sjar Chapter 1014 File Matching Failed
Chapter 1014 File Matching Failed
In the electronic information comparison room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment, eight computer screens gleamed coldly in the darkness, reflecting Xiao Zhou's bloodshot eyes. The sounds of keyboard typing and mouse scrolling intertwined to create a monotonous background noise, while the air conditioner vents emitted a low hum, but it couldn't dispel the stagnant air in the room.
“File number 1378, still no match.” Team member Xiaolin slammed his head heavily on the table, his voice muffled by his arms. “From yesterday morning until now, my eyes are seeing double on the screen. This isn’t solving a case, it’s torture.” He grabbed the eye drops next to him and poured them into his eyes several times.
Technician Lao Zhou turned his stiff neck, his joints making a "crackling" sound: "Most of the photos in these files are from several years ago. People's appearances change over time, and the deceased's face was severely decomposed, so the error rate of the AI recognition system is frighteningly high." He tapped the constantly jumping code on the screen, "It took me three hours just to adjust the parameters, and the result was still a bunch of false alarms."
New employee Xiao Chen stared at the dense text on the screen, his fingers unconsciously stroking the mouse: "The part I'm responsible for is missing men in the province over the past three years, and there are 892 people in the 35-40 age group alone. I just finally found someone whose height and build matched, but he went home on his own last month." He smiled bitterly and took a bite of his now-cold instant noodles, the noodles swelling in the broth.
Xiao Zhou rubbed his aching temples, got up, and refilled everyone's coffee cups: "Everyone, hang in there a little longer. Let's refine the screening criteria. In addition to age and height, we should focus on people with a history of old fractures. The fracture mark on the right ulna of the deceased is a key clue." His voice was hoarse, carrying undisguised fatigue, but his tone remained firm.
Time ticked by, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened. As the city's neon lights streamed into the room through the blinds, Xiao Lin suddenly sat up straight: "This looks a bit like him!" He excitedly pointed to the screen, "Wang Jianjun, 38 years old, disappeared last year at a construction site in a neighboring city, 179cm tall, exactly the same as the deceased."
Everyone immediately gathered around, and Xiao Zhou carefully examined the file information: "She worked at a construction site before she went missing, which matches the characteristics of asphalt residue on the soles of the deceased's shoes. But the file doesn't record whether she had a history of fractures..." He frowned, "Contact the local police to retrieve more detailed medical examination reports and medical records, especially those related to orthopedics."
The wait for a reply felt incredibly long. The team members stared intently at the computer screens, even unconsciously holding their breath. Half an hour later, the message arrived: Wang Jianjun's medical report showed his bones were intact, with no signs of old fractures. Hope shattered instantly, and a heavy silence filled the room.
"Why is it always just a little short!" Xiaolin slammed his fist on the table in anger, splashing coffee from his cup. "We've sifted through tens of thousands of pieces of information these past two days, our eyes hurt, our heads hurt, and it's all been for nothing!" His voice was filled with despair and resentment. "Did the deceased spring out of a rock? How come we can't find a single clue?"
Looking at his dejected team members, Xiao Zhou took a deep breath: "I know everyone is exhausted. This kind of needle-in-a-haystack work is truly exhausting. But that's how criminal investigation is; every time you eliminate a wrong option, you get one step closer to the truth." He walked to the whiteboard and wrote the word "persevere" heavily in red pen. "Let's change our approach and start with the social relationships of missing persons. Those who live alone and have little contact with relatives and friends are more likely to be unidentified victims. Let's re-screen those files."
Encouraged by Xiao Zhou, the team members sat back down at their computers and mustered their spirits to continue working. Lao Zhou put on his reading glasses and carefully checked every piece of information; Xiao Chen categorized the missing persons by area, trying to find patterns; and Xiao Lin was responsible for organizing all the screened files to avoid duplication of work.
In the dead of night, the city falls asleep, except for the lights in the information comparison room, which remain on.
On the morning of the third day after the incident, the conference room of the Criminal Investigation Division was filled with smoke. Li Ming stood in front of the whiteboard and wrote the words "Qinglan Mountain Unidentified Corpse Case" heavily in red pen. Photos of the crime scene were playing on a loop on the projection screen; the pale corpse and the eerie forest made the atmosphere in the room increasingly oppressive. The digital clock on the wall showed 9:17 p.m. The attendees' shirt collars were slightly open, their ties were crooked, and everyone's face was etched with fatigue.
"Let's begin the case analysis meeting now." Li Ming turned around and scanned everyone, his voice deep and powerful. "Let's start with the crime scene investigation. Xiao Yang, you'll speak."
Xiao Yang adjusted his glasses and opened the thick investigation report: "The scene is located deep in Qinglanshan Forest Park. The deceased was lying supine, stuck between two red pine trees. Three-dimensional laser scanning analysis revealed two sets of shoe prints at the scene. The person holding the size 42 shoe print is preliminarily estimated to be 178-182 cm tall and weigh approximately 80 kg; the person holding the size 40 shoe print is approximately 170 cm tall and weighs approximately 65 kg." He switched the projected image to show a 3D model of the shoe prints. "The size 42 shoe print shows obvious drag marks, with a total drag length of 12.7 meters, pointing northeast towards the firebreak."
"Have you collected any physical evidence that directly points to the murderer?" Xiao Zhou couldn't help but ask.
Xiao Yang shook his head: "Unfortunately, no. No signs of a struggle were found on the deceased's clothing, and the number of hairs under the fingernails was too small to extract complete DNA. Only half a blurry palm print was found at the scene, which has been sent for pattern enhancement. In addition, silica particles were extracted from the deceased's cuff, and the composition analysis showed that they were similar to industrial ceramic raw materials, which are not compatible with the environment of Qinglan Mountain."
"In other words, the clues from the current on-site investigation are not enough to directly identify the murderer." Li Ming wrote "Industrial Ceramics" on the whiteboard and drew a big question mark. "Continue. Zhang Lin, what are the autopsy results?"
Zhang Lin opened the autopsy report, his expression serious: "The deceased died of mechanical asphyxiation. The ligature mark on the neck is 1.2 centimeters wide, and the rope is made of relatively thick fiber. Based on the healing of the skull sutures, tooth wear, and pelvic morphology, the deceased's age is estimated to be around 38 years old, with an error margin of ±1 year." He pulled up the autopsy photos. "The deceased had an old fracture of the right ulna, which occurred 3-5 years ago. It was a transverse fracture, presumably caused by direct violence. The stomach contents were empty, suggesting that the last meal was 6-8 hours before death. However, no abnormal components were found in the toxicology tests and pathological sections."
“Age and history of fractures—this information can help confirm the deceased’s identity.” Li Ming nodded, then turned to Xiao Wang. “How is the investigation going in the surrounding villages?”