met free Chapter 1342 Two Missing Suspects
Chapter 1342 Two Missing Suspects
"The fiber is polyester, and it's off-white in color. This fiber is often used to make work clothes, and it's used on many construction sites," he said while taking notes. "But this fiber is so common that at least a hundred garment factories in the city produce it, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact source."
Xiao Sun was dealing with the fingerprints on the lighter. He used super glue to fumigate the lighter, and soon, several blurry fingerprints appeared. "The fingerprints are incomplete, only showing the lines of the thumb and forefinger, with very few characteristic points, making it difficult to match them with a specific person in the fingerprint database." He frowned. "However, it can be confirmed that they are male fingerprints, and they are not from the same person as the fingerprints on the hoe handle, indicating that besides Zhang Laoshi, someone else had contact with the scene."
DNA testing on the cigarette butts and plastic bottles is also underway. Saliva samples from the three cigarette butts came from the same person, but no match was found in the national DNA database, indicating that this person has no prior criminal record. The fingerprints and DNA on the plastic bottles came from two different people; one matched the DNA on the cigarette butts, while the other's identity is unknown, and he also has no prior criminal record.
The bloodstain sample test results showed that the bloodstains did indeed belong to the deceased, but due to severe decomposition, the blood type could not be determined; only partial DNA fragments could be extracted, requiring comparison with a missing persons database. The residue under the fingernails was determined to be a mixture of soil and weeds, with no human tissue or toxic substances detected.
Meanwhile, the search for missing persons in Liulin Village and surrounding villages is also underway. Village Party Secretary Zhang Mancang reported that a 52-year-old man named Li Jianguo from Lijiazhuang Village, about 175 cm tall, who makes a living doing odd jobs, went out to work six months ago and has not returned; his family cannot contact him. A 35-year-old man named Wang Qiang from Wangpo Village, 178 cm tall, ran away from home three months ago due to gambling debts and has not been heard from since.
Li Ming immediately arranged for his team to collect DNA samples from Li Jianguo and Wang Qiang's family members and compare them with the deceased's DNA. "Although the clues haven't been connected yet, at least we have two key suspects," Li Ming said at the case analysis meeting. "Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun, you continue to follow up on the physical evidence testing, especially the source of the polyester fiber and further comparison of the cigarette butt DNA. The other team members will split into two groups: one group will go to the places where Li Jianguo and Wang Qiang used to work to investigate, and the other group will visit the small shop in Liulin Village and surrounding shops to understand the sales of lighters and whether anyone has seen someone resembling the deceased."
After the meeting, Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun returned to the lab. Looking at the fiber composition analysis report on the computer screen, Xiao Sun suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Xiao Yang, look, this polyester fiber contains a small amount of fluorescent agent, and the fiber thickness is uneven. It's probably a substandard workwear produced by a small workshop." He pulled up the registration information for small workshops throughout the city. "There are three small workshops in the western suburbs that produce this kind of workwear. We can investigate and see if anyone has purchased this kind of workwear, or if there are any related sales records."
Xiao Yang also made a new discovery: "Although the DNA on the cigarette butt had no prior criminal record, we detected a small amount of coal dust, indicating that this person may have worked in a coal mine or had long-term contact with coal-related industries. There is an abandoned coal mine near Liulin Village that closed down six months ago, leaving many workers unemployed. We can go there to investigate."
New clues brought a breakthrough to the previously stalled case. Li Ming immediately arranged for his team to investigate three small workshops and an abandoned coal mine, while Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun continued to conduct in-depth examinations of other physical evidence. Although they haven't yet found any crucial clues directly pointing to the murderer, each advancement in the investigation brings them one step closer to the truth.
As night deepened, the Criminal Investigation Division's office building remained brightly lit. Li Ming stood by the window, gazing at the city lights outside, and silently made a firm resolution. No matter how difficult the investigation, no matter how cunning the killer, they would find the truth, let the deceased rest in peace, and give the family closure. The focused figures of Xiao Yang and Xiao Sun in the laboratory, and the tireless footsteps of the team members on their investigation journeys, silently testified to the dedication and responsibility of criminal investigators—even with the faintest clues, they would never give up hope.
Half an hour after the case analysis meeting ended, Xiao Zhou, along with his team members Lin Xiaofeng and Zhao Kai, had already prepared their investigation equipment. "The coal dust detected in the cigarette butt DNA is key. Xipo Coal Mine is the closest to Liulin Village, and it was only shut down six months ago. Let's try our luck there first." He saved a photo of the deceased's clothing fiber sample to his phone, then touched the cigarettes in his pocket—also "Hongtashan," matching the ones found at the scene, which added a touch of uncertain anticipation to his heart.
The Xipo Coal Mine is nestled between two mountain ridges. As soon as the car turned into the mine entrance, a vast expanse of coal gangue piles blocked most of the view. These dark brown stones gleamed coldly in the late autumn wind. The once-roaring conveyor belts were now just rusty steel frames, and the wind whistled through the gaps in the frames, like someone sobbing softly. The mine's office area consisted of several rows of brick buildings, their walls blackened by coal smoke. Three men wrapped in thick cotton-padded coats squatted at the entrance, each holding a cigarette, the cigarette butts piled up on the ground like small mounds of dirt.
"Gentlemen, from the Municipal Criminal Investigation Division." Xiao Zhou flashed his badge, squatted down next to the men, and deliberately showed off his cigarette pack. "Do many people smoke this brand?" The leader, Ma Laogen, was in his fifties, his face etched with coal dust. He glanced at Xiao Zhou's cigarette pack, blew a smoke ring, and said, "Everyone in the mine smokes this. It's cheap and lasts a long time, and it's stronger than 'Hademen.' Officer, has something happened at the mine?"
"An unidentified body was found in Liulin Village. There was coal dust in the smoke at the scene. I'd like to ask if anyone here has seen someone wearing this kind of clothing." Xiao Zhou pulled up a photo on his phone. The photo showed the deceased's gray coarse cloth shirt. "The lining of the shirt is off-white polyester fiber, containing some fluorescent agent. It's a cheap product made in a small workshop."
Ma Laogen and two other men huddled together, swiping their fingers across the screen for a long time before shaking their heads. "The work clothes issued by the mine are all dark blue work cloth with pure cotton linings. They won't fade no matter how many times they're washed." He tugged at the corner of his cotton-padded jacket that was peeking out. "The off-white lining you're talking about looks like what the people on the outsourced teams wear. They all bought cheap stuff themselves, but it all ran out last winter."