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

Meanwhile, they carefully observed the condition of the muscle tissue to check for any hidden injuries or foreign objects remaining. Xiaolin, holding tweezers, worked with Zhang Kai to clean the small amount of dried blood and tissue debris from the incision, and carefully observed the details of each layer of tissue with a magnifying glass, reporting any abnormalities to Zhang Kai at any time, while quickly recording all findings during the separation process.

Zhang Kai put down his autopsy instruments, removed his gloves which were covered in fine tissue debris, and said calmly to his assistant, Xiao Lin, "The dark red stain around the fatal wound on the chest was not caused by handling after death, but rather by blood seeping into the muscle tissue. Combined with the signs of life at the edge of the wound, it can be further confirmed that the deceased was stabbed with a single-edged sharp weapon before death and died from excessive blood loss, rather than a fake wound created during the disposal of the body." Xiao Lin nodded quickly and wrote down this crucial conclusion in the autopsy record book. His pen slid rapidly across the paper, afraid of missing any detail—as a young forensic doctor with less than three years of experience, he knew that every autopsy discovery could be key to solving a case, and no carelessness was allowed.

At this moment, the operating lights in the autopsy room were blindingly bright, illuminating the unidentified male corpse on the autopsy table clearly. The corpse's clothing had been completely removed, cleaned, and laid flat on the evidence table beside it. The tear in the chest of the black long-sleeved cotton T-shirt matched the wound on the corpse's chest perfectly. The torn fibers at the knee of the dark blue jeans had been carefully extracted by Xiaolin and placed into a sealed evidence bag. Zhang Kai put on a new pair of sterile gloves, bent down, and carefully examined every detail of the corpse again, from the bruises on the head to the ligature marks on the neck, from the scratches on the arms to the residue under the fingernails, checking and confirming each item to ensure the rigor of the autopsy conclusions.

“The deceased was 173 cm tall, of medium build, and between 38 and 40 years old,” Zhang Kai said slowly as he examined the body, adding details of the autopsy to Xiao Lin. “There was an irregular bruise on the left cheek of the head, about 3 cm in diameter, which was inferred to be caused by a blunt object or by hand-to-hand beating. It did not cause a skull fracture and was not fatal. There was a light purple ligature mark about 1 cm wide around the neck. The edges of the ligature mark were blurred and there was no obvious skin damage. Based on the damage to the neck muscle tissue, it was determined that it was caused by strangulation with a soft fabric such as a towel or strip of cloth. The purpose was to control the deceased and prevent him from struggling. The degree of strangulation was not high enough to cause death by asphyxiation and was only an auxiliary control measure.”

Xiao Lin stopped writing, her gaze following Zhang Kai's movements, and softly asked, "Teacher Zhang, what can we determine from the scratches on the deceased's arms and legs, and the residue under his fingernails?" Zhang Kai raised his hand and gently pried open the deceased's tightly clenched right hand fingers with tweezers. The dirt, weed fragments, and a small amount of fiber under the fingernails were clearly visible. He carefully used a cotton swab to extract these residues and placed them into a test tube labeled "Residue under the deceased's fingernails." He then said, "The scratches on the arms and legs are relatively shallow, between 1 and 2 centimeters in length, with irregular edges. Combined with the weed fragments in the residue, it can be inferred that the deceased scratched the surrounding weeds or ground pebbles during the struggle while being controlled. The fibers under the fingernails, based on preliminary observation, are consistent with the material of the clothing fibers extracted from the scene. They need to be sent to the laboratory for comparison to confirm whether they came from the deceased's own clothing or the murderer's clothing."

"Furthermore, the thoracic autopsy revealed a narrow, elongated laceration in the left ventricle of the deceased's heart, measuring 4.2 centimeters in length and 1.1 centimeters in width. The edges of the laceration were neat and smooth, consistent with the characteristics of a single-edged sharp weapon stabbing," Zhang Kai continued, his tone becoming increasingly serious. "The weapon penetrated to a depth of approximately 8 centimeters, directly piercing the coronary artery and causing acute hemorrhagic shock, which is the direct cause of death. Based on the degree of digestion of the stomach contents and preliminary observations of the pathological sections of the liver and kidneys, the time of death was estimated to be 48 to 72 hours before the incident, approximately 3 days prior. The deceased was in a fasting state at the time of death, suggesting that the murder likely occurred at night or in the early morning before any food was consumed."

“There’s another crucial finding,” Zhang Kai said, walking to the other side of the autopsy table to examine the deceased’s bones and teeth. “The deceased’s teeth showed moderate wear, and the left maxillary second molar had cavities and had been filled with resin. This material is only used in two dental clinics in the city. This feature can be used to help confirm the deceased’s identity. At the same time, the deceased had no congenital diseases and no signs of poisoning. Blood and liver samples have been collected and sent to the laboratory for toxicology testing to further rule out the possibility of poisoning.”

Xiaolin quickly recorded all the anatomical details, neatly organized the dissection record book, and checked it against all the extracted samples and evidence. After confirming that everything was correct, she said to Zhang Kai, "Professor Zhang, the dissection record has been completed, all samples and evidence have been sealed and labeled, and can be sent to the laboratory at any time. The body has also been properly handled and placed in the refrigerator for preservation." Zhang Kai nodded, took off his gloves, and rubbed his slightly tired brow. From the start of the dissection at 2:30 pm to the completion of all procedures, a full four hours had passed. During this time, the two of them had not stopped and maintained a high level of concentration throughout, for fear of making the slightest mistake.

"Once the autopsy report is ready, we'll head to the branch office now to report the autopsy findings to Captain Lu," Zhang Kai said, taking off his autopsy gown as he instructed Xiao Lin, "Focus on reporting the characteristics of the fatal wounds, the cause of death, the time of death, and any crucial supporting clues, especially the details of the dental fillings and the residue under the fingernails. These are essential for identifying the deceased and identifying the perpetrator." Xiao Lin quickly agreed, swiftly prepared the autopsy report and a list of relevant evidence, and followed Zhang Kai out of the autopsy room, driving to the Municipal Criminal Investigation Branch.

Inside the brightly lit office of the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment, Captain Lu Chuan sat at his desk, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the crime scene investigation report, his expression grave. Scattered across the desk were photographs of footprints and fiber samples collected at the scene, along with a map of the area surrounding Qinjiagou Village. Lu Chuan tapped his fingers lightly on the surface, his mind replaying every detail of the crime scene investigation: the remote farmland, the fresh burial pit, the footprints of a size 42 men's sneaker, a small amount of hair and fiber, and the empty pockets of the victim's clothing—the murderer was extremely adept at counter-investigation, not only taking all the items that could identify the victim but also deliberately choosing a secluded location to dispose of the body, clearly having come prepared.

"Captain Lu, all the traces and physical evidence collected by Yang Lin and his team at the scene have been sent to the lab for testing and analysis," Investigator Wang Shuai strode into the office, holding a record of his investigation, and reported to Lu Chuan in a low voice. (End of Chapter)