife(now retired) when this evidence was first recovered. He, along with many members of other agencies, were consulted about these cyphers. The reason he was consulted was his involvement in the investigation of man called “the Chicken Man”, who was a voodoo witch doctor in New Orleans who was known for encrypting messages. As far as he knows, zero progress was ever made.

[@martlet10]

It’s just generated passwords and the guy wrote it down. These generate when you use the “create strong password” feature on your phone. It’s jibberish but it saves in your phone. He just wrote them down too.

[@chleorrrrnorrrrr2915]

@@martlet10 how would you know lol? Did you know him? Did you ask? Provide proof before stating something so bold bud

[@lcam9241]

​@@chleorrrrnorrrrr2915 he's just giving you his best guess my goodness. I also wondered if it was all just gibberish.

[@helpis0ntheway]

@@martlet10 Oh so he went back to the future. Thanks, it all makes sense now 😂🤣

[@martlet10]

@@helpis0ntheway they had encrypted password in 99 on blackberry.

[@gustavomeza884]

Dude, your style of storytelling is phenomenal! Your ability to recreate an incident in story format is like reading a good book. Thanks for the good material and stories.

[@davesmith4400]

Since Ricky told people he was a singer, prince and doctor when he wasn't, maybe he told the wrong person he was a codebreaker or such like and was entrusted with sensitive info. When they found out he wasn't what he said he was already in too deep...

[@25Jake]

Lmaoooo

[@jondoe6821]

Good analogy

[@dwaynepeters4520]

But why would you kill someone for not being able to break a code? If he's not a codebreaker and you give him sensitive info in code, you have nothing to worry about, right?

[@yangduran1663]

@@dwaynepeters4520 because they might be lying and actually already know the code and just refuse to share back to the client

[@rabbit0664]

​@@dwaynepeters4520 Possibly. It could be possible that he might remember such codes. If not the codes then possibly the face or perhaps voice of whoever gave him the codes.

[@dwatts64]

17:30 I can think of several VERY good reasons to entrust someone like Ricky with that code: no chance he cracks it, no chance he even tries, and if he loses it and it ends up in the wrong hands, there's no chance they get any info out of Ricky that could be used to crack it. He's the PERFECT mule for some kind of cryptex.

[@debbiemcghee6617]

Agree. Just difficult to get your cipher back from someone paranoid and then why not get the cipher from him before killing him?

[@hasturthekinginyellow5003]

​@@debbiemcghee6617 Could be a test, to see if Ricky is actually capable to follow orders or if he tries to betray the organization. The cipher itself could contain basically no real information or not even be a cipher to begin with, either way Ricky did not passed the test, and after all was said and done, no one care enough to get the cipher from him.

[@masterreaper115]

Except....he is likely to have no idea how to get to whoever you are trying to give the code too....and can easily become nearly impossible to find...making him a terrible mule...

[@dwatts64]

@@masterreaper115 unless he's been told to sit at a hospital and watch a door until someone contacts him. He seemed on a mission during that.

[@masterreaper115]

@dwatts64 it's really odd that he was sweating profusely in an air conditioned building while his heart rate wasn't elevated

[@PinuiPink]

Imagine helping the FBI and your story is the next story Ballen telling.

[@elfnino4878]

MrBallen's hand motions are second to none when it comes to storytelling

[@SUMMERGIRL4500]

😂😂😂RIGHT

[@danantes5223]

Watch Scotty Kilmer. Sometimes his hands look like they’re getting ready to fly away.

[@trenttaylor6382]

Wouldn’t it be amazing if one of Mr. Ballen’s viewers could crack the code because he told this story on KZbin? It’s possible! Just remember the housewife who solved the Zodiac’s cypher over a cup of coffee while reading about in the social media of her day, the newspaper.

[@sabrinafieldcross4859]

I remember it was a couple teachers that solved the rest of the zodiacs messages, an that there were a couple mistakes an that's why no one could figure it out initially, I wonder if those teachers are still alive?

[@PiXie232]

@@sabrinafieldcross4859 isn’t the last part of it still undeciphered?

[@Channel24377]

@@sabrinafieldcross4859 what was the code? Lol I heard it was yogurt brands 😅

[@SPRVLN27]

The Zodiac ciphers were fairly rudimentary and standard. Zodiac wasn't some sort of genius by any means and even while creating basic ciphers, he made several errors.

[@moonbeamstry5321]

What if he'd been around others taking notes- like he attended a lecture and these are the meaningless symbols he jotted down pretending to write?

