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

Chapter 1290 The Pale Green Corpse

The skin was a pale greenish tinge, and the putrefied veins on the chest and abdomen spread like tree branches. The abdomen, in particular, was slightly bulging due to the accumulation of putrefied gas, and a soft "popping" sound could be heard when pressed, which was the sound of methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases produced by intestinal bacteria decomposing the tissue. "Teacher Zhang, the preliminary age of the four is estimated to be between 35 and 40 years old. Their skin has moderate elasticity, their hair is black with a few gray hairs, evenly distributed, and there are no obvious signs of hair loss; their teeth have moderate wear, and their wisdom teeth have erupted, which is consistent with the physiological characteristics of this age group." Li Ran measured the data of various parts of the corpse with a soft measuring tape while quickly recording the data. The camera took pictures from multiple angles, including the front, side, and back, to ensure that every detail was clearly captured.

Zhang Lin leaned close to the corpse's neck, gently brushing away the dirt and putrefactive secretions clinging to the skin with tweezers: "There's a dark purplish-red discolored area on the neck, about 5 cm x 3 cm, located at the left sternocleidomastoid muscle. However, the skin tissue has softened due to decomposition, so it's impossible to determine at this time whether it's a strangulation mark from before death or subcutaneous bleeding caused by decomposition after death. First, take a skin tissue sample from this discolored area, and at the same time, collect the putrefactive fluid from the corpse's abdomen and send it to the toxicology department for testing to rule out the possibility of death by poisoning." His movements were gentle and precise, avoiding any damage to potentially crucial traces due to improper handling. For a decomposing corpse, every subtle tissue change could hide clues to the cause of death, allowing no room for carelessness.

Li Ran used a sterile cotton swab to collect the putrefactive liquid, placed it in a sealed test tube, and then carefully cut off skin tissue from the discolored area of ​​the neck with a scalpel, fixing it in formalin solution. "Teacher Zhang, the deceased was wearing a dark gray cotton jacket and black work pants. The clothes were intact, without any tears or stab marks, but the jacket collar and cuffs were covered in a lot of mud, and the edges of the trousers were obviously worn, as if from walking on rough ground for a long time; the pockets were empty, without a mobile phone, ID card, or other items that could prove identity. The murderer may have taken these items before disposing of the body, deliberately concealing the deceased's identity." Li Ran added, while carefully peeling off the clothes, laying them flat on the evidence table for photographing and recording, trying to find traces left by the suspect in the clothing fibers.

The physical examination lasted for an hour. Zhang Lin stood up, stretched his stiff neck, and looked at the time record board next to the autopsy table: "The physical characteristics only indicate the degree of decomposition 3-4 days after death, but the specific time of death needs to be determined in conjunction with the internal organs and stomach contents. Prepare to dissect the thoracic and abdominal cavities, focusing on the condition of the heart, lungs, and liver, as well as the degree of digestion of the stomach contents."

Li Ran handed over the scalpel, which Zhang Lin took, the blade gleaming coldly under the light. He cut along the midline of the corpse's abdomen, the scalpel slicing through the skin, subcutaneous fat, and muscle layer by layer. A stench of decay, mixed with an even stronger odor, instantly erupted, clearly perceptible even through multiple layers of protective masks. "Observe the condition of the abdominal muscles carefully, for any signs of bleeding or bruising," Zhang Lin instructed, his gaze focused intently on the dissected area. "The abdominal muscles are soft, showing no signs of ante-mortem bleeding, ruling out the possibility of a violent blow to the abdomen."

The scalpel continued to penetrate deeper, gradually exposing the organs within the abdominal cavity. The stomach, bloated with putrefactive gases, appeared dark brown and covered with a layer of viscous secretions. Zhang Lin used hemostats to clamp both ends of the stomach, carefully separating it from the surrounding tissue. Then, he made a small incision in the middle of the stomach with a scalpel. A small amount of undigested food residue flowed out of the incision, mainly noodles, leafy greens, and a small amount of minced meat. The food had begun to decompose, but its original form was still recognizable. "Li Ran, extract a sample of the stomach contents, measure the volume, and observe the degree of digestion," Zhang Lin said, scooping some of the stomach contents into a test tube. "The stomach contents are about 150 ml in volume. The food has entered the pylorus but not yet the small intestine, indicating that the deceased died within 1-2 hours after eating."

"1-2 hours? Considering the degree of putrefaction on the body surface, how far can we estimate the time of death?" Li Ran asked, her pen flying across the autopsy logbook as she took notes. Zhang Lin put down his tools, walked to the filing cabinet in the autopsy room, took out a copy of "Forensic Pathology," and turned to the "Estimation of Time of Death" section: "Normally, after a person eats, the time it takes for food to empty from the stomach depends on the type of food. Liquid food empties in about 1 hour, semi-liquid food such as noodles in about 2-3 hours, and solid food in about 4-6 hours. The noodles and vegetables in the deceased's stomach are semi-liquid food; they were partially digested but not emptied, and they did not enter the small intestine. Therefore, it can be determined that death occurred 1-2 hours after eating."

He returned to the autopsy table and pointed to the corpse's skin: "Looking at the signs of putrefaction, the skin is pale green all over, with a clear network of putrefied veins, a slight bulge in the abdomen, and slight ulceration on the right calf. These are typical signs of death 3-4 days after the initial examination. However, ambient temperature affects the rate of putrefaction. The average temperature in Beishan Park over the past three days has been 25-28°C, which is a mild environment, so the rate of putrefaction is relatively stable and unlikely to deviate significantly. Based on the stomach contents and the signs of putrefaction, we preliminarily conclude that the time of death was around 3 days ago, on the afternoon or evening of the 18th of this month."

"Was it in the afternoon or evening?" Li Ran pressed, the more accurate the time of death estimation, the greater the help it would be for subsequent investigations. Zhang Lin pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on the stomach contents sample: "The stomach contents consisted of noodles and vegetables, common dinner foods. Most people eat dinner between 6 and 8 pm. Combining this with the inference that 'death occurred 1-2 hours after eating,' the time of death can be further narrowed down to between 7 and 9 pm three days ago. This time period aligns with most people's daily routines and also matches the clue found at the scene that 'the suspect buried the body at night.'"

Having determined the approximate time of death, Zhang Lin shifted the focus of the autopsy to investigating the cause of death. He picked up the scalpel again and began dissecting the thoracic cavity. After cutting open the sternum, the heart and lungs were exposed. The heart was of normal size, with a smooth surface, no obvious bleeding points or infarct foci, and the coronary arteries showed no signs of stenosis or blockage, ruling out natural causes of death such as acute coronary heart disease or myocardial infarction. "The heart is normal, now let's look at the lungs." Zhang Lin picked up the lungs with forceps and gently squeezed them. A small amount of pale red fluid seeped from the lung tissue. "The lungs are dark red, with scattered bleeding points at the edges, and obvious edema in the alveoli. These are typical characteristics of death by mechanical asphyxiation."