National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 640 - 584: The Tough Nut to Crack

Chapter 640: Chapter 584: The Tough Nut to Crack

"Roughly estimating, the body has been there for three years, buried rather shallowly, but in a suitable location; it was wrapped in a straw mat. Could this be considered interment?"

Chief Medical Examiner Niu was also confidently making assessments on the scene.

A technician who could elevate the study of a piece of toilet paper to Level 3 had to be skilled in their primary job as well, at least showing the capabilities of Level 2. Faced with a body that had not undergone special adornment, providing an approximate age was not an issue.

Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement and said, "It coincides with the time around when Zhang Enfan returned to the country, but I’m not certain. We’ll have to test the straw mat later."

The lower half of the body had not completely decayed, so some of the muscles on the back could still be seen adhering to the straw mat.

As for the precise time of death, they would have to go back and examine the collected insects, scrutinize the bones in detail, or look for substances in the body fluids. They could also estimate based on the plant growth inside and outside the grave.

However, no matter what, when it comes to a body that had been skeletonized for three years, obtaining a relatively accurate estimation of time is not an easy task. Jiang Yuan’s Level 6 death time assessment would also require time to evaluate.

Nevertheless, the use of burial suggests that the initial death scene was not here, and furthermore...

"This doesn’t really fit the relationship between a gambler and a gambling den," Wang Lan expressed this conclusion, which Jiang Yuan and Niu Tang both acknowledged with a nod.

If it were a murder by a gambling den, they were more likely to have the victim dig their own grave, and when it was nearly dug, they would stab them to death or something like that.

In such situations, the victim often bore marks of having been beaten or abused—without applying some severity, they naturally wouldn’t comply easily and dig their own grave obediently.

Additionally, this method usually depends on having ample manpower in the gambling den.

If one were to murder solo, then they’d likely have to do the digging themselves, but in any case, wrapping up in a straw mat would be out of the question.

Even under duress, a living person would not quietly allow themselves to be wrapped up in a straw mat.

And for a killer, there’s little sentiment to speak of.

"The source of the corpse is hard to determine," Niu Tang said as he squatted down once again and began to earnestly collect bones.

There was also a forensic assistant from Qinghe City Bureau who was silently working hard with a hood over their head.

"Let’s go back and see if we can identify the person. At least the skull is still intact," Jiang Yuan paused for a moment, then addressed Wang Chuanxing beside him, "We still need to investigate Zhang Enfan’s social relationships, and also see if the Zhang family has any missing persons."

The workload of cranial reconstruction skill is not small, similar to that of legal botany. Unless absolutely necessary, Jiang Yuan was not keen on initiating it. It’s like when a computer goes into blue screen; the first choice is to restart the computer, not to reinstall the operating system.

In comparison, forensic anthropology is more humane.

The three forensic doctors worked together, collecting the body, straw mat, various insects, and transporting them back to the forensic autopsy room at the Qinghe City Bureau.

Chief Medical Examiner Niu picked up several large pots and unhesitatingly boiled the bones that had not fully decayed.

The boiled bones had a dull, white color and seemed very slender overall. Just by looking at the bones, it is difficult to imagine that such a framework often supports a body weighing two or three hundred pounds.

As the pelvis of the body was intact, more could be determined. Factors such as sex, age, height, and time of death could all be ascertained from it.

Of course, when all the bones are present, the pelvis can be used as the main reference, and other bones supplementarily.

Jiang Yuan, unassuming, quickly measured the various length to width ratios of the bones while they were still steaming hot, declaring, "Female, young, 21 years old, height between 165 and 167 cm, as for the time of death... three years and a bit over two months... to be more precise... I’ll check the lunar calendar."

As Jiang Yuan spoke, he removed his gloves and turned to look for a tablet computer.

Wang Lan and Niu Tang had been listening in a learning mode, but at the end, they both looked up, exchanging glances in surprise.

Niu Tang asked in a low voice, "Has he learned some new trick from Wu Jun?"

Wang Lan shook her head blankly, not having heard anything, but the term "lunar calendar" was a bit jarring.

"1,160 days, give or take a week," Jiang Yuan reported back after searching the lunar calendar.

Wang Lan then asked, "The time of death? What does it have to do with the lunar calendar?"

"Oh, because we can use the growth of plants as a reference. The plants on top of the grave had definitely been chopped off before, and the plant roots inside the grave had also been cut. I just checked the lunar calendar to determine the growth rate," explained Jiang Yuan, and upon hearing this, Wang Lan and Niu Tang understood.

In the wild, digging a hole would certainly sever the plants originally in that location. After three years, some of the old roots might have been eaten by insects, but some resilient ones would remain.

On the other hand, the growth of new plants is also seasonal. Some plants can grow anytime, while others need to wait for a certain seasonal marker to begin growth, like bamboo, which starts sprouting after Qingming Festival.

