frightfiction Chapter 1511: Characteristics of the Corpse, Detailed Clues
Chapter 1511: Characteristics of the Corpse, Detailed Clues
His gaze was fixed on Zhang Lin's movements. Occasionally, he would look up to carefully examine the wounds and physical characteristics of the corpse, confirming the accuracy of his records. "Teacher Zhang, all records are complete. The re-examination of the body revealed no new suspicious traces or external injuries, and no individual identification characteristics that could confirm the deceased's identity," Xiao Lin reported softly to Zhang Lin after finishing his record.
Zhang Lin nodded, his expression still serious. He put down the measuring tape in his hand, his gaze refocusing on the abdominal wound on the corpse. He said firmly, "Okay, the external examination is complete. No new clues were found, nor were any characteristics that could identify the deceased. Next, we will begin the autopsy, starting with the abdominal cavity—this is the focus of this autopsy because the fatal wound is preliminarily determined to be in the abdomen. We need to examine the depth and extent of the abdominal wound, as well as the damage to the internal organs, to confirm the specific location and severity of the fatal wound, further clarify the cause of death, and at the same time, collect relevant samples to provide a basis for subsequent testing."
Xiao Lin nodded quickly, gripped the dissection record book in her hand, and prepared to record details. At the same time, she kept her eyes fixed on Zhang Lin's hands, ready to pass the dissection instruments and sample storage containers at any time, and cooperate with Zhang Lin to complete the dissection work.
Zhang Lin adjusted the angle of the operating light, ensuring the light shone precisely on the deceased's abdominal area, guaranteeing he could clearly see every detail of the autopsy. Then, he reached out his right hand and picked up a sterile scalpel from the instrument tray—a scalpel with a sharp blade and smooth handle, his everyday tool, which had accompanied him in dissecting countless corpses and uncovering the truth behind countless cases.
He gripped the scalpel, raised his arm slightly, and focused intently on the deceased's abdomen. He said to Kobayashi, "Kobayashi, carefully record the scalpel's position and angle, don't miss any details. Turn on the scalpel. Scalpel position: from below the xiphoid process, along the midline of the abdomen, down to 2 centimeters above the pubic symphysis; scalpel angle: 30° to the skin, blade facing the inner side of the abdomen; scalpel pressure: even and moderate, avoid excessive force that could damage the abdominal organs, and also avoid too little force that would prevent a smooth cut."
"Understood, Teacher Zhang, I will record it in detail!" Xiao Lin quickly replied, gripping the pen tightly in his hand and staring intently at Zhang Lin's movements, afraid of missing any detail. "Record: Abdominal anatomy, incision location: below the xiphoid process along the midline of the abdomen to 2 cm above the pubic symphysis; incision angle: 30°, blade facing the inner side of the abdomen; incision force: even and moderate."
Zhang Lin took a deep breath, steadied himself, and placed the scalpel steadily on the skin beneath the xiphoid process of the deceased. His movements were slow and precise, without the slightest hesitation. Following the predetermined position and angle, he slowly made the incision, the blade gently slicing through the skin, producing a faint "sizzling" sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent autopsy room, sending a chill down one's spine.
As the scalpel moved slowly, the skin, subcutaneous fat, rectus abdominis muscle, transverse abdominis muscle, peritoneum, and other tissues of the deceased's abdomen were dissected one by one, revealing distinct layers without any disorder. The subcutaneous fat was approximately 1.8 cm thick, pale yellow in color, and evenly distributed, without any abnormal thickening or thinning. This indicates that the deceased's nutritional status before death was moderate, without excessive obesity or malnutrition.
The rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis muscles were developed normally, with neatly arranged muscle fibers, no signs of bleeding, bruising, or rupture. This indicated that the deceased had not struggled violently before death, and the abdominal muscles had not been subjected to external impact or pulling. This discovery stirred something within Zhang Lin, who said softly, "Xiao Lin, record: subcutaneous fat thickness 1.8 cm, pale yellow, evenly distributed, no abnormalities; rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis muscles are developed normally, with neatly arranged muscle fibers, no bleeding, bruising, or rupture. Preliminary judgment: the deceased had not struggled violently before death, and the abdomen had not been subjected to external impact or pulling."
"Understood, Teacher Zhang, all recorded!" Xiao Lin quickly took notes, while his eyes were fixed on the scalpel in Zhang Lin's hand, watching him cut through the tissue step by step, his heart filled with admiration—Teacher Zhang's anatomical skills were too exquisite, every cut was precise and accurate, with clear layers and no deviation whatsoever, which was the result of his years of hard work and repeated practice.
Zhang Lin continued his work, the scalpel moving slowly, cutting through the peritoneum little by little. The peritoneum is a thin membrane lining the abdominal cavity; it is soft and smooth. Once cut open, the internal organs can be exposed. He moved with exceptional gentleness, afraid of accidentally tearing the peritoneum, damaging the internal organs, and affecting the accuracy of the dissection results.
"Xiao Lin, keep a close eye on things. The peritoneum is about to be cut open. We're going to record the condition inside the abdominal cavity. Pay special attention to whether there is any blood or fluid accumulation, as well as the position and shape of the internal organs, and whether they are normal." Zhang Lin reminded Xiao Lin while performing the procedure, his tone tinged with caution.
"Understood, Teacher Zhang, I'm ready!" Xiao Lin quickly replied, leaning forward slightly and staring intently at the deceased's abdomen, prepared to observe and record.
A moment later, the peritoneum was completely cut open. Zhang Lin carefully used sterile forceps to separate the peritoneum, exposing the internal organs inside the abdominal cavity. In an instant, the situation inside the abdominal cavity was clearly presented to the two men—a small amount of dark red blood and pale yellow turbid fluid were visible inside the abdominal cavity. The amount of blood was about 200 milliliters, and the turbid fluid contained a small amount of silt residue, which looked very similar to the sewage composition in the ditch at the scene.
The dark red blood was viscous and showed no signs of coagulation. It emitted a faint, pungent odor mixed with a foul smell, which was somewhat oppressive. Zhang Lin used tweezers to gently pick up a small amount of the blood, examined it carefully, and then said, "Xiao Lin, record: Approximately 200 ml of dark red blood and a small amount of pale yellow turbid liquid are visible in the abdominal cavity, along with some silt residue. The blood is viscous, dark red, and shows no signs of coagulation, consistent with the characteristics of blood accumulation after death from hemorrhagic shock. The turbid liquid is preliminarily identified as sewage from the ditch at the scene, which entered the abdominal cavity after death. Further analysis in the laboratory is needed to confirm whether it is from the same source as the sewage from the ditch."
"In addition, extract one sample each of blood and turbid fluid from the abdominal cavity," Zhang Lin continued, his tone serious. "Using sterile pipettes, carefully extract the blood and turbid fluid from the abdominal cavity, place them in sterile test tubes, and label them with the extraction location and time. These will be sent to the laboratory for testing to confirm whether the blood is the deceased's blood and whether the specific composition of the turbid fluid is consistent with the sewage from the ditch at the scene."