The "Black Stories" crime riddles thread

[dayowlron]

Is this Romeo and Juliet?

[Mandle]

Is the "life-sentence" wearing the letter "A" on the woman's clothing?

[alphadalekben]

Mandle - as a Creative Writing student who studied Nathaniel Hawthorne at the start of the academic year, I hope you don't mind me interjecting with how much I despise that book.

EDIT: But I do appreciate the reference, saying that.

On that note, is the child (I believe there was a child?) called Pearl?

[Snarky]

Case #31

The criminals thought they had gotten away with it, but when undeniable evidence was discovered, they faced execution or a lifetime sentence.

Yes
Were the criminals human?
Is the number of criminals relevant?
Was the "undeniable evidence" a child?
Is there crime resulting in pregnancy?
Was there 2 people involved?
Is the term "execution" referring to the criminals being literally killed?
Was some forbidden love involved?
Were the 2 human criminals male and female?
Were their genitals involved?
Do the 2 adults live in a country where having a child out of wedlock is a crime?

No
Were the criminals war criminals?
Were the criminals terrorists?
Did the criminals face their punishment at least 10 years after their crime?
Is this case based on a real crime? [Not specifically, no, though there have been similar cases]
Was the crime a theft?
Did the crime involve murder?
Was there more than 3?
Was the crime a federal case?
Is the lifetime sentence involve them dealing with the child?
Is the term "lifetime sentence" referring to being in a literal prison for the rest of their lives?
Is holding the child hostage involved?
Are the 2 adults Chinese and living under the "one-child" law, but conceive a second child and try to keep it in secret?
Does the life sentence refer to enforced sterilisation perhaps?
Is the punishment a metaphor for a shotgun marriage? (A threat of "marry or die")
Is the "execution" death by stoning? [I hadn't actually considered the method of execution, but this doesn't sound likely; I've settled on something else, but it's not a major point]
Is the "execution" a (so-called) "honor-killing"? [Not as you probably mean it, no]
Is the "life-sentence" being forced to marry?
Is this Romeo and Juliet?
Is the "life-sentence" wearing the letter "A" on the woman's clothing?
Is the child (I believe there was a child?) called Pearl?

I wasn't thinking of a specific story from fiction, either, though there are a number of possible parallels.

[Adeel]

Is the religion of the couple relevant to this case in any way? Was it a Muslim couple?

[Snarky]

Yes
Is the religion of the couple relevant to this case in any way?

No
Was it a Muslim couple?

[Bulbapuck]

Was the undeniable evidence a pregnancy test?
Was the crime unprotected sex?
Does "execution" mean "abortion"?

EDIT: I'm dumb, missed some questions...

[Mandle]

Are the couple Jewish?
Does the couple have Ashkenazi diseases?
Are the couple Christian?

[Snarky]

Case #31

The criminals thought they had gotten away with it, but when undeniable evidence was discovered, they faced execution or a lifetime sentence.

Yes
Were the criminals human?
Is the number of criminals relevant?
Was the "undeniable evidence" a child?
Is there crime resulting in pregnancy?
Was there 2 people involved?
Is the term "execution" referring to the criminals being literally killed?
Was some forbidden love involved?
Were the 2 human criminals male and female?
Were their genitals involved?
Do the 2 adults live in a country where having a child out of wedlock is a crime?
Is the religion of the couple relevant to this case in any way?
Was the crime unprotected sex?
Are the couple Christian?

No
Were the criminals war criminals?
Were the criminals terrorists?
Did the criminals face their punishment at least 10 years after their crime?
Is this case based on a real crime? [Not specifically, no, though there have been similar cases]
Was the crime a theft?
Did the crime involve murder?
Was there more than 3?
Was the crime a federal case?
Is the lifetime sentence involve them dealing with the child?
Is the term "lifetime sentence" referring to being in a literal prison for the rest of their lives?
Is holding the child hostage involved?
Are the 2 adults Chinese and living under the "one-child" law, but conceive a second child and try to keep it in secret?
Does the life sentence refer to enforced sterilisation perhaps?
Is the punishment a metaphor for a shotgun marriage? (A threat of "marry or die")
Is the "execution" death by stoning? [I hadn't actually considered the method of execution, but this doesn't sound likely; I've settled on something else, but it's not a major point]
Is the "execution" a (so-called) "honor-killing"? [Not as you probably mean it, no]
Is the "life-sentence" being forced to marry?
Is this Romeo and Juliet?
Is the "life-sentence" wearing the letter "A" on the woman's clothing?
Is the child (I believe there was a child?) called Pearl?
Was it a Muslim couple?
Was the undeniable evidence a pregnancy test? [The pregnancy itself was the evidence, yes, once it became obvious]
Does "execution" mean "abortion"?
Are the couple Jewish?
Does the couple have Ashkenazi diseases?

