Chapter 194: Chapter 193 Deliberate Bloody Footprints_1
Yang Xuetong went to the kitchen. He had no doubt about Zhou Ning’s judgment. Although the team leader was younger than him, his observation and comprehensive abilities were well recognized in the bureau.
Mr. Zhao struggled to his feet and glanced at the fluorescence on the sink and toilet floor, then turned to look at the shower area.
"This murderer is twisted, could it really be that Xing Xiaoli?"
Zhou Ning shook his head.
"It’s hard to say for certain. If there were only one bloody handprint on the door, and the room was thoroughly cleaned, then Xing Xiaoli would be the prime suspect. But now half a complete crime scene has been deliberately left behind, which subconsciously makes people think that Xing Xiaoli couldn’t possibly be the killer. If he were, he wouldn’t be so foolish.
Oh, the half that was cleaned up knew to use a chlorine-based disinfectant to destroy protein, and this shower area here is simply an original crime scene overlooked, a classic frame-up.
But the more it is like this, the more puzzled I feel. The killer clearly knows what the effect of using the chlorine-based disinfectant is, so why leave a bloody handprint on the door?"
Mr. Zhao pondered for a moment, shaking his chubby head.
"Can’t figure it out, I don’t have the brains for it. I think anyone who likes watching CSI probably knows to use bleach to damage the DNA in the blood, so it seems most appropriate for cleaning up the scene. This doesn’t require expertise. But to dismember with a kitchen knife is too deliberate, it doesn’t seem like someone who has watched CSI."
Zhou Ning nodded. Mr. Zhao claimed to not understand, but he had already touched on the key point.
"You also feel that it’s contradictory, right?"
Mr. Zhao nodded.
"Let’s first investigate the scene, we can talk about all the analysis after we return!"
Zhou Ning left the bathroom, and it seemed because the floor drain was tampered with, the smell of blood and decay in the entire room was even stronger.
In the kitchen, several marker signs had been placed on the floor, one being a relatively clear shoe print. There was no need for Luminol to see the bloodstains where the sole would be, this was indeed the only reliable footprint.
"Size 43 shoes, just found this pair in the shoe cabinet."
Mr. Zhao held up a bag with evidence, a pair of semi-new Nike sneakers. Bloodstains could be seen on the edges of the sneakers. Zhou Ning took the bag and looked toward the window, inspecting the inside of the shoes. He didn’t see any bloodstains, nor were there any traces of stepping on the heels.
At that time, Yang Xuetong was searching inside a cabinet on the north side and pulled out a box. As he opened the lid, he shouted:
"Team leader, found the saw."
"Take it back, check for fingerprints. Alright, the scene investigation is complete. Leave someone to guard and we withdraw."
Back at the technical office, Mr. Zhao personally went to submit the evidence for examination, as there were especially many items to be tested.
Zhou Ning drank a glass of water, quickly eating boxed rice. It was already three-thirty in the afternoon, he was so hungry he felt faint, and everyone was eating silently with their heads down.
Just then, Xu Dayuan walked in through the door.
Seeing Zhou Ning and the others eating, his face showed an apologetic expression.
"You all have worked hard. I’ve already been in contact with Tan Ran’s parents. They arrived on the three o’clock flight. I’ve asked Mr. Zeng to pick them up. When they arrive, please receive them, draw blood if needed, do the comparisons that are required."
Following that, Xu Dayuan updated them on the investigation concerning Xing Xiaoli, including printing out the mobile phone call content between Xing Xiaoli and Tan Ran.
Xing Xiaoli’s call list was varied, but according to his phone’s notes and subsequent discoveries, these were indeed personnel involved in furniture and home appliance delivery.
In Tan Ran’s call logs, there were communications with both her parents and her colleagues.
However, on the afternoon of September 7th, Tan Ran’s phone had no more call records. As for the bank statements, on November 12, 2010, Tan Ran transferred one million to Xing Xiaoli.
Afterwards, she had many expenses for shopping and several large cash withdrawals, showing that she was someone who spent money lavishly. After all, just from January to September this year, her bank transactions exceeded five hundred thousand, and she made four large cash withdrawals, one time as much as one hundred thousand.
Regarding the surveillance at Enbo Residential Area Building 4, there was none, but there was a camera at the intersection near the east side of Building 3. Tao Zhenshan had already gone to the property management to obtain it. After all, today was October 6, and if delayed any longer, they worried the footage could all be washed away.
After listening to Xu Dayuan’s briefing, Zhou Ning nodded, quickly stuffing the last two bites of rice into his mouth, rinsed his mouth, and with a pen in hand, walked up to the whiteboard.
Xu Dayuan came at this time for a clear reason, and at this moment, it was better to be proactive.
On the whiteboard, Xia Momo had drawn a floor plan to exact scale. Zhou Ning used a red pen to mark several positions on it, pointing as he spoke:
"After examining the crime scene, we found a blood fingerprint with a glove on the inside of the entry door, but its color was very faint and it appeared quite abruptly."
"The dry area of the bathroom had been meticulously cleaned using disinfectant bleach, but the shower area had not been cleaned. There, we found broken saw blades, coils of wire, a chipped kitchen knife, and the drain was clogged with hair and other substances."
