Question

You are a private detective who has been hired to investigate the death of a wealthy but eccentric Mr. Johnson, a man who was well known for his riches and reclusive in nature. He avoided being around others because he was always filled with anxiety and startled easily. He suffered from paranoia, and he would fire servants who he had employed for a long time because he feared they were secretly plotting against him. He would also eat the same meal for dinner every night: two steaks cooked rare and two baked potatoes with sour cream. Upon arriving at the tragic scene, you are told that Mr. Johnson was found dead in his home early this morning by servants. The previous evening the chef had prepared the usual dinner for Mr. Johnson, the servants had been dismissed early to avoid returning home during last night's terrible storm. When they returned in the morning Mr. Johnson's body was found face down in the dining room. Looking into the room, you start your investigation.

You see:

- The large window in the dining room has been shattered and appears to have been smashed open from the outside

- The body exhibits laceration (cuts) wounds and lies facedown by the table

- There is a large red stain that emanates from under the body

- An open bottle of red wine and a partially eaten steak still remains on the table

- A chair has been tipped over next to the body

- Under the table there is a knife with blood on it



What happened to Mr. Johnson? Explain using evidence in P.E.E.L. format.

Answer 1

(P)I think what happened to Mr. Johnson was that he got poisoned and stabbed. (E)According to the things that were scattered across the crime scene, I saw an open bottle of red wine and a partially eaten steak still remains on the table, a knife under the table that seemed to be...used, and a large red stain under the body and cut wounds. (E) My evidence supports my point because, well, it'd sort of make sense if Mr. Johnson was poisoned and stabbed to death judging by how the steak was not halfway eaten and the knife that was under the table was covered in blood. He also had cuts and wounds that show that he was probably stabbed after he was "poisoned." (L) By gathering all the information at the scene of Mr. Johnson's death, I claimed that the death of his was caused by poisoning and a knife to his, wherever he was stabbed at.

I tried my best yo answer it with the format it required. Hope this helps though!