Criminal Investigation Notes Chapter 98

The body retrieved from the abandoned oil drum was that of a young male.

The clothing on the body was intact, just a regular t-shirt and a pair of black pants. The shoes had been removed, leaving the feet bare.

Su Hui couldnt clearly see the body and squinted, wearing a mask as she leaned in to take a closer look.

The flesh on the face seed to have been excavated from the inside. The eyeballs were sunken, and the cheeks were concave. The skin had taken on a strange, burnt yellow color. The facial soft tissues had beco a thin layer, as if a piece of skin was glued onto the skull.

After soaking for a while, the body had beco extrely soft. The joints seed to have slipped out of their sockets, and the flesh and blood had undergone changes, resembling a soft pool of butter.

A forensic examiner lifted a corner of the clothing, allowing Su Hui to see that the area below the sternum was deeply sunken, with the anterior abdominal wall almost touching the spine, resembling a boat.

In dical and forensic terms, this is known as a boat-shaped depression.

Multiple knife wounds could be seen under the ribs of the body. The wounds were densely packed, possibly more than a dozen, and maybe even more upon closer inspection.

Su Hui squatted down, observing the knife wounds. Many of the cuts were close together, indicating the perpetrators frenzy and aggression.

Lu Junchi raised his head and asked the junior forensic examiner, Can the ti of death be determined based on the degree of decomposition?

In cases involving multiple corpses like this, determining the ti of death would help clarify the situation.

The junior examiner, seemingly inexperienced, stuttered, The body has been soaked in oil, so the usual thods for estimating ti are not applicable. You should wait for Senior Jing. She should know.

Just then, Xing Jing walked in from outside and asked, Is everything recovered here as well?

She calmly glanced at the body on the ground, extending her gloved hand to press against the skin and abdon of the corpse. So gasoline seeped out from the knife wounds. It appeared that the gasoline had perated the body from the inside out.

After assessing for a while, she said, This one was killed earlier, soaked for approximately two months. The other body is more recent, around a month or so. Therefore, based on the ti of discovery and the ti of death, the corpse before you is Victim Number One.

The junior examiner took a few photos of the body and asked, The severe indentation in the abdon, is it caused by a wound or were the internal organs removed by the killer?

Xing Jing replied, Its hard to say. Oil can cause shrinkage of the organs. His lungs may have shrunk to the size of a palm, and the heart would have significantly reduced in size as well.

The junior examiner suddenly realized, Oil can cause such extensive damage to a body.

Xing Jing nodded, Oil, water, and other fluids have different properties. Its rare to encounter a body soaked in oil, and its not even ntioned in textbooks. Ive only co across one before. The most vivid mory I have is of the brain tissue. The oil turns it into a slurry-like substance. However, the oil imrsion does have so advantages for us forensic examiners. It preserves the contents of the stomach very well. Even after a long ti, they wont spoil. It can serve as a reference for forensic analysis.

The master and disciple were discussing without a care in the world, but the forensic examiner standing nearby turned pale and kept retching.

Lu Junchi glanced at Su Hui, who appeared indifferent. They had almost finished examining this scene, so Lu Junchi suggested, Shall we go and see the other side?

Su Hui nodded in agreent.

The other scene was about a hundred ters away, an abandoned livestock farm. Upon entering, a strong sll of animal feces perated the air. There was a larger oil drum present, and there were so oil stains on the ground.

A slightly overweight male body was retrieved, with half a barrel of oil placed nearby, its contents already murky.

In comparison, this second body appeared more plump than the other one, with two wounds on the chest.

What kind of oil is this? Lu Junchi asked. There was a slight sll of gasoline in the air, but it wasnt overpowering.

The forensic examiner replied, It should be a mixture of cooking oil and gasoline.

Su Hui observed the body for a while and suddenly asked the forensic examiner who was taking photos beside her, What was the condition of the body when it was found?

The examiner quickly retrieved a photo and showed it to her. It was different from the previous body. This one had been stuffed into the oil drum, and you could see so floating hair on the surface of the oil. Vaguely, you could also make out the raised feet.

Zheng Bai squatted nearby and asked, In this case, are we looking for a serial killer targeting adult males?

Qiao Ze, using his knowledge, tried to analyze, saying, Serial killers have certain criteria when selecting victims. Most of them target won, a small percentage target children, and so target the elderly. Its rare to find a serial killer specifically targeting males, but it does happen. Many of them hunting males are related to their sexual preferences

For those killers, thin and weak victims satisfy their desire for dominance, while strong victims, especially adult males, bring about many variables and dangers during the killing process.

Su Hui coughed a few tis but remained silent.

Lu Junchi looked at the scene and raised his head, saying, The murder weapons in these two cases are similar, the body preservation thods are alike, but the person dumping the bodies may be different.

Qiao Ze, holding his notebook, looked a bit puzzled. Being a diligent and inquisitive student, he raised his face and asked, Captain Lu, what is your basis for this judgnt?

