latelenovela Chapter 1433 Advancing the Clues, 1 Nothing Gained
Chapter 1433 Advancing the Clues, 1 Nothing Gained
The vehicle search is still ongoing, and no definitive results have been obtained yet. "Although the identity of the deceased and clues about the suspect have not yet been confirmed, we have grasped some of the suspect's movements and the characteristics of the tools used in the crime, which provides important directions for subsequent investigations," Xiao Wang said in his summary. "Next, we will continue to intensify surveillance and investigation efforts, focusing on tracing the driving trajectory of the black sedan; at the same time, we will expand the scope of the missing persons search, not only to this city and neighboring cities, but also to other surrounding cities; in addition, we will reconstruct the brand logo residue found at the scene and investigate the sales channels and purchasers of the suitcases through brand dealers."
At 8 PM, Xiao Wang compiled a detailed investigation report on the day's findings and reported it to Li Ming. "Xiao Wang, your team has done a very thorough job. Although we haven't made a breakthrough yet, we've already identified a clear direction for the investigation," Li Ming affirmed the team's work. "Regarding the follow-up work, I'd like to emphasize a few points: First, the vehicle search must be expedited, with the technical department providing full cooperation to quickly identify the black sedan; second, the investigation of the suitcase brand should be prioritized, as this could be a crucial breakthrough in finding the suspect; third, the missing persons investigation should be further expanded, combining the deceased's characteristics from the complete autopsy report provided by the forensic doctor for more precise comparisons; fourth, continue interviewing residents and businesses in the surrounding area, especially those living along the sides of the alley, to try and find more clues about the suspicious man and the black sedan."
"Understood, Captain Li! We will implement all tasks as soon as possible and strive to find the deceased's identity and clues about the suspect as soon as possible," Xiao Wang replied. He then led his team back to the video analysis room to continue reviewing the surveillance footage. As night deepened, the lights in the video analysis room remained bright. Xiao Li and Xiao Zhang stared intently at the computer screen, reviewing the surveillance footage frame by frame, afraid of missing any subtle clues; Xiao Wang and Xiao Liu were organizing the day's interview records, re-examining and verifying each clue. Although the investigation still faced many difficulties, Xiao Wang and his team were full of confidence. They firmly believed that as long as they persisted in focusing on clues and carried out their work meticulously, they would definitely find a breakthrough and unveil the mystery of the deceased's identity and the suspect's identity.
Over the next two days, Xiao Wang led the investigation team to continue advancing various tasks. Regarding vehicle investigation, the technical department, through partial license plate information and vehicle travel trajectories, initially identified the black sedan as a Volkswagen Magotan. However, due to the large number of vehicles of this model and blind spots in surveillance coverage, the vehicle's specific ownership has not yet been determined. Regarding the suitcase brand investigation, the technical department successfully identified the brand as "a well-known travel brand." The investigation team immediately contacted the brand's regional distributor and retrieved sales records for this model of suitcase over the past six months, identifying 58 buyers, who are currently being verified one by one. Regarding the missing persons investigation, the team reviewed missing persons information from five surrounding cities over the past three months, identifying eight potential leads, which are currently being verified in detail with the relevant municipal criminal investigation departments. Regarding surveillance footage, the investigation team discovered another suspicious video showing the black sedan leaving a high-end residential area around 3:00 AM and heading towards Nanhu Square. However, due to the angle of the residential area's surveillance cameras, the exact location of the vehicle's entry and exit, and the situation of the people inside the vehicle, could not be captured.
By the afternoon of the fourth day, Xiao Wang's investigation team had reviewed over 500 hours of surveillance footage, interviewed over 800 residents and businesses, compiled over 100 missing persons records, and verified 58 individuals who purchased the suitcase. However, they still hadn't identified the deceased or found any leads on the suspects. "Although there hasn't been a breakthrough yet, we've eliminated a large number of irrelevant leads and narrowed the scope of our investigation," Xiao Wang encouraged his team at a meeting. "Don't be discouraged. Every step of the investigation lays the foundation for a final breakthrough. Next, we'll focus our investigation on the upscale residential area where the black sedan left, while simultaneously accelerating the verification of the suitcase purchasers. I believe we'll soon find valuable leads." The team members agreed and returned to their intense investigation. Meanwhile, within the Criminal Investigation Division, each investigation team was progressing steadily. Although the path to solving the case was fraught with difficulties, everyone firmly believed that by adhering to a rigorous, meticulous, and pragmatic work attitude, they would surely bring the suspects to justice, bring justice to the deceased, and restore a peaceful living environment for the citizens.
The turning point in the case ultimately lay hidden beneath a sea of information. While Xiao Wang's team painstakingly advanced through surveillance footage, interviews, and vehicle leads around Nanhu Square, another special task force, led by Xiao Zhou, the instructor of the investigation brigade, was immersed in the "data ocean" of the national missing persons information system, undertaking the most tedious and crucial task of identifying the deceased. Following Li Ming's directive to "expand the scope and make precise comparisons," Xiao Zhou's team's core task was to: sift through information on all missing persons within the past six months from the city and five surrounding cities, and even across the entire province, who met the criteria of "male, 35-45 years old, height 175-178 cm," and then, combined with details from the forensic autopsy reports, systematically eliminate and lock onto candidates, ultimately finding a matching identity for the deceased.
"Everyone, stay alert! This job may look like sitting in front of a desk, but it's actually more tiring than running around the crime scene. It tests our patience and meticulousness." On the first morning of the investigation, Xiao Zhou stood in the makeshift information investigation office and gave instructions to his team of eight. The office had eight computers neatly arranged, each connected to the national missing persons information management system. The screens were filled with densely packed tables, making it difficult to see clearly. "Let's divide the work, two people per group, each group responsible for sorting information from one city. First, export all the information matching the basic characteristics, then compare it with the details given by the forensic doctor—deceased weighing 70-75 kg, medium build, no tattoos, ante-mortem resistance injury on the left upper limb, old non-fatal injury to the iliac artery, time of death between 10 PM and midnight the day before the incident—and eliminate those who don't match."
"Isn't our scope too broad? There have been over a thousand missing persons in this city alone in the last six months, and if you add the five surrounding cities, the total is conservatively estimated to be over ten thousand." Team member Xiao Lin rubbed his eyes, looking at the massive amount of data popping up in the system, and couldn't help but frown.