Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 535 The Reasons for the Early Implementation of the August 11 Case
For Zhou Yi, who has been reborn, the thing that scares him the most is that the case from his previous life has been brought to light earlier in this life!
This had only happened once before today.

It's a major case.

The cracking of the Hongda case also confirmed to Zhou Yi that the reason why the Hongda case changed was because of his early intervention, which caused a butterfly effect in the cause-and-effect logic.

This caused the original trajectory of the case to deviate significantly.

In the grand case, Zhou Yi is the butterfly that flaps its wings.

However, this situation has only occurred once. Both the case in Donghai Community and the case of Long Zhiqiang were either overlooked in the previous life or never happened at all.

Essentially, there was no change or influence from Zhou Yi before the incident occurred.

It is reasonable for the Hongda case to change, because Zhou Yi intervened in Lu Xiaoshuang's life as the victim early on, and the subsequent changes are all reasonable changes based on this.

But why was Wu Guang's headless case on August 11th also brought forward?

Yesterday was August 3rd, eight days before the original date of the incident, August 11th.

The sudden arrival of eight days earlier sent chills down his spine.

His mind raced, recalling the details of the August 11 Incident from his previous life.

On August 11th of the previous life, in a wasteland in Xianghai Township, Qingyuan County, Wuguang City, a group of junior high school students playing together unexpectedly discovered a corpse buried in the ground.

After receiving the report, the police immediately dispatched officers to the scene.

Then a naked female corpse was dug out from this wasteland.

What terrified everyone was that the female corpse was not only completely naked, but there were also no items or clues that could identify her.

Moreover, the female corpse had no head, no hands, and no feet!

The woman's head, hands, and feet were all severed by a sharp blade.

The Wuguang police spent a lot of manpower searching the area within a few kilometers over the next few days.

The victim's head, hands, and feet were also not found.

There were no features that could possibly identify the deceased.

It couldn't be clearer: the murderer deliberately severed the victim's head and limbs, leaving only a headless body for burial.

In addition to the footprints of several middle school students, a pair of suspicious footprints were also found at the scene.

However, after investigation, it was confirmed that the man was an elderly man in his sixties from a nearby village who left the item a few days earlier when he passed by.

Apart from that, there were no other useful clues.

Moreover, based on the on-site investigation, it can be basically determined that this wasteland in Xianghai Township was the burial site, not the primary crime scene.

With no clues or information about the missing persons and the nature of the case being so egregious, the Wuguang police could only report the case while simultaneously investigating the missing persons based on information confirmed by the forensic pathologist through autopsies.

The provincial department provided technical support for DNA testing and extracted DNA information from the headless female corpse.

However, in 1997, there was no DNA database, and the police had no clear suspects.

Therefore, even after DNA testing, we are still in a passive state because we don't know who to compare the DNA with to confirm the deceased's identity.

Later, DNA comparisons were conducted with some eligible families of missing persons, but none of them matched.

This process is particularly time-consuming and laborious, and several months pass by in the blink of an eye.

The police were completely baffled, unable to even identify the headless female corpse, let alone launch an investigation.

Finally, having no other option, we had to publicly issue a missing person notice, hoping that the public could provide any useful clues.

Then, the case gradually disappeared without a trace, becoming a true unsolved case.

The causes of unsolved cases are varied.

However, unsolved cases like the August 11 headless case, where the identity of the deceased could not be confirmed from beginning to end, are extremely rare.

Therefore, the case that Zhou Yi remembers most vividly from Wu Guang's side is this bizarre headless case.

When he was in the Northwest, one of the things he was concerned about regarding Wu Guang was the headless case of August 11.

But he kept thinking that there was still plenty of time, and he could figure out how to support Wu Guang once he arrived.

Even if all else fails, we can still find some clues by using the most basic method: staking out the area.

But a single sentence from inside the room left him completely dumbfounded.

When Yao Yi was showing him around just now, the forensic doctor Yun Yao did say that she was going to deliver a report to Fang Jianqing.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a preliminary autopsy report.

The headless female corpse in Qingyuan County—both pieces of information match the August 11th case.

Zhou Yi couldn't recall any other similar cases recently besides the August 11 case.

Therefore, this should be the same body.

