The crackdown on organized crime began with the arrest of the mother-in-law.

Chapter 1406 Faint Footprints Found Nearby

When the search area was expanded to 10 meters, the two men found a blurry footprint at the edge of the bushes on the west side of the lawn. Due to the obstruction of the bushes, only the forefoot portion of the footprint was preserved: "The forefoot pattern of the footprint is consistent with the previously extracted footprint, but due to uneven stress, some detailed features are missing. It needs to be taken back to the technical department for enhancement processing." Xiao Sun used an electrostatic adsorption device to extract trace amounts of material from the surface of the footprint, marking it as "Site Trace Material Sample No. 2". In addition, the two men also found a broken plastic bottle in the bushes. There were a few fingerprints on the bottle, but because the bottle was smooth and exposed, the fingerprints were blurry and could not be extracted at the moment. It was marked as "Suspicious Item No. 1 at the Site" and will be processed later.

After surveying the area from near to far within a 20-meter radius, the two investigators found no further valuable traces or evidence. At this point, the first two casts of footprint plaster had solidified. Xiao Sun carefully removed the plaster models, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and placed them in the evidence box. Subsequently, the two began a second investigation of the scene, following the principle of "from far to near," focusing on verifying the locations of the discovered traces and evidence and checking for any overlooked details.

The investigation, proceeding from the furthest point to the nearest, focused on entrances, passageways, and concealed areas surrounding the scene. The two investigators first examined the entrance to the north gate of the West Suburbs Park. The north gate was a sliding iron gate with multiple scratches on its surface, and several blurry fingerprints were collected. However, due to the diverse range of people entering and exiting, it was not yet possible to determine whether they were related to the case. At the surveillance camera inside the north gate, Xiao Yang discovered that the camera was damaged and the footage could not be retrieved: "We learned from park management that the camera had been broken for three days due to a wiring fault and had not yet been repaired, which has brought some difficulties to the investigation."

Subsequently, the two inspected the passage leading from the north gate to the core site. The passage was paved with cement and flanked by lawns. In the middle of the passage, Xiao Sun found several scattered footprints. The shoe size matched that of the footprints extracted from the core site, but due to the hardness of the cement surface, only part of the tread pattern remained on the footprints: "The footprints were brushed with magnetic powder, but no clear fingerprint features were revealed. A trace material sample was extracted from the road surface and marked as 'Site Trace Material Sample No. 3'." Xiao Yang then used a fiber extractor to extract fiber samples from the edges of the lawns on both sides of the passage. A total of three white, three black, and three gray fibers were extracted and marked as "Site Fiber Samples No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5" respectively.

The two also conducted a thorough search of the concealed areas surrounding the core site, including deep bushes and the shore of the artificial lake. On a rock on the shore of the artificial lake, they found a brown hair, about 6 centimeters long, which differed from the black hair extracted from the site and was marked as "Site Hair Sample No. 2". Deep in the bushes, they found a discarded cigarette butt, brand "Yellow Crane Tower", which was not completely burned and had a small amount of saliva residue on it. After sealing it, they marked it as "Site Remains Sample No. 1".

During the second investigation, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun focused on verifying the traces and physical evidence at the core site, confirming the extraction locations and quantities of footprints, fibers, and hair, and finding no overlooked key traces. Simultaneously, they meticulously recorded the state of fallen vegetation and soil distribution at the site, drew a site plan, and marked the specific coordinates of each trace and piece of evidence, providing precise data support for subsequent analysis and verification.

During the on-site investigation, Li Ming visited the core area multiple times to inquire about the progress. When he learned that the surveillance cameras were damaged and no direct clues pointing to the suspect had been found, Li Ming frowned: "We must collect all traces and physical evidence from the scene. Even seemingly unrelated minor details could be the key to solving the case. At the same time, we should expand our interviews, asking park management staff and citizens who exercise in the morning to find out if any suspicious persons entered or left the park before or after the incident."

To identify the deceased, the investigation team conducted a preliminary examination of the body—an unauthorized autopsy. No identification documents, mobile phone, wallet, or other items that could prove identity were found on the body. The deceased was dressed plainly and had no distinctive features. The team questioned the person who reported the incident, Xu Hongli, and nearby residents who were exercising in the morning; none of them recognized the deceased. "The deceased's age is preliminarily estimated to be between 30 and 40 years old, male, approximately 172 cm tall, medium build, short hair, and without any obvious physical characteristics," Xiao Yang recorded.

现场勘查工作持续了近8个小时，直到下午2时30分才结束。小杨和小孙共提取到各类痕迹物证42件，其中包括足迹样本3枚石膏模型2个、模糊足迹1枚、纤维样本5份、毛发样本2份、微量物质样本3份、遗留物样本2件烟蒂、塑料瓶及各类现场照片、录像资料。所有物证均已封装标记，详细记录了提取时间、位置、特征等信息，准备带回技术科进行进一步检验。

At 3 p.m., Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun reported the investigation results to Li Ming: "Team Leader Li, the on-site investigation has been completed. We strictly followed the principle of 'from near to far, and then from far to near,' and collected a total of 42 pieces of various trace evidence. Three male footprints with consistent characteristics were found at the core scene, which are presumed to have been left by the suspect; multiple samples of clothing fibers and hair were collected, which need to be compared with the deceased's clothing and identification information; the cigarette butts and plastic bottles found at the scene may be related to the suspect, but further testing is needed to confirm."

"What difficulties are currently facing us?" Li Ming asked. Xiao Sun replied, "First, the deceased's identity has not yet been confirmed. No identification items were found on his person, and the surrounding people did not recognize him, which has brought considerable difficulties to the investigation. Second, the surveillance camera at the north gate of the park is damaged, making it impossible to retrieve the surveillance footage before and after the incident, and thus impossible to track the whereabouts of the suspect and the deceased. Third, no major clues directly pointing to the suspect, such as murder weapons or bloodstains, were found at the scene. Only indirect traces such as footprints and fibers were extracted, which require further examination by the technical department to determine their relevance. Fourth, the West Suburbs Park has a large flow of people, and the traces at the scene may be damaged or confused, increasing the difficulty of investigation and analysis."

Xiao Yang added, "Judging from the traces at the scene, the suspect had a certain level of counter-investigation awareness. He did not leave any obvious fingerprints, bloodstains, or other key traces at the scene, and he chose to commit the crime in a park area with damaged surveillance cameras, which suggests that he may have been quite familiar with the environment of the West Suburbs Park. However, the footprints, fibers, cigarette butts, and other trace evidence collected at the scene still have high investigative value. As long as the technical department can successfully compare and analyze them, it can provide an important direction for solving the case."