How was the murder committed?r bfa d i:Vine 10sagnudin 123m
Alice's body is found inside a locked room. She had been getting ready for the day, and had only just gotten out of the shower and had written a letter when she died. The police had to break the door down in order to enter. In the room they find the following:
- A pen
- A cup of tea, half drunk.
- Trash can, including a used teabag
- Lipstick, open.
- Letter sealed in novelty envelope
- A humidifier, still running when the police arrive
- The broken chain from the door lock
- The broken latch from the door lock
The police discover that Alice has been poisoned by Cyanide! Immediately, the tea is tested, but there is no poison in the tea. Forensics confirm that Alice consumed the poison in the room! But how?
Can you solve Alice's murder?
Hint:
The murder method has nothing to do with her shower, or anything in the bathroom. She was killed by one of the items listed.
6 Answers
I suspect the cyanide was hidden
on the envelope, as it's common practice to seal it using your tongue.
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$\\begingroup$ +1 for quick solution! I will accept the answer once the mandatory waiting period expires $\\endgroup$ – GridAlien 15 hours ago
It's also possible that:
The cyanide was in the lipstick. If it is open, the riddle implies that could have been used. Lipstick can be put on anywhere, not just in the bathroom.
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1$\\begingroup$ Was trying to imply that this was not possible, as she had just gotten out of the shower, hadn't yet reached that stage of getting ready. +1 for thinking of it $\\endgroup$ – GridAlien 14 hours ago
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1$\\begingroup$ Thanks. And at least you know now so you can better your next riddle! $\\endgroup$ – Rewan Demontay 14 hours ago
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1$\\begingroup$ @GridAlien rot13(crbcyr qba'g rng yvcfgvpx fb gur vagraqrq nafjre vf jnl zber yvxryl!) $\\endgroup$ – Adam 13 hours ago
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$\\begingroup$ @Adam While I agree with you, it's still TECHNICALLY a possibility! ;) $\\endgroup$ – Rewan Demontay 13 hours ago
Another possibility could be
I'm no chem expert but a quick google search says Cyanide could exist in the air in the form of Hydrogen Cyanide, which could've been added in this case through the humidifier.
Although
Since the humidifier was still running when the room was opened, it would also kill anyone who enters the room too, or at least cause some adverse effects.
Edit :
If the killer was a good engineer he/she could tamper the humidifier to only emit poisonous Hydrogen Cyanide for a certain amount of time, this would ensure that anyone who enters the room later on will not be affected as severely. Still keeping in mind that would leave traces of the poison in the air. But most of it could leave through any openings in the door.
Edit 2:
My friend informs me, The International Standard Atmosphere states the density of air is 1.225 kg/m³ at sea level and 15° C. Hydrogen Cyanide is extremely dense at 687 kg/m³, it would not disperse in the air and immediately fall low to the ground. Rendering the poison ineffective. So there's that theory down the drain.
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1$\\begingroup$ All hail science! :-D $\\endgroup$ – Rewan Demontay 13 hours ago
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$\\begingroup$ But the forensics confirmed that Alice rot13(pbafhzrq, abg vaunyrq) plus they also confirmed that rot13(gurer jnfa'g n genpr bs plnavqr va gur grn). Also, based on the circumstances rot13(Nyvpr jbhyq or yrff yvxryl gb qvr ol gur uhzvqvsvre guna gur vairfgvtngvba grnz qhr gb znal ernfbaf). Oh and rot13(gur vairfgvtngvba grnz zhfg'ir fcrag zber gvzr vafvqr gur ebbz guna Nyvpr) $\\endgroup$ – Adam 13 hours ago
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$\\begingroup$ pbafhzrq, abg vaunyrq that'd be a good point if rot13(gurer'f n qvfgvapgvba orgjrra gur gjb), rot13(Jul jbhyq gurer or hayrff Ulqebtra Plnavqr pna ernpg jvgu gur grn ryrzragf?) the other two arguments seem to counter each other, I'm not sure what to say to that, except I did add that bit in my answer. $\\endgroup$ – Abbas 13 hours ago
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$\\begingroup$ Well, if cyanide couldn't dissolve in the tea then the forensics team wouldn't have checked it! And the reason why the cyanide must've ended up in the tea in this scenario is because rot13(gur uhzvqvsvre pyrneyl pvephyngrq vg'f incbhe guebhtubhg gur jubyr ebbz). Also, since she showered rot13(genprf bs plnavqr fubhyq or sbhaq va gur jngre naq gurer vf n uvtu cbffvovyvgl gung Nyvpr qenax sebz gur grn juvyfg fgvyy jrg fb gur qvffbyirq plnavqr pbhyq znxr vgf jnl vagb gur grn sebz n qebc). Although interestingly enough she could've consumed it using the same logic! rot13(jngre qebc va zbhgu) ;) $\\endgroup$ – Adam 12 hours ago
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1$\\begingroup$ However these are all shots in the dark, I feel we need a real chemist to accredit or discredit the theory. $\\endgroup$ – Abbas 11 hours ago
It's not reasonable to be running a humidifier during or after a shower, as the shower itself will accomplish that function. We may thus find it likely that the humidifier was interfered with. If it was an ultrasonic humidifier, it would form a mist from the liquid in the reservoir. If that liquid were spiked with a cyanide salt such as potassium cyanide, the victim would consume it by inhalation.
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$\\begingroup$ You might want to read the other answers, one of which covers this possibility (and notes why it isn't applicable). $\\endgroup$ – Rubio♦ 2 hours ago
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$\\begingroup$ @Rubio I found that the answer you mention did not address any of my points. However, I will add a clarification (regarding the exact compound) to distinguish further. See this reference which describes that this delivery mechanism is plausible, regardless of what the other answer claimed: cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750037.html $\\endgroup$ – piojo 2 hours ago
I did not read the answers, but I believe that she licked the envelope, and the adhesive layer was poisoned with cyanide.
She was well-known among her friends for chewing on the end of her pen, especially while thinking about what to write. The murderer is obviously a close friend of hers, and the poison was applied only on the very tip of her pen, impossible for the police to find.
