Diary of a Criminal Investigator-Chapter 335: Autopsy

The two bodies at the same fire scene showed different death postures.

What does it imply?

Although Shen Yan wasn’t very knowledgeable about crime scene investigation, her study of corpse forms was more in-depth than Lu Chuan’s.

"It’s generally challenging to differentiate between arson murder and corpse burning post-death from the surface appearance alone."

"The crucial step is still to conduct an autopsy, observe the color and internal structure of the organs, and then make a determination."

"But the body by the bedside..."

Shen Yan used her hand to sketch the entire outline of the body, then continued, "Although the limbs of the body are carbonized, with charred edges, the crawling posture is obvious, indicating that the person likely attempted to escape."

"However, whether the escape attempt was due to injury or smoke exposure from the fire requires an autopsy."

Lu Chuan nodded in agreement with Shen Yan’s assessment.

The different appearances of the two bodies do not directly prove that they were injured before the fire broke out.

After all, it was late at night, and the people lying in bed could have been rendered unconscious by smoke inhalation when the fire started.

That would explain why there were no physical reactions from the bodies.

"The bodies are charred; let’s transport them back for autopsy. I’ll outline the scene first, then examine other aspects inside the house."

What Lu Chuan referred to as outlining was drawing the contour lines of the bodies with chalk, or what we should call the evidence fixation lines.

With this method, even when the bodies are no longer at the scene, crime scene investigation can use the fixation lines to analyze the dynamic positions of the bodies at that time.

"Okay, you stay busy here, I’ll go back to conduct the autopsy. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s news."

With the fixation lines quickly drawn, neither of them called others to help since the charred bodies were not very heavy.

Lu Chuan and Shen Yan could handle the movement on their own.

"Be careful; the carbonized limbs are fragile and can break easily."

Lu Chuan nodded. The carbonized bodies had adhered to the ground, and they were carefully prying them open, starting with the limbs.

"Shen Yan, look at this."

Once the body lying face-down on the ground was moved, the portion of the abdomen that was in contact with the ground was revealed.

Because the abdomen was pressed against the ground, the fire and heat hadn’t eroded this part.

"Is this... bloodstain?"

The dark red bloodstain, from the carbonized edges to a still-damp center, clearly depicted the transformation and color change of the bloodstain under the heat of the fire.

"Yes, it is a bloodstain. I’ll report to the captain now. With the discovery of gasoline at the fire scene, it points to arson. Coupled with the bloodstain..."

"The perpetrator probably murdered first, then set the fire to destroy evidence."

Over at the Criminal Investigation Team, they probably just finished a morning meeting and can all come over now.

The bloodstain on the ground, with edges carbonized like the body, had turned into a coagulated form due to excessive bleeding, while the protected inside, shaded by the body, remained moist and pliable.

At the very center, the pool of blood was still wet and not fully coagulated, with some proteins not yet denatured.

The two bodies were quickly carried from the scene by Lu Chuan and Shen Yan. After loading them onto the vehicle, Shen Yan returned directly to the Criminal Investigation Team for the autopsy.

At the scene, after moving the bodies, the burnt smell of charred protein lingered, carrying a peculiar scent of roasted meat that did not dissipate.

Liu Guodong and Old Bai had already arrived at the scene, while Yang Sen had taken leave for these few days.

Tomorrow was June 7th, the date of the college entrance exam. Despite the murder case, the investigation didn’t lack Old Yang, so he wasn’t called back.

"Let’s take photos first, then see if anything escaped the flames."

"Focus on areas covered by the collapsed beams, untouched by the fire."

Liu Guodong gave some tasks, and the three of them began a meticulous investigation of the scene.

Meanwhile, in the dissection room of the Criminal Investigation Team.

"Shen, turn on the exhaust fan to the maximum setting."

On the autopsy table lay the body found on the ground, with Wang Changjiang leading the autopsy, and Shen Yan taking notes.

"Recording the external condition of the body, lower limbs carbonized, face half carbonized, carbonized clothing covering the body."

While pulling apart the carbonized areas, Wang Changjiang dictated, with Shen Yan recording beside him.

With the exhaust fan on, the roast-like smell inside the autopsy room had significantly reduced.

In the autopsy of a burned body, the primary task of the forensic doctor is to determine the cause of death.

Whether the person died before the fire or burned after death.

This can’t be easily judged from the exterior, but if the body isn’t entirely carbonized, it’s relatively easy to discern from the condition of the internal organs during the autopsy.

If the person wasn’t dead, regardless of being unconscious or conscious, breathing would proceed normally.

During the fire, with the victim’s breathing, smoke would enter the nose, mouth, and throat.

Thus, dissecting the throat would indicate high temperature burns and smoke residue, signifying the person was alive during the fire.

If the victim had been murdered before the fire, there would be no smoke residue in the throat.

Wang Changjiang made an incision this time in a different spot from usual.

Ordinary autopsies typically make a Y-shaped incision, starting from both sides of the clavicle.

This time, Wang Changjiang made the incision directly at the throat and explained to Shen Yan, "With burned bodies, the throat is checked first for smoke penetration."

Because the body was lying face down, the throat and half of the face were better preserved.

This contrasted with the other body on the bed, whose face was entirely carbonized, making identification impossible.

The throat area was unidentifiable too, with the neck and the body only connected by bone.

Shen Yan had never performed an autopsy on a burned body before; it was a rare practical experience.

"For the next body, you’ll be the lead on the autopsy, and I’ll take notes."

"Got it, master."

Once the throat was sliced open, burns and black smoke infiltration were clearly visible.

"The deceased was in a prone position; the throat shows smoke infiltration traces, indicating the person didn’t directly die during the fire."

"Combined with the bloodstains you found at the scene and the abdominal wound on the deceased, it’s clear the murderer stabbed the victim before setting the fire."

The body had visible knife wounds on the abdomen, with bloodstains all over the clothing.

Continuing with the scalpel, Wang Changjiang noted, "Besides the throat, internal organs of burned bodies show different features."

"If the victim was burned to death, then there would be livor mortis on the body."

He cut open the clothing over the deceased’s abdomen, wiped off the blood, and clearly saw the blotches.