Chapter 80: Chapter 37: Deadline to Solve the Case, Reward for Solving the Case (Please bookmark and vote monthly, two-in-one)
Afterwards, Luo Fei learned that the deceased was named Yang Xiaobing, thirteen years old, a first-year student at Second Middle School, who was killed on his way back from evening self-study last night.
Both parents worked at a silk factory, and since they were on a night shift last night, they had no idea that their son Yang Xiaobing didn’t return home all night.
It wasn’t until the morning that a familiar villager found Yang Xiaobing’s body in the vegetable field and immediately notified Yang Xiaobing’s parents and the police station.
Other colleagues from the Criminal Investigation Team also arrived at the crime scene one after another.
Soon, Yang Mei and the team completed the examination and investigation of the scene and the body.
"There are two obvious injuries on the deceased’s body. One is a severe blow causing a depression on the right back of the head, which is the actual cause of death; the second is that the killer cut off the victim’s genitalia. We did not find the victim’s genitalia at the scene either. Considering the Zheng Bin case, we suspect the killer took the victim’s genitalia away."
"Also, based on the livor mortis of the deceased, the time of death should be around ten o’clock last night, which basically matches the time the victim left evening self-study to go home."
"Additionally, we found the victim’s phone and backpack on the path beside the vegetable field, along with two sets of footprints, one large and one small. Based on comparison, the smaller set was left by the victim, and we suspect the larger set belongs to the killer, as we also found this set of footprints beside the victim’s body. The victim was likely attacked by the killer there, marking the first crime scene," Yang Mei said, pointing to the path beside the vegetable field on the right.
"Based on the size of the footprints and the depth they left in the vegetable field, we estimate the killer is around 175 cm tall and weighs about 130 pounds."
"The weapon used to cut off the victim’s genitalia is similar to the one in the Zheng Bin murder case. It should be a sharp-edged weapon, like a dagger," Yang Mei continued.
After hearing the forensic report and crime scene investigation results, combined with the killer’s modus operandi, it’s almost certain that the same person committed the Zheng Bin case and the Yang Xiaobing case.
Everyone then engaged in a thorough discussion and analysis.
If previously there was suspicion that the murder was due to a romantic entanglement, that doubt has now vanished, as a thirteen-year-old can’t be involved in such complexities.
Everyone now leans towards the theory that the killer murders for the victim’s genitalia. However, there is also a possibility that the killer’s continuous murders are a smokescreen to mislead the police, with the real target being only one of the victims. It’s possible the next victim is the actual target, and this is the killer’s way of disguising the true motive.
After about twenty minutes of discussion and analysis, Zhao Donglai summarized and decided to investigate the Zheng Bin case and the Yang Xiaobing case together.
Then Zhao Donglai systematically arranged for each group to conduct the investigation.
The main task for Group One was to continue the previously uncompleted task of investigating. Yang Xiaobing’s case made everyone suspect more that the murders were for the victim’s genitalia, so investigating those unable to reproduce or with physiological issues became very necessary.
Based on the footprints left at the crime scene, indicating the killer is around 175 cm tall and weighs about 130 pounds, Luo Fei and the others screened the remaining information that hadn’t been fully checked.
Previously, Luo Fei and the team had twenty documents remaining, with two from Baihe Town and eighteen from Tianshi Town. After screening, only five matched the suspect’s characteristics: one from Baihe Town and four from Tianshi Town.
Yang Su and his team also screened the remaining data, and only eight matched the suspect’s characteristics.
At noon, Luo Fei and his team departed from Ningjiang County, first going to Baihe Town to investigate the last suspect there, but unfortunately, the person wasn’t the suspect.
Upon returning from Baihe Town, they went to Yongqing Village and Haitian Village in Tianshi Town and found another two villagers who matched the suspect’s characteristics, but they were not the suspect either. By that time, it was already past eight in the evening.
No further investigation was conducted that night. Luo Fei and his two companions returned to the county, not to the Criminal Investigation Team, but each went home. When Luo Fei arrived home, it was already ten at night.
Wu Yan had set aside dinner for Luo Fei. As he entered, Wu Yan, Luo Xiaoxiao, and Luo Hao were sitting on the sofa watching TV.
"Xiaoxiao, go serve your brother some rice, and I’ll get him some dishes," Wu Yan said as she got up from the sofa and instructed Luo Xiaoxiao, who was engrossed in watching TV.
"Okay." Hearing Wu Yan’s words, Luo Xiaoxiao quickly jumped off the sofa and ran to the kitchen to serve rice, showing her diligence.
Shortly, the food was served.
While Luo Fei was eating, Wu Yan sat beside him and curiously asked, "Xiaofei, I heard a child died behind the Second Middle School today, is it true?"
"Yes, it was a student from Second Middle School," Luo Fei replied. Then he looked at Luo Xiaoxiao and Luo Hao, who were watching TV, and instructed, "Xiaoxiao, Luo Hao, after finishing your evening self-study recently, head straight home without lingering outside. Try to come back together with classmates and don’t walk alone."