Whew! Edits are in for Justice Delivered as of yesterday afternoon at 4:08! Of course, there will be more when the editor that I affectionately call the plausibility police gets hold of it. 🙂 Seriously, my editors are great! They make my books better every time.
Now onto last week’s Mystery Question: A seventy-one-year-old man, well-liked by all, was found dead a block from his gated community–just out of camera range. He’d been shot once in the chest. He seemed to have no enemies, and in fact, it had been said of him that “He woke up each morning with a smile on his face and was adored by all.”
There were few clues by the body. No weapon, no shell casing, no signs of struggle, no dirt on the soles of his sneakers. With little to go on, the police unlocked his phone which revealed he’d purchased a weather balloon six weeks prior to his death. His Google Maps history showed he’d visited an industrial supply company two days before his death and police obtained a receipt for a helium tank made out to the man. So what happened? This week the Mystery Question is a little different. Three of the answers are false; one is true. Can you pick the true answer?
- The man, an avid weather spotter, had met a woman at a local weather spotter class and they had been having an affair. Her husband discovered the infidelity and used the victim’s set routine of walking each morning in the early hours to track him down and kill him.
- The man had another identity – ten years earlier, he’d relocated from Chicago to the small town where he was killed after embezzling half a million dollars from an unsavory character. He made a huge mistake joining a storm spotter group who made national television when they were interviewed after a tornado. The man he embezzled the money from happened to see the interview and it led him to the victim. Surveillance cameras caught the killer as he made his getaway.
- The man had gone out in the early morning to release the weather balloon and happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when he was hit by a stray bullet from a drunk customer at a nearby club.
- The man wasn’t murdered but committed suicide by tying a gun to the weather balloon so that it would carry the gun away from the scene after he shot himself.
And the correct answer is…#4. Can you believe someone went to all that trouble to fake a murder? As far as I know, no one knows why he did it. You can read more about it here.
Now for this week’s Mystery Question: Three of the following crimes are true. I made up one of the crimes. Can you guess which one?
- A tip came into the local police department about cockfighting and the police went to investigate. When they knocked on the door, the man who answered took one look at the uniforms and said, “I guess you’re here about the opium.” They weren’t but they were happy to arrest him.
- During a lull at an animal expo, one man created a diversion while another man reached into a glass cage holding a $1500 rare python and quickly grabbed it. He slipped it in a bag he was carrying and made his getaway. Two days later police nabbed him when he advertised the snake on Craig’s List for $300. The arresting officer reported he probably wouldn’t have been caught if he’d asked more for the snake.
- A hapless robber swiped his debit card at the teller window, then demanded money from the teller. She handed him $565, but his victory was short lived when the police used the information from his debit card to track him to his house and arrested him.
- When police responded to a battery complaint, the suspect had fled. The police checked out his Facebook page and discovered his profile photo was a wanted poster from a nearby county. Cops headed back to his house and arrested him on the outstanding warrants. Caught by surprise, he was pantless and the policemen allowed him to put on a pair of pants. Unfortunately, a bag of pot fell out of his pocket. He’s now serving time for battery AND possession of marijuana.
Okay, Super Sleuths, which crime did I make up? Leave your answer in the comments section and I’ll enter you in a drawing for a book from my library at the end of the month.
[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Can you guess which dumb crime I made up? Join the fun on my blog! #bookgiveaway[/tweet_box]
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Comments 59
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Author
We’ll see, Mindy. Thanks for stopping by.
I got last week’s right, wow! (My very first time guessing right I believe.) Okay, for this week, I choose number one because it sounds the most sane, so it must be the one that you made up.
Author
Congrats, Priscilla! And we’ll see if you’ll make it two for two next week. Thanks for dropping by!
These are all very stupid but I guess 4. Who would use a wanted poster photo for Facebook? Then again, #2 is a good guess. And who would swipe a debit card at a bank and stick it up like #3?
Author
Just remember, Christine, all but one of these people walk among us. 🙂
#4. Who would use a wanted poster photo for Facebook?
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🙂 We’ll see, Christine. Thanks for dropping by and commenting.
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We’ll see, Suzanne. Thanks for stopping by.
Congrats on getting your edits done. You are one step closer to a finished product!
Unfortunately, I believe #3 is true. There are just so many stories of bank robbers getting caught because they use their cards or IDs. I have heard of some pretty crazy things being used as FB profiles and pics, so I lean towards thinking #4 is true, as well. Both 1 and 2 seem equally plausible and equally ridiculous (on the part of the perpetrator). I am going to guess #2 simply because I think selling the snake on Craigslist would get a person caught, regardless of how much they were asking. The snake looks the same either way.
