Case: The Leaked Turnabout

[LostSanity]

Location: Outside Ponyville Detention Center
Crime: Aggravated Assault
Victim: Clyde Riches
Suspect: Beck Deed
Acting Detective: Cole Gotem
Assistant Detective: Lane Logikin
Details:  While being transferred to the Ponyville Detention Center to await trial, Clyde Riches, suspected of mass fraud, disappeared and was seemingly attempting to flee. However, he was later found severely assaulted in a nearby alley close to the Ponyville Detention Center. Another pony, one Beck Deed, was found at the scene of the crime. He was immediately arrested on suspicion of the severe assault committed against Clyde Riches. But… did he really do it? And… how did he know that Clyde would be transferred this day? There is much more to this incident then it may seem…

 

Participants:

 

 

Earth Writer (Rackenhammer)

Symphonic Fire (SymphonicFire)

Whiteheart Truman (DavidCortez)

 

---

 

Monday - 1:00 p.m

Outside Ponyville Detention Center

It was a normal, afternoon day in Ponyville. Or was it? Nope. Not really. A crime had just occurred. Not only that, but, the crime was relatively close to the Ponyville Detention Center, where all of the suspected criminals of heinous criminal acts that occurred in Ponyville were taken and held in jail cells until their trials. Specifically, it was right next to the Ponyville Detention Center in the alley directly to the left of it. Police tape sort of 'quarantined' the area off to anyone not involved with this investigation. Police ponies were running here, there, and everywhere outside of the crime scene.

Presently... there were three ponies located inside the crime scene. The first was the chief of the Ponyville Police Headquarters, Cole Gotem. He would be in charge of this investigation, so, he had on his 'professional' clothes to 'look the part' so to speak.

 

 

There were two other ponies at the scene. The first was the current suspect being held on suspicion of the crime, who was near the back of the alley.

 

 

The other wasn't exactly a witness. Well... he was and he wasn't. He was the correctional officer who was leading the victim to the Ponyville Detention Center to be held until his trial. He was standing to the slight left of the crime scene, in front of the dumpster that was also in the alley which was located on the left of the crime scene.

 

 

Cole Gotem was at the front of the crime scene, in deep thought about everything that had just happened.

"I can't believe something like this happened. How in the hay did this pony know that the victim was being transferred to the Detention Center today? It just doesn't make any sense. I've got a bad feeling about this one. I wish Lane were here to help me, but, I told him to handle that other incident. There's no way I can do all of this on my own. It'd be nice if I received some help... thought Cole

Cole continued racking his brain, trying to figuring out what he should do next.

 

((Just make some sort of post where your characters find the scene and introduce themselves to Cole Gotem. I know most of these OC's don't have information sheets on here but they were apart of the RP I did on the other site and I pretty much have to include them as they are important for the case. They're pretty much here for obvious plot reasons like other Ace Attorney characters. So I don't think they need character sheets. Anyway, have fun.))

[LostSanity]

((Alright I know I'm double posting but please just allow it moderators. This is required for this RP as well. It's the "Court Record." Any Ace Attorney fan should know what that is. Basically, it's where you can find all of the evidence, profiles, etc.))

 

Court Record:

 

Profiles:

Cole Gotem: A police pony with a lot of experience. He has worked his way to become chief of the Ponyville Police Headquarters. He was the one who discovered Lane Logikin and hired him as a detective for the Ponyville Police Headquarters.

 

Lane Logikin: A young detective with the Ponyville Police Headquarters who has been called a "genius." However, he struggles to prove himself and live up to all of these expectations.

A character assessment of him done by Cole Gotem reveals that he would be the next lieutenant of the PPHQ

 

Ben Bars: A corrections officer.

 

Beck Deed: The current suspect. Charged with the assault on the victim. Owns a business, but, it is currently in a state of decline. He was one of the many victims of Clyde Riches' frauds.

Clyde Riches: The victim of a severe assault. However, he's not exactly completely innocent himself. He's a criminal, and is suspected of mass fraud in many towns across Equestria. Beck Deed was one of his victims.

 

Fiora Case: One of the few female police ponies that works at the PPHQ. Has been arrested and is suspected of leaking classified information to the vigilante who has been assaulting suspected criminals. She interrogates the suspects and criminals and also questions victims and witnesses. No pony likes being questioned by her, as she treats everypony as if they have something to hide and should remember absolutely everything that happened to them or during the crime.

 

Will Forge: Another police pony who works at the PPHQ. He has just as many, if not more, complaints about him than Fiora does. There are rumors that he forges evidence and treats everypony he questions as if they are criminals.

He is being considered as the next lieutenant for the PPHQ, however, he wouldn't get the job and would be beat out for the position by Lane Logikin.

 

Evidence:

 

Blood Pool:
Even though it has dried up, it’s still there; a blood pool with an imprint of a pony in the middle of it. The remnants of what happened to Clyde Riches. It only shows that Clyde Riches truly was beaten pretty badly by somepony who knew how to beat somepony up that badly.

Beck's Financial Statement:
A confusing report of Beck Deed’s financial situation with a business he owns and runs. It may be hard to make sense of; however, one thing is obvious from just simply looking at it. Beck is in a lot of holes, and isn’t making as much money as he needs to.

