Clues & Culprits › Archive › Oct 12, 2026 Hard walkthrough
Oct 12, 2026 Full Proof Walkthrough
Every verdict in the Hard case “The Hacksaw Filed Under H”, in an order where each step is proven by the statements already on file.
Play it first Just a hint, please
This Hard case seats 20 suspects on a 4×5 grid. 17 of them carry a clue; the other 3 only have something to say about themselves. 7 of the steps can only be proven by reading two or more clues together. The order below is one valid route; any order where each verdict is proven when you enter it reaches the same answer.
Spoiler: show the full walkthrough
Start: Dina (D1) begins the case proven innocent.
There are no criminals to my left.— Dina, wellness coach (D1)
Step 1: Ada (A1, coder) is innocent. This follows from Dina’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 2: Bruno (B1, security guard) is innocent. This follows from Dina’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 3: Cal (C1, investor) is innocent. This follows from Dina’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 4: Ruby (B5, security guard) is a criminal. This follows from Ada’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of Ruby and me is innocent.— Ada, coder (A1)
Step 5: Greta (C2, office manager) is innocent. This needs 3 statements together — Bruno’s, Cal’s and Ruby’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
Only one of my five neighbors is a criminal.— Bruno, security guard (B1)
An even number of my neighbors are criminals.— Cal, investor (C1)
There are more criminal security guards than criminal wellness coaches.— Ruby, security guard (B5)
Step 6: Ezra (A2, designer) is a criminal. This needs 2 statements together — Cal’s and Greta’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
All the criminals in my row are connected.— Greta, office manager (C2)
Step 7: Frank (B2, security guard) is innocent. This follows from Bruno’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 8: Hattie (D2, wellness coach) is innocent. This follows from Cal’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 9: Kira (C3, designer) is innocent. This needs 2 statements together — Ezra’s and Frank’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
Only one of my five neighbors is a criminal.— Ezra, designer (A2)
Nico and I have exactly one criminal neighbor in common.— Frank, security guard (B2)
Step 10: Lena (D3, coder) is a criminal. This follows from Hattie’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly four of my five neighbors are innocent.— Hattie, wellness coach (D2)
Step 11: Omar (C4, office manager) is a criminal. This follows from Lena’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Nico and I have exactly one innocent neighbor in common.— Lena, coder (D3)
Step 12: Percy (D4, investor) is a criminal. This needs 2 statements together — Kira’s and Omar’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
Exactly four of my eight neighbors are innocent.— Kira, designer (C3)
Idris and I have exactly one innocent neighbor in common.— Omar, office manager (C4)
Step 13: Mila (A4, designer) is a criminal. This needs 2 statements together — Kira’s and Percy’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
Exactly three of Idris's five neighbors are criminals.— Percy, investor (D4)
Step 14: Quinn (A5, coder) is innocent. This needs 2 statements together — Ezra’s and Mila’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
Nico and I have exactly two criminal neighbors in common.— Mila, designer (A4)
Step 15: Suki (C5, office manager) is innocent. This needs 2 statements together — Kira’s and Quinn’s. Assume the opposite verdict and at least one of them breaks.
Column B has more criminals than Column C.— Quinn, coder (A5)
Step 16: Joan (B3, coder) is a criminal. This follows from Suki’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly one of Joan and me is a criminal.— Suki, office manager (C5)
Step 17: Idris (A3, investor) is innocent. This follows from Ezra’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 18: Nico (B4, designer) is innocent. This follows from Kira’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Step 19: Tariq (D5, investor) is innocent. This follows from Joan’s statement and the verdicts already proven.
Exactly three of Suki's five neighbors are criminals.— Joan, coder (B3)
The final lineup
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ada innocent | Bruno innocent | Cal innocent | Dina innocent |
| 2 | Ezra criminal | Frank innocent | Greta innocent | Hattie innocent |
| 3 | Idris innocent | Joan criminal | Kira innocent | Lena criminal |
| 4 | Mila criminal | Nico innocent | Omar criminal | Percy criminal |
| 5 | Quinn innocent | Ruby criminal | Suki innocent | Tariq innocent |
What happened
The records were worth more destroyed. Percy, an investor who had quietly lent the company money it could never repay, needed the books gone before the auditors found his name in them. Joan and Lena, the senior coders, deleted every backup an hour before the water rose; Omar, the office manager, booked the plumbers for the following Tuesday; and Ruby, on the security desk, switched off the leak alarm because it 'kept going off for nothing'. Ezra and Mila designed a beautiful disaster-recovery deck that the auditors admired for a fortnight. The hacksaw was in the stationery cupboard, filed under H.