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

"Based on these circumstances, we can preliminarily deduce that the suspect is characterized as follows: male, aged between 30 and 40, approximately 170 cm tall, of stocky build, with good physical strength, wearing work boots or hiking boots with deep treads, size approximately 42; familiar with the environment around Zhangjiagou, aware of the existence of the abandoned cave dwelling, possibly a resident of a village near Zhangjiagou, or someone who frequently travels to the area for work such as herding, harvesting mountain products, renovation, or transportation; possessing strong counter-surveillance awareness, meticulous, and with some experience in committing crimes, possibly carrying a black plastic bag for carrying related items; the motive may be revenge killing, robbery killing, or killing to cover up a debt dispute or emotional conflict, then taking the victim's personal belongings and jewelry to conceal the victim's identity and plunder property."

Lin Xiao listened attentively to Zhang Kai's analysis, nodding and taking notes. She said, "Master, your analysis is so comprehensive. These suspect characteristics will be of great help to our subsequent investigation. We can report these suspect characteristics to Captain Lu and have him arrange a field investigation team and a surveillance investigation team to focus on investigating people who match these characteristics, narrowing down the suspect pool and speeding up the case investigation."

“Yes, that’s right.” Zhang Kai nodded. “Now, compile our autopsy findings, preliminary estimates of the time and cause of death, and the suspect’s initial characteristics into a detailed preliminary autopsy report and submit it to Captain Lu. Captain Lu can then adjust the direction of the investigation and deploy subsequent investigative work based on this report. At the same time, closely monitor the progress of all testing work, whether it’s DNA testing, toxicology testing, clothing fiber testing, or jewelry residue testing. Report any findings to Captain Lu immediately and inform me promptly. Based on the test results, we will further refine the autopsy report and adjust the estimates of the cause and time of death to provide more accurate and robust support for the case investigation.”

"Understood, Master. I'll go and organize the preliminary autopsy report right now." Lin Xiao quickly got up, picked up his notebook and pen, and hurried out of the lounge to organize the preliminary autopsy report.

Zhang Kai remained in the break room, picked up his water glass, took a sip, and repeatedly reviewed every detail discovered during the autopsy, especially the needle marks on the victim's left ankle and the dent on his right wrist. He knew these two marks were likely the key to solving the case; if they could determine their origin, they could pinpoint the cause of death and identify the suspect. He took out his phone, dialed Lu Chuan's number, and said seriously, "Captain Lu, this is Zhang Kai. The preliminary autopsy is complete, and I have some key findings to report."

At that moment, Lu Chuan was in the branch office, reviewing the progress of various investigative tasks. Upon receiving Zhang Kai's call, he immediately put down his work and asked urgently, "Zhang Kai, thank you for your hard work. Tell me, what did the autopsy reveal? Have the time and cause of death been determined? Are there any clues to the victim's identity?"

"Captain Lu, don't rush, let me explain slowly." Zhang Kai said calmly, "First of all, based on the degree of decomposition of the body, the growth and development of insects and ants, and the environment at the scene, the preliminary estimate of the time of death is between 48 and 72 hours, which is about three days. The exact time of death can only be determined after the pathological examination and the examination of the stomach contents are completed."

"Secondly, regarding the cause of death, we have preliminarily ruled out the possibilities of traumatic brain injury and asphyxiation due to foreign object obstruction, narrowing it down to death by poisoning or mechanical asphyxiation. A tiny needle mark was found on the deceased's left ankle; it is so minute that it is easily overlooked without close inspection. This needle mark could have been left by an injection of drugs or poison before death, or it could have been left by the perpetrator injecting drugs after death to accelerate decomposition. We have collected tissue samples around the needle mark and bodily fluids from the body, which have been submitted to the technical department for toxicology testing to check for any drug or poison residue. Once the test results are available, the cause of death will be determined. Based on the current situation, death by poisoning is more likely."

"Furthermore, the identity of the deceased has not yet been directly confirmed, but we have collected samples of the deceased's teeth and bone tissue, which have been handed over to the technical department for DNA testing and entered into the national DNA database for comprehensive comparison with all recent missing persons information, especially the information of missing persons in villages around Zhangjiagou. We believe that it will not be long before we can determine the identity of the deceased through DNA comparison. In addition, a small indentation mark was found on the deceased's right wrist, which is suspected to be a watch, bracelet or other jewelry worn before death, which was taken by the murderer after death. We have collected tissue samples from the surrounding area to test for metal residue or jewelry residue. Perhaps this clue can help determine the identity and occupation of the deceased."

"Furthermore, the deceased's clothing was completely rotten and torn, making it impossible to determine the style or brand. No clothing markings were found. We extracted some clothing fiber fragments and handed them over to the technical department for material and type testing to help investigate the deceased's identity and occupation. No trace evidence such as hair or skin tissue was extracted from the deceased's fingernails. This may have been cleaned by the murderer after death, or it may have been damaged by insects and fallen off naturally."

"Finally, based on the autopsy findings and the scene investigation, we have preliminarily deduced some of the suspect's characteristics: male, between 30 and 40 years old, about 170 cm tall, with a strong build and good physical strength, wearing size 42 work shoes or hiking boots with deep treads; familiar with the surrounding environment of Zhangjiagou, knowing the existence of the abandoned cave dwelling, possibly a person from a nearby village or someone who frequently travels to the area; strong counter-surveillance awareness, meticulous, cleaned up the scene after committing the crime, took the victim's personal belongings and jewelry, concealed the victim's identity, possibly committed the crime alone, and the motive may have been revenge, robbery, or murder to cover up debt or emotional disputes."

Lu Chuan listened attentively to Zhang Kai's report, nodding as he quickly jotted down key information in his notebook. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face: "Good, Zhang Kai, thank you for your hard work. This autopsy report is extremely important to us. It has helped us narrow down the scope of our investigation and clarified the direction of our investigation. Have the technical department expedite all the testing work, especially DNA and toxicology testing. These two are crucial. Once we determine the victim's identity and cause of death, we can quickly advance the case investigation." (End of Chapter)