The Cold Case of Biloxi Mike Surber's Murder

JAM

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Mike Surber's murder has become a cold case since November of 2009
.
It is believed that Mike was killed with a knife, if my reading of the news articles since that time is correct. Mike Surber was well loved by his family and friends. He worked in the casinios most of his entire life and was an avid pool player. Please help us find the person who murdered this kind soul.

Ray Hansen (aka "Big Truck" on AzBilliards) has created a brand-new Facebook page dedicated to finding the murderer of Mike Surber called --->"Catch a Killer."

For those on Facebook, please share this link on your Facebook page.

I had dedicated a domain name and website immediately after this senseless murder happened, but, unfortunately, when it came time to renew this last year, the renewal notices went into my spam or else I never received them, so the website was taken down, which was my fault for not paying closer attention to the due dates of when the renewals needed to be made.

Bravo to Ray (Big Truck) for keeping this mission to find this murderer going. Facebook's viewership just might reach more people than the website did. Please, again, share the "Catch a Killer" Facebook page on your own Facebook page. Let's give justice to Biloxi Mike. This cold case needs to be closed with the arrest of the murderer. He's still out here, roaming the countryside.
 

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JAM

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Thanks to Steve Booth and OnePocket.org for the memorial page: In Memory of a Great Player, Mike "Biloxi Mike" Surber.

Click here to read more -->HERE

Here's a great photo of Biloxi Mike at the Derby, courtesy of Steve Booth and OnePocket.org.
 

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JAM

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And let's not forget to find this creep and seek justice for Mike Surber. Somebody out there knows who this guy is.
 

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gulfportdoc

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What's the story on this photo?
John, this is the best photo view they could capture off of the cheap surveillance system they used at Skeeters at that time.

This has been the problem from the git-go: there was never an adequate image of the murderer which would do most people any good in order to recognize the guy. Without such a good image, it's very unlikely that he'll ever be caught by recognition.

"Americas Most Wanted" even did a nice piece on the crime, but it yielded nothing.

There are only about 3 of us left who actually spoke with the guy, and saw him up close.

They do have his DNA and prints, so if there ever was an opportunity to compare, then they'd nail him. This guy is a career criminal, so hopefully he'll get prison time for something else, then his DNA would give him up.

~Doc
 

LSJohn

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monett missouri

There are only about 3 of us left who actually spoke with the guy, and saw him up close.


I don't recall ever reading that you saw the guy. In fact, I only heard that he'd been murdered (I didn't know him and couldn't place him from the name) but didn't ever read any details -- unless my brain is hiding it from me.)

They do have his DNA and prints, so if there ever was an opportunity to compare, then they'd nail him. This guy is a career criminal, so hopefully he'll get prison time for something else, then his DNA would give him up.

~Doc

Yep, sounds likely that they'll get him eventually.
 

petie

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Citrus Springs, FL
There is a TV show that is off and on that is called "Cold Justice" in which two women who are very experienced and successful case solvers adopt a case and dissect it and try to put together a prosecutable case for the DA in jurisdiction. They might be open to this case. Just a suggestion.
 

beatle

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im not sure i remember right but didnt mike take this guy home with him for some reason.

if you meet a person in a poolroom, bar or most anywhere it isnt too smart to go anyplace with him until you get to know him well.
plus look at this guy he looks like an ape and who would want to be alone with him for any reason as a stranger.
 

gulfportdoc

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John and Beatle: here is a copy of the post I made on 9/13/09, three days after Mike's murder. This will fill y'all in on the overview.


It is with great sadness and great frustration that I report my knowledge of the events surrounding the murder of my friend "Biloxi Mike" Surber. The report by Jay of his contact’s story is only partially true. I've avoided even looking at the posts concerning this subject on AZbilliards. It would be unbearable to read all the hysteria, innuendo, fabrication and misinformation regarding this horrible event that is the hallmark of that site.

I came to Skeeter's Billiards at my usual time Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 10). Mike was playing friendly pass-time one-pocket with another friend of mine, Jerry, who works at the Beau Rivage with Mike. Mike and Jerry have been friends for years. I took the table next to theirs, and commenced to practice.