Huge Stack of Bills:
Multiple envelopes of expense bills. All of them stating late notices, late charges, and late payment notices for expenses and bills for Beck Deed’s business. There are also foreclosure warnings from a bank concerning late payments on the mortgage and upkeep of Beck Deed’s business as well.

 

Clyde’s Medical Examination:
There are bruises all over his body. The hits were done in specific spots to do the most damage. Whoever attacked him not only knew where to strike, but, was very precise and knew what they were doing.

 

Beck Deed's "Angry Letter":
A note containing lots of anger and rage at Clyde Riches. The handwriting matches the handwriting of Beck Deed. It still has the remnants of dried blood on it. Letter details:

 “How dare him!! My business… my WHOLE business!! Does he have ANY idea how hard I’ve worked my flank off to make the business what it was and to make it as successful as it has been?! He doesn’t!! Then, he ruins all of it, by tricking me?! No!! I refuse to allow something I’ve worked so hard on be demolished in a matter of days by a scamming foal!! Why I… if I saw him… he’d get his!! I’d beat him until he couldn’t move anymore!! Yes!! I’d put him through the same kind of torture he put me through!! Maybe then he’ll understand what it feels like to have everything you’ve worked tirelessly on to be broken in a matter of days!! He’ll get his; I’ll make sure of it!! Even if I have to do it myself!! He’ll get what’s coming to him in the end. He’ll get just EXACTLY what he deserves!! He’ll pay!! I’ll make him pay and regret ever doing this to me!! He chose the wrong pony to mess with!! But, it’s too late now!! I’ll personally make sure he gets EXACTLY EVERYTHING he deserves, no matter what it takes!!”

 

Ben Bars' Truth:
A statement containing the whole truth from Ben Bars. The gust of wind he felt behind him was actually somepony running behind him and foalnapping Clyde Riches. This pony then brought Clyde Riches to the alley, proceeded to beat him to a pulp, and left the scene of the crime before being spotted by any of the police ponies. Ben seems to believe whoever it was had to be in good shape, as they were fast enough to commit the crime and flee the scene before being spotted by any of the police ponies. The pony also found a way to conceal his hoofmarks from being left at the scene as well. The only pony who saw this unknown pony... seems to be... Beck Deed.

 

Fiora's Complaint Report:
A multi-page complaint on the demeanor, attitude, actions, and everything you could possibly imagine for Fiora Case. There are several pages of complaints on her with a wide range of what the complaints were about. Not only that, the complaints comes from everypony imaginable as well. Not simply just from suspects and defense attorneys, they are there as well though, but also complaints from prosecutors, detectives, other police ponies, and even complaints from witnesses and victims believe it or not. Reading the entire thing reveals that one thing remains absolutely clear. No pony seems to like or care for the way she interrogates suspects and questions witnesses and victims. There is one common place of agreement however. She always yells at them and to “tell her everything” and claims that they “aren’t telling the truth and are obviously hiding something” as well as claiming that they “have to remember everything because it’s impossible to forget something that happened or obviously happened” even when they truly don’t remember what happened. Basically, she treats everypony, suspects, victims, witnesses, and so on, the same way when she questions them. Most ponies request another officer, too, however, she forces them to stay and questions them anyway claiming that “no pony else is available” or “everypony else is busy at the moment."

 

PPHQ Lieutenant Assessments:
Two “character assessments” for two ponies. It is for what seems to be something similar to that of a “job opening.” Apparently, Cole has been looking for an assistant, basically, a new lieutenant for the PPHQ. The two assessments for the two ponies Cole is considering for the job are inside with the “job opening” as well.

 

Will Forge’s Character Assessment:
The character assessment for Will Forge for the position of lieutenant for the PPHQ. Very few “pros” and lots of “cons.” The only “pros” listed is that he comes to work on time, is very organized, gets all work done and turned in on time, and has the most experience in the policing field. The “cons” are… several. He has just as many complaints on his record as Fiora does, perhaps even a little more. He treats everypony the same whether they’re a victim, suspect or witness and always thinks they are continuing to hide something, aren’t being truthful about everything, and are leaving the most important stuff out and aren’t telling it to him. That’s not even the worst thing on there. That would be rumors and accusations of forging evidence by victims, suspects, witnesses, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and even fellow officers. His mindset seems to be that the first suspect they bring in for questioning for committing the crime is the true, actual, and only suspect, and he will do anything and everything, whatever it takes, to ensure that they are declared guilty for the crime they “obviously” committed.

 

Lane Logikin’s Character Assessment:
The character assessment for Lane Logikin for the position of lieutenant for the PPHQ. The exact opposite of Will Forge’s character assessment. Lots of “pros” and not very many “cons.” “Pros” include similar “pros” to that of Will Forge. Comes to work on time, very organized, gets all work done and turned in. However, there’s more. He treats everypony with respect. He treats victims, suspects, and witnesses differently. Basically, he treats every individual with how that certain individual should be treated. He doesn’t instantly assume that the first suspect they bring in is the true and actual criminal. Not only that, but, he has lots of compliments from… victims. This is because he tries to keep in touch and contact with victims to make sure they are doing alright. The victims even state that, at first, they felt like he was intruding and bothering them too much. It eventually got to the point where they felt like they could actually “talk” to Lane and he would actually “listen” to them. Basically, victims of crime really liked Lane giving them all the support he did and could, and really, went above and beyond the call of duty to do so. The “cons” are obvious stuff, like his age and inexperience at policing. There are also mentions of him always second guessing himself, criticizing himself too much, not being sure that a theory of his is right or not, self-confidence issues mostly.