"A saw was found in the kitchen, which had also been cleaned, however, a very clear blood footprint was left behind. The shoes were found in the shoe cabinet. There were traces of a suitcase in the master bedroom, and from the bathroom to the front door, there were two drag marks left by a suitcase."
"As for all the evidence and samples collected from the scene, they have all been sent to the forensic department. Most of them require DNA collection for comparison, and the results won’t be available until tomorrow at the earliest, given the large quantity."
"Based on the examination, the cause of death I’m putting forward is mechanical asphyxiation. Just now, Xia Momo analyzed the victim’s neck girth according to the photos, which matches the circumference of the wire coil found at the scene. Furthermore, there are traces of saw cuts on the external covering of the wire, obviously, when the victim’s head was severed, this wire also fell."
At this point, Zhou Ning paused, and after waiting a long time and seeing that Zhou Ning didn’t continue, Xu Dayuan poked him."
"What are you thinking about, you can’t make up your mind with me? Just say what comes to mind, let me hear your analysis. And listening to your introduction, I feel like the killer could have completely cleaned up the scene but didn’t. Is that what you mean?"
Zhou Ning nodded, this was the part he found most perplexing during the crime scene investigation."
"Yes, what puzzles me is this point. The dry area of the bathroom was cleaned very thoroughly, not a single drop of blood was left, and it was even sprayed with disinfectant. To prevent the shower area from being cleaned, the shower curtain was even blocked."
"Regarding the blood fingerprint on the inside of the entry door and the blood footprint on the kitchen floor, they seem more like they were deliberately left behind. Even the shoes were intentionally left at the scene. When we examined them, all the shoes at the scene were size 43. According to the wear on their soles, these shoes belonged to Xing Xiaoli."
"It seems the killer intentionally directed our attention toward Xing Xiaoli. After all, Tan Ran and Xing Xiaoli used to be a couple, even if it wasn’t publicized. I think many could see that. So, can we interpret it this way: the killer is also on the figure skating team, which is why they knew them so well?"
"Of course, Xing Xiaoli’s suspicion has not been eliminated. According to Xu Da, there was no loan receipt between him and Tan Ran. If Tan Ran died, he would be the beneficiary."
Xu Dayuan lit a cigarette, now his head was truly spinning.
"What you’re saying makes sense. If part of the scene can be cleaned up, then all of it could be cleaned. Since the key is communal and with so many people coming and going, now everyone on the speed skating team is a suspect, from the coach to team members, especially Wang Ying, whom Xing Xiaoli didn’t reject his advances."
Liu Yongxin had been standing behind Xu Dayuan the whole time, continuously nodding as he listened to the analysis."
"Mr. Xu, stop fixating on my apprentice. He’s just a forensic doctor, although he follows along with a lab. But cases still depend on your direction. If you need to check surveillance, then check it, and if you need to verify everyone’s whereabouts, then do it. The examination results will be ready by tomorrow. As for the victim’s remains, I’ll take another look with Zhou Xiaozhou in a bit. Does that work for you?"
Xu Dayuan laughed and patted Liu Yongxin on the shoulder, after all, they had collaborated for many years, and this old man still understood him well.
"You understand me. We’ll take another look at the remains and see if there’s any additional information. Actually, I’ve been puzzled about why the victim’s feet were severed. If it was because a figure skater’s ankles show unique signs of wear, or the bones in the feet were deformed, doesn’t that seem a bit far-fetched?"
"I mean, even if the feet are there, even seeing protruding bones or wear marks would only make it easier for us to analyze the victim’s occupation. It wouldn’t necessarily attract more attention, right? After all, it’s just a dismembered body thrown into the ocean, what difference would it make if it were found?"
This statement made Zhou Ning lift his eyes.
Xu Dayuan was making a very valid point. He had just studied the ankles and feet of figure skaters. They weren’t as severely deformed as those of the speed skaters, only the skin around the ankle bones appeared rough, mainly due to wearing ice skates. If that were the case, even if they witnessed it, they wouldn’t pay too much attention.
But how serious would it have to be to necessitate chopping off the feet?
Or to put it another way, did Tan Ran’s feet have such distinctive features that the killer had no choice but to do this?"
"Mr. Xu, ask that coach. After all, Tan Ran had been training in figure skating for ten years. I think as an athlete, she must undergo regular medical examinations each year, which are quite strict. I’m not sure which hospital they go to for this. We should retrieve the records. Just now at the scene, I didn’t see any medical files or examination reports in the dormitory opposite."
Xu Dayuan immediately dialed Wang Ligang’s number, and after just three rings, the other party picked up.
"Hello?"
"This is Xu Dayuan from the Criminal Police Brigade. Where do you conduct annual medical exams for the team members? Do you keep the related files, or does the hospital?"
"At Qindao City Central Hospital Physical Examination Center. We conduct a wide range of examinations since we need to stay informed about the athletes’ physical states. As for the files, they’re all with Doctor Zhang, but I’m not sure if the hospital has kept any records."
"Every year?"
"Yes, every year, besides the regular check-ups, we also perform specific tests before international competitions, such as urine tests, which are all done before traveling abroad."
"Alright, have Doctor Zhang give all the files to our team."
With that, Xu Dayuan hung up the phone.
Liu Yongxin glanced at Xu Dayuan. With that statement, it was clear that the entire figure skating team was already under control.
"You move fast. So everyone’s been taken into custody?"
