Last Tuesday night, I was getting ready to go to bed when I saw a headline on my phone: “Amish murder case solved! The real killer revealed! The big secret is about to be exposed!”
The headline was obviously exaggerated, designed to get people to click on it. But I couldn’t resist, thinking, “I’m bored anyway, might as well see if the story is interesting.”
The story was about an Amish farmer who was beaten to death next to his barn. No one in the village reported it, and there were no surveillance cameras because the Amish don’t use electricity. The whole case seemed shrouded in mystery.
I thought to myself, “This is just a detective game. Let’s see if I can figure out who the murderer is.”
My first attempt at investigating the clues was a complete mess
I grabbed a notebook and started writing down the information mentioned in the story:
- The victim was a sheep farmer who didn’t get along with anyone, but no one knew of any enemies he had.
- On the night of the murder, someone saw a set of muddy footprints in the cornfield, pointing away from the barn.
- Almost everyone in the village claimed they were at home praying at the time of the murder, but no one could provide complete proof.
- The victim’s brother said he was herding sheep that night, but his account changed several times, with inconsistent details about his location each time.
I tried to draw a timeline and list everyone’s statements to see who was lying. As I wrote, my mind became more and more confused. In the end, I came up with a large table with seven or eight suspects. The next morning, I looked at it and found that ten people had seen my main suspect that night and could prove he wasn’t at the scene.
It was all for nothing.
Try a different approach: start by learning about the culture
I wasn’t willing to give up, so the next morning after drinking my coffee, I decided to give it another go.
First, I researched how the Amish live. I discovered that they really don’t use electricity or lock their doors, and their barns are often open because they believe in trust between people. This surprised me a little—wouldn’t that mean thieves could just walk in?
I printed out all the people mentioned in the story, wrote down their identities and what they said, and stuck them on the wall, connecting them with lines like a detective in a movie. My roommate glanced over and said, “Shouldn’t you take a break?”
But he also helped me discover a problem: the story mentioned a milk delivery driver who was not Amish, meaning he was an “outsider.”He said he was passing through the village that day to deliver goods.
But the problem was that the Amish people start praying at 6 p.m. every evening and don’t work. This man said he arrived at 6:30 p.m. So why was he there during prayer time? And why did he say he was just passing through?
It didn’t make sense.
The key clue is hidden in the weather and route
I started investigating the driver’s delivery route. The story said that it rained heavily that morning, and a small road outside the village was flooded, making it impassable for cars. But the driver said he completed his deliveries as usual.
This is contradictory.
I searched the forum again and found someone mentioning that the driver had previously done a livestock deal with the deceased, lost a lot of money, and owed the deceased a debt. Additionally, someone saw his truck driving out from beside a cornfield the morning after the incident, with thick mud on the tires.
The most suspicious thing was that when the victim was found, he had been struck on the head with a farming tool. And the driver’s truck was missing a similar iron hammer.
Some people also said that the victim had recently threatened him: “If you don’t pay me back, I’ll tell the whole village about you secretly selling sick cows.”
The truth slowly comes to light
Putting all these pieces together, the picture becomes clear:
The driver had actually planned to come and collect the money or prevent the deceased from revealing his dirty secrets. He knew the road was flooded and no one would come, so he sneaked into the village after dark. However, he was spotted by the deceased’s brother.
The brother didn’t want to bring shame on the family, so he helped him lie by changing the time he had said he was out herding sheep.
As for the muddy footprint? That was left behind when he fled. The tools were taken from his car and secretly returned afterward.
The so-called “big secret” wasn’t some mysterious ritual or family feud. It was just an outsider who, out of fear of losing face and owing money, acted impulsively.
My thoughts
- Don’t be fooled by the title. What’s “revealed immediately” or “big secret” is actually hidden in the details.
- Guessing isn’t enough; you need to understand the background. For example, the Amish way of life directly influences who has the opportunity to commit the crime.
- The most suspicious people are often the ones who seem the most normal.
- Verify every detail others provide, such as time, weather, and routes. One inconsistency could mean the entire story is fabricated.
In the end, I tore down all the papers on the wall. My roommate said I should see a psychiatrist.
But I was pretty happy—I didn’t spend money on any “premium answers” and figured out the real culprit on my own.
Sometimes, solving problems isn’t about being smart; it’s about asking a few more “why” questions.