 

Assault Police Report:
A simple police report detailing the assault on Clyde Riches. Contains all of the information about the assault, what happened, how the victim was found, the current suspect being suspected of the crime, and so on.

 

Assaults on Suspects Compilation:
A large stack of police reports dealing with the similar manner; assaults on current suspects of crimes. All of these reports are relatively similar, with the same circumstances and victim condition when found. All of the assaults are just like with Clyde Riches’ assault. Severe blows to specific areas to do the most damage resulting in the bleeding and massive bruising of the victims. Most of the suspects were more than likely to be found guilty for the crimes they were charged with. However, there were some suspects where there was not a lot of evidence against them and the general opinion was that they were innocent. Yet they were assaulted anyway. All of them were assaulted the same way as well; as they were being transferred to the Ponyville Detention Center to be held until their trials. It looks as though there are similar incidents going on. However, the Clyde Riches assault was the only assault where a suspect was found, detained, and arrested for the crime.

 

Suspect List:
A list of suspects that were detained by Ponyville police ponies. It contains all of the information about them, as well as the crime they are accused of committing, when they are being transferred to the Ponyville Detention Center, etc. Only certain police ponies have this and have access to it. It's unknown if Fiora has one of these or not.

 

((More will be added once the characters are fully introduced and you actually find evidence obviously.))

[Blueblood]

The wise, of course, do not believe in the existence of disinterested observers.  If a pony has no interest, they will not bother to observe.  It had to be said, though, that said interests were rarely particular.  For Earth Writer, reporter for the Canterlot Chronicle, the chief interest was to find something interesting to fill a column's length worth of news.  Sometimes this would involve asking around at local bars, hitting up contacts at various offices throughout the city, but most often simply roving the streets with eyes peeled.

 

This the tan unicorn was doing today, and it seemed to have borne fruit.  Police investigations were always dependable for copy, and who knows?  Perhaps an ongoing investigation was happening, which could run through several dailies.  

 

He trotted right up and over the cordon, flashing his press card in the face of the guard on watch.  "Earth Writer, Canterlot Chronicle.  Your boss wanted to have a few words with me."  This was not so much as lie as a premature truth.  Investigators always did want to have words with reporters, though it had to be said that they were not always polite words.

 

In any case, Earth was glad to see Cole there; the chief had a reputation for being willing to work with parallel investigations.  Tipping his hat as he walked up, the journalist pulled out a notebook and pencil with his magic.  "'Morning, Chief.  Would you mind giving a few words on all this?"

[SymphonicFire]

Fire was trotting down the street until she saw something peculiar. There were ponies from the police who were guarding an area. Fire walked up to them and asked about what happened. "This is none of your business, please step away from the scene" he said in a harsh tone. Fire huffed and turned away from the stallion, but she was still curious.

[LostSanity]

((Time for the first official update. Yay? I guess?)

 

The wise, of course, do not believe in the existence of disinterested observers.  If a pony has no interest, they will not bother to observe.  It had to be said, though, that said interests were rarely particular.  For Earth Writer, reporter for the Canterlot Chronicle, the chief interest was to find something interesting to fill a column's length worth of news.  Sometimes this would involve asking around at local bars, hitting up contacts at various offices throughout the city, but most often simply roving the streets with eyes peeled.

 

This the tan unicorn was doing today, and it seemed to have borne fruit.  Police investigations were always dependable for copy, and who knows?  Perhaps an ongoing investigation was happening, which could run through several dailies.  

 

He trotted right up and over the cordon, flashing his press card in the face of the guard on watch.  "Earth Writer, Canterlot Chronicle.  Your boss wanted to have a few words with me."  This was not so much as lie as a premature truth.  Investigators always did want to have words with reporters, though it had to be said that they were not always polite words.

 

In any case, Earth was glad to see Cole there; the chief had a reputation for being willing to work with parallel investigations.  Tipping his hat as he walked up, the journalist pulled out a notebook and pencil with his magic.  "'Morning, Chief.  Would you mind giving a few words on all this?"

 

 

"It seems pretty clear-cut if you ask me. The victim is Clyde Riches who was being transferred to the Ponyville Detention Center for multiple fraud charges. In other words, you could call him a scam artist. If you can believe it, one of his victims is actually our current suspect. His name is Beck Deed. He doesn't seem the type to do that kind of damage to somepony, let alone physically strong enough, but, his business was almost practically ruined by the victim. He probably just went into a rage to get revenge. Either way... he was the first pony on the scene when we found him." stated Cole.

 

After a brief pause, he spoke up again

 

"Anyway I'm still trying to figure out how to investigate this. I'd do it myself, but, that would kind of be a conflict of interest" stated Cole

 

Fire was trotting down the street until she saw something peculiar. There were ponies from the police who were guarding an area. Fire walked up to them and asked about what happened. "This is none of your business, please step away from the scene" he said in a harsh tone. Fire huffed and turned away from the stallion, but she was still curious.

