Published by Daniel Jenkins for 5 Minute Detective. How we make the site.
Compare what a suspect says with what a clue shows. Learn which details prove a statement wrong, and which only look suspicious.
A contradiction means two things cannot both be true. For example, someone says they never entered a room, but a clear video shows them walking in.
Start with the person's exact words. Then find a clue about the same person, place and time. Sounding nervous or choosing an odd word is not enough to prove a statement wrong.
Read the exact words
“I never entered the parcel room” is different from “I did not enter after lunch”. A morning visit would prove the first claim wrong. It would still fit the second. Notice words such as never, before, alone and already.
A sentence can make two claims. “I stayed upstairs and never touched the pouch” tells you a place and an action. A clue might prove one part wrong without telling you about the other.
- Pick one clear claim to check.
- Find a clue about the same person or object, action and time.
- Ask what the clue actually shows.
- Explain why the statement and clue cannot both be true. Use only facts the story gives you.
Example: the parcel-room pouch
A walking club keeps its route pouch in a parcel room. One day, the pouch is moved. Cora says, “I did not go into the parcel room at any point on Tuesday.” A clear video shows Cora walking in at 11:06 on Tuesday. The puzzle confirms the video's date.
Cora denies entering at any time on Tuesday. The video shows one Tuesday visit. These cannot both be true. We do not need to know why she went in to spot that problem.
Scroll sideways in the table to read every column.
| Clue | What it shows | Does it prove the statement wrong? |
|---|---|---|
| A clear Tuesday video shows Cora entering | Cora entered on Tuesday. | Yes. She said she never entered that day. |
| Cora's scarf is on a chair in the room | The scarf is in the room. | No. Someone else could have brought it. |
| A neighbour says Cora sounded nervous | The neighbour thought Cora was nervous. | No. This tells us nothing about a visit. |
| A Monday photo shows Cora inside | She was inside on Monday. | No. Her claim is about Tuesday. |
The video proves Cora's claim about entering is wrong. It does not show her moving the pouch. It also does not tell us whether she meant to mislead us or entered while the pouch was being moved.
Suppose Cora had said, “I did not enter after midday.” Her 11:06 visit would fit that claim. Always check the actual words, even when a clue looks suspicious.
When two witnesses disagree
One witness says a door was open. Another says it was shut at the same moment. They cannot both be right about that moment. But the disagreement alone does not tell us who is wrong. Look for another clue that helps check their accounts.
Make sure they mean the same time. A door can be open at 10:00 and shut at 10:02. Both witnesses could be right if they saw it at different times.
Explain the clash
Try this: “They said this. The clue shows this. Both cannot be true because…” If you need to invent an extra event to finish that sentence, check again.
When a game asks you to match a false statement with a clue, choose the clue that proves that statement wrong. A reason to lie may make someone suspicious. It does not prove which sentence is false.
Try it: the green folder
Tomas says, “I did not handle the green folder after 15:00.” One clear photo shows him holding it at 14:50. Another shows him holding it at 15:10. Both dates and times are correct.
Which photo proves his statement wrong? What if he had only said, “I did not remove the folder from the office”?
Show the answer and explanation
The 15:10 photo proves his statement wrong. It shows him holding the folder after 15:00. The 14:50 photo was taken before the time he mentioned, so it does not clash with his claim.
Holding a folder does not prove someone took it out of an office. You would need a photo or another clue showing that movement or where he took it. The new claim asks a different question.
Things to remember
- Use the exact statement, including words about time.
- Match the clue to the same person, object, action and time.
- Proving a statement wrong is not the same as proving who did it.
- Explain why the statement and clue cannot both be true.
Use the facts in the story. If something is still unknown, leave it as a question.