mediumlogic

A man was found dead next to a 13 story building. The police say it was a suicide, but you say it was a homicide (someone killed him). To prove this, you go to each floor on the building, open the window, and toss a penny out. You do this to each floor until you reach the 13th floor, open the window, and toss a penny out. How does this prove it wasn't a suicide?

If the man committed suicide, he would've left the window open and you wouldn't have had to open it.

Why this works

This riddle plays on the idea of intention and the details surrounding the scenario. If the man had jumped from the building to commit suicide, it would be logical to assume he would have opened the window himself before doing so. However, if you found that every window had to be opened to toss the penny out, it suggests that the windows were closed when he fell, indicating someone else may have been involved, thus supporting the theory of homicide rather than suicide. This clever twist highlights how the details of the environment can alter the interpretation of a situation!

Common Wrong Answers

“The man was pushed out of the window.”

While this suggests foul play, it doesn't directly address the reason for opening each window to prove it wasn't a suicide. The riddle specifically emphasizes the action of opening the windows.

“The man fell from the roof instead.”

This scenario doesn't explain the window-opening action. If the man fell from the roof, there would be no need to open any windows, making it unrelated to the riddle's logic.

“The man was inside the building during the fall.”

If the man was inside the building, he wouldn't have needed to open the windows to prove anything about a suicide. The riddle hinges on the fact that the windows were closed, which contradicts this guess.

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