[@aidak3341]

I’d like to believe the FBI personally asked Mr. Ballen to tell this story in hopes one of us would figure it out 😄

[@acknowledgedofalltheconseq366]

Nope.

[@ivand0007]

​@@acknowledgedofalltheconseq366yeah. Screw them

[@janeblue3053]

That’s funny. The FBI wanting help to solve a crime. The FBI are criminals.

[@rock_it3685]

that would be pretty funny.

[@acknowledgedofalltheconseq366]

@@ivand0007 Exactly.

[@mattatk92]

You are the best story teller on youtube. You deserve to have your own high production value show on tv!

[@MrBallen]

thank you!!

[@simonalexander2354]

Couldn't agree with you more, i'm sick of the same old shit on tv now!! Even Hollywood can't have an original movie idea, all their doing is remaking all the Disney movies as "live action" now

[@mysterytabby]

I don't watch TV any more. Nothing new on there that interests me.. But I just love Mr Ballen's stories.The way he delivers them is just magical.I am completely drawn in as soon as he begins his story telling. He makes it seem so easy...but it really isn't. Mr Ballen really has a rare gift that draws people in. Brilliant!

[@marieatherton2073]

Who actually watches television anymore though 🤔

[@tyburvandeezo8218]

KZbin is the new TV, he's better off here

[@tamijeffcoat5462]

I'm so sad for Ricky. I hope they crack this case. I also think he could've sunk into schizophrenia. It's sad. I have a couple family members who developed schizophrenia and it's a heartbreaking situation. Fortunately, one of them has insight into his condition and is doing better. I don't doubt the possibility that this poor guy was used by criminals; but it's also possible he fled from imaginary threats and walked himself to death. So sad for this guy.

[@vanessahenry7238]

I passed this on to some friends who do like a challenge - I also hope they find what happened to this young man. No one deserves to die like that

[@drossi101]

Hopefully your friends are better at code cracking than the best code crackers in the world, who actually had evidence and other material to help put this into context lol.

[@pab1381]

@@drossi101 well they still appealed to the public so obviously they needed help.

[@drossi101]

@@pab1381 Yeah I can tell by the way it’s been out for over 2 decades. Clearly there’s way smarter people out there. The appeal to the public is hopes someone who knows the code comes out. Not that some random person cracks it with 0 context lmao

[@fifty6648]

​@@drossi101 wouldn't be the first time the public has deciphered a message the authorities could not.

[@livewire2759]

@@drossi101 You're right... and I agree... but it's still entirely possible that someone, or a group of people can actually figure out the code... not likely, but possible.

[@GL4SS_20]

If this is Ricky’s handwriting then I have a feeling there is nothing to decipher. Since he was illiterate he most likely had his own “language” that only he could understand in writing. You’re welcome FBI. I’m ready to accept a position 😊

[@chellierhapsody2197]

We call it "word salad" or schizophasia. I agree that if its someone else's handwriting then there may be more questions. Also, someone in the comments said that people create cyphers in prison, so that could be an important clue as well

[@jakobcrook6159]

The FBI emphasized the characters in the codes were not random, but instead patterns and sequences. The notes contained numerous letter E’s, references to the numbers 71, 74 and 75, and a focus on the repetition of the letters “NCBE”

[@tobiasrost633]

paranoia psycosis , so my guess is lisence plates and vin numbers street numbers , or simply try keep track of customers that owes him money in hes own way since he cant write

[@HalfShelli]

It is very, very easy (well, for the FBI, anyway) to tell the difference between writing that is gibberish, vs. a natural language in code. The FBI is certain this is a cipher.

[@lucasgerken1484]

@@chellierhapsody2197 i thought this at first but the fraction is just something that really stands out to me on second glance... how does an illiterate dude know what a fraction is? why would he only write it once? why 1/2?

[@Housesider]

One aspect of Ricky that wasn't covered here is how he actually had a criminal conviction for statutory rape where he served 10 months of a 3-year sentence. I wonder if that somehow had anything to do with the person(s) who murdered him. He'd also fathered four children from numerous women over his time so could've had enemies on that front. He clearly was very mentally unwell and it's possible he got involved with some actual drug dealer, agreed to do something, failed miserably at it or double-crossed someone, and got killed as payback. The notes and the ciphers on them could literally just be actual gibberish with no solution, only meant to further throw off law enforcement when/if his body was eventually found. Ricky's family when interviewed about the notes said Ricky used to scrawl things down sometimes, but it was always complete gibberish as he was illiterate. But it's still possible he did write the cipher, but as he was illiterate, his methodologies for the meanings of things most likely would never be cracked.

