Chapter 137 Imitation: This beast must be torn to pieces!
The conference room of the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Detachment, First Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, was filled with smoke and the atmosphere was heavy.
The blackboard was covered with bloody photos and topographical maps of the three murder scenes. Red markers connected question marks and scattered clues, but they could never converge into a clear focus. The pressure of solving the case weighed heavily on everyone's shoulders.
The three murders are all extremely cruel, with different methods of committing the crimes. The first case involved skinning, the second involved disemboweling and removing internal organs, and the third involved beheading. These crimes completely exceed the common people's definition of "evil," which makes even Lei Xiao, who has extensive experience in criminal investigation, feel extremely troubled.
For the past few years, the Criminal Investigation Detachment has been implementing the "Three-Fixed Investigation Method" proposed by Jiang Ling, and has solved many cases using it. But today, it has given Lei Xiao a hard time.
How do we define its nature?
You talk about motives for crimes: money, fame, revenge, or a perverse sense of satisfaction... there must be some motive, right? These three murders seem to be purely for fun, using human lives as practice!
Could we have encountered a psychopathic killer?
If that's the case, he'll most likely continue committing crimes, which is a provocation against the police! A strong sense of crisis made Lei Xiao somewhat uneasy.
Lei Xiao waved his hand: "Today is a case analysis meeting, so everyone should speak freely. Don't leave me to speak alone."
After a moment of contemplation, Fan Wei spoke first: "Team Leader Lei, we do have some evidence. The same size 44 shoe prints, unclear palm prints and fingerprints, plus the fact that the victims are all young women with a slender build, I suspect this is a case of a deranged serial murder, and we can investigate them together."
Lei Xiao irritably ruffled his hair, his voice hoarse: "Merge the cases, definitely merge them! The methods used in these crimes are all ruthless and bizarre, yet they are all different. We can't even find the motive, how can we determine the nature and scope of the crimes?"
Fan Wei suddenly recalled a case from a few years ago: "Captain Lei, do you remember the first time Jiang Ling came to the bureau to give a lecture on the 'Three-Fixed Investigation Method,' or the rope murder case where her father and I worked together to create a precise sketch?"
Upon hearing this, everyone remembered.
"Yes, yes, I remember. In that serial murder case, the killer used the same weapon and left similar chalk circle marks at each scene. The modus operandi was consistent, showing clear characteristics of a series of crimes."
"His targets seemed to be both men and women with nothing in common, but in the end, Director Jiang found that they were all people with successful careers and happy families."
“At first we thought it was a crime of passion, but Jiang Ling immediately analyzed the motive and said that it was more likely revenge against society.”
Seeing that everyone still remembered the case, Fan Wei continued, "Yes, that case used the three-pronged investigation method, plus precise profiling, and it was solved very quickly. How about... we take a look at that case?"
Zheng Yu shook his head: "Captain Fan, I feel that these three murder cases today are different from the rope murder case."
Lei Xiao gestured for her to continue: "What's different? Deputy Captain Zheng, please elaborate."
Zheng Yu, now the deputy captain of the first brigade, said with a solemn expression: "Even more brutal and perverted! To be honest, in all my years as a criminal police officer, I have handled many murder cases, but I have never encountered a case like this one, where the perverted serial killer takes pleasure in killing. In particular, the scene of disemboweling and removing internal organs is bloody and gruesome."
At this point, Zheng Yu stood up and pointed to a photo hanging on the whiteboard, saying, "Did anyone notice this pile of vomit at the scene? According to the forensic examination, there was alcohol, meat, vegetables, and rice, which are different from the victim's stomach contents. It's speculated that it was left by the murderer. Isn't that strange? The murderer dared to kill and disembowel the victim, so why would he vomit? Was he afraid? If he was afraid, then it means he was a novice! He would be afraid to pull out internal organs with his bare hands!"
Zheng Yu's partner, Liang Liang, disagreed: "Since there was alcohol in the sample, it means the murderer had been drinking before the killing, or perhaps he was drunk and vomited. What normal person would do something as disgusting as cutting open an abdomen with a blunt metal piece to remove internal organs? How could he possibly be afraid!"
Zheng Yu still maintains her opinion: "Although the possibility of intoxication cannot be ruled out, I feel it is more likely to be psychological discomfort caused by fear."
Lei Xiao raised his hand and slapped the whiteboard covered with various crime scene photos twice: "The first step of the three-pronged investigation method is to determine the nature of the crime. However, based on the existing evidence, the perpetrator was extremely vicious, and the methods varied, which is not consistent with the characteristics of traditional retaliatory murders. Let's discuss again, what is the murderer's motive?"
Traditional three-pronged investigative methods, including door-to-door inquiries, seemed to have hit an invisible wall. Looking at the three cases so far, the perpetrators randomly selected targets, the crime scenes were scattered, and while numerous traces were left, they were disorganized and lacked clear direction. The meeting reached a stalemate, and a sense of powerlessness spread through the silence.