Shortly I noticed a stranger standing about 15 feet away, intently watching Mike and Jerry play. He just stood there sipping on a bottle of beer and watching. Presently he came up to the two men, and asked Mike if anyone liked to gamble. Mike said he did, and they walked up to the bar for a conversation. Mike then came back and resumed play with Jerry.

The stranger presently walked over again and told Mike that he had been watching him play, and that he couldn't beat Mike. Mike remarked that one-pocket was his best game, but that he also played 9-ball. At that point the guy started telling the two that he and partners had a recording studio in Atlanta, and that he was in the Gulfport/Biloxi area to scout locations for a new studio. From then on I paid only partial attention to what they were saying. Most of it I wasn’t interested in. Some of it I couldn't hear.

I didn't like the looks of the guy. He was rather swarthy looking, with dark hair pulled back into a pony-tail. He had on a medium blue long sleeved dress shirt, and dark slacks. He had a soft voice-- rather disarming and non-threatening, and had the allure of an experienced con. That package put up a red flag to me, and I didn't even want to meet the guy. However, I just figured him for a bullshitter.

I heard him tell Mike that he needed someone to show him around the casinos, and help him get the lay of the land. He asked Mike if he'd do it. Mike said, "You mean right now?" I recall thinking to myself that that was the wrong answer. Why would Mike even consider it?

Anyway, Mike agreed to help the guy out. Mike called another friend of his to tell him that he and this guy would be driving Mike's pickup over to the friend's house to pick up Mike's car (Mike had left it at the friend's when he had anticipated damage from tropical storm Ida), and then they would drop Mike's pickup back at Mike's house so that they could use his car for the "tour".

They left the poolroom at around 4 PM. Then Jerry moved over to my table to play pool with me. We both were surprised that Mike would take this guy at his word, and leave with him. We thought it was strange --that although Mike was a normally a wary guy, and usually very cautious and suspicious-- but this time he seemed to drop his natural guard. I think Mike had simply fallen for this guy’s line of crap.

They first stopped off at an attorney friend of Mike's, to see if the guy might need any legal assistance in setting himself up in Biloxi. The attorney was not in the office, so the guy left his business card (which turned out to be a stolen card), and they left. I talked with the secretary today. She said the guy creeped her out, and she couldn't figure what Mike was doing with that guy.

They next stopped by Mike’s friend’s house to get Mike’s car. The friend told me he didn’t bother to go out, but that he looked out the glass door and saw Mike start his car, and the guy following in Mike’s pickup.

Very little is known from that point until Thursday (yesterday) morning, when Mike’s car was noticed in the parking lot, parked in an area that was blocking some deliveries. The owner of Skeeter’s saw Mike’s car. He saw that the doors were unlocked, and the keys were in the ignition, so he simply moved it to another spot. Later Jerry came to the poolroom, having heard that Mike never showed up for work at the casino, which had never before happened. He and another guy opened up Mike’s car and saw Mike’s credit cards and license in a rubber band, with no money attached. The then knew that something was very wrong.

They drove over to Mike’s house, but couldn’t get any answer at the door. They came back to the poolroom and called the Ocean Springs police. The police said they couldn’t break in, but that they’d look the other way if his friends wanted to do so. A group of guys then went back over to Mike’s. They kicked open a hole through some storm plywood in the back window, and looked in. Mike was laying face down in a pool of blood. They then called the police, who immediately cordoned off the scene, and wouldn’t let anyone in the house.

The consensus opinion of Mike’s friends is that he had been bludgeoned in the back of the head and left for dead. They believe that if he’d been shot, that close-by neighbors would have heard it. They suspect that the murderer then took Mike’s money, and possibly whatever else he could from the house; then drove Mike’s car back to the poolroom, and fled in the perpetrator’s own vehicle.

The police have naturally not commented on any aspect of the case. They and the family will have an autopsy done. I assume that they’ll call in someone from either Jackson or New Orleans. Until then, we have only conjecture to explain this sad and sickening set of circumstances.

We locals are in deep shock over this. One of the guys said he felt as though he was in a coma. I’ve never before had a close friend who was senselessly murdered. It's an awful feeling. I’m just hoping and praying along with everyone else here that they can somehow find the guy who did this.

