Use this walkthrough of the Homicide Desk in LA Noire to crack the most twisted and grisly murders LA's degenerates and power-mongers can throw at you. Your detecting skills will be put to the test like never before on your new assignment, and you'll need all the help you can get. When you've solved this series of increasingly bloody crimes, you'll move on to the Vice Desk.

Conduct a thorough investigation of the crime scene, finding the footprints, the fresh lipstick in the victim's purse, and the novelty lighter shaped like a globe, which you'll need to rearrange into its proper format in order to open it, and find your next location. Before heading there, check out the woman's body, finding the place where her ring was removed, the writing all over her torso, and the blunt-force trauma on her head. Now go to the Bamba Club in search of her killer.

The bartender will direct you to the club's owner, who's relaxing in the back. Question him to find the woman's identity, plus some other useful information. His first statement is true, but you should doubt his next two. When you're done, phone R&I to get them on the hunt for the license plate the guy gave you, then head over to the victim's house. There, find the note on the refrigerator, the empty jewelry box in the bedroom, and a few other clues. There's also another newspaper in here. When you're done with your search, head outside, and check the yard of the house on the left to speak to the victim's neighbor, whose nosy habits will pay off for you. Now it's time to go to the apartment you learned of in the note, where the victim's semi-estranged husband is staying. Search the place, finding the pad of paper on the counter near the phone, which you can use the pencil there to lightly rub, revealing a hidden message, just like a real live detective. Also find the shoe in his bedroom, which is entirely the wrong size. 

Now talk to Mr. Henry. He knew damn well where his wife was last night, which you can prove by telling him of the owner's testimony (labelled as "Husband's Alibi" in your notebook). His next statement counts as a truth, even though it's evasive; he leaves out the part about giving his wife a black eye. Anyway, believe him on that, but show him the note you found on the counter to prove his third statement is a lie. When your partner pushes the guy over the edge, you'll have to clean up the mess, subduing the angry man with your fists. Once that's done, get on the horn to central, and tell them to send a prowler to bring him in. You should also get a few messages at this point, including the identity of the owner of that license plate you put through earlier. 

Now you have your choice of two destinations: you can go back to central to interrogate the husband, even though you're already pretty sure he's innocent, or you can go after the guy whose identity you just learned. You won't get another opportunity to talk to the husband, so, even though this is totally unnecessary to completing the case, if you want to do absolutely everything, head to the station and have a nice chat. His statements here are, respectively, lie, truth, lie, truth. Remind him of the "Husband's Alibi" evidence for the first lie, and tell him about the testimony of his neighbor for the second. 

Now that that's done, head over to Mendez's apartment. He's not home, but the weapon he used to beat in the skull of Celine Henry is. There's also a used stick of lipstick, and a suspiciously size-eight shoe. Once you've found all that, and the murderer returns home, chase him out the window, and across the rooftops. He'll get in a car when he reaches the street, and your partner will pull up and tell you to drive your own. Pursue the suspect down the street, and, when your partner tells you to, pull up alongside the speeding car, allowing him to put some rounds into its tires. When the car comes to a violent stop, get out, and make the pinch. Case closed.

When a murder that's reminiscent of your last case, and the infamous Black Dahlia slaying, comes across your desk, questions arise about the legitimacy of your first arrest as a member of the homicide department. You'll encounter even more ambiguity as you make your way through this one, and in cases to come. Head to the scene to find another naked body, with signs of violent stomping similar to that which killed Celine Henry. This body is devoid of the scrawled writing of the last one, though, and there are rope marks on her neck instead of trauma on her skull. She's missing jewelry from both hands, which you'll discover when you search the body. Make sure to examine the rope marks too. Be sure to check her purse to discover her identity. The patrolman that phones in the name will soon inform you that the woman's husband has filed a missing person report, so it's time to head over and have a chat with him.

Hugo Moller won't be at home when you arrive, so search the house, then talk to his daughter. Make sure to discover his work boots (size eights). The girl won't tell any outright lies, but her first and third statements are doubtful. You'll receive a little more information from this interview, just in time to talk to Moller himself when he arrives. He'll lie about his shoe size, which you can prove easily enough with his work boots. His assertion that he was home all the night of the murder is also nonsense, as evidenced by his daughter's previous testimony, listed as "Husband's Alibi." Doubt his third statement, and give the lie to his fourth, using his daughter's story of the titular golden butterfly to prove him wrong. 

