"Death in Rome" (lateral thinking puzzler)

[soxfan[$]]

Here's a new lateral thinking puzzle from Paul Sloane's book -- have at it!

Mr. Jones is reading his daily newspaper. He reads an article with the following headline: "Woman dies in holiday accident." It goes on to say, "Mrs.
Rigby-Brown, while on holiday with her husband in Rome, fell to her death from the balcony of her seventh-floor room."

Mr. Jones turns to his wife and says, "That was not an accident. It was murder." He had never met either of the Rigby-Browns, so how could he know it was murder?

[theworm[$]]

Was Mrs. Rigby-Brown married to Mr. Rigby-Brown (or a least Mr. Brown)?

[nicholmere]

Does it have to do with the building?

[emeleel]

Does Rome have some sort of safety regulations about balconies?

[theworm[$]]

Are we talking about the Rome in Italy, or another Rome somewhere else?

[vonboob]

Do we have in Rome 7 floor tall buildings?

[CurtisEdmonds]

Because he knew that O.J. Simpson had changed his name.

[CurtisEdmonds]

theworm said

Are we talking about the Rome in Italy, or another Rome somewhere else?

I can tell you that Rome, Georgia, doesn't have seven-story buildings. Or I don't think so.

[soxfan[$]]

Was Mrs. Rigby-Brown married to Mr. Rigby-Brown (or a least Mr. Brown)? Yes.

Does it have to do with the building? No.

Does Rome have some sort of safety regulations about balconies? Irrelevant.

Are we talking about the Rome in Italy, or another Rome somewhere else? The Italian one.

Do we have in Rome 7 floor tall buildings? According to this puzzle, yep.

Because he knew that O.J. Simpson had changed his name. Nope.

[theworm[$]]

Does it have something to do with the specific newspaper that Mr. Jones was reading?

[CurtisEdmonds]

Was there, like, a picture or something with the article?

[theeye]

Had Mr. Jones ever been to Rome?
Was he in Rome when he read the article?

[theworm[$]]

Did Mr. Jones witness the actual murder?

[nicholmere]

Is Mr. Jones wrong?

[theworm[$]]

Did Mr Jones kill her!

[soxfan[$]]

Does it have something to do with the specific newspaper that Mr. Jones was reading? No.

Was there, like, a picture or something with the article? No.

Had Mr. Jones ever been to Rome? Irrelevant.

Was he in Rome when he read the article? No.

Did Mr. Jones witness the actual murder? No.

Is Mr. Jones wrong? No.

Did Mr Jones kill her! No.

[theworm[$]]

Hhm. This is a hard one!

[soxfan[$]]

Hhm. This is a hard one! Good.

[theeye]

Is it relevant that they were vacationing in Rome, specifically?

Or could it have been any other European city?

Or any city at all?

[theeye]

Mr. Jones had never met the Rigby-Browns, but had he ever heard of (either or both of) them prior to reading the story?

[soxfan[$]]

Is it relevant that they were vacationing in Rome, specifically? No.

Or could it have been any other European city? Yes.

Or any city at all? Yes.

Mr. Jones had never met the Rigby-Browns, but had he ever heard of (either or both of) them prior to reading the story? Yes.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Was Ms. Rigby-Brown a midget?