Case of the Accidental Drowning

I was not quite sure as to why I was being called down to investigate an accidental drowning at Sandyside River but fortunately, it was a sunny day and I could not think of a better place to be. Who knows, maybe once I was done, I would get a little fishing in.

When I arrived, there were a few police officers and a small gathering of onlookers. Two of the officers were standing on the public docks talking to what looked like an extremely well tanned gentleman who was wearing a bathing suit. Next to them in the water was a canoe that looked like it had seen better days.

After approaching the trio, I introduced myself to the tanned fellow, who was looking very upset, and asked him what had happened.

“It’s simply terrible Inspector! My friend Jim and I were out canoeing when I suggested that we give the Sunnyside rapids a go,” said the distraught man as he pointed in a southern direction towards the rapids. “Jim was a little concerned as he had never been in a canoe before today but I told him there was no need to worry, I would steer, all he had to do was paddle. Unfortunately, the rapids were a little more difficult than I remembered. I‘m not sure exactly what happened or when he fell out, all that I know is that when I got to the end of the rapids, I turned around and he was not there.”

I looked down at the canoe and observed that there were a couple of lifejackets and one wooden paddle with a large crack within the blade. I was just about to inquire as to how the paddle became damaged when the man stated, “Hell, I didn’t even notice that. My paddle is broken. I guess I must have cracked it on one of the rocks while I was traversing the rapids.”

“Yes, that is possible, “ I said. “But it is more likely that it cracked when you used it to hit Jim!”

Why did Inspector Nose suspect that Jim’s drowning was not an accident?

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Forensics Clues Quiz – Video Quiz

Presented in a video style format are 5 different crime scene items. Look at the crime scene evidence and determine what the clues tell you.

How many of these crime scene clues can you decipher?

Prison Visit Turns Out To Be Permanent – Dumb Criminals

It is probably not a good idea to visit your friends at prison while intoxicated unless you are planning to move in as a man in Rochester discovered.

State police arrested 34-year-old William Henderson on Thursday afternoon after getting a call about a drunken visitor leaving the Wende Correctional Facility.

Troopers say Henderson had a blood-alcohol concentration of .24 which is three times New York’s legal limit for driving.
He was not only charged with felony driving while intoxicated but also unlawful possession of marijuana.

Henderson, who has been convicted of DWI twice in the last 10 years, was ordered held in Genesee County Jail following arraignment in Pembroke Town Court.

Case of Thirty Minutes or Less

Detective Nose arrived bleary-eyed at the scene, having been roused from bed at two o’clock in the morning. And for what? Sarah Tandy, A pizza delivery girl, had been robbed. Even though the thief had gotten away with almost $800, this wasn’t exactly the crime of the century.

The reason for the late night call soon became apparent, however. It turns out Sarah was the daughter of a friend of the Captain.

Detective Nose sighed. Hopefully this wouldn’t take long.

“So, can you tell me what happened?” Nose started off.

The petite girl was visibly upset. “Y-y-yes. I had just finished making my last stop, a delivery of 30 pizzas to a late night party. I was getting into my car and was starting to drive away when a man knocked on my car door. I thought he was from the party, but when I rolled down my window, he stuck a gun in my face and asked me for all my money. I was so upset I couldn’t even drive back to the store.”

Sure enough, the party across the street was still going full blast from what Detective Nose could tell. As he was surveying the scene, another car drove up and a handsome young man jumped out and ran over to the little group.

“Hi, my name’s Jon Hastel, I’m Sarah’s boyfriend. She called me on my cell phone as soon as it happened and I came right over.”

Detective Nose shook his hand and introduced himself. The young man looked him squarely in the eyes and gave a firm handshake before going over to comfort his girlfriend.

“Hmm,” Detective Nose thought to himself, “quite a polite young man.”

“Well, I better get down to it,” Nose said as he opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. He looked through the glove box, under the seats and inspected the rest of the interior carefully. After a few moments, as the others looked on anxiously, he put his hands on the steering wheel as if he were driving.

When he finally emerged from the car, he slammed the door shut and turned to face the expectant group.

“Captain,” he declared, “I’m afraid you’re going to have to give your friend some bad news. His daughter is a thief. And so is her boyfriend. I think you’ll find if you search the young man, you will find the $800!”

How did Detective Nose know that Sarah hadn’t been robbed, but had committed the crime herself with the help of Jon?

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Case of a One Handed Accident

The coroner said his death was accidental but I have my suspicions — I just can’t prove anything.”

Detective Nose stood inside the secluded cabin with the deceased’s brother. The cabin consisted only of two small rooms. It was very spacious with the antique kitchen being the highlight. It had an old wood burning stove and hand carved cabinets. On the blue stained counters sat, some food including some freshly opened canned goods, some apples, a few dirty dishes and a handheld can opener. The common area was small with a couch and a table. The second room was tucked away in the back. In it there was a single bed covered with an exquisite handmade quilt and a plain brown desk. The deceased’s body had been removed just a short hour ago.

“So tell me what lead you to conclude that his death wasn’t accidental after all?” Detective Nose asked.

“My brother was a handicapped man; he recently lost his arm in a horrible mechanical accident. Ever since then he’s required a nurse to help him out with even the simplest of tasks.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that,” Nose interrupted. “Please continue.”

“Well, this week he insisted on going up to the cabin alone for a few weeks. He was determined to prove to everyone that he hadn’t lost his independence. He had only been gone for a few days and because there is no phone out here, I decided to come up on check on him. Even though he insisted on spending the week alone, I was worried about him. When I arrived, I knew something was not right. There was an extra set of large footprints going into the cabin, my brother had small feet, but the police stated that it was not enough evidence to go on. Inside, I found him dead on the couch. I must admit that it was common knowledge that he owned this cabin but my brother was afraid that if he told anyone where he was going that they might try to stop him. I was the only person who knew where he was and that was because I was more than just his brother; I was his best friend. I know in my heart that his death was no accident. Therefore, I phoned you. My brother deserves justice.”

The Detective pursued the cabin once more. “Tell me, has anyone been in the cabin or touched anything since you reported the death of your brother.”

“No, only the police and the medical staff have been here.”

“Well based on what I’ve seen I don’t believe this was any accident either and I think I can help you prove it! Can you think of anyone that may have wanted to kill your brother?”

What evidence did the Detective find that lead him to believe that there was no accident?

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