EBE Chapter 81
Chapter 81
When Ye Sangsang returned to the bureau, it was already half past ten in the evening. The autopsy table was opened, and the dismembered body parts were carefully placed on it.
Being a forensic pathologist is a high-risk profession.
During the autopsy process, if not careful, one might end up splashed in the face with bone fragments or blood foam. If the deceased had infectious diseases such as HIV or syphilis, it could easily lead to occupational exposure.
Therefore, except in specific situations, such as determining the time of death by the smell of decay, masks and necessary protective gear must always be worn.
After placing the body parts, the first step is to properly put on protective equipment.
If the body contains sharp objects like metal splinters, three layers of gloves must be worn.
Ye Sangsang learned very fast and efficiently donned her mask, gloves, and headgear.
She then picked up the clipboard for recording, prepared to document the process, and approached the cold stainless steel autopsy table, looking at the middle-aged man.
The man was Zhou Jianguo, a stern and rigid forensic pathologist in his mid-forties, also one of the first batch of forensic pathologists in Zhongzhou Country.
Such forensic pathologists didn't particularly favor female colleagues, as those born in the fifties to sixties often believed that women were more prone to fragility and fear.
But Fan Jingsi was no ordinary woman. Persisting for years, she insisted on becoming Zhou Jianguo's apprentice, transforming from a young girl who was scared to tears by the sight of a bloated, decaying corpse into an experienced forensic pathologist.
The records didn't explicitly mention this, but Ye Sangsang could infer the rough process from the descriptions.
To her, fear and panic were not exclusive to any gender.
【In 2004, the equipment was outdated, and the tools in the autopsy room were scarce.】
【Yes, DNA matching probably had to be done in the provincial capital, and it would take a long time to get results.】
【Time to get to work, though it's all blurred out.】
The two worked quickly, reassembling the dismembered body parts.
By measuring the height of the head using the scales on the autopsy table, they estimated the victim's height.
They then observed the victim's external appearance for bruises, marks, or evidence of blunt or sharp objects. They determined the origin of these marks.
The body was already in a state of decomposition, but it was still possible to make judgments based on experience.
"Based on recent temperature and humidity, the victim died between 48 to 60 hours ago. The cause of death is unclear, but it's certain that the victim was already dead before being dismembered."
The two picked up their tools and began their meticulous examination.
Since the body was already in pieces, there was no need to perform a traditional autopsy.
Ye Sangsang assessed the wounds, continuing, "The hands show signs of strain, and the back has marks from dragging, suggesting they were caused before death."
"The old injuries on the feet are likely from childhood burns caused by direct skin contact with hot water."
After the external examination, they began sifting through the boxes filled with bloody water and the dismembered internal organs.
Lungs, heart, liver, small and large intestines—perhaps because these are easier to cut into pieces, the killer had chopped them even more finely.
They had to reassemble them all and observe for damage, as well as check for signs of disease or external blows.
The process was complex, but Ye Sangsang was extremely patient and focused on her tasks.
Even with the head included, the girl was only about four foot five, fragmented and lying on the oversized autopsy table, a sight that was hard to bear.
Even for seasoned forensic pathologists, this situation felt like a heavy rock weighing down their hearts.
After finishing the blood tests and reaching the final stages, both sighed in relief.
【Wow, Sangsang didn't skip any time at all; I watched the whole process.】
【Through the thick blur, I can still see their serious expressions. Being a forensic pathologist is so tough.】
【If it were me in that scenario, I'd be screaming or throwing up the whole time. 'Crime Files' is really intense. Though it's scary, I still watch all of it—it's strangely captivating because of that human focus and dedication.】
Time flew during the autopsy. When Ye Sangsang looked up at the mechanical wall clock in the autopsy room, it was already one thirty in the morning.
"Hopefully, they'll find the head tomorrow, and then we can accurately determine the cause of death."
As forensic pathologists, they had to take responsibility for the results of their autopsy. So even though they already suspected that the child had been suffocated to death, they had to wait until the head was found to officially record the cause of death in their report.
