WHODONUT? A MURDER MYSTERY JIGSAW PUZZLE GAME

Welcome to Whodonut? Hints and Reveals!

Solved the case?
Click here to receive an exclusive epilogue to this story!


How to Use the Hints and Reveals

  1. If you’re looking for spoiler-free help on answering the questions in the Detective’s Notebook, navigate to the HINTS section.

  2. If you’re looking for the answers to the Detective’s questions, navigate to the REVEALS section.

  3. If you want to make sure that you’ve discovered everything in the box, navigate to the INVENTORY, HIDDEN ITEMS, AND HIDDEN TEXT section.

  4. If you’re having trouble reading the handwritten documents, navigate to the ACCESSIBILITY section.

  5. If you would like a step-by-step walkthrough of the game’s solution, navigate to the SOLUTION section.

Keep in mind, this game has layers. These hints and reveals WILL NOT expose all answers or possibilities that exist within the game. Your time and effort are rewarded with a richer experience — the more you put in, the more you get out.

 

HINTS

+ Question 1 (What order did people arrive?) Hint #1

Lorraine said she saw Thomas when she arrived.

+ Question 1 Hint #2

Thomas said he saw Benny when he arrived.

+ Question 1 Hint #3

Benny said he saw both Thomas and Lorraine arrive.

+ Question 2 (What time did Fred die?) Hint #1

Fred was wearing a fitness tracker that recorded his last heartbeat.

+ Question 2 Hint #2

The first officer arrived at the scene at 7:46 am.

+ Question 2 Hint #3

Fred’s last heartbeat was recorded 17 minutes before the first officer arrived.

+ Question 3 (Why were Fred and Lorraine getting divorced?) Hint #1

Lorraine would not clearly state the cause for the divorce.

+ Question 3 Hint #2

Thomas had a good reason to hate Fred.

+ Question 3 Hint #3

Thomas mentioned in his interview that Fred spent too much time with Thomas’s wife.

+ Question 4 (Who knew how to operate the cash register?) Hint #1

Fred owned the store and was operating it by himself that day.

+ Question 4 Hint #2

Thomas was a former employee.

+ Question 4 Hint #3

Lorraine mentioned having worked behind the counter at the shop.

+ Question 5 (What was the motivation for the murder?) Hint #1

The cash register was emptied.

+ Question 5 Hint #2

Lorraine and Benny both mentioned Fred being bad at business.

+ Question 5 Hint #3

Junk mail? Double-check your answer to question 3.

+ Question 6 (What happened?) Hint #1

The bathroom key was taken after the donut was thrown.

+ Question 6 Hint #2

Someone tried to break open the cash register.

+ Solution Hint #1

One of the suspects is lying.

+ Solution Hint #2

Thomas’s alibi can be confirmed by the missing bathroom key.

+ Solution Hint #3

Only one suspect would have engine grease on their hands.

 

REVEALS

+ Question 1 (What order did people arrive?) Reveal #1

Benny arrived first, followed by Thomas and then Lorraine.

+ Question 1 Reveal #2

The correct answer reveals the Smashed Jelly Donut Puzzle Piece.

+ Question 2 (What time did Fred die?) Reveal #1

Fred’s last heartbeat was recorded by his fitness tracker at 7:29 am.

+ Question 2 Reveal #2

The correct answer reveals the Stack of Legal Documents with Blood Stains Puzzle Piece.

+ Question 3 (Why were Fred and Lorraine getting divorced?) Reveal #1

Adultery: Thomas revealed that Fred had been cheating on Lorraine with Thomas’s wife.

+ Question 3 Reveal #2

The correct answer reveals the Pile of Overdue Bills Puzzle Piece.

+ Question 4 (Who knew how to operate the cash register?) Reveal #1

Thomas was a former employee and Lorraine had worked shifts behind the register. Both would know how to open it, along with Fred.

+ Question 4 Reveal #2

The correct answer reveals the Hammer Dents on Cash Register Puzzle Piece.

+ Question 5 (What was the motivation for the murder?) Reveal #1

Money: Fred was heavily indebted to unknown loaners according to multiple suspects.

+ Question 5 Reveal #2

The correct answer reveals the Missing Bathroom Key Puzzle Piece.

+ Question 6 (What happened?) Reveal #1

The killer came in for a donut, got angry and threw it against the wall, was interrupted by the arrival of the other suspects, waited for them to leave, tried to get into the cash register, and then killed Fred when he tried to stop them.

+ Question 6 Reveal #2

The correct answer reveals the Powdered Sugar with One Grease Fingerprint on Hammer Puzzle Piece.

+ Solution Reveal

Benny is the killer (scroll down for full explanation).

