The Lacey Towers Murder was an event that occurred during the Christmas Eve incident, which led to the believed murder of the criminal kingpin Black Mask, as well as the rise of The Joker.
History
Before Arkham Origins Incident
A few days before Christmas, Roman Sionis, the reigning criminal kingpin of Gotham City, became privy to a newcoming criminal known only as the Joker, and despite viewing him as a nobody, nonetheless sent one of his girlfriends, Tiffany Ambrose, to hide at his safehouse at Lacey Towers, anticipating he was a threat. After she arrived, she texted him telling him that she's in danger and attempted to inquire about her assailant, only for Joker to suddenly appear behind her and smash her head into the table. Ironically, this occurred shortly after Roman Sionis told her in a text message that the Joker was "No One That Matters." Joker then proceeded to hang the unconscious Tiffany on a chandelier. Sensing that she was in danger, Sionis then went over to Lacey Towers and brought in one of his foot-soldiers, Giovanni Luchese, to act as a decoy to distract the Joker long enough for Sionis to ambush him. However, Joker quickly realized "Black Mask" wasn't actually Black Mask and shot Luchese. Sionis then attempted to ambush him from an open window, tearing his suit in the process, and lunged at the Joker shortly after the latter shot Giovanni, with the resulting fight breaking the table. However, Sionis lost the fight and received repeated blows to the head. Joker then brought him near the stairs, and then threw a Molotov cocktail to tie up loose ends. However, he wasn't done yet, as Tiffany woke up and struggled to free herself, causing Joker to sadistically force Sionis to shoot his own girlfriend through the heart, before dragging him away.
Shortly afterwards, Penguin, who had deduced Roman Sionis' ties to Black Mask, a rival crime lord, decided to "pay a visit" with several of his men to Lacey Towers to kill him, only to discover that someone had apparently beaten him to the location. He is disturbed at the carnage inflicted, although it turned to irritation when he discovered that the corpse of "Black Mask" wasn't actually Sionis due to his lacking a pacemaker, before absentmindedly placing his bare hand on the wall leaving his DNA on it. The Police discovered the murder shortly thereafter and learned that Penguin was present, and also assumed that he was the one who killed Roman Sionis, although he was acquitted via a bribe.
Arkham Origins Incident
On Christmas Eve, Penguin divulged some details about the Lacey Towers murder to Batman when demanding answers about Black Mask's location and why he sent assassins after Batman before Deathstroke, one of the assassins, interfered. Alfred later called in and revealed that Black Mask was the one claimed to be deceased. Suspecting that there was more to the murder than what was reported, Batman then went over to the Lacey Towers case and did his own investigation, also suspecting Penguin was not the murderer since he was the one who pointed to the murder as a hint as to where to find answers, something he wouldn't have done if he had been the killer. He eventually confirmed such was the case from the handprint being on top of the soot, proving that Penguin arrived after the murders were committed, but also got more questions than answers when he learned that, besides the victims, there were two other people in the room: One being the shooter, the other being someone who ambushed the shooter, and also a brief reference to an individual named "the Joker" on the female victim's cell phone text messages. He then went to the GCPD main servers in the sewer system in order to access the DNA, and proceeded to solve the murder: Namely, Joker was the one who murdered "Black Mask", in truth a decoy, Roman Sionis was the intruder, Roman Sionis was the one who shot his girlfriend, albeit forced to do so by the Joker, and more importantly, Roman Sionis was taken alive by the Joker so he could rob the Gotham Merchant's Bank.
Casefile details (at Lacey Towers)
Batman: The police believe Penguin murdered Black Mask, but why would he send me here if he was the killer? It doesn't add up.
Fingerprint scan of "Black Mask's" corpse.
- "Victim ID
Fingerprint analysis
Name: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown
Priors: Unknown
Known Associates: Unknown
Note: Fingerprints damaged by fire" - —Fingerprint scan results for the male victim
Batman: This crime took place days ago. The fire and exposure to elements make identifying the victim difficult. The male victim is wearing a black mask, but I can't positively identify him as Roman Sionis without a DNA anaylsis - something I can't do in the field.
Fingerprint scan of female victim
- "Victim ID
Fingerprint analysis
Name: Tiffany Ambrose
Occupation: Unknown
Priors: Drug Trafficking
Known Associates: Roman Sionis" - —Fingerprint scan results for the female victim
Batman: I can identify the female victim based on her fingerprints: Tiffany Ambrose. Roman Sionis' girlfriend - or one of them, at least. She was no angel. Long list of priors. But nothing to indicate that she was the target here.
Scan of the fire starting point
- "Trace evidence
Chemical analysis
Type: Molotov cocktail
Main ingredient: Kerosene
Container: Glass bottle
Weight: 3.5 lbs
Temperature: 245 degrees Celsius" - —trace evidence results of the fire starting point
Batman: The fire spread as a result of a Molotov cocktail thrown into the room. It may have been intended to destroy evidence.
Scan of the male victim's chest
- "Bullet impact
Trajectory analysis
Location: Chest
Bullet caliber: 45mm
Impact energy: 342 ft-lb
Breach diameter: 37mm
Angle of impact: 12 degrees" - —bullet impact results of the male victim
Batman: The shallow trajectory of the bullet suggests the shooter could have been someone of Penguin's height. But the grooves on the floor suggest that the victim was killed by someone leaning back on a chair.
