# 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:** 118
**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 26, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2341 "2020-02-26T22:39:54Z")
OK, so we know that he was murdering people at his hotel and then giving the bodies (or parts thereof) to his local university. What more is there to know? Do we need to know his motive for the murders? Do we need to know the method of the murders? Do we need to know how he selected his victims? Was there any relevant reason for donating the body parts other than just getting rid of them? ---
**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 27, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2342 "2020-02-27T00:32:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, so we know that he was murdering people at his hotel and then giving the bodies (or parts thereof) to his local university. What more is there to know? > > Do we need to know his motive for the murders? > Do we need to know the method of the murders? > Do we need to know how he selected his victims? > Was there any relevant reason for donating the body parts other than just getting rid of them? Nah, I was thinking we can just call this one solved. I didn’t set out enough expectations. It’s HH Holmes, who had a “murder castle” built. Trapdoors that lead down to acid vats, rooms with gas chamber vents to gas people. We don’t know the full details of what he did, but he was a full blown psychohpathic killer and one of the earlier serial killers known in the US. [Creepy looking guy, too.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/H._H._Holmes.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2343 "2020-02-27T01:36:08Z")
Ok, let’s try another legal one. \*\*Bob was charged with a crime he didn’t commit. Although completely unable to defend himself in court, he wasn’t punished. This was the outcome the police had intended. What happened?\*\* ---
**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 27, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2344 "2020-02-27T02:16:03Z")
1. Is Bob human? 2. Was this a real situation? 3. Any word play in this? 4. Are all the people in this human beings? 5. Was this a simulation or testing of some sort? ---
**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 27, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2345 "2020-02-27T03:05:08Z")
Was Bob an undercover police officer or informant? Would it be helpful to know the country where this happened? Would it be helpful to know the time period? Was Bob unable to defend himself because… He wasn’t physically present? Defending himself would have exposed him to danger? He was already dead? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2346 "2020-02-27T03:13:59Z")
Did someone else confess to the crime? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2347 "2020-02-27T05:20:59Z")
**Mahaloth** 1. Is Bob human? YES 2. Was this a real situation? YES 3. Any word play in this? NO 4. Are all the people in this human beings? YES 5. Was this a simulation or testing of some sort? NO **Fretful Porpentine** Was Bob an undercover police officer or informant? NO Would it be helpful to know the country where this happened? MAYBE Would it be helpful to know the time period? MAYBE Was Bob unable to defend himself because… He wasn’t physically present? NO Defending himself would have exposed him to danger? NO He was already dead? NO **Biotop** Did someone else confess to the crime? NO \*\*Bob was charged with a crime he didn’t commit. Although completely unable to defend himself in court, he wasn’t punished. This was the outcome the police had intended. What happened?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2348 "2020-02-27T06:12:33Z")
Is there something special about Bob’s that explains his inability to testify? Was it age? medical condition? mental condition? physical handicap? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2349 "2020-02-27T07:37:10Z")
Is there something special about Bob’s that explains his inability to testify? \*\*YES \*\* Was it age? \*\*YES \*\* medical condition? \*\*NO \*\* mental condition? \*\*NO \*\* physical handicap?\*\*NO \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2350 "2020-02-27T11:48:39Z")
Was Bob an infant or small child? ---
**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 27, 2020, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2351 "2020-02-27T12:20:15Z")
Was this a “test case”, intended to challenge a law? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2352 "2020-02-27T20:16:51Z")
Was Bob an infant or small child? **YES** Was this a “test case”, intended to challenge a law? **NO** ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2353 "2020-02-27T20:19:17Z")
Did this involved establishing identity? Did this involve establishing nationality? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2354 "2020-02-28T02:41:48Z")
Did this involved establishing identity? **NO** Did this involve establishing nationality? **NO** ---
**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 28, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2355 "2020-02-28T11:33:02Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was Bob an infant or small child? **YES** Was Bob physically capable of committing the crime? Did Bob’s case actually go to trial? Was Bob acquitted of the crime? Was Bob’s life improved by being charged and not punished (in comparison to never having being charged at all)? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2356 "2020-02-28T11:57:11Z")
Was Bob physically capable of committing the crime? **NO** Did Bob’s case actually go to trial? Was Bob acquitted of the crime? **I’m not quite sure how the specifics of the case played out, but probably the closest-to-accurate answers are YES to the first and NO to the second** Was Bob’s life improved by being charged and not punished (in comparison to never having being charged at all)? **YES** ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2357 "2020-02-28T12:07:25Z")
Did bob have a medical problem? Did getting charged help with it? Did getting charged help save Bob’s life? ---
**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 28, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2358 "2020-02-28T17:18:35Z")
Was the crime that Bob was charged with an actual crime that had really been committed by _somebody?_ If yes, does it matter who the real criminal was? Did this happen in the US? If no, _could_ it plausibly have happened in the US? Did / could this happen in the present day? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2359 "2020-02-28T19:01:46Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was Bob’s life improved by being charged and not punished (in comparison to never having being charged at all)? **YES** How was Bob’s life improved? Was he better off financially? Was he able to get medical help that he needed? Was he able to live with his family? Did he get publicity? Was Bob aware of the situation and looking for this result? Was someone else (besides the police) looking for this result? ---
**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 28, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2360 "2020-02-28T20:17:28Z")
Was the case used as a way to provide care for a child who could not otherwise have received it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=117) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=119)