Chapter 402 Experimental Data

Otherwise, given the relationship between Zhou Yi and Lu Xiaoshuang, and Zhou Yi's identity as a police officer, he would have to be taken to the interrogation room for a thorough interrogation.

It would be impossible to stop without thoroughly investigating Zhou Yi's every move during his non-working hours.

After such an investigation, although Zhou Yi knew that he was innocent, the task force probably had no chance of succeeding.

To some extent, Zhou Yi's business trip was a way to avoid suspicion.

Then, there are the conditions for committing the crime.

Based on the body parts that have been found, it can be confirmed that Xu Liu was not only dismembered and sliced, but also fried at high temperature.

This complex method of handling corpses requires three conditions: time, scene, and physical strength.

During the first analysis meeting of the 430 case, Zhou Yi asked Song Yiming to conduct an experiment to simulate the murderer's process of slicing, dismembering and frying the body.

After repeated experiments, Song Yiming finally came up with a reference data table.

The reason for repeated experiments is not only to simulate the human body structure and the degree of dismemberment in this case, but also to test the time required to fry meat in oil pans of different sizes.

Song Yiming was absolutely serious about this matter, which resulted in the city bureau cafeteria being filled with fried meat slices during those days.

The canteen chef looked at the pile of fried meat slices and wondered how to recycle them into dishes.

But after thinking about it, I felt it was difficult to do, so I put it all back into the pot to make lard.

Song Yiming's reference data gave the following opinion: On the premise of having medical or slaughtering experience, it would take at least six to eight hours of high-intensity continuous work to achieve the dismemberment of a body in a major case. The difference depends on the murderer's psychological quality, physical strength and the size of the oil pan.

Given the psychological pressure that human flesh and pork bring to the murderer, the entire dismemberment process will take even longer unless he has experience in committing crimes or has extremely abnormal psychological problems.

Song Yiming's experimental results came out after Lu Xiaoshuang was identified as a suspect. When he submitted the data at the meeting, Xie Guoqiang asked him how long the dismemberment process would take if it was Lu Xiaoshuang.

Song Yiming had never seen Lu Xiaoshuang, but after learning about Lu's height and weight, his answer was: It's impossible. A girl with this physique basically has no possibility of completing such a high-intensity crime.

Zhou Yi later heard from Chen Yan that forensic doctor Song's answer made several leaders feel a little embarrassed.

Because there were only more than eight hours between Lu Xiaoshuang's disappearance and the discovery of the first bag of body parts, the data provided by Song Yiming only included the processing of the body, and did not include the packaging and disposal of the body.

After the issues of time and physical strength are eliminated, what remains is the scene.

This method of committing the crime requires a separate location with at least running water and drainage pipes, as the dismemberment process produces a large amount of blood that needs to be cleaned up. It also needs to be connected to gas, or liquefied petroleum gas, because a long-burning oil pan requires a stable energy source; you can't just use firewood to slowly burn it.

Also, frying meat slices requires a lot of oil.

After extraction and testing, it was confirmed that the oil used for frying the meat slices was rapeseed oil, which is common in daily life.

And according to Song Yiming's calculations, at least fifteen kilograms of oil would be needed.

Hard conditions such as an independent venue and high fuel consumption do not match Lu Xiaoshuang's personal situation.

Of course, the so-called conspiracy to murder can still explain all of this, but it is too forced an explanation and has no supporting evidence.

Based on this oil consumption, the task force sent people to visit and investigate all stores in the city that sell rapeseed oil, and to investigate strangers who purchased more than five kilograms at a time.

The reason why it is five kilograms instead of fifteen kilograms is because we take into account the possibility that the murderer purchased it in batches.

Finally, there’s the murder weapon.

The murder weapon found in the mine was an iron kitchen knife with a cracked wooden handle. The area near the blade and at the end of the handle were reinforced with iron hoops.

However, judging from the degree of rust on the iron hoop and the dirt on the inside, it should have been used for at least five years.

The fact that the cracked handle was reinforced with an iron hoop indicates that the kitchen knife may have a service life far exceeding five years.

This means that this kitchen knife could not be a commodity circulating on the market, but rather one used daily in households or butcher shops.

It would be difficult to find the source.

Unless Lu Xiaoshuang stole the knife, she would have no way of getting it given her situation. So the task force mobilized the grassroots police stations to go door to door asking if anyone had lost a kitchen knife at home and to identify the knife.

Lu Xiaoshuang's fingerprints were found on the handle of the knife, and the position of the fingerprints was consistent with the normal right-hand holding state.

However, based on his many years of experience in front-line technical investigations, Qiu Zhiyong, head of the technical department, raised a major doubt: the fingerprints remaining on the handle were too single in position, not deep enough, and the surface of the remaining fingerprints was unevenly stressed.

Lao Qiu said that in a normal dismemberment, it is impossible for the murderer to hold the murder weapon in his hand from beginning to end, and it is unrealistic in actual operation.

If you put the knife down and pick it up again, it is impossible for the fingerprints of your five fingers to fit exactly where you held the knife.

However, Lu Xiaoshuang's fingerprints found on the murder weapon were in a single location, with no signs of repeated overlap.

Dismembering a corpse requires a lot of strength, so the hand holding the knife will inevitably use a lot of force. The fingerprint marks left on the handle will also be deeper due to the force. In addition, when holding the knife normally and exerting force, the force will be transmitted to the five fingers, so the surface of the remaining fingerprints will also be very uniform.

However, the fingerprints of Lu Xiaoshuang discovered now are not deep, and the force applied to the five fingerprints is uneven, with the middle part obviously deeper and the surrounding parts lighter.

