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Rewatching episode 17 of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, we are shown several times Maria Ross' prison "bracelet" on her "corpse". The bracelet is shown to be broken even after Edward appears on the scene and confronts Mustang. (We are shown later that Havoc removes it after Ross escapes into some building.)

Maria Ross' prison bracelet

Given that this is the case, shouldn't there be a suspicion that this isn't Ross (by the relevant authorities)? Or is this simply glossed over (particularly since Ross' dental records were removed earlier, since the coroner doing the autopsy was effectively "collaborating" with Mustang, and since Mustang presumably has reason to have Ross killed?)?

кяαzєя
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Maroon
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    where the bracelet is broken looks darker, one could assume because of the intensity of Mustang's "Attack" (someone comments that his attack was beyond overkill) the bracelet broken because the heat or that while trying to ID it was Ross moving the tag while it was so hot broke it. – Memor-X May 25 '14 at 22:03
  • Kinda' along the same lines as Memor-X, I know that sometimes with a chain-link bracelet one of the links is weaker than the rest, so it could have been assumed that the one link was weak enough to break while the rest did not. – Cyberson May 26 '14 at 22:53

1 Answers1

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There's a few reasons it couldn't be a cause for suspicion:
The bracelet isn't a handcuff, there's no reason to expect it not to get damaged as a person flails around while getting incinerated especially while the bracelet is more flexible due to high temperatures. Note that Mustang (episode 18) effortlessly cuts an entire chain link in half with a wire sniper. This reinforces the notion that the bracelet isn't that strong. It also tells us that the chain was intentionally prepared. When you cut a single chain link in half, the two halves fall off, leaving complete circles on either end. Look at the picture you posted. The loose end appears to be pried open instead of cut. Mustang would have had to do that on purpose, meaning that Mustang made a conscious effort to make it less suspicious, which is consistent with him separately incinerating the bracelet before wrapping it around the arm.

Furthermore there is no initial cause for suspicion. Like any good trick its most successful when no one knows it happened. The body is accounted for, the dental records match, the bracelets there, and the lone witness collaborates it. No one starts with an unidentifiable body, a form of identification, and a DNA match and assumes that its an elaborate conspiracy involving the coroner. Even if a few other details at the crime scene are highly suspicious, no one questions the identity of the corpse.

gunfulker
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