 

 

Cole noticed the pony, but, when the guard pushed her away, he went back to trying to figure out how to handle investigating this incident.

 

Fire was probably also close enough to hear Cole's conversation with Earth Writer.

 

((The red text is just supposed to show important information. ))

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer's ears were perked and his pencil busy.  One never knew when that other officer was going to come over and ask what a 'nosey newsy' was doing around 'his' crime scene, so it was important to get all the details down.  It didn't seem implausible, on the face of it, that a scam artist's victims would come around to give him a thorough posterior-pummeling.  Following the chief's gaze over to the number-one suspect, though, the reporter had to admit, he shared Cole's doubts.

 

"Was he wearing that when you found him?"  From what he could see, Beck's vest was a little too neat for him to have just gotten off beating another pony to death, and- "His pockets aren't big enough for those glasses."  In any kind of fight, particularly in a bezerker rage, the frames would have been bent, even if the lenses didn't break!

 

Yep, definitely something more going on.  There was another thing, more incidental, that caught the reporter's interest.  "Of course, this is the first I heard that an officer sworn to uphold Truth and Justice re-opening an investigation whose initial conclusion was suspicious constituted a 'conflict of interest'... Unless you do actually know any of the ponies in question personally."  Earth shrugged.  "Well, I don't; so if you want another set of eyes on the business, I'm your stallion... provided, of course, that you have no problem with us publishing the results."  The unicorn winked, grinning.  Investigative journalism, what fun!

[SymphonicFire]

"Fu fu, I know quite a bit. Maybe I could help" Fire smiled as she returned to the scene and moved away from the guard. "Perhaps I could lend a hoof, I know most of the details already" she said to the pony. "I'm very smart!"

[LostSanity]

Earth Writer's ears were perked and his pencil busy.  One never knew when that other officer was going to come over and ask what a 'nosey newsy' was doing around 'his' crime scene, so it was important to get all the details down.  It didn't seem implausible, on the face of it, that a scam artist's victims would come around to give him a thorough posterior-pummeling.  Following the chief's gaze over to the number-one suspect, though, the reporter had to admit, he shared Cole's doubts.

 

"Was he wearing that when you found him?"  From what he could see, Beck's vest was a little too neat for him to have just gotten off beating another pony to death, and- "His pockets aren't big enough for those glasses."  In any kind of fight, particularly in a bezerker rage, the frames would have been bent, even if the lenses didn't break!

 

Yep, definitely something more going on.  There was another thing, more incidental, that caught the reporter's interest.  "Of course, this is the first I heard that an officer sworn to uphold Truth and Justice re-opening an investigation whose initial conclusion was suspicious constituted a 'conflict of interest'... Unless you do actually know any of the ponies in question personally."  Earth shrugged.  "Well, I don't; so if you want another set of eyes on the business, I'm your stallion... provided, of course, that you have no problem with us publishing the results."  The unicorn winked, grinning.  Investigative journalism, what fun!

 

 

Cole facehooved. After this, he looked back towards Earth Writer.

 

"By the way... you see that pony over there?" asked Cole as he used his right hoof to point towards the other police-looking pony and then continued.

 

"He's a part of the police department as well. As a corrections officer. His name is Ben Bars. Anyway, somehow, the victim was foalnapped as he was leading him to the Ponyville Detention Center. After reporting what happened... well... I think you can figure out the rest. They found the victim, and our current suspect, here in this alley. Anyway, that's sort of why I can't investigate it myself. Conflict of interest and all of that." explained Cole

 

"Fu fu, I know quite a bit. Maybe I could help" Fire smiled as she returned to the scene and moved away from the guard. "Perhaps I could lend a hoof, I know most of the details already" she said to the pony. "I'm very smart!"

 

 

At this point... Cole sighed. He then looked at the pony that said this and then at Earth Writer.

 

"Fine. You two win. However, I'm keeping an eye on you. Do anything suspicious and I won't hesitate to boot you out of here. Got it?" warned Cole

 

Begin Investigation

 

 

The alley was relatively small. The area directly in front of Cole Gotem, who was near the front of the alley, lead to the main open road in Ponyville that was near the Ponyville Detention Center. The left side of the building of the Ponyville Detention Center was to the right of the alley with the side of another random building to the left of the alley. There was a large, green, dumpster to the left of the alley as well, that Ben Bars was slightly in front of. The dumpster's top was currently closed. The suspect was near the back of the alley, where, if one was to look closely enough, it would be noticed that he was shaking pretty badly. Directly in front of the suspect, to the left of Ben Bars, and directly behind Cole Gotem was the crime scene itself, indicated by the blood pool that was there that only stopped in the middle of the pool itself. In the middle of the pool, was what looked like the indentation and shape of a pony. A pretty horrible sight, well, at least, for those that weren't used to seeing blood that is.

 

((The Spoiler is basically a "map" of the area. Try to imagine an empty spot in the middle of the blood stain that it's empty and in the shape of a pony. This also officially begins the Ace Attorney-like "Investigation" phase. Where you search around for evidence. Just search for evidence first. Some evidence may require you to talk to a few of the witnesses, however, their "testimonies" will come later ))

[SymphonicFire]

"Roger!" Fire smiled as she climbed over the tape that marked the crime scene. She inspected the dumpster that was next to the pool of blood, gagging at the smell. "Did you guys investigate the entire crime scene yet?" she asked

[DavidCortez]

'Oh man I'm so late...' Whitheart thought as he ran.