[@austinwagoncompany]

Strange though that on one "word" there is an apostrophe. Also, the one with boxes drawn around words; it looks to me like those have been drawn after the writing had been finished.

[@drelocs2878]

@@austinwagoncompany Yeah I’m not going with the op’s theory something isn’t right here.

[@sapiophile545]

FBI didn't tell the family about his notes, for TEN years

[@GSIX636]

It could be Ricky writing down something but he only writes in ways that he can only understand so it would only make sense that we can't figure it out because we are not in his cryptic brain.

[@iguessihaveinsomnia4594]

to watch the world spin without you

[@randallclemons8638]

I worked on the Mckormick code for a while. I tried color coding repeating characters and figured out certain characters repeat alot. I mean a alot. But every now and then maybe one character would change in these groups of characters or just one group may change. If it's a message, he was writing basically the same thing over and over most of the time. I know what it isn't. It's not a substitution code, and it's not transposed. It more than likely have to be in a grid pattern to be a transposition. It's not any type of other substitution type code or the FBI would have solved it. But I will tell you what it reminds me of. Activation codes for computer software. And if I were the FBI, that is exactly what I would look to see if it is. Remember, not to long after that, all these companies set up places where they would pay you to report people pirating software. I didn't know any of that about the hospital though. That was new to me. And I also didn't know he couldn't read or write or that he went around making up things about himself. I'll be honest, part of what makes me think about the software activation thing, other than groups of character repeating over and over, was how he wrote them on the paper and circled them. When I would have to write things like that down on paper, I would circle them just like he did. It looks just like something I would have done. If I were them, I would at least look to see if that is what they were. Ill give you a good example of what i mean and back then it was a lot easier for people to do than it is today. And a person could stand to make a lot of money, especially if they lived in a city. Imagine you are in 1999, and you end up having to go buy a new windows 98 disc to fix. Your pc. The misconception a lot of people were under, is that youre not actually buying the program. You are buying the activation code. Once you jad the code, just about any windows cd would work. As long as it was the right version. This was when burning cds was becoming popular also. I remeber my freinds modding playstations so they would play copied games. All you did was change a single chip on the board. I can't recall but I think it made the disc run in the opposite direction. It was a long time ago. But I remember you just changed one chip. But this doesnt just apply to a windows program. These vodes could apply to just about any popular software. Getting the sofware itself was mever the problem most people had, it eas alwasy the codes to activate them. If you were running an illegal business in this area, you could make a shit ton of money selling them for 15 or 20 dollars, as apposed to a 150 dollars that you would normally pay. Especially if you lived in a city. I used to fix computers back in the day when I was a teenager. And when you have to reformat and install a fresh operating system, you would also have to install all the software of various types back into the computer and most would have to have activation codes. So, before I did that, I would usually go through what ever I had to install and write all the codes down on a sheet of paper, so I had them right there. It made things easier for me. And usually my peice of paper would end up looking just like this so called "code". I would even circle them just like he did so I would know which codes were for what kind of software. It was just part of my process. Even the codes look similar. It just made me think of that. So it made me think it might not be a code at all, but maybe mistaken identity. Just a possibility. Something to keep in mind. Just wanted to explain why I thought that is what I it could be. Please excuse the typos.

[@rubinahaque4942]

Can we be friends? whats ur insta?

[@juliemanarin4127]

Hey great insight! I would contact the FBI with that idea.

[@danieljoensson2003]

Most "sentences" look too long to be activation codes. Also, activation codes would contain a fair amount of digits.

[@Mrawesomevids1231]

Cool

[@VonThegoat_]

We can definitely tell you worked on it by this paragraph 😂 good shit though bro

[@mj6962]

Regardless of the person’s history, rather than just admitting they don’t know what’s wrong, too many doctors blame it on the victim’s own mind.

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

Isen't that the truth

[@FallenMuse81]

After having 30 seizures and one day the hospital told my family not to bring me back because there was nothing that they could do it was psychological there actually was something that they could do give me anticonvulsant

[@BD-1-And-Only]

They ran tests on him bruh. There was actually nothing wrong. He’s likely just a crazy guy

[@MG-es2no]

@@FallenMuse81 And I thought I was dealing with a bunch of MAROONS when I was having a severe allergic reaction to Dilantin. It was given to me because I started having them. The best they could tell me was "YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTILL IT GETS OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM. As I said I was dealing with a bunch of MAROONS!😠 I ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks & 6 days. I think yours are worse than mine.🙄

[@Rambo-hz4yk]

FACTS ITS NOT " SCHIZOPHRENIA " OR " MENTAL " ITS CALLED BEING A TWEEKER

[@MikeGervasi]

After all this time and all these videos, I finally found myself listening to you tell the story and caught myself nodding as if you could see me. That's some powerful kind of "drawn into the story".

