[Guest]

It had been weeks since James had heard from his girlfriend. So he called his buddy and told him that he was worried. They agreed to meet up at James' girlfriend’s house.

They met at the house and went to the door, James let himself in and tried a light switch, no light. He tried all the switches that he could find, finally finding a working light switch down the hall.

On his way back to the door where his friend was waiting he tripped and fell to the floor, his friend came running up to help him and realized that he had just tripped over the body of James' girlfriend.

The police were called and made an arrest the same day.

Who did they arrest and why?

some of the steps seem a little out of order, yes?

[Guest]

James. Had he not known about the body in the dark hallway, he would have tripped over it on the way to the working light switch down the hall. Because he did not trip, he knew that the body was there, and the only way to know that would be to have killed her or taken part in the killing.

these criminals really need to rethink their plans!!

[grey cells]

these criminals really need to rethink their plans!!

James. Had he not known about the body in the dark hallway, he would have tripped over it on the way to the working light switch down the hall. Because he did not trip, he knew that the body was there, and the only way to know that would be to have killed her or taken part in the killing.

This should be the logical answer.That was a good one.

[Guest]

If its assumed that James knew the body was there and bypassed it on the way in, it seems equally obvious he would have bypassed it on the way back. It seems to me that whilst James was trying the light switches to no avail, his friend was removing the body from a nearby room (WHERE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY LEFT IT! WATSON) until suddenly he was interrupted by James finding a working light switch, whereupon his friend left the body insitu and resumed his position at the entrance door (So, Holmes, you`re saying we still don`t know who committed the dastardly deed, but his friend was arrested for causing bodily harm to James!) (Elementary Watson!)

[Guest]

these criminals really need to rethink their plans!!

James. Had he not known about the body in the dark hallway, he would have tripped over it on the way to the working light switch down the hall. Because he did not trip, he knew that the body was there, and the only way to know that would be to have killed her or taken part in the killing.

Also, if the body was there in the begining and James took care not to trip over it, then how come James' friend did not trip as well? (or notice the body when the light was turned on).

James' friend is more likely suspect.

An observation: The girlfriend had died only some time before James and his friend arrived, because otherwise, they would have smelled the dead body upon entrance.

[Guest]

An observation: The girlfriend had died only some time before James and his friend arrived, because otherwise, they would have smelled the dead body upon entrance.

True, however it says in the riddle that he had not heard from her in weeks, which brings me to another observation... why would he wait weeks to go to her house instead of going after just a couple of days? Could he have been trying to hide the murder?

Maybe I am thinking too much into this.

[Guest]

Weeks since he had heard ??

Called his buddy ??

Fell over the body on the way back ??

.... after finding a light ??

Based on this - James

But probably the friend...

Why would he not be suspicious of his friend not contacting the police.

[Guest]

the friend. That or they found someone else. Since james tripped over the body, it must not be him. If you try to say that since he didn't trip over it on the way in that he's guilty, that's completely not true. I don't know what kind of house you live in, but in most houses there is enough room for a body to be on the floor and to walk by it. He was just coming back at a different angle since he was coming from a different room than he first went into, so he tripped over the body.

Edited March 22, 2008 by Noct

[Guest]

the friend. That or they found someone else. Since james tripped over the body, it must not be him. If you try to say that since he didn't trip over it on the way in that he's guilty, that's completely not true. I don't know what kind of house you live in, but in most houses there is enough room for a body to be on the floor and to walk by it. He was just coming back at a different angle since he was coming from a different room than he first went into, so he tripped over the body.

exactly the point I tried to make, if the body was in the entrance way it did not have to be laying across the width of the space , but could have been laying along its length and therefore in the dark could easily have been passed without any incumberance, and as I suggested might not have been there in the first instance.

Edited March 22, 2008 by jword

[itachi-san]

They both did it, but James was so shocked from killing his girlfriend that he got amnesia and forgot the whole thing. He even forgot he had a girlfriend, which is why it took him so long to figure out that he one and that she was missing. The friend was happy when James got amnesia (now no one could rat him out), but when James partially recovered and called his friend, the friend began to panic. So when they got to the house James went in first and the friend suspiciously 'just waited' by the door. He was really moving the body to a safer location, when he got uninterrupted by James returning. He promptly dropped the body and returned to his waiting spot to not arouse suspicion, and James tripped over the moved body still not having remembered the killing. Also, James had a cold and couldn't smell the decayed body, but his friend knew what to expect so he wasn't surprised by the smell. Case solved

[Guest]

They both did it, but James was so shocked from killing his girlfriend that he got amnesia and forgot the whole thing. He even forgot he had a girlfriend, which is why it took him so long to figure out that he one and that she was missing. The friend was happy when James got amnesia (now no one could rat him out), but when James partially recovered and called his friend, the friend began to panic. So when they got to the house James went in first and the friend suspiciously 'just waited' by the door. He was really moving the body to a safer location, when he got uninterrupted by James returning. He promptly dropped the body and returned to his waiting spot to not arouse suspicion, and James tripped over the moved body still not having remembered the killing. Also, James had a cold and couldn't smell the decayed body, but his friend knew what to expect so he wasn't surprised by the smell. Case solved

Seriously?

[itachi-san]

yes, very serious

[Guest]

Why was the girlfriend killed to begin with?

[itachi-san]

Why was the girlfriend killed to begin with?

