Yes
Yes
No
Probably not. Just to clarify, they were individuals grouped together. Not a group like sports, music, acting troupe, &c. Does that make sense?
Nope
Are each of these names a surname?
By this, do you mean that they happened to be brought together by circumstance (all happened to be in the same place at the same time, say, or the same unusual thing happened to all of them), rather than them choosing to associate with each other?
Yes
For the purpose of this LTP think the former.
just to clarify
Justice & Williams
refers to two separate people as in Justice, Williams. and are not intentionally supposed to be grouped as a single entity?
oh…and while I’m at it. All of the names refer to ‘persons’ as we typically think of them and not something else?
Is the fact that there are nine names significant? Could something similar have happened to a group of eight or twelve?
Or even a group of one.
Correct. Avoiding the Oxford comma.
Yep. Human beings
Did this group consist of men? Women? Both?
Would this puzzle be easier if we knew their first names?
Were they (or their immediate survivors, if some / all of them were dead) pleased that this thing happened to them? Displeased? Indifferent?
All men but sex/gender is immaterial to the LTP.
Nope
I’m sure all were displeased the event happened. 6 were very displeased with the outcome whereas 3 were (I presume) pleased with the outcome.
To answer the question you kind of asked, none of them died as a result of the event.
Were these people US residents, and the event that happened to them take place in the US?
Did the event have any connection to the law or legal matters?
Do you know their profession, and is their profession important to the solution?
Are the names relevant at all?
Is this just a random selection of last names and any set of last names would have worked for the puzzle?
Yes & Yes
Yes it does
Two of them had occupations that are known and relevant to the LTP.
Nope as in the names are not the puzzle.
Absolutely not
Is this a well known event?
Can we get a time period? Say, 20th century?
Were they all accused of a crime? Victims of a crime?
Were they plaintiffs in a lawsuit? Defendants in a lawsuit?
Hmmmmmmmmm…
Not that well known
20th Century
Accused & Defendants
So is this puzzle just guessing the crime, or is there something lateral to figure out here?
Definitely a lateral aspect as the case itself is (as of now) unique
Was it a financial crime? Anything to do with fraud?
Were some of them acquitted?
Was the victim of the crime (they were accused of) human?
Nope
Yes 6 convicted; 3 acquitted
Technically no. This will make sense when you find out the whole story.
Was it murder?
Were they all (allegedly) conspiring together to commit the same crime?