[@itsme-p7t]

i do the same lol

[@lazerhosen]

You just discovered what a "parasocial relationship" is. Our subconscious mind can't tell the difference between a real person in our presence or the projected appearance of a person on a screen. It shouldn't be that hard to tell the difference with MrBallen here though, dude's got the contrast turned way up on whatever visual filter he's using and it's creating an uncanny valley because human skin doesn't look that unsettling in real life.

[@joebrown8759]

​@@lazerhosen 1,

[@raylynn9768]

I catch myself doing that all the time 😅

[@bryanb6931]

I'm always amazed how popular this type of story telling is in modern times. Before film and movies were invented people would pay a story teller like Ballen, almost 200 years ago.

[@yourbeardispatchyaf]

MrBallen is now America's storyteller. I can't wait to see how far this thing goes. Much success John

[@whitneyluvlife]

He's the best🎉

[@jhuff692]

He's my new radio lol

[@PaulLamarre-z7o]

Plot Twist: FBI cracks code. Its Ricky's favorite meatloaf recipe.

[@drvgged]

My goal in life is to listen to every strange dark and mysterious story that will ever exist .. mr Ballen you are the goat !!

[@razak4494]

I wanna know if the FBI ever asked the drug dealer what he knew about Ricky.

[@serenapolk4379]

They should have asked him why he Left the notes on Ricky

[@pineapplesideways3820]

Who's Ricky, don't know him

[@pineapplesideways3820]

I was at mummas house getting ready for church

[@justcallmeangeleyes]

I’m sure they did bud

[@gabyvansant4533]

@@serenapolk4379 Yeah! Because the reason for killing him is this code! So why not check his body, his clothes?!?

[@sarasmith2624]

Love that the new story comes out on Sunday. I work on Sunday by myself and I literally listen to all the stories after listening to the new one. Listening for 8 hours every Sunday! 😅

[@stephenTcartwright]

Hey Mr Ballen. The issue with people who have schizophrenia or BPAD is that a lot of them have manic periods where they make these cyphers or languages. It's not common, but widespread enough for it to be noted. It might seem like they've hidden something meaningful in there, but most of the time its genuine gibberish. I have a friend who did this on a manic episode even. I could never decode it, but he told me what it was meant to say. "American dad and Archer are the best comedies of the modern day". Even though I have the answer to the riddle, there isn't a way to decode the message that would make sense, and clearly he's insane given the message delivered.

[@Geo-Chaos]

I agree, because I don’t think the “codes” really mean anything other than the random writings of a guy who clearly had psychological problems. This would explain why nobody was able to crack the code, because it likely doesn’t mean anything at all.

[@hollystiener16]

it may not even been that wrote it.

[@betsysipe5512]

I just went on my first backpacking trip through the mountains for 3 days. The person who set it up thought it was more of a beginners trail but it was NOT. I was afraid I was going to be in a mr. Ballen video. I'm now happy to be home watching this video safely from my couch 😂.

[@angier9385]

Had the same scare when I went alone for the hike in the mountains and one part of the path was quite difficult. I just kept thinking "God, if I lose balance now and fall, no one will be able to find me for months, like in one of those MrBallen stories" 8-)

[@Sidelinefighter-expert]

Did you find the canyon …

[@paulatreides0777]

Always be prepared and carry a personal locator beacon.

[@betsysipe5512]

@Paul Atreides I would have done that had I known what I was getting into. I just put too much trust in my friend lol.

[@betsysipe5512]

@Angie R right? That's what was going through my head lol, however I was with people. I couldn't have done it without help.

[@kathypeyser8507]

This is going to drive me nuts. Thanks, John, for leaving me so frustrated, knowing that I'll never crack this case.

[@B5s4]

That’s MrBAllen to you, ma’am!

[@orphanoforbit7588]

John? You mean MrBallen????

[@Just_Worms1234]

​@@orphanoforbit7588MrBAllen

[@jeffreyb2135]

There's nothing to crack. The poor guy was bipolar and ended up in the hospital during manic episodes. The "cipher" is nothing more than a manifestation of delusional psychosis.

