It Wasn't the Bear

“It Wasn't the Bear” is a Murdoku case from the Zoo category: a board of 9×9, 8 suspects and one victim. Read the clues, work out where everybody was standing, and name the suspect who was left alone with the body.

The Board

The floor plan as the case hands it to you: 9×9, rated Hard, with 8 rooms. Every person — 9 in all — takes a row and a column of their own.

C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8C9
R1CPC
R2TCTeT
R3CTFPlPP
R4PlBTr
R5CC
R6CCCTCTr
R7CCMC
R8CCPlTC
R9CCMTCC
Floor plan of “It Wasn't the Bear”. Letters mark the objects; the key is below.

Rooms

  • Feed Kitchen — 12 tiles: Chair, Table, Fridge
  • Zoo School — 16 tiles: Chair, Plant
  • Flamingo Pond (outdoors) — 5 tiles
  • Picnic Meadow (outdoors) — 12 tiles: Park bench, Chair, Tent, Table
  • Vet Station — 10 tiles: Plant, Chair, Table
  • Bear Pit (outdoors) — 9 tiles: Bear, Tree
  • Monkey House — 5 tiles: Monkey
  • Gift Shop — 12 tiles: Chair, Table

Objects on the board

  • C Chair (can be stood on)
  • T Table (blocks the tile)
  • P Park bench (can be stood on)
  • Pl Plant (blocks the tile)
  • M Monkey (blocks the tile)
  • Tr Tree (blocks the tile)
  • B Bear (blocks the tile)
  • F Fridge (blocks the tile)
  • Te Tent (can be stood on)

The Suspects and Their Clues

Each suspect comes with what the witnesses remember. Read them all before placing anyone — a clue about one person is very often what pins down another.

Alex — a man with brown hair, a beard and glasses

  • He was south-east of a bear, in a different room

Bella — a woman with red hair

  • She was south of Hana

Carol — a woman with black hair

  • She was north-west of every plant

Dalia — a woman with white hair and glasses

  • She was exactly 6 columns west of Alex

Elsa — a woman with brown hair and glasses

  • She was in the Flamingo Pond and she was exactly 3 columns west of Alex

Floyd — a man with grey hair and glasses

  • He was in the same row as a plant, in the same room

Grant — a man with blond hair, a beard and glasses

  • He was in the same row as a tree, in the same room

Hana — a woman with white hair

  • She was beside a plant

The victim, Verena, is a woman. Nothing else about them is known, and no clue depends on it.

Clues About the Whole Scene

  • Exactly 4 women were inside.

How Hard It Really Is

Deduction steps from the first clue to the verdict
33
Steps before anyone can be placed for certain
15
Reasoning the solve needs

How to Start — Without Spoilers

Before anything else, count where each suspect could be if you only read their own clues:

  • Alex: 6 possible tiles
  • Bella: 66 possible tiles
  • Carol: 5 possible tiles
  • Dalia: 66 possible tiles
  • Elsa: 5 possible tiles
  • Floyd: 5 possible tiles
  • Grant: 3 possible tiles
  • Hana: 3 possible tiles

The first deductions after that, in the order the solver finds them:

  1. Bella is south of Hana – impossible cells removed.
  2. Dalia was exactly 6 columns west of Alex
  3. Elsa was exactly 3 columns west of Alex

That is as far as this page goes. From here on it is yours — the in-game hint giver explains each next step if you get stuck, without giving the answer away.

This case has exactly one solution, and it can be reached by forward deduction alone — no guessing.

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