Whodunnit?!!?
Test your Detective Skills with DoD’s Cluedo-Style Murder Mystery
It was hoped that last month’s DoD article Silence of Friends would draw a line under the dismal failures of all parties involved in the Whitesands Legal Challenge. Regrettably, however, a mind-bogglingly disingenuous comment on a recent post on the Save Our Sands (SOS) Facebook group beggared such belief that the entire charade was electro-shocked back to life.
And so, in an effort to finally lay the fiasco to rest once and for all, we invite our readers to solve the murder mystery with our ‘Whodunnit?’ challenge based on Waddingtons classic board game, complete with a cast featuring the original Cluedo suspects—plus our own wildcard character!
Determine for yourself what amounted to acceptable conduct vs unacceptable, the unwitting vs the complicit, the innocent vs the guilty: Who killed the Whitesands Legal Challenge??
The Suspects
Colonel Mustard
Councillor purportedly against the Whitesands project
Affable and well-liked
Failed to raise the council’s s75(2) breach when it mattered
Ultimately offered neither opposition nor contribution
Mrs White
Another councillor purportedly against the Whitesands project
Timid by nature, couldn’t quite grasp the situation
Also failed to raise the council’s s75(2) breach when the opportunity arose
Did nothing and contributed nothing
Miss Scarlett
Member of community council
Passive receiver of direction rather than decision maker
Ditched community council involvement upon instruction
Did nothing and contributed nothing
Reverend Green
Member of community council
Spoke encouragingly but hesitant when action was required
Ultimately presided over talk rather than action
Did nothing and contributed nothing
Professor Plum
Conducted endless amounts of research, assembled case, engaged solicitor + KC
Brought forward evidence and proposals in numerous presentations
Mistakenly believed others could be relied upon to act
Bore the brunt of supposed allies pulling in the wrong direction and the lame passivity of an entire town
Mrs Peacock
Loud. Opinionated. Brash. Arrogant.
Pathological liar prone to rapid reversal of position on a whim
Susceptible to outbursts and knee-jerk reactions (act now/think later)
Compulsively attention-seeking by what she said/did/dressed/undressed
Major Dithering
Councillor who campaigned against the Whitesands project for well over a decade
Indicated that he would get involved with legal challenge + crowdfunding before pulling out last minute, causing fatal delay—then on social media claimed he never had anything to do with it
Did nothing and contributed nothing that remotely threatened to make a difference
Instead of giving up his position to save the Whitesands, he will be remembered for giving up the Whitesands to save his position
Timeline + Clues
02/12/25
Professor Plum presentation to Loreburn Community Council on s75(2) illegality re Whitesands Project (WP). Councillors in attendance: Colonel Mustard, Mrs White, Major Dithering
11/12/25
Whitesands Project voted through at full council meeting. None of the above councillors said a word.
19/12/25
D&G Standard front page: “Council Accused of Breaking the Law Over Whitesands”
Reverend Green: “excellent piece of publicity! Just need to keep pushing on that open door. Yes we will arrange an emergency meeting of LCC!”
23/12/25
Reverend Green: “Yes there will be a January meeting for the purpose of discussing the common good and where we go legal wise and funding. We also need to discuss how to get the public more involved!”
06/01/25
Reverend Green: “LCC are still active re s(75)2. I will be setting up a meeting so a presentation would be good . . . I will be in touch!”
18/01/26
Professor Plum: “[further offer] to do another presentation with some important updates and more evidence.”
Miss Scarlett: “I emailed Reverend Green asking him to approve your request when I saw you last week.
Mrs Peacock: “There is no point in wasting time on an [s75(2)] injunction” [arranges separate meeting].
28/01/26
Professor Plum: “Please let me know if I’m on the agenda to do an updated presentation at the next LCC meeting.”
30/01/26
Miss Scarlett: “it won’t be necessary for a further presentation to LCC. I can confirm that you are not on the Agenda.”
01/02/26
Major Dithering: “I have looked into crowdfunding. I feel we will get money to fight this and we could win”
02/02/26
Major Dithering: “we could meet and discuss it so we can set this up. We can set it up under Save Our Sands.”
“the community council won’t help us, but we don’t need them.”
“We can do this, we have the people behind us. Many business people as well.”
“Save Our Sands has two new named people on the admin. One named Mrs Peacock who I am concerned about. If set up these people on Save Our Sands can have nothing to do with it.”
03/02/26
Major Dithering: “I have a large following and people are expecting me to stand up for them which I do and they know that . . . there is a bit of talking but no real action.”
12/02/26
Major Dithering withdraws from legal challenge and crowdfunding.
Reverend Green: “Why would he pull out? I will get in touch with all members [of LCC]!”
Professor Plum: “He thinks it’ll affect him as a councillor.”
Reverend Green: “That’s the whole point of being a councillor!”
17/02/26
Reverend Green confirms that neither himself nor community council will get involved.
25/02/26
Professor Plum commences Whitesands Legal Challenge crowdfunding with no assistance from any other suspect.
26/02/26
Professor Plum meeting with solicitor and King’s Counsel.
02/03/26
Tragic death of the Whitesands Legal Challenge.
12/03/26
Major Dithering: disingenuous comment on social media:
“The fact that this crowded funding was not raised by SOS. It was raised by an individual. It was found that it could take thousands of pounds to raise an action and the amount of money needed was many thousands. The individual decided to stop the funding it was nothing to do with SOS. I hope this explains the situation. If an individual wants to raise an issue that is entirely their decision.”
So, who was the killer?
Professor Plum with the candlestick in the study?
Major Dithering, disingenuously pirouetting with the revolver in the ballroom?
Mrs Peacock, capriciously with the dagger in the lounge?
Or was the Whitesands Legal Challenge just the latest victim of the pandemic of cankerous apathy afflicting the same town that masked up and jabbed up without question whenever it was told to—slain by the town that never once had the gumption to make a stand against so-called authority when it had the chance handed to it on a platter?
All Fools.
DoD
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