Therefore, Lao Qiu believed that these fingerprints looked more like they were left behind by someone after Lu Xiaoshuang lost consciousness.

The fingerprint marks were unevenly stressed because Lu Xiaoshuang herself was unable to exert force at the time and her fingers were pressed by external force.

After listing these four points one by one, Lu Xiaoshuang's suspicion has been reduced by more than half.

This made Zhou Yi very relieved, because the more doubts there were, the more impossible it would be to form a chain of evidence.

As for Lu Xiaoshuang's condition, Xie Guoqiang said that according to Xiang Jie's report, Lu Xiaoshuang's body has basically recovered, the edema in her throat has disappeared, and she can speak normally.

Xiang Jie will take Lu Xiaoshuang back to Hongcheng today to accept the investigation of the special task force. They are expected to arrive around seven o'clock in the evening.

Upon hearing that Lu Xiaoshuang had recovered, Zhou Yi and the others exchanged glances with joy.

Especially Zhou Yi, after all, Lu Xiaoshuang died so tragically in the previous life.

Now even if the murderer still wants to do something to her, he can't do it. Lu Xiaoshuang is in the hands of the task force, which is equivalent to being protected in disguise.

Zhou Yi raised a question, which was whether Xiang Jie had shown the detention notice to Lu Xiaoshuang.

Liang Wei said no. Although Lu Xiaoshuang had been identified as a suspect, there were still many doubts in the matter, so the arrangements were made cautiously.

"If Lu Xiaoshuang is one of the victims, then we shouldn't put too much psychological pressure on her. If she is the murderer, then we can let her down her guard and then kill her by surprise." These were Liang Wei's original words.

In his previous life, Zhou Yi only looked at the files and didn’t have any intuitive feelings.

After attending this meeting, I felt it particularly clearly. The experts sent by the provincial department to provide support are indeed very comprehensive in their thinking.

The meeting ended near noon, and it would take another six or seven hours for Lu Xiaoshuang to return to Hongcheng.

Zhou Yi cannot sit idle, he has to hurry up and investigate Xiao Bing.

The investigation is naturally conducted in pairs, so Zhou Yi and Chen Yan are responsible for this line. Director Xie's original words were that Chen Yan could help Zhou Yi quickly understand the situation.

After Zhou Yi left the meeting room, he went to find Chen Yan.

It was just lunchtime, and the task force had a special supply of boxed lunches. Chen Yan helped Zhou Yi get one, and the two of them found an empty office to eat and talk about work.

"Zhou Yi, so you still doubt this Xiao Bing?" Chen Yan asked.

"Well, Xiao Bing is the most suspicious of the fact that Lu Xiaoshuang was tricked out of school in my name." Zhou Yi looked up and said, "This lunch box is pretty good."

Chen Yan said mysteriously, "It's said to be a special supply for the Hongda faculty cafeteria, a token of appreciation from the school."

Zhou Yi looked at the lunch boxes, which were of high quality, and thought that in his previous life, the task force had stayed at Hongda for three months. He wondered if the school had also provided such good lunch boxes for three months.

"Zhou Yi, what are you going to do next?"

"How's your investigation into Xiao Bing going?"

Chen Yan sighed and said, "Hey, didn't they lock on Lu Xiaoshuang as the suspect the afternoon after you left? The direction of the investigation was adjusted, and this line was released."

Zhou Yi nodded, it was reasonable to postpone it, after all, the deceased had been replaced.

"But the school has already provided the basic faculty and staff information. I'll give it to you after dinner."

"Okay." If only information was provided, it meant that no investigation had been conducted on the people around Xiao Bing.

"Hey, Brother Yan, where's Director Fang from the Student Affairs Office? Does he still need to follow us while we're looking for someone to investigate?"

"No, after the task force was established, the school's attitude changed. They became very cooperative and no longer so tough."

Zhou Yi was not surprised by this. After the deceased was confirmed to be a Hongda student, Hongda must have been anxious to solve the case. If you don't cooperate with the principal, you will be subject to internal investigation. What are you afraid of?

"Oh, but Director Fang is also one of the school's contacts. We can contact him anytime if we need anything," said Chen Yan.

"Another question. Did you find any acquaintance between Xu Liu and Xiao Bing during the previous investigation into her social relationships?"

Chen Yan thought about it and shook his head. "No, Xu Liu's social relationships with men on campus are the focus of the investigation. I don't remember Xiao Bing being among them. His name is quite recognizable, so I won't be wrong."

Zhou Yi bit his chopsticks. Although Xiao Bing was suspicious in the matter of Lu Xiaoshuang, if Xiao Bing herself had no connection with Xu Liu, how could she be chosen as the target of the crime?

I can't figure it out.

Zhou Yi's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Xiao Bing was 32 years old and still single. He was not sure if he had a girlfriend, and he was the only one at home.

Add to that the psychological trauma of his parents' death when he was a child.

Could this guy be an extreme psychopath who appears to be a gentle person on the surface?

His growth trajectory fits the characteristics of this group.

For some reason, he had a paranoid and secretive extreme feeling towards Lu Xiaoshuang, which led to the murder and dismemberment in his previous life.

In this life, because of the conflict between Xu Liu and Lu Xiaoshuang, he killed and dismembered the body in order to avenge Lu Xiaoshuang.

But how did he know that this incident only happened in the girls’ dormitory?

And if he really had a paranoid and extreme feeling towards Lu Xiaoshuang, shouldn't it be Zhou Yi who should be torn into pieces?