Doc

I found out later that Mike's throat had been cut. Hopefully this guy will rot in hell. The sad irony of this is that Mike was always very cautious. He was a small man, and always took precautions. At night he'd even have someone walk him out to his car for safety. Mike let his guard down at the wrong time.
 

LSJohn

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monett missouri
John and Beatle: here is a copy of the post I made on 9/13/09, three days after Mike's murder. This will fill y'all in on the overview.


It is with great sadness and great frustration that I report my knowledge of the events surrounding the murder of my friend "Biloxi Mike" Surber. The report by Jay of his contact’s story is only partially true. I've avoided even looking at the posts concerning this subject on AZbilliards. It would be unbearable to read all the hysteria, innuendo, fabrication and misinformation regarding this horrible event that is the hallmark of that site.

I came to Skeeter's Billiards at my usual time Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 10). Mike was playing friendly pass-time one-pocket with another friend of mine, Jerry, who works at the Beau Rivage with Mike. Mike and Jerry have been friends for years. I took the table next to theirs, and commenced to practice.

Shortly I noticed a stranger standing about 15 feet away, intently watching Mike and Jerry play. He just stood there sipping on a bottle of beer and watching. Presently he came up to the two men, and asked Mike if anyone liked to gamble. Mike said he did, and they walked up to the bar for a conversation. Mike then came back and resumed play with Jerry.

The stranger presently walked over again and told Mike that he had been watching him play, and that he couldn't beat Mike. Mike remarked that one-pocket was his best game, but that he also played 9-ball. At that point the guy started telling the two that he and partners had a recording studio in Atlanta, and that he was in the Gulfport/Biloxi area to scout locations for a new studio. From then on I paid only partial attention to what they were saying. Most of it I wasn’t interested in. Some of it I couldn't hear.

I didn't like the looks of the guy. He was rather swarthy looking, with dark hair pulled back into a pony-tail. He had on a medium blue long sleeved dress shirt, and dark slacks. He had a soft voice-- rather disarming and non-threatening, and had the allure of an experienced con. That package put up a red flag to me, and I didn't even want to meet the guy. However, I just figured him for a bullshitter.

I heard him tell Mike that he needed someone to show him around the casinos, and help him get the lay of the land. He asked Mike if he'd do it. Mike said, "You mean right now?" I recall thinking to myself that that was the wrong answer. Why would Mike even consider it?

Anyway, Mike agreed to help the guy out. Mike called another friend of his to tell him that he and this guy would be driving Mike's pickup over to the friend's house to pick up Mike's car (Mike had left it at the friend's when he had anticipated damage from tropical storm Ida), and then they would drop Mike's pickup back at Mike's house so that they could use his car for the "tour".

They left the poolroom at around 4 PM. Then Jerry moved over to my table to play pool with me. We both were surprised that Mike would take this guy at his word, and leave with him. We thought it was strange --that although Mike was a normally a wary guy, and usually very cautious and suspicious-- but this time he seemed to drop his natural guard. I think Mike had simply fallen for this guy’s line of crap.

They first stopped off at an attorney friend of Mike's, to see if the guy might need any legal assistance in setting himself up in Biloxi. The attorney was not in the office, so the guy left his business card (which turned out to be a stolen card), and they left. I talked with the secretary today. She said the guy creeped her out, and she couldn't figure what Mike was doing with that guy.

They next stopped by Mike’s friend’s house to get Mike’s car. The friend told me he didn’t bother to go out, but that he looked out the glass door and saw Mike start his car, and the guy following in Mike’s pickup.

Very little is known from that point until Thursday (yesterday) morning, when Mike’s car was noticed in the parking lot, parked in an area that was blocking some deliveries. The owner of Skeeter’s saw Mike’s car. He saw that the doors were unlocked, and the keys were in the ignition, so he simply moved it to another spot. Later Jerry came to the poolroom, having heard that Mike never showed up for work at the casino, which had never before happened. He and another guy opened up Mike’s car and saw Mike’s credit cards and license in a rubber band, with no money attached. The then knew that something was very wrong.