 

INVENTORY,HIDDEN ITEMS, AND HIDDEN TEXT

+ Physical Documents and Items

  • Game Manual
  • 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle (994 pieces + 6 blank pieces)
  • Detective’s Notebook
  • Answer Board (24 pieces inside)
  • Solution Envelope (1 document inside)

+ Hidden Items/Documents (WARNING! Spoilers!)

  • Solution (found within the Solution Envelope)

+ Hidden Text (WARNING! Spoilers!)

*Note: There is no hidden text in this game.

 

ACCESSIBILITY

+ Detective’s Notebook Handwriting Transcript

[page 1]
Arrival

  • Do Not Not Donut Shop
  • approx. 8:49 AM.
  • met w/ patrol officers
    Dispatch received a call @7:31 AM from Thomas Wainewright, ex-employee.
    • Got through first, 2 others called

Responding officer entered the shop @7:46 AM

  • Found the shop’s owner, Fred Jackson Jr., dead on the counter.
  • Autopsy pending, but all signs point to violent struggle and death by blunt force trauma. Victim’s fitness tracker: last heartbeat @ 17 min. before officer arrival

[page 2]
Victim
Fred Jackson, Jr.
aka Fred the Man, Freddie Friendly

  • 56 y/o
  • 5’11”
  • 253 lbs
  • Owner and operator of Do Not Not Donut Shop; prev. rideshare driver
  • Married to Lorraine Jackson (nee Springs) for 22 years.
  • 2 children: Sigmund (17) & Toriano (26)
  • No prior arrest record.

This case is hitting the precinct hard. Several officers @HQ frequented Do Not Not Donut and claimed close friendship w/ Fred.
Appears Fred was well-known and well-liked among customers. No public disputes discovered.

[page 3]
Scene

  • The cash register opened and emptied.
  • Water covered much of the floor
  • No cameras

Apple fritter

  • delicious
  • moist and flavorful
  • unidentifiable heat. Cayenne?
  • Scene is currently being photographed
  • Three witnesses

Witnesses + Claims

Thomas Wainewright
Former employee

  • polite and cooperative
  • very insistent he did not commit the murder even though he had “every reason to want to.”

[page 4]
Asked him: Did Fred owe him money?

  • hated Fred for personal reasons
  • not business

Thomas said his wife was a coffee seller roaster and just started consulting for Fred 3 months ago.

  • Spent a lot of time consulting after hours
  • Traveled with Fred to “conventions”

Asked him: Re: his wife, where was she now?

  • Flew off a week ago to meditation retreat in Costa Rica — no notice.

[page 5]

  • Found out from social media.
  • Showed me the updates on her Birdlr feed.
  • Tropical foliage in the photos, somewhere far from here.
  • Told him she found someone else [arrow pointing right] Thomas thinks that’s Fred.

Asked him: what was he doing here?

  • Said he wanted to give Fred a piece of his mind
  • No plan other than several choice insults
  • But: he got an emergency call from nature. If true, I can sympathize.

[page 6]

  • Fred gave him the bathroom key only after he purchased a glazed cruller.
  • Took one bite and entered the bathroom. I saw it in the trash. What a waste.

Asked him: did he hear anything while in the bathroom?

  • No
  • Filled the toilet w/ towels for 15 min. and flushed until the water started rising.
  • When he opened the door Fred was dead.

[page 7]
Asked him: Re: Lorraine, did he know her?

  • Yes and they got along
  • Filled in for Fred behind the register whenever he left for “donut conventions”
  • Called Lorraine when his wife left, told Lorraine that his wife and Fred were having an affair

Asked him: Did he know the other customer?

  • A friend of Fred’s, Benny
  • comes in every morning for a free donut.
  • Benny was having a heated discussion w/ Fred when Thomas arrived.

[page 8]
Benny Frank
Friend, regular customer

  • Arrived as Fred was opening up.
  • got a strawberry-filled donut and was chatting w/ Fred like every morning
  • saw Thomas enter shop, said he was angry about his last paycheck
  • Also saw Lorraine enter the shop after Thomas
  • Felt uncomfortable, went outside and smoked for 15 min.
  • Returned and saw Fred’s body, called the police but they said it had already been reported.

[page 9]
Asked him: Re: Fred, how long have you known him?

  • Years
  • Met when Fred was a driver, Benny was his mechanic
  • Believed in Fred: Invested in his shop when it hit hard times

Asked him: Re: Thomas, what do you know about him?

  • Smart decision to fire him, always taking breaks
  • Tried charging Benny every day for donut

Asked him: Re: Lorraine, what do you know about her?

  • Fred said they had

[page 10]
been having trouble

  • Benny left to give them some space and enjoy a cigar outside.