[@pipergibbons6613]

The ‘Not a real photo of Rickie’ got me giggling hard 😂😂 love the hidden jokes in the strange, dark and mysterious

[@MarquiEneman]

Did you see the heart monitor that said “picture of real heart monitor?”

[@CatAndOrHatMan]

And "Real photo of a Payphone" 🤣 absolutely love it

[@MarquiEneman]

I can almost guarantee that he and his crew are just constantly laughing. You’d almost have to be funny about things to keep from letting the seriousness of what he is talking about get to him

[@ironicioniq927]

@@MarquiEneman that’s why I listen to small town murder. They know how to add spice to a very fucked up murder. They have to get you to laugh to kinda be able to tell heart breaking stories. It’s not for everyone and they know that but I have been a fan for years and years and they help pass the day some episodes are 2hrs+ and you get real estate and things to do and demographics of towns that you will have probably never heard of. And I think that’s cool. But man there are some terrible terrible people out there.

[@MarquiEneman]

@@ironicioniq927 there used to be a show on a&e called city confidential that was the best. I think I’ve seen every show on investigation discovery 3 times. Everyone finds it odd that I watch and listen to such things, but I’ve always found it interesting.

[@yourepika9738]

I would love to watch a mini series of MrBallens own personal scary/strange stories, the one that he told about the holiday he had with friends was super fascinating

[@NarutoUzumaki-es3bb]

He wasn’t crazy he stayed in hospitals all night and watched the door for the people after him. He didn’t go to his gfs house bc they already knew where she lived. He was smart and probably pretended to not know how to read to stay a little longer. He was paranoid for a good reason

[@caleb-xi4zv]

facts

[@XxBossXxTam]

Very true. And sense he was illiterate he wrote some important down only he knew.

[@AldoSchmedack]

Bing my comment mentioned same thing and I agree

[@x144x]

​@@XxBossXxTamsince* you're half illiterate I'll correct you

[@awesomesauce3110]

@@XxBossXxTam *since

[@GameDjeenie]

I'm always excited for Sundays. A new MrBallen. Nothing better !

[@myeyeswentdeaf6213]

I wonder if since Ricky was illiterate if he didn’t make up his own language, ya know, kinda like twins do sometimes. I worked with a completely illiterate guy once who also had a mental illness who used to take our lunch order and he had his own symbols for any kind of food you can imagine. It was so fascinating to me. I imagine if he was found dead like this with our lunch order it would turn out like this, with world class code breakers trying to figure out how a guy like this could’ve gotten such a complex system of encrypted code… and it would just turn out to be our lunch order.

[@alecjones1075]

I was thinking the same thing. Need to find some documents with Ricky's handwriting and see if it matches with the code pages found in his pocket

[@callyman]

Admirable Public Service your doing on this one JB.

[@coco123278]

I cannot tell you how excited I am that you posted this case!!! I’ve always wanted someone to cover it so glad that you did! ❤ Hope you are well! ✌🏼❤️☺️

[@danshotguns4226]

I went to the e.r. one time because I couldn't breathe and all my levels were good. I just had a panic attack and while they were doing tests on me. My whole body tightened up and I thought I was gonna die...no joke. Turns out i have anxiety , that i never used to have, and it makes me "feel" like im laboring to breathe..it freaked me out.

[@KatRamsey007]

I have horrible anxiety too. It can be debilitating

[@CoreyHinshaw]

That would be a panic attack

[@Lizablue0608]

Same! 👋🏼 I’m now on medication that literally saved my sanity. Insomnia for 4 straight days sent me to the E.R. and trying to describe how I managed to stay awake without street drugs was near impossible. After tests were all in, they figured out “hey, you have anxiety”. :)

[@RippedMinds]

Crazy how none of the doctors at ER offered psychological help from the psych ward or a specialist or something. They just let him go. This story is chilling! 🔥

[@michaelblankenau3129]

That is pretty typical nowadays

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

Can’t commit a guy against their will unless they’re a clear violent threat to themselves or others.

[@peterf.229]

thank gov st ronnie and then president st ronnie reagan for destroying mental health care to save a few bucks for the taxes of the “greatest generation “ and their children the current baby boomers

[@cloudmaster182]

​@@MrRyan-wu4jx he was asking to be admitted

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

@@cloudmaster182 he asked to be admitted to a hospital bed there overnight, and since there was nothing physically wrong with him the doctors couldn’t and had to discharge him (Ballen kinda phrased that part weird implying the doctor was being dismissive or something) asking to stay overnight in a hospital bed is different than asking to be admitted to a psychiatric facility. The doctors could have asked him if he felt he was a threat to himself or others and have him admitted to one perhaps or Ricky could’ve asked specifically to be taken to a psychiatric facility but that apparently didn’t happen.