The August 11 case, in this lifetime, was brought forward by eight days and became the August 03 case.

Why? Why was it brought forward?

"Zhou Yi, what's wrong? Don't you know the way?" Fang Jianqing turned around unintentionally and found Zhou Yi standing motionless outside the door. Thinking that he was unfamiliar with the area, he came over to give him directions and told him how to get to the dormitory.

Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment, then followed Fang Jianqing's suggestion and pretended that he really didn't know the way. After thanking Fang Jianqing, he walked in the direction Fang Jianqing pointed.

He didn't directly ask Fang Jianqing what happened to the headless female corpse.

If I act too eagerly about the case when I'm new here, it will only arouse Fang Jianqing's suspicion.

So he decided to go find Yun Yao.

Yun Yao just finished the preliminary autopsy. She must know a lot about the case. Let's confirm with her whether the way the female corpse died was the same as in the previous life.

The sudden bringing up of the August 11 incident is extremely terrifying.

Zhou Yi came to Wuguang last month, but he did not go to the city or Qingyuan County.

His activities were even limited to the Yunshan County Public Security Bureau and Yunlai Town, where Yunxia Mountain is located.

He was certain that this time, he, like a butterfly, had not flapped his wings.

But the headless female corpse case still happened ahead of schedule. Why?
The established trajectory of historical development is unlikely to change unless it is interfered with by itself.

However, I can only interfere with Wu Guang very little.

unless……

This interference does not originate from himself, but from others who are affected by him.

In this life, Wu Guang has two more people than in the previous life.

Ni Jianrong and Ding Chunmei!
It's unlikely that it's related to Ni Jianrong.

Because he is the director of the Yunshan County Public Security Bureau, which is far from Qingyuan County, and given his personality, he wouldn't take the initiative to do anything.

Therefore, he suspected that this matter might be related to Ding Chunmei!
Ding Chunmei came to investigate the truth behind the death of her senior brother, Li Chong.

If the headless female corpse was indeed murdered prematurely because of Ding Chunmei, then it would mean two major breakthroughs in this headless case.

First, there's a possibility the identity of the headless female corpse could be discovered, because it's highly likely the deceased had contact with Ding Chunmei, which led to her premature death. By examining Ding Chunmei's movements after arriving in Wuguang and identifying the people she came into contact with, there's a chance to uncover the headless female corpse's identity.

Once the deceased's identity is confirmed, the investigation has a focus; otherwise, if the deceased is unknown, no matter how hard the police try, it's like hitting cotton.

Secondly, if it is indeed related to Ding Chunmei, it means that the August 11 case in the previous life was very likely to be inextricably linked to Li Chong's death!
These may not be two separate cases, but rather the same one!
At this thought, Zhou Yi felt a rush of blood to his head; he didn't know whether he was nervous or excited.

But immediately, his steps froze.

A thought popped into my head: Ding Chunmei might be in danger!

He immediately took out his phone and called Ding Chunmei.

Ding Chunmei didn't have a mobile phone, only a pager number. He could only call her and leave a message, telling her: I have arrived in Wuguang, please call me back as soon as possible.

Thinking back, I remember receiving a call from Ding Chunmei yesterday afternoon when I got off the train. On the phone, I told her to move as soon as possible and find a better hotel to stay in temporarily.

In the rush, I didn't remind her to let me know she was safe after she settled in.

She hasn't called me yet, could something really have happened to her?

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi held it in her hand and walked nervously toward the forensic room.

Yun Yao was delighted to see Zhou Yi arrive, poured him a glass of water, and began chatting with him.

From her words, Zhou Yi could tell that she was not just Qin Beihai's student, but that the two families were more like old friends, because she mentioned that she often played at Teacher Qin's house when she was a child. Her family originally hoped that she would join the army, but she was influenced by Teacher Qin and ended up studying medicine.

Zhou Yi mostly listened, answering only when asked questions. Although he was somewhat eager, he knew it wouldn't be appropriate to get straight to the point.

"Sister Yun, you and Qin Feng must be quite familiar with each other, right?"

Upon hearing Qin Feng's name, Yun Yao sighed softly: "Sigh, Feng is a good kid. He's always wanted Teacher Qin's approval and praise. But someone as accomplished as Teacher Qin naturally has higher standards, you understand?"

