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Community Puzzle: The Case of the Missing Couple


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1 minute ago, HusKy said:

Alright, I got it done. And I know some of you may call this cheating but just hear me out...

 

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I couldn't figure #2 out, even from the additional clue. I have never played the game before and had no idea about its lore, story and characters.

 

However I figured DrBloodmoney surely must have played it.

 

So I went to his profiles, loaded all 713 games and then ran this little one liner in the developer console.

 

jm3fXvm.png

 

... Mass Effect ... ? Yeah that sounds about right.

 

Little bit of Google-fu looking for "mass effect michael jackson" and bingo!

 

iYdCBRr.png

 

If this isn't detective work then I don't know what is! B)

 

 

I think the most astounding part of that to me personally, is how many games I've played that start with the same combination of those two letters...

 

...reading down the list, I can't help by do it to the tune of "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga! :lol:

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19 minutes ago, HusKy said:

but just hear me out...

 

Oh I have no issues with that detective work, Husky!

 

Unfortunately the Michael Jackson reference is even more 'on the nose':

 

Spoiler

One of the main female relationship interests in the Mass Effect series suffers from a terrible attempt at a face match to the gorgeous actress that voiced her. Yvonne Strahovski was butchered! Call the pol-hee-hee-ce!!

Mass-Effect-Miranda-Yvonne-Strahovsky-60

 

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Also late to the party, but my solution is below:

Spoiler

1. ROcket League

2. Mass Effect

3. Ni No Kuni

4. The Last of Us

5. Ico

 

Password: Ro ma n t ic = Romantic

 

I originally had Ro be n t ic (Beyond Two Souls for #2) but quickly realized it had to be an "ma" to make a word lol. I haven't played Mass Effect yet so that's why my brain didn't go there initially.

 

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Puzzle 4 of 9

Rubiks-Crash.png

 

Hi everyone,

 

Great job with those riddles. It’s moments like that that remind me: I came to right place in asking for your help. The password was indeed:

Spoiler

ROMANTIC

 

RO cket League

MA ss Effect

N i No Kuni

T he Last of Us

IC o

 

I am off work for couple of days now. This will give you a bit more time to work through this 4th puzzle - I think it might take slightly more time than the last three and I've described a lot from my investigation so far for you. This may also give some of you some extra time to catch up. I may need all of you propeller-heads to help me find Jane and Kevin!

 

If you have any inquiries that you think would be a good idea for me to follow up, just let me know. Here is a bit of a download on what I’ve been up to since I posted the last puzzle:  

 

Initial/Basic Inquiries 

I’ve checked with all of the hospitals in the state – no recent admissions by Jane or Kevin. 

 

On the day that Jane messaged her boss to take a week off, Kevin's vehicle's registration plate was captured on traffic light cameras at an intersection 500m from the closest petrol station to Jane and Kevin's apartment. I reviewed that petrol station's CCTV for that day and I saw Kevin filling up his 4x4 and three jerry cans. He paid in cash and also bought matches, radiator coolant and an iced coffee. 

 

There’s no other recent captures of his registration plate, but there are large gaps in the Registration Plate Capture Mapping system at the moment. Despite that, the Registration Plate Capture Mapping cameras at all major roads out of the state are operational and have not recorded Kevin's plate leaving the state. 

 

I’ve reached out to other branches of the government and confirmed that Jane and Kevin have definitely not left the country using their passports. 

 

CCTV Canvassing

CCTV at Starbucks shows Kevin picking up Jane after her shift (on foot) six days before Robert reported Jane missing. They walked in the direction of their apartment. 

 

The CCTV from the ATM machine that Kevin used to withdraw $3,000 won’t come across my desk for another two months. It's a fish-eye lens so I’m not overly worried about it taking it so long because it’s not likely to show me much except for Kevin’s face. I’ve applied for CCTV from a bank near the ATM which should only take a few days and should show a lot more.

 

Social Media

I’ve scoured Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for Jane and Kevin. 

