WEEK 0 TRIAL

[cartesio]

Week 0: Trial

By the time you get to the courtroom, the large clock on the top shows it’s 10:00 AM. The Sergeant is waiting in front of the open doors, when someone arrives he ushers them inside, into the trial room. He ignores any questions about why a trial will happen, all he does is glare at those who ask.

The trial room seems to have been modified for the purposes of having this sort of trials. There are thirty-three podiums arranged on a circle, none of them have any name or indication of where you must go. Looks like you’re free to stand wherever you want. The only exception is the podium draped in black velvet, with a cheap-looking polaroid of Lovepon placed right on top of it. The sides of the room have what seems to be tribunes, rising high and out of your reach, with enough chairs for a sizable crowd. It feels more like a stadium, and you and the rest of the participants would be the main show, but the seats are empty.

Once everyone is gathered at the trial room, the Sergeant glances up at digital clock on the wall, locks the entrance from the outside, and appears a short time later at the judge’s bench, positioned just as high as the public’s seats.

"I mentioned this already: we’re on a tight schedule right now. A life was claimed, and now your duty is to find who among you was responsible for this bloodshed. Lovepon deserves that much, doesn’t she? I trust you all investigated as much as possible. You should have enough to pinpoint who is the killer, now you must debate and decide who among you will be punished to the full extent of the law."

He raises his hand with authority. The shadows over his face seem to twist for a moment, as if they’re going to extend further over his face.

"No, you don’t have a choice. Submit your vote through the slot on your podium, all you have to do is write the name on paper and slide it there. Majority rules, refusing to vote is not an option. Now that I made myself clear..."

Let the trial begin.

Links

Evidence
Voting

Comments

[detegoergosum]

Generally, hiding the victim's identity is the cause for dismembering a corpse, but given the rather haphazard nature of the disposal, we can assume it was for another reason entirely. Hiding evidence is a good possibility, but what evidence are we missing?

[monstrology]

Yeah, I really doubt that was their reason for it. They made quite the display out of her head, wouldn't you say?

[Will...]

In any case, I did find some evidence in her pockets. And wouldn't you know it, it was a receipt for a large handsaw. That would certainly do the trick for dismemberment, though I find it interesting that this receipt was on the victim's person.

[detegoergosum]

I wouldn't say [ because manners ], but I don't suppose you're wrong. It's as if they did it for the mere spectacle.

...That would be a strange place to dispose of evidence, but little of the killer's actions seem to add up in the first place. I don't think we can assume whether the killer or the victim purchased the handsaw, but unless that information is on the receipt, it seems immaterial.

[ a beat. ]

...Is that information on the receipt?

[monstrology]

[You know it to be true, Naoto.]

Hmm. Some of the information was smeared from being wet for so long, though I don't recall seeing any names on it aside from the store it was purchased at. But I was able to see when it was purchased. Yesterday, the 30th. At the very least, the dismemberment wasn't exactly an impulsive decision.

[semperperatus]

A large handsaw, you said?

[monstrology]

That's right. I never came across the saw itself, though.

[semperperatus]

That...that helps, still. I'm not a stranger to saws.

[theserpentsmiles]

...I found the saw. It was on a bench not too far from the pond.

[He produces said saw. There's dried blood in the teeth.] I'm kind of surprised it wasn't more hidden than that...

[monstrology]

Aha, there it is.

And that's a good question indeed! Then again, neither were the body parts. Not that they could easily drag those out of the park without definitely being seen...

[theserpentsmiles]

It wasn't even under the bench... The blood on it was dry when I found it.

Maybe the killer just didn't think to hide it? If they're an inexperienced killer, maybe they were distressed enough after to not think about it.

[monstrology]

[Something about what Nagisa said causes Will to thoughtfully narrow his eyes. Huh.]

And it was on top of the bench? It's a wonder that anything dried up on that thing considering the rain.

A good point about the killer, though. Rather ambitious of them to go to dismemberment after their kill, then.

[Look at them discussing this so casually, too.]

[theserpentsmiles]

[It's just a murder, nbd.]

Yeah - it's not a lot of blood or anything, but a little bit.

I can't think of a lot of reasons to do it. Maybe to hide something - but we didn't know there'd be a trial, did we? So...maybe for depravity. [He. He knows well the kind of person who'd be into dismemberment for the sake of it. Taxidermy...] Or, if the body was moved, then smaller pieces would be easier. Or, running with the distress idea, maybe they just weren't putting a lot of thought into what they were doing.

This doesn't seem like it was an assassination...

[monstrology]

[Why would you want to do taxidermy on a human though, that's so boring.]

Oh, definitely not.

[That's in response to the bit about assassination. Don't say that so cheerfully and confidently, Will.]

Honestly, with all the possibilities as to why they went this route, maybe we shouldn't get too hung up on it for the time being. I imagine it'll become much clearer as we look into other evidence.