Lorraine Jackson
victim’s wife

  • Arrived approx. 7:15 AM
  • Noticed Thomas entering the bathroom as she was walking in.
  • Said she was in a rush to drop off some legal papers she had been holding on to before a meeting w/ her lawyer. Conversation w/ Fred was short.
  • Walked out and got in her car but thought Fred deserved more explanation. [arrow] Left him a petition for divorce

[page 11]

  • Walked back into shop, saw Fred’s body, and called 911. [arrow] Operator spoke to a male
  • Hates donuts [arrow] ?

Asked her: Re: Fred, any enemies or ongoing disagreements?

  • plenty: banks, rental companies, other faceless orgs
  • violence was never a concern

Asked her: Re: Fred, how was he as a business partner?

  • Fred had little luck and little skill in business
  • just passion and a need to be liked

Asked her: Re: The divorce?

  • clammed up at the question
  • “painful but necessary”

[page 12]

  • Fred “attended too many donut conventions” and was “groping for trout in a peculiar river”
    [arrow] Fred the Fisherman? reminder to look up this phrase

Asked her: Re: Future plans?

  • Moving into her parents’ summer home
  • Exploring her options
  • Might take a year to “see the world” [arrow] Told her to wait until this case is settled

Asked her: Re: what does she know about Thomas?

  • reliable, quiet.
  • chronic stomach issues
  • the only people Fred wouldn’t stiff were his employees.

[page 13]
Asked her: Re: what does she know about Benny?

  • @ the shop every morning
  • mechanic, has a garage across town, opens around the same time as DNND
  • never takes a day off
  • Keeps a newspaper open to sports section
  • Reacts very strongly to sports news

Questions & Possible Answers

Question 1: What order did people arrive?
A. Benny – Lorraine – Thomas
B. Thomas – Benny – Lorraine
C. Lorraine – Benny –Thomas
D. Benny – Thomas – Lorraine

[page 14]
Question 2: What time did Fred die?
Q. 7:31 AM
R. 7:18 AM
S. 7:29 AM
T. 7:44 AM

Question 3: Why were Fred and Lorraine getting divorced?
M. Fred’s poor business decisions made life too difficult
N. Fred was having an affair with Thomas’s wife
O. Lorraine wanted to leave Fred for Benny
P. The tragic but inevitable drifting apart of two people who promised each other forever before they had any idea what forever meant

[page 15]
Question 4: Who knew how to operate the cash register?
E. Fred, Thomas, and Lorraine
F. Fred, Lorraine, and Benny
G. Fred, Thomas, and Benny
H. No one but Fred

Question 5: What was the motivation for the murder?
I. Revenge
J. Money
K. Accidental
L. Bad Donut

[page 16]
Question 6: What happened?
U. The killer came in for a donut, got angry and threw it at Fred, was interrupted by the arrival of the other suspects, waited for them to leave, tried to get into the cash register, and then killed Fred when he tried to stop them.
V. The killer arrived first, snuck into the bathroom while Fred was distracted by the other suspects, hid inside the bathroom until the other suspects left, killed Fred, and then emptied the cash register to make it look like a robbery gone wrong.

[page 17]
W. The killer arrived last, had Fred ask the other suspects to leave for a moment so that they could have a private conversation, killed Fred, and then left quickly before the others could notice.
X. The killer arrived after the other suspects had left, ordered a donut, took a bite from the donut and was dissatisfied, asked for a refund but was refused, and then killed Fred in a rage. After their rage subsided, they were shocked at what they had done and called the police to make themselves look innocent.

[page 18]
If I can figure these out, the pieces will fall into place…

+ Solution Handwriting Transcript (WARNING! Spoilers!)

Great work, Deputy Detective!

With your keen eye and clever connections we got the go-ahead to collar Benny. A review of Fred’s finances confirmed he received a hefty loan from Benny. And it turns out friends’ businesses weren’t the only things Benny liked to bet on. A few too many losses with the ponies got him in hot water with some ice-cold bookies.

So when Benny requested Fred’s repayment immediately and Fred asked for yet another deferment, Benny panicked and started to break open the cash register. Fred tried to stop him, and you know the rest.

Lorraine was relieved to have her ex-husband’s killer found. It’s cold comfort, but I guess Fred’s life insurance payout is enough to help her out of debt and keep the kids fed awhile.

I heard Thomas is still unemployed. Must be a tough sell when the interview asks about his last job and he says his boss was recently murdered.

As for me, I can’t thank you enough for picking up my slack here. If you’re ever interested in full-time private-eye work, let me know. As for the old stomach, I’m feeling much better now. I may even give up the sweets. I hear they make sugar-free fritters now.

