First they said Jamal Khashoggi left alive.

Second they announced at 1am on tightly controlled Saudi public television that he died — but only after a fist fight.

For Khashoggi's supporters the particularly galling insinuation was that his own aggression had something to do with his grisly death.

When the idea a 59-year-old journalist, powerful when armed with words in the Washington Post but limited when fighting a dozen men inside a hostile consul was ridiculed, a third explanation was offered up.

Story number three is to blame the staff, labelling it a rogue operation.

The key objective of Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was clearly to distance the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

A body double is believed to have been used to support Saudi Arabia's first explanation that Khashoggi left the embassy. ( Supplied: CNN )

The most important person for the Saudis to convince is President Donald Trump, so it's no surprise they chose his favourite channel Fox News.

Unlike the treatment they'd get from their own journalists — remember Khashoggi's last column was about the importance of a free press in the Arab world — journalist Bret Baier challenged the Foreign Minister.

It became clear that this new explanation too defies belief for many in Washington.

Rogue-operation explanation of Khashoggi's death did not stack up

One of the most extraordinary moments was this explanation of how in a country as tightly controlled as Saudi Arabia the Crown Prince could be unaware of the operation.

"These things unfortunately happen," Mr Jubeir claimed.

When was the last time a journalist was murdered inside a foreign consulate by rogue staff?

It was the kind of flippant description you'd give to a minor car crash or storm damage.

Since then it has been made to look even worse, with rival network CNN airing footage of a Saudi operative leaving the consulate in Khashoggi's clothes in a cover-up to make it look like he left.

Perhaps that was the supporting evidence they thought would let them get away with story number one.

Speaking before the latest explanation, US senator Bob Corker, who is the chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, gave an insight into establishment thinking.

"I don't think anyone believes that story," was Mr Corker's blunt assessment.

For Saudi Arabia it got even worse — this is what Senator Corker (any many others) had to say about whether the Crown Prince was involved:

"Yes, I think he did it."

Third explanation lacked the details

When pressed, the Foreign Minister also claimed a startling lack of knowledge on key details.

He refused to say whether Khashoggi's body was dismembered or disclose its final location.

The non-answer won't mean the question goes away — not just for the world but most importantly Khashoggi's fiancee, who maintained that lonely vigil outside the consulate.

Sorry, this video has expired Turkish media published vision of an alleged Saudi "assassination squad".

Saudi Arabia's refusal to afford even that comfort and dignity to a grieving family will only add to the outrage.

There's a lot at stake.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister is a former ambassador to the United States where the kingdom has been able to wield enormous influence.

Its lobbying machine was credited with helping to defeat a bipartisan vote condemning Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign in Yemen.

Its huge defence deal with the US will likely continue to give it leverage other countries would never have in dealing with the White House.

Yet there's one big problem — and that's that none of the three Saudi explanations offered so far have convinced any of the power players on Capitol Hill.

They believe there's a simpler hypothesis than a rogue operation or a fight — that the Crown Prince ordered a hit on a persistent and effective critic.

As the interview continued, the Saudi Foreign Minister promised all of those involved would face justice.

The Minister would be brave indeed to try to apply that standard to the Crown Prince.