Chapter 574: Chapter 574: South Suburb Funeral Home

Currently, there isn’t a better solution; we can only go through the videos one by one.

Only after obtaining the suspect’s facial information can we proceed with the next step of investigation, control, and tracking.

Or even issuing a wanted notice.

"We need to intensify the monitoring checks here."

After contemplating for a moment, Li Donglin said: "Tianzhou City’s Criminal Investigation Team will concentrate their maximum effort to assist you both in conducting video surveillance checks."

"Expand the search range, centering on locations the suspect has appeared, ensuring all surveillance within a three-kilometer radius is gone through thoroughly."

This decision by Li Donglin is also a result of accumulated experience.

The suspect managed to deliberately avoid the hot pot restaurant’s surveillance video, indicating not only that the suspect is very cautious but also somewhat familiar with the environment of the hot pot restaurant.

Moreover, the surveillance outside the hot pot restaurant didn’t capture the three suspects’ faces, further indicating their familiarity with the surroundings.

At least they know the obvious shooting directions and angles of surveillance equipment.

Based on this inference, the three suspects could most likely reside near the hot pot restaurant or have a hideout nearby.

Normally, a person’s familiar range of environment is about two kilometers.

Centering on their residential area, a radius of roughly two kilometers covers the limits.

Because two kilometers is the maximum distance most people would explore on foot.

Beyond this, most individuals would choose other means of transportation.

Like buses, bicycles, or driving.

Li Donglin expanded this range to three kilometers, which is already far beyond the typical range.

"Focus will be on the hot pot restaurant, the cash withdrawal ATM used by the suspect, and the victim’s home as key points."

"Spread outwards, check all available surveillance, leaving no frame unchecked."

The case has already passed half a month; if they wanted to flee, they would have already done so. Therefore, it’s not about racing against time now but about expanding the range for meticulous searches.

In handling cases, it’s about exchanging time for space and space for time.

In the early stage right after a case occurs, if space can be exchanged for time then, it’s ideal.

If there’s any possibility of a breakthrough in the short term, one should augment the manpower and employ a labor-intensive approach.

However, for a case like a family extermination that happened half a month ago, it’s unnecessary to rush. The focus should be on trading time for space.

Steadily and surely gathering small clues to identify the suspect is most essential.

"Also, the suspect’s confrontation with the victim at the hot pot restaurant likely prompted the decision for retaliation."

"Hence, the perpetrator must not have gone far after leaving the hot pot restaurant but waited for the victim to leave, then followed to locate the victim’s home."

"Therefore, make sure to check the surveillance from the hot pot restaurant to the victim’s house to see if anything can be uncovered."

"Yes!"

...

Early the next morning.

Lu Chuan went directly to the South Suburb Funeral Home in Qinzhou City.

Compared with Tianzhou City, Qinzhou City’s Criminal Investigation Team lacks significantly in both software and hardware facilities.

Tianzhou City’s Criminal Investigation Team’s forensic office has its own refrigeration room, but Qinzhou’s administrative team doesn’t have one.

South Suburb Funeral Home is the cooperative unit for Qinzhou City’s Criminal Investigation Team, where all homicide bodies are kept during the refrigeration phase.

"Captain Qin, why did you come here personally?"

The one greeting Qin Hui is an old man, seemingly in his sixties or seventies.

"Old Zhao, what’s with this ’Captain’ stuff, if you keep calling me that, I won’t bring you any liquor."

With that, Qin Hui handed over the Erguotou liquor he had.

"Alright, alright, no one knows me like you do, knowing my fondness for this."

The old man received the liquor, laughing happily.

Wang Ruiqing softly explained to Lu Chuan: "Zhao Feng, an old staff at the funeral home, has known Captain Qin since he was young."

"He’s been working here for over forty years."

Lu Chuan was a bit surprised, no wonder Qin Hui brought liquor here, turns out they are decades-old friends.

"Is this a newcomer?"

Old Zhao knew Wang Ruiqing already, but seeing Lu Chuan so unfamiliar and young, he assumed Lu Chuan was a new detective at Qinzhou City’s Criminal Investigation Team.

"What newcomer, Old Zhao, let me introduce you. This is Lu Chuan, a crime scene investigator from Haizhou City’s Criminal Investigation Team and a member of our provincial special task force!"

"Three times individual first-class merit!"

Wow!

Old Zhao raised his eyebrows.

The previous titles aside, they meant little.

But three times individual first-class merit...

"Hello, Officer Lu, I’m Zhao Feng. You can just call me Old Zhao."

"The bodies are ready, right inside."

After expressing thanks, Lu Chuan followed Old Zhao into the refrigeration room.

The bodies had been placed on the stainless steel table.

After naturally thawing overnight, they had softened but were not completely unfrozen.

It was still quite a exertion to pry the limbs open.

"Both deceased died of asphyxia-related causes, one by manual strangulation and the other by being smothered with a pillow."

Lu Chuan closely examined, his findings matched Wang Ruiqing’s conclusion.

The victim, about 1.7 meters tall, had visible semicircular bruising on the neck, evidently dying from strangulation by hands.

Whereas the other, around 1.6 meters tall, had no marks on the neck but exhibited fine friction injuries on the face, particularly around the lips and nose, showing forceful friction injuries.

Indicating a pillow was used to suffocate.

Additionally, the two bodies had no other significant wounds on the surface.

Suggesting the deceased did not resist fiercely during the assault.

"After the incident, we detected ether in the victims’ nasal passages, implying the perpetrator used ether to incapacitate the 6 students who were intoxicated after breaking into the dormitory and then committed the crimes."

Wang Ruiqing explained to Lu Chuan beside him.

This information was already known to Lu Chuan beforehand.

He had no doubts about it. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

However, for this examination, Lu Chuan was concerned about other aspects.

Upon prying open one of the bodies’ legs, Lu Chuan meticulously checked the private area.

"There are no sperm stains; the perpetrator used silicone oil condoms, which can be bought anywhere."

"At that time, we searched nearby pharmacies and supermarkets selling condoms but found no leads."

"Did you perform a trace test?"

"No, back then, besides some bloodstains and victim bodily fluids, nothing was found."

"We meticulously examined the genital areas of six victims and found no perpetrator body hair."

Without body hair, naturally, there was no way to use DNA testing to identify the suspect.

Lu Chuan was certainly aware of this.

For such a massive case back then, the forensic staff inspecting the bodies would have been extremely thorough, so Lu Chuan didn’t think he could find what others hadn’t.

This time, he wasn’t there for that purpose either.

But regarding the case situation...

Lu Chuan already had some speculations.

"Captain Qin, I’m almost done here; is it possible to see the surviving student this morning?"