National Forensic Doctor

Chapter 1292: Chapter 1218 Analyzing Matina

Jiang Yuan stood at one end of the autopsy table, with Zeng Lianrong and Zhan Kan beside him.

Opposite him was Cui Qishan, separated by Alessio and his translator.

Except for the body on the autopsy table being Matina, the setup was exactly the same as when they autopsied the pilot the day before yesterday.

It’s just that everyone’s state of mind was completely different.

Alessio, needless to say, was already caught in a storm of his own thoughts, unable to help but speculate on the motive of the killer while worrying about his own life.

The translator, a young man, was originally full of admiration for Rome, but now he was equally uncertain and anxious.

Jiang Yuan had just seen Matina, and soon after saw her body, naturally frowning. Moreover, because he had just seen Matina and was seduced by her, it was inappropriate for him to perform the autopsy himself.

However, in this case, he would not step aside and wait in the shadows. He had ample alibi to prove himself; as long as he did not participate in the autopsy itself, he wouldn’t become part of the evidence.

Therefore, at this moment, Jiang Yuan was just a bystander, much like Alessio.

Zeng Lianrong and Zhan Kan, who were in charge of conducting the autopsy, also had to mentally prepare themselves, not because of Matina, but because of Jiang Yuan.

Conducting an autopsy in front of Jiang Yuan put some pressure on the forensic doctors, especially those who were famous.

Only Matina lay there quietly, her long, flowing golden hair spread out, standing tall and confident.

Her lips were a bit bluish-purple, as if she had applied gothic-style lipstick; her neck had a deep V-shaped mark, as if she wore a tight metal necklace...

"The deceased was 175 cm tall, weighing about 55 kg, with normal development and good nutritional status... Lividity was distributed on the back of the body, dark red, non-blanchable, consistent with postmortem occurrence within 12 hours. Rigor mortis had set in, with stiffness throughout the body’s joints..."

Zeng Lianrong donned gloves and began examining the body, performing a surface inspection.

Without using Jiang Yuan as a standard, Zeng Lianrong himself was not only a forensic expert at the Beijing Bureau, but also at the Zhengguang Bureau. Occasionally, he was invited to surrounding provinces as well. In terms of forensic pathology overall, he was at least at a beginner level of LV3, with a few specialties likely reaching LV3 completion level. noveldrama

Of course, there were stronger forensic doctors in Beijing, but for this particular case, it hadn’t reached the point of needing to invite someone from all over the world.

With Jiang Yuan standing in front, Cui Qishan and other criminal investigation personnel felt sufficiently reassured.

Zeng Lianrong, with Jiang Yuan standing before him, also conducted the autopsy with enough care. He completed the surface inspection of the limbs and trunk, then returned to the neck, detailing meticulously:

"There is a distinct groove on the neck, in a ’V’ shape. The upper edge of the groove is above the thyroid cartilage, extending to the back of the ear. The groove is approximately 1.2cm wide, with uneven depth, accompanied by subcutaneous hemorrhage locally."

"The edges of the groove show epidermal abrasions and contusions, with some areas displaying vital reactions."

"The direction of the groove does not match the common suicide characteristic of ’crossing the eight characters’, nor is there any obvious ’emptying’ phenomenon below the groove."

"The deep neck muscles (including the sternocleidomastoid) show hemorrhage, with fracture and bleeding at the fracture ends of the thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone."

Zeng Lianrong’s pace of speech gradually quickened.

Anyone who’s done forensic work knows he’s essentially determining if the deceased died from suicide by hanging or strangulation by another’s hand.

This is also one of the most common determinations for forensic doctors. Among the various ways people die, asphyxiation is relatively common. Drowning, strangulation, suffocation, hanging—all fall under mechanical asphyxiation. Since hanging is a common suicide method, many so-called "brilliant minds" might create the illusion of suicide by hanging after causing someone’s death for various reasons.