They drove over to Mike’s house, but couldn’t get any answer at the door. They came back to the poolroom and called the Ocean Springs police. The police said they couldn’t break in, but that they’d look the other way if his friends wanted to do so. A group of guys then went back over to Mike’s. They kicked open a hole through some storm plywood in the back window, and looked in. Mike was laying face down in a pool of blood. They then called the police, who immediately cordoned off the scene, and wouldn’t let anyone in the house.

The consensus opinion of Mike’s friends is that he had been bludgeoned in the back of the head and left for dead. They believe that if he’d been shot, that close-by neighbors would have heard it. They suspect that the murderer then took Mike’s money, and possibly whatever else he could from the house; then drove Mike’s car back to the poolroom, and fled in the perpetrator’s own vehicle.

The police have naturally not commented on any aspect of the case. They and the family will have an autopsy done. I assume that they’ll call in someone from either Jackson or New Orleans. Until then, we have only conjecture to explain this sad and sickening set of circumstances.

We locals are in deep shock over this. One of the guys said he felt as though he was in a coma. I’ve never before had a close friend who was senselessly murdered. It's an awful feeling. I’m just hoping and praying along with everyone else here that they can somehow find the guy who did this.

Doc

I found out later that Mike's throat had been cut. Hopefully this guy will rot in hell. The sad irony of this is that Mike was always very cautious. He was a small man, and always took precautions. At night he'd even have someone walk him out to his car for safety. Mike let his guard down at the wrong time.

Terrible Doc. I'm sorry for all who were affected by this, as well as for Mike himself.

Thanks for the detail.
 

beatle

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lets hope he gets it worse than mike. keeping it in the news gives it a better chance. but for every bad thing that happens it is hopeful someone else doesnt make the same mistake and can learn from it.
 

gulfportdoc

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John and Beatle-- I never mentioned this before now; but I was full of recriminations as soon as I heard that that POS had murdered Mike. I should have struck up a conversation with the guy as he was hanging around telling his lies. With my background in music recording, I would have known within 2 minutes that the creep was a liar and confidence man. I could have exposed him to Mike and saved his life. Jerry Parylak, Mike's now-deceased friend who was playing pool with him during the contact, felt the same way. We both just stood there shaking our heads as Mike and the guy walked out the front door.

One can't change history, and destiny is destiny. But it's taken me a long time to get over that one. I'm not sure that I'm over it yet.

~Doc
 

LSJohn

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From
monett missouri
John and Beatle-- I never mentioned this before now; but I was full of recriminations as soon as I heard that that POS had murdered Mike. I should have struck up a conversation with the guy as he was hanging around telling his lies. With my background in music recording, I would have known within 2 minutes that the creep was a liar and confidence man. I could have exposed him to Mike and saved his life. Jerry Parylak, Mike's now-deceased friend who was playing pool with him during the contact, felt the same way. We both just stood there shaking our heads as Mike and the guy walked out the front door.

One can't change history, and destiny is destiny. But it's taken me a long time to get over that one. I'm not sure that I'm over it yet.

~Doc

Oh my.

It's so hard for a respectful guy like you to know when to stick his nose in someone else's business. You would have needed to feel a lot more strongly or less respectful of Mike to do that.

I hope you're able to shake off a little bit more of your regrets every day. We can't avoid feeling the way we feel, but I don't get the sense that you had enough info to properly intrude.
 

Bill

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Jan 21, 2005
Messages
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From
Washington DC
Thanks to Steve Booth and OnePocket.org for the memorial page: In Memory of a Great Player, Mike "Biloxi Mike" Surber.

Click here to read more -->HERE

Here's a great photo of Biloxi Mike at the Derby, courtesy of Steve Booth and OnePocket.org.


Still think of him often. Played countless evenings of one pocket and nine ball with Mike. Beanies place was 24 hrs and never missed a beat. All the best came to Shirlington. This was top notch education of the nation's elite. You wanted to know pool, you came to Beenies and Guys and Dolls. DC had major action often
 

beatle

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look back and learn from our mistakes and things we have done. but dont regret them or linger on it as it is random chance for most that they turned out the way they did. good ones and bad one alike.
 
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