"I went to the residential building where the family lives. The security there is practically non-existent. Most of the residents are elderly, so it's likely the killer took the head with him, making it difficult to find."
"Does the killer have a fetish for collecting heads, or did he simply take it to make the investigation harder?"
As they discussed, Ye Sangsang recalled the anger and ferocity she felt at the crime scene, guessing that the killer likely belonged to the former category.
Some deranged murderers collect items they see as significant, like weapons or bones.
Though the head is a large target, if someone wanted to keep it as a trophy, there are ways to do it.
Zhou Jianguo waved his hand, "Hand the report over to the investigators, then go home and get some rest. Don't stay up too late."
"Alright, I'll deliver the report first. You go ahead and rest, Master Zhou. I'll handle the rest." The body was still on the autopsy table, and there were still tasks to complete afterward, which would take some time.
Zhou Jianguo frowned at Ye Sangsang.
"I told you to go home, so go home once you deliver the report."
Ye Sangsang nodded.
Knowing Fan Jingsi's personality, though, she would likely return to check on things after delivering the report.
The journey wasn't far; it took about seven or eight minutes to travel there and back.
Baicheng's autopsy room was relatively large, divided into two rooms by a partition—one for autopsies and the other for preparation.
A window was specially installed for easier communication.
When she returned quietly, she immediately noticed Zhou Jianguo deep in thought.
His complex expression suggested he was pondering something important.
Ye Sangsang stood in the preparation room for a while, then walked to the door and knocked.
Zhou Jianguo was startled from his thoughts and looked up at her. "Didn't I tell you to go home?"
"Let's tidy up together, then we can all go home," Ye Sangsang said matter-of-factly, offering to help.
This time, Zhou Jianguo didn't refuse and nodded, agreeing to clean together.
After placing the body in cold storage, they began cleaning up the bloodstained scene.
By the time they finished, it was almost three in the morning.
Working late into the night, their bodies were utterly exhausted. As they undressed in the preparation room, they couldn't stop yawning.
Ye Sangsang knew she had to rest.
She rarely experienced such exhaustion. Usually, she could function well on about five hours of sleep daily.
Realizing she was too tired after several yawns, she gathered herself and headed home.
She didn't skip the timeline lightly, as there was another person involved in this scenario, and skipping would affect both.
Moreover, she felt there might be many unexpected events in this scenario, so she decided to return home, take a shower, and allow her body to fall asleep before attempting to skip the timeline.
If the other person skipped the timeline or restarted, she would follow suit.
Hopefully, the other person would be competent enough to avoid restarting.
【Looks like the matched host couldn't be found. Maybe they're overseas or a smaller streamer?】
【Possibly, with five thousand spots and ten thousand live streams, finding the same one is like
Based on the timeline, the girl had died first.
She recalled the amount of blood in the room, which didn't seem to match the girl's blood loss; it was too much.
That couple likely also died in the room.
But if that was the case, why would he choose to take the bodies away for disposal? It would have been easier to just dismember them in place and take only the head.
Ye Sangsang's vision was blurred by someone waving their hand in front of her. She raised her head to meet the doll-faced female officer's concerned dark eyes.
"What are you thinking about, Sister Jingsi?" she asked curiously.
Ye Sangsang shook her head. "Just thinking about the case."
"If they died in the room together, wouldn't it be better to dispose of the bodies together instead of taking them away individually?"
"It's not easy to carry away two people."
Ye Sangsang took a deep breath, still unable to figure out the key point.
Although the female officer was an intern, she had participated in the entire case discussion and was a professionally trained individual, so she immediately understood what Ye Sangsang meant.
She pursed her lips, furrowed her brows, and thought, but couldn't quite grasp it.
Ye Sangsang knew they couldn't discuss it further; finding the real murderer wasn't going to be simple.
The case was assigned to a forensic investigator, probably because the forensic team was seen as playing a crucial role. Otherwise, she would likely have been a criminal police officer.
The investigators discussed some details of the case.
Ye Sangsang found that, like the case from ten years ago, no one around them appeared suspicious.
In other words, this case only had the crime scene and the missing head; there were no eyewitnesses.