The two cri scenes, less than a hundred ters apart, contained the bodies of two males soaked in oil. The wounds were also caused by knives. From any angle, it seed more likely that there was a common perpetrator for the body disposal.

Pay attention to the oil stains on the ground here. Lu Junchi squinted his narrow eyes, pointing to the ssy oil stains on the ground. So oil drops, likely caused by the forensic teams handling, were still wet, easily distinguishable from the older oil marks.

The older oil marks form a relatively even circle, not scattered splatters from pouring oil inward. Its highly likely that the oil splashes ca from putting the body into the drum, Lu Junchi continued, pointing at the traces on the edge of the drum.

The first body was near a clean oil drum, with only a few oil drops. However, this drum is ssy with many oil stains. I suspect that the first drum had the body placed inside, and to prevent decomposition and the resulting odor, gasoline was poured in. In the second instance, the perpetrator poured in half a drum of oil first and then threw the body in, Lu Junchi explained.

Zheng Bai was puzzled, asking, Why pour the oil first and then put the body in?

We werent at the scene, so its difficult to determine. It could be that the perpetrator was flustered and made a mistake in the process, or perhaps the oil drum and oil were already there, and the killer simply utilized them for disposal, Lu Junchi replied.

All the evidence indicated that the second body disposal was much more hurried than the first.

Su Hui coughed a few tis and gave Lu Junchi an approving look. Then he whispered, Let add one more point. Both bodies are quite tall, especially the second one. Excluding the damage caused by oil dissolution, the deceased should have weighed between 150 to 200 kilograms during his lifeti. Even for an adult man, it would be extrely difficult to move such a weight. The height of the oil drum is around 1.3 ters, with a diater of about the sa. Although it appears large, it is still relatively small compared to the body. The body is unlikely to rotate inside it. The first body was placed headfirst, which is relatively simple and logical. However, the second body was placed in a V shape, which is much more challenging.

In a normal body placent, either the head is curled downward, or the feet are curled downward. Placing the buttocks downward is quite eerie.

Moreover, this thod of placent is more difficult than the first ti and indicates a lack of experience during the second action.

Qiao Ze took note of this and raised his head to ask, So, how was the body put in?

Zheng Bai lowered his head and pondered for a mont, then said, Either it was a piggyback position or

He got stuck at that point, unable to think of any other possibilities.

After contemplating for a mont, Zheng Bai turned to Qiao Ze and said, Lets try it out. Well know for sure. Without waiting for Qiao Ze to react, he picked him up.

Qiao Ze was suddenly lifted, and he let out a startled cry, quickly grabbing onto Zheng Bais clothes, fearing being thrown.

With a mischievous grin, Zheng Bai looked down at him and said, What are you afraid of? Im just demonstrating. I wont actually throw you into the oil drum.

After speaking, he playfully jiggled him and walked to a spot close to the oil drum.

Qiao Ze held on tightly and gritted his teeth, saying, If you dare to drop , all the records will be yours!

Although he said that, he still cooperated, trying to assu the position the body was found in the drum. He even gave instructions, Hey, youre not using the right amount of force. The body isnt sitting; its more like a V shape!

Zheng Bai said, If you keep moving around, you might actually fall.

The more they talked, the more difficult it beca to assu the position. In a short period of ti, Zheng Bai was already sweating profusely.

With his nearly 1.9-ter tall muscular fra and Qiao Zes slight build at just over 1.7 ters, the height and weight difference between them made it challenging to put Qiao Ze into the drum in that position.

Not to ntion that it would be difficult even with a living person cooperating, let alone a dead body that is much heavier.

Lu Junchi realized that this approach wouldnt work. The second body appears to be a chubby person close to 1.8 ters tall. Hes definitely heavier than Qiao Ze. Your attempt just now demonstrates that the piggyback position is also not feasible.

Zheng Bai asked, Could it be that the person was put into the drum when it was already tilted?

But there was oil in the drum! Qiao Ze pinched him. Did you forget about the splatter marks on the ground?

Su Hui, watching their actions, suddenly rembered sothing and spoke up, Unless it was carried by two people.

The position, with the deceaseds hands hanging down, looked as if they were supported by two peopleone carrying under the armpits, and the other carrying the feetand then placed into the drum.

His words brought clarity to everyone.

Lu Junchi carefully observed the splatter marks beside the oil drum and concluded, The positions where there are fewer splatter marks are precisely where the head and feet of the original body were placed. This indicates that the bodies of the two individuals who disposed of it blocked so of the splattered oil.

The ground of this livestock farm is made of loose soil. When they tried to extract footprints as physical evidence, they couldnt find any complete ones. However, the oil stains exposed the number of people involved in disposing of the bodies and their positions.

Lu Junchi looked and added, One of the persons feet is a bit small possibly a female.

The two distinct blank areas were noticeably different. One area was much smaller than the other and located in the direction of the feet.

Qiao Ze asked, Could it be an underage person?