 

Jane's Facebook and Instagram are directly linked and are fairly open in regards to privacy settings. Her most-frequently tagged friend is Isabella Davidson. They regularly comment on each other’s posts and are in many shared photos.  

 

Jane's ex-partner is Frank Williams. He’s in a lot of posts for a year-long period extending from four years ago to five years ago but nothing since. I’ll speak to both Frank and Isabella to see if any leads come about.

 

Most of Jane's posts involve Isabella or Kevin. The top five most liked/commented posts are, chronologically from the oldest post to the most recent:

  • A photo of Jane and Kevin together at a concert which appears to be a “I’m in a relationship with this handsome man, check us out” post (official investigator's term). Accompanying text: “Rocking out with the Foo Fighters - with Kevin Lockwood.” Comments from friends include approval of the band and approval of Jane's new partner (heart eyes, eggplant emojis, etc). 
     
  • A series of photos of Jane and Kevin patting a horse, camping and skydiving. Accompanying text: “Had the most relaxing time. Falling! - with Kevin Lockwood.” Comments from friends include mild jealousy for them, sharing fears of heights, suggestions that they should have done some fishing, etc. 
     
  • A post by Kevin to Jane's wall of a collage of photos of Jane and Kevin together (some nice couple shots, an unflattering photo of Jane eating, one of her laughing, one of her holding a koala at a zoo and some others). Accompanying text: "Head over heels for this woman. One year appreciation post xx I hope you bless me by staying in my life for another great year. I love you!” Comments from friends include support for them as a couple. 
     
  • A photo of Jane with Robert at a ceremony where he was awarded with a medal. Robert is wearing his formal police uniform. Accompanying text: “So proud of my father for receiving a medal for his service!” Comments contain further support for Robert. 
     
  • And most recently: a series of photos that were developed from a roll of film and then digitally scanned. They depict Jane at various ages with her deceased mother in an “I miss you" post. One shows Jane as a newborn in her mother's arms at a hospital, one shows Jane at about one year old in a high chair having eaten (or not eaten) a meal that is all over her hands, face and clothes, and Jane's mother is kneeling down next to her and has some of Jane's food smeared on her face. Both of them are laughing. Another photo shows Jane's mother going down a slide with Jane on her lap (about 3 years old). Accompanying text: “Thankfully these photos will never fade. Please keep looking over me. I miss you so, so much mum.” 

There’s nothing posted in the last two months. 

 

Jane does not have a LinkedIn account. 

 

Kevin does not have Instagram. 

 

His Facebook account is almost fully private. His profile picture is him with Jane at the same Foo Fighters concert from about 3.5 years ago. His cover photo is himself with two men of about his own age. They appear to be on a hunting trip with crossbows. Two males who are among the people who have liked that photo appear to be those photographed friends. 

 

Kevin's LinkedIn account is more fleshed out than that. It details his resume as a computer programmer and lists a current contractor which I will contact in addition to his two hunting friends from Facebook.

 

The Next Puzzle

The fourth puzzle appears to consist of five nonograms which I have transcribed online for mobile users/PC users without printers. They’re just 10x10 grids so you might be able to transcribe them yourself if that suits you better.

 

I have done Nonograms many years ago so I gave this 4th puzzle a go myself... I think I got it right but the password doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me... maybe it makes some sense to you? I am reluctant to enter it into Jane's laptop in case I have it wrong... maybe there could be a consequence for wrong answers!

 

I found some instructions for Nonograms which I am posting for you. Generally, they will form some sort of shape when completed.

 

Good luck 

- Vice

 

 

Nonogram-Instructions.png

 

 

4/9: PASSWORD: __ __ __ __ __

 

Ahttps://nonogrammed.com/index.php?NUM=553 

Puzzle-4-1-Y.png

 

B. https://nonogrammed.com/index.php?NUM=554 

Puzzle-4-2-R.png

 

 

C. https://nonogrammed.com/index.php?NUM=555 

Puzzle-4-3-U.png

 

D. https://nonogrammed.com/index.php?NUM=556 

Puzzle-4-4-M.png

 

E. https://nonogrammed.com/index.php?NUM=557 

Puzzle-4-5-E.png

 

 

@DrBloodmoney

@MAUSZX

@DonFrancesco

@Im2Fast_4U

@DoctorDrPepper

@YaManSmevz

@rjkclarke

@MattbluePT

@HusKy

@GuitaristZag

@Malachen

 

 

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So far, I have the picross letters:

 

Spoiler

4-1.png  4-2.png  4-3.png  4-4.png  4-5.png

 

 

Not sure what to do with those yet...

