Chapter 305 Identifying the Corpse
Zhou Yi thought that the three investigative directions proposed by Pan Hongjie were all correct.
There is nothing wrong with handling this case this way.
Except slow.
In addition, the weather in Anyuan undoubtedly made this needle-in-a-haystack investigation method even more difficult.
If you want to solve the case quickly, you still need clear clues, otherwise the investigation will easily get bogged down.
Before the widespread use of information technology and surveillance, a large number of old cases remained stagnant.
However, Zhou Yi did not express his opinion throughout the whole process. After all, this was not Hongcheng. He was in his own home and could speak freely even to Director Xie.
When visiting someone's home, guests should keep a low profile unless the host gives any instructions.
After all, it is not at the critical point of the case.
Pan Hongjie, as usual, finished his speech and assigned tasks. Finally, he remembered Zhou Yi and asked, "Zhou Yi, do you have any additional information?"
Seeing Pan Hongjie pointed at him, Zhou Yi stood up immediately.
"It's okay, just sit down and talk, just be casual."
"Okay, thank you, Captain Pan. I think you've done a very good job, and the direction of the investigation is quite clear. Let me elaborate on the current status of our Hongcheng investigation into Li Youqiang and Fu Daqing."
Zhou Yi repeated exactly what Wu Yongcheng had told him last night.
One key piece of information is that when Fu Daqing was doing fruit business, he had close financial dealings with an individual merchant in Anyuan. This individual merchant was called Ding Wenyuan, and he was the only clue they had found that had a clear connection with Fu Daqing.
Pan Hongjie was very happy and praised Hongcheng for its high efficiency in handling cases. He also gave his subordinates some encouragement.
Finally, he said to Xia Yu, "Xiao Xia, please take good care of Zhou Yi during his time in Anyuan. After all, Zhou Yi is not familiar with Anyuan. I'm sorry for the trouble you have to investigate Ding Wenyuan."
Xia Yu quickly nodded and agreed.
Zhou Yi also knew that this was to make Xia Yu his temporary partner.
He didn't know what Pan Hongjie was thinking, but he thought it was a good thing. Xia Yu was obviously inexperienced, so he would have more room to play during the investigation.
"Zhou Yi, you have come from so far away, and we should give you a welcome dinner, but the case is important right now, so I'm sorry to have to put you in this situation," said Pan Hongjie.
"Captain Pan, you're too polite. I'm here to learn from Captain Pan and all the seniors. But our Deputy Captain Wu told me that after the case is solved, he wants me to treat you all to a meal on his behalf to express his gratitude." Zhou Yi thought, anyway, he would go back and ask Wu Yongcheng for reimbursement.
"Deputy Captain Wu is so polite. Is this your first time in Anyuan?"
"Yeah." Zhou Yi nodded.
"It's a pity that you didn't come in the summer, otherwise you could try our Anyuan watermelons, which are famous far and wide. I'll send some to you this summer."
Zhou Yi exchanged a few pleasantries with Pan Hongjie, then said, "Captain Pan, there's something else I might need to ask you for your instructions."
"What's going on?"
"Li Youqiang's wife came to Anyuan with me yesterday."
Before Zhou Yi finished speaking, Pan Hongjie asked, "You want to identify the body, right? Let Xiaoxia help you with the paperwork. But the condition of the body is not optimistic. The facial damage is too severe. I'm worried that the family members won't be able to bear it psychologically."
Zhou Yi said: "It's not just about identifying the body. Li Youqiang's wife wants to apply for cremation of the body. She wants to take Li Youqiang back home."
Pan Hongjie tutted his lips and said, "I'm afraid that won't work yet. The case has only just been filed, and there hasn't been any progress. If we cremate the body now, what if a second autopsy is needed later? Look, we found the murder weapon yesterday, so we have to compare it with the body to confirm it."
Sure enough, just as Zhou Yi had expected, this matter was not easy to handle.
This doesn't mean the victim's body can only be cremated after the case is solved. After all, some cases drag on for a long time and even become unsolved. However, at least the evidence must be established and confirmed by the lead criminal investigation department and the forensic doctor before the public security organs can issue a cremation certificate.
"Captain Pan, this is what happened. Li Youqiang's mother passed away in the early morning of the second day after learning that Li Youqiang had been murdered."
"What..." Pan Hongjie was stunned.
"We understand what you just said, but we're worried that the family won't be able to accept it and might take drastic action, so we told them they could come and apply first. As for the approval process for this application, we can delay it a bit, so that at least the family of the deceased can still have something to think about."
Pan Hongjie nodded. "I understand what you mean. No problem, let's do as you say. The key is to solve the case as soon as possible so that we can give the family of the deceased an explanation."
"Thank you, Captain Pan. I'll bring the family members over."
"Xiao Xia, please cooperate with Zhou Yi's work. If you want to apply, please put it off for now."
Xia Yu quickly nodded in agreement.
Pan Hongjie clapped his hands and shouted, "Everyone, don't just sit there. Move! The murderer won't jump out on his own."
Everyone looked at the heavy rain outside and sighed helplessly.