Zhou Yi nodded; he understood this mentality, of course.

What a genius fears most is having a dull-witted child.

But what's even more terrifying is that even geniuses can't escape the seven emotions and six desires of human nature, because geniuses are also human.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, so many years have passed." Yun Yao said with emotion, "We, as the younger generation, just hope that our teacher and his wife are healthy and free from illness."

Zhou Yi nodded; this was the simplest blessing, after all, the elderly couple were already this age.

"Teacher Qin has been full of praise for you. He said it's the first time in all these years that he's met such a capable young person, and that you have a bright future ahead of you." Yun Yao asked with a smile, "So, has the team assigned you a job yet?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi realized it was a perfect opportunity to follow up with further questions.

"The squadron told me to rest today and get some rest before starting work again tomorrow. But I heard from them that a headless female corpse was found in Qingyuan County yesterday?"

Yun Yao nodded: "Yes, I had just finished writing the preliminary inspection report when you and Director Yao came here."

"Was the deceased discovered last night?" Zhou Yi said with a self-deprecating laugh. "It's quite a coincidence that I encountered a case as soon as I arrived."

"Yes, the Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau received the report last night. The two sisters-in-law from a nearby rural area were returning late from visiting relatives and got lost, wandering into a wasteland where they discovered the buried body. After arriving at the scene and confirming the situation, the Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau reported to the branch office."

Zhou Yixin said that although the time of the incident has changed, it seems that the location where the body was buried has not changed.

Of course, the people who discovered the body and reported it have also changed.

The previous life's report clearly stated the location of this wasteland and the discovery of the corpse.

Qingyuan County is located by the sea, and due to the intrusion of seawater, the soil salinity is higher than that of normal land, which is not conducive to crop growth.

In addition, fishing is the most developed industry in Qingyuan County, while farming is less profitable, resulting in a lot of abandoned land.

The burial site was located in a remote area of ​​Xianghai Township, where no one farmed the land.

As for the discovery of the body, at least in the previous life, it was because of the frequent thunderstorms in summer and the fact that the area was near the sea, which caused the rainwater to wash away the soil, resulting in a small part of the buried body being exposed and thus discovered.

The situation will most likely be similar in this lifetime.

"Has it rained recently?" Zhou Yi asked.

"According to the feedback from Qingyuan County Bureau, the local weather was bad the day before yesterday and yesterday, with several intermittent heavy rains, which is why the complainant discovered it. Of course, as you know, summer rain is just a cloud of rain clouds that drifts and falls wherever it goes, so it is very random."

"Sister Yun, haven't they found the deceased's head yet?"

Yun Yao shook her head: "Nothing was found at the scene. The branch and the county bureau should still be searching in the vicinity."

Zhou Yi thought to himself, no wonder there were so few people in the Criminal Investigation Division's office, they must be at the scene.

As for Fang Jianqing and the rest of the people, they were probably searching for information on the missing persons in an attempt to confirm the identities of the deceased.

Zhou Yi knew that both sides would ultimately fail, but he couldn't say anything.

Yun Yao frowned and said, "Not only is the victim's head missing, but the victim's hands and feet have also been severed. The brutality of the murderer is appalling."

The modus operandi was the same as in the previous life: everything that could prove the victim's identity—face, fingerprints, footprints—was gone.

Zhou Yi pretended to be shocked, but his eyes involuntarily looked up at the phone in his hand.

Ding Chunmei has not yet returned the call.

"Sister Yun, the corpse isn't naked, is it?"

Yun Yao countered, "How did you know?"

If Zhou Yi heard it from Fang Jianqing, he wouldn't need to ask this question, so it's clear that he deduced it.

"The fact that the head, hands, and feet were cut off indicates that the murderer wanted to hide the victim's identity and disposed of all information that could identify the victim. Under such circumstances, the murderer would not have left any clothing or other accessories as clues for the police to investigate."

Having clothes means having clues; we can investigate the purchase and production source of the clothes, tracing the trail back to the source. Even if we can't pinpoint the exact source, we can narrow down the possibilities.

The same principle applies to jewelry; in fact, jewelry is often more unique and easier to find.

In addition, with these things, the police can issue more detailed missing person notices.