—Det. Frage

+ Epilogue Handwriting Transcript (WARNING! Spoilers!

Thanks for picking up my slack, Deputy Detective. I should have known better than to stuff four of those sweet and subtly spicy apple fritters down my gullet, but what can I say? Delicious.

Your sleuthing threw a wrench into Benny Frank’s day, that’s for sure. The blues from the station picked him up and brought him to trial. Benny knew that with all the clues you caught, there was no way he would get away with killing Fred. He pleaded guilty to the judge and jury and that was that.

The donut shop is under new management. Thomas got a bank loan to go along with his plans for renovating the place, and I heard Lorraine helped him recreate all of Fred’s original recipes. That’s good news for the precinct. Bad news for my belly.

I walked by one morning when the pale blue light preceding the sunrise just started to burn away the early fog. Curiosity, habit, or a growling stomach made me want to peek at the place. I couldn’t help but smile just a little. There’s a new sign over the door. It says “Fred’s Donuts.”

—Det. Frage

SOLUTION

+ Click for Solution Reveal

The following solution describes the puzzle pieces from the Answer Board that are revealed if the questions in the Detective’s Notebook are answered correctly. All incorrect answers will reveal a puzzle piece that does not contain relevant evidence. These incorrect pieces can be recycled or replaced to play again.



Each suspect mentioned in their interview in the Detective’s Notebook who they saw when they arrived. Thomas said that Benny was already there when he walked into the shop and that Lorraine appeared later. Benny confirmed this order in his interview, making the answer to Question 1: Benny – Thomas – Lorraine. Finding and opening the corresponding D door on the Answer Board gives you the Smashed Jelly Donut Puzzle Piece.

Reading Frage’s notes on the crime at the beginning of the Detective’s Notebook, you will see that Fred was murdered 17 minutes before the responding officer arrived at 7:46 am, making the answer to Question 2: 7:29 AM. Finding the corresponding S door on the Answer Board and opening it gives you the Stack of Legal Documents with Blood Stains Puzzle Piece, suggesting that Lorraine had definitely arrived and possibly left before the murder.

Looking into Fred’s relationship with Lorraine, Frage was unable to get Lorraine to elaborate on their pending divorce. However, Thomas said that he discovered Fred was having an affair with Thomas’s wife and that he immediately told Lorraine. So the answer to Question 3 is Fred was having an affair with Thomas’s wife. Finding the corresponding N door on the Answer Board and opening it gives you the Pile of Overdue Bills Puzzle Piece, lending credibility to Lorraine’s claim that Fred was terrible at running the business.

The next question in the Detective’s Notebook is “Who knew how to operate the cash register?” We know from the start that Thomas was an ex-employee who would have known how to open the cash drawer. We also see in Lorraine’s interview that she had worked at the shop and would also know how to work the register, making the answer to Question 4: Fred, Thomas, and Lorraine. Finding the corresponding E door on the Answer Board and opening it gives you the Hammer Dents on Cash Register Puzzle Piece, showing that whoever emptied the register had to open it by force.



Now, Detective Frage wants to know what the most likely motive for the murder is. Looking at the Pile of Overdue Bills Puzzle Piece and seeing Frage’s note that the cash register had been emptied makes the answer to Question 5: Money. Finding the corresponding J door on the Answer Board and opening it gives you the Missing Bathroom Key Puzzle Piece, giving credibility to Thomas’s alibi of destroying the shop’s bathroom while the murder was happening.

For the final question in the Detective’s Notebook, Frage wants you to put together the sequence of events that led to Fred’s murder. With the timeline information you put together, the motivation for the murder, and Thomas’s nearly confirmed alibi, you can deduce that the answer to Question 6 is the killer came in for a donut, got angry and threw it against the wall, was interrupted by the arrival of the other suspects, waited for them to leave, tried to get into the cash register, and then killed Fred when he tried to stop them. Finding the corresponding U door on the Answer Board and opening it gives you the Powdered Sugar with One Grease Fingerprint on Hammer Puzzle Piece.

Only one suspect had the motivation of financial gain, couldn’t open the cash register without force, was present during Fred’s murder, and would have engine grease on their finger. This means that Fred’s killer was Benny Frank. Open the Solution Envelope to read a note from Detective Frage confirming your answer, then access the epilogue below.

 

EPILOGUE

Enter your email address below to receive an exclusive epilogue that provides more details about the resolution of the crime.

Warning: Epilogue contains spoilers! Do not read the epilogue until you've solved the case!

By submitting your email, you agree to the Hunt A Killer Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Additionally, you are opting in to receive marketing emails. You may opt out at any time.