As he finally reached the area, he took a moment to rest, then approached Cole.

"Sorry I'm late, sir, but I'm here to investigate the crime."

 

((I'm sorry about how late I am, I was just really busy with birthday stuff. I was going to post yesterday, but as soon as I got back home my internet was out.))

[Blueblood]

"Ah, internal affairs not your beat, eh?  Well, don't worry; I don't sling mud randomly, I aim and propel it with fact."  Earth Writer gave Cole a kind of salute with his pen once permission was granted for him and another pony to investigate.  Apparently, some random pony already possessed prior knowledge.

 

"I hope at some point you plan to share your wealth of information to the public, miss Fire."  Most ponies might have thought the reporter's sardonic attitude excessively glib, especially considering that there was a bloodstain in the shape of a pony not 20 feet away from him.  However, a good investigator has to keep his emotions in check somehow, and an assumed bohemian attitude of detachment was far from the worst of methods.

 

Speaking of bloodstains, that was the obvious place to look for clues.  Earth looked over it curiously; the stain pattern looked a little odd for a victim supposedly beaten to death.  Assuming Clyde wasn't bound in all four hooves, surely the stains would have been spread out much more as the struggle to fight back or escape happened.  Or maybe...

Testing a theory, the unicorn pulled out a spare pen, loosened the cap, and dropped it in the alley in front of the police cordon, outside of the defined scene.  *If the splatter patterns match, then Clyde was probably dropped.  That would account for the indentation in the middle of the splatter, and its relatively even distribution...*

 

I'm not sure how many questions we're allowed to ask or hypotheses we're allowed to test per post.  I'm assuming one for now.

[LostSanity]

((Since everyone involved in this posted, there's no reason to wait for the three days to pass. Here comes a new update. Also Rackenhammer, you can do as many as you want and I'll try to respond to all of them ))

 

"Roger!" Fire smiled as she climbed over the tape that marked the crime scene. She inspected the dumpster that was next to the pool of blood, gagging at the smell. "Did you guys investigate the entire crime scene yet?" she asked

 

 

"Not yet. Go right ahead and examine everything you possibly can" answered Cole

 

Apon further inspection of the dumpster, there was indeed something in it. Well... actually... two somethings. One was a crumpled up piece of paper. The other was what seemed like a stack of envelopes.

Unraveling the crumpled piece of paper would reveal...

Evidence Obtained - Beck's Financial Statement:
A confusing report of Beck Deed’s financial situation with a business he owns and runs. It may be hard to make sense of; however, one thing is obvious from just simply looking at it. Beck is in a lot of holes, and isn’t making as much money as he needs to.

A closer inspection of the envelopes would reveal... that it was actually a stack of expense bills.

Evidence Obtained - Huge Stack of Bills:
Multiple envelopes of expense bills. All of them stating late notices, late charges, and late payment notices for expenses and bills for Beck Deed’s business. There are also foreclosure warnings from a bank concerning late payments on the mortgage and upkeep of Beck Deed’s business as well.

 

'Oh man I'm so late...' Whitheart thought as he ran.

As he finally reached the area, he took a moment to rest, then approached Cole.

"Sorry I'm late, sir, but I'm here to investigate the crime."

 

 

"Oh it's you. I'm actually glad you came. Our current suspect could probably use the kind words of a defense attorney like you right now. Come on in." stated Cole

 

"Ah, internal affairs not your beat, eh?  Well, don't worry; I don't sling mud randomly, I aim and propel it with fact."  Earth Writer gave Cole a kind of salute with his pen once permission was granted for him and another pony to investigate.  Apparently, some random pony already possessed prior knowledge.

 

"I hope at some point you plan to share your wealth of information to the public, miss Fire."  Most ponies might have thought the reporter's sardonic attitude excessively glib, especially considering that there was a bloodstain in the shape of a pony not 20 feet away from him.  However, a good investigator has to keep his emotions in check somehow, and an assumed bohemian attitude of detachment was far from the worst of methods.

 

Speaking of bloodstains, that was the obvious place to look for clues.  Earth looked over it curiously; the stain pattern looked a little odd for a victim supposedly beaten to death.  Assuming Clyde wasn't bound in all four hooves, surely the stains would have been spread out much more as the struggle to fight back or escape happened.  Or maybe...

Testing a theory, the unicorn pulled out a spare pen, loosened the cap, and dropped it in the alley in front of the police cordon, outside of the defined scene.  *If the splatter patterns match, then Clyde was probably dropped.  That would account for the indentation in the middle of the splatter, and its relatively even distribution...*

 

 

The pattern was similar, however, there was another possibility as well. When the blood pool was examined closer, it could be determined that there is indeed a lot of blood from the victim, despite the fact that it had dried up by now. An imprint of Clyde Riches' pony image was the only thing in the middle of the pool of blood that stopped the pool from being an outright puddle. Though... there seemed to be too much blood. It showed how badly beaten Clyde Riches truly was, which was pretty badly. Whoever did this... knew what they were doing. Perhaps they have done something like this before?