 

Spoiler

Yrume can be a name - a female one, though it's unusual, and not mentioned so far.

 

I don't see any 5 letter word that it's an anagram of...

 

 

There is a band called YRUMe... though probably unrelated.

 

 

The hashtag #YRUME on Instagram returns some interesting pictures, but nothing I see as clues related to the case...

 

 

could also be TXTSPK - "Why Are You Me"?... though that doesn't seem to relate to the case either... on its face at least...

 

Edited by DrBloodmoney
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Forgot to post yesterday but got the answer.

 

Will be editing this as I solve the puzzles

 

got my letters of YRUME

but not sure how they are relevant.

 

they could be read like Why are you me but not sure how that helps

 

 

Edited by Malachen
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Spoiler

Don't know if this will be relevant, but as a potential helper?:

 

Conversion from text to numerical:

 

Y=25

R=18

U=21

M=13

E=5

 

The number "251821135" doesn't seem to point to much online though - it's the registered charity number of the Old Amish Helping Program... but unless Jane and Kevin joined the Mennonites, or are in Witness Protection via Harrison Ford, that's probably not relevant!

 

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I got the same answer as all of you...

 

1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said:

(Spoiler) on Instagram returns some interesting pictures

 

It does, but probably not related. ?

 

I wonder if this password is supposed to make sense at this time or whether we just aren't thinking right. ??

 

Anybody have any thoughts who has put these puzzles together? Is it Jane, Kevin, someone I know? Someone new? I'm at home and I'm supposed to be resting but my brain is working overtime thinking about this case.

 

Thanks again for your help everybody.

 

- Vice

 

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Yeah definitely missing something here. Need to go back and re read everything I think, something is not clicking with me yet.

 

Edit:

gone back over the info and think we are supposed to think Kevin has set this up but he may be being framed and Robert is perhaps responsible, he is not a big fan of Kevin. Out of interest I reversed the letters and got BIFNV which is just as unhelpful

Edited by Malachen
Added info
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This sounds like a lot of fun and, as usual, I am SUPER late to the party. I do have an excuse, though. I was so busy filling out a donation form so automatic withdrawals. My company makes it pretty easy to donate to charities and they have it set up so that you can do a one time payment, or spread it out over a period of time (so that it is easier to donate more). The list of charities is VERY extensive, but what is also very nice (and super important, BTW) is that they also only list charities that disclose the operating numbers (so, basically, you will always know how much of what you donate is actually going to what you are supporting). Anyway, long story short, I donated 400$ to the local food pantry we have. It breaks down to about 15 bucks out of my pay each pay period, so I hardly notice, and it can really make a difference (at least, I think so).....anyway, enough about that!!! I want in....so I can be dumbfounded by puzzles!

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2 hours ago, Malachen said:

Yeah definitely missing something here. Need to go back and re read everything I think, something is not clicking with me yet.

 

Edit:

 

  Hide contents

gone back over the info and think we are supposed to think Kevin has set this up but he may be being framed and Robert is perhaps responsible, he is not a big fan of Kevin. Out of interest I reversed the letters and got BIFNV which is just as unhelpful

 

 

Interesting theories!

 

I don't think I understand what you mean about the letters.

 

 

1 hour ago, AugustUnder said:

The list of charities is VERY extensive, but what is also very nice (and super important, BTW) is that they also only list charities that disclose the operating numbers (so, basically, you will always know how much of what you donate is actually going to what you are supporting). Anyway, long story short, I donated 400$ to the local food pantry we have. It breaks down to about 15 bucks out of my pay each pay period, so I hardly notice, and it can really make a difference (at least, I think so).....anyway, enough about that!!! I want in....so I can be dumbfounded by puzzles!