Scan of Tiffany Ambrose's chest
- "Bullet impact
Trajectory analysis
Location: Chest
Bullet caliber: 45mm
Impact energy: 344 ft-lb
Breach diameter: 38mm
Angle of impact: 55 degrees" - —bullet impact results of Tiffany Ambrose
Batman: This bullet was fired from a revolver. Ballistics analysis indicates a low angle of trajectory. The shooter could have been someone of Penguin's height. But the pattern and gunpowder residue suggests the bullet was actually fired by someone lying on the ground.
Scan of handprint
- "Trace evidence
Fingerprint analysis
Name: Oswald C. Cobblepot
Alias: The Penguin
Height: 4 ft 6 in
Weight
175 lbs
Note: Well after the crime was committed" - —Handprint scan results
Batman: These fingerprints were a match for the Penguin. But they're on top of the soot from the fire. The cops were right - Penguin was in the room. But these prints prove he was here AFTER the murders were committed. If he didn't kill Black Mask, who did...?
Note: this unlocks the following clues below
Scan of white streaks
- "Trace evidence
Chemical analysis
Substance: Shoe polish
Color: White
Ingredients: Wax, Naphtha, Dye.
Note: Expensive" - —trace evidence results of the white streaks
Batman: These white streaks are shoe polish. Whoever shot Tiffany was being dragged along the floor. Besides the victims, there were two other people in the room: Tiffany's shooter, and whoever was dragging the shooter. The location from which the male victim was shot may tell me more.
Scan of spot near the broken table
- "DNA Analysis
Impact pattern
Analysis: Head trauma
Victim: Unknown
Impact energy: 112 Joules
Note: Multiple strikes to the head
Note: Victim likely severely dazed" - —DNA analysis results of spot near broken table
Batman: The DNA here does not belong to either of the victims. Whose is it? (after crime scene reconstruction scan is complete) The fight broke out when someone startled the shooter. It's not clear who won the fight. It could have been either of them. I should review the evidence to see if I can learn anything more about the intruder - or the shooter.
Scan of fabric near the shattered window
- "Physical Evidence
Fabric analysis
Type: Angora wool
Color: White
Thread count
120
Source garment
Note: Torn while entering apartment" - —Scan results of torn fabric near the window
Batman: Fabric analysis indicates the intruder was wearing a white suit or sport jacket. This fabric swatch could help identify the intruder, but I still can't identify the male victim's shooter. There's one impact area I haven't checked for clues.
Scan of spot on the counter
- "DNA Analysis
Impact pattern
Analysis: Head trauma
Victim: Tiffany Ambrose
Impact energy: 250 Joules
Note: No sign of struggle
Note: Victim likely knocked unconscious" - —DNA analysis results of spot on the counter
Batman: This DNA is from the female victim. The level of oxidation suggests it has been here for several days. If I review the evidence, I may be able to find the out what she was doing when she was attacked.
Scan of dropped cell phone
- "Digital Data Analysis
Text message analysis
Tiffany: Hurry I'm Scared
Roman: On my Way
Tiffany: Who's The Joker?
Roman: No One That Matters." - —Digital data results from dropped cell phone
Batman: She was sending messages to someone named Roman Sionis - about someone named 'The Joker'.
Conclusion Batman: Someone killed Black Mask - but this crime took place days ago - and I saw Black Mask earlier tonight. The only answers I have raise more questions: Who is 'the Joker'? Was he the killer here? Or is he one of the assassins? I have a body, an unknown shooter, and an unknown assailant to the shooter. I need to match the DNA samples against the records in the National Criminal Database to identify who was in the room.
Casefile details (at GCPD mainframe room in the sewers)
Note, additional details are given during the cutscene in the background where Batman gives a summation of what happened at Lacey Towers No pacemaker found
Oswald Chesterton Penguin Alias: The Penguin Sex: Male Age: 51
Hurry I'm Scared On my Way
Who's the Joker?
No One That Matters.
DNA Match Tiffany Ambrose Sex: Female Age: 23 Blood Type: O Negative
Known Criminal Associations: --Roman Sionis-- Outstanding Warrants: None
///Grenadier 1491 Barrel Length: 12.7cm Caliber: .45 ACP Capacity 8+1
-Analysis- -Murder weapon for male victim-
Direct cardiac penetration Entry wound - 6x4mm
Direct cardiac penetration Located above the upper boarder [sp] of the scapula Extensive internal damage Entry into peripheral venous system
Giovanni Luchese Sex: Male Age: 31 --Known criminal associations-- Roman Sionis --Outstanding warrants-- Assault Assault with a deadly weapon
Match probability: 45.23%/85.49%
DNA Match
Roman Sionis
Sex: Male Age: 37 Alias: Black Mask
Outstanding warrants: Trade in illegal weapons, trade in illegal narcotics, Racketeering, Murder in the First Degree - 24 counts
Gotham Merchant's Bank
Chemical differential analysis complete: 1.1 match probability: 83.11%
Analysis -Damage indicates erratic movement -Subject panicked
Analysis Gunpowder residue from a revolver Ballistic analysis -Anderson Revolver- Barrel length: 14cm Caliber: .44 magnum Capacity: 6 ---Assessment--- Female victim is murdered by Roman Sionis -Probability: 91.35% Angle of entry -17.75 degrees
Trivia
- The Lacey Towers murder is one of only two casefile events that are mandatory to complete the game, the only other being the Coventry Tower deathtrap.