 

Evidence Obtained - Blood Pool:
Even though it has dried up, it’s still there; a blood pool with an imprint of a pony in the middle of it. The remnants of what happened to Clyde Riches. It only shows that Clyde Riches truly was beaten pretty badly by somepony who knew how to beat somepony up that badly.

 

((You guys are already close to the first "testimonies." Just two pieces of evidence to go. For this area that is. [Yes there are multiple locations, just like in Ace Attorney games. I'm mean. I know. ]))

[Blueblood]

Hm, all the splatter pattern seemed to show was that most of Clyde's blood had gotten out of him somehow.  Whether the impacts were due to gravity or a pony's hooves, this was the work of an experienced killer.  *Most likely not the work of an enraged ordinary citizen then, hah!  But I'll need grounds more relative than this, as the Immortal Bard said...*

 

"Do you mind giving any details about the condition of the body?  Were the signs of impact evenly distributed, or were the breaks and bruises concentrated in any particular area?"  The reporter was no expert in the matter, but there would surely be more signs of the experience of the perp, based on the precision of their blows.

 

It would also be a good idea to consult with fellow investigators.  "So, what'd you find in the dumpster?"  He trotted over to Fire to take a look.  Hm, a lot of financial statements, unpaid bills and the like.  A pretty bit of evidence against Beck, except... "Is his business anywhere near here?  We're just outside the Detention Center, and that's where most of this garbage would have come from."  If there was any closer place for Beck Deed to have disposed of his paperwork, surely it would be more probable that he would use it.  Then, logically, the likely explanation for such things being here would be that he was framed!

 

Of course, if his business was close, then that would complicate matters.  Still, the incrimination was too neat and pat for the reporter's taste.  It was like the opening chapters of any mystery book; the obvious suspect is never the crook... except when he is, as a kind of un-twist.  Hm, maybe this wasn't going to be so easy after all...

[SymphonicFire]

Fire grinned as she found something. She couldn't find any connections between the evidence and the crime yet, but it was probably because she didn't read it thoroughly. Fire bent down and looked under and behind the dumpster, finding any other evidence that could help with the investigation. She then decided to examine the blood which made her shiver. "Has the blood been tested yet?" she asked, getting on the ground and sniffing it. "Were there anything objects in the blood?"

[DavidCortez]

"Oh it's you. I'm actually glad you came. Our current suspect could probably use the kind words of a defense attorney like you right now. Come on in." stated Cole

 

"Oh. Well I mean... I don't even know the suspect yet. I'll give it a shot, though."

Whitheart walked up to who he assumed to be the suspect, since the other ponies were investigating.

"Uh...hello. Are you the suspect?"

 

((The only thing I don't get it why Cole said 'come on in'. Isn't everyone still outside the Detention Center?))

[SymphonicFire]

((The crime scene was probably marked by tape, so I assume he meant come into the area.))

[LostSanity]

((The crime scene was probably marked by tape, so I assume he meant come into the area.))

 

 

((^^^Pretty much this. On to the update.))

 

Hm, all the splatter pattern seemed to show was that most of Clyde's blood had gotten out of him somehow.  Whether the impacts were due to gravity or a pony's hooves, this was the work of an experienced killer.  *Most likely not the work of an enraged ordinary citizen then, hah!  But I'll need grounds more relative than this, as the Immortal Bard said...*

 

"Do you mind giving any details about the condition of the body?  Were the signs of impact evenly distributed, or were the breaks and bruises concentrated in any particular area?"  The reporter was no expert in the matter, but there would surely be more signs of the experience of the perp, based on the precision of their blows.

 

It would also be a good idea to consult with fellow investigators.  "So, what'd you find in the dumpster?"  He trotted over to Fire to take a look.  Hm, a lot of financial statements, unpaid bills and the like.  A pretty bit of evidence against Beck, except... "Is his business anywhere near here?  We're just outside the Detention Center, and that's where most of this garbage would have come from."  If there was any closer place for Beck Deed to have disposed of his paperwork, surely it would be more probable that he would use it.  Then, logically, the likely explanation for such things being here would be that he was framed!

 

Of course, if his business was close, then that would complicate matters.  Still, the incrimination was too neat and pat for the reporter's taste.  It was like the opening chapters of any mystery book; the obvious suspect is never the crook... except when he is, as a kind of un-twist.  Hm, maybe this wasn't going to be so easy after all...

 

 

"I can help you there" answered the corrections officer, Ben Bars. He then proceeded to take out a yellow manila envelope from his vest and handed it to Earth Writer.

 

"That's the medical examination that was done on the victim after he arrived at the hospital." informed Ben

 

Evidence Obtained - Clyde's Medical Examination:

There are bruises all over his body. The hits were done in specific spots to do the most damage. Whoever attacked him not only knew where to strike, but, was very precise and knew what they were doing.

 

Fire grinned as she found something. She couldn't find any connections between the evidence and the crime yet, but it was probably because she didn't read it thoroughly. Fire bent down and looked under and behind the dumpster, finding any other evidence that could help with the investigation. She then decided to examine the blood which made her shiver. "Has the blood been tested yet?" she asked, getting on the ground and sniffing it. "Were there anything objects in the blood?"

 

 

"Actually there was. This." answered Ben as he then handed over what looked like some kind of note. Ben then spoke up once more.

