sjar Chapter 961 Information Found During Autopsy
Chapter 961 Information Found During Autopsy
The instrument emitted a regular humming sound, and the screen continuously displayed the content data of various elements. However, after careful comparison, they were all elements commonly found in coal ash and soil, and no abnormalities were found.
While examining the area around the body, Xiao Sun used a laser scanning mapping device. This device can create a 3D model of an object using a laser beam, accurately recording the original position and posture of the body. The red laser beam rapidly scanned the surface of the body, and the instrument's built-in software quickly generated a 3D model. However, this only determined the state of the body when it was discovered and did not provide any substantial clues for solving the case.
Xiao Yang focused on the corners and crevices of the cellar. He carefully inserted a probe into the cracks in the wall, trying to find any possible physical evidence. In one corner, the probe brought out a small piece of fibrous fabric. Although it was severely decayed, he still treasured it and put it into the evidence bag. "No matter how small the clue, we can't let it go. Maybe it's the key evidence," Xiao Yang said.
The two then applied magnetic powder development to the entire cellar, a method commonly used to extract fingerprints from metal surfaces. They evenly sprayed a special magnetic powder onto the iron door and other metal parts inside the cellar that might have been touched, and then gently brushed them with a magnetic brush. Unfortunately, due to long-term oxidation and corrosion, the metal surface was already unrecognizable, and the magnetic powder could not adhere to form clear fingerprint patterns.
Before they knew it, it was already past midnight. Sun and Yang sat wearily at the cellar entrance, looking at the scattered forensic equipment and the evidence bags containing trace amounts of physical evidence. "Three years is enough time for most clues to disappear," Sun sighed. Yang nodded in agreement: "However, these trace amounts of evidence we found might bring a breakthrough in the lab analysis."
Although the on-site investigation did not uncover any crucial clues directly pointing to the perpetrator, the two investigators' meticulous work provided invaluable physical evidence for subsequent investigations. In criminal investigations, sometimes seemingly useless clues can play an unexpected role when corroborated by other evidence. With these hopes, they carefully sealed the evidence, preparing to take it back to the laboratory for further analysis, hoping to find a breakthrough in uncovering the truth of the case from these subtle details.
While the on-site investigation was being conducted in the cellar, the body had already been transported back to the forensic autopsy room of the Criminal Investigation Detachment for autopsy.
When the operating lights in the autopsy room came on, Li Qingmin's corpse had an eerie, milky-yellow sheen, as if it had been coated with a translucent waxy shell. Zhang Lin, wearing an N95 mask and a protective face shield, picked up a scalpel from the instrument tray with rubber gloves; the clanging of metal was particularly clear in the cold, silent space. "Dissecting a corpse coated with adipocere requires more caution," he said to the recording equipment, his gaze sweeping over the uneven skin texture of the corpse; the honeycomb-like pores formed by the accumulation of putrefactive gases were now completely filled with adipocere.
Zhang Lin crouched down, aligning the zero mark of the measuring tape with the calcaneal tuberosity of the corpse's heel, and slowly straightened the tape until the red mark stopped steadily at 176 centimeters. "Height confirmed." He repeated the measurement to the recorder, his peripheral vision glancing at the electronic scale; the number on the LCD screen finally settled at 76 kilograms. The corpse showed unnatural swelling due to adipocere, but the contours of the upper arms and thighs still outlined firm muscle lines, and the dull, solid sound when the knuckles were tapped confirmed the judgment of "a rather robust physique."
"He began taking skeletal measurements." Zhang Lin switched to vernier calipers, the metal jaws precisely gripping the proximal end of the right humerus. As the knob turned, the readings on the dial were accurate to 0.01 millimeters. He quickly recorded the length and diameter of the bone shaft: "The long bones of the upper limb conform to the characteristics of an adult male, with uniform cortical bone thickness and no obvious osteoporosis." When the calipers reached the femur, he suddenly stopped—there was a half-centimeter-long old fracture on the lateral femoral condyle, the edges of which were filled with adipocere, forming a mother-of-pearl-like luster; "It had suffered an external impact before death, and the healing time was over five years."
Under the operating light, the pubic symphysis surface gleamed with a waxy sheen. Zhang Lin put on a stereomicroscope, and the bone cross-section in the eyepiece revealed a unique textured structure. "The symphysis ridge groove is shallower, the ridge disappears, forming a relatively smooth plane." He gently touched the bone depression with a probe; "This characteristic is consistent with the degenerative pattern of the 40-50 age group." Turning to observe the skull, the suture closure under the magnifying glass became a crucial clue: the anterior third of the coronal suture was completely ossified, and bony connections appeared in the middle of the sagittal suture—these irreversible physiological changes were like marks etched by time.
The most convincing evidence came from the oral cavity. Zhang Lin carefully pried open the stiff lower jaw with a dental probe. The surface of the molars, covered in adipocere, was covered with wear surfaces of varying depths. "The dentin on the occlusal surface of the first molar was exposed, forming a large area of wear pits, and the enamel edges had lost their sharpness." He pulled up a tooth wear grading chart for comparison. "According to the Smith grading standard, this level corresponds to around 45 years old." His fingers unconsciously caressed the deceased's swollen and deformed jaw angle; the bone hyperplasia formed rough protrusions under his fingertips—compensatory bone growth caused by long-term chewing of hard foods, perfectly echoing the degree of tooth wear.
"After cross-checking all physiological characteristics," Zhang Lin removed his eyepiece and underlined the details on the notebook with his scalpel. "The deceased's age was confirmed to be around 45 years old."
Zhang Lin then continued the dissection.
The scalpel made a peculiar, gritty sensation as it cut into the adipose tissue, like slicing through solidified grease. Zhang Lin adjusted the angle of the blade, slowly advancing at a 15-degree angle to avoid damaging the subcutaneous tissue. When he cut through the chest skin, a faint saponification odor wafted out—the distinctive smell of adipose tissue decomposition, formed by the combination of fatty acids and alkaline substances produced by the anaerobic decomposition of adipose tissue. "Adipose tissue decomposition usually occurs in warm, humid, and poorly ventilated environments," he explained to the recording pen. "The coal ash layer provides excellent insulation; after the body fat is converted into adipose tissue, it not only prevents putrefactive bacteria from invading but also forms a natural preservation layer."
While dissecting the thoracic and abdominal cavities, Zhang Lin discovered that almost all the internal organs were encased in a grayish-white waxy substance. He carefully used a probe to separate the adipocere from the surface of the liver, a process that required precise control of pressure to avoid organ breakage. The liver weighed approximately 1500 grams, its shape intact but its texture hardened. He picked up a small tissue sample with tweezers. "Adipocere alters the cell structure; the intercellular spaces are filled with fatty acid salts, which is why the internal organs remained relatively intact."