Death at the School

Sadie never made it to dessert.

🔎 Solved by 11 detectives · median time 1:40 · 73% with no help at all

Can stand / sit on: chairsofa

Solid — nobody there: tabledeskbookshelffridgeTV

What the witnesses say

Zekethe farmer
“He was beside a table. He was in the Staff Room.”

Ottothe clockmaker
“He was in a corner of a room.”

Nellthe nurse
“She was beside a chair.”

Xavierthe painter
“He was beside a bookshelf. He was not beside any table.”

Sadiethe victim
Found dead — alone in a room with the killer.

Exactly one person in every row and every column.
Nobody stands on solid furniture; chairs, sofas, benches, beds and rugs are fine.
Every statement is true. “Beside” means the square directly next to it; north is up.
The victim was alone in a room with exactly one other person: the killer.

Show the answer and the solution to case #14

The killer was Xavier (the painter) — the only other person in the Library with Sadie. Zeke: B2 · Otto: C5 · Nell: A1 · Xavier: D4 · Sadie: E3.

Nell and Xavier can only stand in rows A and D — 2 people for 2 rows, so those rows are theirs and nobody else can use them.
Row A still needs someone, and Nell is the only one who can still stand in it. In row A, “She was beside a chair.” fits only A1.
Sadie, the victim, has no statement — but only one square is left in a free row and column: E3, in the Library.
Zeke: “He was beside a table. He was in the Staff Room.” Of the squares that fit, only B2 is still open — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
Otto: “He was in a corner of a room.” Of the squares that fit, only C5 is still open — the rest are ruled out above.
Xavier: “He was beside a bookshelf. He was not beside any table.” Of the squares that fit, only D4 is still open — the others are in rows or columns already taken.
Everyone is placed. Sadie lies in the Library, and the only other person in there is Xavier. Xavier is the killer.