 

"It's quite the incriminating piece of evidence if you ask me. It dropped into the blood pool a little bit and was written by the suspect. A handwriting test confirmed this. If you want to know everything about it, I'd suggest reading it yourself" informed Ben

 

Evidence Obtained - Beck's "Angry Letter:"

A note containing lots of anger and rage at Clyde Riches. The handwriting matches the handwriting of Beck Deed. It still has the remnants of dried blood on it. Letter details:

 

“How dare him!! My business… my WHOLE business!! Does he have ANY idea how hard I’ve worked my flank off to make the business what it was and to make it as successful as it has been?! He doesn’t!! Then, he ruins all of it, by tricking me?! No!! I refuse to allow something I’ve worked so hard on be demolished in a matter of days by a scamming foal!! Why I… if I saw him… he’d get his!! I’d beat him until he couldn’t move anymore!! Yes!! I’d put him through the same kind of torture he put me through!! Maybe then he’ll understand what it feels like to have everything you’ve worked tirelessly on to be broken in a matter of days!! He’ll get his; I’ll make sure of it!! Even if I have to do it myself!! He’ll get what’s coming to him in the end. He’ll get just EXACTLY what he deserves!! He’ll pay!! I’ll make him pay and regret ever doing this to me!! He chose the wrong pony to mess with!! But, it’s too late now!! I’ll personally make sure he gets EXACTLY EVERYTHING he deserves, no matter what it takes!!”

 

Once read, Ben couldn't help but gloat a little.

"Now do you see? He most certainly committed this act. Because... he was a victim of Mr. Riches' criminal acts. He has the motive and opportunity to do something like this" stated Ben

 

"Oh. Well I mean... I don't even know the suspect yet. I'll give it a shot, though."

Whitheart walked up to who he assumed to be the suspect, since the other ponies were investigating.

"Uh...hello. Are you the suspect?"

 

 

The pony responded quite quickly.

 

"I... I didn't do it I swear!!" stammered Beck, however, he spoke up again.

"I... I don't know what happened here honest!! I can't remember anything!! I was in here one minute, and the next, I was surrounded by police ponies with a severely assaulted pony in a pool of blood in front me!! They arrested me, saying I did it!! But I didn't do it I swear!!" repeated Beck.

 

This pony also seemed to be shaking quite a bit.

 

Cole was the next to speak up.

 

"You lot work fast don't you? We can finish this up right quick then. Share info with each other. Meanwhile, I need to talk with Ben to get the specifics of what exactly happened" suggested Cole as he then began to speak with Ben.

 

The group would need to prepare themselves by sharing info with each other. For it looked like they would be hearing testimony soon.

 

Investigation Complete

 

((Yup. You're done already. Have I told you to share information with each other enough yet? Yes? Okay.   Testimony will be soon.))

 

 

[SymphonicFire]

"Interesting, thank you" Fire said, reading the note again. He looked over at the suspect and back at the note. She walks over to the reporter (Earth Writer)and asked, "Did you gather any information? I'll share what I have if you would too"

[Blueblood]

Far from putting Beck under suspicion, Earth Writer found the note only increasing his own certainty that this was a frame job.  He talked it over in a hushed whisper with Fire after she showed it to him.  "None of this makes sense; why would that note be here?  It certainly wasn't written to the victim, and it would be pretty silly for Beck Deed to carry it about with him as a memo to himself.  Also, no one seems to be answering my questions about where his business was, or even what it was.  I hope he'll be forthcoming..."

 

He shook his head, looking down at his notes.  "The beating was an expert job.  The perp hit where it would do the most damage, and nowhere else.  It is improbable to the point of unbelievability that an angry amateur could have done as well."

[DavidCortez]

The pony responded quite quickly.

 

"I... I didn't do it I swear!!" stammered Beck, however, he spoke up again.

"I... I don't know what happened here honest!! I can't remember anything!! I was in here one minute, and the next, I was surrounded by police ponies with a severely assaulted pony in a pool of blood in front me!! They arrested me, saying I did it!! But I didn't do it I swear!!" repeated Beck.

 

This pony also seemed to be shaking quite a bit.

 

Cole was the next to speak up.

 

"You lot work fast don't you? We can finish this up right quick then. Share info with each other. Meanwhile, I need to talk with Ben to get the specifics of what exactly happened" suggested Cole as he then began to speak with Ben.

 

The group would need to prepare themselves by sharing info with each other. For it looked like they would be hearing testimony soon.

 

Investigation Complete

 

 

"But, I don't have any info to share..." 'I didn't even get to question the suspect...'

[SymphonicFire]

"Is that so? There has to be more evidence to make everything clear." Fire said, tapping her forehead. "Perhaps someone else was involved that could have killed the victim"

[LostSanity]

((Sorry Rackenhammer. I think I just forgot to answer your question. It will be answered in this update. Sorry. ))

 

"Interesting, thank you" Fire said, reading the note again. He looked over at the suspect and back at the note. She walks over to the reporter (Earth Writer)and asked, "Did you gather any information? I'll share what I have if you would too"

 

Far from putting Beck under suspicion, Earth Writer found the note only increasing his own certainty that this was a frame job.  He talked it over in a hushed whisper with Fire after she showed it to him.  "None of this makes sense; why would that note be here?  It certainly wasn't written to the victim, and it would be pretty silly for Beck Deed to carry it about with him as a memo to himself.  Also, no one seems to be answering my questions about where his business was, or even what it was.  I hope he'll be forthcoming..."

