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

The investigation team immediately reported these two suspicious leads to Lu Chuan, who immediately instructed: "Focus on verifying these two leads. Assign team members to check the surveillance footage around the western end of the village and the dirt road on the north side. If found, trace the driving route of the black car without license plates. At the same time, combine the footprint characteristics and the preliminary description of the suspect's clothing to investigate the surrounding villages and urban areas recently for any suspicious persons who match the criteria, especially those wearing masks and deliberately concealing their faces. Combine this with clues such as buttons and cigarette butts collected at the scene to carry out the investigation."

Meanwhile, the missing persons information investigation team conducted a preliminary screening of missing males in the city and surrounding areas within the past week, identifying 17 matching cases. Among these, three cases were considered suspicious. All three missing persons were male, aged 30-40, approximately 175-180 cm tall, and had been missing for about three days. Their clothing characteristics partially matched those of the deceased. The investigation team immediately compiled these three suspicious missing persons cases into a booklet and reported them to Lu Chuan. Lu Chuan instructed team members to contact the families of these three missing persons as soon as possible to verify their detailed information, clothing characteristics, and personal belongings. Simultaneously, preparations were made to collect DNA samples from the families for comparison with the DNA from the deceased's blood to confirm their identity.

Around 6 PM, the laboratory reported the latest test results: Footprint analysis showed the suspect was approximately 176-179 cm tall, of medium build, and walked normally without any obvious limping or tiptoeing. The shoes showed moderate wear, suggesting the suspect frequently walked and engaged in manual labor or outdoor work. Preliminary DNA testing of the cigarette butt yielded a male DNA profile, ruling out the victim's DNA and confirming it belonged to the suspect. This DNA has been entered into the national DNA database for comparison and screening. Preliminary testing of the metal fragment confirmed it to be a handguard fragment from a single-edged knife, matching the material of a carbon steel knife, further confirming the murder weapon was a carbon steel single-edged knife. The metal button is currently undergoing material analysis and pattern comparison, with results expected tomorrow morning.

Yang Lin immediately reported the test results to Lu Chuan. After listening to the report, Lu Chuan showed a relieved expression: "Very good, this is a major breakthrough! The suspect's DNA has been extracted, the footprint characteristics have been identified, and the type of weapon used in the crime has been preliminarily determined. This provides important support for us to identify the suspect and investigate clues." Subsequently, Lu Chuan immediately convened a temporary work progress meeting with all team members to report the latest test results and investigation clues, adjust the direction of the investigation, and deploy the next key tasks.

"First, the investigation team, combining the suspect's DNA information, footprint characteristics, preliminary description of clothing (black jacket, dark pants, wearing a mask), and clues about the unlicensed black sedan, expanded the scope of the investigation, focusing on villages, factories, construction sites, rental houses, and other areas around Lucao Gou Village. They investigated male individuals engaged in manual labor or outdoor work, who were 176-179 cm tall, of medium build, and wearing size 43 diamond-patterned rubber-soled shoes, especially those who had recently exhibited unusual behavior or deliberately concealed their faces. At the same time, they coordinated with the transportation department to trace the driving trajectory of the unlicensed black sedan and find information about the driver and occupants."

"Second, the missing persons investigation team immediately contacted the families of the three suspected missing persons to verify detailed information, collected DNA samples from the families, and sent them to the laboratory as soon as possible to compare with the DNA in the bloodstains of the deceased to confirm the identity of the deceased; at the same time, the scope of the missing persons investigation was expanded, and the investigation period was extended to nearly half a month to investigate more missing persons who meet the criteria to ensure that no one is missed."

"Third, the technical team continued to work with the laboratory to follow up on the test results of the metal buttons, confirm the material, pattern, and source of the buttons, and investigate related clothing brands and sales channels to provide more clues for identifying the suspect; at the same time, the on-site investigation data was further improved, the relationship between trace evidence was sorted out, and the suspect's crime trajectory was reconstructed."

"Fourth, the on-site duty team will continue to stay at their posts and do a good job in protecting the scene. At the same time, they will cooperate with the investigation team to conduct regular patrols of the surrounding area to look for any traces or physical evidence that may have been missed, especially the carbon steel single-edged knife used as a weapon. They will focus on searching areas such as well houses, cornfields, and ditches to try to find the weapon and complete the chain of evidence."

"Fifth, the on-site investigation team continued to conduct in-depth visits, focusing on verifying the suspicious male person seen three days ago in the afternoon, collecting more information about the person's physical characteristics, speech and behavior, etc., and at the same time checking whether any villagers knew or had seen the suspicious person, so as to further narrow down the scope of the investigation."

"Each team must cooperate closely, work together, speed up the work, and go all out to break through the case, confirm the victim's identity as soon as possible, identify the suspect, and bring the murderer to justice. Any clues must be reported immediately without delay." Lu Chuan's tone was firm and full of determination. Every team member present felt the responsibility on their shoulders and expressed their determination to do their best to complete the task.

After the meeting, the team members immediately sprang into action, following Lu Chuan's instructions, and threw themselves into the intense investigation and inspection work. As night fell, Lucao Gou Village was shrouded in darkness, with only the warning lights around the vacant farmhouses still lit, illuminating every corner of the scene and guiding the investigators on their way.

Although the case investigation still faces many difficulties, the trace evidence collected at the scene, as well as the latest test results and clues, have given everyone hope for a breakthrough. Yang Lin and Yang Sen led the technical team, continuing to shuttle between the laboratory and the scene, perfecting the investigation data and keeping track of the testing progress; members of the investigation team braved the night to conduct in-depth investigations in the surrounding area; the missing persons investigation team contacted the families of the missing persons overnight to verify information and collect DNA samples; and the scene duty team remained on duty in the night, guarding the scene and patrolling the surrounding area.

Every investigator, through their professionalism and dedication, fulfills their mission and responsibility. They deeply understand that every clue and every test result could be key to breaking the case, and every investigation and visit brings them one step closer to the truth. They firmly believe that justice will prevail, and no matter how well the perpetrator hides, or how complex the case, as long as they remain meticulous and persistent, they will surely uncover the truth, bring the perpetrator to justice, deliver justice to the victim, and safeguard the peace and justice of this city.

As night deepened, the tranquility of Luchao Gou Village was broken by the busy figures of the investigators. The investigation continued in a tense but orderly manner; the battle against the murderer, the arduous fight to uncover the truth, was still ongoing. (End of Chapter)