COLD CASE: POE'S TELL TALE HEART
Good morning/afternoon, Poeville Police Department Investigators! Today’s cold case investigation involves a homicide that occurred over 150 years ago and was documented in Edgar Allen Poe’s “Tell Tale Heart.” The suspect in the case is Nar Rator. Nar Rator’s family has recently been haunted by the old man’s ghost and has asked our agency to re-examine the evidence and close the case for good. To begin, there’s no dispute regarding whether or not our suspect killed the old man. He confessed! Your task is to determine if the violence was a result of a mental defect or a murderous plot.
If you deem Nar Rator to be so mentally disturbed at the time of the crime that he lacked the capacity to have intended to commit a crime, then you should conclude that he is not guilty by reason of insanity. In other words, with a determination of not guilty by reason of insanity, Nar Rator is not criminally responsible for breaking the law because he was insane when the crime was committed.
However, if you believe Nar Rator intentionally caused the death of the old man after rationally considering the timing or method of doing so, in order to either increase the likelihood of success, or to evade detection or apprehension, then you should conclude that he is guilty of premeditated murder.
Luckily, the old case file has not been destroyed. You will need to reanalyze the evidence and statements to bring the case file up to date. Process the clues in the case to unlock your box and report your findings to your supervisor at the Poeville Township Police Department, Nar Rator’s family, and Old Man’s family. Failure to solve the case, unlock the box and finally put this homicide to “rest” in the given time may cause the old man’s ghost to seek revenge on the family and you!