After all, the general public are not criminal investigators and do not have such a strong sense of observation.

Although Zhou Yi had never seen the missing person notice issued by the Wu Guang police in his previous life, it was conceivable that there were no clues, the information must have been very vague, and it was impossible for them to simply post a photo of the corpse.

"So I guess the body was naked. And the body itself shouldn't have any tattoos, birthmarks, or scars, right?"

This logic applies to clothing and accessories as well; they all serve to help identify an individual.

Yun Yao looked at Zhou Yi approvingly and nodded, because he was right about everything.

But she wasn't too surprised until Zhou Yi did further analysis.

"The fact that the victim's body could be washed away by rainwater and exposed indicates that the murderer did not bury the body very deep."

"Given that he had disposed of all information that could potentially reveal the victim's identity, it suggests that the murderer did not intend to bury the body very deep when disposing of it."

"This means that the murderer was not really concerned about the fact that the body would be exposed sooner or later."

“Otherwise, since the murderer had already cut off the body’s head, limbs, and feet, what difficulty would it be to dismember the body? Dismembering the body and then disposing of it is much less risky than burying it, and it can also confuse the police.”

Zhou Yi said with a serious expression, "Therefore, I would even dare to conclude that this murderer was very confident to the core, even arrogant, and he probably wasn't worried about the body being discovered."

Zhou Yi's words were partly based on logical analysis and partly based on bold speculations derived from the follow-up investigation of the August 11 Incident in his previous life.

In a typical murder case, the thing the killer usually cares about most is...

It means disposing of corpses and destroying evidence.

Whether it's disposing of a body, burying a body, or dismembering a body, the purpose is always to prevent the body from being discovered or the identity of the deceased from being revealed and associated with them.

Then come things like alibis, murder weapon, and evidence of the crime.

If the identity of the deceased cannot be confirmed, the police will have no way of finding the murderer.

The outcome of the previous life has proven that the murderer did indeed succeed.

Yun Yao was surprised by Zhou Yi's analysis, but she just smiled faintly and said, "With you joining us, it seems that the case will be solved soon."

Zhou Yi couldn't be happy, because if the situation was the same as in his previous life, and he couldn't confirm the identity of the deceased no matter what, then all his abilities would be in vain.

But if the changes were indeed caused by Ding Chunmei, then Ding Chunmei might be in danger.

Thinking of this, he glanced at his phone again.

Yun Yao noticed his movements and asked, "What's wrong? You seem a bit nervous. Did something happen?"

"No, I'm just waiting for a call from a friend," Zhou Yi said, standing up. "Sister Yun, you go ahead and do your work, I won't bother you any longer."

Yun Yao's previous report was only a preliminary autopsy report. Next, she will have to conduct a formal autopsy, and since she will be doing it alone, it will definitely take a lot of effort.

Although Zhou Yi knew about the autopsy, he couldn't reveal a word about it now. He could only wait for Yun Yao to release the official autopsy report before guiding Fang Jianqing and the others to further investigate the deceased's identity.

The most important thing right now is to find Ding Chunmei and find out what she has done and who she has been in contact with during this period.

If any of the people she came into contact with have gone missing.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the missing person is the headless female corpse.

Yun Yao nodded: "After this case is finished, come to my house for dinner and meet your brother-in-law and niece."

Zhou Yi nodded and was about to leave when he saw a somewhat hunched figure passing by at the end of the corridor.

He turned around and asked, "Sister Yun, do you know about Captain Zhong Ming's situation?"

"Captain Zhong, what's wrong?"

"Before coming here, our Hongcheng branch captain told me some things about Captain Zhong, about his eldest daughter's case from years ago, which was quite heartbreaking. Earlier, when Director Yao took me to eat in the cafeteria, we ran into Captain Zhong, and I felt that he seemed... a little unwell..."

"You mean to say that Captain Zhong's mental state is a bit abnormal?" Yun Yao asked directly.

Zhou Yi nodded.

"Sigh, poor Captain Zhong." Yun Yao sighed sadly, then told Zhou Yi about Zhong Ming's situation, which Wu Yongcheng also didn't know.

Zhou Yi felt even more upset after hearing this.

Because he never imagined that the life of this distinguished veteran detective would become so shattered!

(End of this chapter)