As a reminder, the main thing left to figure out is the lifetime sentence, given that it is not "being in a literal prison for the rest of [the person's life]".

[Mandle]

Is the lifetime sentence going to Hell in the afterlife?
Is the lifetime sentence excommunication from the church?
Is the lifetime sentence banishment from the community?

[Snarky]

No
Is the lifetime sentence going to Hell in the afterlife?
Is the lifetime sentence excommunication from the church?
Is the lifetime sentence banishment from the community? [This is perhaps arguable...]

[Bulbapuck]

Does "Lifetime" refer to the child's lifetime?
Is the child the one sentenced?
otherwise...
Are both parents sentenced?

[Gurok]

Are they shakers?

[Mandle]

Does the lifetime sentence refer to the child being termed a "bastard" for their whole life?

[Adeel]

Was one of them (or both) married to someone else when he / she (they) decided to commit the 'crime'?

Also, are we talking about the Victorian era here?

[Snarky]

Case #31

The criminals thought they had gotten away with it, but when undeniable evidence was discovered, they faced execution or a lifetime sentence.

Yes
Were the criminals human?
Is the number of criminals relevant?
Was the "undeniable evidence" a child?
Is there crime resulting in pregnancy?
Was there 2 people involved?
Is the term "execution" referring to the criminals being literally killed?
Was some forbidden love involved?
Were the 2 human criminals male and female?
Were their genitals involved?
Do the 2 adults live in a country where having a child out of wedlock is a crime?
Is the religion of the couple relevant to this case in any way?
Was the crime unprotected sex?
Are the couple Christian?
Was the undeniable evidence a pregnancy test?* [The pregnancy itself was the evidence, once it became obvious]
Are both parents sentenced?

(* Moved this one, since on second thought it fits better under "yes".)

No
Were the criminals war criminals?
Were the criminals terrorists?
Did the criminals face their punishment at least 10 years after their crime?
Is this case based on a real crime? [Not specifically, no, though there have been similar cases]
Was the crime a theft?
Did the crime involve murder?
Was there more than 3?
Was the crime a federal case?
Is the lifetime sentence involve them dealing with the child?
Is the term "lifetime sentence" referring to being in a literal prison for the rest of their lives?
Is holding the child hostage involved?
Are the 2 adults Chinese and living under the "one-child" law, but conceive a second child and try to keep it in secret?
Does the life sentence refer to enforced sterilisation perhaps?
Is the punishment a metaphor for a shotgun marriage? (A threat of "marry or die")
Is the "execution" death by stoning? [I hadn't actually considered the method of execution, but this doesn't sound likely; I've settled on something else, but it's not a major point]
Is the "execution" a (so-called) "honor-killing"? [Not as you probably mean it, no]
Is the "life-sentence" being forced to marry?
Is this Romeo and Juliet?
Is the "life-sentence" wearing the letter "A" on the woman's clothing?
Is the child (I believe there was a child?) called Pearl?
Was it a Muslim couple?
Does "execution" mean "abortion"?
Are the couple Jewish?
Does the couple have Ashkenazi diseases?
Is the lifetime sentence going to Hell in the afterlife?
Is the lifetime sentence excommunication from the church?
Is the lifetime sentence banishment from the community? [This is perhaps arguable...]
Does "Lifetime" refer to the child's lifetime?
Is the child the one sentenced?
Are they shakers?
Does the lifetime sentence refer to the child being termed a "bastard" for their whole life?
Was one of them (or both) married to someone else when he / she (they) decided to commit the 'crime'? [Not in the variation I had in mind]
Also, are we talking about the Victorian era here?

[Mandle]

Were the parents slaves?

[Snarky]

No, but that would have been a better idea for the case!

[Adeel]

Was this an incestuous relationship?

[Mandle]

Was the child born disfigured or disabled in some way?