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Jul-31-2005 18:05

Was doing a very hard case and had both physical evidence and witness evidence point to a suspect. When accused it turned out the witness evidence was given by the actual murderer and I suppose the physical evidence was random? This was the 1st time I've seen physical evidence point to an innocent suspect. Does this happen a lot?

Jul-31-2005 19:05

Each piece of physical evidence will belong to someone. But only one of those people will have a false alibi. The others will have real alibis. The guilty person will be the one with the fake alibi.

Jul-31-2005 19:24

Thanks!

Aug-1-2005 01:21

Also, usually, it seems that the physical evidence belongs to the witnesses and murderer. If you get someone saying they saw so-and-so wearing the victim's watch or stealing it, keep looking. If a piece of physical evidence points to person A, B, and C, go and ask them each about the other. Very often people who were in a position to see the murderer flee the scene or wash blood from their hands, are on hand.

As to the alibi: be careful! The murderer will have EITHER no alibi or a false one. BUT, having no alibi or a false one does not make a murderer AND if you lack the research skill, you will overlook a valid alibi!!

If they lie about where they were, but were in Court, they cannot be the murderer. They CAN, however, still help finger your killer. Whether or not physical evidence can point to them in the game, I cannot say. I do not look for them and am not of a level yet to where I can id the owner of ALL of my PE. :(

Add to all of this, clammed-up suspects from whom you cannot extract any alibi and the real foot-work begins. :)

Aug-1-2005 03:34

WE + fake/no alibi = guilty
PE + fake/no alibi = guilty
2 WE = guilty (no need to know alibi)

Each PE will belong to someone, but only one of those will belong to a person with no/fake alibi. There is never more than one PE for a certain suspect. The person cleared by research has no/fake alibi that can be explained if you have research skill. This person will never have a PE against him.

Aug-1-2005 08:04

That was excellently laid-out. Infinitely logical and clear. Thank you!!

And it makes sense that the research person should not. Afterall, they were down-town at the time of the crime - unless of course they had been there before or after, but that would complicate things unnecessarily, eh?