Diary of a Criminal Investigator

Chapter 568: Re-examining the Corpse

"Chuanmin, have you investigated the victim’s bank cards?""We found three bank cards in the victim’s bedroom dressing table and checked all of them; there was no evidence of any withdrawals before or after the incident."

"Three bank cards?"

"Are you sure there are only these three?"

Hmm...

Wang Chuanmin’s slightly startled expression made Li Donglin realize that the other party definitely did not check if the victim had other bank cards, they just found these three and checked them.

"In that case, could the Criminal Investigation Team in Tianzhou City work a bit harder to check all the victim’s bank account records at the bank?"

Wang Chuanmin nodded, "I’ll make the arrangements right away."

Honestly, Wang Chuanmin also realized that there was some oversight on his part.

Finding three bank cards inside the dressing table, he naturally assumed there were only these three.

But as Li Donglin pointed out, are there really only three cards just because we found three?

Moreover, fugitives are rarely financially well-off.

Wang Chuanmin had previously apprehended many fugitives, and his experience suggested that most fugitives committed crimes because of money.

Although currently, the family massacre might not have been driven by financial gain. After all, considering the victim’s status and economic strength, it seems unlikely they would use such violent means if they were purely after money.

If it were about money, the suspects could have chosen a more cost-effective target without necessarily resorting to murder.

After all, compared to theft or robbery, the police allocate different resources when dealing with murder cases.

Anyone with common sense would avoid such methods.

But if they made some money during the murder...it wouldn’t matter much.

After all, their primary goal is murder.

"Next, I’ll lay out the work plan for the next phase."

Li Donglin listened to the report from the Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team, and after considering the Special Case Group’s deductions and Lu Chuan’s crime scene analysis, decided on the next steps in the investigation.

"Firstly, Song Mingguang will be responsible for collating information on recent fugitives within the province."

"The Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team will assist by conducting further surveys of surveillance near the victim’s home."

"Exclude suspects based on the body characteristics of the three perpetrators just mentioned by Lu Chuan."

"Yes!"

Li Donglin then turned to Wang Song.

"Wang Song, you are responsible for coordinating with the Qinzhou City Public Security Bureau and retrieving the files of the 116 case."

"Also, all the evidence from back then needs to be reviewed again."

"If necessary, make another trip to Qinzhou City."

That case...

Li Donglin was very familiar with it and remembered it vividly. Although three years had passed, the crime scene was still cordoned off.

According to Li Donglin, not only was the room in the girls’ dormitory building sealed, but the entire floor, even to this day, had no students willing to stay there.

"Lu Chuan, coordinate with Wang Song. If necessary...visit the 116 case crime scene."

Both nodded in agreement.

This was also what Lu Chuan had in mind.

If one of the suspects in the family massacre was the same as the 116 case, then reopening the investigation of the 116 case was absolutely necessary.

Besides, although the Special Case Group back then found no clues at the 116 scene, it does not mean Lu Chuan won’t find anything.

After all, even at the family massacre scene, the Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team didn’t find the clues that Lu Chuan did.

Going there might confirm something between the two crime scenes and potentially uncover more information.

After Li Donglin gave the orders, everyone began their tasks, though the truth was the investigation still had no clear direction.

Everything had to start over.

Additionally, a cloud of uncertainty loomed over all the investigators. While no one mentioned it, there was a suspicion that since the suspect was a fugitive, after committing the murder half a month ago, would they still be in Tianzhou City?

If they had left Tianzhou City, where did they go?

So even if they identified the suspect, capturing them would certainly pose significant challenges.

But this wasn’t something to ponder now.

The priority is solving the case and identifying the suspect; capturing them, how to do it, and when can be planned later.

Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team Trace Examination Office.

The Crime Scene Investigation and Trace Examination sections at the Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team were separate but worked collaboratively.

The Trace Examination Office director Zhao Zhigao personally escorted Lu Chuan to the evidence room, retrieving evidence related to the family massacre.

Zhao Zhigao sighed.

"Although the murderer stayed at the scene for quite some time, they were very cautious and meticulous, and we couldn’t retrieve any hair."

This was exactly what Lu Chuan feared.

"Did you find any of the victim’s hair?"

"No."

"Not entirely nothing; we found the victims’ hair in the bedroom."

"But the suspect operated only in the living room and kitchen, not the bedroom."

Certainly, Zhao Zhigao’s statement wasn’t entirely accurate.

Because if Li Donglin’s earlier suspicion was correct, the three suspects might have taken other bank cards after the murder, meaning they did enter the bedroom, but likely very briefly, leaving little trace.

"The suspects cleaned the scene, no hair found in the living room or kitchen."

Lu Chuan shook his head. If it was cleaned, why were so many footprints left?

Moments later, Lu Chuan discovered that except for footprints, there was practically nothing else among the so-called evidence cited by Zhao Zhigao.

"Let me see the autopsy report."

"Sure, just a moment."

Ten minutes later, Lu Chuan received the autopsy report.

His focus was particularly on the autopsy report of the female victim.

However, some details he wanted to see were not recorded in the report, or they were not detailed enough.

"Where’s the body?"

"In the forensic team’s freezer."

The Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team’s facilities were quite advanced, with a dedicated freezer for corpses.

Unlike some cities, which, lacking specialized facilities, have to store them at funeral homes.

"Take me to see, Sun Jian is there, right?"

"Old Sun is around, I’ll call him."

Lu Chuan was quite familiar with the Tianzhou City Criminal Investigation Team personnel, having interacted with Sun Jian, their forensic doctor, multiple times.

The bone case from a year ago still wasn’t fully resolved.

A suspect was just arrested last week.

Ten minutes later, Lu Chuan finally saw the body.

"Old Sun, does the female victim have severe lacerations in the lower body?"

Sun Jian nodded, "The victim was assaulted very violently."

"From a forensic perspective, the perpetrator intentionally used such violent methods."

"No bodily fluids in the body?"

"The perpetrator was very cautious, using protection."

"No body hair at contact points either?"

"None, we conducted a thorough inspection and found nothing."

Lu Chuan asked some basic questions and then conducted a personal surface examination of the body.

He aimed to confirm something.