novelaction Chapter 1271 Initiating the Investigation into the Deceased's Identity
Chapter 1271 Initiating the Investigation into the Deceased's Identity
"Although the amount was low, it could affect the victim's reaction ability, making him unable to effectively resist the attack. This also explains why there were few external injuries and no obvious signs of a violent struggle. The suspect may have given the victim a small amount of drugs before the attack."
As the autopsy neared its end, Zhang Lin summarized all the findings, going through each item on the record board: "The deceased was male, 35-40 years old, 172cm tall. The time of death was 10-14 hours before the body was discovered, between 8 PM the previous night and 2 AM the following morning. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation, caused by compression of the neck by a band-like object combined with lung contusion. He had suffered blunt force trauma to the left ribs, left lung hemorrhage, and a slight strangulation mark on the neck. The abrasion on his right hand joint was defensive or a fall injury. He had eaten rice, chicken, and vegetables 2-3 hours before death, and there was a small amount of sedative drug in his stomach. The initial identification points to 'Chen Feng,' but further verification of the science and technology company information is needed. The brown powder on his fingernails and business card is consistent with the dust on the parking lot floor tiles, indicating that the deceased had stayed in the parking lot for a period of time or had contact with the suspect in the parking lot."
“The black sedan with obscured license plates that Xiao Wang found entered the parking lot at 9:15 PM the previous night and left at 9:50 PM. This time falls within the time frame of death. Could it be the vehicle driven by the suspect?” Xiao Lin was organizing the autopsy report when he suddenly thought of the previous investigative clues. Zhang Lin nodded and added a note to the report: “Very likely. The suspect driving a vehicle with obscured license plates indicates counter-surveillance awareness; the 35 minutes between entering at 9:15 PM and leaving at 9:50 PM is enough to carry out the attack and move the body if the parking lot wasn't the primary crime scene; furthermore, the sedatives found in the deceased's stomach may have been given to him by the suspect during a ‘meal’—the two may have been acquaintances who met under the pretext of ‘meal to discuss business’ before committing the crime.”
He paused, then continued his analysis: "Judging from the extent of the injuries, the suspect did not use a weapon, but rather attacked with a strip of cloth and his fist, suggesting that the two may have had an emotional or financial dispute, rather than acting randomly; the victim's fingernails only contained dust from the floor tiles, not the suspect's skin tissue or clothing fibers, indicating that the suspect may have been wearing gloves, further proving that it was premeditated; combined with Xiao Wang's mention of 'the person wearing a black hoodie,' the suspect was likely acting alone and was familiar with the parking lot environment, knowing that the surveillance cameras were damaged."
As the body was resealed and sent to the cold storage, Zhang Lin removed his gas mask, his forehead already drenched in sweat. He looked at the autopsy report and the specimen bottles containing various samples on the table; every piece of data had been repeatedly checked, and every conclusion had clear pathological evidence. "Send these samples to the technical department immediately, prioritizing testing of the composition of the powder under the fingernails, the type of drug in the stomach contents, the fingerprints and DNA on the business card, and the skin tissue at the neck indentation," Zhang Lin instructed Xiao Lin. "In addition, simultaneously provide Captain Li with key information such as the time of death, cause of death, and drug composition, so that they can adjust their investigation direction, focusing on 'acquaintances who were active around the Oriental Building between 8 pm the previous night and 2 am' and 'the ward company and Chen Feng's true identity'."
Xiao Lin quickly left the autopsy room with the evidence and report, while Zhang Lin remained, lost in thought, staring at the crime scene photos beside the autopsy table. The parking lot corner in the photos, the surveillance screenshot of the black sedan, the blurry image of the person in the hoodie, and the neck pressure marks, lung contusions, and sedatives found during the autopsy—all were gradually forming a chain of clues. Although the victim's identity was not yet fully confirmed, the precise determination of the time of death, cause of death, and modus operandi had already provided a clear direction for the investigation. He firmly believed that as long as the technical department could find relevant evidence in the evidence, combined with the investigators' screening, they would eventually identify the suspect and expose this crime hidden in the underground parking lot of the office building.
Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, Li Ming had received Zhang Lin's preliminary autopsy report. Looking at the key information on the report—"mechanical asphyxiation," "sedatives," and "acquaintance perpetrator"—he tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then dialed Xiao Wang's number: "Immediately adjust the focus of the investigation. First, investigate the real identity of 'Chen Feng,' verify the registration information of the science and technology company, and find his social connections, especially those with economic or emotional disputes; second, expand the scope of the investigation of the black sedan, focusing on the Volkswagen Lavida model that appeared around the Oriental Building between 8 pm the previous night and 2 am, combined with surveillance footage from the western part of the city; third, test the source of the sedatives in the deceased's stomach to see if we can find the purchase channel or related personnel. We must have a new breakthrough within 24 hours!"
As night deepened, the lights in the autopsy room remained bright. Zhang Lin organized the autopsy records, prioritized all the samples for testing, and sent them to the technical department. He knew that this autopsy, a race against time, was only the first step in solving the case; subsequent evidence comparison and investigation would be key to uncovering the truth. But he was confident that, with precise autopsy findings and meticulous clue analysis, this crime hidden in the underground parking lot of the office building would ultimately be illuminated by the sunlight of justice.
Xiao Zhou was also working hard, leading a team to verify information on missing persons and try to determine the identity of the deceased. "Male, 35-40 years old, 172cm tall, time of death between 8 pm the night before and 2 am the next day, last meal was rice, chicken and vegetables, sedatives were found in his stomach, preliminary identification points to 'Chen Feng' but needs to be verified" - Xiao Zhou circled these key characteristics in red pen in his notebook. Then he led five team members into the missing persons verification office of the Criminal Investigation Detachment. Six computer screens lit up at the same time, and the blue light reflected on everyone's tired faces.
“Tighten the screening criteria,” Xiao Zhou said, handing out freshly brewed instant coffee to his team members and taking a big gulp himself. The bitterness of the caffeine temporarily suppressed their fatigue. “We need to narrow down the age to 35-40 years old, height 170-174cm, and time of disappearance within 24-48 hours. In addition to ‘company employee’, we also need to add ‘service industry’ to the occupation field. The deceased had sedatives in his stomach, so he might have had a high-pressure job. Hairdressers and chefs, for example, often come into contact with all kinds of people and may have had financial or emotional disputes. Also, we need to pay close attention to whether there are descriptions such as ‘recently taking sedatives’ or ‘eating home-cooked food for the last meal’ to rule out the possible misleading information of ‘Chen Feng’.”
Team member Xiao Chen rubbed his sore eyes and slowly slid his fingers across the mouse: "This system is so laggy. It takes two minutes to refresh every time. There are more than 1500 pieces of information. It will take until dawn to check them."