[ WEEK ONE – TRIAL ]

[sheriffexe]

TRIAL

In the morning, the town comes back to life. Birds crow overhead, a snake nearby hisses, a lingering coyote dips behind a shop before disappearing into the wild. It's a frightening contrast to the stillness of yesterday but it doesn't mean it's over yet. After all, today is the trial. The Sheriff stands on the porch of the Town Hall and brings his hand up to his mouth to let out a whistle. He'll thumb back to the Hall behind him and very clearly state -- "Trial time, folks. Get in here and figure out who did it." And then he'll turn to leave before pausing and adding on, "Bring a snack or somethin' too. The Town Hall is set up more like a court house, a Judge's bench at the front but instead of at center, it's off to the side as if more for observation than participation. There's a table at the front of the room already holding a small box and a pad of papers and pen, for voting apparently. A side room containing only a metal gurney is next and today it's obvious why there's a gurney there at all with the corpse, resting right on top of it. Aside from that, there are rows for everyone to take a seat and it's only after everyone is inside and settled, that the doors close and the Sheriff speaks. "Well, have at it. You've got till nine." And then, he points to a clock on the wall that reads 12:00. Good luck. Welcome to the trial post! Characters are free to discuss everything related to the trial here. They won't be let out of the room until 9PM when voting ends. Every character must vote and the voting post can be found here. If there are any questions, please shoot a message to this journal or to robowest.

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Comments

[thatsthespirit]

Considering the state of the saloon, I feel as though that is where the killing actually took place. I suspect the body was then moved to the railroad tracks, and then the graveyard.

[combattente]

That would make sense, and explain the footprints and the trails of blood. But then there's the handprints... How do we explain that?

[a_sin_for_him]

Murder is a difficult business, people don't die as easily as one might think.

It could have been a messy job, the murder not completed in one single enounter.

[thatsthespirit]

[a dawning look of understanding crosses her features[

And it was the footsteps leading from the saloon to the railroad station.

She may have ran.

[a_sin_for_him]

Attempted to escape, yes. Pursued, and caught soon after, but an attempt may have been made. The state of the saloon.... it wasn't a clean and easy affair.

[hitsitoff]

Yeah, clear signs of struggle all over. She couldn't have gotten far, considering all the blood there, but her running's definitely not out of the question.

[thatsthespirit]

And the saloon is fairly close to the station.

[hitsitoff]

Right. Think it's fair to say she was panicking. Adrenaline might've helped get her that far, if she really didn't die inside the saloon.

[a_sin_for_him]

Alternatively, she could have wounded her attacker in the struggle. Not all of the blood may be hers. The prints could be from the wounded killer, struggling to move the body and themself.

[hitsitoff]

Could be it. Not much in the way of blood analysis possible here, so no way of telling who all the blood belongs to.

'Course, if the killer got wounded, they should still be right now. Patched up, maybe, but wounds don't heal that quick.

[a_sin_for_him]

An easy enough thing to check for.

[combattente]

That's true, but the amount of blood and the fact that the glass is in her neck would make it seem as if she died in the saloon, or at least that she died from the wound inflicted by the bottle.

[a_sin_for_him]

Dying from the bottle and dying in the same place she was wounded don't necessarily go hand in hand. It's surprising, the amount of blood and necessary things the body can lose and still maintain some form of function.

And as you said...it makes it seem.

[combattente]

I'm well aware of all that... I chose my words carefully, as you said. But I think it's worth noting we didn't find any remnants of the bottle elsewhere. Only in the saloon and her neck.

Did anyone identify the handprints, though?

[a_sin_for_him]

Mmm, yes, I'm just thinking out loud. And that is worth noting.

Not to my knowledge. Though I imagine the only way would have been a direct comparison to everyone in town's hands. Someone ought to have done that.

[impulsiveness]

But why move it to the railroad tracks and then the graveyard? What was the point of that?

[It's not like the railroad station is on the way to the graveyard.]

[thatsthespirit]

[but then Lust said something intriguing]

Maybe it wasn't the killer who moved the victim.

[impulsiveness]

... You think she was still able to move after getting her throat slashed?

[thatsthespirit]

It's possible. Anything is possible when someone is resilient.

[says the woman who allowed her legs to be blown up]

But it's also possible the killer wanted to make it seem like she ran when she did. For what purpose, I don't know.

[impulsiveness]

Wish we thought of comparing hand prints before the trial started. Or...

[... Hmm.]

I don't want to blame her, but do you think Tiara would be able to hold Ao's weight? Enough to lug the body from one place to another. She could fake it if we asked her, but there's gotta be some way to make sure.