Case 359
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.
Harper
“Neither Finley nor Quinn is guilty.”
Jordan
“Neither Harper nor Finley is guilty.”
Hayden
“Either Harper or Finley is guilty.”
Finley
“Harper and Quinn are both innocent.”
Quinn
“Either Jordan or Hayden is guilty.”
Who is guilty?
Solution: Hayden
If Hayden is guilty, Hayden's statement is false and every other statement is true. Testing the other suspects creates at least one contradiction.