National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 427 - 427 394 More

427: Chapter 394 More 427: Chapter 394 More The so-called “another body” was actually only half a body again, this time the upper half, headless, and divided into two parts.

The burial site was located about 40 meters from the national road.

Similar to the discovery site of the third body, with an elevation difference from the national road and sparsely spaced trees providing cover, the wilderness was fairly overgrown, with weeds and broken bricks greatly hindering movement.

Liu Jinghui followed Jiang Yuan to the location, looked around, and said softly, “This guy is likely working alone.”

“Because of the dismemberment?” Jiang Yuan replied in an equally low voice, as they were still in the guessing stage.

Solving a case also involved bold assumptions and careful verification, but assumptions were not to be stated loudly lest they affect other people’s judgments.

Liu Jinghui hummed in agreement and said, “The first body was closest to the national road, about 20 meters away, and its being discovered is related to this distance.

The third and now the fourth, one fifty meters, the other forty meters, actually not too far either.

If there were two people who could carry it, they could have taken it farther away, or there would be no need to cut it up so finely.

The scene here is more obvious— an upper torso split into two body bags, with innards spilling everywhere.

If it wasn’t to make it easier for one person to transport, it wouldn’t make much sense, would it?”

“Is there a possibility that it was first hacked into pieces and then bagged?” Jiang Yuan stripped off his clothes, including his coat and trousers, wrapped everything up in a plastic bag, then sprayed it with alcohol, and changed into a new set of protective clothing, including three layers of coverings.

Contaminating one crime scene with evidence from another could not only complicate the investigation but also adversely affect the prosecution, and even more so during the subsequent death penalty review.

Liu Jinghui also reluctantly disrobed and changed into protective clothing.

Then, looking down at the body parts in the makeshift grave, he said, “The killer used an axe to dismember, not a chainsaw or anything like that.

I think there should have been some planning.

Look at this body part, the head must have been removed from the top, and the middle is chopped from the waist.

If it were two people doing this, this step would be completely sufficient.

Why go to the trouble of splitting the breastbone, dividing it into two sections, creating a mess of innards that look like thin soup, and then burying both pieces in one pit…”

Yes, the two body bags contained the two halves of the upper torso of the same victim, split down the middle of the chest, similar to how a sheep is carved up, but much rougher than a butcher’s work.

And the victim’s innards, due to being left out for so long, had now liquefied.

Although Liu Jinghui was not a forensic doctor, he had seen enough to easily distinguish which part of the body the broken pieces came from.

Jiang Yuan let out a sigh and quickly glanced twice at the torn body bags, forced them together, and said, “The head isn’t here; it’s just the upper torso, weighing about 40 pounds.

If the killer couldn’t even carry this much, they’re not very strong.

An older person?”

“Maybe they’re sick,” Liu Jinghui’s eyes brightened, suggesting a possible breakthrough, prompting him to survey the surroundings.

Neither of them had given much thought to the possibility of a female perpetrator.

Such a brutal and bloody case of dismemberment was very unlikely to be carried out by a female, far less likely than by an older man or a sick man.

Women who commit murder tend to use poisoning or to kill when the victim is vulnerable, such as when they are drunk, after sex, or asleep.

The first and second victims had both undergone comprehensive toxicological testing with no such findings, but there were signs of abduction, extortion, and knife wounds, all of which do not quite match the characteristics of female perpetrators.

At least for now, discussing a female perpetrator is pointless.

As for men, carrying 40 pounds might be a bit heavy normally, but a normal middle-aged or young adult should still be able to shoulder fifty pounds, unless there is a special reason.

Mei Fang had just packed up at the previous scene and had now hurriedly driven over.

She quickly changed into protective gear and then came over, carrying two large boxes.

“Is it the same body as the third one we just found?” Mei Fang bent down to arrange her equipment, preparing to do it all over again as before, and casually asked a question.

“No.

It’s only half a body, but it’s another victim’s.

Headless,” Jiang Yuan answered briefly.

“Is that determined by the time of death?” Mei Fang inquired.

“Yes.

Also, both the third and fourth bodies have coccyges,” Jiang Yuan only glanced once but noticed the bottom section of the spine.

Clearly, a person can’t have two coccyx bones.

“So, there are more body parts or bags left outside,” Mei Fang lamented, looking outwards.

