Chapter 779: Chapter 416: This Case Isn’t Simple!
Hearing this sentence, Li Dong was instantly frozen in place, as if struck by a silent bolt of lightning.
His lips trembled slightly, almost unconsciously repeating the words of the other party: "Mr. Jiang...homicide?"
"Are you sure this is really a homicide?"
While speaking, his gaze involuntarily turned to the two bodies lying quietly on the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Even Captain Huang of the salvage team was momentarily stunned, his brows tightly furrowed, his expression frozen between shock and confusion.
They had been engaged in salvage work for many years, and retrieving bodies from the water was not uncommon each year.
Most cases ultimately pointed to traffic accidents or accidental drowning.
The ruthless flow of water, life’s fleeting nature, these were tragedies they had long grown accustomed to.
And these two corpses before them, whether in terms of the location they were found or the electric vehicle wreckage dragged out nearby, seemed to point to a typical traffic accident.
Driving at night, poor visibility, losing control into the water...
All traces seemed to silently confirm this deduction.
At this moment, team member Wan silently stepped forward.
He did not rush to speak but instead carefully examined the ground’s marks and the turbulent water’s surface in the direction Jiang An was gazing.
As an experienced team member who had long partnered with Jiang An, he knew very well: Jiang An never spoke based on groundless speculation, every word was based on comprehensive on-site observations and forensic professional judgment.
Especially since taking on the role of captain, he has become more composed and prudent, never making conclusions lightly.
Jiang An exhaled slightly, speaking calmly yet firmly: "Indeed, these two bodies were found from the water, and on the surface, they match the characteristics of a traffic accident very well."
"Following conventional thinking, it would indeed lead to the conclusion of accidental drowning — for example, this male deceased was carrying the female back after drinking, and due to insufficient road lighting accidentally fell into the river."
"We’ve also learned from visits that this couple usually went out early and returned late, running a vegetable business, working very hard."
"Driving tired at night, or even drink-driving, sounds plausible."
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping across Li Dong’s face, then his voice suddenly deepened, speaking clearly, word by word:
"However, what I must tell you is — this man did not drown to death."
"He was thrown into the water after his death."
"Body disposal?!"
"How is that possible?" Li Dong asked in disbelief.
He felt as if an invisible current passed through him, unable to digest this sudden significant turn of events for a moment.
Momentarily, Li Dong stood surprised and frozen in place, his eyes staring straight at Jiang An, as if trying to find some answers in his face.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment, after a long while, he hesitantly spoke: "Mr. Jiang, if it really was post-mortem body disposal, then was the female deceased also thrown into the water?"
"Just now, I clearly saw water still pouring out of her mouth."
"Although I am not a professional forensic expert, from experience, this is clearly a manifestation of drowning during life."
"If a person is already dead and not breathing autonomously, how could they inhale a large amount of river water?"
"Only when alive and choking on water would the abdomen and respiratory tract harbor so much fluid."
Jiang An nodded slightly after listening, his gaze steady and sharp, he responded calmly yet firmly: "Indeed, what you propose is a point of contradiction, but forensic analysis cannot depend solely on partial phenomena, it must see if the overall appearance of the corpses and the site traces are consistent."
"Regarding the male deceased, I did not find any typical signs of drowning, for instance, fungal foam at the nose and mouth, or gripping water plants."
"In contrast, the female deceased shows obvious drowning symptoms, which indeed appears perplexing."
After a brief pause, he pointed to the muddy tire marks by the riverbank and continued: "From the trajectory of the motorcycle entering the river, it can be determined that it sped into the water from this point."
"In other words, this is not a simple traffic accident, I tend to believe it is a premeditated murder, and there is a possibility of third-party assistance in the crime."
In the past, when Jiang An was just a regular member of the criminal investigation team, Li Dong might have hesitated to question, insist on his own view.
But now, Jiang An is the captain of the Jiangcheng Criminal Investigation Unit, his judgment not only represents personal experience, but also the authority and responsibility of his position.
Despite the layers of questions in Li Dong’s heart and countless unresolved details surging within.
He knew that continuing to argue without tangible evidence was no longer appropriate.
Ultimately, Li Dong pressed back a million words in his heart and solemnly responded: "Mr. Jiang, you are the leader, I will follow your judgment in terms of criminal investigation."
"If this truly is a homicide case, our police station will certainly fully cooperate in solving it, striving to uncover the truth as soon as possible."
Jiang An nodded, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding environment.
This area was remote and desolate, with no one in sight front and back, and no surveillance equipment, the difficulty of gathering evidence was imaginable.
After a long pause, Jiang An added gravely: "This area is rarely frequented, there are no public cameras installed at the entrance and exit, the investigation might face significant resistance."
"We must be prepared for a tough battle."
Then, he turned to the two officers beside him: "Wan and Qin Feng, you two proceed along this road in the forward and backward directions to carry out inspections, pay attention to whether there are traffic cameras at each intersection."
"Not only those installed by the public security systems, but also those privately set up by local shops, factories, or even residents, must all be registered and documented, no lens that might capture clues can be omitted."