The forensic team extracted traces and evidence from the scene, discovering footprints and fingerprints from four people.
Two of them were matched to the already identified victims.
The other two were likely from the wife of the family of three.
The last one was most likely the murderer.
But no suitable match was found in the system, meaning the perpetrator might not have a criminal record.
Ye Sangsang entered the autopsy room, where Zhou Jianguo was carefully continuing the postmortem.
He had a serious look on his face, his eyes filled with determination.
【Though he seemed emotionless when talking about the massacre case earlier, it's clear he has been deeply affected by that case.】
【I once watched a documentary about a case that had gone unsolved for 26 years until a persistent detective finally cracked it. His unwavering gaze brought tears to my eyes.】
【Yes, their dedication is beyond what most people can imagine. They want to deliver justice to the victims and remain steadfast in their beliefs.】
Ye Sangsang didn't speak, putting on gloves and approaching the body.
She carefully cleaned out the dirt from between the fingers and possible DNA remains.
She also compared the size of the cutting tools used and checked if there were any missing body parts.
In fact, the victim had likely endured some form of torture before death.
After all, being a grown man, he posed the greatest threat to the murderer.
So, the first thing needed was to overpower him violently.
The dumping site was also strange, broadening the police's assumptions about the murderer's range.
Ye Sangsang looked at the leg and said, "There are marks of restraint here. The victim must have witnessed his daughter's death."
She could even imagine the scene: the murderer bound him and forced him to watch as he killed his daughter.
Even the wife died in front of the man.
Finally, the murderer killed the man and dismembered his body.
Her hand rested on the victim's leg as she pondered: if she were in that situation, what kind of psychological state would she be in to witness such a scene?
Did she enjoy their pain?
According to the investigators, this family of three was kind to others, though not wealthy, they had a good family atmosphere.
She moved her hand to the edge of the autopsy table, her mind suddenly becoming clearer.
Perhaps the murderer didn't enjoy their pain; instead, he reveled in the destruction of their happy relationship.
He despised everything they represented, so he chose to ruin it.
To destroy this kind of relationship.
If that were the case, it aligned with the name of the copy: Malice.
However, these were just speculations, only providing guesses about the motive behind the crime.
In reality, they didn't serve much purpose and might only be used as references later.
She snapped back to reality and looked at Zhou Jianguo.
"Should we arrange for family members to identify the bodies?" Although they had already confirmed that the remains belonged to a father and daughter from the same family, without heads, they still needed to follow the proper procedures.
Their relatives were also in Baicheng, though in a rural area.
They had been notified immediately after the incident occurred, and given the timing, it was now appropriate to arrange for the identification of the bodies.
Zhou Jianguo nodded, "Make sure the bodies are tidied up, and let the family send someone brave enough to make the identification."
"Alright." Ye Sangsang nodded.
The three of them got to work.
After finishing, Ye Sangsang began notifying the family members.
Once the deceased's family members were notified, they immediately arrived at the bureau. The room for identifying the bodies was located elsewhere.
Ye Sangsang looked at the large group of people and directly stated, "Not everyone can go in. Choose someone who is close to the deceased, is familiar with their body, and is brave enough to identify them. Do not touch or damage the body, and if you feel overwhelmed, leave immediately..."
After giving them the necessary instructions, she watched as people from the crowd made their decision.
After some discussion, the male deceased's father and uncle, along with the girl's aunt, stepped forward. The three of them followed Ye Sangsang into the morgue.
Since the heads were missing, the areas above the necks were covered with white cloth.
The bodies had been stitched together with fine thread after a thorough examination.
So, the entire body was covered in dense stitching, and it took the three of them over two hours to finish this massive task.
The scene was both horrifying and grotesque. Even with some cleaning to maintain a semblance of cleanliness for identification purposes, it was enough to challenge anyone's nerves.
Before unveiling the white cloth, even though Ye Sangsang had already prepared them mentally, the expressions of fear and panic were unavoidable once the cloth was lifted.
Then came the vomiting, fortunately, Ye Sangsang had already arranged for trash cans.
