The Theranos trial lost a juror to the mathematical allure of Sudoku

Alleged blood scammer Elizabeth Holmes is on trial for numerous counts of wire fraud connected to the totally useless blood testing machinery she claimed to invent and market through her company Theranos. That's an objectively interesting sentence, but bearing witness to a court case that got its own HBO documentary apparently didn't hold the attention of one of its jurors. The unnamed juror was dismissed from their duty after being caught playing sudoku in their notebook during the trial.

As reported by NBC, the incredibly relatable juror claimed that they did Sudoku to occupy themselves but could "definitely" listen and retain information from the trial. "I’m very fidgety, so I need to do something with my hands," they told the judge, "so at home I’ll crochet while I’m watching or listening to TV."

Sudoku juror is the third to be dismissed from Holmes' trial, which was frequently postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Holmes giving birth in July 2021, and a potential COVID exposure among the jurors in Sept. 2021. One juror was dismissed for financial hardship, and the second expressed doubts about their objectivity in convicting Holmes due to their religious beliefs.

Number three didn't have either of those problems, though. They just like puzzles a little too much.

With those three jurors gone, there are only two alternates left to swap in for a complete set of 12 deliberating peers. Hence, the entire Theranos saga is two errant games of tic-tac-toe away from a mistrial.

To catch up on Elizabeth Holmes' alleged crimes, here's a primer on Theranos and Holmes leading up to the trial and Mashable's review of The Inventor, HBO's Theranos documentary.