The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 864 Case Analysis Meeting, Qin Chuan's Judgment

Although the clue was vague, it gave the task force a glimmer of hope. They continued to expand their inquiries, leaving no possible witness behind. At a fork in the road a few kilometers from Lijia Village, an old man herding sheep said, "That night, I was herding my sheep home when I saw a van parked on the side of the road. A few people got out, stood by the roadside for a while, and then got back in and drove away. I didn't pay much attention to it and don't know if it was the van you're talking about."

The officers questioned the elderly man in detail about the van's features and the general appearance of the people who got out. The man described that two men and one woman got out; the men were tall, and the woman was wearing a hat, making her face difficult to see. Although the clues remained fragmented, the task force carefully recorded this information, hoping to piece together a complete picture of the van and the suspects.

While tracking the van, Qin Chuan convened a meeting of key personnel from the Criminal Investigation Division for the first case analysis meeting. The atmosphere in the meeting room was heavy, with everyone's faces showing seriousness and focus. The crime scene investigators and forensic experts then gave detailed reports on their findings. The crime scene investigators presented photos and analysis reports of unfamiliar footprints, fingerprints, and other traces collected at the scene, while the forensic expert reported the results of the autopsy, including the cause of death, the torture suffered before death, and signs of sexual assault.

After listening to the report, Qin Chuan pondered for a moment and began to make arrangements. "Based on the information we have so far, there are two possible motives for this case. On the one hand, the theft of valuables at the scene, including the woman's jewelry, suggests a possible murder for financial gain; on the other hand, the female victim suffered severe torture and assault, so the possibility of lust cannot be ruled out. Therefore, our investigation will focus on these two directions."

He looked at the head of the task force responsible for investigating interpersonal relationships and said, "The investigation into the interpersonal relationships of the female victim, Song Juanjuan, needs to be further deepened. This includes not only her relatives and neighbors, but also everyone she met while working. We must carefully investigate everyone who had contact with her to see if there were any emotional entanglements, financial disputes, or other potential conflicts."

Next, Qin Chuan turned to the task force responsible for tracking down the minivan: "That minivan is currently a crucial lead for us. Although surveillance conditions are limited, we've already obtained some clues by questioning the public. Continue to intensify our efforts and expand the scope of our inquiries, not just to the surrounding villages, but also to search further along the main roads. At the same time, contact the transportation department to see if we can find the minivan's trail in traffic surveillance footage from a greater distance. In addition, analyze the characteristics of the people who got out of the car as described by the old man, and combine this with information such as the suspect's height and weight deduced from the footprints at the scene to create a suspect sketch for subsequent investigations."

The officer in charge of technical analysis suggested, "Chief Qin, we can conduct a more in-depth analysis of the footprints and fingerprints collected at the scene. For example, we can determine the suspect's walking habits by examining the wear and tear on the footprints, and infer the suspect's occupation from the detailed features of the fingerprints. This may provide more evidence for the investigation."

Qin Chuan nodded in agreement: "Very good, we'll do it your way. The technical department should work closely with the action team and provide timely feedback on the technical analysis results to the action team, providing strong support for their investigation work."

The meeting lasted for several hours, during which everyone discussed in depth every clue and every possibility in the case. At the end of the meeting, Qin Chuan summarized: "Comrades, this case is heinous, and we bear the heavy responsibility of seeking justice for the deceased. Although there are many difficulties at present, as long as we work together and do not overlook any detail, we will definitely be able to uncover the truth behind the case."

The officers in the task force, filled with anticipation, threw themselves wholeheartedly into re-examining all the clues. Xiao Zhang, responsible for DNA collection and comparison, stared intently at the scrolling data on the computer screen, his brow furrowed, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His colleague, Xiao Wang, tried to comfort him: "Xiao Zhang, don't be too anxious. There's so much data; we have to compare it slowly. Maybe we'll find something next." Xiao Zhang nodded slightly, but the anxiety in his eyes didn't lessen at all: "I know. It's been three days. I haven't dared to blink, just hoping to find a matching DNA, but so far, there's not a single clue."

At the temporary collection point set up by the Lijiacun Village Committee, villagers lined up to cooperate with the police in collecting DNA information. Officer Li, in charge of registration, patiently guided each villager: "Grandpa, don't be nervous. Just use this cotton swab to gently wipe your mouth a few times. This is to catch the murderer as soon as possible and bring justice to the young couple in the village." Most villagers looked solemn and cooperated silently. An elderly woman whispered, "Such a big thing happened in this village. We all hope the police can solve the case quickly. These two children are so pitiful."

However, three days passed, and the DNA comparison results were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's hopes. Old Chen, the technical backbone in charge of the comparison work, walked wearily into Li Ming's office. Seeing Old Chen's expression, Li Ming's heart sank, and he hurriedly asked, "Old Chen, how did it go? Any results?" Old Chen shook his head helplessly: "Team Leader Li, Xiao Zhang and I compared everyone's DNA in the village with the DNA of the suspect extracted from the deceased Song Juan's body, and there wasn't a single match. It's like... the murderer isn't even within our investigation scope." Li Ming stood up and paced back and forth in the office, his brows furrowed deeply: "How could this be? Could we be going in the wrong direction? No, we need to carefully check the comparison process again, see if there's any oversight."

Meanwhile, the team responsible for fingerprint and footprint collection and comparison also reached a stalemate. Xiao Zhao and his partners, in the sweltering archives, repeatedly compared fingerprint and footprint samples. Xiao Zhao rubbed his sore eyes and said to his partner, "How many times have we done this? Why can't we find a match? My eyes feel blurry." His partner sighed, "There's no other way. This is the most important clue we have right now. We can't let go of even the slightest hope."

After collecting and comparing fingerprints and footprints from everyone in the village, the results were equally disheartening. Upon receiving the report, Li Ming felt increasingly pressured. He convened another emergency meeting with all the action team leaders. The atmosphere at the meeting was oppressive. After the team leader in charge of fingerprint and footprint comparison finished reporting, the meeting room fell silent. After a long while, Li Ming spoke: “Comrades, the case is now at a standstill, but we cannot give up. Think about it, is there anything we've overlooked during the investigation?”