After leaving, go across the street to talk to Moller's vociferous neighbor. Pretty soon the shaken husband will show his hand, trying to burn evidence at the incinerator in the backyard. Chase him down, tackling him when you get close enough. Then, when you get the chance, search the incinerator to find what he was trying to get rid of: a pair of bloody boots, size eight. Time to take this guy downtown. Now, find a phone to get the address of the high school, and head over there. You'll soon encounter your most loathsome specimen of human filth yet. Chase him down, and either tackle him, or wait for your partner to cut him off. Either way, you'll have to touch this guy, as he won't cooperate on his own. Now check out the abandoned green car here, opening up the trunk to find a fairly incriminating assortment of evidence: a length of rope, a pair of overalls, and a tire iron, all slathered with blood. Before leaving, find a phone and make another call.

Head over to the morgue to consult with the coroner. You can look for yourself at the three rope samples he's set aside for you; the third is the closest match. You can also take a look at the casts he's had made of the shoe prints, and at the body. Now it's interrogation time, and you'll have two chances here. Interview both suspects, in whichever order you'd like; Eli is in Interview Room 1, Hugo in Interview Room 2. If you get all the questions right in a particular interrogation, you'll have the choice of either charging the suspect or leaving the room to conduct the other grilling. Doubt everything Eli tells you except his third statement, which is true. When it comes to Hugo, believe his first statement, doubt his second, and disprove his third by telling him about the overalls found in his trunk. His next statement is also a lie, as you found the tire iron in the same place.

Now you'll have the chance to choose which suspect you want to charge. This is your decision; the game will continue either way. Frankly, though the evidence in this case seems to point more strongly toward the husband, and the world would certainly be a better place with Eli off the streets, there's every indication that the killer of Mrs. Moller (and Mrs. Henry) may still be on the loose. But you need to charge someone, so make your pick, and move on to your next case. 

Yet another nude corpse, this one in a lonely alleyway, demands your attention, so head over there, and check it out. Examine the body to find that this woman, too, had jewelry stolen--this time from both hands--and was strangled. She's also clutching half a library card, the rest of which you'll need to find in order to get a positive ID. Be sure to find the bloody stocking and discarded hat nearby, then look for the blood trail, and follow it, playing the killer's sick game. In another stretch of alley, check the trash can to find more of the slain woman's personal effects. Continue along the trail of blood, eventually climbing up to and moving across some rooftops. Along the way, be sure to find these important clues: a slip of paper, with a strange cipher; a key; the woman's bloody ring, dangling from a piece of string; an empty envelope; and, finally, the woman's handbag, which contains the other half of her library card. You'll also stumble upon the paint brush the killer used to create his little guided tour. To to track down the twisted bastard.

Before setting out in your car, check the trash can in the nearby alley to find the trademark headgear of a certain Rockstar cowboy. John Marston is not a suspect in this crime, as he's been dead for decades. How and why his hat found its way to LA is a mystery which will never be solved. It'll make a nice addition to your trophy case, though. 

Now it's time to head to the murdered woman's apartment, and check for clues. Her landlady will point you to it. In Mrs. Maldonado's cramped quarters, find the letter from her lawyer, the wedding picture displaying her lost charm bracelet, the evidence of a recent break in, and, just outside, the iron picket used to do the breaking in. Now talk to the landlady. Believe her first statement, doubt her next, and expose the lie of her third by telling her about the broken window (how that proves that she knew about it is another question). Expose her next fib by telling her you know about the charm bracelet. When you're done with this old bag, head over to the El Dorado Bar, and talk to the bartender. He'll give you the divorce papers the victim was triumphantly waving around the night before, then answer some of your questions. Doubt his first statement, but believe his second. Before leaving, talk to the delivery boy from the Just Picked Fruit Market, which is just across the street. It's locked up tight now, so go to the husband's apartment for more questioning. He and his little buddy will resist; put them down, then search the place. Make sure to find the bloody shirt and crate of "fruit" in his kitchen, then knock on doors up and down his hallway until you speak to a neighbor who gives you the old "Husband's Alibi" clue. 

