[chris]

On November 10, 2009, Michael Surber played his regular Tuesday game at Skeeter's Billiards in Gulfport, Mississippi. Surveillance footage showed the 54-year-old pool player with an unidentified man, and witnesses said they left together. Two days later, friends found Surber dead inside his Ocean Springs home.

The FBI issued the following notice:

On the evening of November 10, 2009, Michael Surber, a nationally renowned pool player, was murdered in his home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. It is believed that Surber was playing pool in a bar in Gulfport, Mississippi, earlier that day when he met an unknown White male, seen above. It is believed that Surber left the bar with this unknown individual and was later found deceased.

The unknown individual was described as a White male, possibly between the ages of 55 and 65, approximately 5'8" to 6'0" and 170 to 185 pounds, with a receding hairline and ponytail. He may have had gray hair, gaps between his teeth, and worn glasses.

Who He Was

Michael Surber was 54 years old and known in the pool community as "Biloxi Mike." A pool-news obituary published by OnePocket.org described Surber, who was born in 1955, as one of Mississippi's top all-around players.

He was a leading competitor in One Pocket and Bank Pool and had played at the Derby City Classic. He was also described as very popular within the pool community.

Skeeter's Billiards was part of Surber's routine. On Tuesday evenings, he played a regular game there. It was at Skeeter's that he was last seen alive on November 10, 2009.

The Timeline

On the evening of November 10, Surber was at Skeeter's Billiards in Gulfport. Surveillance footage recorded him at the bar with an unidentified man. Witnesses said the two men left together.

According to Ocean Springs investigator Gregory McClellon, the pair stopped at an attorney's office in Biloxi after leaving Skeeter's. They then drove to another house in Ocean Springs, where they picked up Surber's second vehicle, before going to Surber's home.

Later that night, Surber's car was spotted back at Skeeter's. WLOX reported that it was in a no-parking zone with the keys still in the ignition. Ricky Dombrowski, who owned Skeeter's at the time, moved the car without thinking much of it.

Surber did not show up for work. On Thursday, November 12, Dombrowski and other friends went to Surber's home to check on him. The windows had been boarded up. The friends cut a hole in one of the boards, and Dombrowski saw Surber lying on the floor by the door.

The FBI dates Surber's murder to the evening of November 10, the same day he left Skeeter's with the unidentified man. His body was discovered two days later.

The Evidence

WLOX reported from 2011 onward that Surber had been stabbed to death. Lead detective Lt. John Flowers described the weapon cautiously, saying, "I would say it was a medium sized knife." Authorities had not disclosed the manner of death during the first days of the investigation.

The boarded windows were among the unusual details at the home. Investigators also had physical evidence that might help establish an identity. WLOX reported in 2023 that this included blood from the crime scene and a cigarette butt, along with witness statements.

The unidentified man captured on surveillance became the central person sought for questioning. In November 2009, Ocean Springs police described the person of interest as a white man in his late 40s to mid-50s, about 5'9" and 180 pounds, with dirty blonde hair and a receding hairline. He was known to frequent bars and pool halls.

The FBI's later description gives a different possible age range. Its notice describes an unknown white man, possibly 55 to 65 years old, standing 5'8" to 6'0" and weighing 170 to 185 pounds. He had a receding hairline and ponytail and may have had gray hair, gaps between his teeth and glasses.

The man called himself Jericho Cooper. According to McClellon, he claimed to be a record executive from Atlanta and was using a stolen credit card. He tried to use that card in Villa Rica, Georgia, and at Skeeter's. The real Jericho Cooper, an Atlanta resident whose card had been stolen, is a theft victim with no involvement in Surber's death.

WLOX reported that the man had been seen at a pool hall in Villa Rica before the murder and at another pool hall in Ridgeland, Mississippi, soon afterward. He was reported in the Jackson area on November 15, 2009.

According to McClellon, witnesses at the Villa Rica and Ridgeland pool halls saw the man with an unidentified older woman. She was described as about 5'2" and heavier set. In Villa Rica, the man introduced her as his sister. Police have not called her a suspect.

The Investigation

Officials ruled Surber's death a homicide within days and identified the man who called himself Jericho Cooper as a person of interest wanted for questioning. The FBI continues to describe him as an unknown individual and has not identified him as a charged suspect.

In November 2009, Ocean Springs investigators traced the man to a town in west Georgia and learned that he had been using an alias. They obtained no other significant leads from that effort.

By January 2010, Flowers said leads had slowed. DNA had been submitted to the state crime laboratory, and police had contacted America's Most Wanted about a month earlier. The program was reviewing the case. Surber's friend Art Tripp told WLOX, "If it could ever get on America's Most Wanted, they'd catch this guy in a week." The case later received national attention through shows including America's Most Wanted.

In February 2011, Flowers said police could tie the unidentified man to other crimes. He also cited unconfirmed reports that the man was back in the Jackson area and traveling with a blond woman.

McClellon took over the case in 2019 and began reviewing it "with a fresh set of eyes." The FBI's Jackson field office also carries a Seeking Information poster asking the public for information about the unknown man.

Theories

Nobody has been arrested or charged, and the explanations discussed publicly remain theories and observations rather than findings of guilt.

Flowers told WLOX in 2011 that some facts suggested a crime of opportunity, "but then there are others that would make one think that he was targeted."

Members of a Facebook group devoted to identifying the man have focused on his stance while shooting pool. Tripp said the man stood with his legs together and bent forward, unlike most male players. These are observations by friends and web sleuths, not a police identifier.

Dombrowski questioned whether the man was an experienced pool player at all, telling WLOX, "I think he was just an opportunist."

Where It Stands

The murder of Michael Surber remains unsolved. No one has been arrested or charged, and the man shown in the surveillance footage has not been identified. Investigators were still actively following leads in 2023, while the FBI continues to seek information from the public.

The FBI's poster and photographs of Surber and the unidentified man are attached below.

Name: Michael Surber, known as "Biloxi Mike"
Age: 54
Last seen / Found: November 10, 2009, at Skeeter's Billiards / November 12, 2009, at his Ocean Springs home
Location: Gulfport and Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Agency: Ocean Springs Police Department and FBI Jackson field office
Case status: Unsolved homicide, no arrests or charges

Anyone with information can contact the Ocean Springs Police Department at 228-875-2211 or Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.