Author
I sit here chuckling as I read your comment, Diane. Love your reasoning! Thanks for stopping by.
Oh, I love #4!!! That’s just too funny! Number 3 is good, too. Having worked at a bank, I can almost see this one happening!
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Hi Regina! Yeah, #4 is funny. Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.
#2
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We’ll see, Lisa. Thanks for stopping by!
I choose #3 for this week, although they all seem plausible to me.
Author
And just think, Vickie, three of the ARE true. lol. Thanks for stopping by.
I’ll say 4……..all sound so possible …LOL
Author
And isn’t that scary, Jackie! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
#4
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We’ll see, Hannah…Thanks for stopping by!
I say #4
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Hi Mary! We’ll see if the nut actually posted a wanted poster on FB next week! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I do love these. Don’t ever stop. This week I think it’s #1 or #2, love them both. Since I have to choose, I’ll go with #1 as I think it sounds like the good conversational way you word things 🙂
Author
So you think #1 sounds like something I might make up, Delores? We’ll see next week. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I choose number four! I’m not sure why.
Author
Number 4 is a nice number, Heather. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
I believe it is safe to say these crooks aren’t “playing dumb” – they really are dumb. As you say, they walk among us. I am choosing #1. With so much being said about drugs, I have a very difficult time imagining a person mentioning any kind of drug to a police officer. Since three of these are true, I reckon this one could be one of them but he had to be beyond dumb if it is.
Author
Like your reasoning, Edward. BTW, I’ve contacted my web guy and hopefully we’ll get the comments issue resolved. Thanks for stopping by and for letting me know about the comments.
If an earlier comment eventually shows up, I apologize. Over the past three weeks, I have been experiencing difficulties posting comments here and on another site or two. I don’t know what is happening. Anyway I have decided to choose #1. With so much about the problems with opiates in the news these days, it seems beyond dumb for a person to open the door to an officer in uniform and tell him “I suppose you’re here about the opium”. If this is a true one, there must have been some extenuating circumstances, such as a cop on the take and mistaken identity.
My guess is #2. Why didn’t the snake bite him when he reached in the cage?
Author
Hmmm. Good question, Stella. We’ll see if he was a snake charmer next week. 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
I am going with #4 this week. I think that the site is having issues with posting comments because I have been having problems with my comment showing up right away as well.
Author
Hi Gloria! I hope my web guy can fix the problem! Thanks for stopping by and commenting and we’ll see next week if it’s #4!
I’ll go with 2, but wow–these are hard to choose between! 🙂
Author
I’m so glad you find them hard, Rosalyn! And that’s another one for #2. We’ll see next week. Thanks for stopping by.
I am guessing #3 is fake because why would he swipe his debit card at the teller window
Author
Good question, Shelia! But remember, these are dumb criminals. lol Thanks for stopping by.
number 2
Author
Patricia, I see a trend in #2…we’ll see next week if it’s right. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m going with #2
Author
Another one for #2! Thanks for stopping by, Mary!
#3
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Hi MS Barb! WE’ll see next week if it’s #3…thanks for stopping by and leaving your guess!
I am going to go with #2. I really hope someone wouldn’t just ‘reach’ into a cage with a python in it!
Author
True, Colleen, but phythons don’t usually bite… 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I think the first one is made up. Congrats on the progrsss with the book. Keep up the good work!
Author
Thanks, Perrianne! We’ll see next week if it’s #1. Thanks for stopping by.
Congrats on finishing your edits. I’m guessing 3 is false.
Author
Thanks, Caryl! We’ll see next week if I made up the dumb bank robber. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
#4 sounds too ridiculous to NOT be true (and gave me a hearty laugh to boot), #3 sounds resonable too (but you never know, right?), so it’s a toss up between #1 & #2 for me this week. I want to say two becuase I think the snake would have retaliated in some way about being picked up & jostled around. But you know, these are just my deductions and can be totally off base 🙂
One of these days I’m going to be smarter than these mystery questions…lol!
Author
So glad you find these hard, Trixi! So you are choosing #2? We’ll see next week if your deductions are correct. 😉
I’m going with #1 this week. My reasoning didn’t work out so well last week, so this week, I’m throwing reasoning out the window. (Since dumb criminals don’t use it anyway!)
Author
Jeanna, you are absolutely right–dumb criminals don’t use reasoning. lol. Thanks for stopping by!
I am charmed by the snake! LOL! I’ll pick 2 . You’ve got a lot if responses this week!
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🙂 Paula! And I’m so excited that more people are visiting my blog and commenting!! Thanks for taking part in it.
#4
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Hi Doreen! Hmmm, #4 you say? We’ll see next week. Thanks for dropping by!