Who Sat Where

The case file

Four witnesses waited in the courthouse hallway, seated left to right in chairs 1 through 4. The bailiff jotted down four facts about the seating chart -- but the page is smudged where one chair should be. Who sat in chair 4?

The rule: Each person sat in exactly one chair, and each chair held exactly one person. All four facts are true.

The clues

1. Tom Beck sat right next to Tessa Quinn.
2. Tessa Quinn sat immediately to the left of Tom Beck.
3. Tessa Quinn sat somewhere between Nora Hale and Tom Beck.
4. Tessa Quinn sat somewhere between June Park and Nora Hale.

Who did it?

1. Tessa Quinn
2. Nora Hale
3. Tom Beck
4. June Park

The verdict

June Park

Only June Park fits in chair 4. Not Tessa Quinn: the four facts together rule Tessa Quinn out of chair 4. Not Nora Hale: if Nora Hale sat in chair 4, "Tessa Quinn sat immediately to the left of Tom Beck" could not be true. Not Tom Beck: if Tom Beck sat in chair 4, "Tessa Quinn sat somewhere between June Park and Nora Hale" could not be true.