Given there are many such "brilliant minds", ancient forensic doctors, even without modern techniques, had enough understanding of this, such as the "Book of Exonerations" summary: "Suicide by hanging, strangled or falsely hung by others, are easily distinguishable. True hangings are characterized by a dark purple mark with ropes or textiles tied, crossing behind the ears; eyes closed, lips open, hands clenched, teeth exposed. When hung above the throat, the tongue presses against the teeth; below the throat, the tongue protrudes more; saliva froth on the chest; fecal discharge from the rear..."

There was no fecal discharge from Matina’s rear, thus deducing her cause of death was straightforward.

The autopsy hadn’t even begun at this point.

With evidence so apparent, even involving foreigners, Zeng Lianrong didn’t delay. In front of Alessio, he turned to Cui Qishan and said, "Mechanical asphyxia, this is a case."

He hadn’t specified the exact cause of death, although it was almost apparent; he remained cautious.

Confirming it as a case allowed the Criminal Police’s resources to be readily deployed.

Cui Qishan wasn’t surprised. Experienced criminal police can often judge from the scene itself.

Cui Qishan merely sighed, saying "A troublesome season," before taking out his phone and turning to call Tao Lu.

At the level of a Criminal Police Brigade chief, there’s little concern for specific cases, but a murder case is different.

"Begin the autopsy," Zeng Lianrong glanced at Jiang Yuan and Alessio before starting the procedure.

He first made an incision along the neck, skillfully cutting through the skin and inspecting the subcutaneous tissues and muscle layers.

"Widespread hemorrhage," Zeng Lianrong narrated as he operated, while a forensic assistant took notes. Although Zhan Kan was a junior forensic doctor, he also helped with some auxiliary tasks.

"No obvious foreign object in the trachea, but the mucosa has congestion and petechiae..."

"Thyroid cartilage fracture..."

The easier it became for Zeng Lianrong. The body was fresh and showed no odd signs, although the death method was a bit atypical, the state of death was fundamentally typical.

To put it simply, though the manner of death was strange, there was nothing strange about the appearance of death.

Soon, Cui Qishan returned and asked, "Any conclusions yet?"

By this time, Zeng Lianrong had moved to the abdominal cavity, holding the victim’s stomach, he said, "There are slight abrasions on the wrists, indicating resistance. The stomach is empty; the time of death should be after midnight..."

Cui Qishan nodded lightly, making notes in his notebook.

Jiang Yuan then stated, "The probable time of death is around 2 AM."

Although he hadn’t conducted the autopsy himself, the information he gathered along the way was sufficient.

"Got it." Cui Qishan immediately added this to his notebook and said, "Alright then, I’ll check the surveillance before and after the time of death, to see if anyone entered or exited the deceased’s apartment during that time."

Zeng Lianrong’s lips twitched twice, suppressing the urge to ask Jiang Yuan; with a foreign forensic doctor present, questioning him would have to wait.

Alessio was instructed not to speak, but after hearing the translation, he furrowed his brows, frequently glancing at Jiang Yuan.

The relatively stress-free Zhan Kan, noticing Alessio’s expression, couldn’t help but smile. Jiang Yuan’s reputation for determining times of death was well-known in Beijing; clearly, the foreigner had never witnessed this before.

"The victim was strangled with a rope?" Cui Qishan asked once again.

Zeng Lianrong nodded, "Yes, but it probably wasn’t the rope your team brought. The rope you brought was for recreational use, with edge protection against strangulation. The murderer’s rope was thicker and sturdier."

"If they specifically brought a rope and there are defensive wounds, it rules out an accident," Cui Qishan remarked, frowning, "Recreational choking is one thing, but if it’s murder..."

Zhan Kan was curious, "Recreational?"

"The scene looked like sexual asphyxiation," Cui Qishan briefly explained before looking at Alessio, "Hey, come with me, you’ve seen enough of the autopsy by now, right?"

The translator quickly relayed this to Alessio.

Alessio hurriedly replied, "Not yet, it would be more reasonable to reach a conclusion after the autopsy is complete."

Cui Qishan’s face tightened, "I already told you, no talking during the autopsy. Since you’ve spoken now, I’ll have to escort you out."