[@ZZ-fj6sn]

I’m a new sub and I’m already addicted to the way you tell stories. Keep up the good work❤

[@kerriann04]

Poor Ricky. He had these ciphers in his pocket and somehow ended up dead in a cornfield. I think I'll pass on trying to decode them! 😬

[@BusJustice]

There’s lots of ways Forensics can figure out how he got to Advanced Decomposition so quickly. About the “cypher”: was it his handwriting? That can be determined from him signing his name on discharge papers for example. I’d wager Ricky knew he would die and attempted to write an explanation how he died, or maybe things he regretted in life, or who to tell that he loved them. But without knowing how to write, he could only try to mimic the English language as dignified as he possibly could, but his thoughts met the paper no less. He also may have been employed by the gangster specifically because he could not read, so could not understand some communication, and thus could not snitch for example.

[@own-ski6643]

Could of been like a dead man switch that he only had the key too of it containing their dirty secrets, tried to manipulate a master manipulator and back fired. Someone that knows advanced decomposition. Or it could be Aliens. The cypher also looks computer code somewhat

[@Skelstoolbox]

That's the best taake really.. It;s all jobberish and has the FBI stumped because it can't be solved, there is nothing there in the first place. I've made shit like this as a teen, and it looks incredibly complicated and had challenged people to solve it. Too bad not even I knew what it said..

[@Dilberto88]

It’s probably Ricky on dope and trying in his best to document his own plight. It wont ever be resolved. Try all you want.

[@JustAnotherBuckyLover]

@@Skelstoolbox And that is why you're not part of a cipher team. Could it still be gibberish? Sure. Is it likely, after having the best code-breaking minds over many years looking at it? Unlikely. There are ways that people can look at code and determine if it's likely to be random or not. If they're still looking into it, I can guarantee that they feel there's good evidence that it's not just "jobberish".

[@own-ski6643]

@@JustAnotherBuckyLover That’s what I love about psychics or people that know how to remote view Edit: even if ur not psychic and have tried remote viewing you can determine a higher probability’s of it likely being that getting closer to the answer but not an actual fact just a lead, somewheres to start investigating

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

The cypher says: "If you're a fan of the strange, dark and mysterious delivered in story format you've come to the right place".

[@oktoberina]

Liar! It says “Do you know how to get to Bells Canyon?”

[@abnpthfdr2934]

😄😄😄

[@doggofv]

I think i just had a stroke trying to comprehend what i just heard at 1:05

[@hadhamalnam]

Bros calling a like button "they". The word it exists for a reason

[@mikeblair2594]

The way we treat the homeless and mentally ill these days is downright criminal. It's nice to see that someone cared enough to keep this guy in their mind for twenty three years and really wants to catch Rickys killer. I truly hope he succeeds.

[@ASTRANGER5000]

I honestly can’t wait for one of Ballen’s subs to solve this…it’s gonna be so awesome. Can’t wait to hear that they’ve solved the case all thanks to one of us here on this channel.

[@YBABTU]

I'm working on it. Trying to decode it as we speak. Been paused on the first note for like an hour already. Writing it all down on a large poster board. This might be something extremely simple to Ricky. Puzzling to us. I've seen quite a few lightbulbs above my head, but then they slowly dim and shut off. I'm still stumped.

[@Dagger1Bravo]

We could ask ai that's been trained with all other known cyphers. Or a supercomputer. Not me personally, but whoever has access to that stuff.

[@Regladeocha]

Having worked as a psych nurse, i was intrigued with mental health, and in my experience, ppl who suffer from unmedicated Schizophrenia write and speak in ways that only make sense to them. Sure, there may be some truth wrapped up in their conversations, but usually, what they speak and write is a direct reflection of what's going on in their minds, and sometimes it's nonsensical.

[@ActionJacksonForever]

Exactly, the schizophrenia due to being a drug addict. Ricky most likely robbed his drug dealer and couldn’t hide at his girlfriends house so he stood at the hospital. He was found a couple days later and killed and dumped in a corn field. Like the police, the FBI contain some of the dumbest people in the country. Working for the FBI wouldn’t be something I’d be proud of personally.

[@unboxinglifept]

But supposedly this guy couldn't write 🤔

[@ActionJacksonForever]

@@unboxinglifept schizophrenic’s often write gibberish and exactly he couldn’t write. There’s no cicada puzzle here. His addiction lead him to his murder

[@patrishow5705]

Mr Ballen is actually my favourite KZbinr.

