Indirect speech

Emad Ragheb posted:

I asked him who had broken the window, but he (said - answered) he did not know. 

Which one is correct? 

Hello, Emad—Both are correct, but I find "answered" a bit awkward without a following "that." ("Answered" is a heavier word, too. You don't need to use "answered" in order for people to understand that "said" is indicating how he answered.) Also, I find the sentence awkward with "but" instead of "and":

• I asked him who had broken the window, and he said (that) he did not know.
• I asked him who had broken the window, and he answered that he did not know.