Step into the tangled web of mystery in “Newsflash,” the gripping third case of Chapter 1 in Rise of the Golden Idol. As the New Wells Police hold a press conference revealing the tragic death of Isaac Nowak linked to the ominous Red Curse, players must piece together cryptic clues-from hidden names and whispered conversations to secret bribes-to unravel the truth behind the fatal accident. With familiar faces returning and new puzzles to decode, this case challenges your detective skills like never before, setting the stage for deeper conspiracies in the Golden Idol saga.
As with all of our Rise of the Golden Idol case guides, our goal here is to provide a hint-based experience that will lead you to the solution without automatically showing you how to solve it. We’ll start out with small hints for the puzzle, escalate to bigger ones, and eventually just spell out the answer if it’s still not clicking for you. We’ve separated our tiered hints and answers with in-game art, but be wary of scrolling farther than you intend.
In this Rise of the Golden Idol guide, we’ll walk you through the “Newsflash” case, including hints and the full solution for the names, conference, victim, and events puzzles.
Newsflash Names
In the “Newsflash” case of Rise of the Golden Idol, players must identify five key characters to progress. These include Roy Samson, Ian Worth, Sebastian Walsh, Elizabeth Nowak, and Jack Nowak. Clues to their names are scattered throughout the scene: Roy Samson provides a hint to the police chief’s first name, while the chief’s last name is found on a sticky note and a closed case file in his office. Elizabeth and Jack Nowak share a surname, linking them to the victim, Isaac Nowak. Uncovering these names is essential for solving the case and understanding the complex relationships and events at play.
There are five names to discover in “Newsflash.”
First hint
- Two of these characters you already know from a previous vignette.
- Roy Samson holds information on his person to tell you the first name of the chief.
- The chief’s last name can be found in his office.
- The woman grieving refers to the man by his name.
- Ascertain how the woman is related to the victim to learn her name.
- The grieving man shares a last name with the grieving woman.
Second hint
- Both grieving party’s names are on the closed case file on the chief’s desk.
- The chief’s last name is on the sticky-note attached to the computer.
Solution
Listed left to right, here are the names of the Newsflash characters:
- Roy Samson
- Ian Worth
- Sebastian Walsh
- Elizabeth Nowak
- Jack Nowak
Newsflash Conference
In the “Newsflash” case of Rise of the Golden Idol, the conference plays a crucial role in unraveling the mystery. During this conference, Police Officer Sebastian Walsh presents key statements: he claims that the case “Beetle 4” was a tragic accident and that the case “Cougar 9” has a strong drug connection. These declarations are pivotal for players to interpret the events and motives surrounding the victim Isaac Nowak, whose death is linked to the Red Curse. Understanding the conference details helps piece together the investigation and progress through the case effectively.
The news conference held by the chief of police has eight blanks you’ll need to fill.
First hint
- The name you’re looking for is the chief of police.
- The first case name you’re looking for refers to the grieved family.
- The name of the second case name refers to the homeless victim in the last vignette.
Second hint
- You need to find out which body in the morgue belongs to the victim of the “Academic Impact” case to learn the case name.
- The case name for the homeless victim case is located in the chief’s desk drawer.
- Look through the camera to see how the family wants the police to refer to the victim’s death.
- Look through the camera to see how the chief of police is referring to the “Red Curse.”
Solution
During the conference, Sebastian Walsh claimed:
- The case Beetle 4 was a tragic accident.
- The case Cougar 9 has a strong drug connection.
Newsflash Victim
In the “Newsflash” case of Rise of the Golden Idol, the victim is Isaac Nowak, whose body is found on Table B in the morgue and whose death is linked to the mysterious Red Curse. Isaac’s death is a central element of the investigation, with connections to various characters including Elizabeth Nowak and Police Commissioner Sebastian Walsh. The case unfolds through careful examination of evidence such as conference statements, morgue files, and notes found in Walsh’s office, revealing a complex web involving tragic accidents and possible cover-ups. Players must piece together these clues to understand the full circumstances surrounding Isaac Nowak’s demise and the broader implications of the Red Curse.
You can start the victim puzzle by looking in the chief’s trash.
First hint
- Solve the body puzzle by weeding out bodies that have nothing to do with the “Academic Impact” case.
