53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle

[Mahaloth]

@snoe

1. Just to clear up the pronoun ambiguity – is the arrested man also the recipient of the incorrect information?
   1a) Is the arrested man also the subject of the incorrect information (that is, “about someone”=“about the arrested man”)? NO

2. Was the arrest on drug charges? NO
   2a) If so: possession, dealing, or other? NOPE

@Riemann

He is told that DNA tests show a baby is his, leading him to confess to rape? NO

KK

[Mahaloth]

@snoe

1. Just to clear up the pronoun ambiguity – is the arrested man also the recipient of the incorrect information?
   ?

YES

(missed that one)

[snoe]

1. Is this an okay summary so far? A man was misled by law enforcement authorities, who intentionally told him incorrect medical information about a third party. As a result < SOMEHOW >, the man is arrested – for something he did actually do.

2. Was the third party an individual person or a group of people? (I’m assuming “someone” means one person, but just checking.)

[Biotop]

Was the medical information related to an illness?

[Mahaloth]

@snoe

1. Is this an okay summary so far? A man was misled by law enforcement authorities, who intentionally told him incorrect medical information about a third party. As a result < SOMEHOW >, the man is arrested – for something he did actually do.

YES

2. Was the third party an individual person or a group of people? (I’m assuming “someone” means one person, but just checking.)

Individual person

@Biotop

Was the medical information related to an illness? YES

kk

[Biotop]

Was the information that someone was sick?
Was the information that someone was not sick?

[Mahaloth]

@Biotop

Was the information that someone was sick? YES
Was the information that someone was not sick? NO

More specific than just that, though.

[Biotop]

Was the type of illness

Terminal?
Contagious?
Related to pregnancy?
Mental?

Was the misinformation designed to lead the man to do something to cause his arrest?
Was the information designed to lead the man to say something to cause his arrest?
Did the man confess something to cause his arrest?

[Peter_Morris]

Was the arrested man already wanted for questioning?

Was he an escaped prisoner? Bail jumper? Person of interest? Something similar?

Did the false information cause him to come out of hiding?

[Ignotus]

Is this a case from real life or from fiction?

If it’s from fiction, is the work The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsythe?

[Mahaloth]

Ignore this post. I messed up on my phone.

[Mahaloth]

@Biotop

Was the type of illness

Terminal? DON’T KNOW
CONTAGIOUS? DON’T KNOW
Related to PREGNANCY? NO
MENTAL? DON’T KNOW

Was the misinformation designed to lead the man to do something to cause his ARREST? YES
Was the information designed to lead the man to say something to cause his ARREST? KIND OF
Did the man confess something to cause his ARREST? NO

@Peter_Morris

Was the arrested man already wanted for questioning? NO

Was he an escaped prisoner? Bail jumper? Person of interest? Something SIMILAR? NO

Did the false information cause him to come out of HIDING? YES

@Ignotus

Is this a case from real life or from fiction?
REAL LIFE

If it’s from fiction, is the work The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsythe?

KK

[Chronos]

At the time of the misinformation, had the man already committed the crime he was guilty of?

Was the third party (the person the medical information was about) a real person?
Was the third party related to the criminal?
Was the third party an individual known to the criminal?
Was the third party a friend, ally, and/or partner to the criminal?
Was the third party an enemy, opponent, and/or rival to the criminal?

[Mahaloth]

@Chronos

At the time of the misinformation, had the man already committed the crime he was guilty of? YES

Was the third party (the person the medical information was about) a real person? YES
Was the third party related to the criminal? NO
Was the third party an individual known to the criminal? YES
Was the third party a friend, ally, and/or partner to the criminal? NO
Was the third party an enemy, opponent, and/or rival to the criminal? YES

kk

[Chronos]

Was the person the medical information was about a law enforcement agent?
Was that person another criminal?
If the person had actually been sick, and the criminal was told that by the same person who told him, would that have still led to his arrest?
If the person had actually been sick, and the criminal found that out through some other means, would that have still led to his arrest?

[Mahaloth]

@Chronos

Was the person the medical information was about a law enforcement agent? NO
Was that person another criminal? NO
If the person had actually been sick, and the criminal was told that by the same person who told him, would that have still led to his arrest? NO
If the person had actually been sick, and the criminal found that out through some other means, would that have still led to his arrest? NO

kk

[Biotop]

Did this take place in the 2000’s?
1990’s?
1980’s?
1970’s?
1960’s?

20th century?
19th century?
18th century?
Earlier?
Was the crime robbery?
Murder?
Violent?
White collar?
Related to war?
Something considered criminal today?

[BigT]

Did the person who was supposedly sick catch him in the act?
Did the crime involve doing something to the sick person?
Or something that belonged to them?
Or someone the sick person knew?

And, just some wild ones:
Are any of the people involved famous?
Anything to do with the President or another government official?

[Mahaloth]

@Biotop

Did this take place in the 2000’s?
1990’s?
1980’s?
1970’s?
1960’s?

I’m not sure and I don’t have the cite here. Let’s say 1990’s or 2000’s. It’s recent enough and is from “modern times”.

20th century? Yes, possibly even 21st.
19th century? No
18th century? No
Earlier?
Was the crime robbery? NO
Murder? NO
Violent? NO(don’t think so)
White collar? NO
Related to war? NO
Something considered criminal today? YES

@BigT

Did the person who was supposedly sick catch him in the act? NO
Did the crime involve doing something to the sick person? YES(to the supposedly sick person, you mean)
Or something that belonged to them? NO
Or someone the sick person knew? NO

And, just some wild ones:
Are any of the people involved famous? NO
Anything to do with the President or another government official? NO

KK

[Chronos]

Did the crime involve sex?
Did it involve deception?
Did it involve money?

Was the medical misinformation a deliberate ploy by law enforcement, in order to make the arrest?

Prior to the medical misinformation, and absent any concern about the law or police ethics, were the police capable of making the arrest?
Prior to the medical misinformation, and absent any concern about practicalities, were the police legally allowed to make the arrest?

(to clarify those last two: If the perpetrator of a crime were known, but in hiding, the police would be allowed to arrest them, but unable. If they had a suspect, who was just sitting around at home, but the evidence was thin, then they’d be able, but not allowed, to arrest them).