novelaction Chapter 1525 Murder Scene Investigation
Chapter 1525 Murder Scene Investigation
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Tao remained standing, his hands gripping the phone tightly, his knuckles white from the force. His eyes were fixed on the body deep in the grass, not daring to relax for a moment. His body was still trembling, and the cold wind made him shiver even more, but he didn't leave or approach any closer. He simply stood quietly on the stone path, guarding the scene, waiting for the police to arrive. Occasionally, early risers would pass by, seeing his panicked expression and trembling body, and try to approach him to ask what was wrong, but he would wave his trembling hands away, refusing: "Don't...don't come any closer! There's...there's a body inside! The police will be here soon!"
Upon hearing the word "corpse," the morning exercisers all paled, stopping in their tracks and glancing at the depths of the grass. Horrified expressions filled their faces; no one dared approach. Some hurriedly left the park, while others stood at a distance, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes filled with fear and curiosity, yet none daring to take a single step closer. In an instant, a few scattered onlookers gathered on the stone path on the east side of the coal mine park, the atmosphere becoming exceptionally tense and oppressive. The once peaceful and serene morning was completely shattered by the sudden appearance of the corpse.
At 5:50 a.m., police cars from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Detachment arrived with sirens blaring, shattering the morning silence and disrupting the tranquility of the park's surroundings. Three police cars came to a steady stop at the entrance of the Coal Mine Park. The doors opened, and Li Ming, leading more than ten criminal investigation team members, quickly stepped out. Li Ming, 42 years old, stood 1.85 meters tall, with a straight posture, a resolute face, and sharp, eagle-like eyes. His face always carried a serious expression. He had spent years on the front lines of criminal investigation, solving countless difficult cases. He was a core member of the Criminal Investigation Detachment and the backbone of his team. He wore a black police uniform, his cap neatly fastened, and his police badge gleaming. His steps were steady and powerful, each step exuding unquestionable authority.
"Team Leader Li, the person who reported the incident, Zhou Tao, is on the stone path next to the bushes on the east side. There are already a few onlookers at the scene, and we have already arranged for team members to disperse the onlookers and protect the scene." A young team member walked quickly to Li Ming's side and reported in a low voice, his tone serious.
Li Ming nodded, his eyes sweeping across the park entrance. His brows furrowed slightly, and his tone was low and serious: "Quickly disperse the onlookers. No one is allowed to approach the scene, including park cleaners and morning exercisers. No one is allowed to touch anything in the grass, smoke or spit, or wander around. Protect every trace and piece of evidence at the scene. Absolutely no omissions or damage are allowed!"
"Understood, Captain Li!" The team members responded in unison and immediately dispersed. Some team members quickly went to the grass on the east side to disperse the onlookers, set up a cordon, and sealed off the scene; while other team members patrolled the park entrance and both sides of the stone path to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering the park and ensure the safety and integrity of the scene.
Li Ming straightened his police uniform and then strode quickly towards the grass on the east side, followed by two team members, as well as Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun, who were in charge of the crime scene investigation. Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun were both key members of the Criminal Investigation Detachment's crime scene investigation team. Xiao Yang was thirty-five years old, calm and meticulous, skilled in trace evidence extraction and crime scene analysis, and had been engaged in crime scene investigation for ten years, making him very experienced. Xiao Sun was thirty years old, young and capable, with sharp eyes, and skilled in crime scene search and detailed investigation. The two worked together seamlessly, participating in the crime scene investigation of countless cases without ever making a mistake.
At this moment, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun had already put on professional surveying suits and shoes, gloves, masks, and hats. Holding survey kits, they looked serious and focused, following behind Li Ming step by step toward the scene. Inside the survey kits were various surveying tools, such as measuring tapes, flashlights, tweezers, sealed bags, trace extraction paper, and brushes, each item neatly arranged and ready for use at any time.
Soon, Li Ming and his team arrived at the stone path beside the grass on the east side and met Zhou Tao, the person who reported the case. At this time, Zhou Tao was still trembling all over, his face was pale, and his eyes were filled with fear. When he saw Li Ming and his team of criminal investigation officers in police uniforms, he seemed to see saviors and hurriedly came forward, saying in a trembling voice, "Police...police officers, you've finally come! The body...the body is inside, I...I didn't dare to go near it, and I didn't let anyone else come near it either."
Seeing Zhou Tao's panicked state, Li Ming softened his tone slightly, gently patted his shoulder, and reassured him, "Sir, don't be afraid. Thank you for your hard work. It's all thanks to you calling the police in time that the scene was preserved. Please don't be nervous. Find a place to sit down and rest. We have a few questions we'd like to ask you later. Please cooperate with our work."
After speaking, Li Ming gestured to one of his team members to help Zhou Tao to sit down on a nearby stone bench, poured her a cup of hot water, and asked her to calm down. Then, Li Ming turned around, his gaze falling on the body deep in the grass. His brow furrowed, and his expression grew increasingly serious. At this moment, the police cordon was in place, the onlookers had been dispersed, and only the criminal investigation team remained at the scene. A profound silence fell, broken only by the howling wind and the faint footsteps of the team members.
Li Ming walked to the cordon but didn't rush in. Instead, he stood outside the cordon, carefully observing the surrounding environment. This patch of grass on the east side of the coal mine park was indeed very secluded. There were no surveillance cameras or streetlights, making it dimly lit. The grass was dense, with waist-high weeds and shrubs intertwined, obscuring the view. At the edge of the grass was a two-meter-wide stone path, clean and tidy, clearly regularly maintained. However, deeper within the grass, fallen leaves, pebbles, and weeds littered the area, creating a dark, damp atmosphere. A thick layer of frost covered the ground, making it look extremely desolate. To the west of the grass was a small grove of trees, tall and densely foliaged, further obscuring the view. To the east was the park's three-meter-high wall, covered in vines. Beyond the wall was a secluded alley, rarely frequented. To the north was the park's fitness area, about a hundred meters away, which was currently deserted. To the south was the extension of the stone path, leading to the park's central square.
"Xiao Yang, Xiao Sun, you two, go to the scene immediately and start the on-site investigation." Li Ming turned around and looked at Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun beside him, his tone serious and firm, "Focus on doing three things well."