# Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Let's do it again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [October 23, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193 "2019-10-23T21:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 112
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2221 "2020-02-17T15:11:13Z")
Is the manner of deaths relevant? Was the manner of death the same for all of the victims? (If yes to both of the above) Were the deaths by poison? At the time that he called off the investigation, would Smith have said that the deaths were murder? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2222 "2020-02-17T17:31:16Z")
\*\*Detective Smith and his team were aggressively pursuing the tail of the worst serial killer in the history of their police force. 40 murders or attempted murders, probably more that went undiscovered. Suddenly, Smith and his team called off all investigations. Why? \*\* > [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Did someone else take over the investigation? > > NO > > Was there a change in law that legalized what the killer was accused of? > > NO > > Was there any change in government or civil adminstration? > > NO > [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Did a different police force solve the crime? NO > [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Is this based on true events? > > YES > > Is this based on a fictional story? > > NO > > Is this something that could happen in the real world? > > YES > > Is Detective Smith working in a precinct? > > YES > > Is this in the U.S.? > > NO > > Was his team made of people? > > YES > > More than three? > > YES, though I don’t know the number. > > More than ten? > > Again, I don’t know. IRRELEVANT. > > The tail they were pursuing was not a literal tail, was it? > > NO > > Was the serial killer an actual serial killer (as in defined as such by, for instance, the FBI)? > > YES, probably. > > Was the history of their police force particularly brief? > > NO > > Were the attempted murders included in that 40-victim tally? > > YES. We don’t know how many for sure because not all were discovered(we presume). > > Did Smith call off the investigation? > > YES > > Did an external authority call off the investigation? > > YES(probably along with Smith) > [@Chronos](#): > > Was Smith’s calling off of the investigation an ethical action (as defined by standard police professional ethics)? > > YES > > Did Smith call off the investigation because of something new he learned about the suspect? > > YES and NO > > At the time Smith called off the investigation, was the suspect alive? > > YES, we presume so. > > Is a statute of limitations relevant? > > NO > > Was Smith the top authority in his police force? > > NO > > Was Smith ordered by someone else to call off the investigation? > > YES and NO. I’m not sure, but it is clear he would have been. > [@Chronos](#): > > Is the manner of deaths relevant? > > NO > > Was the manner of death the same for all of the victims? > > IRRELEVANT > > (If yes to both of the above) Were the deaths by poison? > > IRRELEVANT(probably not, if you care) > > At the time that he called off the investigation, would Smith have said that the deaths were murder? > > YES kk ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2223 "2020-02-17T17:34:50Z")
So Smith learned new information, but not about the suspect? Did he call off the investigation on the whole set of murders? Only on the suspect? Were the alleged murders actual murders? Which century? XXI? XX? XIX? XVIII? XVII? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2224 "2020-02-17T19:21:48Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > So Smith learned new information, but not about the suspect? > > NO, he learned new information that included information on the suspect. > > Did he call off the investigation on the whole set of murders? > > NO, I don’t think so. No way. > > Only on the suspect? > > YES > > Were the alleged murders actual murders? > > YES > > Which century? XXI? XX? XIX? XVIII? XVII? > > End of 20th and beginning of 21st. The investigation was ongoing for YEARS. kk ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2225 "2020-02-17T19:28:31Z")
At the time that Smith called off the investigation, was there, to the best of Smith’s knowledge, exactly one murderer? At the time that Smith called off the investigation, was there, to the best of Smith’s knowledge, more than one murderer? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2226 "2020-02-17T19:35:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > At the time that Smith called off the investigation, was there, to the best of Smith’s knowledge, exactly one murderer? > > NO > > At the time that Smith called off the investigation, was there, to the best of Smith’s knowledge, more than one murderer? > > YES kk ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2227 "2020-02-17T19:36:29Z")
Does “calling off the investigation” mean they finally had enough evidence to convict? Was jurisdiction lost because of shifting national boundaries? Was jurisdiction lost because of a political action? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2228 "2020-02-17T19:42:57Z")
\*\*scratch previous response; i misread the question! \*\* > [@chronos](#): > > at the time that smith called off the investigation, was there, to the best of smith’s knowledge, exactly one murderer? > > I believe they thought so, yes. Most likely, anyway. > > At the time that smith called off the investigation, was there, to the best of smith’s knowledge, more than one murderer? > > They did not think so, no. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2229 "2020-02-17T19:45:59Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Does “calling off the investigation” mean they finally had enough evidence to convict? > Was jurisdiction lost because of shifting national boundaries? > Was jurisdiction lost because of a political action? NO to all. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2230 "2020-02-17T19:54:36Z")