Now you can wrap this case up quickly, or take a few minutes to interrogate the husband (do this now if you're going for maximum completion, as you won't get another chance). Placing a call to central will get you the prompt to return there and speak to your boss. Down in the basement, you'll be shown several notes, and get a chance to flash your encyclopedic knowledge of the 19th century British romance poets (hopefully your last such chance of the game). Then head up and conduct your interrogation, if you want. The interrogation goes: lie (husband's alibi), lie (divorce papers), truth, and doubt. Now it's time to head back to the fruit market, and chat with the shifty cashier there. In your initial interview, doubt his first two statement,s but believe his third. Now head over to the locked doors to the back room, and bust in. Back here you'll find more "fruit," plus more relevant evidence: a bloody scalpel, and, inside a locked box (which you can open by arranging the dice on its combination in the order of the dots on the note you found), the missing religious necklace you've been hearing so much about. This is what they mean when they say possession is nine-tenths of the law. Get after the fleeing creep, allowing your partner to blow out his tires, ramming him into something firm (like a building) yourself, or waiting for backup to cut him off up ahead. Whatever you have to do, you'll eventually be able to make the collar, wrapping up this case.

This is a case with a lot of stops, but you can make it through even if you skip a few. If you're looking to do absolutely everything you can, though, you'll probably want to stick closely to this timetable. At the scene, you'll find tire tracks and boot prints, but any other physical evidence has been washed away by the rain. Make sure to check the body, specifically the head, to find a laundry label in the victim's dress, which will provide you with your next destination. You'll be accosted by a citizen here, who, if you believe her statement, will direct you to investigate the hobo camp nearby for a suspicious hobo. Use the call box on a tree around here to get the addresses of both locations. Now, if you can resist visiting the hobo camp (there's nothing doing down there at the moment), go to the laundry.

Check the ledger the owner provides, matching the entry to the laundry ticket you found on the dress. That will provide you with your next destination, the woman's house. Head there, and talk to the husband, then have a look around. There's evidence galore here: a handbag, some matchbooks from a local bar, a dripping jacket, muddy boots, and, outside on the guy's boat, a length of rope whose pattern looks familiar. When you've found all that, interview this guy. He's a damn liar, as you'll find on his first statement; disprove it by mentioning the rope you found on his boat. Doubt his next two answers, then disprove his next with the dripping-wet coat. Before leaving the house, place a call to central. Then head over to Baron's Bar, and speak to the bartender there. believe his first and third answers, doubt his second. Now move toward the guy the bartender identifies as having been in the woman's company the night before. He doesn't feel like chatting, so you'll have to chase him down. Commandeer a vehicle outside, and pursue the guy until you can get him to stop, the hard way if necessary. Then have your chat. Doubt both of his statements, then watch as the creep gets hauled off to the station. Now you need to find a phone; there should be one nearby. 

After getting back in the car, you should receive word that the cab you're looking for has been spotted. Note several things about this section of the case: for one, it's unnecessary; if you're just trying to solve the case as quickly as you can, you can safely ignore the whole cab deal. Also, once you're advised of its location, and the music gets tense, your destination will automatically be set to the cab's location, which can lead to confusion if you're trying the get somewhere else. And, you're on the clock here; if you do want to track down the cab, you need to get moving. Track down the cab, and talk to the cab driver when you finally get a chance. Now head back to central, and interview the sailor who's come forward. Doubt everything he says. 

Now head to the bus depot (again, not strictly necessary, except for completionism). Use the map the guy there gives you to track down the bus, and speak to the driver. Now, finally, head over to the hobo camp, where you'll receive a less than friendly welcome (apparently hobos aren't the world's nicest people after all). Subdue their ringleader, then search his shack to find a newspaper, and all the evidence you could ask for: he's got a bloodstained length of the right type of rope, plus a woman's handbag. Back at central, interrogate the creepy bastard. He's obviously nuts. Doubt his first two statements, then disprove his last with the purse you found at his hovel to send him away for a very long time.

