YOU SOLVED IT!
I knew you were talented, but I can’t believe you solved this case. Once again, thank you for all of your help. The following contains your final observations and conclusions about the case. We couldn’t have done it without you!
POLICE FORCE
COMMUNICATION
The following is the content of a telegram from you to me after receiving all of the evidence from the case.
Sergeant, thank you for your openness in sharing your case files and information with me. Without further ado, it is time that I reveal, without a shadow of a doubt, who killed DR. WEALTHY PATRIARCH.
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Although it may be a surprise, there was no murder at all. In fact, DR. PATRIARCH died by suicide in order to escape a secret terminal illness. He vindictively planned this public death in order to punish his family for their imperfections.
OBSERVATIONS
STAINS ON THE DOCTOR'S BELONGINGS
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As I carefully examined the victim's clothing, I felt that the stain was much more yellow than an average champange spill. After testing, it has been confirmed that this stain is from nitric acid, which turns yellow over time.
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I suspect that the doctor spilled the acid while pulling the poison out of his inside jacket pocket (near the stain) is and needed to hide his mistake. He then purposely caused his extremely proper, never-spilling wife to have a collision so the champagne would cover the acid.
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This created a diversion and gave the doctor time to put the poison bottle in the storage room while under the guise of cleaning his shirt.
Family Employee's Portrait, featuring her locket
Adopted Daughter in the family portrait taken at the previous gallery opening, wearing her locket.
Family Employee's Portrait, featuring her locket
MEDICAL RECORDS
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After close examination, one of the stolen medical records shows a positive test for stage four esophageal cancer, the name of the patient is PATRICE ARCH, a slight deviation from PATRIARCH. While it cannot be confirmed absolutely, I believe this test was performed by the doctor on himself to confirm his own diagnosis. I brought this theory to the coroner and a second autopsy was completed. After careful examination and extensive testing of the highly corroded esophagus, it was confirmed that the doctor was indeed dying of cancer.
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I suspect that the doctor chose this highly corrosive acid because one, it was available in his practice (one medical record mentions a past wart removal using the acid), and two, he knew the strong acid would hide his eroded his diseased esophagus. A coroner who suspected acidic damage likely would not look further to find his disease and the death would be seen as a murder.
THE LOCKETS​
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I felt that ADOPTED DAUGHTER's leaving town and changing disposition was suspicious. But, after noticing the matching lockets that were worn by both her and FAMILY EMPLOYEE in her individual portrait and the group photo taken at the gallery respectively, I gathered that the two women were in love.
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After speaking to both women, I have confirmed that the two were in a relationship. Before the death, FAMILY EMPLOYEE grew tired of living in the shadows and broke up with adopted daughter, turned in her resignation, and planned on moving to a winery.
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All those involved now believe that DR. WEALTHY PATRIARCH suspected the relationship when FAMILY EMPLOYEE quit, but he could not prove it, adding to the anger he felt toward his family.
PATRIARCH'S
MOTIVE
DR. WEALTHY PATRIARCH had long-standing, unhappy relationships with his wife, son, and daughter in-law. Then, his longtime assistant resigned and he suspected that his daughter was gay. The bigoted PATRIARCH then had a reason, allbeit irrational, to hate every member of his family, and therefore every person at the gallery opening.
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I believe that he chose to kill himself in this public, mysterious manner in hopes of punishing his family whom he believed had wronged him throughout their lives. This despicable old man did not care who would be blamed, as long as he got to die on his own terms, hurting the people he despised.
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Luckily, by discovering these clues, we were able to stop him from hurting anyone else.
CONFESSION
While I did not doubt that he was vengeful enough to die in such a way that would put his family in danger of being wrongly accused, I was surprised that he didn’t leave a confession, a way to make sure his family knew what he did to them.
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That is when I thought of his book, the only position left to his family in his authenticated will. The other odd detail about the will was the exact dollar amounts given to his medical practice and publishing company.
I thought there may be a connection between the new chapters and arrangements of the recently released sixth edition of the book and these dollar amounts. So, I compared the first letter of the chapter title in the table of contents with to the exact amounts of money he gave to his medical practice and his publisher.
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Here is what I found:
Table of Contents in the sixth editing of Healing Without Feeling
Wealthy Patriarch's Will detailing the amount of money he bequest to his businesses.
Table of Contents in the sixth editing of Healing Without Feeling
AFTERMATH
REBELLIOUS SON and SCHEMING IN-LAW
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After finding the confession, all suspicions of murder are put to rest. REBELLIOUS SON and SCHEMING IN-LAW are sentenced to six years in prison forging the WEALTHY PATRIARCH's Last Will and Testament.
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ADOPTED DAUGHTER, FAMILY EMPLOYEE,
and CHARITABLE WIFE
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No longer burdened with the harsh judgment of her father, ADOPTED DAUGHTER reunites with FAMILY EMPLOYEE and they live together freely. The two, along with CHARITABLE WIFE move far away from the deadly gallery and open a winery.
WEALTHY PATRIARCH
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Unclaimed by anyone in the family after the confession is revealed, the body of WEALTHY PATRIARCH is buried with a gravestone that tells of his medical accomplishments to the absence of mourners.
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