[@someoneout-there2165]

I've heard this story before but you're the best story teller ever so I can't wait to hear you tell this story. Thanks Mr. Ballen, you'll always be my favorite KZbinr. 💖

[@MrBallen]

thank you!!

[@glenda6607]

Perfect timing for a MrBallen new release! I'm relaxing on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon and wanted something strange, dark, and mysterious to listen to.Thanks John!😊

[@anthonypetrillo841]

I had heard of these ciphers before, but I didn’t know the backstory. Considering Ricky was psychotic, it’s possible these notes hold no significance at all and were written during his psychosis. He also may have been hiding in the hospital because he was paranoid 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@dimex3362]

This is the most obvious answer as there are tons of words in the cipher that are half written. These really seem to be the deranged musings of an 80% illiterate person scribbling half jumbles of the few words he knew interspersed with gobbledygook.

[@superultra2608]

My thoughts exactly

[@spinstercatlady]

That's what I'm thinking as well.

[@AnimalAlmighty]

thats what its sounding like

[@commentas3684]

I think they'd be able to tell. It wouldn't contain the right sort of patterns like the different frequencies of different characters. There must be sophisticated statistical models for this, otherwise it would be possible to make absolutely any amateurish code indecipherable simply by hiding it in the middle of a load of random characters

[@g4tlyn825]

Looks like Ricky’s attempt at a grocery list lmao

[@ziggymac5813]

I really don’t think I’ll ever find any of the secrets because I listen to Mr. Ballen every night to fall asleep to

[@issaymiyake]

Same😆

[@danwood2326]

Me too

[@djglover6336]

Yuh

[@tekarock]

Me 4 😄

[@chrissy2844]

🤚🏼Same

[@lwilso9152]

If you wanted to deliver a top secret message for one person’s eyes only, it makes sense that you’d choose a messenger who literally couldn’t read.

[@DontBeAWollyy]

Well said

[@BloodTM]

sounds a lot like Prophet Muhammed

[@GhostsTirade]

@@BloodTM yes but islam isn’t top secret message

[@horrorbehindthephoto]

I have a huge respect for you John. You managed to do something not a lot of creators can - to create a healthy community always ready to discuss and be there. I'm working hard to acomplish the same! Thank you for being such a good inspiration! ❤️

[@virginiacarrington5485]

Will check you out after Ballens new video!

[@shivpatel5413]

Agreement 2 aGREE!

[@danmwanzia2190]

Me too

[@horrorbehindthephoto]

Wow, thanks guys, you are welcome! :))

[@marionfriedenthal7352]

You are doing very well with your channel imo. Your stories are dark but because they're short the darkness is bearable. I'm hooked.

[@EDSzebra1]

Keep it up!!! I can't get enough of these!!!😅

[@wethepeople4762]

Can we find a way to have an adult story time where we get this man on tour to go to theaters and tell a live audience of the strange dark and mysterious?

[@debbiemcghee6617]

I think a campfire setting would be more .. authentic!?

[@Hadria7777]

😂I don’t know why but when you said “adult” story time, my brain went to a much different place lol

[@ericaharmon2355]

Yes. I would pay to go. That's a good idea

[@TheLetaB]

That would be awesome

[@damianpharaoh161]

This channel and it's stories is getting weaker and weaker. Nothing like it used to be smh. That's what happens when people get rich. Their passion dwindles

[@scallopohare9431]

I worked with a manager who was illiterate, but he could recognize sets of lines and squiggles and seem to read. The forms were all printed with very short spaces, and the absolute rule was to print. He was a great guy, and nobody ever questioned his procedures.

[@Sarahmarie816]

My daughter would write like this before she could read. She would just make it up and say it was a certain word, but she was just writing random letters, like a drawing but with letters. But to her- she was writing the actual word. Ricky is probably the only person who knows what his words are that he wrote. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@imanec2761]

I also think is made-up gibberish. Sadly I think they never found out what it means and they probably never will because it simply doesn't mean anything. Most of the time the simplest answer is the right one.

[@sandyclaws5247]

Ricky probably knew he didn't have long to live and wrote out a will or his last thoughts just to give his mind something to focus on other than what was going to happen to him.

[@MRoachthe1]

Why do you assume he’s the person that wrote it?

