Basic Trope: If you have a motive to commit a crime, you must have done it.
- Straight: Bob is accused of murdering Charlie because Charlie was in love with Bob's old girlfriend, Alice.
- Exaggerated:
- Bob is convicted of murdering Charlie based on his having glared at Charlie when the latter tripped and spilled hot coffee on him before a date with Alice.
- Alice and Bob are suspects in the murder of Charlie. Alice is so Obviously Evil throughout the whole episode, every single line she says is a very obvious Sarcastic Confession and she purchases a ticket to a country with no extradition treaty with the money she got from Charlie's insurance. The investigators find out that thirty years ago Bob's dog was kicked by Charlie and he yelled a hysterical "I'll Kill You!, you rotten bastard!! I swear that I'll kill you for this!!" before taking the dog to the hospital (Charlie felt very sorry about that and paid the vet bills and Bob apologized once the adrenaline stopped running and they were Heterosexual Life-Partners ever since). This fact is enough for Bob to get the chair.
- Downplayed: Bob is accused of letting the air out of Charlie's tires because Charlie had a date with Alice and if he wasn't able to make it, Bob might be able to spend the evening with Alice himself.
- Justified: Certain motives are common reasons for crimes, and finding one might help narrow the suspect list.
- Inverted: Bob isn't accused because he and Charlie were best friends, and so Bob had no motive.
- Subverted: Bob is accused of murdering Charlie, with the presumed motive being to Murder the Hypotenuse. Bob points out that motive alone can't convict him, and the detective agrees and points out that Bob owns a gun that could have been the murder weapon and has no alibi for the night of the murder.
- Double Subverted: ...But it turns out Bob has since moved on from Alice and has formed a happy relationship with Eva. The detective throws up his hands because Bob has no motive.
- Parodied: The detective accuses Bob of murdering Charlie because he had a cookie and Bob wanted one...never mind that the murder took place outside a new bakery offering free samples.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted: Whether Bob has motive or not does not come up in the investigation.
- Enforced: The author wants to write a story about Bob being Wrongly Accused, so he has the investigating officer zero in on Bob's motive to commit the crime, regardless of Bob's previously good reputation.
- Lampshaded:Alice: I can't believe what you're saying.Detective: Bob has motive for the murder; he must be guilty!
- Invoked: Dr. Evilstein lowers the brainpower of the judge and jury and runs a subconscious program every time they sleep, repeating, "Bob has motive; you must convict!"
- Exploited: Charlie's real murderer isn't worried; he knows everyone will blame Bob because he has motive.
- Defied:
- The detective begins to muse about how Bob has motive for the killing, and then shakes his head and reminds himself motive takes low priority and he needs instead to prove Bob had time and means.
- Bob is accused of murdering Charlie over Alice, but he provides a solid alibi proving that he didn't do it.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
Wait! You hate Motive = Conclusive Evidence — you must be behind it not getting subpages sooner!
