A jewel thief was caught because he left a unique footprint in the flowerbed beneath the mansion window. The suspect was brought in wearing expensive Italian leather dress shoes with completely smooth soles. When the detective compared the suspect's shoes to a plaster cast of the footprint—which featured deep, aggressive rubber tread patterns—the suspect smiled and said, 'See? My shoes don't match.' The detective smiled back and said, 'That's exactly why you're guilty.' Why?
He wore different shoes during the crime and changed them afterward.
Criminals often wear practical work or athletic shoes with rubber treads for climbing and running during a heist, then switch to clean dress shoes before interacting with police to throw off suspicion.
About this riddle
Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.
Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
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