Chapter 549: Chapter 549: Murder Instruments

Luminol reagent is the most commonly used blood identification tool in crime scene investigations.

The proteins contained in blood cannot be washed away with ordinary water.

Moreover, the large amount of iron ions contained within cannot be removed just by simple washing. Luminol reagent can restore bloodstains into fluorescent traces through chemical reactions.

Of course, luminol reagent reacts to all blood and does not identify human blood specifically just by its test.

Therefore, after confirming the presence of blood, the type of blood will still be determined in blood identification.

Even in this kind of scene, it is highly likely that these are human blood traces, as nobody slaughtering chickens or fish would cause such a phenomenon.

Yet after returning to the crime scene investigation lab, Lu Chuan and the others still need to determine and analyze the type of blood.

But judging from the current situation at the scene, it can be determined as human blood.

The identification is just a necessary judicial procedure and does not affect the next steps and hypotheses of the crime scene investigation.

Lu Chuan waved his hand, gesturing around, indicating that the bathroom was not where the dismemberment took place, but where the murderer disposed of the body parts.

"The killer should have flushed some small body fragments down the drain here."

"Fatty fragments and organ pieces found in the drain clogged it, leaving behind half a finger."

In the living room, Yang Sen was collecting fingerprints.

As it was daytime, the ultraviolet fingerprint lamp was not very efficient in detecting fingerprints, but it could still identify if there were fingerprints.

After confirming there were fingerprints, Yang Sen collected them using the powder technique.

Old Bai collected some hair from the bed in the bedroom.

According to the information provided by the landlord, the room was only rented to Yang Qianqian.

Thus, the traces of life left here should be hers.

Once brought back, comparing the DNA from the hair and the extracted fingerprints could verify if the deceased was Yang Qianqian.

While the crime scene investigation team was methodically carrying out their work, Action Team Two started interviewing the neighbors.

"There was a girl living next door, quite beautiful and very tall, but she didn’t interact much with us. She’s been living here for two or three years, I think."

"Have you noticed anyone coming to the next-door place?"

The apartment Yang Qianqian rented was a 2-elevator, 3-unit layout, with her room in the middle. Besides her unit, there were two other neighbors on each side.

The room at 601 on the right side was unoccupied, and the property management was contacting them.

The 603 room on the left side was home to a family of five, with the homeowner’s parents present at home.

Zhang Hui was questioning the two people.

"I haven’t really noticed, the girl next door wakes up late in the morning and usually gets up in the afternoon but also returns home late at night."

"We are usually asleep when she returns, so we haven’t paid much attention."

"But the girl is very polite. Sometimes, on weekends, we run into her, and she often greets us."

"Have you noticed any suspicious people recently?"

"Probably not... The security in our neighborhood is fine, and there are guards patrolling."

"Haven’t noticed any strangers coming in or out of the building either."

"But this city is not like the countryside; people generally don’t know each other, we just recognize some faces."

"Have you heard any unusual noises these past few days?"

"Noises?"

"Haven’t heard much noise... Oh, right, they seemed to be making dumplings frequently a few days ago."

"Oh? How did you know they were making dumplings?"

"There was the sound of a meat grinder, buzzing non-stop..."

Inside the crime scene kitchen.

Liu Guodong found a meat grinder in the closet.

"Lu, come over here."

Although the meat grinder seemed quite clean, Lu Chuan still noticed some details.

"There are bloodstains on the blades and handle..."

He said, and then sprayed some luminol reagent...

The entire meat grinder glowed with fluorescence.

Liu Guodong sighed: "Pack it up."

Then, the two conducted a detailed examination of the kitchen.

"Master, there are splattered bloodstains here!"

There were high-speed spattered bloodstains on the kitchen walls and windowsill.

However, the perpetrator cleaned it very thoroughly, wiping everything away.

But under the cabinets, some bloodstain residues were still left uncleaned.

"This here!"

Then, Lu Chuan discovered a bloodstained axe behind the fridge, in the gap.

The entire wooden handle of the axe was dark red, with tiny bone shards at the junction with the axe head.

"This must be the dismemberment tool?"

Liu Guodong nodded and picked up the axe, examining it, noticing subtle blade rolling and small nicks on the edge.

"Newly purchased."

But at the back end of the axe’s wooden handle, fresh wood grain was clearly visible, light yellow, evidently just recently bought.

After placing the axe in an evidence bag, the two continued their examination. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Shortly after, inside the cabinet, they found a bundle of curled black plastic.

After taking it out, a nauseating smell of blood erupted from it.

Upon unfolding the black plastic, some fresh bloodstains could still be seen, possibly due to the plastic being rolled up and thus not evaporating.

Additionally, a cutting board stained with brown bloodstains was found under the cupboard.

There were evident axe chopping marks on it.

"The killer likely placed the body on the plastic sheet, propped with the cutting board, and dismembered it with the axe."

"Then used the meat grinder to smash the flesh and blood, flushing it down the drain."

Liu Guodong nodded, also agreeing with Lu Chuan’s analysis, as it was clear the killer did not intend to hide these items.

"But there’s one thing, where are the bones?"

Liu Guodong pointed at the meat grinder beside them: "This thing can break down soft flesh, but it’s impossible to shred all the bones into fragments and flush them down the drain."

The hardness level of human bones is much higher than most people imagine.

It’s challenging to describe with specific data, but if the hardness of steel is rated as 9, then the hardness of human bones is between 4 to 5.

The particularly hard parts, like teeth and skulls, could reach hardness levels of 6 or 7.

Liu Guodong had handled several dismemberment cases in the past but had never found a case where the perpetrator used any convenient device to finely crush human bones.

Lu Chuan, of course, was aware of this too.

Compared to Liu Guodong, his skeletal identification skills afforded him more understanding of human bones.

However, there are more than just physical methods to wear down human bones.

Chemical methods can sometimes easily erode human bones.

From a chemical composition perspective, human bones mainly consist of calcium carbonate.

Soaking bones in acidic substances can soften them within a short period.

Afterward, using some physical methods, bones can be shattered.

Yet, in the cases Lu Chuan had encountered, he hadn’t found a perpetrator using this method, nor did this crime scene suggest the presence of such chemical substances.