Was there something about the suspect that exculpated him? Was there something about the victims that exculpated the suspect? Was there some sort of forensic improvement that exculpated the suspect? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2231 "2020-02-17T20:32:10Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Was there something about the suspect that exculpated him? > > YES > > Was there something about the victims that exculpated the suspect? > > NO, not that I am aware of. > > Was there some sort of forensic improvement that exculpated the suspect? > > NO You guys are going down the right paths of thought. This one is kind of fun. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2232 "2020-02-17T21:24:35Z")
Was there an assumption made that they realized was not true? For example, were the bodies of the victims unusually well-preserved, so that they were assumed to be more recently killed? Was the investigation called off because it would be embarrassing to the government of the jurisdiction? Was it called off because it was thought that the perpetrator would not be a threat anymore? Would the perpetrator actually not be a threat anymore? I forget if this was covered – was the perpetrator actually human? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2233 "2020-02-17T23:39:36Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > Was there an assumption made that they realized was not true? > > YES, I think that is fair to say. > > For example, were the bodies of the victims unusually well-preserved, so that they were assumed to be more recently killed? > > Nice example, but NO. > > Was the investigation called off because it would be embarrassing to the government of the jurisdiction? > > NO, but possibly YES. I’m not totally sure. Possibly? > > Was it called off because it was thought that the perpetrator would not be a threat anymore? > > NO > > Would the perpetrator actually not be a threat anymore? > > NO > > I forget if this was covered – was the perpetrator actually human? > > YES kk ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2234 "2020-02-18T11:38:29Z")
Was the suspect physically incapable of committing the murders? Did the suspect have an alibi? Meaning they were proven to be elsewhere during the murders. Was the suspect in prison? Was the suspect one of the murder victims? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2235 "2020-02-18T13:14:46Z")
Had the suspect changed identity? Had somebody else framed the chief suspect? Did the suspect make some kind of deal with prosecutors? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2236 "2020-02-18T13:26:41Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the suspect physically incapable of committing the murders? > > NO > > Did the suspect have an alibi? Meaning they were proven to be elsewhere during the murders. > > YES, I think so. Though this was actually not the issue. > > Was the suspect in prison? > > NO > > Was the suspect one of the murder victims? > > NO > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Had the suspect changed identity? > > NO(I am not sure what you mean. If you mean name change or something…no). > > Had somebody else framed the chief suspect? > > NO > > Did the suspect make some kind of deal with prosecutors? > > NO kk ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2237 "2020-02-18T13:51:35Z")
Did Smith learn something about the murderer that proved it wasn’t the suspect? Did Smith learn something about the suspect that proved he wasn’t the murderer? Would an outside observer (such as the FBI) conclude that Smith should never have pursued the suspect in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2238 "2020-02-18T15:00:17Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did Smith learn something about the murderer that proved it wasn’t the suspect? > > NO > > Did Smith learn something about the suspect that proved he wasn’t the murderer? > > YES. > > Would an outside observer (such as the FBI) conclude that Smith should never have pursued the suspect in the first place? > > NO, only if they were judgmental. Hindsight is 20-20, so they definitely could have suggested that. I think most investigative organizations would not judge so harshly. Perhaps I’m wrong, though. I carefully read and re-read your first two questions to make sure I understood their difference and meaning. I believe I answered correctly. They did NOT learn something about the murderer, but DID learn something about the suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2239 "2020-02-18T17:07:11Z")
Was the thing they learned about the suspect… A physical or mental disability or illness of some sort? A physical trait that is not usually considered a disability? (E.g., blood type, height, left-handedness, etc.) A skill the suspect did not have? (E.g., the suspect can’t drive, and the murders must have been committed by someone who could?) A skill the suspect DID have? (I’m not even sure what an example of this would be, but who knows…) Some aspect of the suspect’s background or past? There is a real perpetrator out there, correct, even though this particular suspect is innocent? If yes, is there some (relevant) reason Detective Smith did not continue the investigation until the real perpetrator was caught? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2240 "2020-02-18T17:13:00Z")
Was there a physical attribute of the suspect that proved he couldn’t have been the murderer? Gender? Mental? Age? Other? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=111) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=113)