Liang Liang stood up and said loudly, "Captain Lei, I think the motive for the crime is not just revenge against society, but most likely a kind of perverse satisfaction. The other party is an antisocial personality, and for him, killing is like a game."
game?
The majority of the criminal police officers in the team were older, and their eyebrows furrowed when they heard the word "game".
"Killing is just a game?"
"Is it one of those arcade games? All about fighting and killing all day long?"
"If you really encounter a psychopathic killer, it's really hard to judge him by common sense."
Just then, Li Qiuyun, who had been in the case team of Jinwu Road Police Station and had been transferred to the branch for less than a year, slowly raised her hand while sitting in the corner.
"Team Leader Lei, Team Leader Zhao," she said softly and slowly, "I have an idea. It might... it might not be fully developed."
All eyes immediately focused on the young policewoman.
Zheng Yu had always known her apprentice's keen observation and tenacity, so she immediately gave her an encouraging look: "Qiu Yun, speak up! Now is the time to brainstorm, and any idea that might break the deadlock is valuable!"
Li Qiuyun took a deep breath, as if to encourage herself: "When I was in college... well, later in my spare time, I rented a lot of American TV series from several video rental stores, such as 'The Silence of the Lambs,' 'The X-Files,' and 'NYPD Blue'... I, I didn't watch them randomly, I just thought some of the cases were very interesting..." Afraid of being criticized by her mentor and superiors for not doing her job properly, she tried to explain before getting to the main point.
"Get to the point!" Lei Xiao had no patience for the prelude.
“Yes!” Li Qiuyun paused for a moment, then immediately quickened her pace. “I’ve noticed that the methods used in these three cases are somewhat similar to those depicted in American TV shows! But you could say they’re similar, but not quite. In short, it’s like a child copying homework—a rather clumsy imitation.”
Upon hearing the word "imitation," Lei Xiao's mind stirred slightly. He beckoned to her, "Come on, Xiao Li, you come up and speak!" It was rare to find a young person willing to step forward; she was a promising talent. He should give young people more opportunities. With Jiang Ling's example as a precedent, Lei Xiao's thinking wasn't rigid anymore, and he was very willing to let young people take on important roles.
Having received affirmation from her superiors, Li Qiuyun mustered her courage, stood up, walked to the blackboard, and picked up a blue marker.
She first pointed to the photo of the female corpse in the first garbage dump case, highlighting the horrific wounds and the way the body was positioned: "You see, the victim showed clear signs of being imprisoned and tortured before she died. Although the environment was extremely dirty and rudimentary, the killer seemed to be trying to imitate the methods of 'Buffalo Bill' in 'The Silence of the Lambs'."
Lei Xiao hadn't seen "The Silence of the Lambs," so he immediately asked, "What is Buffalo Bill? What were his methods and motives?"
Li Qiuyun patiently explained: "This is a psychopathic killer in the movie. Bill suffered abuse from his stepmother during his childhood, which made him hate his male identity and long to become a woman. Since he could not achieve gender reassignment through normal medical means, he chose an extreme method and tried to realize his desire to become a woman by peeling off women's skin and wearing it on his body."
Fan Wei felt a churning in his stomach.
Murdering people, skinning them, and wearing the skin on your own body? What kind of nonsense is this?!
He frowned and said, "I knew those foreign films were no good, they're all about gore and violence! I suggest the anti-pornography squad add these films to their list of banned movies."
Lei Xiao glanced at Fan Wei: "For now, let's not worry about the anti-prostitution campaign. Let Xiao Li talk about the case."
Fan Wei shut his mouth.
Li Qiuyun was a little uneasy when she first stepped onto the stage, but as she spoke about her area of expertise, she gradually regained her confidence, her voice clear and calm: "This film is quite bloody and not suitable for teenagers with unstable minds. But what I want to talk about today is that the murderer was trying to imitate Buffalo Bill's methods. You see, at least the imprisonment and skinning are consistent. However, the tools he used were not sharp enough, and his skinning technique was not skilled, resulting in a rather frightening, bloody mess."
Meeting Li Qiuyun's calm eyes and listening to her slow and methodical analysis, Wu Jianbin, who had been transferred from Jinwu Road Police Station to the First Brigade with her and was currently dating her, shivered.
—My girlfriend seems to know a lot about psychopathic killers. When she talks about skinning people alive, she doesn't seem scared at all; instead, she seems excited and eager to try it out.
Many people shared the same thoughts as Wu Jianbin, and their gazes toward Li Qiuyun became much more respectful and honest.
Li Qiuyun was unaware of her colleagues' changing emotions. She moved her pen to the photo of the second murder case in the abandoned park in the eastern suburbs. The photo, showing a gruesome dissection of the abdomen and missing internal organs, was extremely disturbing.
