lcionline Chapter 1167 Searching for the Time and Cause of Death
Chapter 1167 Searching for the Time and Cause of Death
There were obvious hemorrhages in the lower lobe of the left lung and the middle lobe of the right lung, appearing as scattered dots, like a handful of red millet. "Tardieu spots, typical lung changes in asphyxiation death," he said, cutting open the lung tissue. The cut surface was dark red, and no large amount of foamy fluid was expelled when squeezed. "However, there was no severe pulmonary edema, indicating that the asphyxiation process may have been relatively brief, or there may have been other fatal factors." There were also a few hemorrhages under the epicardium on the surface of the heart. The muscle tissue of the left ventricular wall was normal in color, and no pathological changes of myocardial infarction were observed.
The examination of the stomach contents provided supporting evidence for the time of death. Zhang Lin opened the stomach cavity, which contained approximately 200ml of semi-digested food, including rice grains, vegetable fibers, and minced meat. The degree of digestion indicated that the last meal was 4-6 hours before death. "The food residue had no special odor, and the pH was 3.8, consistent with a normal gastric acid environment," he said, extracting a sample with a pipette. "No common toxic substances were detected, but a detailed toxicological analysis is needed." A small amount of chyme was found in the duodenum, indicating that digestion was proceeding normally. Combined with rectal temperature, the last meal was estimated to have occurred around 8 PM on May 20th.
As the scalpel made its way to the head, Zhang Lin noticed the skull injury. There was a 3x4cm subcutaneous hematoma on the right side of the top of the head, with a linear fracture of the outer table of the skull, but without penetrating the inner table. "This is a non-fatal injury caused by a blunt force trauma," he measured the direction of the fracture line. "The impact was perpendicular to the skull surface, and the object must have been a flat blunt object, such as a brick or stone." The skin at the hematoma site had contusions but no lacerations, indicating that the impact was not too severe, likely an auxiliary injury that occurred during the asphyxiation process.
“Teacher Zhang, look at the deceased’s left wrist,” Xiao Lin suddenly pointed to the corpse’s left hand, where there was a faint ligature mark on the wrist bone. “It looks like it was bound by something, but the mark is very light, and there was no sign of life.” Zhang Lin examined the ligature mark with a probe; the skin surface was smooth and there was no bleeding. “This was formed after death, probably left by the suspect when moving the body.” He noticed that the deceased’s fingernails were filled with dirt and a small amount of fiber. “Extract these trace substances, especially the fiber sample, and compare them with the black fibers found at the scene.”
While extracting material from under the fingernails, Zhang Lin discovered that the nail of his right index finger was broken, with an irregular end and fresh bleeding at the edges. "This is a pre-mortem injury," he judged, "possibly caused during a struggle with the suspect. The skin tissue under the fingernails needs to be tested for DNA; perhaps we can find the suspect's biological information." Xiao Lin added from the side, "Considering the iron chain found at the scene, could it be that the deceased resisted after being bound, causing the nail to break?"
As the autopsy neared its end, Zhang Lin carefully examined the body's clothing. The left breast pocket of the gray jacket showed signs of tearing, with irregular edges, suggesting it had been violently ripped. "The items in the pocket may have been stolen," he speculated, "or torn during a struggle." A preliminary comparison of the jacket's lining fibers with black polyester fibers found at the scene further supported the inference that the suspect had physical contact with the deceased.
While reviewing the autopsy results, Zhang Lin and Xiao Lin discussed the case. "Based on all the autopsy findings, the cause of death is likely mechanical asphyxiation, specifically strangulation," Zhang Lin summarized. "The time of death was between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM on May 21st. The victim had eaten dinner 4-6 hours before death. There were non-fatal blunt force traumas to the head, and signs of struggle on the hands, suggesting a possible fight before death." Xiao Lin asked疑惑地问道, "Then why were there signs of grave digging at the scene? Why would the suspect hide the body in a grave?"
“It could be to cover up a crime,” Zhang Lin analyzed. “It could also be related to the word ‘debt’ on the tombstone, suggesting a possible revenge killing. The skin tissue and fibers under the victim’s fingernails are key clues; if they can be matched with the suspect, their identity can be directly confirmed.” He pointed to the blunt force trauma to the skull. “This injury suggests that the suspect may have first struck the victim with a blunt object to render him unable to resist, and then strangled him. The whole process may have been relatively brief, so the signs of asphyxiation are not particularly typical.”
When the body was placed in the refrigerated cabinet, Zhang Lin's preliminary autopsy report was completed: "The deceased died from mechanical asphyxiation caused by being struck on the head with a blunt object and then strangled. The time of death was between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM on May 21st. There was a struggle before death, and the body was moved to a grave in Dongshan Cemetery after death." Xiao Lin sorted through the collected samples, including blood, stomach contents, nail crevices, and fiber samples, all of which would be sent to the laboratory for further testing.
The smell of disinfectant in the autopsy room gradually overpowered the stench of decay. Zhang Lin removed his gloves, the coolness lingering on his fingertips. The life hidden in the grave was slowly revealing the truth of death under the scalpel—a violent struggle, a cruel suffocation, and finally, hastily buried in the cold earth. His identity, and the suspect's motive, remain like the mist shrouding Dongshan Cemetery, awaiting further evidence to uncover.
While Zhang Lin was performing the autopsy, the process of confirming the identity of the deceased was also underway.
The fluorescent lights in the Criminal Investigation Detachment's information analysis room emitted a low buzzing sound at one o'clock in the morning, like a tireless mosquito. Xiao Zhou and his team were checking information in the missing persons database.
The missing persons information on the screen was like an endless river, with names, ages, and characteristics floating in blue light. The 1,073 records had been filtered down to the 756th, and the sound of the mouse wheel clicking made one's temples throb.
"Boss, can't this crappy system be upgraded?" Trainee officer Xiao Zhou rubbed his red eyes, his knuckles circling his temples, the blue light from the screen casting deep shadows on his face. "Searching for 'male, 30-40 years old, around 172cm tall' brings up over 800 results, but the photos are so blurry they look like mosaics. How are we supposed to compare them?" He slammed the mouse down on the "exclude" button, the confirmation box that popped up looked like a mocking smiley face. "This 'Wang Jianjun,' has a scar on his left cheek, but the deceased's face was smooth, so we have to exclude him too."
Xiao Zhou's fingertips hovered over the keyboard, the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, the top one still emitting wisps of smoke. "Check the database again," his voice was hoarse with a mixture of coffee and nicotine, "Forensic report: Male, height 172±2cm, age 35-40, broken right index fingernail, tear in left breast pocket, recently engaged in manual labor (calluses on palms)." These keywords flashed white in the search box at the top of the screen, like an unsolvable code, trapping him in this quagmire of data.