[@martinflyvholm]

I know cause I decrypted the message 😮 it's in the chat

[@toddjohnsoneveningnews8870]

What’s also interesting is that this is how language presents itself to many people in the dream world, (the unconcious). And theres a school of thought that those who have gone “crazy” are really just drowning in the subconcious mind and can’t find a balance between the two worlds.

[@milly7843]

Part of me wonders if the reason the police were so quick to dismiss was because there were corrupt officers. They just didn’t put any effort into investigating what happened, like they did a complete 180° out of nowhere.

[@TrashisCoolFr]

I have a hunch that the "code" could be doodles. They were most likely distractions of some kind. Either for Ricky to get his mind off something or to make others think he was really writing something.

[@NickyBlue99]

Most likely that's what it was.

[@juliey196]

Same here. He couldn’t read or write and clearly had psychiatric issues. Probably was just at the wrong place, wrong time with the wrong people.

[@kick791]

I agree, they are trying to make something out of nothing.

[@lesliebblack]

I disagree. Codes have patterns. The FBI had to have identified patterns in these writings to call it ‘code’. They can tell the difference between random scribbles and code by patterns. They wouldn’t waste their valuable time on this case if they thought for a second it was random scribble.

[@Thetimecapsuletx]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@mitzicovington3761]

While it’s curious as to how Ricky died, he was mentally ill and the cyphers probably don’t mean anything. He could have written/drawn them himself trying to document whatever was going on in his paranoid state and made perfect sense to him. Sad situation.

[@itskristinawithak]

I agree I think that’s what happened here

[@resolecca]

Exactly, and he still could have been murdered the notes don't have to be involved with the murder at all, a mentally ill homeless man is a great candidate for a some psychopath to victimize

[@howieziegler3110]

I’m glad I looked for this comment before I typed it. The cyphers can’t be solved because they don’t mean anything. It’s just a bunch of gibberish that a paranoid schizophrenic scribbled on paper.

[@verofarias46]

Appears to be writings of a paranoid marking license numbers with VIN#s

[@AshMc1970]

I completely agree that that is what most likely happened.

[@lbarrett7396]

I studied linguistics at university, and as part of a module, we had a go at cracking this cipher. We were unsuccessful, but it was fascinating! I didn't know Ricky's backstory until now. It was just an interesting project... Poor Ricky and his family.

[@vermili0n]

That’s because there’s nothing to crack, that’s like ghost hunters trying to communicate with the voices a schizo hears

[@myeyeswentdeaf6213]

I worked with a guy who was completely illiterate and also had a mental illness who used to take our lunch order and he had made up his own symbols for every kind of food and food combination you can ask for. It was so fascinating. He never got our order wrong either. I imagine if he was to be found dead like this with our lunch order it would turn out much like this with world class decoders trying to figure out how a guy like this could have gotten such a complex system of encryption and what it means…and it would just turn out to be Tuesday’s lunch order. 😂

[@thenittingnurse]

Did you compare his hospital notes? I see a lot of tests & labs in these 2 notes ...

[@brolohalflemming7042]

@@vermili0n I think there is. As another commentor pointed out, there appears to be some order rather than just random gibberish. So the number of times the 'SE' doublet appears, 'NCBE' and where that appears. The link to the FBI site seems to be broken so may have to go look to see what additional info they've added.

[@thejameslehman]

​@Brolo Halflemming It is case sensitive.

[@Kaiju-Driver]

Such a solid mystery.

[@matthewavery2934]

This case is definitely eye opening and a head scratcher, if this code can be solved maybe Ricky and finally be at peace. Thanks for sharing this MrBallen

[@josephhenchen3695]

The most strange, dark, and mysterious incident is how does MrBallen never run out of strange, dark, and mysterious incidents?

[@pharmagator]

Exactly!

[@Enigma3]

plot twist, MrBallen is commiting murders so hes got more interesting stories to tell

[@chief8559]

​@@Enigma3Lmfao 😂

[@Joshuaofalltrades26]

I’m sure he did. He was a Navy SEAL

[@keithkaos]

Maybe it's just a strange, dark and mysterious world.

[@emmacowen9945]

My weekly dose of mrballen, my favourite time.

[@fortnerbuiltmotorsports444]

Favorite *

[@jfannin6036]

Oh thanks Internet spelling police lol

[@Mocharocks9966]

Actually if they’re from the UK that’s how you spell favourite

[@emmacowen9945]

@@fortnerbuiltmotorsports444 that's how we spell it in the UK, just so you know.

[@KobraVR]

The answer to the code obviously lies in his prior codes written in his youth. His family were aware so they must have had some knowledge of how he developed this, with early examples