“Are your superiors regretting their decision?” Liu Jinghui suddenly grew curious.

Mei Fang chuckled twice and spread her hands, saying, “We also searched around the body afterwards.

After finding the second body, we searched a range of two or three kilometers nearby, but to expand it further…

it’s not easy to make such a big determination today.”

After discovering a body, it would be considered normal to search the surrounding area for a few hundred meters.

No criminal investigation team would find a body outdoors and then say, “Brothers, let’s conduct a search extending ten kilometers out!”

Even if Victim No.

2 was found, it would just be one aspect of the decision to conduct a search.

The reason Jiang Yuan insisted on having Xu Taining involved was inseparable from both the judgment made after completing the autopsy and Liu Jinghui’s assessment.

Of course, it was also closely related to him not having to cover the expenses.

The same decision was one that the Luyang City Bureau simply couldn’t make before, and truth be told, they still couldn’t make it now.

The speed with which the body was found was also related to Xu Taining’s strategy.

He mobilized hundreds of people at once, especially the more than 40 scent tracking dogs, along with accompanying vehicles of all sorts, and dispersed the personnel and dogs over a vast area, spanning 110 kilometers along the national highway, with a 50-meter width on each side, to start searching in multiple places simultaneously.

Every single one of these actions was beyond the capabilities of the Luyang City Bureau.

Even Liu Jinghui’s advice at the time—to cover a length of 80 kilometers with 20 meters on each side—might not lead to a single discovery.

Victim No.

3 was over 20 meters away, and Victim No.

4 more than 40 meters, both beyond the proposed range.

“Bug Hunting, it’s time to collect the body,” Jiang Yuan said, watching Mei Fang prepare the hot water, alcohol, and poison bottles.

He then squatted down and began to get busy.

Soon after, Xu Taining and the leaders from the Luyang City Bureau switched locations and came over as well.

A group of people still stood watching from a distance of more than ten meters.

Logistics had even delivered sun umbrellas and chairs so they could sit while watching.

However, this distance was not sufficient to block out the stench of decomposition.

The faint foul odor, even if just a trace reached one’s nose, felt like your mouth was being forcefully filled with excrement, so foul it made one want to cry.

“I’m planning to extend the search range on both sides to 80 meters, and some segments to 100 meters,” Xu Taining said, seeing that several of the main leaders from the Luyang City Bureau were present, immediately proposing a change to the plan.

The few who had just settled down suddenly found themselves unable to speak, choking up.

“Is it possible to request some funding assistance from the provincial department?” Political Commissar Zhou Yuanqiang, who had been given a signal, quickly asked.

“That’s up to you.

I’m not in charge of the finances,” Xu Taining said with a smile.

“There are always some special funds available, though how much I couldn’t say.”

A murder case certainly had to be solved as comprehensively as possible, but the Luyang City Bureau didn’t want to go bankrupt.

Going by Xu Taining’s requirements, expanding the search area by another 30 to 50 meters would more than double the required funding.

The further away from the national highway, the less human activity there was, the more natural the environment became, and the more costly it was in every respect.

The Luyang City Bureau would much rather catch the perpetrator first, then bring them back to identify the locations of the bodies one by one.

Digging then as compared to digging now would vastly reduce the cost.

The leaders consulted with each other using eye contact.

After handling cases for so many years, Xu Taining had encountered situations like this countless times and just chuckled, saying, “You better think carefully.

The case hasn’t been cracked yet, and not a hair of the suspect has been seen.

It might be best to refrain from ‘shooting the donkey the moment it leaves the millstone’ for now.”

“That won’t happen, that won’t happen,” the Bureau Director laughed heartily and patted Xu Taining’s hand, promising, “We will strive to overcome the funding obstacles.

As long as the case can be solved, Director Xu, rest assured that you can use people and money as needed.”

Despite the addition of two additional half bodies, there was still no significant progress in the case itself, meaning there was no return yet on the initial investment.

At this moment, the Luyang side too just had to grit their teeth and persist.

Xu Taining, seeing that communication was smooth—to this extent, after spending so much, was indeed smooth—reassured everyone, “In many places, extending to 80 meters will reach right up to the hills.

We may even make some major discoveries there.”

The leaders didn’t know whether they should be happy or not.

…