freenovelworld Chapter 1246 Clues Regarding the Identity of the Deceased
Chapter 1246 Clues Regarding the Identity of the Deceased
During the subsequent examination of the external injuries, Zhang Lin made a crucial discovery: "There was an irregular 5x3cm epidermal defect on the left temporal region of the deceased, with irregular edges and exposed bone at the defect site." He gently probed the defect area with a dissecting needle. "There were dark brown hemorrhages under the decaying skin around the defect. Although the color of the hemorrhage was darkened by decomposition, it was still clear that it was an injury sustained before death—if the skin defect was caused by post-mortem decomposition, there would be no bleeding in the subcutaneous tissue. In addition, there were obvious contusions and lacerations at the edges of the defect, suggesting that the injury was caused by a blunt instrument, such as a stone or a wooden stick."
On the deceased's chest, Zhang Lin also found a 2x1cm puncture wound: "The puncture wound was roughly circular with relatively neat edges. The wound corners were blurred, and the tissue had shrunk due to decay, so the depth could not be determined at this time." He carefully inserted a probe into the puncture wound. "The probe could reach the organs inside the chest cavity, indicating that the puncture wound had penetrated the chest wall and may have damaged the heart or lungs. Whether this injury was fatal needs to be confirmed after an autopsy of the chest cavity."
Xiao Lin discovered an anomaly on the right palm of the body: "There were multiple irregular abrasions on the palm with uneven edges and mud residue." He unfolded the deceased's right hand and "extracted a small amount of brown fibers and soil from under the fingernails. The fibers were coarse and similar in texture to the canvas fibers that Xiao Yang had found at the scene. The composition of the soil was consistent with the black soil in the mountains and forests, indicating that the deceased had fought with the suspect before his death, and the fight took place in the mountains and forests."
To confirm the cause of death and further narrow down the timeframe, Zhang Lin began the autopsy. He used a scalpel to cut along the midline of the abdomen, separating the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle in sequence. Putrefactive gases mixed with a foul odor gushed out instantly, and Zhang Lin quickly activated the ventilation system. "There was a large amount of putrefactive fluid in the abdominal cavity, about 500ml," Zhang Lin said, suctioning away the fluid. "The liver and spleen were semi-liquefied, soft in texture, and crumbled easily with a light touch of tweezers, consistent with the putrefaction changes of tissues 7-9 days after death; the contents of the intestines were completely putrefied, appearing as a brown paste, and no undigested food residue was found, indicating that the deceased had eaten 8-12 hours before death. Combined with the time of death around August 20th, it can be inferred that the deceased's last meal was between 6-8 pm on August 19th."
During the thoracic cavity autopsy, Zhang Lin discovered a fatal clue: "There was a 2.5x1.5cm stab wound in the upper lobe of the left lung, the wound piercing through the lung tissue and reaching the thoracic cavity." He used forceps to pick up the damaged lung tissue. "There was a large amount of bleeding and putrefaction within the lung tissue, causing the blood to be dark brown, accompanied by pneumothorax. These are typical characteristics of death due to respiratory failure caused by stab wounds. In addition, there was a small amount of blood in the left thoracic cavity, about 150ml, further confirming that the stab wound was the fatal injury."
"What about the blunt force injury to the temporal region? Was it caused during the struggle with the suspect before death, or after?" Xiaolin asked疑惑地. Zhang Lin pointed to the bone at the site of the temporal injury: "The bone surface has a slight indentation, indicating that the blunt force was moderate. Although it did not cause a skull fracture, it may have caused the deceased to lose consciousness briefly, creating conditions for the suspect to subsequently stab him with a sharp object. This injury was also caused before death; it is an auxiliary injury, not a fatal one."
During the autopsy, Zhang Lin discovered a crucial detail: "Although the deceased's stomach wall tissue was already decomposed, a small amount of drug residue could still be observed." He extracted a sample of the stomach wall tissue, "and preliminary testing showed it to be ibuprofen, consistent with the brand of the plastic medicine bottle found at the scene, indicating that the deceased had taken ibuprofen before death, possibly to relieve pain or reduce fever. Based on the drug's metabolic cycle, it is estimated that the medication was taken 2-4 hours before death, further narrowing down the time of death to 2-4 AM on August 20th."
The identification of the deceased has also been broken: "A trace of a stainless steel metal chain was found on the deceased's left wrist," Zhang Lin pointed to the skin on the wrist. "The chain was partially rusted, and the material was the same as the metal chain that Xiao Yang found at the scene, indicating that it was an accessory worn by the deceased before his death, possibly a watch chain or bracelet, which was torn off by the suspect during the struggle or when he disposed of the body, and part of the chain was left at the scene."
As the autopsy neared its end, Zhang Lin summarized all the findings: "The deceased was male, 40-50 years old, 172cm tall, died between 2-4 AM on August 20th, and died from respiratory failure caused by a single-edged sharp object piercing his left lung; he had suffered blunt force trauma to his left temporal region from stones/wooden sticks and injuries from fighting, including abrasions on his right palm and fibrous tissue under his nails; he had taken ibuprofen and wore stainless steel chain jewelry; his last meal was between 6-8 PM on August 19th; the body was dumped on a gentle slope in the mountains; the suspect may have been carrying a blunt object and a single-edged sharp object, is 170-175cm tall, and based on the shoe prints at the scene, is believed to have driven a motorcycle with horizontally striped tires, possibly knowing the deceased and deliberately removing the deceased's belongings to conceal his identity."
"What directions can these findings provide for the investigation?" Xiao Lin asked, organizing the autopsy report. Zhang Lin thought for a moment: "First, the time of death is precise to the hour. Investigators can focus on the activity patterns of people around the mountainous area between 2 and 4 a.m. on August 20th, especially those with motorcycles and matching height characteristics. Second, the weapon used to injure the victim was a blunt instrument combined with a single-edged sharp instrument. The suspect may have been carrying both tools and has a certain tendency towards violence. Third, the fibers found under the victim's fingernails and the ibuprofen residue in the stomach can serve as clues—the fibers originated from canvas products, and the ibuprofen purchase records can narrow down the investigation. Finally, if the brand and style of the stainless steel chain can be identified, the victim's identity can be investigated through jewelry stores and repair shops."
He added, "Furthermore, the age and height of the deceased can be used in conjunction with the missing persons information system to focus on males aged 40-50 who went missing around August 20. The fact that the suspect chose a secluded area in the mountains and forests when disposing of the body and was familiar with abandoned mountain roads and ravines suggests that he may be a villager from the surrounding area or someone who has been active in the mountains for a long time, such as a forest ranger or herb gatherer. This can also narrow down the scope of the investigation."
As the body was resealed and sent to the cold storage, Zhang Lin removed his gas mask, his forehead already covered in sweat. He looked at the autopsy report on the table; every conclusion had undergone rigorous observation and analysis, especially the determination of the time of death, which combined multiple dimensions such as the characteristics of decomposition, entomological evidence, stomach contents, and drug metabolism to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results.
"Send these clues to Captain Li immediately, emphasizing the time of death, the type of fatal injury, and key physical evidence such as fibers, chains, and ibuprofen, so that they can adjust their investigation direction," Zhang Lin told Xiao Lin. "In addition, prioritize testing the fiber components in the fingernails, drug residues in the stomach wall tissue, and the material and brand of the metal chain, and try to obtain more relevant information as soon as possible."