A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bushy-Haired Stranger

This is probably the nearest a defence comes to the Quiz title. Diane Downs claimed that she had been held up by a 'bushy-haired stranger', who shot her children after she refused to give him the car keys. One of Downs' surviving children testified against her and Downs was sentenced to life plus 50 years.

In 2008, Downs was refused parole, but could reapply again in 2010. Sam Sheppard also used the 'BHS' defence.

Answer: The Other Dude Did It

A TODDI defence can often confuse the jury, as it often comes down to whose word to believe. A variation is the 'SODDI' defence, or 'Some Other Dude Did It'. No honour among thieves or murderers.

Answer: The Twinkie defence

It is a widely held misapprehension that White "got off on 'the Twinkie defence'". In actual fact, Twinkies were not mentioned at all during the case, and White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter because of diminished capacity, of which increased consumption of junk food *may* have been a *symptom*, but not the cause.

Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle declared that "The whole case will, in my opinion, remain immortal in the classics of crime as the supreme example of official incompetence and obstinacy." He even wrote a book 'The Case of Oscar Slater'. However, when Oscar Slater was released and awarded six thousand pounds compensation, he obstinately refused to reimburse Conan Doyle with the thousand pounds that he had laid out in legal fees. How would Sherlock Holmes have dealt with such ingratitude?

Answer: They weren't there.

From the great poet T.S. Eliot's 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats', Gordon Brown's refusal to stand up and talk about controversial issues of the day led him to be described as Macavity as far back as when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2005. The British journalist Iain Dale even wrote a spoof on his blog:
"Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a grudge in human form, a monster of depravity.
He won't support tuition fees; he won't back Tony Blair.
And as for foundation hospitals - well, Macavity's not there!"

Compare this with the T.S. Eliot original:
"Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square -
But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!"

Answer: Yes

Sleepwalking has been used as an acceptable defence in many cases dating back over a century. In the UK at least, there are two types: Insane automatism, which will result in a verdict of 'not guilty by reason of insanity' and non-insane automatism, which will result in an acquittal.

However, if the person was sleepwalking because they were drunk at the time, they are ruled not to be acting under automatism.

Answer: Lindy Chamberlain

In 1980, baby Azaria Chamberlain disappeared during a camping trip with her parents (Lindy and Michael) at Ayers Rock. Lindy Chamberlain claimed that a dingo (canis lupus dingo is the taxonomy classification) had taken her baby. She was not believed, and imprisoned for life, later being exonerated of all charges and receiving compensation from the Australian government, even though the case remained officially unsolved. Meryl Streep played Lindy Chamberlain in the movie 'A Cry in the Dark' and Erin Horsburgh was a young lady who claimed in 2005 to be Azaria Chamberlain, although her claims were discounted.

Answer: John List

Accountant John List shot his whole family in 1971 in New Jersey before running away and starting a new life with a new wife in Virginia. He was recaptured after forensic artist Frank Bender sculpted an eerily accurate clay bust for 'America's Most Wanted' and he was turned in by a neighbour. Sentenced to five terms of life imprisonment. John List died in prison of natural causes in 2008.

The wrong answers are all American serial killers.

Answer: Yes

Although not a murder case, it would have resulted in the death penalty for drugs charges had the High Court judge in Malaysia in 2009 been able to decide which of the identical twins R. Sathis Raj and Sabarish Raj been guilty. Recent research has revealed, however, that monozygotic (identical) twins may have DNA differences.

Answer: D B Cooper

In 1971 a passenger named as Dan Cooper boarded a 727 flying from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington. He handed a note to a stewardess and asked for 200,000 dollars and two parachute rigs, or he would detonate a bomb. After landing at Seattle, his demands were met.

He then released all the passengers and the aircraft and four crew took off for Mexico City. But somewhere in Washington, Dan (through a press mistake, now 'D B') presumably jumped - never to be seen again. His identity remains a mystery, and only 5,880 dollars (mouldy bills found on the banks of the Columbia river) were found of the ransom money.

The FBI believe that D B Cooper did not survive the jump, although over a thousand suspects, including murderer John List, have been investigated. 'D B Cooper', whoever he was, remains an iconic figure to skydivers.

The wrong answers were all charged with major robberies.