"Dubba" Dan Chit's Solution:

 

As I begin, let me bring your attention to the key piece of evidence.  It is a note found in Ruby's wastebasket expressing some very suspicious comments toward her father.  Anyone reading this note would come to the conclusion that the author is planning to kill their father.

 

I ask you, if Ruby were planning to kill her father, would she be so careless as to leave a note in her wastebasket expressing her desire to commit the murder?

 

There was one item on the at the scene of the crime that we can attribute with certainty to a suspect. That is the pink boom box autographed by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.

 

I may be "Dubba" Dan Chit, but I know a frame job when I see one.

 

Ruby has much to gain by the murder. She is Barney's illegitimate daughter, but he has acknowledged her as her daughter all along and certainly included her in his will.

 

However, she has the strongest alibi.  She was in a theater full of people that can corroborate her presence there.  Further, the murderer would not have know the exact time when Barney would have arrived at Birdie's cliff side retreat. He or she would have wanted to lay in waiting all day so as not to miss Barney's arrival. Ruby did not commit the murder.

 

Oliver was also at the theater but left early. I suppose it is possible that he made his way across town to the scene of the crime. He does have motive based on his very obvious feelings of affection for Ruby. He may have wanted to kill Barney so that Ruby would get his money.  He may have also done it as revenge for Barney's mistreatment of his beloved.

 

If Oliver was the murderer, would he be able to come up with this elaborate  plan of luring Barney to his backyard?  If he had left his post, would he have asked Ruby to come join him in getting revenge thus incriminating her?  No.  And besides, Oliver  isn't big enough to push Barney off the cliff.

 

I'll tell you who was strong enough to push Barney off a cliff. That would be Bulldog Matson, the man seen chasing him to his death.  Bulldog may have wanted to kill Barney because of the way he treats Miss Prissy.  He did want Barney to reopen the case.  He does have anger management issues.

 But lets face it:  His left hand, the one with a mind of its own, has more intelligence than the rest of his body combined.  He does not have the smarts to pull off such an elaborate crime.

 

The woman who does have the smarts is Miss Prissy.  She has a love/hate relationship with Barney.  But mostly hate.  Miss Prissy's daughter stood to benefit the most from Barney's death.  But it seems unlikely that Miss Prissy would try to frame her own daughter.

 

The two people with reason to frame Ruby might be Birdie and Frank.

 

Birdie, how do you feel about Ruby?

 

Birdie why do you have your yard set-up so that the view has to stand on a cliff edge to see your feeders?  That is a very strange way choice of landscaping.

 

Birdie's hatred of Barney, Miss Prissy and Ruby is long standing.  Barney left her for Miss Prissy.  Birdie hates both her and her daughter for this.  When Birdie found out that Ruby and Frank were dating she became irate and told Frank her deep dark secret--that Barney was his father.

Birdie has had to endure seeing Ruby walking  around with lavish gifts from Culgoose while her own son was completely ignored.  When she found out that her innocent young son Oliver had a crush on Ruby she did all she could to keep them apart.  She even showed him the old picture of her with Culgoose.  It didn't work.  Oliver took the picture, and scratched out Barney's face, but still wanted to be with Ruby.  So would Birdie finally get rid of Ruby by framing her?

 

Let's look at Frank's possible motives.

 

He hates Barney because he is an unethical birder. He hates Barney for denying his paternity which led to a very awkward situation with his beloved, Ruby.  It's possible he thought he could get some money from Barney's death if he could prove paternity.

 

Those are good reasons.

 

Now, let's look more closely at the money issue. Here's a key piece of evidence. A quote from hotshot lawyer magazine. Even if Frank read Hot Shot Lawyer magazine,  why would he think he's in the will?  Barney has always vehemently denied being his father. Barney acknowledged some of his illegitamate children while denying others.  The one's he denied would not have been included in his will.

 

Now there is the issue of a very large liability policy on Birdie's property.  That could be motivation.  If Birdie were sued by the family of the deceased, the  insurance would pay Barney's next of kin up to 10 million.  If Frank could prove that Barney was his father, then he might be able to collect on the policy. If he framed Ruby as the killer, he could claim more of the insurance money.  But Frank claims he didn't know the policy was for 10 million.  Only Birdie knows for sure about the huge amount of money involved.

 

Now who would frame Ruby? The young man who still loves her. Or the bitter vengeful cat woman who hates her and wants her gone forever?

 

Also, if  Ruby was framed for the murder more of the insurance money might go to Birdie's  son.  That's like killing two birds with one cat.

 

And besides; Barney killed Grey Whiskers and deserved to die.  (wink)

 

Birdie Whoderlick made the phoney bird alert call. Birdie Whoderlick attempted to frame Ruby. Birdie Whoderlick is the murderess.

 

Last Edited on Thursday, April 8, 2010 7:29 PM