This is another complicated case, which can be solved without hitting every piece of evidence, and will require some precise questioning if you do want to get every single one. Before heading out to the crime scene, check the pawn shop, and examine the hocked rings which apparently belonged to Mrs. Moller from a few cases ago. Now head to the crime scene. Examine the body to find that yet another piece of jewelry has gone missing, and go through the nearby handbag to find the dead woman's identity, and part of a torn letter. Now talk to the two men here, the black guy first; he'll tell you that the white guy was...doing something to the body earlier that morning. Talk to this degenerate next. His first statement is true, his second doubtful. After your partner's had a chance to tune up on him a little, head over to one of your locations. Though you can do either one, hitting the liquor store first will make for a slightly more efficient route to the end of the case. Ask the clerk there about the woman. Find a bowling pin, and a copy of Aristotle's Metaphysics, in her sad little sleeping quarters--making sure to open the book--then interview the clerk. Believe his first two statements, but doubt his third. 

Now head to Mensch's bar, and ask the patrons about the slain woman. One man, Grosvenor McCaffrey, is of interest here. His first statement is doubtful, his next and outright lie, which you can prove by telling him about his copy of Metaphysics. When you return to your car, you should get a call to return to central, where you'll find your knowledge of Shelley once again brought into play. Then head over to the bowling alley, and look in the back room--accessible by the door along the left-hand edge of the lanes--to find your next person of interest. He'll take off, so go after him, hopping into one of the suspiciously sleek sports cars out back. He'll head for the tunnels if you give him time; watch out for oncoming trolleys if he makes it this far. Apprehend the suspect, then make one final stop before returning to home base.

Put in a call to R&I to get the address of the smug intellectual McCaffrey's apartment. Check the mailboxes to get his apartment number, then search the place. Find the other half of the letter you found at the crime scene, plus a tire iron. Then, when his neighbor walks in and informs you that he's likely at his pigeon coop on the roof, head up there, and chase him when he runs. Bring him back to central, where you once again have two interrogations to conduct. Talk to the pin jockey Tiernan first. He's a no-good liar. Prove his first statement untrue by telling him of the "Victim Last Seen" story you picked up from your other suspect. Doubt his next statement, and expose his next lie via the slip of paper from the victim's belongings showing her list of purchases. Doubt the next, and disprove the last with more testimony from McCaffrey. 

Talk to McCaffrey next, exposing his two lies, the first with the torn letter, the second with the other suspect's accusation of him. At this point, you need to briefly step out of the interview room, and use a phone to check on McCaffrey's criminal record. Then turn right around and talk to him again. You'll have a new question to ask, and a new bit of evidence to disprove McCaffrey's resulting answer with. His criminal record is not what he says it is. Book the smug bastard, and move on to your final homicide case.

Your last case in the homicide department is a big one, promising to reveal the real killer of the string of dead women you've been finding throughout this section of the game, not to mention the murderer of the real-life Elizabeth Short, who became the tragic Black Dahlia in death. This case will work a bit differently than those that have come before. For one thing, there's no crime scene, although you will be driving all over greater Los Angeles in search of clues. Also, there's no interviewing suspects or judging truths from falsehoods. Your only objective is to follow the trail of Riddler-esque clues the twisted killer leaves, eventually arriving at his own doorstep. The answer to each Shelley stanza will be one of the many landmarks spread around the city, though you won't necessarily have discovered it yet. If you can't figure out where you're supposed to go, or if you haven't unlocked the correct location yet, simply drive around the city until Phelps starts mumbling to himself, coming up with the solution on his own. Either that, of use this handy walkthrough.

After receiving the killer's latest taunting letter and poem excerpt, get in your car, and check out your map. Your first destination is the fountain in Pershing Park, which is right in the heart of the city, in the square formed by 5th, 6th, Olive, and Hill streets. When you get to the fountain, climb on in, and hop up onto its upper section, where you'll find Elizabeth Short's social security card, and another stanza. Now the trail has really begun. 

