Attending ex-girlfriend's wedding, arresting the groom's officer on the spot

Time passed slowly, and night gradually fell, but the lights remained on in the Criminal Investigation Division's office building. Yang Lin and Yang Sen were still analyzing the crime scene investigation data and physical evidence samples. They knew that every detail could be a breakthrough in solving the case, and every piece of evidence could conceal the suspect's trail. Although the suspect's identity and specific clues had not yet been confirmed, they firmly believed that as long as they maintained a rigorous and meticulous work attitude, made full use of the collected physical evidence and clues, and combined the investigative work of each team, they would definitely be able to identify the suspect, solve the case, confirm the victim's identity, and bring justice to the deceased.

The next morning, the technical department delivered bad news: "No matching results were found in the national database for fingerprints and DNA samples. The suspect has no prior criminal record or has not left any biological samples or fingerprint records." This news put the investigation in a difficult situation, but Yang Lin and Yang Sen were not discouraged. They re-examined all the clues and adjusted their analytical approach.

“Since there are no matching results in the database, it means that the suspect may be a first-time offender. We need to start with other clues,” Yang Lin said. “The current focus is on reviewing surveillance footage and conducting door-to-door investigations. We can assist the surveillance team in reviewing the footage and participate in door-to-door investigations. By combining this with the characteristics of the suspect that we have, we can improve the efficiency of the investigation.”

Yang Sen nodded and said, "In addition, we can conduct further tests on the extracted mineral water bottles to see if we can extract any residual odor or other trace substances from the bottles, which may provide us with more clues. At the same time, we can conduct a more detailed examination of the deceased's hair and clothing to see if we can find any identification information, such as trace elements in the hair or the composition of stains on the clothing."

Subsequently, the two split into two groups. Yang Lin assisted the monitoring team in reviewing surveillance footage from the Oriental Logistics Park and its surrounding area, while Yang Sen assisted the technical department in further examining the deceased's hair, clothing, and mineral water bottle. The review of surveillance footage was exceptionally tedious. The Oriental Logistics Park and its surrounding area had a large number of surveillance devices, some of which were old and produced blurry images. Yang Lin and the monitoring team members examined each frame meticulously, leaving no suspicious footage unchecked. Yang Sen, along with the technical staff, used advanced testing equipment to perform trace element analysis on the deceased's hair, analyze the composition of stains on the clothing, and extract residual substances from the mineral water bottle.

After a day of effort, Yang Sen made a new discovery: "Yang Lin, trace element testing of the deceased's hair shows that the deceased's body contained high concentrations of lead and mercury, indicating that the deceased may have been engaged in heavy metal-related work for a long time, such as metallurgy, electroplating, or waste recycling. In addition, the stains on the deceased's clothing are mainly composed of oil and dust, with small amounts of rust and paint residue, further confirming that the deceased may have engaged in manual labor in a relatively harsh working environment."

Upon receiving the news, Yang Lin's eyes lit up: "This discovery is very valuable! We can focus our investigation on missing persons in the metallurgy, electroplating, and waste recycling industries throughout the city, and narrow down the search area by combining the deceased's physical characteristics with the search. At the same time, during the investigation, we should focus on questioning people working in these industries to see if anyone knows the deceased."

The two immediately reported this discovery to Lu Chuan, who promptly adjusted the investigation strategy, narrowing the scope of the investigation to individuals working in the heavy metals industry. Meanwhile, the surveillance team made a small breakthrough. In a surveillance video outside the western wall of the Oriental Logistics Park, they discovered a man matching the suspect's description. The man was approximately 180 cm tall, thin, wearing a black jacket, a mask, and a hat, obscuring his facial features. Around 10 PM three nights before the incident, he climbed over the wall to enter the logistics park, and about an hour later, he climbed back over the same spot, seemingly carrying a black package.

“The man’s height, build, and clothing characteristics are consistent with the suspect’s characteristics that we obtained through footprint and fiber analysis. Moreover, the time he entered and left the logistics park also roughly coincides with the time of the victim’s death.” Yang Lin said, looking at the surveillance screenshot. “The black package he was carrying was likely the murder weapon or the victim’s belongings.”

Yang Sen added, "Although the surveillance footage outside the wall is blurry, we can see the man's walking posture, which is consistent with the characteristics we derived from footprint analysis: his left foot is turned inward and his center of gravity is shifted to the left. We can basically confirm that this person is the suspect."

Although the surveillance footage couldn't clearly show the suspect's facial features, this discovery provided an important direction for the investigation. Lu Chuan immediately arranged for personnel to conduct a comprehensive door-to-door search around the area where the suspect appeared in the surveillance footage, while also retrieving more surveillance footage from the surrounding area in an attempt to track the suspect's movements. Yang Lin and Yang Sen continued to analyze the surveillance footage, trying to find more valuable clues from details such as the suspect's clothing, gait, and items carried.

Although the investigation still faces many difficulties—the victim's identity remains undetermined, and the suspect's identity and whereabouts are unclear—more and more clues are gradually emerging as the analysis of physical evidence from the crime scene and the work of each investigative team progresses, bringing hope for solving the case. Yang Lin and Yang Sen understand that every detail of the crime scene investigation is crucial. They will continue to remain steadfast in their posts, using their professional knowledge and rigorous attitude to thoroughly analyze every piece of evidence, uncover every clue, and fully assist the investigative team in identifying the suspect, solving the case, bringing the truth to light, and comforting the soul of the deceased.

At 2:30 PM on the day of the incident, a forensic transport vehicle carrying the unidentified male corpse slowly drove into the Forensic Identification Center of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment. At this time, Yang Lin was still reviewing the video footage frame by frame in the monitoring room, Yang Sen was following up on the examination of trace evidence in the technical department, and forensic doctor Zhang Kai, along with his assistant Xiao Lin, had completed all the preparations for the autopsy. The autopsy room was a professional space with a Class 100 cleanliness level. A multi-functional autopsy table was placed in the center, and on both sides of the table were neatly arranged autopsy instrument cabinets, histopathology sample delivery tables, refrigerators, and other equipment. Human anatomical atlases and operating procedures were hung on the walls. The cool white LED lights illuminated the entire space, and a faint smell of disinfectant permeated the air, creating a solemn and rigorous atmosphere.

"Xiaolin, remove the body from the transport bag. Conduct a preliminary examination of the body's surface, record the general condition, external injuries, and any attached substances, and preserve the images." (End of Chapter)