Hoping to repeat the crime-solving success of another local case, two companies have donated a total of 31 billboards in the Kansas City area to help catch the killer of David "Ray" Ninemire.

Ninemire was gunned down on August 15, 2003, while helping the victim of a robbery at a grocery store in Westwood, Kan., where he worked.

After four years, the Westwood Police Department was looking for a new strategy to generate leads on the case. The agency approached LaMar Advertising, which donated a digital billboard. Then CBS Outdoor agreed to donate 30 standard billboards.

"We're working to keep this case in the public eye and are very hopeful these billboards will generate that one call we're looking for," says Lt. Dan Brewster of Westwood PD.

Using billboards as huge wanted posters actually originated in the Kansas City area with Roger Kemp's innovative idea to solve the 2002 murder of his 19-year-old daughter Ali. Tips started pouring in as soon as the three billboards donated by Lamar Advertising went up, and after two years a solid lead led to the capture and conviction of Ali's killer. Since then, the practice has been used in Kansas City and other parts of the country to catch offenders.

In addition to Lamar's digital billboard, CBS Outdoor has posted its first phase of 10 billboards throughout the area toward its goal of 30.

For more information about the Ninemire case contact westwoodpd@sbcglobal.net.