The case
Saturday, November 13, 1993. Marcus Stoddard, 38, owner of the Bluebird Tavern on West Chicago Street, Coldwater, Michigan, closes his bar for the last time. At seven the next morning his cook opens the walk-in cooler and finds him on the floor.
The cooler's inside release has been broken for weeks. The register is empty. The rear door is unlocked. Two inches of snow fell overnight and there is exactly one set of tire tracks in the lot. Coldwater Police call it an accident until the Medical Examiner finds the wound on the back of his head.
Six people had a reason to want Marcus Stoddard dead: the wife with the life insurance, the partner with the failing marina, the bartender fired that night, the bookkeeper with a secret, the bookie he owed twelve thousand dollars, and the drunk who shouted "I'll kill you" in front of a room of witnesses. Detective Pomeroy's last entry in the file is dated January 1994. He retired that spring.
Thirty years later the file lands on your desk. Nothing has been removed.
What is in the file
- Police Reports — incident report, scene report with sketch, evidence log, detective's supplemental, 2023 reopening memo
- Forensics — autopsy, trace evidence lab report, certified weather observations
- Witness Statements — eight statements from suspects, family and staff
- Photographs — six scene frames, persons-of-interest sheet
- Records — phone records, register tape, bowling receipt, ER discharge, booking sheet, cab log, repair order, bank letter
- Personal Documents — partnership agreement, letter of intent, desk calendar
- Press — 2023 feature
Persons of interest
The six people Detective Pomeroy looked at in 1993:
- Lorraine Stoddardthe victim's wife
- Ray Tolbertbusiness partner, owns 40% of the tavern
- Danny Sobczakbartender
- Ellen Corwinbookkeeper
- Vince Carrerabar owner from Quincy
- Hank Boydcustomer
Why start here
Last Call at the Bluebird is the file we point new players to, and not only because it is free. It is a small-town case with a cast you can hold in your head, but it is not an easy one: it is rated 4 out of 5 and most readers need two to three hours. The evidence is the ordinary paperwork of a Michigan bar in 1993 (a bowling score sheet, a cab company's log, an emergency-room chart, a weather report), and none of it explains itself.
It plays well alone with a notepad, and just as well with two to six people. Open a room and everyone reads on their own phone, sees which documents the others have opened, and votes in secret when they are ready. Because it costs nothing, it is also the easiest way to find out whether your group enjoys this kind of evening before anyone spends money. It plays free online, and like every case it is also available as a printable PDF.
What you must prove
To close the case you name who killed Marcus Stoddard, and you get one accusation. Before you make it, be sure you can also say what they used and why: the solution file shows all three. Every answer is supported by at least two documents in the file. There are no hints on this site — if you are stuck, you have not read everything.
