kvmb Chapter 1366 An Unseen Cause of Death
Chapter 1366 An Unseen Cause of Death
“Yes, the subcutaneous hemorrhage in the neck and the signs of struggle both prove it was homicide.” Zhang Lin turned to the second part of the autopsy report. “This is a pathological slide photograph of the subcutaneous hemorrhage in the neck, which clearly shows evidence of ante-mortem bleeding under the microscope; this is the result of the cardiac blood diatom test, which matches perfectly with the diatoms in the water at the scene, confirming that the deceased fell into the water while still alive. If the body had been disposed of after death, diatoms would not have entered the bloodstream. This is a key indicator for distinguishing between falling into the water before death and being disposed of after death.”
"What was the time of death? That's crucial for narrowing down the investigation," Li Ming asked.
"Based on a comprehensive analysis of multiple indicators, the time of death is estimated to be between 10 PM on July 10th and 1 AM on July 11th, with the most likely time being around 11 PM," Zhang Lin explained in detail the reasoning behind the deduction. "First, the degree of digestion of the stomach contents: the deceased's stomach contained partially digested rice, vegetables, and meat, with a 50% emptying rate. Considering the types of food, the last meal was estimated to have occurred 4-6 hours before death. Farmer Liu Changgen confirmed that the deceased ate dinner at his house around 8 PM on July 10th, which fits this timeframe perfectly. Second, rigor mortis and livor mortis: rigor mortis extended throughout the body, reaching intensity level 3. The livor mortis was pale purplish-red, and did not completely fade upon pressure, consistent with characteristics of 6-12 hours after death. Third, temperature correction: the rectal temperature was 30.2°C, combined with the water temperature at the scene (26°C), resulting in a corrected time of death of 8-10 hours. We discovered the body at 5 AM on July 12th, which, working backwards, falls exactly within this timeframe."
Li Ming immediately compared the clue map and marked the time period from 10 pm to 11 pm on July 10: "The deceased left Liu Changgen's house at 9:30 pm on July 10 to go to the abandoned dock to collect a debt. The time of death was around 11 pm, which means that he encountered the murderer on his way to the abandoned dock or shortly after arriving. Zhao Yonghong said that he was fishing in the fishpond at the time and had an alibi. So the murderer can only be the third person that the deceased was looking for, or a stranger who just happened to be there."
"There's another important discovery." Zhang Lin turned to the physical evidence section of the autopsy report. "The fiber sample extracted from the nail fold of the deceased's right index finger, besides matching the black fibers found on the reeds at the scene, also detected a small amount of dark blue paint particles. This is the same composition as the paint particles previously found in the foreign objects under the deceased's fingernails by the technical department. This paint is industrial alkyd enamel, commonly used on the surfaces of motorcycles, agricultural machinery, and other machinery. Its dark blue color is quite distinctive."
“Dark blue paint?” Li Ming’s eyes lit up. “Zhao Yonghong mentioned that he saw a red motorcycle drive by near the reeds around 9 p.m. on July 10. The rider was wearing a helmet. Could it be paint from the motorcycle? The murderer might be the person riding the red motorcycle. During the struggle with the victim, the paint from the motorcycle got into the victim’s fingernails.”
“Very likely.” Zhang Lin nodded. “This alkyd enamel has strong adhesion, and once it gets into the nail crevices, it’s very difficult to wash off with water. Moreover, we also detected a small amount of metal powder on the abrasions on the deceased’s left palm. The powder is an alloy of iron and zinc, which may have been produced by wear and tear on parts from the motorcycle. This suggests that the deceased may have had contact with the motorcycle before his death, or that the murderer was carrying metal tools related to the motorcycle.”
Li Ming immediately picked up the phone and dialed Li Rui's number: "Li Rui, immediately adjust the direction of the investigation, focusing on finding red motorcycles that appeared around the abandoned dock of Qingling Lake between 10 pm and 11 pm on July 10, especially those with dark blue paint decorations or those that have recently undergone paint repairs. At the same time, investigate motorcycle repair shops around Qingling Lake, looking for shops that have used dark blue alkyd enamel paint, and collect the fingerprints and footprints of shop owners and repair personnel, comparing them with the physical evidence at the scene."
After hanging up the phone, Li Ming looked at the autopsy report and said to Zhang Lin, "Forensic Doctor Zhang, this autopsy report is crucial. It not only determined the cause and time of death, but also provided new investigative clues. The dark blue paint and the red motorcycle are important breakthroughs in identifying the murderer."
“This is our job,” Zhang Lin said modestly. “In addition, we also detected a small amount of elevated adrenaline in the deceased’s blood sample, which is consistent with the physiological response when someone is violently attacked before death, further confirming that the deceased was attacked while conscious. Also, the deceased’s right knee joint had an old fracture mark, which may be a physical characteristic that could help us investigate his social relationships.”
Li Ming immediately informed Xiao Wang of this situation, instructing him to focus his interrogation of Zhou Jianjun and Wang Lei on Zhang Jianguo's old fracture of the right knee joint, and to find out if anyone else was aware of this characteristic. Meanwhile, the technical department also created color comparison cards based on the dark blue paint sample provided by Zhang Lin, distributing them to various investigation teams for identifying suspicious vehicles.
After Zhang Lin left, Li Ming reviewed the case clues: The deceased, Zhang Jianguo, left Liu Changgen's house at 9:7 PM on July 10th to collect a debt at the abandoned dock. Around 11 PM, he encountered the assailant riding a red motorcycle near the reeds. A struggle ensued, and the assailant used a soft tool to compress the deceased's neck, rendering him unable to resist. He then threw the deceased into the water, causing him to drown. The assailant fled the scene on the red motorcycle, which was decorated with dark blue alkyd enamel paint. The "Zhao Laosan" Zhao Yonghong, whom the deceased was looking for, was fishing at the fishpond at the time and had an alibi, thus eliminating him as a suspect.
"So, who exactly was the deceased looking for?" Li Ming stared at the words "abandoned dock" on the clue map. "He said he was going to collect a debt. Besides Zhao Yonghong, who else owed him money? Or, did he encounter someone else at the abandoned dock, not someone he was looking for?"
At this moment, Li Rui brought new information from the investigation: "Team Leader Li, there are three motorcycle repair shops around Qingling Lake. One of them, called 'Xiao Li Motorcycle Repair,' recently used dark blue alkyd enamel paint. The shop owner, Li Jianguo, said that on the afternoon of July 10, he did a paint job on a red motorcycle. The motorcycle's mudguard was damaged, and it was painted with dark blue paint."
“A red motorcycle, dark blue paint, and the timing is perfect!” Li Ming stood up excitedly. “Immediately identify the owner of this red motorcycle, retrieve the repair shop’s surveillance footage, and find out the owner’s identity and whereabouts. At the same time, collect the fingerprints and footprints of the shop owner, Li Jianguo, and compare them with the whorl-shaped fingerprints and 41-yard footprints found at the scene.”
The autopsy report provided new clues, giving the stalled case a new direction. Forensic pathologist Zhang Lin's precise examination not only reconstructed the victim's death but also acted as a key, unlocking the door to the truth.