 

That's dope. You're definitely in, welcome :)

 

Edited by Platinum_Vice
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6 minutes ago, Platinum_Vice said:

 

Interesting theories!

 

I don't think I understand what you mean about the letters.

 

 

 

That's dope. You're definitely in, welcome :)

 

So reversed the alphabet, A becomes Z, B becomes Y and so on.

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Like others, I did get the following (and what a day to begin. I love Picross.......I mean Nonograms)

 

EDIT - apparently I need to test spoiler tags 

did it work this time?[\spoiler]

OK, sorry about that one. The first post I did I managed to mess up the spoiler. OK, this time!!

 

I did get YRUME, which like a few have said may just as well stand for Why are you me, which is interesting and may point to a potential identity theft thing going on, but at the same time, I am not 100% sure. I really want to scramble around the letters to see if that makes anything more clear, or maybe a replacement cypher. Like, maybe not a complex one, just a shift. I guess I need to dig more and go back and read the previous entries again.[\spoiler]

Edited by AugustUnder
spoiler tags
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Hmm... I got the solution too:

 

Spoiler

The five nonograms each spell a letter, together they are: YRUME

 

But at the moment I'm not sure what this means... for theories look below:

 

Spoiler

My first and relatively obvious thought was that it could be an anagram, but I can't come up with any sensible reorderings (which doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any, I just don't know what they would be personally). But you could also just read the whole thing out loud, letter for letter - more or less - and get the sentence "Why are you me?", which might suggest something along the lines of schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder in connection to one of the related parties... Another idea would be an insane twin responsible for the kidnapping (if it was a kidnapping of course), which, admittedly, is pretty out there, but I thought I'd mention it regardless. In this case, no matter how unlikely it might be, I would also assume that it was, in fact, the kidnapper who somehow put the puzzles on the laptop. Maybe they want to be found out...?

No matter who exactly it was and for what purpose, though, since Jane's Instagram is open to everyone, the perpetrator could have easily gotten information about her and also, to an extent, Kevin from this source.
Robert's dislike for Kevin seems to suggest that he might be somehow connected to all of this, but I don't believe that's the case, since he basically disliked all of Jane's boyfriends. He seems more like an overly concerned but ultimately harmless father to me who meddles in his daughter's love life a bit too much, but I don't want to discount anything completely at this point.

 

All in all it seems too early to come to any real deductions yet... we seem to be missing something here.

 

Edited by DonFrancesco
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Hey bud, hope all's well. I'd love to participate as this sounds like a really fun time.

 

My good deed: I drove 45 minutes to pick up a curio cabinet for a friend, which then barely fit in my car, and drove it to her apartment. I then carried it up the stairs and, having not eaten anything all day and only ingested caffeine, went pale and about passed out on the stairs from overexertion. Seriously, my knees were wobbling and my hands were shaking so much. I'm a pretty strong dude but my blood sugar was very low... so that's my excuse. Also, lag. Then, I ate some Italian Ice, downed a Coke, shoved a dozen nuggets into my mouth, slid the cabinet into her room, set up the shelves, and installed lights. Aside from nearly dying, I'm proud of it all

 

Excited to be a part of this! Great job on designing it all and making this happen

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So there are no anagrammed words for these letters. I also tested a simple Caesar shift cipher for all keys and none of the responses make sense.



 

Vice made mention of time which suddenly made me think of Roman Numerals and then I remembered only M is a Roman Numeral from the letters we have lol.

 

I think maybe time is relevant somehow due to the mention of it from Vice but again, could just be me being extra.

 

I also noticed the puzzle are listed as A B C D E instead of numbers. Not sure if that is also relevant. Letters below are the puzzle letters with their accompanying puzzle solutions. Just so people can see and maybe work something out I'm not seeing

AYBRCUDKEE

 

AY

BR

CU

DK

EE

 

Probably overcomplicating it now

 

 

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