Being family members, the grief was more intense than other emotions, and soon the three of them composed themselves to begin identifying the bodies by examining the hands, feet, and general body condition.
The father, who was familiar with his child, quickly confirmed that the deceased was his son.
The male deceased's uncle identified the body by a mole on the arm.
The girl's aunt had taken care of the girl for over a year and was very familiar with her body.
When identifying the girl, the grandfather and great-grandfather turned away to wipe their tears.
It wasn't about being modest; it was mainly due to grief. When the father recognized his son, his eyes filled with tears, and in that moment, he seemed to age by ten years.
The girl's aunt covered her mouth, wiping away her tears forcefully as she approached to take a close look after Ye Sangsang removed the cloth.
Her hands, placed on the slab, trembled uncontrollably as she examined every inch carefully.
As time passed, Ye Sangsang could clearly see the hope in her eyes gradually fading.
Presumably, because the aunt was so familiar with the child, she had already recognized that this was her niece.
"Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"
Until she saw the burn mark on the girl's foot, she covered her face and broke down in sobs.
Tears streamed out from between her fingers. Before coming here, they had tried to comfort themselves with the thought that it might not be their family, but in this moment, that psychological preparation crumbled.
Ye Sangsang had a general understanding of the situation, covered the body properly, and then helped the aunt to her feet.
"Let's go outside and talk."
There, they could mourn properly.
The investigators also needed to ask them if the couple had ever offended anyone or had any arguments with others.
The three of them went out and informed the others of what had happened.
The deceased's mother didn't cry, but the helplessness and confusion on her face made it clear how deeply lost she felt.
[Crying would be better. If she doesn't cry now, she might react later and feel even more devastated.]
[Too tragic. Every murder case is behind lives severed.]
[This kind of realistic scene makes me weep every time.]
The investigators sent away the unnecessary people and kept the closest blood relatives. After comforting them, they began asking questions.
Ye Sangsang quietly stood to the side and watched.
Death happens in an instant, but for the living, everything is just beginning.
In fact, she could empathize with such a scene, because she had experienced something similar.
The departure of Madame Ye Xin, at first glance, seemed calm, but in reality, she often thought about her.
Thanks to her good memory, she could accurately remember the small mole on her cheek, the color of her eyes, and even the angle of her smile.
Previously, she didn't understand why she kept recalling these memories.
Now, looking at the mother's blank expression, it suddenly clicked.
The investigators didn't get any crucial information. The couple worked in the city and brought their daughter to attend elementary school there. Due to the high cost of phone calls, they only contacted their family three times a month.
With such infrequent communication, there wasn't much time to discuss anything else, let alone whether they had offended anyone or encountered any issues.
In Zhongzhou Country, people tend to share only good news when they are away from home.
Ye Sangsang returned and looked at the two bodies, one large and one small, pushing them back into the cold storage.
Hopefully, they could soon reunite them with their missing parts.
The impact of this incident was greater than expected. With a family of three resulting in two deaths and one disappearance, coupled with the fact that the crime scene resembled a decade-old massacre, it quickly made the front page of the Baicheng Evening News, and even some provincial city newspapers seemed poised to report on it, with reporters already on their way.
The city was under immense pressure, and this pressure cascaded downwards, ordering the case investigators to produce results within a week.
If the case continued to be as unresolved as the decade-old one, the credibility of the entire police department would be called into question.
The forensic department was under significant pressure as well, working overtime to analyze DNA samples, test blood types from the scene, and determine the status of the other missing female victim.
The criminal investigation team was fully mobilized, analyzing potential crime scenes, conducting door-to-door investigations, and reviewing surveillance footage.
Even police dogs were deployed in the search, hoping that the missing woman was still alive and could be found.
In this tense atmosphere, the white landline phone rang.
Almost instantly, Zhou Jianguo's face darkened.
Because the phone rang, it meant they, the forensic team, needed to head to the scene.
The third victim had likely already met their fate.
He closed his eyes and, trembling, reached out his hand.
"Hello, Baicheng Forensic Science Department."
A young hand reached out, surpassing his, and firmly picked up the phone.
Her voice was resolute, her eyes filled with absolute calm.