Your next stop is one you'll probably have stumbled upon before, the Hall of Records. It's on Broadway, just around the corner from central. When you arrive, talk to the guy behind the front desk, then head upstairs, and find the maintenance room he mentioned. Climb the ladder there, then balance your way out along the plank toward the chandelier. Balance and move with Left Stick. This is pretty sensitive, and the biggest danger is over-correcting, so use a light touch. When you reach the chandelier, pick up the watch belonging to Mrs. Moller, and the next part of the poem. Just when you think you can take a nice, calming breath, the chandelier begins to collapse, and you're forced to swing it wildly back and forth, until you get close enough to the ledge, at which point you'll automatically jump to safety. After surveying the damage, head out to your next location.

Now you're aiming for the LA Public Library, about two blocks northwest from the park along 5th Street. When you arrive, you'll have a lot more climbing to do, making your way up the elaborate scaffolding along the side of the building. There's more balancing here, too, so be careful. You'll have to climb down a few levels, at one point, but don't worry; another ladder leading upward is just ahead. When you reach the roof, look for the missing section of the Maldonado woman's religious necklace, and another section of verse.

Your next destination is a bit out of the way, so you may not have discovered it unless you've been wandering around quite a bit. This is the Westlake (i.e., La Brea) Tar Pits. It's a good deal north and west of your regular beat. Take 9th that way, cross to San Marino, and find this place out along a dirt track from there. To get to the island in the middle of the lake of tar, you'll have to wade along the plank maintenance path, most of which will quickly sink under your weight. There are, however, safe areas, which you'll want to move quickly between. The path follows a circuitous route through the tar, so always look before you move onto the next section, so you don't join the mammoths and saber tooth tigers down below. Reach the island, and find the missing shoe from The White Shoe Slaying, plus, you guessed it, another stanza of Shelley. 

Next stop: the LA County Art Museum, which you should have discovered on the way here, if you hadn't before. In case you missed it, it's just a few blocks north, along Hoover. When you arrive, head toward the hedge maze, and inside. There's no real danger in here, just tons and tons of symbolic meaning and a touch of foreshadowing. Make your way through, to the center of the maze, where the famous sphere-within-sphere sculptures awaits. Also awaiting: jewelry from your very first homicide, and another chunk of verse.

Now check out the Intolerance Set, which you've definitely discovered previously, since it's also where that Jungle Drums mess was being filmed, before you booked its producer for statutory rape. You need to reach the throne here, which involves climb the large staircase at the far end of the ground floor, then moving along the rickety planking ahead. A section will collapse not too far ahead, and you'll have to balance for a while again, keeping the platform steady until your partner decides you should tilt it toward the next platform, straight ahead. Continue on, looking for a ladder on your left, and climbing down. Climb up onto the throne here, and find the typewriter key ring worn by the latest victim, and the last section of Shelley.

Christ Crown of Thorns, and old abandoned church, is between two unmarked side streets off of 9th, two blocks above Francisco Street. You could pretty much walk there from the movie set. When you arrive, bust in the door, and move into the church, where you'll meet the city's biggest Shelley fan (a title you'll soon be claiming, by default). When this scumbag of epic proportions flees, check out his secret tunnel, then head through the doorway on the left of the altar, outside briefly, and across to the presbytery, and inside. Don't waste time looking at the twisted freak's unique take on home decorating. Bust through doors until you find the second entrance to his tunnel, and climb down. Now you'll have to pursue the Werewolf--carefully, he's armed--through the winding catacombs. It's like the hedge maze all over again, except here an angry psychopath with a shotgun might be waiting around every corner. Proceed with extreme caution, always taking as much cover as possible, only poking your head around briefly, making sure each stretch of tunnel is clear before proceeding. You can take maybe two shots before you go down, so keep your head behind the nice walls whenever possible. Eventually, after some tense pursuit, the bastard will pop out of cover fully, giving you a chance to put him down for good. Don't waste the opportunity. Constantly reload whenever you fire a shot during the pursuit, so that you can unload a full clip into the killer when you get the chance. During the cutscene that follows, you'll get the good news/bad news routine from the captain, then get transfered, away from the morally ambiguous world of homicide and into the squeaky-clean land of vice.