She had an annoying laugh

[Guest]

It had been weeks since James had heard from his girlfriend. So he called his buddy and told him that he was worried. They agreed to meet up at James' girlfriend’s house.

They met at the house and went to the door, James let himself in and tried a light switch, no light. He tried all the switches that he could find, finally finding a working light switch down the hall.

On his way back to the door where his friend was waiting he tripped and fell to the floor, his friend came running up to help him and realized that he had just tripped over the body of James' girlfriend.

The police were called and made an arrest the same day.

Who did they arrest and why?

some of the steps seem a little out of order, yes?

May be neither of them did it.We can't say that James is the killer just because hi didn't tripped on his way in.Also there are not enought evidences to say that Jame's friend is the killer.The police made arrest the very same day,that doesn't mean James or his friend ware arrested.The police could find something that belongs to the neighbour and arrest him for the murder or evidence that someone known to the police didi it.

[grey cells]

No . I think James is and must be the murderer.Because it is stated that he let himself in.Then automatically he has to have copy of the house key.This gives him a better oppurtunity.And moreover as Horvathsgirl has mentioned he had not visited her for many days.This makes him look doubly suspicious.As to the body being moved by his friend , his friend would not risk moving the body as James would have a better knowledge of the layout of house(the light switches) than his friend. And how can the friend go to the body and move it in the darkness and come back to the entrance .

Edited March 23, 2008 by grey cells

[Guest]

It`s not necessarily true to say James was more familiar with the household than his friend. As I suspect that his friend did the dastardly deed, it therefore follows that his friend [ whom for reasons of privacy of the individual , shall be referred to as `X´. 666 Clarington Close . Burnley . Lanconshire England. Tel:+44 1234 56789] has already visited the said premises on a previous occasion /or occasions. Perhaps his visit(s) were of a clandestine nature, he may have hankered to see the cookies on her monitor, and as he tried to sign in she protested, causing strange flashing lights and weird music in his head, then picking up a broken bottle - left behind by the milkmans recent visit - he lunged savagely...........................I put this all down to my mother, if only.. well what`s the use., I cannot conceal my guilt any longer, yes it was me!

I hope you`re not being frivolous. I know who you are ,AND WHERE YOU LIVE!

[Guest]

No . I think James is and must be the murderer.Because it is stated that he let himself in.Then automatically he has to have copy of the house key.This gives him a better oppurtunity.And moreover as Horvathsgirl has mentioned he had not visited her for many days.This makes him look doubly suspicious.As to the body being moved by his friend , his friend would not risk moving the body as James would have a better knowledge of the layout of house(the light switches) than his friend. And how can the friend go to the body and move it in the darkness and come back to the entrance .

He could have not seen her for a while because they had a fight. Sometimes couples have fights and don't talk to each other for a while, because neither of them wants to be the "weak" one and admit they were wrong to try to fix things first. I've seen this go on for a while, so it's possible that they had a fight. Also he brought a mutual friend with him because of the fight, he didn't want to be alone with her, but this way he had an excuse for visiting, saying that they were just stopping by, and not that he alone came over to apologize.

Also in my earlier posts I mentioned how tripping over the body is in no way evidence one way or another. They must have found the neighbor's semen under the stove (they find it on every crime scene) and arrested the neighbor.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Noct

[Guest]

He could have not seen her for a while because they had a fight. Sometimes couples have fights and don't talk to each other for a while, because neither of them wants to be the "weak" one and admit they were wrong to try to fix things first. I've seen this go on for a while, so it's possible that they had a fight. Also he brought a mutual friend with him because of the fight, he didn't want to be alone with her, but this way he had an excuse for visiting, saying that they were just stopping by, and not that he alone came over to apologize.

Also in my earlier posts I mentioned how tripping over the body is in no way evidence one way or another. They must have found the neighbor's semen under the stove (they find it on every crime scene) and arrested the neighbor.

Did we have the same mother!

[Guest]

Consider again the evidence:

Edited March 23, 2008 by jword

[Guest]

It had been weeks since James had heard from his girlfriend. So he called his buddy and told him that he was worried. They agreed to meet up at James' girlfriend’s house.

They met at the house and went to the door, James let himself in and tried a light switch, no light. He tried all the switches that he could find, finally finding a working light switch down the hall.

On his way back to the door where his friend was waiting he tripped and fell to the floor, his friend came running up to help him and realized that he had just tripped over the body of James' girlfriend.

The police were called and made an arrest the same day.

Who did they arrest and why?

some of the steps seem a little out of order, yes?

They arrested James....

Weeks without contact yet he "let himself in"? If they were fighting; I would say keys would be taken away or locks changed if it were a fight so bad they didn't talk for weeks. Weeks which he used to plan this out to make him look concerned and have a witness to the search of the house. The whole light switch thing doesn't sit right; seems staged... "oh this light doesn't work, nor this, not this one either" like a rat in a maze leading himself to the cheese; which just happens to be the light down the hall where her body lays. MURDERER!

Either that or for breaking and entering....

But ya it was James that got a ride in the squad car.

[Guest]

It was colnel mustard, with the revolver, in the hall

Doc black, dressed as a girl, james found out it was really a man, hired CM as assassin. Friend was cpt peacock and realised it was the m.o. of CM, only one question left to answer - who is imitating The Doc in this site?

[Guest]

i think it is neither james nor his friend...it is someone else...maybe an electrician who had come to repair the switches or something and then killed the girl for money