[Yoruichi-san]

Here's a short one (I'm short on time):

A guy is found dead at the bottom of an abandoned well (no water has been in the well for a long time). The coroner finds the cause of death to be suffocation, but no water is found in his lungs (he did not drown), and there are no signs of a struggle. How did he die?

There may be more than one answer that works (for those people who are more creative than me), but I have a specific one in mind. Enjoy!

[Guest]

Hmm....this is taking longer than I thought it would...

...maybe I should keep the answer to myself, in case I ever need to kill anyone ;P.

Yes and perhaps we should request this one deleted.

It's a worrying thought that you came up with it Yoruichi-san. I was gonna put you on the 5* pile...

Anyway it' comforting to know that we are not able to get in to the criminal mind set.

[Guest]

Another thought Red Rum was the name on a famous race horse record holder of the UK grand national, a friend of his went missing - Shergar 10 length win (record holder) of the derby, never to be seen again - anything to do with you Yoruichi-san

I think there was a well/hole involved with that one two - Police are still looking into it

111 and 2112 ??

[Yoruichi-san]

Another thought Red Rum was the name on a famous race horse record holder of the UK grand national, a friend of his went missing - Shergar 10 length win (record holder) of the derby, never to be seen again - anything to do with you Yoruichi-san

I think there was a well/hole involved with that one two - Police are still looking into it

111 and 2112 ??

Haha...or should I say muhahahaha...;P

Darn, you found me out detective....I was hoping we could be friends, but now it looks like I'm gonna have to get rid of you...

Look out for a headline in the newspaper this weekend that they found a body at the bottom of a well... XP

I'm glad of the timing...this "trick" works particularly well in the summer... (hint: that was a hint )

[Guest]

The Redrum got a friend down there with a rope (he was still alive at this point) and then covered the top of the well with boards. After a winter snow fall, the air supply was cut off from the man in the well. This killed him eventually. By the time he was found, all the snow melted and seeped into the ground and the man was left dead. Yeah! Beat that!

He was a fish

The guy who is dead drown in the well. It is not actually specified who did not have water in their lungs. It could be argued that the coroner was the one with no water in his lungs and that he did not drowned. After all, he is still alive.

I know this is wrong, but I thought it interesting.

[Guest]

He put a block of dry ice at the bottom of the well, which evaporated completely before the police arrived.

But, how did the reredum lure his victim down into the well?

[Yoruichi-san]

But, how did the reredum lure his victim down into the well?

He put a block of dry ice at the bottom of the well, which evaporated completely before the police arrived.

Ding ding ding! And we have a winner! Here is why the "trick" works so well:

The dry ice sublimes (turn into CO2 vapor), which expands, and since CO2 is denser than oxygen (which someone earlier caught on to), the CO2 gas pushes the oxygen up and away, surrounding the guy at the bottom with carbon dioxide and suffocating him, much faster than it would take for him to suffocate by his own breathing.

Plus, the chilling effect of the dry ice delays the onset of rigor mortis. The dry ice leaves no trace, so when the police find the body, they estimate the time that the guy fell/was pushed into the well to be much earlier than it actually was. The culprit, conveniently and cleverly, has an airtight alibi for that time.

So how the guy got in the well isn't really important, the culprit may have pushed him, or tricked him into falling in the dark (best to do it in the middle of the night since the guy will be dead by morning so he can't be rescued by a passerby). Ideally, make it look like an accident. But just in case, make sure you have an airtight alibi ;P.

Darn, now that you've figured it out I'll have to come up with some other method...;P

[Guest]

airtight alibi for that time.

He He nice pun

Darn, now that you've figured it out I'll have to come up with some other method...;P

ok, I'm safe for a little while - by the way it sublimes at approx -80 C and a well would hold a temperature of 18-19 c unless in a permafrost or similar area so you need time for the body to warm up again - or dig your own well in the right conditions I may be wrong but it is my hypothesis(untrained -TV knowledge) ..... Turn the other cheek is probably better, too much hate involved...

Not picking holes though, still a quality post

[Guest]

I'm disappointed with that "solution." I think that most people, if they were concious, would risk "burning" there hands and throw the dry ice out of the well to save themselves. Even if they didn't know what it was they would assume it to have malicious intent considering they were just tricked/thrown into a well and then had some "smoking" object thrown in with them. Plus it would likely have "burned" the victim when dropped in and therefore left marks on the body.

Not a great REDRUM plot. Still a very cool idea though. My compliments for the riddle.

[Guest]

My solution is not as complicated, and would lead to suffocation. Bury him. Pour dirt into the well and cover him completely with it. He would not be able to breathe, and would also probably not be found for a while.

[Guest]

I'm disappointed with that "solution." I think that most people, if they were concious, would risk "burning" there hands and throw the dry ice out of the well to save themselves. Even if they didn't know what it was they would assume it to have malicious intent considering they were just tricked/thrown into a well and then had some "smoking" object thrown in with them. Plus it would likely have "burned" the victim when dropped in and therefore left marks on the body.

Not a great REDRUM plot. Still a very cool idea though. My compliments for the riddle.

yes if mishandled, but not if using gloves and lowered in bucket just out of reach so the gas drops

[Yoruichi-san]

I'm disappointed with that "solution." I think that most people, if they were concious, would risk "burning" there hands and throw the dry ice out of the well to save themselves. Even if they didn't know what it was they would assume it to have malicious intent considering they were just tricked/thrown into a well and then had some "smoking" object thrown in with them. Plus it would likely have "burned" the victim when dropped in and therefore left marks on the body.

Not a great REDRUM plot. Still a very cool idea though. My compliments for the riddle.

Actually, dry ice by itself doesn't smoke...it's only when you combine it with water (i.e. for Halloween punch bowls and stuff) that smoke appears. The well was too high for the victim to throw out the ice, and, honestly, most people in that situation wouldn't know what was going on...getting thrown in a well with what looks like plain ice...very few people would realize/suspect dry ice and understand that it would end up suffocating them...