Lu Junchi carefully examined the oil traces and said, The shoes appear to have pointed toes, sowhat resembling small high heels. It doesnt seem like it belongs to an underage person.

The person who disposed of the bodies must have had knowledge of the killers actions, and the number of individuals involved in the case seed to be increasing

Only then did Zheng Bai release his grip on Qiao Ze. So, its a serial killer, but multiple people involved in body disposal? Like parents helping out?

There are many other possibilities The odor inside was unbearable, and the sll of gasoline was clouding their minds. Su Hui coughed repeatedly.

The group analyzed the traces left at the body disposal scene, and it seed that the complexity of the case was deepening.

Lu Junchi said, Lets wait for the forensic analysis and the results from the coroner. We need to compare them with the missing persons records to determine the identities of these two victims.

He checked the ti and instructed his subordinates, You two go nearby and gather information for now.

After leaving the scene where the bodies were dumped, Su Hui finally felt a sense of relief in his breathing. Apart from collecting physical evidence and having the bodies taken away for autopsy, the detectives also needed to conduct interviews with the locals.

Zheng Bai and Qiao Ze ford a team and went off together, while Lu Junchi found a police assistant to accompany him and asked so questions to the person who initially discovered the bodies.

Su Hui watched the forensic team busy for a while, then sat down to rest.

This area was neither a village nor a town, neither demolished nor sold, and had very few residents nearby.

It was already past eleven oclock when the weather began to warm up slightly. Su Hui was lost in thought when suddenly a bottle of mineral water appeared in front of him.

He looked up and saw Lu Junchi looking at him.

Su Hui accepted the water and realized it was still warm. Curiously, he asked, Where did you buy this? Its still warm.

Lu Junchi sat beside him and said, I brought it myself. When I locked the car, I placed two bottles on the back seat and let them warm up in the sun for a while. Theyre just the right temperature to drink now.

Lu Junchi thought that carrying a thermos was inconvenient. They often went to cri scenes, and there was always a box of mineral water in the car. In the spring and sumr, the temperature inside the car could reach fifty degrees, and in winter, they would leave it in the engine compartnt for a while. Food-grade plastic could withstand temperatures up to seventy degrees without getting damaged.

He didnt think being a detective ant enduring wind, sun, and rain. Lu Junchi had been used to taking care of his younger brother since childhood, and even after starting work, he continued to take care of his colleagues.

Su Hui had always thought that being a detective was a tough job, especially in the Major Cris Division where the pressure was high and the pace was fast. However, Lu Junchi always seed to possess a certain ability to organize everything systematically and flawlessly. He never allowed himself to be overwheld or burdened, and he took care of those around him with ticulous attention to detail.

As Su Hui drank the water and pondered, he realized that Lu Junchis care didnt create any sense of burden for others.

Since Lu Junchi moved in, Su Hui noticed that his ho had beco clean, orderly, warm, and had a sense of harmony. als were diverse and creative.

Sotis, with just a frown, Lu Junchi would know what Su Hui wanted or what he wanted to do. He would remind him to wake up early or to bring an umbrella.

His office was always stocked with various items, such as dicine, stationery, and tools, neatly arranged like a treasure chest.

It was hard not to like soone like him, whether as a friend or a colleague. Even the two cats at ho loved him and would expose their bellies for him to pet.

Su Hui was almost defenseless against his tenderness.

When he was with Lu Junchi, he sotis forgot that this person was a little younger than him.

He couldnt describe whether the assignnt given to him by Director Tan was that of a bodyguard or a nanny.

Not to ntion that Lu Junchi was also handso, reliable, and could provide a sense of security

Lost in his thoughts, Su Hui felt his face growing warm.

He pressed the water bottle against his cheek, trying to cool down, but then realized that the water was warm, making his cheeks even hotter.

In the anti, Qiao Ze and Zheng Bai had returned, their heads sweaty from the heat.

Lu Junchi threw two bottles of water to them, and they caught them, taking a few sips before speaking.

Zheng Bai said, We found the source of the oil drum. Theres a small abandoned private gas station nearby that has been out of operation for a long ti. There are so empty oil drums there, and the bottom of one of them had so gasoline. The forensic examiner said that the oil used to soak the bodies is a mixture of gasoline and cooking oil, which the culprit may have purchased and brought here.

Lu Junchi pondered for a mont and said, When you ask the nearby shop owners, check if there are any abnormal purchase records. Is there any other useful information?

Zheng Bai added, One of the nearby residents ntioned that about a month ago, they saw a car parked in the vacant lot one evening.

A month ago, that might be the ti when the second body was dumped.

Can they rember the exact ti? Lu Junchi asked.

They only rember it was a Friday. I think we can narrow down the ti further by combining it with the forensic report.

Just as they were discussing this, the forensic investigator, He Wei, ran over with an excited expression on his face. Captain Lu, we found several clear fingerprints on the first drum!

Upon hearing this news, everyones spirits were uplifted. With fingerprints, it ant they were one step closer to finding the killer.