Zhou Yi first went back to the hotel to find Zhang Xianglan. Before leaving, he went to the nearby convenience store to buy an umbrella, a pair of rain boots and a roll of thicker garbage bags.
He first went back to his room and took off his wet shoes and socks. When he took out the socks and wrung them out, they were full of water.
He dried his feet, changed into dry pants and socks, put on rain boots, took the umbrella and the garbage bag, walked to the door of Zhang Xianglan's room, and knocked.
Zhou Yi told her that the case was still under investigation and that they could only apply for it. He asked her to bring her ID and go with him to the Anyuan Municipal Bureau.
As for whether to identify the body, it is up to her to decide, but she must be mentally prepared.
Zhang Xianglan said firmly that she wanted to identify the body.
Zhou Yi handed her the umbrella, tore off two garbage bags, and told her to put them on her feet and tie them tightly to prevent water from entering her shoes.
Then the two of them braved the heavy rain and came to the Anyuan Municipal Bureau.
Xia Yu had been waiting downstairs for a long time. Zhou Yi said that the family wanted to identify the body first, so Xia Yu led the two to the forensic room.
After completing the registration, the forensic doctor brought several people into the forensic room and opened the refrigerator.
Zhou Yi glanced at him and turned away.
Xia Yu was stunned for a moment, a little at a loss, and then quickly followed out.
Zhou Yi and he stood in the corridor outside the forensic room. Zhou Yi took out the box of good cigarettes he had bought earlier and asked, "Officer Xia, do you want to smoke?"
Xia Yu waved his hand embarrassedly, and Zhou Yi lit a cigarette.
As soon as the cigarette was lit, Zhang Xianglan's heart-wrenching cry was heard from the forensic room.
Xia Yu couldn't help but look into the room, while Zhou Yi was smoking silently.
After finishing a cigarette, the crying in the room gradually stopped.
After a while, Zhou Yi threw the cigarette butt into the trash can beside him and walked in. Xia Yu quickly followed him in.
Zhang Xianglan's eyes were red and her face was covered with tears. Zhou Yi asked, "Is this your husband?"
Zhang Xianglan nodded.
People are like this. Even if they look completely different, people who spend time with them can still recognize them at a glance.
This is different from how the police identify a body. The police are rational and need clear features to confirm; this is emotional and a feeling.
Zhou Yi said, "Don't worry, the law is strong and we will definitely catch the murderer. Go with Officer Xia to fill out the application for cremation of the remains. I'll help you keep an eye on it later."
Zhang Xianglan cried and kept saying thank you.
"Hello, family member, please come with me. Thank you for your condolences." Xia Yu said.
After Xia Yu took Zhang Xianglan away, the only people left in the room were Zhou Yi, An Yuan's forensic doctor, and Li Youqiang in the freezer.
"I heard that you are from Hongcheng?" The forensic doctor on Anyuan's side was a female forensic doctor in her forties. She wore thin-framed gold-rimmed glasses and was very elegant, but there was a hint of fatigue between her brows.
In the 1990s, forensic scientists were a scarce commodity and had a hard time working anywhere.
"Yes, I'm from the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Hongcheng City Public Security Bureau. My name is Zhou Yi. May I ask your name, teacher?"
"Tang Wenli, I'm a classmate of your Forensic Doctor Song."
"Really? That's quite a coincidence."
"Please give Old Song some hello for me later."
Zhou Yi nodded quickly: "Of course, of course."
Tang Wenli pointed to the body in the freezer and said, "Do you want to see more?"
"No, I'm not an expert in this area. It's better to read the autopsy report."
Tang Wenli nodded and pushed the freezer closed. The Public Security Bureau's forensic room was only used to temporarily store the bodies for a short period of time, and they still had to be sent to the funeral home for long-term preservation.
"Teacher Tang, I would like to ask you a question?"
"What's the problem?"
"In March, given the nighttime temperature, how long after death will rigor mortis set in?"
Tang Wenli said: "Normally, one to three hours after death is the initial stage of rigor mortis, when the muscles of the body begin to stiffen slightly, but the joints can still move slightly."
"Four to six hours after death is the development stage, when rigor mortis gradually spreads throughout the body, but the joints can still move under strong external force."
"Rigorous rigor mortis lasts for about twelve to twenty-four hours. At this point, the body reaches its maximum rigidity, with the joints completely fixed. Even with external force, it's difficult to change the body's position."
Tang Wenli explained in detail. First, her relationship with Song Yiming naturally became closer. Second, she saw that Zhou Yi was still very young and thought that he asked this question because of his lack of experience, so she was patiently guiding him.
Zhou Yi nodded and asked, "I remember that the well where the body was found was very narrow, right?"
"Um, thirty-five centimeters."
"In the case of this body, is it difficult to fit it into a 35-centimeter hole?"
"The body was in a high state of decomposition, but the autopsy showed that the deceased was quite emaciated, so it shouldn't have been difficult for him to be stuffed into the well. The premise is that the victim had been killed not long ago when the body was dumped, and rigor mortis was not severe, as we found no signs of post-mortem compression on the joints."
Zhou Yi nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing him like this, Tang Wenli asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you have anything to say?"
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