- Consider who the family grieving is grieving for.
Second hint
- Look at the clipboard in the morgue to learn what they think about the body on the victim’s slab.
- Look to see what’s missing from the victim’s photo.
Solution
The picture is of Isaac Nowak, from the case Beetle 4.
His body lies on Table B.
His death is linked to the Red Curse.
Newsflash Events
In the “Newsflash” case of Rise of the Golden Idol, players investigate the mysterious death of Isaac Nowak, uncovering key details about the Red Curse and the complex relationships among the Nowak family and other characters. The case unfolds at the Harmony Foundation conference on August 13, 1974, where police officer Sebastian Walsh presents conflicting statements about related incidents. Through careful deduction, players piece together events involving bribes, drug connections, and tragic accidents, gradually revealing the truth behind Isaac’s death and its wider implications in the unfolding story.
The events puzzle from “Newsflash” has 17 entries.
First hint
- Words #3 and #4 refer to how the victim actually died, not the fake story.
- You can find the answer to the entire second sentence in the chief’s office and on the woman’s person.
- The final sentence refers to the conference puzzle.
Second hint
- The first name is the name of the victim in the picture.
- The second name refers to one of the victim’s relatives.
- The third name and fourth name are the same.
- The final name is the victim again.
Solution
New Wells Police scheduled a press conference to announce that Isaac Nowak had been a victim of the Red Curse.
Before the conference, Elizabeth Nowakoffered Sebastian Walsh a board position and a computer.
How can I uncover the true cause of Isaac Nowak’s death in Newsflash
To uncover the true cause of Isaac Nowak’s death in the “Newsflash” case of Rise of the Golden Idol, you need to piece together several clues that reveal the incident was not a simple accident. Although the police press conference, influenced by a bribe from Isaac’s daughter Elizabeth Nowak, presents his death as a tragic accident, the reality is tied to the Red Curse, a mysterious and deadly affliction.
Key evidence includes:
-
The absence of footprints leading up the stairs and a patch of snow missing from the bridge railing above, indicating Isaac fell from the bridge rather than slipping on the stairs.
-
A torn piece of yellow cloth caught on the bridge railing, matching Isaac’s clothing, confirming the fall location.
-
Items found on Isaac, such as a note and his personal belongings, help confirm his identity and suggest he was killed elsewhere and his body dumped from the bridge.
-
The bribery of police officer Sebastian Walsh by Elizabeth Nowak to conceal the true cause and frame it as an accident.
By carefully examining the environment, evidence, and testimonies, you conclude that Isaac Nowak died from a fall off the bridge, a death linked to the Red Curse but officially covered up as an accident due to the bribe. This uncovering requires looking beyond the official narrative and interpreting the subtle clues in the scene.
What evidence suggests Isaac Nowak’s death was staged as an accident
Evidence suggesting Isaac Nowak’s death was staged as an accident includes several key observations:
-
Isaac was found by Debra and Cyril Bagman beneath a bridge, and the initial assumption was that he slipped down the stairs and hit his head. However, this theory has inconsistencies, such as the presence of a full pack of cigarettes on him, indicating he did not need to buy any from the vending machine nearby, and the lack of blood stains in the snow that would be expected from a head injury.
-
A patch of snow is missing from the bridge railing above where the body was found, which is unusual and suggests disturbance at that spot.
-
A small yellow piece of cloth was found hanging on the bridge railing, matching Isaac’s clothing, implying the body was dumped from the bridge rather than the victim falling accidentally down the stairs.
-
The scene was notably clean, suggesting Isaac was killed elsewhere and his body was disposed of from the bridge to stage an accident.
-
The police press conference, led by officer Sebastian Walsh, officially declared Isaac’s death a tragic accident, but it was later revealed that Elizabeth Nowak, Isaac’s daughter, bribed Walsh to cover up the true cause and protect her father’s reputation from being linked to the Red Curse drug-related deaths.
-
The lead detective Roy Samson was removed from the investigation and promoted away after calling the press conference, indicating a cover-up orchestrated to suppress the real circumstances of Isaac’s death.
Together, these pieces of evidence reveal that Isaac Nowak’s death was deliberately staged as an accident to conceal a more sinister truth connected to the Red Curse and to protect powerful interests.
