Puzzle | Cabin in the Woods

In a cabin in the woods, a man lies dead. He was shot in the head, but there’s no gun to be found. There are three suspects: the man’s wife, his brother, and his best friend. They were the only ones present at the time of the murder. Each suspect makes the following statement:

• Suspect 1 ( Man’s wife ): “I didn’t do it.”
• Suspect 2 ( Brother ): “Suspect 1 is lying.”
• Suspect 3 ( Best friend ): “I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t me.”

Now find out who killed the man.

This is a classic logic puzzle, often called the “Cabin in the Woods” or the “Three Suspects” puzzle. The goal is to use the information given to determine who the killer is. Can you figure out who did it?

Cabin in the Woods

Solution: The solution to the mystery puzzle is that the man’s wife is the killer.

The key to solving this puzzle is to understand that one of the suspects is lying, and the other two are telling the truth. The statements of the suspects are:

• Suspect 1 says “I didn’t do it.” – This statement doesn’t clear her of being the killer, as it is possible for the killer to deny their involvement.
• Suspect 2 says “Suspect 1 is lying.” – This statement may imply that Suspect 1 is the killer, as Suspect 2 would not make this statement if Suspect 1 were innocent.
• Suspect 3 says “I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t me.” – This statement clears Suspect 3 of being the killer but doesn’t implicate anyone else.

So if Suspect 1 is telling the truth, Suspect 3 would be the killer, and if Suspect 1 is lying, Suspect 1 is the killer. Since Suspect 1 and Suspect 2 are contradicting each other, one of them is lying and the other is telling the truth. Therefore, the only possibility is that Suspect 1 (the wife) is lying, and she is the killer.

It’s important to understand that this puzzle is based on a set of assumptions, and there could be other ways to interpret the statements made by the suspects. However, the solution provided is the most logical one based on the information given.

It’s a classic logical puzzle that requires the ability to think critically and consider different possibilities. It’s a great exercise for sharpening your problem-solving and reasoning skills.