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

"No murder weapon was found, nor were any items suspected to be murder weapons, such as knives, sticks, ropes, bottles, or medicines. No obvious bloodstains were found either on the ground, the walls, or around the body. There was only putrefactive liquid from the decomposing body. There was no fresh blood or old blood."

"Based on the on-site investigation, we have made the following preliminary judgments: First, the deceased did not enter the cave on his own, but was dragged in from outside. There were obvious signs of body disposal at the scene. This is a case of intentional homicide, not an accidental death, not suicide, and not a natural death."

"Secondly, this cave was not the primary crime scene, but rather the site where the body was disposed of. Because no signs of struggle or fighting were found at the scene, and no bloodstains or murder weapon were discovered, it indicates that the murderer killed the victim elsewhere and then transported the body to this cave to hide it, with the aim of covering up the crime and preventing the body from being discovered."

"Third, the suspect had a strong sense of counter-surveillance. After committing the crime, he deliberately cleaned up the scene, took away all of the victim's personal belongings, and concealed the victim's identity; he did not leave any garbage or obvious traces at the scene to avoid leaving clues; he chose this remote and hidden abandoned cave to dump the body in order to delay the time it would take for the body to be discovered. By the time the body was highly decomposed and the identity and cause of death could not be determined, it would be difficult to find the murderer even if it was discovered."

"Fourth, the suspect may have acted alone. The footprints and drag marks found at the scene all indicate that there were only one person's traces. No footprints or drag marks of multiple people were found. The preliminary judgment is that the suspect dragged the body into the cave alone and had no accomplices."

"Fifth, the deceased had been dead for a considerable period of time, at least three days. The specific time and cause of death cannot be determined by observing the body at the scene. The body needs to be transported back to the branch for further autopsy to determine the individual characteristics of the deceased, such as time of death, cause of death, age, height, and weight, and to provide more clues for solving the case."

"Sixth, the suspect is about 1.7 meters tall, with a stocky build, and wears work shoes or hiking boots with dark treads, about size 42; he carries dark clothing and may have carried a black plastic bag containing relevant items; he may be familiar with the environment of this mountainous area and know about the existence of this abandoned cave, otherwise he would not have chosen this place as the location to dispose of the body."

Yang Sen took the walkie-talkie and added, "Team Leader Lu, we have completed the preliminary investigation of the entire scene. All traces and physical evidence have been numbered, secured, and collected. The scene has been cordoned off with caution tape, and two investigators have been assigned to guard it 24 hours a day. No one is allowed to approach to ensure that the scene is not disturbed. We have also taken photos and videos of the surrounding environment to preserve the original state of the scene. We will compile all the investigation data and report it to you later."

"In addition, during our investigation, we found a small amount of spider webs and dust on the trees and shrubs around the cave, which were not obviously damaged. This indicates that the suspect only cleared away the necessary branches and vines along the route of dragging the body, without causing extensive damage to the surrounding vegetation. This further shows that the suspect was very cautious and had a strong sense of counter-surveillance."

After listening to Yang Lin and Yang Sen's report, Lu Chuan's expression grew increasingly grave. The situation was as he had anticipated: it was an extremely difficult case of intentional homicide and body disposal, with few clues and numerous suspicious points.

Currently, the biggest challenge facing the case is that there is no identity of the deceased, no primary crime scene, no direct murder weapon, and no direct eyewitnesses. There are only some scattered traces of physical evidence and eyewitness testimonies. Although these clues can preliminarily determine the nature of the case and some characteristics of the suspect, they are far from enough to identify the suspect and solve the case.

The inability to identify the deceased makes it impossible to investigate their social relationships and conflicts, and to find the perpetrator's motive; the inability to identify the primary crime scene makes it impossible to find more clues and the murder weapon, and to reconstruct the entire crime process; the suspect's strong counter-investigation awareness and lack of valuable direct clues at the scene further complicate the case investigation.

However, there is still hope. Zhang Baolu's testimony, along with the traces and physical evidence collected by Yang Lin and Yang Sen, are all potential breakthroughs in the case. The stranger who appeared three or four days ago is very likely the suspect; the dark blue plastic fragment, the dark clothing fibers, and the incomplete footprints could all be key to identifying the suspect; the footprints Zhang Baolu mentioned and the broken sapling may also yield new clues.

Lu Chuan stood at the village entrance, looking up towards the mountainside. There, shrouded in mist, dense vegetation obscured the abandoned cave dwelling, making it appear particularly cold and eerie. The highly decomposed, unidentified male corpse lay quietly in the dark cave, awaiting the day the truth would be revealed; while the murderer, lurking in the shadows, might be observing everything from some corner, clinging to the illusion that his crime could be covered up forever.

Lu Chuan clenched his fists, his eyes hardening with unwavering determination. He had worked in criminal investigation for over a decade, solving countless difficult murder cases. The scarcer the clues and the greater the challenge, the less willing he was to give up. He knew that behind every murder case lay a lost life, a family awaiting justice. He and his team bore the responsibility of upholding justice and fighting crime. No matter how difficult the case, they had to investigate thoroughly, apprehend the killer, and bring justice to the deceased.

Lu Chuan pressed the walkie-talkie, his voice steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable firmness, and said to all the police officers present: "Attention everyone, I am now assigning follow-up work. The division of labor is clear, and everyone should perform their duties. We must do every task meticulously, thoroughly, and properly, and we will not let go of any clue or overlook any suspicious point."

"First, on-site monitoring. Yang Lin, you arrange for two investigators to remain on-site 24 hours a day. No one is allowed to approach the cave dwelling, and the scene must not be disturbed. We await further investigation and the transfer of the body. The investigators must keep records and report any abnormalities to me immediately."

"Second, a re-examination of the site. Yang Lin, you lead the investigation team to remain in the mountains and conduct a re-examination of the site and surrounding area. Focus on the paths Zhang Baolu mentioned and the area near the broken saplings, searching for the footprints he described, and striving to extract new traces and physical evidence. Conduct another thorough search of the traces and evidence inside and outside the cave dwelling to ensure no detail is overlooked, especially the dark blue plastic fragment, clothing fibers, and incomplete footprints; ensure they are properly secured and preserved." (End of Chapter)