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

“Your analysis makes a lot of sense,” Zhang Kai nodded in agreement. “The wounds to the upper lobe of the left lung and the heart were both caused by the same single-edged sharp weapon. The force of the stabs was uniform and the angle was fixed, which indicates that the murderer may have premeditated the crime and had some understanding of the stab sites. It was not a spur-of-the-moment, random stab. In addition, the rupture of the upper lobe of the left lung would cause the victim to have difficulty breathing and suffocate. Combined with the massive bleeding from the ruptured heart, the victim would die in a short time under the combined effect. Combined with the scene investigation, the victim may have struggled briefly after falling to the ground, but the struggle was not strong and he died quickly. This can also explain why the wiping marks around the pool of blood at the scene were messy but not in a large area.”

After examining the lungs, the two continued to examine other organs in the thoracic cavity. The trachea and bronchi were intact, without damage, foreign object obstruction, or blood residue; the esophagus was intact, without damage or rupture, and there was no food residue or foreign object in the esophagus; the thymus had atrophied (consistent with adult male characteristics) and was normal; the pleura of the thoracic cavity was intact, without damage, adhesions, or bleeding points, ruling out the possibility of death due to damage to other organs in the thoracic cavity.

"The examination of the organs in the thoracic cavity has been completed. Apart from the sharp object wounds to the left ventricle of the heart and the upper lobe of the left lung, which caused rupture and bleeding, the other organs are undamaged, without any abnormalities or underlying diseases," Zhang Kai summarized calmly. "Next, we will open the abdominal cavity and examine the organs inside, focusing on the liver, spleen, kidneys, stomach, and intestines, to check for any abdominal injuries or residual toxins. At the same time, we will take samples of the stomach contents to accurately estimate the time of death and rule out the possibility of poisoning."

Xiao Lin nodded and immediately cooperated with Zhang Kai, using a scalpel to extend the incision downwards, opening the abdominal cavity. The incision extended from below the midline of the sternum to above the pubic symphysis, neatly cutting through the skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscles, and peritoneum. The movements were gentle to avoid damaging the internal organs. After the peritoneum was cut open, the internal organs were clearly visible, including the liver, spleen, kidneys, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, pancreas, and gallbladder. The organs were in normal positions, without displacement or deformity. There was no blood or fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, and no unusual odor, ruling out injuries caused by external force or sharp instrument stabs to the abdomen.

"Record: No blood or fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, no unusual odor, intact peritoneum, no injury or adhesions, all organs in the abdominal cavity are in normal position, no displacement or deformity, preliminary assessment indicates no abdominal injury." Xiao Lin quickly recorded, while gently suctioning away a small amount of secretions from the abdominal cavity with a suction device to ensure a clear field of vision for subsequent examinations.

"First, we'll examine the liver. The liver is a metabolic organ in the human body, and it's also an important organ for estimating the time of death and checking for residual toxins. At the same time, we'll check for any underlying liver diseases or damage." As Zhang Kai spoke, he carefully used tweezers to separate the connective tissue around the liver and carefully observed its shape, size, and color.

The deceased's liver was dark red, normal in size, weighing approximately 1500 grams, with a smooth surface, no nodules, no masses, no hematomas, no lacerations, no epidermal abrasions, and clear lobular structure. There were no underlying diseases such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, or hepatitis. The liver edges were neat, without damage or abnormalities. When pressed by hand, the liver was soft in texture, without cirrhosis or nodules, ruling out the possibility of death due to liver damage or underlying liver diseases.

"Teacher Zhang, the liver is undamaged and has no underlying diseases. Its shape, size, and color are all normal. The liver lobule structure is clear, and the texture is soft, which is consistent with the characteristics of a healthy adult male liver." Xiao Lin reported carefully after careful observation.

“Okay, collect liver tissue samples,” Zhang Kai carefully extracted a small amount of liver tissue sample with tweezers, dividing it into two parts. One part was placed in a sterile test tube and labeled “Liver tissue sample, for pathological examination and estimation of time of death.” The other part was placed in a special toxicology test tube and labeled “Liver tissue sample, for toxicology analysis.” “One part is for pathological examination to estimate the time of death, and the other part is for toxicology analysis to check for residues of pesticides, rodenticides, sleeping pills, etc., to rule out the possibility of death by poisoning—although no signs of poisoning were found at the scene, it must be ruled out through scientific testing to ensure that the cause of death is determined accurately.”

"Understood, Teacher Zhang. The samples have been collected. Please label them and they will be sent to the laboratory for expedited testing along with the previously collected samples." Xiao Lin took the test tubes, carefully placed them in the sample storage box, and made a sample collection record, noting the collection time, collection site, and sample purpose.

The two then began examining the spleen. The deceased's spleen was dark red, normal in size, weighed approximately 150 grams, had a smooth surface, no hematoma, lacerations, no nodules, no masses, and was soft in texture. The spleen capsule was intact, with no bleeding, ruling out the possibility of death due to massive hemorrhage caused by spleen injury. Examination of the kidneys revealed that both kidneys were of normal size, symmetrical in shape, and smooth in surface, without stones, tumors, or damage. The renal cortex and medulla structures were clear, and there were no underlying diseases such as nephritis or renal failure. The ureters were unobstructed and normal, ruling out the possibility of death due to kidney injury or underlying kidney disease.

"Record: Spleen without damage or abnormalities; both kidneys without damage or abnormalities, no stones, no tumors, no underlying diseases; ureters without obstruction or abnormalities." Xiao Lin quickly recorded this, and at the same time, together with Zhang Kai, collected a small number of spleen tissue samples and kidney tissue samples, which were then clearly labeled for subsequent pathological examination and toxicological analysis, ensuring that each organ had a corresponding sample to support subsequent testing and identification.

After examining the spleen and kidneys, Zhang Kai focused his attention on the stomach and intestines—stomach contents are one of the core bases for accurately estimating the time of death. By analyzing the types and degree of digestion of stomach contents, combined with blood biochemistry and liver tissue test results, the time of death can be pinpointed to within 1-2 hours, which is crucial for solving cases. At the same time, by analyzing stomach contents, we can also understand the deceased's last meal, providing clues for identifying the deceased and pinpointing their activity range.

"Xiao Lin, here's the important part: examine the stomach and intestines, extract stomach contents samples, and carefully observe the type, quantity, and degree of digestion of the stomach contents. This is crucial for accurately estimating the time of death. Simultaneously, record the condition of the stomach and intestines to check for any abnormalities." As Zhang Kai spoke, he carefully used tweezers to separate the connective tissue surrounding the stomach, exposing its intact shape. The stomach was sac-like, of moderate size, without any dilation or contraction abnormalities. The stomach wall was intact, without damage, ulcers, or perforation. The gastric mucosa was smooth, without bleeding or edema, ruling out underlying gastric diseases or gastric injury as possible causes of death. (End of Chapter)