FILE No.39Unsolved
On a train, a man stole the handbag of a woman dozing off, hid it in his own duffel bag, and got off at a station.
He then drove to a home-improvement store. The duffel bag was left on the passenger seat.
When he came back from shopping, the car window was smashed and the duffel bag was gone.
A few days later, the duffel bag turned up among the belongings of a car prowler arrested in another theft case. The handbag inside was confirmed as the stolen item the woman had reported.
There were no eyewitnesses or footage identifying the man for the theft on the train. Even so, the police identified him from the contents of the bag.
What directly led the police to the man’s identity? Look at the evidence too.
If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.
Where did the man leave the duffel bag?
Look at the contents of the bag in the evidence.
Which of the contents ties to the man?
What directly led the police to the man’s identity? Look at the evidence too.
Choose the answer closest to the truth.
The driver’s license in the man’s own wallet
The answer is “the driver’s license in the man’s own wallet.”
He had put the stolen handbag and his own wallet with his license in the same duffel bag. When the car prowler took the bag and it was recovered, the woman’s stolen item and something showing the man’s identity reached the police together. Note, though, that the license being in the bag does not by itself prove he stole the handbag. The license was a lead for questioning him and for the investigation that followed.
With no witnesses, you assume he could not be traced.
The cases on this site are fictional puzzles created for entertainment. Any resemblance to real people, organizations or events is coincidental.
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