In defusing much of the government’s case, lawyers for the music mogul did not dispute that he did bad things. They disputed that they matched the crimes he was charged with.

A split decision that saw the fallen rapper and mogul escape being convicted of the more serious charges left observers stumped and ponderous — and looking for answers.

The jury in the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs returned its verdict on Wednesday, clearing the hip-hop mogul of the most serious charges, though he was convicted on two lesser charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.