A man is murdered in his office and a calendar near him has the numbers 6, 4, 9, 10, 11 written in blood. The suspects are Ericson, Maggi, Joel, Benny, Sona, Patrick and Jason. Based on the calendar clue, who is the killer?

Introduction / Context:
This question is a classic logic and pattern recognition puzzle. A man has been murdered in his office, and the only clue left behind is a calendar with several numbers written in blood: 6, 4, 9, 10, 11. The suspects all have different names. The puzzle challenges you to interpret the calendar numbers in a non obvious way so that they point directly to one of the suspects, revealing the killer.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• A man is murdered in his office.
• Suspects are Ericson, Maggi, Joel, Benny, Sona, Patrick and Jason.
• The only written clue is a calendar marked with the numbers 6, 4, 9, 10, 11 in blood.
• We assume these numbers relate to months of the year rather than dates in a month, because they are simple integers from 1 to 12 range.

Concept / Approach:
The central idea is to view each number as a month of the year. Month 6 is June, month 4 is April, month 9 is September, month 10 is October and month 11 is November. If we take the first letter of each of these month names in the order given, we get J from June, A from April, S from September, O from October and N from November. Together, these letters form the name JASON. Among the suspects, Jason is listed, so the calendar clue is effectively spelling out the killer’s name using the initials of months.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret the numbers 6, 4, 9, 10, 11 as months of the year rather than random digits. Step 2: Write down the names of these months in order: June for 6, April for 4, September for 9, October for 10, November for 11. Step 3: Take the first letter of each month name: J from June, A from April, S from September, O from October, N from November. Step 4: Combine these letters in order to form the sequence J A S O N, which clearly spells JASON. Step 5: Check the suspect list, notice that Jason is one of the suspects, and conclude that the dying man used the calendar to spell out the killer’s name in a coded way.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify this reasoning, ask whether any other natural interpretation of the numbers fits the suspect names better. If the numbers were dates in a month, they would not directly suggest any name. Considering room numbers or arbitrary codes also does not connect logically to the suspects. The month initials approach, however, produces a clear and complete name that exactly matches one suspect. These puzzles are usually designed so that there is a unique elegant decoding, which is exactly what the month initial pattern provides.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Ericson: Although the name contains the letters son, the calendar clue specifically spells JASON, not Ericson.
• Maggi: There is no obvious way to use the months corresponding to 6, 4, 9, 10 and 11 to spell Maggi.
• Sona: While Sona shares some letters with Jason, the full sequence of month initials yields JASON, not SONA.
• Joel: The initials do not match this name; the letters would need to be J, O, E, L in some pattern, which they are not.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners first try to add, subtract or multiply the numbers, assuming a numeric code, and quickly get stuck. Others look at the calendar as a grid of dates instead of considering months. The trick is to recognise that the numbers fall naturally in the 1 to 12 range of months and that the calendar is the visual hint nudging you towards month names. Once you think of months and take the first letters, the answer becomes obvious.

Final Answer:
The calendar clue spells J A S O N from the initials of the months June, April, September, October and November, so the killer is Jason.