Veridian | Murder Mystery in Box HQ

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VERIDIAN ASYLUM

Welcome, Investigator.

You've sifted through the evidence, scrutinized the suspects, and stared at pictures of that creepy asylum until you started seeing ghosts. You've got your killer, you've got your motive, and you're ready to see if you cracked the case.

First things first, let's clear the board of all the red herrings we left for you. The key to solving this case was to prove who couldn't have done it.

THE INNOCENT PARTIES: CLEARING THE SUSPECTS

There were four people with powerful motives who were, in the end, completely innocent. Here’s how you could be sure.

Owen Thorne: The Vengeful Descendant

Owen had a fantastic motive: pure, cold-blooded revenge against the Sterling family. His interview was intense, and his anger felt real. But on the night of the murder, he was busy being a hero somewhere else.

How to clear him: You needed to combine two documents: the Invoice from Thorne Groundskeeping with The Grand Oakhaven Hotel Nightly Maintenance Log.

The Logic: The invoice shows Owen's company billed the hotel for a 4-hour emergency job, from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM on the night of the murder. But that's just a bill—he could have faked it, right? Nope. The hotel's own internal Nightly Maintenance Log provides the independent proof. A supervisor named T. Allen (the same manager mentioned on the invoice!) logged at 10:45 PM that Owen was physically on-site, repairing a burst water main. At 1:15 AM, Throne reported that the repairs complete. With his presence verified by a third party during the murder window (9:30 PM - 11:30 PM), Owen is in the clear.

Blair Navarro: The Jealous Ex-Boyfriend

Ah, the obsessive ex. Blair was practically dripping with motive. His anger, the secret about working for Corina, his creepy interview—he was designed to look guilty as sin. But, he had a painful—and airtight—alibi.

How to clear him: You only needed one document, but you had to read it carefully: the Tattoo Parlor Business Record.

The Logic: This document has two crucial data points. First, it shows Blair had a scheduled appointment from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM—a three-hour session. A good start, but he could have left early, right? That’s where the second data point comes in: the system’s automatically generated, timestamped photo of the finished tattoo was taken at 10:58 PM. By combining the long duration of the appointment with the timestamped proof of completion, you can be certain he was in that tattoo chair for the entire murder window.

Corina Vale: The Cornered Developer

Corina had it all: a multi-million dollar motive, a secret affair with another suspect, and a ruthless personality. Her company was about to go under, and Portia was the one holding the axe. But while Portia was being murdered, Corina was busy trying to save her empire.

How to clear her: You needed Office Building Security Log and the Investigation Notes.

The Logic: This one was tricky. The case investigation notes indicate that Corina Vale has a key card that provides her with access to Oakhaven Financial Tower where the offices of Vale Development LLC are located, and that her keycard ID is A-451-88. The letter from Apex Security provides a log of key card activity for the night of the murder. The log shows card A-451-88 (Corina Vale’s key card number) entering at 9:22 PM and exiting at 11:48 PM.But how do we know that Cornia herself used the key card during this time period? The final paragraph of the letter from Apex Security is the key. It states that all key card entries were verified by facial recognition and live camera feeds. So, when the log shows card A-451-88 entering at 9:22 PM and exiting at 11:48 PM, you know for a fact it was the registered user—Corina Vale—and not some accomplice. Her presence at her downtown office, miles from the asylum when the murder occurred, is confirmed.

Leo Sterling: The Anxious Brother

Poor Leo. He was paranoid, evasive, and fiercely protective of his family. His claim that he was "indisposed" on the night if the murder sounded like the worst alibi ever. Turns out, it was the truth.

How to clear him: You needed to combine the Hospital Intake Form with the Investigation Notes.

The Logic: The Hospital Intake Form shows Leo checked himself into the Oakhaven County General Hospital ER at 9:55 PM with a severe panic attack. This places him at the hospital for most of the murder window. But could he have left during that time and commuted the crime? The Investigation Notes seal the deal. They reveal that he was placed under "continuous observation in a monitored bed" until he was discharged at 12:30 AM. He was physically in a hospital bed, being watched by medical staff, the entire time. He's innocent.

The Killer - Unmasking Silas Sterling

With those four cleared, we're left with one man: the cool, collected architect, Silas Sterling.

Portia Vance had figured out the truth of the 112-year-old murder of Elara Thorne: that the celebrated Dr. Alaric Sterling was a possessive monster who killed a young patient in a jealous rage. Portia was days away from revealing this truth and shattering the Sterling family's century-old legacy.

Alaric Sterling’s great-grandson, Silas Sterling, a man equally obsessed with that legacy, couldn't let that happen. He followed Portia to the asylum, murdered her, and then meticulously staged the scene to match his great-grandfather's crime, right down to the white lily. He wiped the weapon clean and discarded it nearby, then went home.

Great work, detective! The case is closed.

CONGRATULATIONS, DETECTIVE!

Thank you for joining us in this investigation! We hope you enjoyed unraveling the clues, testing your deductive skills, and uncovering the truth behind this case. We craft each mysterys to challenge your instincts and immerse you in a world of intrigue—and we’re so glad you were part of it.

Keep your magnifying glass close and your wits sharp, because another mystery is just around the corner. Until next time, happy sleuthing!