After a close inspection of the Volupides household and the evidence, I have concluded that there is more to the story than one may think. The police report, the photograph, and the autopsy, makes it very clear that this case was a murder. The police report recalls that Queenie Volupides went out more than once – first to the country club, then once more with friends after a tiff with her husband. During this, it was stated that Queenie had been drinking. When her friends arrived at the Volupides home, Queenie met them at the door and told them her husband, Arthur Volupides, fell down the stairs while coming down for another drink and slipped. She claimed he was dead.
The coroner’s report revealed that Queenie went to a party at the country club after a tiff with her husband. Considering the fact that she “tore out of the house”, we can assume that the argument was much bigger than it seemed. Her irritation and short temper showed a low tolerance for the disagreement, resulting in rash decisions and potentially a motive. In the midst of the parties, Queenie admits that she was drinking. The alcohol in her system would have heavily impacted her clarity and judgment in decision-making. Yet, this does not excuse the fact that this case was a murder.
Another detail that does not comply with the simplicity of Mr. Volupides falling down the stars would be the photograph. In the picture, it shows Arthur at the foot of the stairs, on his back, with his feet sprawled on the steps above him. If we take note of his positioning, the simple explanation would be that someone attacked him while he was walking up the stairs and it caused him to fall backwards. If Arthur would have truly fallen, the glass in his hand would not be perfectly intact, nor would it be still in his hand.
The autopsy aids us in narrowing down the cause of death. It confirmed the Mr. Volupides had been drunk. From this, we can infer that he would have been much more clumsy