More than thirty types of plants were found at the scene, including both familiar and obscure weeds. Wang Lan and the others had some understanding of the principles of legal botany, but when it came to the practical application, they were in the dark.

Upon hearing Jiang Yuan’s explanation, both Wang Lan and Niu Tang tacitly agreed. Since they didn’t understand it, they went with Jiang Yuan’s judgment.

In the case of deaths that happened three years ago, it was usually enough to determine the year. In special cases, being able to pinpoint a month was considered extremely impressive and exceptional.

This time, Jiang Yuan narrowed it down to a two-week period. As for whether it was necessary, that depended on how the case unfolded. In terms of technical support, it was definitely maxed out.

The three forensic doctors didn’t deal with the case directly, they just handed their findings over to Wu Junhao.

Wu Junhao’s Bald Strike Team used to be a part of the major case squadron of Ningtai County Criminal Police Detachment and shone just as brightly as Liu Wenkai’s second team.

Wu Junhao had regularly worked on homicide cases before, it was just that old cases were difficult to handle.

However, Wu Junhao had a bold and daring personality, and even with only the youthful Bald Strike Team under his command, he was not intimidated at all.

If the young people missed something while sorting through interpersonal relationships, he would help tidy up, fill in the gaps. If someone had a bad habit, or if their interrogation records were sloppy, Wu Junhao would take them and teach them how to write properly. If anyone was lazy and prone to cutting corners, Wu Junhao would work alongside them.

From the moment he took on the case, Wu Junhao threw himself into it completely.

In just three days, he had bought hundreds of meat-stuffed flatbreads alone.

The members of the youthful Bald Strike Team, eating the meat-stuffed flatbreads provided by Wu Junhao, could only continue to work on the case day and night, run two kilometers in the morning, and even lift dumbbells when they had a spare moment.

Saturday.

A meeting for case analysis.

Huang Qiangmin also rushed to attend.

Compared with technical personnel like Jiang Yuan, Wu Junhao had a more serious expression.

The case was still with the Litang Township Police Station because of Jiang Yuan’s influence, which he was in charge of participating in.

But Wu Junhao also knew that if there was no further progress, Huang Qiangmin would definitely have the Criminal Police Detachment step in.

It wasn’t just Chai Tong keeping an eye on the case; a homicide was something that couldn’t afford any mistakes.

The body unearthed by Jiang Yuan was tantamount to a newly discovered homicide case, with the optimal time for solving it being more than three years ago, followed by the present.

Huang Qiangmin would not tolerate Wu Junhao wasting time. Huang Qiangmin was not particularly interested in the petty thefts or messy public order cases of the police stations, but he would not let up on a homicide case.

It was precisely because the incident took place in Litang Township, where local police had an advantage, and with Jiang Yuan by his side, that Huang Qiangmin gave Wu Junhao a chance.

Everyone was seated.

Wu Junhao made a brief arrangement and said, "In terms of interpersonal relationships, Zhang Enfan’s relatives are clueless about his recent activities. The Zhang Family itself has no missing persons. It feels a bit like a headless case."

"However, some of Zhang Enfan’s subordinates have mentioned some rumors."

"Allegedly, when Zhang Enfan himself was drunk, he said that he had been betrayed by a girlfriend while overseas, and he handled it very decisively. ’Decisive in killing,’ these were Zhang Enfan’s original words."

"We don’t know much about the situation abroad, but from a timing perspective, Zhang Enfan should have been in the country at the time."

"Moreover, the burial site is the Zhang Family’s ancestral grave, which is only accessible by one road, very secluded, and unlikely to be known by outsiders."

"Taking all these points into account, we believe that Zhang Enfan still has a major suspicion of committing the crime."

After Wu Junhao finished speaking, Huang Qiangmin tapped the table and asked, "What evidence do we have? How did the interrogation of Zhang Enfan go?"

"He’s a tough nut to crack, has remained silent the whole time," said a police officer nearby.

Huang Qiangmin immediately looked at Jiang Yuan.

"The murderer’s method was strangulation, with considerable strength; the victim’s hyoid bone is fractured... We have examined the victim’s nails and other areas but found no residual DNA, which might have been cleaned..."

Jiang Yuan paused here and continued, "I started cranial reconstruction yesterday, and it should be finished in a few days. Then we can determine the origin of the corpse."

With that statement from him, Huang Qiangmin’s mood inexplicably relaxed, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but rise into a 33.3-degree smile.

Of course, his mood should relax. The combination of Cranial Reconstruction Skill, Legal Botany, and Forensic Anthropology, paired with a Level 6 death time assessment, and not to mention a Level 4 crime scene investigation in between, was undeniably top-notch even if it were used for psychological comfort.