 

He shook his head, looking down at his notes.  "The beating was an expert job.  The perp hit where it would do the most damage, and nowhere else.  It is improbable to the point of unbelievability that an angry amateur could have done as well."

 

"But, I don't have any info to share..." 'I didn't even get to question the suspect...'

 

"Is that so? There has to be more evidence to make everything clear." Fire said, tapping her forehead. "Perhaps someone else was involved that could have killed the victim"

 

Apparently, Cole had already finished talking with Ben and was close enough to hear all of the investigators talking.

 

He then spoke towards Beck.

 

"Hey you. Could you tell us what your business is and where it's at?" asked Cole.

 

This seemed to make Beck jump a little like a scared cat. However, after recovering, but still shaking, he responded.

 

"H-Huh?! O-Oh, that?! W-Well... it's.... n-nothing special. J-Just a small patent office in Manehattan" answered Beck.

 

Cole then looked back towards the investigators and spoke to them now.

 

"I hope that satisfies all of you." stated Cole. He then seemed to turn his attention back to Beck Deed.

 

"Now... why don't you tell all of us what you were doing?" asked Cole

 

"Well... I... you see..." began Beck

 

--What I Was Doing--

-   I… I came down here for Clyde Riches’ trial. I… I was supposed to be a witness
-   They… They wouldn’t let me in, so, I simply waited outside until the trial began
-   I got bored, so, I went into an alley to wait for somepony to come out and call me
-   I… wasn’t doing anything really…
-   I don’t remember anything after that. I… I sort of… blacked out
-   When I came to, Clyde Riches was on the ground in front of me, and looked as if he was beaten severely!
-   There were police ponies everywhere too!! They just up and detained and arrested me, saying I was the one that did that to Clyde Riches!!
-   I… I didn’t do it I swear!!

 

"Alright then. Question him away" suggested Cole to the investigators

 

((When I did this on the other forum, there was a point system with this. But I'm throwing that out too. Just pester him with questions. However, just like in Ace Attorney games, there is a contradiction somewhere in this testimony. So... you're going to have to find it. If you think you know where it is, then, do what you're do in the Ace Attorney games. Present evidence [with OBJECTION! to if you feel like it ] with where you think the contradiction is at and explain why it's a contradiction. If you're not sure, then just keep pressing him and it might become clear where the contradiction is at. If that fails... then just ask for a hint and I'll try to give you all one. Also... listen to music while you do this too!! It made it more fun for me when I was in other people's custom cases on the forum I got kicked out of. You don't have to list to Ace Attorney testimony music if you don't want to, though it obviously fits. Listen to whatever you want, and figure the contradiction out!!))

 

((Oh. Have fun too. Have at it!! ))

[SymphonicFire]

"I...wasn't doing anything really..."

"HOLD IT!" Fire yelled. "Were you really doing nothing?"

[Blueblood]

A patent office in Manehattan?  Well, then it made absolutely no sense for his financial records to be in a Ponyville dumpster.  Not that Earth Writer was sanguine of any chances he would have in instilling a reasonable doubt into the jury.

 

Speaking of which, Beck seemed to be speaking up now, and with dutiful alacrity the reporter's notebook came out to record the testimony.  He frowned at the first telling of it.  Called as a witness to the trial... but not allowed in?  Usually witnesses were given some sort of accommodation... "I've never heard of a subpoenaed witness being shut out of a trial building for getting in early.  Mind if we see a copy of your subpoena letter?"

[LostSanity]

A patent office in Manehattan?  Well, then it made absolutely no sense for his financial records to be in a Ponyville dumpster.  Not that Earth Writer was sanguine of any chances he would have in instilling a reasonable doubt into the jury.

 

Speaking of which, Beck seemed to be speaking up now, and with dutiful alacrity the reporter's notebook came out to record the testimony.  He frowned at the first telling of it.  Called as a witness to the trial... but not allowed in?  Usually witnesses were given some sort of accommodation... "I've never heard of a subpoenaed witness being shut out of a trial building for getting in early.  Mind if we see a copy of your subpoena letter?"

 

Once again, it was Cole that responded to this, not the current suspect.

 

"We had just caught the victim in one of his schemes. It was actually a sting operation that finally caught him. He's done so many fraud schemes throughout Equestria it was hard to keep track of all of his victims. Which is why we had a message sent out in most of the cities that he had been caught, and if anypony had any pertinent information about him, to contact their local police. Mr. Deed here did just that. However, we wanted to put him away as quickly as possible so he couldn't do anymore damage. We didn't have time to subpoena him. We just had him agree to testify by mouth and we sent for him. Because he hadn't been prepped yet, that's why we didn't allow him in." informed Cole
 

 

"I...wasn't doing anything really..."

"HOLD IT!" Fire yelled. "Were you really doing nothing?"

 

Beck seemed to be caught by surprise by this question.

 

"Yes! I wasn't doing anything! R-Really!!" repeated Beck.

 

However, he couldn't hide it. He wasn't looking Fire in the eye when he answered. This seemed to suggest that he seemed to not only be hiding something, but may be lying as well.

 

It looked like the only way to get him to talk was to present the right evidence to him.