The failure to answer the perpetual riddle, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?", led to one man's demise in Indonesia.

The incident took place in a village in South Sulawesi on the evening of Jul. 24, according to local news outlet Kompas.

Two men had been drinking and bantering over the age-old debate when one of them snapped and stabbed the other to death.

Chicken or egg debate

The attacker, identified as DR by Kompas, was drinking with the 47-year-old victim, Kadir Marku.

They were strangers before they met at the drinking place, AKP La Ode Arsangka, the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Muna Police told Kumparan.

Marku's friend said that while the pair drank alcohol together, DR asked the victim whether the chicken or the egg came first.

After struggling to answer the question, Marku expressed his desire to go home.

But DR didn't let him off the hook.

Stabbed to death

"The perpetrator went to get a dagger from his house and then went after the victim. He chased the victim. After arriving in front of a church, he stabbed him 15 times," said the friend.

Marku was rushed to the hospital, but ended up succumbing to his injuries and died.

DR surrendered himself to the police.

A photo of the aftermath of the incident showed a body lying on the grass being covered with a cloth.

The Tongkuno Police Chief confirmed with news sources that the incident is being investigated as a murder.

Top image via Berputar id/YouTube