The Usual Suspects Trivia Quiz

Answer: Deep Throat

Woodward and Bernstein said that information provided by Deep Throat in 1972 was crucial to their investigative work that led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon. In 2005, Deep Throat was finally identified as former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt. Mr. Felt had always denied being Deep Throat and when his name was revealed, he was 91 years old and suffering from dementia, so he couldn't confirm or deny the ID. Woodward and Bernstein, however, did confirm that Mr. Felt was indeed Deep Throat. Question by Usual Suspect: wjames.

Answer: Blow to the head

King Tut has a mysterious death. A team of German scientists said that he died from sickle cell disease, while a DNA analysis told that he had malaria in his system, and that combined with Kohler disease II caused his death. He also suffered a fracture in his left leg that became infected shortly before his death.

But it has been proven that Tut did NOT die from a blow to the head, as previously thought. Question by Usual Suspect: FlameDragon12

Answer: John Pizer, boot-maker

Pizer, aka "Leather Apron" was suspected by the Metropolitan police as he had a previous stabbing conviction and several known assaults of prostitutes. The other three were all suggested as the Whitechapel murderer by different authors but many years later in the 20th century.
Question by Usual Suspect: Zippox

Answer: Ernesto Miranda

Ernesto Miranda was arrested in 1963 for the kidnapping and rape of a disabled woman. Though the evidence obtained upon his arrest was thrown out due to the Supreme Court ruling, he was retried and convicted based on new evidence.
The 'Miranda Rights' state, due to the ruling of the Supreme Court, that a suspect who is arrested must be warned of his legal rights as a suspect including, among other things, the right to remain silent and the right to a court-appointed attorney.
Question by Usual Suspect: Grisham

Answer: His uncle, Tiberius

Germanicus died in 19 AD in Turkey and his alleged assassin, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso, was conveniently "suicided" during his trial. Many people suspect Tiberius, Roman Emperor at the time, envied his charisma and popularity and considered him a menace. Germanicus' son, Caligula was only seven years old when his father died. Vercingetorix and Julius Cesar were already dead when Germanicus was born.
Question by Usual Suspect: ricardocfg

Answer: Gangrene, due to a battle injury complication.

Alexander III died in Babylon in 323 BC, at the age 32. He is probably the best general in History. He was never defeated in battle, although he was injured several times. "Alexander the Great, Murder in Babylon", by Graham Phillips, is a 250 page book discussing the possible causes, but I will not spoil it here by giving his conclusions. Question by Usual Suspect: ricardocfg

Answer: Sam Sheppard

Dr. Sam Sheppard, husband of the victim, Marilyn Sheppard, was tried and convicted of the murder and served more than 12 years in prison. The TV series, The Fugitive, loosely based on Sheppard's fight to clear his name, helped turn public opinion in favor of the accused. Following several appeals of the original verdict, Sheppard was found not guilty and released from prison in November, 1966.

The trials also raised the public profile of the aggressive young attorney, F. Lee Bailey who defended Sheppard. Sam Sheppard regained his medical license but turned to alcohol and later died of liver failure in 1970.

The case remains technically unsolved. Question by Usual Suspect: parleydog.

Answer: They were ambushed by the Egyptians

Cambyses II, Persian king in 525 B.C, sent an army to destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun, after the priests there refused to legitimize his claim to Egypt. The foray was unsuccessful and the fate of the 50,000 soldiers was lost to history. The next Persian king, Darius I, defeated the Egyptian pharaoh and spread the sandstorm story to cover the shameful defeat of his predecessor's army.

The Greek historian Herodotus wrote of these events 75 years after the fact saying "A wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear." Modern scholars and experience show that a sandstorm could not explain the disappearance of so many. Question by Usual Suspect: ricardocfg

Answer: Sid Vicious

John Simon Ritchie was better known as Sid Vicious, singer and bassist for the Sex Pistols, one of the iconic bands of the early punk era. Sid and Nancy had a turbulent relationship with mutual drug use. While out on bail for Nancy's murder, Sid was arrested for assaulting Patti Smith's brother, Todd, and was ordered to drug rehabilitation at New York's Riker's Island.

His mother threw a party celebrating his release from rehab, and Sid died in his sleep after overdosing on heroin at the party. Question by Usual Suspect: wjames

Answer: Adolf Hitler

Geli was Hitler's half-niece and lived with her uncle from the age of 17, supposedly as a housekeeper. Hitler was very possessive and kept her as a virtual prisoner. The night before her death, she and Hitler had an argument after she said she wanted to move to Vienna - either for singing lessons or to get married, according to different stories. Hitler left for a political rally in Nuremberg the next morning, but returned after being told of her death by a gunshot wound to the chest. Hitler didn't attend her funeral, but did visit her grave a few days later and kept pictures of her around him for the rest of his life.

Some say that in order to deal with his grief, Hitler resolved to focus excclusively on politics after her death. Question by Usual Suspect: wjames