Why must the city elders say “Our hands did not shed this blood” if they are not suspected of murder?

This source-based Hagut Yosef essay explores the question: Why must the city elders say “Our hands did not shed this blood” if they are not suspected of murder? The canonical Hebrew article develops the theme through Torah sources and reflection on human life. This localized discovery layer preserves the source’s meaning and identity and does not add new halakhic, historical, psychological, medical, legal, political, scientific, or empirical claims beyond the Hebrew source.