Case 156
The Broken Seal
A tamper seal on a storage crate was cut overnight.
Rule: exactly one suspect is guilty. The guilty suspect lies. Every innocent suspect tells the truth.
Reese
“Parker is innocent.”
Parker
“Reese is innocent.”
Quinn
“Reese and Lane are both innocent.”
Lane
“Elliot is guilty.”
Elliot
“Lane is guilty.”
Who is guilty?
Solution: Elliot
If Elliot is guilty, Elliot's statement is false and every other statement is true. Testing the other suspects creates at least one contradiction.