Detective Grant was inspecting the scene of the crime. The 50-year-old victim, Joe, had been poisoned by a candy containing cyanide. On the table surrounding him were 9 other candies, but none of them contained cyanide. This murder was highly suspicious, because Joe had just got off a 2-yr jail sentence.
Grant was very puzzled, because he had recently come across three similar murders, none of which had been solved. Jeff, 30, had got off a 10-yr sentence a few weeks ago. The next day, he had been found murdered in the same fashion as Joe, but in his case only 3 candies were left on the table. John, 46, was found with 5 candies the day after a 4-yr sentence had been turned over a week ago. Jim, 35, had got off a 5-yr sentence a few days ago, only to be found dead with 6 candies yesterday.
Grant puzzled over these cases for days, and then it hit him. There was a pattern in these murders! What pattern did Grant spot?
Each suspect ate a candy before they died.
Life expectancy when the murders were committed was 70 years.
(It was also curious that many criminals had been let off their sentences too, but had not been killed. 23, in fact, had got off.)
Hint
SUSPECT–AGE–SENTENCE–CANDIES
Joe——–50—-2 years——-9
Jeff——–30—-10 yrs——–3
John——-46—-4 yrs———5
Jim——–35—-5 yrs———-6
Answer
The killer was a prosecutor (George) who thought that the criminal deserved a chance to live outside jail. When the case came before him, he dismissed it. He then went to the criminal’s house, and offered him a chance to gamble his life, or go to jail. George offered him a certain number of candies; one of which was poisoned. If the criminal chose a poisoned candy, he died. If he chose a pure candy, he lived.
The criminal’s remaining life expectancy divided by his prison sentence would be the number of candies George would bring him; one of which might kill him. In case of Joe:
His remaining life expectancy at age 50 was 20. 20 divided by 2(his sentence) is 10. George brought him 10 candies; one of which was poisoned. Joe ate the poisoned one, and left nine on the table.
The 23 criminals who got off their sentences, but did not die, chose pure candies.
