freenovelworld Chapter 1488 The Identity of the Deceased
Chapter 1488 The Identity of the Deceased
Over three days, Xiao Zhou led his team to screen over 10300 pieces of information on missing persons, visited 12 family members, traveled over 800 kilometers, and collected 7 blood samples from family members, all of which were sent to the laboratory for DNA comparison. During this time, the laboratory gradually returned the results of the first 6 samples, all showing no parent-child relationship and no match with the deceased's DNA profile. When the last DNA comparison result for Zheng Xiaofeng's family arrived, showing "exclusion of parentage," the atmosphere in the analysis room became somewhat heavy. "Team Leader Zhang, all 7 leads have been ruled out. Could it be that our screening approach is flawed?" team member Xiao Li said somewhat dejectedly.
Xiao Zhou rubbed his throbbing temples, pondered for a moment, and said, "The screening direction is correct. The deceased's physical characteristics are clear, and our scope has been covered. Perhaps we've overlooked some details, or the deceased isn't a recent missing person from this city or surrounding areas, and might even be someone who moved in from elsewhere." He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the night outside, and continued, "Everyone, let's work a little harder and expand the screening scope, not limiting it to any region, but extending the timeframe to within the last ten years. Focus on male individuals who are missing their upper left incisor and work in warehousing or logistics. Also, check the information on the old-fashioned warehouse key retrieved from the scene to see if there's any connection."
The team members immediately resumed their work, adjusting the screening criteria and conducting another comprehensive check of the information system. As night deepened, the lights in the analysis room remained bright, and the team members, with unwavering determination, meticulously checked each piece of information. Around 10 PM, team member Xiao Liu suddenly shouted, "Team Leader Zhang, come quick, look at this clue, it's a bit suspicious!" Xiao Zhou immediately rushed over and looked at Xiao Liu's computer screen.
This clue indicates that the missing person, Zheng Guobin, is 41 years old, 175 cm tall, and a resident of Beijiang District in this city. He disappeared a week before the incident, near the supermarket he operated in Beijiang District. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a dark cotton coat and blue jeans. His family reported that he had lost his upper left incisor due to an injury. He worked in the supermarket and also possessed a key to a private warehouse in the suburbs. The warehouse key was an old-fashioned iron key. "Physical characteristics, clothing, teeth, key type—everything matches!" Xiao Zhou's voice was filled with excitement as he immediately asked Xiao Liu to retrieve Zheng Guobin's detailed information and his family's contact details.
Information shows that Zheng Guobin's supermarket was located in a busy area of Beijiang District. The day before his disappearance, he mentioned to his family that he was going to a suburban warehouse to inventory goods, after which he lost contact; his phone was switched off, and the supermarket was closed. After several unsuccessful searches, the family reported the case to the police three days before the incident. Xiao Zhou immediately contacted Zheng Guobin's family, informing them of a possible clue, and arranged to go to their home that night to collect DNA samples.
At 1 a.m., Xiao Zhou led his team to Zheng Guobin's home and met with Zheng Guobin's wife, Zhang Guilan. Upon hearing the news, Zhang Guilan was extremely emotional, choking back tears as she said, "We've been searching everywhere for my husband since he went missing; we're almost frantic. He is indeed missing his upper left incisor, which he accidentally knocked out while working when he was younger. When he disappeared, he was wearing a dark coat and blue jeans, and he even took the warehouse key with him to inventory the goods." While comforting Zhang Guilan, Xiao Zhou collected her blood sample according to protocol and inquired about Zheng Guobin's warehouse location, interpersonal relationships, and any debt disputes.
Zhang Guilan stated that Zheng Guobin's private warehouse was located in the suburbs, about ten kilometers from Zhangjiagou River Dam. It was mainly used to store supermarket goods. The warehouse key was an old-fashioned iron key, and there were only two of them. One was carried by Zheng Guobin, and the other was kept at home. Xiao Zhou asked Zhang Guilan to find the warehouse key at home and conduct a preliminary comparison with the key retrieved from the scene. They found that the key's teeth and material were completely identical, further confirming the connection between the clues.
After collecting the DNA samples, Xiao Zhou immediately arranged for his team to send them to the laboratory for expedited DNA comparison testing. He then led his team to Zheng Guobin's supermarket and suburban warehouse for preliminary investigation. The supermarket was closed, the items inside were tidy, and there were no obvious signs of disturbance. The cash and receipts at the checkout counter were intact, ruling out the possibility of a robbery leading to the disappearance. The suburban warehouse was located near an abandoned factory. The warehouse door was intact and could be easily opened with the key provided by Zhang Guilan. Various supermarket goods were piled up inside, with no obvious abnormalities. No signs of struggle or bloodstains were found on the ground, but a small amount of black cotton fibers were found in a corner of the warehouse, which preliminarily matched the fibrous material extracted from the scene.
At 4:00 AM, the lab sent back the DNA comparison results: the blood sample of Zheng Guobin's relative, Zhang Guilan, matched the deceased's DNA profile, confirming the deceased's identity as Zheng Guobin. Upon receiving the feedback, Xiao Zhou immediately reported the results to Li Ming. Li Ming, who was in his office sorting through case leads when he received the call, immediately said upon learning of the deceased's identity: "Good news! Xiao Zhou, thank you for your hard work. Immediately compile detailed information about Zheng Guobin, including his interpersonal relationships, debt disputes, warehouse contacts, and recent activity patterns. Summarize and report this first thing tomorrow morning, and we'll adjust our investigation direction to conduct a comprehensive investigation focusing on Zheng Guobin."
At dawn, Xiao Zhou led his team back to the Criminal Investigation Detachment to begin organizing information about Zheng Guobin. By retrieving Zheng Guobin's household registration file, bank statements, communication records, supermarket surveillance footage, and other materials, they gained a preliminary understanding of Zheng Guobin's basic situation: Zheng Guobin, 41 years old, from Beijiang District, had been running a supermarket for many years and had a complex network of relationships, including suppliers, customers, and some unemployed individuals; recent bank statements showed large sums of money flowing through his accounts, suggesting potential debt disputes; communication records showed that in the week before the incident, he had contacted an unknown number multiple times, with short conversations and the identity of the caller could not be confirmed; supermarket surveillance footage showed that on the afternoon of the day Zheng Guobin disappeared, he drove alone to a warehouse in the suburbs and did not appear on the surveillance footage again.
At 9:00 AM, Xiao Zhou, carrying the compiled information, attended the case analysis meeting of the Criminal Investigation Detachment. He reported on Zheng Guobin's identity, interpersonal relationships, and activity patterns one by one, while also showing evidence such as photos of the warehouse key and preliminary fiber comparison results. "The deceased's identity has been confirmed as Zheng Guobin, a supermarket owner in Beijiang District. His warehouse key matches the key retrieved from the scene, and the fibers found in the warehouse preliminarily match the fibers retrieved from the scene. It is speculated that the crime scene may be related to a warehouse in the suburbs, or that the murderer is connected to the warehouse," Xiao Zhou said.
After listening attentively to the report, Li Ming said, "The confirmation of the deceased's identity provides an important direction for solving the case. Next, we will conduct a comprehensive investigation focusing on Zheng Guobin."