"The second case shows more obvious signs of imitation. He may have wanted to imitate the psychopathic killer Toomus from The X-Files, who killed people, harvested specific organs, and ate them in order to achieve immortality."
Before Li Qiuyun could finish speaking, Lei Xiao felt his mind was a bit confused: "Wait a minute! In the movie you're talking about, there's a psychopathic killer who kills people and takes their organs to eat?"
Li Qiuyun nodded: "Yes, Toms' motive for murder stemmed from his obsession with human physiology. He believed that by collecting specific organs from different people, he could extend his own lifespan. Specifically, Toms would remove the livers of his victims after killing them and eat them. He believed that the liver was the organ with the strongest regenerative capacity in the human body, and by eating other people's livers, he could obtain this regenerative ability, thereby delaying aging and achieving immortality."
Everyone felt physically uncomfortable.
Zheng Yu's face turned pale, and she held back from vomiting: "Are there really such perverts in this world? It's outrageous! This kind of American drama must be banned."
Li Qiuyun's biggest hobby is watching American TV series, especially crime dramas. She's not afraid of the gory and violent scenes at all. When she heard that the leaders were talking about banning the show, she couldn't help but feel anxious and muttered, "They have a rating system over there, so kids aren't allowed to watch it. Besides, 'The X-Files' is a TV series, not a movie."
Lei Xiao was quite adept at controlling the pace of the meeting, waving his hand dismissively: "Don't get hung up on these details. Xiao Li, are you saying that this second case is imitating a psychopath from TV, killing someone, taking their liver, and eating it?"
A series of "vomiting...vomiting..." sounds came from below. Eating human liver? That's really pushing the boundaries of human nature!
Fan Wei gritted his teeth and said, "That's not right. In the second case, the murderer didn't take the liver, but the gallbladder, and he also made a mess of the abdominal cavity. It doesn't seem like the method that Toms described."
Li Qiuyun's expression remained calm: "Yes! That's why I said the murderer was imitating, and in a clumsy way. He had no understanding of anatomical structures at all; he probably wouldn't even know where the liver was after opening the abdomen. The forensic report clearly points out that the victim's chest and abdominal cavities showed signs of being haphazardly pulled, cut, and explored. It wasn't a precise removal at all; it was more like a blind, curious, and fearful act of destruction. And—"
She emphasized a crucial but easily overlooked detail, one that Zheng Yu had just stressed: "My master mentioned that there was a small pile of vomit in the corner not far from the body. Tests confirmed it didn't belong to the victim, but to the perpetrator. Liang said it might be from intoxication, but I'm more inclined to believe it was fear. The perpetrator simply couldn't handle the physical and psychological impact of his extreme violence; he felt intense nausea and discomfort, and he might even have vomited while committing the crime. This perfectly matches the characteristics of a novice who's trying extreme violence for the first time and is overwhelmed by the bloodshed. You see, a real, cold-blooded habitual offender would never react like this."
The scene Li Qiuyun described was so realistic that everyone fell silent.
Zheng Yu was very pleased that his apprentice shared the same opinion as him.
Lei Xiao nodded and said, "Okay, let's treat it as fear for now. This means that the murderer is imitating, learning from movies and TV series. But he is still a beginner, so his behavior is rather clumsy and awkward, and it feels like he has no method at all."
At this point, Lei Xiao gestured for Li Qiuyun to continue: "Xiao Li, well done, you have the style of your master. Go on, who is this third case imitating?"
The photos from the third shantytown case clearly show the victim's neck being horribly slashed, with bizarre symbols drawn in blood beside him.
Li Qiuyun looked disdainful: "Why do I say the murderer is a novice? You can see it from this third case. He originally planned to behead someone, imitating a murderer from the 1970s in the United States nicknamed Casper the Strangler, whose methods were varied and extremely violent. He once cut off a victim's head and placed it on a table in his home as a provocation to the police and society. Unfortunately, this person underestimated the difficulty of beheading. Using unsuitable and dull tools, he struggled for a long time but failed to cut off the head, and finally had to give up."
Wu Jianbin raised his hand, his voice weak: "Qiu Yun, do you mean that the murderer originally planned to cut off the victim's head and take it home to put on the table?"
Li Qiuyun winked at him: "I don't know about that. We can ask him after we catch him. I just found this case to prove that the killer's third case was not just about killing to vent his anger or satisfy his perverted desires. It is very likely that it was to show off his power and deliberately humiliate the police and the victim's family."
Lei Xiao closed his eyes wearily, but when he opened them again, anger gave him strength, and he became energetic: "Since he has declared war on our police force, we must give him a good beating!"
Everyone was united in their hatred of the enemy, and they all gritted their teeth.
"Yes! This beast must be torn to pieces!"
"He treats human life like dirt! We must not let such a bastard get away with this."
"We must hurry. Following his crime scenes, we should move from west to east and then to north, as if we were to surround Yan City. Perhaps the next location is in the south of the city!"
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